There was genetic inheritance diagram according to Mendel's laws drawn on the blackboard. Actually, this had already been taught the previous year, but Rosa wanted to review the concepts in order to talk about complex inheritance and epigenetics. Sofia found all that talk about genes boring, and was unable to suppress a yawn as she struggled to maintain her concentration. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Dave devouring each and every word the teacher said. He was taking notes as if he wanted to write down all the concepts, lest he miss one, and was looking up at the board with absolute fascination. Sofia couldn't help but smile a little. At least someone found the class interesting.

“Epigenetics is the study of the mechanisms that regulate gene expression without modification of the DNA sequence. External factors that can affect gene expression range from environmental factors, to habits such as diet, to even our body's own chemical reactions,” the woman explained.

“Environmental factors... I wonder if...” whispered Dave, scratching his chin as he looked down at his notebook.

The bell rang, and it was such a shrill, head-drilling screech that Sofia flinched. From the way Dave pursed his lips and closed his eyes, he didn't seem to like the sound either.

“Well, kids, since I know this weekend is the Witches Night Festival and you're not going to do anything, I'm not going to send you homework. But at least take a look at the lesson in the textbook,” said Rosa.

As always, she said goodbye to Sofia with a hand wave and left. She had not even made it out of the classroom when it erupted in a clatter of moving chairs. A handful of students got up and went to their friends' desks to use the five minutes between classes to chat. Others went out into the hallway to talk with people from other classrooms, and some went to the bathroom.

Sofia put her biology notes in her backpack and was looking for the physics one when she felt a presence near her, a presence that smelled of forest. When she looked up she came face to face with Dave, who was offering her another notebook.

“Thank you for lending me the history notes again. I managed to finish copying everything,” he said with one of those controlled smiles.

“You're welcome. The teacher talks a lot. I think I'll have filled out three like this one by the end of the year,” said Sofia, taking the notebook to put it in her backpack.

“Yes, I'm sure you will,” replied the boy, laughing a little.

“Hey, guys!” Sara approached them and put an arm around her friend's shoulders, who looked a little uncomfortable at having his personal sphere invaded. “My sisters are going to dress up as witches and put on a show where we're going to make a queimada. You have to come, you're going to love it!”

“Tonight? I can't. I have too much to do. Better some other day when I’m not so busy,” said Dave with a small smile of apology, pulling out of his friend's embrace.

“Don't be dull, man. Come, we're going to have a great time!” insisted Sara.

“I appreciate it, Sara, but I can't.”

Dave returned to his seat and began to prepare the material he would need for the following class, which was physics with the Stuck-up.

“I'm coming, Sara. What time do you want to meet?” said Sofia.

“Are you talking about Sara's queimada? I mean, jeez, it's great! It's the best thing about the festival! Sara's sisters dress up as witches and prepare the queimada in a big steaming cauldron, all in the middle of a mega-cute set-up with candles, wands, aromatic plants and little bottles full of colored liquids. You really have to come and see it!”

Making it obvious that she couldn't take a hint, Lola brushed the boy’s skin in a suggestive caress and flashed her most charming smile. Like he did last time, Dave licked his lips and withdrew his hand, shying away from physical contact. In case the message hadn't already been clear enough, he also turned his head, as if averting his gaze, and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. At first glance it might have looked like shyness, and Lola seemed to have interpreted it that way because she covered her mouth with a demure gesture and giggled.

Sofia bit her lip. It didn't look like shyness.

“See? They're coming. Come on, man, it's your first festival in town and Witches Night is awesome. We're going to have a great time, you’ll see,” insisted Sara.

“I…” Dave ran his tongue over his lips and gazed at Sofia. In his eyes was a silent plea for help.

“Don't look at me. Do whatever you want, I'm not going to try to convince you,” Sofia said, raising her hands.

“Believe me when I say I prefer it that way,” Dave said with a small smile. “I'll think about it, but no promises,” he added, turning to Sara and Lola.

“Okay, man. We'll talk after class.”

“I hope you will come. I would love to share the queimada with you. Some people think it shows us our true love,” said Lola as she caressed the boy's hand again, who was becoming more and more tense.

“Ladies, take your places.”

The Stuck-up had just entered the classroom, and like soldiers trained to obey the orders of their superior, all the students, including Sara, ran towards their desks. No one dared to defy him unless they wanted to end up visiting the principal's office. When everyone was in their place and silent, thirty pairs of eyes on their teacher and the blackboard, the class began.

While the man wrote formulas on the board, Sofia glanced at Dave. He was paying attention to the class, but the way he frowned was not his usual expression of concentration. He actually looked worried. Careful not to make any noise that would alert the teacher, Sofia tore off a small piece of paper from one of her notebook’s pages and scribbled on it. After making sure that the Stuck-up was standing with his back to them, she threw it at her classmate with such good aim that it landed right in front of him, on his own notebook. Startled, Dave jumped a little and then picked up the note.

‘You don't have to come if you don't want to. I'll talk to Sara.’

Dave let out a quiet sigh and drew the word ‘thank you’ across his lips. Then he smiled, and that natural, sincere smile was so beautiful that Sofia couldn't help but smile back. After returning her attention to the teacher, who was still engrossed in his formulas, the girl brushed an unruly strand of hair behind her ear and tried to follow his lesson.

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The class went by so quickly that the bell's shrill screech caught her by surprise and she jumped a little in her chair. All around her erupted a din of chairs, tables and students fleeing the classroom and talking at the top of their voices. Sara, who normally waited for her by the door, ran against the tide to get to her.

“Mate, I can't eat with you today. My sister Monica sent me a message. She wants me to help her prepare for tonight because the others are working and can't get away. She can't handle the cauldron by herself because it weighs a ton.”

“No worries. I'll eat something at home and then I'll see you at the festival.”

“Sure, buddy,” said Sara, adjusting her backpack on her shoulder. “And you come too, man, we're going to have a blast.”

“I'll... think about it,” he replied, and he licked his lips again.

Sara left, and the rest of her classmates did the same, so the two of them were left alone in the classroom. From outside came the sound of voices and footsteps from all the students who were leaving the building. Sofia didn’t quiet feel like joining the daily crowd, so she took her time to finish packing up. To her surprise Dave was taking almost longer than she was. His movements were slow, as if his head was somewhere else instead of there.

“Sara can be very insistent, but don't let her persuade you if you don't want to go. She won't be mad,” said Sofia as she slung her backpack over her shoulders.

“Actually, I'd really like to go but... I have a lot to do.”

“I don't think we'll be meeting until seven or so. Maybe you can be finished by then,” she said as they walked out the classroom door into a hallway that was already almost deserted. “I could use lunch at home. If I'm going out this afternoon I might as well take Kas out now and give him a nice walk.”

“Your dog?” asked the boy, with such a child-excited-to-see-his-favorite-robot look on his face that Sofia couldn't help but giggle a little.

“Yes, that Kas. I don’t know any other Kas that needs to be walked,” said Sofia, and the funny smile that she felt on her lips surprised her.

“Right.” Dave scratched the back of his head and a sheepish smile that matched the blush on his cheeks appeared on his lips.

“Would you like to come?” Those words surprised her even more than her smile.

“Are you serious?” Dave looked at her as if he didn't quite believe what she had said.

“You don't have to if you don't want to,” she blurted out, aware of the blush creeping up her cheeks.

She didn't even know why she had told him. She barely knew him, and while it was true that they had started talking quite a bit, they had never been alone together yet. The few times they had seen each other outside of school had been with Sara. However, she couldn't deny that she liked him, he was quiet and friendly and she liked spending time with him.

“I... I'd like to,” the boy said, blushing, and that smile was so warm and genuine that it infected Sofia.

Sofia's house was close by, but they still took the boy's motorcycle to get there. Since there was only one helmet Dave forced her to wear it, but the huge, heavy hulk did not prevent her from perceiving the smell he gave off, which was more than just the scent of nature, pine and gasoline. She could also smell a light masculine musk that was warm and pleasant, a musk that made her very aware that she was riding on a motorcycle with him, with her body pressed against his back and her arms around his waist.

When he stopped in front of Sofia's house, one of those old, low houses, the girl let go of him as if he were a red-hot iron bar and jumped off the motorcycle. Puzzled by her attitude, Dave tilted his head, but she pushed the helmet onto his hands and turned her gaze away in an attempt to hide the sudden blush that had risen to her cheeks.

“It's this way,” she said as she pulled her keys from her backpack.

The door opened with a click and the huge Dobermann ran to greet his owner. Dave's eyes widened like saucers at the sight of the dog, and Kas, upon recognizing him, got excited and began to wiggle his little stump. Kas liked almost everyone, because he was a clown, but Sofia couldn't help but smile at the sight of him hitting it off with that boy who smelled like forest.

“Hi Kas! How are you?” said Dave with a happy voice, and his lips opened in a truly sincere and spontaneous smile.

The boy dropped to his knees to be at the dog's level and began to play with him without fear or embarrassment, like a child who had just bumped into an old friend. Sofia felt something warm welling up in her belly, and that sensation made her feel equal parts fear and longing. This boy was not just a classmate with whom she had a cordial relationship. This boy was becoming her friend.

A new fear surfaced within her, one that made her all too aware of her true nature and wiped the smile from her lips. She was not human. It didn't matter if she tried to convince herself that she might never change, she most likely would. Sofia looked away and hugged herself as she struggled to suppress the anguished whine she felt stuck in her throat. ‘What if he finds out what I am? what if I change in front of him? What if he rejects me like Angel did?’.

“Are you all right?”

It was his voice that snapped her out of her thoughts. When she turned to him she found his gaze, full of concern, focused on her. She realized that she had been staring into nothingness for a while, immersed in her thoughts. In an attempt to appear normal, Sofia tried to force her lips into a smile, but what came out was a weird and twisted grimace.

“Yes, it's nothing. It's just that no one had ever played with Kas like that before. It was touching, that's all.”

To hide any expression that might give away her lie, Sofia went into the house, took the leash and tied the dog when she walked out.

“Oh, I guess it's the way he looks. He's a good dog and I know he's not going to hurt me or anything,” said the boy, shrugging.

“You like dogs,” Sofia commented as they walked.

“Yes, I... I had a dog, a Dalmatian, Rosita,” the smile faded from his lips and a shadow clouded his gaze.

“What happened to her?” she asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

“Nothing. She's still at my house. The problem is that I can't go back...”

Dave looked up at the great mountains, covered with tall pine forests, and let out a long sigh. Seeing the pain in his blue eyes, Sofia felt a pang of guilt. Dave had probably seen in Sara a way to get to know new people and make some friends that would allow him to forget his problems for a while, and he had met her, the world champion of suffering. Sofia looked down at Kas, who had noticed Dave's mood change and was now walking beside him, keeping an eye on him. Deep down Sara was right, she was a selfish girl who only thought of herself.

“Here,” she said, and held out the dog's leash.

“Eh?” Dave tilted his head in confusion, and Sofia bit her lip.

“I know it's silly, and it's not going to let you see Rosita, but if it helps, you can join me to take Kas out whenever you want.”

“I wouldn't want to intrude. I know we're not friends and that you don't like people very much,” the boy commented.

“I'm serious. Besides, Kas likes you, and there aren't that many people who want to be his friend,” she insisted, blushing a little.

“I... I appreciate it.”

The boy's eyes lit up and a soft blush rose to his cheeks. With a slightly trembling hand he took the leash, and his fingertips brushed the girl with a shy caress, almost as if he feared to cross a boundary. Then she looked down at the dog and petted his back. On his lips was a broad smile that was still controlled, but seemed much wider and more sincere than usual. Kas wagged his tail and began to prance, happy to see that his new friend no longer looked sad.

Sofia felt again that pleasant warmth welling up in her belly, and she wanted to embrace that sensation. Little by little she was building the mundane life she had longed for. However, she was never going to stop being a huntress. She did not want to let certain habits, which she preferred to leave buried, come to tarnish that moment of happiness, but she had been doing it for too many years and it came naturally to her. As they walked she stared at him, at his blond hair, his restrained smile and his eyes the color of the sky, and wondered what had made him have to leave his home.