The bell rang to signal the end of the school day. As if propelled by a spring, the kids, conditioned to that sound like Pavlov's dogs, stood up, making a tremendous racket of moving chairs and excited voices. As she did every day, Sofia took her time to put her things away, allowing the rest of her classmates to leave before she got up. Sara, as always, waited patiently by the door for her friend to finish packing up. Happiness seemed to be Sara’s usual mood, but that day she was unable to hide the ear-to-ear smile on her face, something that pissed Sofia off.

“I didn't say I would go,” Sofia said, frowning.

“You didn't say you wouldn’t, either.”

The two girls left the classroom and joined the tide of people that flowed through the aseptic hallways and down the stairs toward the exit door. Although the gates were broad and wide open, there were so many students who came to the school every day that there was always a tremendous congestion. Step by step, like in a procession, the two girls moved forward as best they could. There was always someone in a hurry, some kid who had to get to the bus stop, or who was just bursting with energy and wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. It didn't really matter, since the only important thing was that, in his rush to leave, he hit Sofia in the shoulder so hard that it hurt. It was the pain that tore that instinctive gesture from her guts, that dry and rough growl, that way of curling her lip to bare her teeth.

As soon as she realized what she had just done, Sofia turned her head sharply and closed her mouth tightly. Making an effort to control the need to pant out of anxiety, she looked at the tide of people in search for any sign that someone had noticed what she had just done. Nothing, just a mixture of faces, each with its own emotion drawn, but nothing in them made her think that they had noticed her strange behavior. The blare of voices, so unbearable for her, had also been her ally in hiding the growl that had just rumbled in her throat. That slip up had been enough to remind her of the reasons why she had stayed away from people for the past two years. No matter how many years went by, she would never forget that night.

“Sara, I don't want to meet more people, and you know that. I don't need any more friends. With you and Kas I have enough,” said Sofia, almost whimpering at the thought of Sara introducing her to someone else, a boy no less.

“Kas is a dog, mate.”

“Yeah, So? Are you trying to find me a boyfriend?” she spat, visibly upset by her friend’s idea.

“Don't be silly, I'm not trying to find you a boyfriend. The guy is just as lonely as you are and he could use a buddy or two, and really, I'm just one person and I can't split up, but I don't want to leave him alone either. Are you really going to make me choose? Because it would really piss me off.”

“I...”

Sofia bit her lip and looked away, suddenly feeling bad about how she was acting. The two girls managed to get through the wide gates and out into the front yard, where the crowd was spreading out like a fan. Since it was still raining, some of her schoolmates opened their umbrellas, others ran, trying to escape the water as if it was acid, and a few resigned themselves to getting wet. Sofia was one of the latter, and she preferred it that way. The water sliding over her face was one of the few things that still made her feel alive. Besides, her clothes were already muddy, so it wasn't going to make her look much worse.

“I'm meeting him for lunch. Don't come if you don't want to, I'm not going to force you, but I wish you wouldn't be so pig-headed and come. I'm sure you'll have a great time in the end,” said Sara after a while.

“All right, I'll go, but let's be clear that I'm doing it for you. This doesn't mean that I'm going to be friends with that boy.”

“You're as stubborn as a mule...”

The two girls left the high school behind and walked through the narrow streets of El Cerro, the town where they lived. The place had its charm, with its old, low farmhouses mixed with more modern buildings. The foggy atmosphere increased its charm even more. At least that’s what Sofia thought, but she liked the cold, damp, gray weather, even if the smells were so intense that they were overwhelming.

Both she and her friend walked that way every day, as they always ate together in one of the few bars and restaurants. Sara was the youngest of four sisters, and, at that hour, her whole family was working to make ends meet. Sofia's mother was also absent during the day, although in her case the job was a cover that she used in order to have a paycheck with which she could take out loans and sign a lease. Both lacked their father. Sara's dad had been killed by a bear, something the big girl considered a blessing since he had been a violent bastard and an alcoholic. Sofia's father had also been a bastard, but in his case it was because he had abandoned her mother while pregnant. Maybe it was better that way, although sometimes she wondered what it would have been like to live with someone like him, with someone who could explain everything about her nature and help her when the time for the first change came.

After about ten minutes they arrived at what was the only burger joint in town; a cheap copy of an American chain, but the food was way better. The two girls squeezed the excess water out of their hair and went inside. The place was trying to imitate one of those typical roadside bars seen in Hollywood movies, and it did so by exaggerating the decor as much as possible. There were pictures of Elvis and Marilyn, classic Mustangs and Dodge Chargers, and a non-functioning, but still pretty cool-looking jukebox. After ordering two menus and drinks, the girls went to one of the tables to sit down.

“Y’know? I'd like you to tell me one day why you don't want to get close to the people. Something really bad must have happened to you to make you so distrustful of everyone.”

“It's not that important. Some people are bad, that's all,” said Sofia, looking through one of the windows at the leaden sky outside.

“Were you bullied at your other high school? Some people are total jerks, but not everybody is like that.”

“Yes, I was bullied,” answered Sofia grimly. She didn't want to explain that the person she was talking about was her own mother.

The door of the restaurant opened. Through it entered a boy who must have been about the same age as Sofia. He wore black motorcycle pants and a matching waterproof jacket, and under one of his arms he carried a bulky helmet. His white-skinned face showed sweet features highlighted by the straight blonde hair that fell over his forehead, and eyes the same blue as the sky on a clear day. When he saw Sara, he waved and approached the table, his lips curving into a pleasant smile. As he reached them, Sofia appreciated the smell he was giving off, a strange mixture between the scent of gasoline and the perfume of forest, pine and vegetation.

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“Hello dude, it’s cool that you have arrived. This is Sofia, the classmate I told you about.”

“Hi, nice to meet you. My name is Dave.”

“Nice to meet you.”

The young woman got up so that both could exchange the usual two kisses, an absurd Spanish custom that Sofia did not understand but that she had to comply with. As her cheek collided with his, she noticed a certain roughness on his face, the first signs of a beard that, though shaved, was already growing back. Something she also noticed was the scent buried beneath the perfumes of forest and gasoline; a masculine musk she found appealing. The greeting was so strained between the two, especially since Sofia made no effort to hide her animosity, that even Sara realized this might not have been such a good idea. Tall, handsome, strong and kind, that boy was so perfect that Sofia wanted to puke.

Sofia was visibly uncomfortable, and when she was uncomfortable she tended to bite. It was a way of protecting herself, a very stupid one no doubt, but the only one she knew. This boy was not going to be an exception. In fact, the longer she stayed by his side, the more her hostility towards him grew inside her belly. Still she tried to keep it under control, simply because Sara was her friend and had asked her to give him a chance, so she did the only thing she could think of; she began to eat in silence while they talked. From time to time he threw her a glance that was between inquisitive and curious, and by the expression on his face he seemed confused by the attitude of that stranger.

“I didn't ask you, dude, have the papers for school been arranged yet?” asked Sara.

“No, not yet. Fed... my godfather is working on it, but they still have to do some things before I can join the classes,” explained the boy.

“Hold on, you're going to our high school?” Sofia suddenly exclaimed, exchanging an intense glance with the young man, one in which she didn't hide her rejection and he didn't seem to understand anything.

“Of course, mate, where do you want him to go? There's no other school here.”

Sofia opened her mouth and had to close it at once. No, there was definitely no other high school in this small mountain town. While he returned his attention to Sara, Sofia watched him intrigued, wondering where this young man, who was starting his studies two weeks after classes had already started, had come from.

“And do you feel like starting already? Maybe you'll be in my class, I can introduce you to a lot of people.”

“I...” Dave let out a quiet sigh, and for a moment Sofia thought he gave her a fleeting glance. “I'd appreciate it. I don't usually make a good first impression. It'll take me some time to make friends.”

“Nonsense, man. You're a cool guy, you'll see that as soon as they get to know you a little you'll have a lot of people flocking around you.”

Sofia narrowed her eyes and gave Sara a look of disbelief. What her friend had just done was so obvious that even the boy noticed. Dave laughed, a little embarrassed by her words, and scratched the back of his neck, though beyond his smile of resignation Sofia could see a look of real appreciation. There was something about those blue eyes that she found striking, a sincere innocence that didn't match his smile. It wasn't that the smile wasn't sincere, but he seemed to hold it back. He curved his lips but did not open them, did not show his teeth. There was a certain tension in his gestures, as if he had every movement under control.

“I don't think that's it. At my previous high school I wasn't the most popular kid either. I only had three friends, three very good friends. For me that was enough.”

The young man's lips twisted into a faint smile that gave off a certain sadness, as if those friends he was talking about were so far away that they were inaccessible to him. As Sofia observed him better, she realized that perhaps that idea was not so far from reality. Dave did not look Spanish, not entirely. There was something in his features that seemed to indicate the presence of German blood in his veins, although his Spanish was perfect, without a hint of an accent. Feeling that he was being watched, the boy looked towards Sofia and the moment their eyes met, she quickly turned hers away and began to blush. That made her feel even more foolish, because her blush was the result of having been caught looking at him, and nothing more. As if she was the least bit interested in that boy!

“My pal Sofia is the same, it's hard for her to make friends, right?” said Sara, nudging her with her elbow in an attempt to bring her into the conversation.

Sofia frowned and swallowed hard the urge to curl her lip and growl.

“I'm not looking for them. I don't need any more friends,” she snapped dryly.

“You’re as stubborn as a mule. Didn't you have any buddies when you were a kid? Or back at your other school?”

Abruptly Sofía looked away and ran her tongue over her lips in a nervous gesture. An avalanche of overwhelming memories burst into her head, bringing with them all the painful emotions she kept bottled up inside. She couldn't talk about it, not with Sara, and certainly not with a complete stranger who might as well be just another innocent person, or evil incarnate. Yes, she had had friends, and a boyfriend she had loved with all her heart, and it ended in the worst possible way. She kept people away to protect them, not to protect herself, although it was also to avoid going through that pain again.

“I had them. It didn't go well. It's better to be alone,” she replied quietly.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Dave, who was looking at her in a different way than before. He not only seemed to be curious because he didn't understand her hostile attitude, he was also studying her as if he was looking for something. That analytical gaze, which reminded her too much of her own mother, sent a powerful shiver up and down her spine and made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. A new growl ascended into her throat, where it choked under the iron grip Sofia had on those damned urges.

“What are you looking at?”

“Nothing...” The young man frowned and released a deep sigh. “I'd better go, Sara. I don't think your friend likes me, and I don’t want to cause any more problems. I appreciate the effort, but we'll have another chance to meet, you and me alone.”

“Take care, man.”

“I will.”

After giving her a slight nod as a farewell, Dave grabbed his helmet and hurried off. When he had left, Sara, who had infinite patience and always approached life with a positive attitude, exploded in a way Sofia had never seen before.

“I really can't stand you sometimes, buddy. I meet a nice guy that I think you're going to like, and I'm really excited for you to meet him, so the three of us can have a little group of friends, small but cool, and you make a mega effort to fuck everything up. What the fuck did he do to you to make you be such an asshole to him?”

“I didn't ask you to find me friends. I don't need friends, I’ve already told you that,” said Sofia, feeling her blood boiling inside her and an intense energy rising in her chest.

“But I do, I'm a sociable girl and I like to meet more people. I just wanted to share my other friends with you, you selfish fuck.”

Sofia had to admit that her words hurt, because she was right in each and every one of them. She was acting selfishly. The only person she was thinking of was herself, even if she felt her attitude was completely justified. Over and over again she repeated in her mind that she was not only protecting herself, she was also protecting him from what could happen if he got too close. However, that wasn't entirely true.

“I'm sorry, Sara, but I'm just not going to like the typical cocky pretty boy,” she mumbled, feeling the anger and energy bubbling up inside her settle back down.

“The typical cocky pretty boy?” Sara's anger suddenly vanished, replaced by surprise.

“Haven't you noticed? He controls every expression, the way he smiles, the way he moves, even the slightest expression on his face. He is always tense, calculating his every gesture. He is so kind, so polite, so handsome and so perfect that he seems unreal.”

Sara burst out laughing, and in Sara's case it was quite a show as her loud voice boomed throughout the restaurant, which was almost empty except for a couple of other diners and the burger staff. Displeased by her friend's reaction, as she had not expected her to laugh so openly at her, Sofia folded her arms and pouted.

“Are you seriously telling me that you've been the queen of all jerks because you like him?”

“What? Don't be silly, Sara, I don't even know him,” Sofia exclaimed, noticing how her cheeks lit up with a telltale blush that was anything but discreet.

“But you like him.”

Sofia bit her lip and looked away. She wanted to be angry with Sara, but the seed of doubt had been planted in her. Maybe she wasn't so far off the mark. Maybe she had liked that boy who smelled of forest, and maybe she had seen in him the potential for something more than a simple friendship. That was why she rejected him so violently; because she was afraid that the same thing that happened with Angel would happen again.