High School 4

A year before, Alex and I were eating together in the school cafeteria.

"Alex, did you play the new GT? I mean, like for real, aren't the new cars the best?"

"I haven't, but I guess they are." he was kind of distracted, looking around as if searching for people.

"I mean it, man. There are so many new brands! There are like hundreds, or thousands of cars now! I haven't counted."

"That's a lot of cars."

"Duh! Of course it's a lot of cars. And the physics? Wow, you have to play it. If it was realistic before, now it feels like you're there in your car, going full speed, but being careful; you don't wanna go spinning like crazy, right?"

"It feels real, huh?"

"Super real!"

"I want a car."

"There are hundreds of cars, man. Or thousands! You have a lot of options in this new GT. You've got to get it."

"No, that's not... I mean..."

"Yeah?"

"Nothing. Let's go, man. Recess is almost over."

We stood up and went to the classroom. Sara and Ana were there, too.

"Hi!", Ana waved her hand from one side to another to greet both of us. Sara just smiled at me but didn't say anything,

"So, what did you do this weekend?", asked Ana. She didn't mention anyone, but she was clearly asking Alex. Why would anyone ask me?

"You know, practicing for the BMX competition next month."

"Of course!"

What did she mean by "of course"? I didn't even know he raced.

"And what did you do?", Sara asked, but she was looking at me, so I almost assumed the question was for me, especially when Alex and Ana stared at me while I kept silent.

"What did I do?", pointing my finger at myself. Now I think I probably looked pretty dumb there.

"No, not you... of course you!", Alex shouted bringing me to my senses.

"Oh, well. I played a videogame. A racing videogame. GT. I don't know if you guys know. Well, I do, and that's what I did."

"Yeah, yeah. I figure you were playing video games." Ana said.

"It sounds like fun," Sara said smiling.

At that moment, Edbert came in. Days at school were not the best for me, socially, but if there was something I disliked, that was Edbert. What kind of name is that, anyway? I think that was the name of a king or something. Maybe that's why he's the way he is.

"Hey, Bikehead." Edbert said to Alex, which surprised me. Not only was Edbert creative enough to come up with new nicknames every week, but also because he knew about the whole bike thing with Alex and I didn't.

"What is it, Edbert?" Alex's eyes were trying to avoid him, but he couldn't hide his clenched fists.

"Nothing, nothing," he said as he was slyly approaching us, "nothing."

"Edbert, I don't think...", as Alex was talking and facing the opposite way, Edbert grabbed Alex's collar and did a full Nelson on him.

"Edbert, don't be an ass! Let him go!", shouted Ana.

"What're you gonna do, huh?", Edbert said while holding him tightly.

This was not something new. Edbert used to do this to him almost every day. Not a full Nelson necessarily, but he would bully him every time he could.

Alex's face was turning red.

"Let me go, Edbert," he said surprisingly calmly.

"Yeah? What're you gonna do about it, huh?"

"Let me go. I'm telling you."

'What is he going to do anyway?', I thought. Alex was always pissed off at Edbert and never did anything about it. This time, though, he looked more pissed off than usual.

"Let me go!"

Alex raised his right leg a little and then hit Edbert's shin with so much strength, he had to let him go. Edbert opens his mouth but he couldn't let the scream out. Then Alex grabbed him by the shirt, slips one of his legs behind one of his, and performed what couldn't be described in another way but a judo throw. Edbert was on the floor, barely moving, but in intense pain. Ana and Sara were wordless and, at the door, Violet saw the whole thing and was the first person to say anything after a few seconds.

"Wow, Alex! That... was... awesome!"

She approached him fast, looking at Edbert on the floor and saying how he deserved it. Sara and Ana said the same while finally laughing. Some boys arrived and they told him what happened.

"Man! That's cool! You've got it coming, Edbert," said Francois while laughing.

"I didn't know you were so tough, dude. Now that's something." David said.

"That's what I'm talking about!" George shouted while shaking hands with him as if he was congratulating him for a promotion in a very important company.

I was the only one a few meters apart from him, thinking that, in a way, he was indeed getting some sort of promotion. Alex seemed more relaxed. His stance was better. He liked this. Of course he did. I would have loved it, too, but I would have never dared to defy Edbert, and now Alex was the manager of this office, the king of this jungle; and I was just old news.

At that moment I thought our friendship was perfect. We had video games and cartoons and only one second of his beating up Edbert changed everything. After that, he started hanging out more with the likes of Francois, David, and George. Also with Sara and Ana, and of course, Violet. After that, he stopped hanging out much with the likes of me.

So there was I, Saturday morning, thinking about something that had happened a year before that changed my friendship with Alex. My cell phone vibed and I took it. It was a text from Sofia.

"Happy Saturday! Remember we have a date in the afternoon. See you!"

Oh, yes. I had a date with Sofia... a date?