19 “Dream Water”

But he turned around continuing his stream of water, while Vera continued to laugh and lifted her handbag as a shield. Alma was watching the hysterical movements of Fanny while Alex continued relentlessly.

She hid behind a large poster and Vera began to run, never taking her eyes off Alex hands. She ran right into me.

"Ah! Excuse me, I didn't see you," she said, blushing.

"It's okay; you were not looking in front you," I grinned, looking at her hands clasping her handbag.

She left and rejoined the others, and I heard her breathless voice. "Alma! Look who's here!"

"Where?"

My eyes had found their target and as I expected she was looking at me too. I was waiting for this moment for so long and yet it was all I could do to not flee the scene. Alma lowered her eyes and slowly turned her head, and I saw nothing else but the mass of her thick auburn hair. What was she thinking?

"He stares at you," Vera whispered to Alma with a chuckle. There was no trace of jealousy in her tone.

I listened attentively to Alma's response. "How does he look?" she murmured, her eyes still downcast.

Alma's question had disrupted Vera who was trying to analyze my expression. I remained focused on Alma.

"I don't know, perhaps cautious," whispered Vera. "How should he look?" I knew she wanted to say more from the way she stared at my face, even though it showed nothing.

"I think I have seen him before," Alma replied slowly.

"When? Before the accident? In the perfume shop?" Vera's eyes widened and she gradually turned away from me when my eyes fell on her.

"Yes. On the terrace, and other places. Déjà vu, I believe," she confessed, massaging her forehead as if she was suddenly tired.

I wasn't sure how to interpret this gesture? I could only guess that maybe she was really tired.

"On the terrace? What terrace? Why didn't you say anything?"

"At the cinema... Before the test of Practical Techniques."

"The PTR test?" Vera asked, frowning. "Last week?"

"Mm hmm."

"Do you think he is following you? That's crazy! I hope—"

"Stop, Vera! You say such crap sometimes."

"Why do you think he is interested in you? In any case, he continues to admire you," she adds in a plaintive voice.

"Stop watching." Alma said, annoyed. Vera grinned, but complied. It looked like Alma was forcing herself not to look at me. Her body shifted slightly towards me, her chin was about to turn my way, but then she regained control of herself, taking a deep breath. "I think I'll go see him," she said, swallowing hard.

Oh!

I was not aware of those around her, as if they were not there. Alex Krupp continued his absurd little game, unaware that the storm threatened to end it. Not that he had any ability to hear the change in the sky. For me it was truly noisy. I remained motionless. People came and went, and I found myself trying to distinguish the sound of her footsteps among the others, as if I had recognized they had some importance.

Will she come?

That was stupid!

Alma did not move. Alex, Fanny and Vera looked at her. They were waiting to see what she would do. Would she join me, or remain in her place? Thinking about being next to this girl that had such an effect on me, I could feel my body heat in the atmosphere. Was I ready for this? Or had I already seen her enough for the day?

"What's the problem?" Alex said, taking up the discussion and trying to reason with Alma. "Either you know him or not, what difference does it make?"

"You aren't going talk to him?" Fanny whimpered. "He is beautiful. Dark black hair and green eyes! Nowadays, men like him are very rare!"

"What's getting you so excited?" Alex reacted, taken aback by Fanny's long sentence.

"He seems fresh off a magazine page," she said.

Was Alma, like me, torn in two by a decision? Part of me wanted - desired - more than anything to stay rather than flee again. It was a mistake to rush an encounter. Yet I realized that I wanted to tell her my name.

What had happened to me?

This curiosity... I was angry at myself to be so mesmerized. Didn't I promise myself that I would not be fooled by this obsession? And now, I was totally and completely fascinated by her. I wanted to know what she thought of me.

"Probably nothing will happen if you do not go see him," Alex shot me an inquisitive look, "It's almost certain."

Would Alma's curiosity be sufficient to make her take the plunge?

"Alex is right," Vera continued."

"I want to face him!" Alma said with force.

What a temptation!

She stepped back to circumvent Alex, touched Fanny's shoulder, turned her head to stare one last time at Vera, and then walked away from them.

"I'll call you later, Vera," she said while advancing towards me.

I could see the concern in Vera's eyes, the disapproval of Alex and irritation of Fanny. I took a deep breath and waited. The seconds became minutes, minutes turned into hours and I had the impression that all eternity conspired to cause my downfall.

"It's a nice day," she said, holding out her hand.

If only you knew!

"...Attractive...," I murmured, saying the word so low she did not hear me. "Yes! Would you like to take a walk?" I said in a calm voice, while a polite smile stretched my lips.

Ridiculous, what an idea!

Her gray eyes, with a deep and disconcerting gaze, were filled with silent questions. This expression haunted me for a week. Just when her fascinating eyes encountered mine, I realized that anger - the anger that my conscience felt this girl deserved simply because she existed - had evaporated. As I took a breath, I tasted her perfume. I could not conceive that such a person may be hateful. I breathed deeply and detected a slight sweetness in the air that surrounded her. Previously dominated by a fragrance of white lilac, it had changed. It was reinforced by an artificial scent and I smiled, finding her choice natural. Her cheeks began to blush, and she said nothing.