Hellena
Do you ever contemplate the seconds ticking away, measuring out your life? It's a habit I've grown accustomed to, albeit a morbid one. Some days, I find myself longing for the clock's final toll, while on others, I cling to the hope of another sunrise.
I've been doing this forever. Or at least since I've grown old enough to understand what death means. And at this moment, looking at the string of numbers and letters on the blackboard in front of the class, I want more than ever for the last second of my life to run out.
Sofia tugs at my sleeve, urging me to lean closer to her. I shoot her a disappointed look; she knows it's a deadly sin to talk during Professor Verdot's class, especially now that he's writing endless equations on the blackboard.
We're in math class, the worst class in our major, at least for me. I hate seeing so many numbers that lead to nothing. A monotonous puzzle devoid of meaning.
She passes me a hastily folded note where she's written down the details of our double date. For days, she insisted on setting me up with Rafael, one of her cousins, but I had been skeptical.
However, all doubt dissolved the moment I saw him in person, during one of those recent occasions when he came to pick up Sofia.
I'll admit, I was slightly taken aback by him, and I decided to fulfill my friend's wish. He may not be some Greek god, but I'm willing to give it a chance—or more if it leads me to his bedroom.
And for everything to align perfectly, my father also left the country for a while, giving me enough freedom to live as I please during this time.
Although, being his daughter—the most renowned prosecutor in the anti-drug brigade—in a country where narcotics are nearly a religion, somewhat restricts my freedom.
My father's dedication to work garnered him more enemies than admirers, and I know that I am in danger at every step. Even if he tries to keep me hidden, it is impossible for his enemies not to learn about my existence one day. I wonder if that's when the real chaos will begin or if perhaps the ticket to a better life is hidden right there.
I hand the small piece of paper back to Sofia, giving my consent to what she has planned for tonight.
I trust her.
She is my best friend, and we've known each other since the first day of high school. But I don't trust her taste when it comes to boys. That's exactly why I was skeptical when she brought up her cousin. In her opinion, an attractive guy wears ugly glasses, a button-down blue shirt, and beige pants. Let's not forget her strict condition for him to have only A's.
As for me, I'm drawn to the exact opposite. The harder he is to get, the more appealing he becomes.
The problem with this would be that I always find myself losing. Although I think I'm in control when I choose my target, I'm the one being targeted. And after they get what they want, they disappear. I've been through this with every guy I've ever met. Now that I think about it, I wonder if the issue lies with me.
The bell rings in the hallways, and I exhale with relief. I felt like I was suffocating in that class. I step out into the hall accompanied by Sofia, who seems much too excited for tonight's date.
"Yago has already made a reservation at the bowling alley, and for dinner, we'll go to the restaurant next to the library. They have the best burgers. And my cousin likes burgers. Just about as much as you like them. You see? It's the hand of fate!"
I wish I could erase that cocky smile from her tanned face, but I don't want to be a bad friend today.
"I have to be home by ten. Mrs. Diaz is going to throw a fit if I'm late. My father pays her way too well, and she wouldn't risk losing her job."
"You're almost nineteen, Hellena! How long is he going to pay for a freaking nanny?" Sofia starts laughing, but I can't tell if it's out of amusement or frustration.
I shake my head as I continue to be humbled by her laughter. "I'm not complaining. It's nice to have Mrs. Diaz around when Dad is too busy with work. She does everything around the house, and as a bonus, her food is delicious."
"What about her rules? She doesn't even let you bring strangers home. I can't even remember the last time I was at your place."
My smile fades. She is right. Not bringing anyone into our house is one of my father's golden rules, one that Mrs. Diaz strictly follows.
I like to think that all these rules he made are meant to protect me, but sometimes I feel like their purpose is actually to punish me. And knowing my father, the second option is more real.
I look at Sofia as she takes her phone out of her pocket and reads the message she received.
"Let's skip this class. Yago is in front of the school waiting for us."
"No chance! We've got computer science, Sof! You know I like it!"
"Come on, Hellena! You can play on the computer at home!" She squints at me, pleading with her eyes to please her.
I didn't get to give her an answer when she dragged me into the classroom to collect our things and leave.
When we're one step away from reaching the high school parking lot, we bump into our next class teacher. There's no need to say anything because our appearance already betrays our intention to leave.
"Miss Bernoulli, your father will not be pleased to hear what you're up to! Come on, girls, in my office now!"
Cold shivers sink into my skin. Sofia is looking at me and our teacher, trying to decide whether to listen to her or not. I already know she's not going to follow her into the office, at least not when her 'gorgeous' boyfriend is waiting a few feet away. I can spot his car in the street.
I frown as she breaks away from me and continues walking towards the exit, ignoring our teacher's harsh threats. We both know that won't stop her. At least, not as long as her father remains one of our high school's biggest sponsors.
All of his donations over the past few years to erase his daughter's mistakes have given Sofia some immunity from the teachers.
"You have two minutes to bring her back to my class, or I will fail you both!" our teacher warns me before leaving my side.
Naturally, she targets the weaker and more compliant one in our duo. She's aware of my fear of jeopardizing my grades, even though I occasionally slip up and skip classes. Most of the time, I make sure I'm not caught. Not like it happened now.
I call out to Sofia, and luckily, she stops a step away from her boyfriend's car.
"How did you get rid of her?" she mutters, looking at me suspiciously.
"Sorry, Yago, but you'll have to wait another hour for us," I say to her boyfriend through the open window of the car. "We have to go back."
"No, we don't!" Sofia snaps, opening the car door. "I'm not going back to that boring class."
"You will have to if you don't plan on failing this course."
"Little do I care. Papa will solve it!" She winks at me and gets into the car, completely ignoring my protests.
"The punishment will be applied to me too!" I snap as I hear the car engine start.
"Sorry, you're on your own this time!" she shouts out the window before motioning Yago to leave, leaving me alone.
I'm used to this kind of betrayal from Sofia because the balance is always tipped in Yago's direction. But even so, I don't enjoy it.
I start spitting out every bad word I can remember, still sitting on the sidewalk, disappointed. Now I have to think about how I will justify my grade in front of my father. Or maybe there is some way to convince our teacher not to punish me too.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out irritated. When I see that the message is from Sofia, I'm one step away from smashing it to the ground. She just wants to inform me that they will come back in an hour to pick me up.
That's it! After classes, I will go straight home. I will no longer go along with our plans for tonight. She has nothing but to get upset; I don't care.
Heading towards the gate, a loud screeching of tires stops me in my tracks. It's not the first time I've witnessed a car raid, racing through the city's busy streets, but I'm always fascinated. Speed, freedom, adrenaline. Things I wish I could feel.
This time, however, something is different. The air grows heavier around me, pressing down on my shoulders. I take a few breaths when I notice that three black cars suddenly stop a few meters from me. A fourth car blocks the first ones and stops on the pavement a few steps away.
Time becomes compact, and nothing makes sense anymore. The sight of guns sticking out of car windows makes me want to scream. My voice goes dry.
Lucky me. It seems that the day I've been waiting for has arrived.