The weekend arrived as scheduled, closing a week that for Leif had been particularly... active. His daytime school life proceeded with its usual calm, but it was at nightfall that his "activities" intensified.
The "academic exchange" with Jennifer, for example, progressed at a dizzying pace. They held meetings almost every night at midnight, diligently delving into the structure of the human body and the fundamental principles of mechanics. Said meetings usually took place in the intimacy of a "car" that shook rhythmically or on a hotel bed whose box spring creaked under their combined efforts.
And despite his intense "driving" sessions with Jennifer, Leif did not forget his responsibilities at home, as upon returning he always dedicated time to practicing telekinesis with Carrie.
...
On Saturday morning, under pleasant sunshine, Leif arrived at the entrance of the town cinema as they had agreed.
In fact, he was a few minutes early, motivated mostly by the curiosity of seeing what kind of bearing this new "Maria" would present.
He didn't have to wait long: at ten o'clock sharp, not a minute more or less, Airam's silhouette appeared rounding the corner of the street.
Today she had opted for a wine-red camisole dress, over which she wore a black leather jacket with casual indifference. The ensemble, topped off with Martin-style boots, gave her an air that was both rugged and fiery, like a black rose with thorns.
Her long, slightly wavy hair fell over her shoulders, and although she wore light makeup, it highlighted her defined features, drawing all attention to those bright green eyes, loaded with latent aggression.
"You're punctual," Airam observed, stopping in front of him and measuring him with her gaze.
"I wanted to make sure I didn't keep you waiting," Leif replied, putting his hands in his pockets and shrugging with a smile, "Although I see you didn't give me the pleasure of being the one waiting for me."
Airam simply curved her mouth into a half-smile, ignoring the provocation, "What movie are we going to see?"
Leif raised an eyebrow, "Wow, I thought you, as the organizer, would have everything planned."
"A date is a two-person effort. I took care of getting you out of the house," Airam replied with impeccable logic, "The rest, of course, depends on your performance."
Laughing, Leif looked at the movie board, pointing to a recent premiere, "How about this one? 'Forest Cabin Horror Night.' It has a good rating."
He had chosen it on purpose, expecting the usual reaction from a girl: some fear or doubt, which would give him the perfect opportunity for an advance.
But Airam simply threw a bored glance at the monster on the poster and replied with evident disinterest:
"How childish. But if you feel like it, let's see that one."
Her tone was that of an indulgent adult taking a child to see cartoons, which momentarily threw Leif off balance.
He rubbed his nose, repressing an ironic smile. 'Right,' 'The Maria now is Airam. How the hell is she going to be scared by a horror movie when she herself is, literally, a ghost?'
...
The gloom of the cinema was palpable, broken only by the violent flashes from the screen and the sharp screams that erupted.
It was a sonic chaos.
Leif could hear the couple sitting next to him; the girl had abandoned all pretense of watching the movie and was practically buried in her boyfriend's shoulder, visibly trembling.
He subtly turned his head to observe Airam.
In the middle of the pandemonium, she seemed to be in her own bubble of calm. Not only did she show not the slightest trace of fear, but she seemed analytical, eating popcorn with her eyes fixed on the screen, as if studying the director's technique.
Then came the big scare.
The music suddenly stopped and, in a tense silence, a ghost woman with a blood-ruined face emerged, crawling out from under the bed and lunging directly toward the camera with a scream so shrill it vibrated in the chest.
The entire audience jumped in unison, and Leif, despite preparing for it, felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively tensed every muscle.
!
Just at that peak of adrenaline, while his heart was still pounding from the startle, he felt a light brush on his arm.
He turned his head and found that Airam had deliberately leaned toward him. She was so close that he could feel her warm breath spraying the skin of his ear.
"Did you get scared?" She whispered with barely disguised amusement.
Leif pulled himself together, straightening up in his seat and clearing his throat to regain his composure.
"Not at all," he retorted softly, with false indifference, "It was a tactical twitch."
Laughing, Airam leaned in even closer to him. The darkness of the cinema enveloped their proximity.
"If such a cheap scare makes you tense," she whispered, her lips brushing the cartilage of Leif's ear, "then you won't be as much fun as I thought."
Her warm breath passed over his earlobe like a feather, causing an electric tingle that raised the hairs on his skin.
This was no longer a simple insinuation; it was a brazen, direct provocation!
Leif could smell the faint scent of her hair, mixed with the caramelized sweetness of the popcorn, a combination that became a strangely intimate temptation in the middle of the crowded room.
A part of his brain was on high alert, shouting that this was anomalous, that she was not Maria.
However, his body's reaction was shamefully honest. He wondered, for the umpteenth time, how much longer he planned to keep pretending he didn't notice the exchange.
With deliberate control, Leif straightened slightly, not abruptly, but enough to regain a vital space between them.
He turned his head, facing her in the gloom illuminated only by the screen.
"Maria would never have done that," he stated softly, throwing down the challenge.
A cunning glint danced in Airam's eyes.
Not only was she unfazed by the observation, but she seemed to enjoy it. Instead of denying or confirming, she countered with a question of her own.
"And which one do you prefer? The old one... or the new one?"
That question hit him harder than he would have liked, forcing him to confront the comparison he had been avoiding.
Maria was shy and insecure, a fragile creature who awakened compassion and an almost paternal instinct to protect her.
And the "Maria" next to him... instead, was all fire and audacity, a dangerous fascination, like a brilliant flame that incites you to approach, even knowing perfectly well that you are going to get burned.
Leif chose his words carefully, "I'm just curious. It's a... drastic change. I wonder what could have caused it."
"People change, Leif. Get used to it," she dismissed. She took a sip of her soda, and with that simple gesture, her attention returned to the screen, considering the conversation over.
When the final credits rolled and the theater lights came up, they both walked out with the rest of the crowd. The sudden afternoon sunlight struck Leif, forcing him to squint as he readjusted to the reality outside the darkness.
"Well," he said, putting his hands in his pockets, "What now?"
________
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