- No! - The girl was screaming- It can' be! I'm telling you, the other person has to love you back so you can say that is the love of your life.
Her cousin was walking by her side, holding an orange juice bottle in one hand and a bag of chips on the other. They were on their way home from a nearby supermarket when he thought it was a good time to tell her what his best friend had told him hours ago, that she was the love of his life.
- I'm just telling you what he told me, besides you're with us at lunchtime, he is a good boy, and he always comes up with those funny games we always play.- He mentioned it just in case she liked him but didn't want to admit it.- Do you not like him? not even a little?
- I don't, you know I like Alex- she kept on walking while she looked at the ground- Besides, he is scary sometimes.
Her cousin had two friends, Alex and Cain. The four of them were always together at lunchtime, playing "Resident evil" themed games using guns made out of paper from Cain's notebooks, he didn't care about school, he only cared about games. His father was involved in something illegal, but they didn't care since he was good when they went to his house. Alex was different, he wasn't the most intelligent in his class, but he was doing pretty well in all tests, he always did his homework and he was also very funny. She liked him more, even though she met Cain a year before.
- What can be so scary about him? he's only nine- sometimes they seemed like two adults or youths, they had too many things to say but no one in the family listened because they were children.
- He's kind of violent- she looked up trying to remember- You told me yourself he was fighting with syringes against Erin.
-Well... he kinda has traumas or something I guess, besides I told you Alex is dating Danielle.
- They're not dating- She denied- You told me she's a whore.
- She is, but maybe they're dating for real- He didn't think so, but he was trying to help his friend.
They got home before the conversation was over, and they forgot about it when they started to play.
Next day she was in class, looking at the clock waiting to get out of the school, get home and watch her favorite cartoon. Lunchtime had been awful, her cousin called her from outside the classroom to tell her that Cain had the guns ready, but she wanted to be with her friends at least once a week. But she forgot her friends didn't like each other and they were arguing all lunch, so she just looked at how her cousin, Cain, and Alex were having fun.
She felt really bad.
Once the class was over she took her backpack and saw the three boys waiting for her.
- Hey, I'm coming to your house today!- Cain was really excited.
- Great!- She was thinking maybe she could have a fun day after all- Are you coming too?- She looked at Alex.
- No- He said, disappointed- I'm going to visit my grandma today.
- Too bad- she said.
Their house was like one big house with other houses inside, all houses around one yard. where Jaquie, Andrew, and his little sister play because they were the only kids. Only their family lived there and in the middle of the yard, there was one apple tree. Every year in March the tree had so many apples that everyone had to avoid the tree or bend because they could drop de apples.
Jaquie was short, shorter than any of her friends so she should run however she wanted, Andrew, on the other hand, was really tall, and he had the most problems everytime he was playing.
That day, when they were back home Cain took the paper guns out of his backpack and they started to run.
Cain forgot about the apples and started running towards Jaquie, trying to catch her, his head hit some apples, and they fell to the floor.
Her grandma came to the yard to see what they were doing and she was angry when she saw the apples on the floor.
- Who did this?- she said.
- It was Jaquie- said Cain, a little scared.
- What?- she was angry- you are so lame!- she screamed and then ran to the bathroom, where she locked herself and started to cry.
Cain and Andrew looked at each other and then started to walk to the bathroom where she was crying.
Cain knocked the door.
- Jaquie? Are you okay?
-Get lost!- she screamed angrily- I don't want to talk to you, go away!
- Jaquie- he mumbled- do... do you wanna be my girlfriend?
She stopped crying and surprised she just opened the door.
- No- she said and the closed it again.
She was locked there a while, she didn't even notice that he was gone and she didn't care, she just went out once her cousin told her that Cain had gone home.
They didn't talk about it much, and Andrew just told her that Cain wasn't thinking about giving up on her. He said it the next day when they were about to enter school and she was never so glad to be in a different class.
When it was lunchtime she just sat in the grass with one of her friends.
Suddenly Cain touches her shoulder and gave her a little box with a card in which a name was crossed with a Sharpie.
-What is this?- she said looking at the little box.
- It's just a gift -he blushed.
She nodded at him and turn to see her friend again, he just left.
-Open it- said Jhoanne, her friend.
Jaquie started to open the little box and saw that, inside of it, there was a lot of makeup, used makeup.
She was certainly a romantic girl, she loved love stories, she dreamed about a handsome boy who would send her gifts and take her hand, and take her to meet his family; but she was really angry with Cain's gift, why would he give her makeup? was he implying that she was ugly?
- Stupid boy- she said while looking at the box- stupid box- she threw it to the grass.
Then she just left with Jhoanne to get back to their classroom.
- Was it really that bad?- her friend asked as they were walking.
- Horrible- she made a disgusted face- I hate him so much.
The story from the day before repeated, as Cain asked her to be his girlfriend when she was just walking to her house, of course, she said no, she was decided to always say no.
But this time, Alex had something to say too, he gave her a flower made out of paper and asked her out too.
- Yes!- she screamed with a big smile
- Cool- he said and then left. She was confused but happy.
Later that day, Andrew was building a big doll house for Jaquie and his little sister.
- I think you were too mean to him- he said while looking at her.
- Are you talking about the gift? it was trash, you know it.
- Maybe, but he worked really hard, I mean he entered in his neighbor's house in the middle of the night just to give it to you!
- What? - She looked at him confused- So he stole it? I knew he is a loser- she just rolled her eyes- That's why I took Alex's flower.
- Jaquie, it was just a bet between them- He was tired of her being mean at his best friend- Cain thought he could win you with a pretty gift- He started to explain as he noticed how confused she was- and Alex said he didn't need anything, not even being nice to you, just a paper flower, so I guess he was right.
That was the first time she felt a broken heart for a long time ago, the last time she felt that sad was a year before when her mom took her away in the morning, her stepbrother was in school and she was wondering why she didn't go with him, her mom was leaving and was taking Jaquie with her .
She never got to see her brother again, she wasn't even able to say goodbye.
The next day she avoided Cain and Alex.
Sometimes she played with them, but it was just one or two days a week.
Cain wanted her to be his girlfriend so bad, but she was not interested, actually, she was afraid of him since her friends told her that he had cut her name on his arm.
Alex left school the next year and Cain left a little after his friend left.
She never saw them again.