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The Stuck-up looked up, frowning and twisting that bushy Russian hussar mustache he always wore. Sofia, aware that she had spoken too loudly, put a hand over her mouth in apology and immediately returned to her exercises. It took her only a few minutes to solve the two problems, which were still complex, but part of the difficulty lay in finding the correct solution. Once the logic was applied, the rest flowed by itself. As soon as she finished the test, she put the pen down on the paper and leaned back against the back of her chair. The Stuck-up never picked the exams up before the hour ran out, so those who finished first had to wait in strict silence. Of course, with the paper still in front of them, they couldn''t get anything out of their bags to entertain themselves, so the spare time could feel incredibly long and boring. Fortunately, it was never more than five or ten minutes.
As she looked at Dave, she also saw him struggling with his test. Despite what her furious writing might show, Sara was actually having a great time. Dave wasn’t, it was obvious from the expression on his face, his frown of concentration and the way he kept running his tongue over his lips. He was also moving his leg in rapid jerks, something she had never seen him do before. Sofia bit her lip, a little worried. Dave, like her, had a lot at stake and couldn''t afford to retake the year. He had to pass everything to be able to go directly to the Civil Guard exams when the course was over.
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The students handed in their exams and went to their desks to collect all their belongings before returning home. That had been the last exam, so the ritual of asking each other how they had done was accompanied by the enthusiasm of knowing they were finally free. There were still a few school days left, but most of them would be devoted to handing in the exam notes and going over mistakes and questions.
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“To be honest, I have no idea. This subject is not my strong suit. I think I''ve got some exercises right, at least the execution, but I''m not so sure about the others, and I didn’t have time to finish the last one,” he said.
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Sofia knew that was true, because for a few weeks, more or less after showing her the wolves in the woods, they had met only a couple of times to go for a run. Other than that, she had only had a chance to see him in class, since the rest of the time he excused himself by saying he had a lot of studying to do. Sofia was not careless, but neither was she such a model student that she couldn''t go out for a walk, something she had been doing with Sara. It was a way to get away from her studies and clear her head. That was far more helpful than spending too many hours on it.
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Instigated by curiosity, the students, including the three friends, peered out of the window. In a second the complaints about the exam’s difficulty, and the whispers and murmurs calling the teacher names that were not exactly kind, were replaced by a collection of almost thirty enthusiastic smiles. Flakes as big as grapes were falling from the sky. Everything, from the parking lot to the street, the road and the park right in front of the school, was covered in a thick, white blanket.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“Guys, I suggest a great plan to celebrate the end of the exams, why don''t we all go to the park and have a snowball fight?” Lola commented.
There were several nods and glance exchanges, and most of the students agreed to it. Those who didn’t were promptly convinced by their friends. The class was not a cohesive unit, it was more like a large group made up of smaller groups, but they spent hours together and had eventually developed a certain sense of belonging.
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“Oh, I’ll… find a way, I guess.” Dave scratched the back of his head and licked his lips.
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“Man, I’m fed up with the fucking dog. You''re obsessed. He''s already gone, let him be and don''t pay Miguel any more attention. In the end he''s going to do something stupid, SEPRONA will catch him and he''s really going to get it because of you,” said Luis, who didn''t seem to want to talk in whispers anymore.
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Her words, her attitude and her way of facing life was enough to lift he friends’ spirits. Both Sofia and Dave began to laugh and the expression on their faces softened. That was why they loved her, because even in the deepest of darkness Sara was able to bring some much needed light. Besides, that was the first snowfall of the winter and there was no point in being mad because of some jerk. Together they crossed the street until they reached the park, walking as best they could on a thick white mattress that came up to their ankles. The cold seeping into their shoes was unpleasant, but the three kids, who had just finished their exams, didn''t care. They dropped their backpacks on the pile their classmates had formed on top of a bench and joined the fray.
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In one of those passes they miscalculated. Sofia stopped to throw a ball to her friend but he was too close to her. With his hiking boots sinking in the deep snow, he wasn''t able to change direction in time and crashed into her, causing them both to loose their balance and fall to the ground. Sofia ended up underneath him, her lips so close to his that she could feel the warmth of the breath he released in agitated gasps. It was just a few seconds in which time stood still, in which neither of them dared to move, in which Sofia felt her whole body shudder. Dave was the first to snap out of it. Red as a tomato and with an expression of absolute dread, he quickly pulled away from the girl.
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They were both still panting, although it wasn''t too clear whether it was from running around the park, or due to what had just happened between them. The flush on their cheeks certainly seemed to indicate the latter. They exchanged a silent glance, one in which they both wondered how the other would have reacted had they gone further, had they narrowed the space until their lips touched. Also, they wondered if they were willing to take that important step, if they really wanted to risk ruining what they had for something that might be ephemeral, born out of a moment of fun and nothing more. No, Sofia decided, abruptly looking away, things were fine as they were and it wasn''t worth risking their friendship for such a silly thing.
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Sofia disliked Lola, but she had to admit that it was the first time she was grateful for her unwelcome presence, because at least it was enough to get them out of the awkward moment they had gotten themselves into. They both stood up, Sofia before the boy could even think ofoffering a hand to help her, and returned to the fray. However, they didn''t come near each other again. Yes, they threw snowballs at each other, they played, but at a safe distance and without the mad dashes from before. They were still uncomfortable, still had in their minds the memory of the warm breath brushing their lips in a kiss that never came to be.