"Mafer, you won't arrive in time" Juan called from the stairs.
"I'm going! I can't find my….oh, never mind!" she answered.
Juan shook his head and went to the kitchen to finish the breakfast.
Three months ago he had promised his sister that he would let her attend the W Academy. Personally, Juan would've never ever ever agreed with such thing but (he hated to admit it) Antonio convinced him. And now, after three months of fixing papers, buying uniforms, checking on the installations, and a lot of excitement and mumbling on Mafer's part, today was finally the first day of school.
Juan sighed while he served juice in two glasses. He was ready for it. During the last months he'd started to regret his decision, but he couldn't go back. He just hoped that Mafer would be alright.
He heard steps running downstairs and took everything to the table.
"Are you ready?" he asked, knowing she was there.
"Yep, how do I look?"
Juan turned and found her with the school uniform and her schoolbag.
"Nice" he said.
She smiled. The female uniform of the Academy consisted on a simple white shirt with a black tie and a red jumper skirt with brown shoes. She was wearing white knee-high socks and she'd let her brown hair loose over her shoulders, with a butterfly shaped barrette on one side.
"Thank you" she turned a few times and put her bag on the floor "What's for breakfast?" she asked taking seat at the table.
"Quesadillas, orange juice and chicharrón*" he said. (* A cooked dish of pork meat)
"Mmmm" María Fernanda said as he filled her plate with the mixture and poured green sauce over it.
"The quesadillas" he pointed a plate in the center on the table "And here are the tortillas" he put a napkin in front of her.
"Thanks" she said and started eating.
"Hurry up" he said "We must be at the station at 8" he said.
"I know" she said drinking her juice "I can't be late the first day."
They finished their breakfast and Juan cleaned the table while María Fernanda went to brush her teeth. When she went down she grabbed her things and Juan opened the door for her to go out.
He closed it behind him and they started walking.
"When will you have the car?" she asked when they had walked a few blocks.
"Hopefully today, after leaving you there I'm going with the mechanic to see how it is" he said.
She nodded and snorted. She hated to walk in the morning. After some time they arrived to a subway station. Several people were rushing in and out the subway and making long lines to buy tickets. They made their way through the crowd and to a window with a tall man behind.
The man waved at them.
"Buenos días señor Juan, señorita Fernanda*" he greeted. (*Good morning Mr. Juan, Miss Fernanda)
"Buenos días Alberto" Juan said.
"Hola Beto*" María Fernanda smiled. (*Beto: short for Alberto)
Alberto returned the greeting and turned to Juan.
"¿El tren*?" he asked. Juan nodded. (*The train?)
"Bien" he gave him a key "Ya saben donde es*" he said. (*Good, you know where it is)
"Gracias" they both said and walked away. On the other side of the station was an out-of-service vending machine next to an old staff room, so no one ever went that way. Juan slid down the little screen of the machine, revealing a keyhole and a red button. He was about to introduce the key Alberto had given him when Mafer's hand stopped his.
"Can I do it?" she asked smiling. Juan laughed and gave her the key.
She took it, introduced it on the keyhole and gave it a turn. They heard a 'click' and Juan pulled the machine's door, to find a staircase that went down.
Juan asked María Fernanda to close and lock the door behind her, so she would know how to do it when she was alone. She handed the key back to Juan but he shook his head.
"That one is for you, I asked for another copy. Just don't lose it."
María Fernanda nodded and stuffed the key in her pocket. They went down the stairs until they reached the bottom, which was another station. This one was not only less crowded (for not saying empty) but less dirty.
On the one above there were newspapers and food wrappers all over the floor, along with dirt from people's shoes and water from the mops. It was also quieter. The only noise came from the echo of the train over the rails.
"It's not here yet" María Fernanda pointed.
"It must arrive in any minute" Juan checked his watch "It's 7:30"
He sat on a bench facing the rails to wait. María Fernanda was about to sit as well when she heard a whistle. She turned and saw a light at the end of the tunnel.
"Guess it's here" Juan said.
Seconds after, a long silver train appeared on the railroad and stopped in front of them. It had a black "W" in the front.
"Time to go" María Fernanda chanted excitedly as she jumped towards the doors.
Inside it seemed like a small living room. The seats were white couches and some of them had little tables in front. On some walls there were plugs and on the corner was a mini bar. But the place was empty.
"¡Por Dios!* This is awesome!" María Fernanda said as she sat. (*Oh God!)
"Yes, it's nice" Juan sat next to her. The doors closed and the train started.
They were going incredibly fast. After a second of tunnel walls they were out of the station. However, all they could see through the window were blurry spots.
"Hey!" they heard. At the end of the wagon a door opened and a familiar face popped out.
"Simón!" María Fernanda ran to the Bolivian guy and hugged him.
"Jaja Hello Mafer" he said "Juan mi amigo*" he pulled away from Mafer and patted Juan on the back. (*my friend)
"Morning Simón, what's up?" Juan greeted.
Simón sighed.
"Not much man. Back to school already. By the way…" he looked at María Fernanda "You are wearing the Academy's uniform and you're on the train, so that only means….it wasn't true you were never going!" María Fernanda laughed and he did the same.
"I was supposed to never be going. But Juan changed his mind" she took her brother's arm.
"Well, yeah" Juan said.
"Jajaja great! Now we just need Rosa, your pessimist brother and his pessimist girlfriend and we'll be complete! All the Latins at the Academy…that would be requete* cool" he said cheerfully. (*An expression to say a lot or, in this case super cool)
"Yeah" María Fernanda agreed. Juan glared at him, but the guy just raised his hands, with a smirk on his face.
The rest of the journey, she and Simón kept talking while Juan just looked through the window, though he couldn't see much. After some minutes the train stopped. María Fernanda stood and ran out as soon as the doors opened. Simón followed her.
Juan went with the driver.
"I'm going back in a moment. Can you wait here please?" he asked
The driver just nodded and Juan ran out of the train to catch up with them. He found them a few steps away.
María Fernanda stared fascinated at the huge building she had in front. The W Academy reminded her of the Garnier Opera in Paris, with big columns and statues at the sides. It was surrounded by beautiful gardens with fountains and rosebushes. A large staircase lead to a pair of big wooden doors, with the words "W Academy" carved on the rock above.
Several students were gathered on little groups and sitting at the stairs or walking around.
"Well, welcome to the W Academy" Simón smiled "I would love to show you around but I've got some things to do before the bell rings. See you" he waved and rushed inside.
"See you!" she said and turned to her brother. He was looking in all directions, as if searching for something.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"It's past 7:40" he muttered "She should be here already….ah there she is" María Fernanda looked on the direction he pointed and found a girl running their way. Her black hair dancing around her face as she ran.
"Hey Mafer!" the girl greeted.
"Verónica!" María Fernanda smiled and ran to her. The two of them hugged and started jumping and cheering, as if they hadn't seen each other in years….which indeed they hadn't.
"About time" Juan said behind them.
Verónica pulled away from María Fernanda and hugged him.
"Yes, yes, sorry" she laughed. He just sighed and hugged her back.
"Just take care of her, okay?" he told her.
"What?" María Fernanda asked.
"Results" Verónica took her hand "that Juan kindly asked me to be your nanny" María Fernanda glared at Juan "No no, joking" Verónica laughed "but he did ask me to be your guide and help you through your first day" she explained.
María Fernanda blushed.
"Sorry" she told Juan. Verónica laughed.
"Anyway, I will gladly be with you today linda*" they hugged again. (*It literally means cute or beautiful, but in Spanish it's an expression that could mean the same as honey or darling)
"Same" María Fernanda said.
Both girls held hands and started to give little jumps again. Juan just sighed and shook his head. Verónica wasn't too different from his sister. They were both young, loud, rather carefree and a bit childish. But then again, he had asked her to look after María Fernanda because she was also a bit more responsible. He wished Carmen was on the Academy so she could take care of her instead. But since Carmen also considered that place a waste of time, he would have to conform with Verónica.
As if reading his mind, Verónica pulled apart from María Fernanda and went to him.
"By the way, Carmen just called me. She said she'd been trying to contact you but you wouldn't answer" she said.
"Well, my phone suffered an accident" he said simply. María Fernanda bit her lip.
"I said I was sorry" she whispered.
"Who's saying something?" Juan asked "I just said that my phone suffered an accident, I never said it had been your fault."
"But now I know it!" Verónica cheered "I would love to know what Mafer did to your poor cell phone but…" she blew the thought aside "As I was saying, Carmen wants to meet you today to speak about something."
"About what?" María Fernanda inquired.
"Dunno" Verónica shrugged "She said Juan would know what she meant. Oh, and she also said 'tell him we'll meet where always'. Guess you also know that" she said. But Juan wasn't paying attention. He got lost after the Carmen-wants-to-meet-you part.
Unconsciously he started to smile a bit, but he was brought back by the girls' laughs.
"You should've seen your face!" María Fernanda arched because of the laugh. Juan blushed and cleared his throat.
"Um, yes, and, what time did she say?" he asked.
"Ten o'clock, of the morning of course" Verónica said.
"Yes, thanks" he mumbled.
The students that were sat by the stairs started to pick their things and get inside the building.
"I guess you must go as well" Juan pointed. María Fernanda walked to him and hugged him.
"Thank you again for letting me do this" she whispered on his ear. Juan hesitated before hugging her back.
"W-well I….yes, it's nothing" he just said.
They pulled apart and María Fernanda picked her bag from the floor.
"Thank you for this, Verónica" Juan told her.
She smiled.
"Nah, no problem. Shall we go now, Mafer?" she said.
María Fernanda nodded.
"I'll see you at home" she told her brother.
"Remember, be here on time for the train and make sure no one sees you getting out of the room at the station" he repeated the 'advice' he'd been giving her during the whole month.
She just said she would and hugged him again. He kissed her forehead. Then she turned to Verónica and they both climbed the steps as Juan started to get away. María Fernanda waved at him one last time before opening the doors and getting inside the Academy.
