"Instructions are also inside in case you have questions."
Carolina, the girl who had asked for help with some plants to overcome the pain caused by the memory of her ex-boyfriend, looked at me nodding, she had a large mole on her cheek that sank when she smiled.
- Really thank you very much, for a moment I thought it was a joke in bad taste. I think you will do very well.
I smiled at her and she walked away with her rose petals.
She was already my 12th client and I still didn't believe this was really working.
I went to look for Lia who was still in her locker, surely making time to avoid entering the next class. Before reaching my friend, I was intercepted by a girl with blond hair, almost white, short over her shoulders. Her complexion was pale but her face was a deep red, probably due to the arduous running.
- Lydia Simons? She screamed my name in desperation and looked at me as if she couldn't find a true connection between the name and my face. I looked at her in surprise and nodded my head giving her to understand that if it was my face she was looking for, I didn't know any other Lydia in the whole school, or in all of Chiloé.
- I need you to come with me.
Without waiting for an answer from me, she tugged on my arm and then forced me to run through the corridor that was overrun with students looking at me in surprise. I had a horrible desire to let go of that girl and hide from so many curious glances, I hated being the center of attention and hated to star in some kind of fuss like the one I was causing at that moment. But even if I had tried, I would have been able to free myself as the girl had me affirmed with superhuman strength. After running through the entire school and reaching the other end of it, the girl stopped. She rested her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Before I asked him why he had brought me there, I heard a heartrending scream from across the thin wooden plank that divided the tech room from the rest of the hall.
-I fucked it! I blew it big! What will my mother say ?! My father will hate me! I will be your disappointment! I'm alone!
The blonde looked at me with her big blue eyes wide. After hesitating a few seconds, she spoke with her voice still accelerated by the race.
"My friend needs help."
I bit my tongue when I was about to make an annoying comment like "That's obvious" and preferred to put a smile on my face.
"What happens to your friend?"
The girl averted her gaze and fixed it on the wall behind me to avoid meeting my gray eyes.
-She got pregnant.
I was silent for a few seconds. What was to be said at times like these? Sorry? Congratulations? What was I supposed to do with all this? Before verbalizing my thoughts, the girl who had forced me to run spoke up.
"I'm Carmen, Catalina's best friend." A little over a month ago we went to a beach party and we got carried away ... Too much. I met my older brother who took me home when he found me by the sea in a rather humiliating state. Due to my low awareness at that time, I did not remember that I had gone to the beach with Catalina and I did not bother to look for her. After two days I managed to communicate with her and she told me that she had met a very handsome boy with whom she had had a good time. We didn't give it more importance until three days ago when Cata began to worry because she was too late and was terribly nauseated. I guess you already know how this ends.
I nodded silently. She still didn't know what to say.
"And why did you bring me?" It's not to sound heavy or anything but I don't see how it could help.
Carmen was silent for a few seconds and a subtle tremor attacked her dry lower lip. She looked back at me and this time I could see a shadow of pain cover her blue eyes.
"I think she must tell you that."
She crept up to the wooden door and pushed it slowly. When it was fully open, she nodded for me to enter. Being one of the rooms furthest from the main entrance it was almost abandoned, the technology workshop was only done once a week so they did not usually clean the room very often. It was dark as it was also used as a center for the photography club. In one corner there was a girl on her knees who was touching her belly while cursing and crying angrily.
"Taste, look." I managed to get Lydia.
The black-haired woman, Catalina, looked at me and tried to smile as she tried to calm her crying.
- Hi, Lydia.
The girl got up slowly causing her knees to creak as she did so, walked over to one of the tables and sat on it. She took her messy hair and pulled herself into a sloppy ponytail. She ran her hands under her eyes trying to remove the smudged makeup without succeeding.
"I suppose Carmen already told you everything."
I nodded slowly, her voice sounded firm and sure, if it weren't for the red eyes or the traces of ruined makeup that followed on her face I wouldn't have noticed that minutes before she had been crying.
"Then you know why you are here."
-The truth is, no. Your friend said it would be better if you told me.
Catalina nodded.
"Well, as you know I'm pregnant and that's something I can't afford." Not at my sixteen, not with the family I have. I just can't have it. And, well, we live in a country where abortion is allowed under grounds that I do not comply with, so I am obliged to have this baby, but I repeat that I cannot do it. This is where you come in.
If they had taken a photo of me at that moment, I would have a worse face of confusion than Lia did when they explained a new topic in Mathematics.
"I still don't understand what I have to do with all this."
Catalina inhaled loudly to show that she was filling up with patience just to explain. When she spoke she did so as if she were a teacher teaching a child how to count who should have learned it long ago.
—Everyone knows about your business with plants and that you sell them when someone has some kind of problem related to love. Well, I have a love problem and I need you to solve it. "How was I supposed to" fix "a pregnancy? As if reading my mind, Catalina spoke again in her annoying, arrogant tone of voice. - Many years ago, when herbal medicine was still an option, there were many maidens who aborted by consuming certain kinds of plants. Well, I need you to get me those kinds of plants and I need it soon.
I was silent for a few seconds ... That girl was asking me for help with an abortion? Was she crazy? Did you really think I would say yes?
-No. Of course not! How do you think I would help you do something like that? Do you know that you could die if you try any kind of abortion that is not performed by an expert? Are you crazy?
Catherine, who had been in a state of feigned peace and calm, began to tremble. Her pale skin was dyed red and her fine, beautiful features began to disfigure as rage gained ground. Finally she burst into screams.
"Do you have a better idea ?! Do you think I would turn to you if I had a better option ?! Do you think it is very easy to be sixteen and know that your whole life will be changed by a bad night ?! Do you think I didn't think about the trauma I'll have after this, whatever decision I make ?! My whole life is falling apart and I don't know what to do!
The words that kept coming from his lips were no longer understandable. I felt dizzy, I felt like I had been transported to a movie that I didn't want to be a part of. Without knowing what to do, I approached Catalina who threw herself into my arms where she burst into tears and screams. I whispered loving words to her as I tried to calm her down to no avail.
- Carmen? The blonde looked at me expectantly. "I think Catalina should sleep with you tonight, I doubt she can face the world in this state."
Carmen nodded and approached her friend to caress her back.
"Taste, look at me."
She obeyed me and I wiped away a tear that moistened her cheek.
"Maybe your world is falling apart right now." You may think that there is no way out of this but I assure you that if there is, everything will be fine. You have a best friend willing to run all over the school to help you and if you think that you will not receive support from your family, then look for support in those who have always been there for you, in your friends. This is not the end of your life, it may be the beginning of a new one. And you are free from your life and your body, if after analyzing the situation in a calmer and calmer way, you continue to believe that there is no other way out and that you are not ready, talk to people who know more about this topic and they will know advise you better. But do not try to do anything if you do not know all the consequences well, it can be very dangerous for you.
The black-haired woman nodded slowly and thanked me with a smile.
I spent a few seconds watching the friends hug each other until I felt like an unwanted guest. I said goodbye in such a low voice that surely neither of them heard me but it did not matter, I had managed to prevent a girl from committing an act very dangerous to her health and I felt incredibly powerful.
I felt renewed and invincible.
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