Marcel let several students intimidate, including Lester.  The school environment was very bearable but there was a tense calm on the part of some, who knew that Marcel was someone with an insatiable desire for revenge and would retaliate at any moment.

On the other hand, Lester didn't talk to Victor for a while and it wasn't because he had forgotten about his help, but because he was too shy on his part. Still, he planned over and over again to approach him, if only to say hello.  But as the months went by, it became quite a challenge due to the popularity that the young Dautt gained along with his brother Benxamin.

When the students found out what Victor did against Marcel, many of them thanked him and expressed their respect for him, since they too were victims of this bully.  Hundreds of kids of all ages admired him, invited him to join his circle of friends, or simply tried to strike up conversations.  But that friendship had certain conditions, or rather benefits to prevent Marcel from harassing them again.

Victor felt uncomfortable about it. It was as if they considered him a god. So he made the decision to hide in the far corners of the school during lunch, or play the piano or drums when no one was around. It was overwhelming for him to be the center of attention from people he barely knew.

For his part, Benxamin didn't seem to feel that weight on his shoulders, what's more, he worked hard and soon managed to become the representative of the students in his class and it wasn't just because of his enormous intellect. The way he interpreted the world and questioned everything, however insignificant it seemed, was the biggest attraction of him.

With valid arguments about what he considered best for the benefit of the students, he tried to apply them, achieving very good results at his young age. This made the teachers reflect, Benxamin could graduate in less time than the others and enter any university sooner than imagined.

***

Almost a year later, everything was still the same. But one day in particular, something happened that opened up the possibility of Lester and Victor talking again.

After last class, Lester Haydar got ready to go home, and as he was walking down a long hallway, he noticed Benxamin talking to high school students about his motivations. This made him feel much more distant from his classmate, since he couldn't express himself as naturally as that boy.

Deep down he admired him, took him as an example to improve his grades and even imitated him secretly in his bedroom, imagining that he was capable of relating to other people and talking about topics that were beyond his intellect.

Then, Benxamin saw him go by and called him by his name.

 

“We're leaving together, dear Lester.”

“Yeah… if you w-want, i-it's fine with me,” Lester replied blushing.

After several minutes and with an awkward silence, Benxamin realized that his classmate was more introverted than he thought, so he had no choice but to make the first move.

“Would you like to play something with me?” Benxamin asked.

“I don't know,” Lester hesitated.

“I, Benxamin, invite you to participate in a game in which we are going to face several opponents.”

“Really? And w-what do I have to do?”

“We simply have to discover the secrets and the greatest fears of our opponents just by observing them. We aren't going to ask them anything. We only see their way of acting and relating to others in this game that we will call life,” Benxamin said as he looked at Lester, who became much more nervous.

“I don't understand you,” Lester said scratching his head.

   

“I will give you an example, from what I have seen, I know that you are a child overprotected. You are not able to take initiatives on your own unless someone or something forces you and you lack your own decisions. You think you aren't capable of having friends.”

In less than a minute, Benxamin analyzed and told Lester a hard truth that left him petrified, after that, he spoke of Victor.

   

“My brother has a tendency to challenge himself in dangerous situations. Do you remember when he broke his arm 6 months ago? That was because he wanted to jump from the highest bridge that is over the river on the outskirts of the city. But why do you think he did it?”

“D-Did he really do that? I saw him with his arm in a cast, but your aunt told my mom it was because someone pushed him.”

 

“He gets exposed to a lot of things for a reason... That's what I mean by this game and it's all because of our aunt," said Benxamin, who stopped walking.

Lester paled. Was Victor exposing himself to many dangers to get Stella's attention? But why?

It was a total contraction, Victor avoided people from school, but he didn't avoid doing stupid things that put his life at risk.

  

“There are people who like the attention, there are people who get it, there are people who avoid it, and there are people who just go unnoticed. Victor gained popularity because he helped you. Although he also did it because he doesn't like injustice. He was always like that with our friends on the island.” Benxamin affirmed.

  

“I think he isn't afraid to face life and that makes him admirable. And yes,... I'm like that… I guess it's because you've been analyzing me. But the truth is that I still don't understand this game. I don't know if it's that easy to judge strangers just by looking at them. About your aunt, I suppose you know because you live with her and I could also talk about what my parents are like without thinking too much about it.” Lester answered rudely.

  

“Yes, but he still broke his arm. For Victor, life is unbridled, he tries to rebel against the establishment and hates being considered a hero. I know the game seems useless, but it actually fulfills its purpose. I know almost everything about you just by watching you walk, you are not able to be a better version of yourself. How do you think I managed to get the popularity I have now? It's okay to want to be like someone you look up to, but first you have to love yourself.”

And after walking for several minutes without saying anything, Benxamin tried to get back on topic with another example.

 

“Marcel and I are similar. We want to be admired but what sets us apart is that he gets what he wants through fear. And I suspect he and my brother have a lot in common as well.”

“Marcel and Victor are nothing alike. You and your brother live with tutors, instead, he lives with… his… his parents?” Lester realized something important and then kept asking. “Do you talk to Marcel? Does the fact that he is a bully have something to do with his parents or are you making this up? And about Victor, does he do what he does to annoy your aunt because she hates him?.”

“I love these kinds of conversations. It's the first time I've seen you talk like that. About Marcel, I've never talked to him, but just seeing his facial expressions, his attitude,... makes me wonder if maybe it has something to do with his family. And regarding Victor, Stella prefers to avoid him. She says that sometimes he behaves like our mother when she was our age.” replied Benxamin.

  

“But,... ”

Then Benxamin put his hand on Lester's shoulder.

     

“That's why I want you to keep playing with me.”