Learn and Improve - 4

4

There is not much to say about my exams other than the fact that I was happy with my results. After finishing with them, I knew that if my scores were not exactly perfect, they were pretty close to it.

But while it was a weight off my shoulders to get it over with, what made me happiest was having people to spend time with after that stage.

For example, during my first week of vacation I went to a bar, and it was the first time in my life that I did that.

Isak had invited me some time ago and the plan stayed unchanged until that date. When the sky had already darkened I found myself walking through the streets of a well-known plaza to get to the bar in question. Or, rather, the café-bar.

The X-Café looked as good as always. I walked in with a smile to make a good first impression in case Isak had invited people I did not know yet.

Right in the middle of the first floor was the counter, which on one side was where sweets and cakes were displayed, and on the other was a simple bar. There I could see three people, one of whom I recognized immediately.

It was Many, who stood up as soon as he saw me and greeted me with an excellent dap. He then introduced me to the two men who accompanied him, both sitting in front of the counter.

The first one, looking dejected with his forehead pressed against the bar counter, was Isak. The second one was someone completely new to me. He did not look very friendly and he did not say a single word other than his name: Jonah.

Jonah:

He was a tall, thin man. He wore only dark clothes, his nails were painted black and his ears were filled with hoops. His long, dark hair covered his face and therefore also his expressions, although, judging by his somber attitude, he did not have many of those.

At first I found it strange that he did not respond to almost anything we said to him, but it did not take long for me to get used to it. After all, I already had a friend who acted in a similar way.

Slowly, his personality began to come to light and I could not help but think that he looked like an exaggerated version of Jean.

I am not sure if I was surprised or not to find out that they were brothers.

…

Exactly one week later I left home again to meet two people, and ended up back in the same place. In fact, I had also been invited for this occasion a long time ago, and the day had finally arrived.

Around 5pm I arrived at the X-Café to meet up with Lani and Zena, who, after the confusion they had caused with Mom, had things to talk to me about.

As soon as I peeked inside I could see the two of them sitting at a round table near the entrance, with nothing on it except a menu. They seemed to be talking about something, but were interrupted by my presence.

Lani: Twen, you are he-

Zena: Twen! How are you?! Fine? Great, perfect…

It is true that she was usually full of energy, but this time it was more than obvious that she was forcing herself to act like that. And to me, the reason was more than obvious.

Twen: You're not going to get out of this with just a smile. You wrote those messages, right?

Zena: What~? I don't know what you're talking about~?

Lani, in the background, looked embarrassed. I sat down next to them, staring at Zena. And she, like a child who had just been caught in the act of mischief, looked down.

Twen: I had to explain the misunderstanding to my mom, but she keeps looking at me weird whenever I mention Lani… It's not that bad, but if you were trying to annoy me, then you succeeded. Congratulations.

I wanted to act hurt and sad to make Zena feel guilty about it, and judging by her reaction I was doing well.

I did this while asking Lani for the menu of the X-Café she was looking at, and she pointed her finger at one of the many chocolate bonbons that appeared on the last page.

It was a small, shiny blue sphere with a design that resembled space. Just from its appearance, it looked like a quality candy. So much so that the first thing that came to my mind was that it looked pretty and not its potential incredible flavor.

Twen: Is that what you're trying to perfect now?

Lani: Yeah! See how much it shines?

Twen: It looks like it was polished for the photo…

Lani: That's because Mom makes them have a thin layer of caramel on the outside, like apples at a festival. When she became the owner of X-Café, she decided to add a few new recipes to the menu, and this bonbon is one of them.

Zena: Lani has already tried to make these chocolates about four times at home, but she always says that something turns out wrong…

Lani: Well, at first it was because I messed up the blackberry filling, then because I messed up the caramel layer, and the last time it was because you wouldn't let me work with a cut on my finger.

Zena: What did you expect me to do? You were bleeding…

That was the reason for the messages I received that day. But no matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to see any marks where Lani had been cut. It had already healed completely.

Lani: But you should try them, Twen. They're really cool!

Twen: Yeah, it seems like it… But I don’t know when you’ll make them again. I’ll have to wait until you try again.

Zena: Oh!

Lani: Me? … But you do know they’re for sale right here, don’t you?

Zena: Lani, don't you get it? What Twen is saying is that, since you're trying to replicate this sweet treat, he'd like to taste the fruit of your efforts in the best way possible, saving his first taste of that flavor for something you make with your own hands… That, without a doubt, is true friendship!

Unable to add to what she had said, I simply nodded.

Lani: I see…

Twen: I hope that's not an issue...

Lani: Not at all! I'll let you know the next time I try, so you can mentally prepare yourself for what awaits for you.

Zena: And me too, right Lani? Lani? Lani?!

Lani: Yeah, yeah… Let’s be honest, you’ll probably try them even before me.

I noticed that Zena had completely left behind her remorseful attitude and started to feel really happy, especially with the answer Lani gave her.

I, for my part, continued reading the menu. I had seen it several times before, but I had to remember where I had left off, as I was trying to taste everything.

So far there had been no changes. The same cakes, the same sandwiches, and also the same drinks. That includes coffee, tea, juices, soft drinks and also alcoholic drinks.

…

It is a fact that I did not know much about alcoholic drinks, so I asked Isak what would be a good choice. He answered as best he could, sniffing his own snot and rubbing his red eyes. The only thing I understood was "rum".

Many took over from Isak and explained what he was referring to. The most common drinks for a bar in Novadía were beer and rum. In the case of the latter, because one of the most recognized rum brands in the world was born in the city and was a reason of pride for many.

There were a number of glasses of different sizes and shapes on display at the bar, and the same went for the glasses. Isak already had one in his hand, short and wide, and there was still a bit of his drink left in it. Some kind of rum, that would be.

I decided I would have the same as him and Many offered to order for me. He also added an extra round for Isak, Jonah and himself.

When they arrived, I took the time to appreciate my glass.

It was a really nice light brown liquid, with a big ice cube in the center and an orange peel on the rim as decoration. After shouting “cheers” we all drank, and I really enjoyed it.

It smelled and tasted sweet, but it was also very different from anything else I had ever tried before. I could smell the hint of orange, and along with it, other flavors that I could not quite identify.

According to Many , that was nutmeg and also an influence from the wood of the barrels it was aged in. It was tasty and felt like drinking something of high quality, but I could not ignore the strong burn the alcohol caused as it went down my throat.

I actually liked it, but I did not have a point of reference to compare it to other types of rum, because it was my first time trying it. But that was not the case for all of us.

Isak had no problem with me taking a tour inside his memories using my powers. And so, my glass was filled with a much paler liquid than the previous one, which had a strong aroma of alcohol.

Their flavors were not as strong as in the other one. Also, as soon as I swallowed it I felt like the whole path from my throat to my stomach burned, and I quickly started coughing because some of the burning even went up to my nose.

Not only was this rum worse than the first, but it was also one of the cheapest Isak had ever seen. He said it was better mixed with some drink, and that was probably true, but I had no intention of trying it. I preferred to go back to the first one.

That way, the four of us continued drinking and chatting. And Jonah, trying to take advantage of the powers of my mask, more than once asked me to refill his glass, as if I were an endless fountain of rum.

…

It is common for someone to ask for favors from someone they trust enough. And similarly, when they have known each other for years, it can happen that one takes things from the other without asking for them first, and it would not cause a big problem.

Zena exemplified this correctly by stealing a piece of Lani's cake, who instead of getting angry took a piece of Zena's, and so they were both satisfied.

We all had our coffee and a piece of cake too. Zena had a red velvet cake, Lani a tres leches cake and I had a white and dark chocolate cake. The choice of colors was on purpose.

As we ate, Lani explained to us how some of the recipes at X-Café had been there for generations and others had been added over time, like that blackberry bonbon.

Lani: Mom says she picked blackberries because they remind her of me, and so she can feel me around every day at work.

Twen: That’s so cute…

Zena: I told you! And I remember Lani was so happy when she first saw them on the menu… I was too, because they added the raspberry ones along with them and I like those better.

Blackberries and raspberries, purple and red... Was that color thing more than just a joke?

Twen: By the way, Lani, what happened to that dessert at the mall? Didn't you say you were going to try experimenting with candy crystals, too?

Lani: Oh, yeah, I'll try. But if I can't even do a simple caramel topping right, then there's no point in going for something so complicated.

Zena: She says right, but she really means perfect. She's too picky about these thing…

She pulled out her phone to show me pictures of the latest bonbons Lani had tried to make. And, to be honest, they looked almost exactly like the ones on the menu.

Lani: But look at this here, before that I had a ton of failed attempts and all because of rookie mistakes…

She showed me a photo she had taken herself, and in it I could see a candy with a not-so-uniform layer of caramel on the outside, as it had a small uncovered space.

She also showed me some that had large discs of caramel at the base, and others with a thin thread of caramel on top, probably all due to the way she let them crystallize.

They were just minor mistakes, but they certainly took away from the perfection.

I was curious about what her first attempts looked like, so I asked to see them. I then discovered that the first one was a disaster, but the others were not bad at all.

We spent some time talking about it, and also eating what we had on the table (delicious, by the way).

After a few minutes Zena seemed to remember something, and after exchanging glances with Lani their minds seemed to join together.

That marked the beginning of something very entertaining.

Zena pulled out a deck of cards and Lani took on a more serious stance that made her look like someone from the mafia. That is how we started playing poker. I did not know how serious they were going to play, but since it was just a game I did not worry too much.

A few minutes later, who won and who lost was decided…

Lani: Alright, that's a great start. Did I win any prizes?

Zena: I don't know... But Twen obviously didn't! What happened? Aren't you supposed to be all-powerful?

I had nothing to say. I had clearly just lost and that was why Zena was mocking me. But did she really want me to use my powers? Her mockery really felt like a blow to the chest.

Every single time, at whatever it was, I could win. But this time I did not and I had to taste defeat. It was not really a big deal and that is why I went back to playing the same way as before.

There were no unfair tricks or cheating. It was just a fair and long game from start to finish…

Zena: What~? What happened to your powers, Twen? Did you put on the wrong mask today?

Lani: I have to admit, this feels weird… But I'm not complaining. If we were gambling, I would have made some money already.

Again, I was in the worst position between us three. How much had they played poker before? Or how bad was I at the game? It is true that making mistakes made me feel human, but at that moment I felt a little ridiculous.

Twen: You know what? I agree with you, Zena. Apparently, without my powers I'm pretty bad at Poker, but what Lani said gives me an idea. Why don't we switch to Blackjack and put some bets on it? That way we'll have a clear winner and loser at the end of the day, and that person will have to face a punishment.

Zena: Perfect! I'll make you regret tempting fate against me.

Lani: That sounds interesting... But what kind of punishment do you have in mind?

Zena: Well, something with his powers, right?

Lani: That's…

She stared at me with wide eyes, not saying a word or making a gesture. In fact, if I did not know Lani, I probably would not have understood what was going on inside her head.

Twen: Well, we shouldn't go too crazy either...

Lani: No, I actually think it's a good opportunity.

Twen: Really?

Zena: She already said it!

Twen: If you're okay with that, then so be it.

Lani: So be it!

Such thoughts from Lani were becoming more and more common, apparently as a result of her efforts to get used to the powers of the OV. And luckily for me, I loved using my powers.

I grabbed my now empty coffee cup and, after covering it with one hand and shaking it like a barista preparing a drink, I turned it over and out fell chips of different values and colors. These were the ones we would use for our bets.

Zena shuffled the deck of cards while Lani helped me deal the chips. And when everything was ready, we began our Blackjack games.

We all tried to get the values of the cards we were holding as close to twenty-one as possible, knowing that going over that value meant losing. I also created a little tentacle to act as a dealer.

Initially we bet without much care, but as the end approached those who were left behind took it more seriously, because the idea that the loser would face a punishment haunted us.

Finally, we were able to come to a conclusion and one of us had to accept their fate.

Using my powers I transformed the loser's body, making it much smaller, to the point where it fit in the palm of a hand… Although it was not a horrible punishment, it was not to their liking either.

Lani: How did you go from losing everything to winning?! It doesn't make sense... And being this small is humiliating!

Zena: He must have used his powers. It's obvious! You cheated!

Twen: No I didn’t! I don't like cheating, so I would never use my OV for something like that. I beat you fair and square!

Zena: Lies! Mini-Lani and I are not going to believe you! I know it would be very easy for you to use your powers without the others noticing…

Even though we were arguing, we both mostly looked at Mini-Lani walking across the table to Zena. She stood in front of her, crossing her arms, so that she seemed to be under the guard of a Giant-Zena.

Twen: I promise I didn't use my powers to win… Because if I did I'd put you to shame! If you want to see it, then let's play again. I'll get exactly twenty-one each and every time, and you won't get less than twenty-six, even if that's not possible!

Zena: Huh?! Let's go back to Poker! Or play something else, whatever! If you don't use your OV then we'll beat you, no doubt about it!

Zena said that as she started collecting the cards that were scattered on the table. I handed over mine and then saw Mini-Lani struggling to collect hers.

I admit that I thought it was a bit cute, but I had to interrupt to help her.

Their attitudes towards losing were, for some reason, very interesting to me. I wondered how I myself looked and whether I had been seen as a sore loser or not.

In any case, I enjoyed learning about them through simple games like that, and in a place as nice as the X-Café. I was happy, to the point where my mask started to shake.

…

My head and my whole body moved from side to side because of the hand Isak had on my shoulder. That night, when we all drank to drown our sorrows, Isak really leaned on the others physically and psychologically.

We had all written our final exams and were just waiting to find out our results. But, still, we had an idea of how we had done. In my case, I might have gotten perfect grades, but in Isak's case…

Well, that was where his lack of enthusiasm came from that day. Nothing was guaranteed, but expectations were not good.

According to Many, since they were children and studied together at school, Isak always acted like this and was then surprised by the results. That is how the whole thing of drinking to drown his sorrows started, obviously without alcohol at first.

Many, on the other hand, was hoping for favorable results. And Jonah, unlike all of us, did not study at any university. A few years ago he became interested in photography and that is what he devoted himself to.

They both said they were tired of hearing the same complaints from Isak, so, eager to hear something new, they gave me the floor. I did not immediately know what to say, but it did not take long for me to find something.

Just by the way Isak looked at me I could tell that he did not easily accept the fact that someone with an OV was having problems. But, when I mentioned that fact, he seemed ashamed of himself and pushed his glass away.

I asked the others if they thought the same and they said yes. There was an ease in my life in choosing my destiny that could be a cause of envy for everyone. But, according to them, it was for that very reason that they wanted to know about the problems I might have.

So we all took a sip from our glasses, and then I started talking. Could someone like me be had problems? I think so.

Not knowing what it is to give everything of myself, or how painful it is to find out that someone is jealous of me, were some examples.

Moving to Novadía was also a bit complicated, as it would be for everyone. Not knowing anyone meant that I had to open up to new people.

Also, there was the fact that I had left many things behind. Friends, places I frequented, and also my culture. That brought back many memories, especially about very colorful necklaces and bracelets, dances and music…

It is ironic, but even though I was supposed to vent, I felt like the conversation actually became entertaining.

I talked about good memories from my past, I told them about what I liked about my city and they did the same about theirs.

I do not know if it was just the things we were saying or the alcohol was also influencing us, but it all became strangely funny. There were times when I laughed out loud, with a big smile on my face. And, finally, my mask stopped hiding it.

Happiness:

It changed in such a way that, instead of a mask, it could be described as an eye mask. It covered most of the area near my eyes and did so in a striking way, with white feathers on top, as well as thin green, violet and blue bands hanging down that moved every time I tilted my head. It was not a very elegant design, but it managed to express my happiness like many other masks created for celebrations.

We spent hours at the bar, until there was only one last bus left that Isak and Jonah could take to get back to their homes.

We stood up, staggering a bit, and then left the place. And for some reason, on the short walk from the bar to the door, anything seemed like a laughing matter.

…

The door of the X-Café opened and I walked out beside Lani. Zena, on the other hand, did not have to walk to get out, as her small body was inside a small flying boat that her best friend made with a napkin.

It was her turn to face her punishment. She sailed between us and then turned around to end up right in front of me. By this time I was also wearing my striking eye mask.

Zena: This is a little scary, but also quite fun! It doesn't even feel like a punishment.

Twen: You say you want something worse? Because I have no problem doing something-

Zena: No! There’s no need… Ah!

As she was talking a fly approached her, and seeing something so big and ugly near her, she quickly escaped. At first, she circled around Lani, and then run away from us.

Lani: You really are creative with your powers, aren't you? Zena looks like she's having a good time.

Twen: Of course. We're just having fun, I couldn't choose a punishment that would really put her in danger.

Lani: Well, I'm glad… Not only because of that, but I'm glad you took the time to come today. It was fun.

Twen: Yes it was! I'd love to hang out with you again someday... But please don't create another misunderstanding with my mom.

Lani: Yes, yes…

I was definitely glad to see Lani like that. After a few months of seeing each other more than once a week, I really felt like the distance between us was starting to close, and that was a huge accomplishment.

Twen: Lani, when you lost at poker and had to do penance, I had to use my powers directly on you… Were you really okay with that?

Lani: To be honest… I was having a good streak before, so I didn't think I would get punished. So when I saw that my luck was gone, I was a little scared… But it's not the first time you've used your powers on me, so I trusted that nothing horrible was going to happen to me.

Twen: Really?

Lani: Yes.

Twen: Wow... You're really progressing quickly in getting used to the OV.

Lani: You think so? … Well, that’s one of the reasons I’m happy you’re in Novadía, after all.

Twen: “One of…”

Lani gave me a bright smile again. Then she turned around and went with Zena, who had been screaming for help for a while.

I stood back, thinking about everything that day meant to me. And at the same time, I compared it to that day last week.

The people I hung out with, the reasons we met, the way we met…

The things we did together and their senses of humor…

Their achievements, their problems, what they thought of the OV…

All of that was different. But still, there was one thing that remained the same, and that was the happiness that came from having people to hang out with.

Talking about things we liked and sometimes things we did not like so much. Making common activities more exciting just because of the people I was with.

I was lucky enough to enjoy those benefits of having friends. Every time I had fun like that my smile could be seen… And I liked that people could see it.

A quick thought crossed my mind, and so I felt compelled to send a text message, not much more than a greeting, to that group of people I considered my first true friends in life. People I grew up with and will never forget.

I was thinking that if good luck existed, then I had it. And this time I was not talking about my OV.