-Now that everything we asked for is already on the table, you better start talking. - Noel said as soon as he saw the waitress left to serve other customers who had just entered the cafeteria.
-Well, I don't think what worries me is so important, Noel... - I said staring at the cake in front of me. - I don't think my security is threatened but since you insist... I will talk.
"Of course I don't think my security is threatened. I'm sure of it." I said mentally to Alphy.
[Focus host, the one who will put your security in danger is sitting in front of you.] - Alphy replied desperately with how quickly I was getting distracted today.
I sighed deeply, sipped a little of my milkshake and stared at Noel.
-I will start at the beginning. I don't know if the people in the house told you that one week after starting the new school year, I became quite ill and missed two days of school. It was a fairly high fever. I had a temperature so high that I scared my parents and my big brother. - I told my bodyguard. I stopped talking for a moment to see if he knew what I was talking about.
-I knew, Alizee told me one afternoon while we talked about many things. Keep going. Don't stop. - Noel said as he gestured to me in order to make me continue my story.
-When I went back to school, I was surprised that there was a new student in my class. At that moment I did not expect it at all. Starting classes one or two days late still seems reasonable to me, but a week seemed like a lot of time. But that's not the only one of the surprises I got, you know? - I told my bodyguard while imitating a surprised face. - She is 89% similar to me. Same height, same body structure, same eye color... You can imagine my surprise. If you exclude three little things, we would both be twins.
-What three things? - Noel asked intrigued while raising an eyebrow.
-Three 'simple' things. - I made the quotation mark gesture to emphasize the 'simple' word. - Some easier than the others but with time and patience all three changes are simple. The first thing is hair color and haircut. The second is that we need to carry the same accessories and the third and more complicated of the three, is to change our gestures and way of doing things. You know, same writing, same walking and same gestures when we talk. The latter is the most difficult to change but with effort and some time, it could be changed. - I noticed that Noel had returned to his usual expression, which was the serious one. - You change that, and you have two identical people. I was very surprised for that fact.
I stopped talking for a couple of minutes to give him time to think. Also to be able to taste that cake that without having life and without being able to speak was sending me the signal of 'eat me'. I tried it and as I expected by the enthusiastic recommendations of my friends, the cake was juicy, the chocolate cream was sweet but not much thanks to the acidity of the raspberries inside the cake. "I think I've gone to heaven..." I thought tasting the piece that I had eaten.
[System calling Sarah, System calling Sarah. Your services are required. Please answer... ] - Expressed my system jokingly. The voice he used was like the typical alarms on the tv shows.
"You are always so inconvenient." I sighed. "You're always interrupting me when I'm enjoying things. And this cake deserves to be enjoyed without interruption. It is delicious." I replied to Alphy.
-Have you finished? Is that what worries you? I don't believe it, there has to be some more information that you are not giving me... - Noel said.
He rested his elbows on the table and approaching the upper part of his body, he stared at me. Then he put an expression of having noticed something and sighed deeply. He pushed the plate with the cake and the milkshake away and made a gesture for me to continue.
-Do not get distracted. Finish telling me what worries you and I will return you what I have taken from you.
I blushed at the embarrassment of being treated like a little girl and after having looked away I apologized. I did everything as Marielle herself would do if she still controlled her body and lived.
-I'm sorry, Noel. The cake was so delicious that I couldn't help being distracted. - I expressed even with pink cheeks and avoiding looking into his eyes. "I am an expert in this."
[Wow! Your ego rose like foam in a science experiment. It shot through the clouds.] - Alphy said in a monotonous voice.
Before I could answer, another voice interrupted me.
-You already apologized so now you can continue. Because there are still things you haven't told me. - Expressed my serious bodyguards repositioning himself well in his chair.
-Where I was going in my story... Yes, I know. I was very surprised. If I didn't know that mom and dad would never lose a baby, I'd think she was my twin. You know how my parents are. They would never lose sight of their babies... I'm leaving the subject again. Sorry. I prepared to treat her as I treat everyone. With respect and kindness, of course also a little distant. Now my shyness condition has improved a lot but before... You can imagine the effort so great that I had to do to get friends and get along with my classmates.
-I understand. - Noel said showing a discreet smile. His face also softened a little.
-Well, you see. Since that first meeting, every time I am close to her, I feel like something is wrong. I would say that my body and instinct are giving me a clear warning. You know, I have a feeling that something is wrong or something bad will happen. And it is constant. It has not happened to me only once, but it happens every time she is present. - To give more emphasis, I made a shiver run through my body. - That's what worries me. Apart from what happened today, nothing strange has happened in these months. So it could be said that I am worrying about nonsense. The only thing 'weird', to call it somehow, is that it seems that her two friends don't like her, but she and I have never had any altercation.
-You're talking about the girl who has knocked down coffee on you... - After saying this, he kept quiet thinking. A few minutes later, he seems to have already decided the course of action and spoke again. - I had already told you that I had the suspicion that the 'accident' that you suffered today had not been an accident in itself, but that it had been provoked, but now I am almost sure it was provoked.
-No, I don't think so. She is a nice girl who is always helping others. And besides, I don't remember doing or saying something to make her my enemy. And even if that were the case, I don't see her capable of doing that. - I said quickly denying his very "sure" statement of what he said. - Surely it was an accident. I'm sure I'm overreacting.
-You can affirm with your mouth everything you want but inside you are doubting. Do you know why I know that you are doubting? Because you yourself have said that your instinct is giving you signs that something is wrong with that girl. Humans always keep in mind our instinct. It is what has saved many people in critical situations. And you are smart. You might think it is impossible for someone good, like that girl appears to be, to do something like trying to burn other peolpe with coffee. But you doubt. Therefore, although you hesitated to tell me, you have told 'me'. - Noel said empathizing the word 'me' - I'm your bodyguard. The person who has to protect you from all danger. Your subconscious is already acting protectively. That tells me that you feel the danger is real. - Noel said seriously even with his gaze fixed on mine. He pushed it away only to bring in front of me what he had moved away from me. And then he returned his eyes to mine. - Also, I am sure that the person we are going to see in a few minutes in this cafeteria has something to do with everything we are talking about now. I'm wrong? - My bodyguard asked and then answered himself. - You don't need to answer. I know the answer to my question. The person you wanted to see today has to do with our conversation. Is he a detective?
-How...? - I started asking when a voice from behind Noel interrupted me.
-You are Marielle Daract, right? And this one here is Noel, your bodyguard, right? - The male voice said.
We both turned to see the person who had spoken.