"Amelia, I really like you. Please come out with me!" – With the gentle summer breeze, accompanied by the sounds of cicadas enlivening the meeting. A boy with trembling hands and his eyes lowered looking at his feet, took courage to confess the feelings that he had carried in his heart since the beginning of high school.
During the opening ceremony, Tomas had been captivated by the young Amelia, when he saw her give the welcome speech as a representative of the new students entering the high school. That discreet appearance, with her hair collected in a braid and her eyes covered by glasses, caused a revolution in her feelings to take place inside Tomas's heart before what was love at first sight.
A little distant hidden among the bushes, a pair of eyes kept silently watching with anxiety running through their chests as if they were confessing themselves.
Emilio, the childhood friend of Tomas and Rubén, his younger brother; they were sincerely supporting him while waiting to hear the answer from the girl who had occupied the young man's thoughts for two years now.
- "I bet you five dollars that he rejects it" - Trying to break the tension of the moment, Emilio made that joke to calm the nervous Rubén, who, far from laughing, remained silent, squeezing Emilio's shoulder lightly. Who could feel Tomas's brother's heart palpitations through the fabric of his shirt.
- "Okay, take it easy. I was just trying to lighten the mood. Almost a minute has passed and Amelia hasn't responded. If you really wanted to turn it down because you're not interested, your response would have been almost immediate."
- "I know Emilio, but even so I don't like your jokes. I only tolerate you because you are my brother's friend."
- "Wow and I thought you really loved me"
- "I told you to leave jokes aside!" - With a flushed face, Rubén pushed Emilio to the ground, falling one on top of the other leaving their faces almost separated by just a few centimeters. At that moment, a pang ran through Emilio's back, who threw Rubén aside feeling a strange sensation in his chest.
- "Weren't you the one who liked jokes, clown?"
- "Just shut your mouth Ruben..."
- "Yes, I also want to go out with you Tomas!" – Upon hearing Amelia's answer, the two young people turned directly towards the couple. Seeing how the young woman hugged Tomas, who had an expression of disbelief on his face, slightly flushed by his reciprocated feelings.
- "BRILLIANT!" – Getting up from the bushes without giving him time to react, Emilio raised his arms with a smile from ear to ear, causing the couple to be ashamed of being seen at that moment.
- "With a demon, control yourself idiot!" – Hitting Emilio's head with his fist, Rubén seemed a little annoyed and at the same time happy for his brother's success in declaring himself.
- "Hey, why are you here?"
- "Oh come on, we're your best friends. Do you think we would leave you alone in such a special moment?
- "Please excuse us, we already left. I'll take this idiot with me so he won't bother you. Amelia, thank you for reciprocating my brother's heart" – Bowing reverently as he pushed Emilio's head so that he would do the same, Rubén dragged him away, while Emilio protested vigorously at the physical abuse.
Walking down the street with the sun languishing on the horizon, the two young men kept silent as if they were fighting. Pedestrians walking along the sidewalk looked at them out of the corner of their eyes, paying special attention to Emilio.
- "If you're going to say something, just spit it out" - With a serious tone in his voice, Rubén kept his gaze straight ahead with his arms behind his neck, holding his backpack, leaving his biceps visibly marked.
- "Why are you always like this with me? Since we were children you spend all your time criticizing and bothering me for anything. Besides, you're a year younger than me, shouldn't you have a little more respect for me?" – Emilio's face looked a bit gloomy, averting his gaze so as not to make eye contact with Rubén.
- "Oh come on man, have a little more poise. We are both boys, don't talk to me as if you were a woman" - Throwing his head back with a laugh, Rubén slapped Emilio on the back, who felt how the thick fingers of that hand were marked on his skin due to the Reuben's strength
- "Damn cretin, that hurt me!" – With a few light tears due to the pain, Emilio turned his face, tightening his lips and frowning his eyes. That expression of annoyance did nothing more than feed Rubén's morbidity, who, being close to the wall of a building, whipped Emilio's body, resting his arm very close to his face, cornering him.
- "On second thought, you really do look like a girl. Just look at you, with that delicate face and your scarecrow body, anyone would think you were a woman. If I didn't see you every day in the showers in PE class, even I might confuse you." - Taking him firmly by the chin, Rubén held Emilio's face, enjoying that angry expression that the young man had.
- "Ruben, that's enough. Stop with this! " – Pushing him with all his might, Emilio pressed his backpack against his chest, lowering his face trying to hide that obvious blush on his cheeks.
- "Oh come on boy! I just wanted to tease you a little for almost screwing up during my brother's confession. I would never hit for the other side, even if you were a damn TCG" – With the mood ruined and the atmosphere so tense, the two youngsters each left on their own without turning around.
On his way home, Emilio wandered through the department store windows of the commercial district trying to improve his mood. Between the neon light advertisements with the displays of the new video games and the imported figures of the anime he enjoyed, the young man let out a light sigh calming his spirits.
- "In other news, the government has begun to take action regarding the increase in the number of GTC cases. With the growing demand for responses from the population, the health authority has issued an official statement in this regard…" – The voice of the newscaster pierced the glass of the display of the electronics store in front of which Emilio was standing, causing him to stop dead, capturing his attention as if nothing else existed.
During the first quarter century of the second millennium, a strange disease suddenly appeared, catching governments off guard. At that time, what seemed like a common flu spread throughout the planet, causing a great mortality that took more than half of the population.
With great efforts, scientists around the globe working together, an antigen was developed that stopped the terrible plague that threatened to destroy known civilization. The media and public opinion called it a panacea, extremely confident that this vaccine would erase all traces of that plague.
But far from being fully effective, the vaccine brought with it a devastating side effect regarding the virus.
Just a few years after the antigen was administered, scientists realized that, despite stopping the deadly symptoms of the disease, the side effects of the disease prevailed despite the cure. Being the most notable of all of them, the reduction of fertility in both male and female patients.
Going from having an annual birth rate of 0.9% globally, the number of human beings born alive has dropped almost to the point of not registering births globally for two years in a row.
It was then that the men of science returned to their work desks in the laboratories to find a solution and after 7 months of agonizing wait, they announced to the world the creation of a vaccine to increase fertility.
That discovery had managed to restore hope to humanity, making the delivery rooms, which had been deserted for a long time, fill with the cries of millions of babies who opened their eyes to the world for the first time.
For the first decade, humans born after the cure showed no signs of side effects. Governments around the world had assumed that the crisis ended without a hitch ; But all of that was just the calm before the storm.
- "...Doctor Gustaf , tell us with total sincerity, can patients with GTC have a full life?"
- "Of course! Although it is true that the phenomenon of gender change is an irreversible disorder, with the help of drugs and hormonal treatments in the early phase, the change can be stopped in affected individuals..."
- "Treatments that a large number of the population cannot access due to their high cost, right?"
- "It is true that the costs are currently high, but that happens with any prophylaxis in its early developments. In a few more years, that topic will be something we can laugh about."
- "Meanwhile, what will you tell the thousands of people who currently suffer from this disorder, doctor? Could you tell them the same if you were facing them?"
- "Miss, currently the government of our country, unlike others, has provided social plans to integrate people affected with GTC in such a way that their identities have been modified so that they can live among us without having to lower their faces.
I dare to say without fear, that no one could suspect a person who has been relocated by the government after suffering GTC" - The voice of the news presenter froze in silence upon hearing the words of the doctor, who, in a way Disguised for the audience, I cast a pointed look into the woman's eyes.
- "This is complete garbage" - Emilio muttered between his teeth looking at the screen, while tightening the straps of his backpack while clicking his tongue, walking towards his house under the starry night.
A few months after Tomas's confession, everything continued as normal between the three friends in the classroom. With the difference that, on some occasions, a young lady would appear at the door of the room, gesturing with her hand, calling Tomas.
- "Who would have thought, the perfect Amelia ended up accepting your brother's orangutan"
- "Shut up Ricardo, it is not our fault that in the family we have genes of true Spartan men. Not like you who looks like a noodle no matter how hard you work at the gym"
- " Fuck you Ruben!" – Laughing at each other, the two young men held each other's necks in a friendly way, smiling while Emilio looked at them out of the corner of his eye while he wrote some notes on the blackboard in his notebook.
- "Better hurry to write down what is on the blackboard. It is almost time for the change of classes and they know that the old man of mathematics does not ask anyone and erases everything at once.
- "Yes, whatever you say brainiac. At times I prefer the moron who spends his time making jokes instead of the perfect secretary" – Rubbing Emilio's hair, Rubén felt in his hands that that hair, which used to be rough, had taken on a soft texture to the touch.
- "Hey dwarf, did you change your shampoo ? Don't tell me you took your mother's mouthwash?"
- "Stop the idiot jokes, I told you that it bothers me that you make jokes about my appearance" - Pressing his mechanical pencil against the page of the notebook, Emilio suddenly got up from his desk and left the room to cool his head. Accidentally crashing into Tomas's chest, feeling a slight bulge that subtly protruded from his pecs.
- "Be careful old man. Has my brother been bothering you again?"
- "If you already know the answer to your question, why don't you tell him anything?"
- "Oh come on, you know he's just playing. Since he skipped a year he has become a bit conceited, but don't worry, when the euphoria wears off he will be the same as before "
- "For me it hasn't changed at all" - As if whispering those words to himself , Emilio squeezed his hands as he took a few steps, leaving his friend behind.
- "Sorry, what did you say?" – Leaving him with the question on his lips, Emilio left Tomas behind and walked quickly to the stairs that connected to the third floor. Sitting on the steps taking his hands to his face sighing heavily as he bowed his head.
- "Hey Amelia, tell us what Tomas is like in bed?" – Without even meaning to, Emilio accidentally began to listen to the conversation of some young women who were on the third floor.
Trying not to make noise, the young man tried to get up from the stairs, but his legs did not respond at all. Putting his hands to his mouth in fear of being found out, he continued listening to them, keeping his breathing slow.
- "I'm not going to deny it, at first it was like a beast. He knew where to touch me and his vitality seemed like that of those actors in the movies that you like so much Sofia"
- "Amelia, don't be a slut, don't tell my secrets so loud. What if someone comes to listen to us?"
- "I don't know why you worry? The only one who runs the risk of affecting his image with these talks is me "
- "Yes, sure. Forgive me, miss president of the committee" - With mocking laughter, the young women held that mischievous conversation without taking into account Emilio, who blushed from listening to them trying to divert his attention by going over class topics in his head.
- "But you know, these last few days I've noticed Tomas strange. The intensity with which he makes love to me is not the same and on one occasion when I put my hands on his chest, I could swear I felt small bumps on his nipples."
- "Lumps? Could it be that he is one of those weirdos that has his starting TCG?"
- " Nah , I don't think so. I think it would taste perfectly fine when I'm doing it with a girl, or will you let me lie about it?"
- " Shhh , shut up. Besides, it was only once" – In the midst of those mocking laughs, Emilio felt a chill that ran down his spine as he remembered the sensation he experienced when colliding with his friend's chest.
With the latent fear of going through a TCG, Emilio had studied the initial symptoms of the condition until exhaustion. Day and night, ever since he found out that a distant relative had experienced GCT, the young man decided to prepare himself for any possible eventuality. Saving money from New Year's presents and part-time summer jobs to buy the pirated hormone suppressants that were being sold on the black market.
- "I won't go through that shit" – It was what the young man repeated to himself since he found out that a case had been filed in his family. But unlike that distant relative, in front of him his best friend since childhood, he was about to experience a flood for which he was not prepared.
- "I must talk to him, I need to warn him. I know he will listen to me" – Standing up suddenly without caring that the girls heard him, Emilio hurried his way to the classroom in search of Tomas. But no matter how much he turned in all directions, he couldn't find his friend inside the classroom.
- "Hey, orangutan. Do you know where your brother is? – Breathing somewhat agitated, Emilio leaned against the door frame, staring at Rubén, who was holding one of Emilio's notebooks.
- "He said that he felt a little tired and that he would go home first. Why are you looking for him? And why are you so upset man? It's not common to see you like this."
- "Don't listen to me, I just came running from the cafeteria because I remembered that your brother owed me some money and I wanted to complete it to buy one of the special hamburgers they sell today"
- " Hahahaha , go boy. You're finally hungry. Is it that you want to leave Ricardo as the only skinny in this class?"
- " Hehehehe , yes. Something like that" – Rubbing the back of his neck with the palm of his hand, Emilio averted his gaze trying not to make eye contact with Rubén, who noticed his classmate's body language. Taking their backpacks while putting a hand on her shoulder.
- "Don't open your mouth and follow me" - With a calm attitude, Ruben's voice was heard loud and clear in Emilio's ear. Who felt that that suggestion was more of a threat while pulling him into the school corridor.
- "How much do you know?"
- "Know? What are you talking about?" – Being behind the buildings of the physical education stores, Rubén forcefully whipped Emilio's fragile body. That, unlike the other time, the palm of the hand hit the young man's chest, taking the air out of him, knocking him down on the floor while he gasped to breathe.
- "I'll tell you nicely one more time. How much do you know, idiot?" – Holding his hair furiously, Rubén lifted Emilio off the ground, leaving him in the air just touching the ground with the tips of his shoes.
- "Tomas, he has the initial symptoms of GTC. If he starts the treatment right now, he could…" – Without giving him time to finish the sentence, Rubén furiously hit Emilio's cheek in such a way that the flesh swelled, throbbing on his face.
- "Listen to me, damn asshole. My brother is not one of those TCG freaks, so don't go talking shit about something you don't know."
- "Tomas is my friend, I can't just abandon him like that. I have studied a lot about the TCG and have learned that getting through the process requires the support of everyone close to you. You as his brother should be aware that he is a vulnerable person in many ways, you grew up with him and also…" – As if he had added fuel to the fire, Emilio's well-intentioned words were not accepted by Rubén. Who mercilessly hit the young man's abdomen until the marks of the bruises accumulated to the point of making him cry with suffering.
- "Look at you, until recently you spoke with such confidence and now you cry like a little bitch. I told you to keep your mouth shut, but it seems like you'll only understand one way." – Dragging Emilio's body into the warehouse, Rubén locked the door and began to undress his classmate.
- "Stop! What do you think you're doing?" – Trying to cover his nakedness, trembling in a state of panic immersed in the pain of the blows, Emilio did not stop crying while Rubén held his cell phone camera taking humiliating photos of the young man.
- "Listen to me, idiot, if you utter a single word about my brother again. Rest assured, these photos will be on the school bulletin board."
- "No, you wouldn't dare"
- "Oh, of course I would dare. Rest assured, if it's to keep my family's name, I won't hesitate to make you the bitch of the whole school." - Spitting in his face with a defiant look, Emilio felt a strong blow to his head that left him unconscious while the warehouse door closed again, leaving him plunged into deep darkness.
By the time he recovered his senses, the young man saw through the small upper window of the warehouse the rays of the moon sneaking into the immense darkness. With his body bruised, Emilio dragged himself to his uniform while crying helplessly as he put on his clothes. Every movement he made was torture, even breathing seemed so heavy that he feared for a moment that that animal had broken a bone.
- "Mother. I just want to go home" – Worried when he saw the time on his cell phone, Emilio thought of his mother and the anguish she would have to see him arrive in that condition. He would only tell him that he had a traffic accident and did not see the driver, it was a lie that he repeated to himself as he walked towards his house, swallowing the salty tears that did not stop flowing from his eyes.
As expected, when he crossed the threshold of the door, that woman who gave birth to him was sitting at the foot of the stairs in front of the entrance to the house. Dark circles of concern were marked on her face and a few seconds later, her pupils contracted in horror when she saw the condition her son was in when he arrived home.
- "My God, but what happened to you? Where have you been all this time? Answer me please Emilio!"
- "It was a traffic accident mom. They have taken me to the hospital and the doctor has barely allowed me to discharge"
- "But which hospital? I have called all the hospitals and clinics, but none told me that you were admitted. Are you hiding something from me son?" – Emilio's mother's expression of despair cut deep into her son's heart; Maybe it would have been easy to tell him the truth at that moment, but he knew that adding another burden to a divorced woman would be something he couldn't afford.
– "I am telling you the truth, mom, I am not hiding anything from you. We are both tired and tomorrow is the weekend, we are just going to sleep and I promise that I will explain everything that happened to me in detail. Just be patient and trust me" – With his lips trembling, hiding that weakness by biting them with his head bowed, Emilio climbed the stairs to his room and fell on the bed with his cell phone in hand.
The clock was past one in the morning, her eyelids were heavy as if two rocks were crushing her eyes, and her vision was a little blurry. It was at that moment when he was about to succumb to sleep, that several notifications began to arrive in his cell phone chat.
Raising her head slightly, when she unlocked the screen to check the messages, her eyes looked with horror at the photos that Ruben had taken of her. One after another, arriving like an avalanche, notifications piled up with threatening messages as a reminder to keep your mouth shut.
When a brief silence finally came before that frenzy of messages, one last message arrived on the phone, provoking Emilio's anger. Who, without feeling like anything, opened the chat and wrote a message that he didn't know would have great repercussions on his life.
- "You can die for me, damn trash" - That text message was recorded in the chat conversation, marking an uncertain destiny that would open before Emilio's feet like an all-consuming abyss.