As they strolled together under the warm late afternoon sun, long shadows stretched out behind them.
Mike glanced at Christina and asked, "Is it okay to leave your car here? Do you want me to drive you home?"
Christina shook her head, her eyes still red-rimmed from earlier tears. "I'm not up for driving," she replied. "Let's just walk and process everything. I'll take the last bus home and have my father's driver pick up the car later."
Mike nodded, checking his watch. It was 3:29 PM. "Alright, let's enjoy this unexpected reunion. I have 13 years of misunderstandings to make up for."
"You don't owe me anything, Mike," Christina said, her voice low. "I knew how much you and Anita loved each other, and I kept the reason for her death from you. I deserve your hatred."
"Then why were you being hostile toward me?" Mike asked. "As far as I can remember, you hated me just as much as I hated you. Why?"
Christina's shoulders sagged. "I did everything to hide my guilt," she replied. "I hid behind hostility and anger and blamed you for not understanding me. I forgot that I can only be understood when I speak my mind. I was really awful, wasn't I?"
"I get it now," Mike replied. "You were hiding from yourself, from the pain."
Christina opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. Silence enveloped them, except for the sounds and honks of passing cars and bikes.
Mike broke the silence. "Let's start fresh, Christina. No more secrets, no more hostility. We've both been through enough."
Christina's gaze met his, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "I'd love to. Let's leave the past behind," she said, forcing a smile.
As they walked, Mike extended his hand, a playful glint in his eyes. "Mike Smith, high school finalist," he introduced.
Christina chuckled and took his hand. "Christina Idris, fellow finalist."
As their laughter faded, Christina sighed. "That was really awkward, wasn't it?" she said. "I've never cried in front of anyone before. Not even my family."
Mike stopped walking and turned to face her. "When you cried earlier, you were pretty—"
"And so?" Christina interrupted. "Should I keep crying?"
Mike's grin returned. "No, no, no, you shouldn't; I mean, you were pretty... ugly when you cried earlier. You seriously shouldn't cry again!" he replied, trying to lighten the mood.
Christina rolled her eyes. "You said I should cry when I'm sad and not bottle everything up."
"Wait a minute, when did I say something like that?" Mike said, feigning ignorance.
"Now this explains why I hated you all these years. You're so incredibly annoying, Mike Smith."
Mike chuckled slightly, but his expression turned serious. "Whatever happened today stays between us," he said. "Not even Stefan or my sister will hear about it."
Christina's gaze locked onto Mike's, as though she could read his mind.
"My mom tried to divorce my father when I was five," Christina began, her voice trembling as she delved into her painful past. "They seemed happy until he joined NASA... then he changed."
"He'd come home late, skip dinners, and my mom would make excuses for him. But soon, he stopped coming home altogether, except on weekends. And even that became a rarity."
"My mom tried to confront him, but instead of apologizing, he got angry. He stopped coming home on weekends, too. We'd go months without seeing him. My mom was heartbroken, crying herself to sleep every night. She felt abandoned, and I felt fatherless."
Christina sat down on the ground a short distance from the road and folded her arms. Mike sat next to her, listening attentively.
"My father thought paying for my school fees and sending money for the family was enough, that it could replace his presence," Christina continued. "But it wasn't. We needed him, not just his paycheck. My mom needed her husband, and I needed my father. But he was too busy saving the world to save his own family."
Tears began to well up in her eyes. "After a year of suffering, my mom filed for divorce, but the judge dismissed the case, citing my father's crucial work for the country. I knew no law states that a wife cannot divorce her husband because of his profession. He probably bribed the judge."
"What about his family? What about me, his child, starving for his love and attention? What about my mom, his wife, desperate for his care?"
Christina's voice grew bitter. "The judge didn't care that my father's absence was killing us. He didn't care that my mom was dying inside, that I was losing myself. All that mattered was my father's 'groundbreaking research'—research that didn't even benefit our country."
"The day my mom left the courtroom, she got into an accident... and she didn't survive. She died, Mike. My mom died, and my world crumbled. I was devastated and lost. The next day, in school, I wanted to end my life. But Anita found me and saved me."
"Anita knew everything. She understood me when no one else did. But she's gone now, and I'm left with this guilt, this pain. My father didn't even attend my mom's funeral. He didn't care. He was too busy with his research."
"A month later, he brought home another woman, announcing her as my stepmother. She was cruel and heartless. I cried every night, longing for my mom until I ran out of tears."
"I'm so sorry, Christina. I had no idea," Mike said, his eyes filled with compassion.
Christina met his gaze. "That's part of the reason for keeping Anita's secret," she said. "That's why I was always angry and sad. I didn't know how to process my emotions and my pain."
"Do you remember that day in class when Mrs. Alby asked about our ambitions?" Mike said. "You said you wished to see your mom one more time. I had no idea what drove that longing."
His face contorted with regret. "Oh, God, I made a joke out of it back then. I'm deeply sorry, Christina. I had no idea."
"I'm sorry too. I didn't realize you were referring to Anita when you spoke of wanting the power to protect your loved ones."
"Anita was my first love. Losing her, being unable to save her from that tragic fall... it still haunts me. The guilt and the what-ifs continue to gnaw at my soul."
Suddenly, his eyes widened as a realization struck him. "Wait, if tomorrow marks Anita's 13th death anniversary... then today must be..."
"Yes, it's today—my mom's death anniversary," Christina replied. "When I got out this morning, I noticed that all her picture frames had been removed from the walls. All her photos in the house were gone." She began to cry. "That heartless woman my father brought home erased my mother's existence!"
"She's trying to, but she can never succeed," Mike said as he took her hand and placed it on her chest. "As long as you're alive, your mother's memories live on. Her love, her laughter, her legacy—it's all still here, within you."
Tears streamed down Christina's face once more. Mike's gentle pat on her shoulder offered comfort—a reminder that she wasn't alone in her grief.
"I'll never forget her, Mike," she whispered.
"You won't. She's a part of you, and I'm here to help you carry that love and pain."
Christina nodded as she wiped her tears.
"Hey, want to hear a secret?" Mike asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"What is it?"
"Remember that unknown assassin climbing down Tina's wall on her birthday?"
Christina furrowed her brow for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, I still remember. Who was it?"
Mike pointed to himself, chuckling. "That was me. I was the one yelling back at you that night."
Christina's jaw dropped. "You're the thief? Seriously?" She squealed. "Does that mean the box Valentina was looking for—"
Mike nodded, laughing. "Guilty as charged. I took the box, Christina."
"What was in it?"
"Something that changed my life. I was after a book, but... let's just say I stumbled upon something extraordinary."
"What happened?"
"You wouldn't understand, trust me. It's something very... unbelievable," Mike replied as they continued walking.
"Well, go on! I'm a curious person," Christina encouraged, nodding for him to continue.
Mike hesitated, a sly smile spreading across his face. "A power only seen in movies coursed through my body, transforming me into something extraordinary, something beyond my own understanding," he explained. "A mysterious power that granted me… unusual abilities—super hearing, strength, night vision, and speed."
Christina raised an eyebrow. "Really? You're fast?"
Mike nodded confidently.
Christina's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Prove it."
And without warning, she threw a quick punch at him. Mike couldn't dodge, his eyes widening in surprise as he stumbled backward, clutching his nose.
"Ow! What was that?!" He grimaced in pain.
Christina burst into laughter. "You said you're fast! Why couldn't you dodge that?"
Mike rubbed his sore nose. "I wasn't expecting an attack! That was cheating!"
"You should always expect the unexpected," Christina said, grinning from ear to ear.
Mike chuckled, shaking his head. "You got me there. Ouch!"
As they resumed walking, Mike's expression turned serious. "I'm not kidding about those abilities, Christina. They've changed everything."
"Come on then, let's go again!" Christina exclaimed, pulling back her fist.
Mike held up his hands in surrender. "No way! I've had enough. Let's just go home. My nose still hurts from the last surprise attack."
But Christina wouldn't relent. "No, let's start again! Get over here!" She clenched her fist, ready to strike.
Mike swiftly took off, standing a few meters away and staring at Christina in disbelief. "I didn't know you were capable of all this! You're like a whole different person."
Christina took slow steps toward him, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Capable of what, exactly?" she asked.
"Laughing, playing... everything," Mike replied, his eyes never leaving hers. "You're always so strict and in control. I never thought I'd see this side of you."
Christina's smile widened as she shrugged. "You're seeing another side of me now. I'm capable of more; I just wasn't happy. I've been carrying around a lot of baggage."
"So, you're happy now?" Mike asked, folding his arms.
"Yes, because I finally found someone who understands me," Christina nodded. "Someone who knows my secrets and promised not to tell his annoying best friend," she added with a playful roll of her eyes.
A hint of sarcasm laced her voice, but Mike sensed deeper sincerity beneath it.
"Plus, I finally ended our thirteen-year hostility. I let out the secrets and burdens I've carried for years. Of course, I'm happy," Christina continued, and Mike could feel her relief.
"Wasn't Hannah your friend? I thought she knew all of this," Mike inquired.
"Hannah is a toxic person, a weak-point seeker," Christina responded. "I can't possibly share my situation with her when I know she'd be the first to mock and pick on me."
Mike's face lit up with a warm smile, gratitude evident on his features. He nodded frantically, thrilled to see this vulnerable side of the school's high and mighty queen.
"I'm glad, Christina," he said sincerely. "You deserve to be happy."
Christina smiled, then glanced at her wristwatch and gasped. "It's 4:34 p.m.! I should head home now," she exclaimed.
With a mischievous glint in her eye, she threw a quick punch at Mike, who dodged it just in time.
"You almost killed me!" Mike yelled, letting out a deep breath.
Christina's distant laughter echoed through the air as she gamboled ran off in the opposite direction.
"Goodnight, cheetah!" she called over her shoulder.
Mike shook his head. "Spoiled brat!" he scoffed.
As he walked home, Mike couldn't help but feel grateful for the unexpected turn of events. He had discovered a new side of Christina—one that was vulnerable, playful, and genuine.
The years of hostility between them had melted away, replaced by a budding friendship.