The police and an ambulance went to the school. The doctors took Erica, no one else was hurt.

The police interviewed several witnesses. There were dozens, and they didn't have to look hard to find them; just any one of the students wandering around with lost faces or sitting staring into infinity was enough.

The school was closed early that day, and the next day it remained closed, I guess they needed to clean up the blood.

On the day off I figured I should visit Erica in the hospital. After all, a bullet in the leg must have hurt a lot. No doubt she would not be able to walk for several days, she would not be discharged immediately. However, the thought of finding myself in a room alone with that person began to terrify me. Strange, a few weeks earlier, I would have loved something like that.

I went to see Raka, I needed to know that I was not the only one horrified by what I had seen. When I arrived at her house, her brother opened the door and showed me in.

-I heard what happened at school- he said- Are you okay, Ocko?

I looked at him. Ramiro, Raquel's older brother, was a slender boy, a bit like his sister. He always wore a tired look, as if he was lost, and his hair was shoulder length. Unlike Raquel, his presence was very pleasant and reassuring.

-Yes, yes, thank you. How is she?- I asked back.

Ramiro showed me his teeth with concern.

-She cried a little, I think she was just shocked. She's better now.

I went to her room, knocked and entered. I found her reading a book in her bed. The day was dark, so I had lit the lamp on her bedside table.

-Ocko?

-Hello, Raka. What's up?

She put a bookmark in her book, closed it and put it in a drawer. Then she hugged her legs to make room for me, I sat on her bed. I looked at her and smiled, she didn't seem to be in the mood, but she also grimaced in a way that could be considered a smile.

-What a surprise, eh?- she commented- Yesterday morning we could have talked about anything we wanted with Solis. Not today.

I nodded. That was what death was like.

-Have you seen Erica in the hospital?- she asked.

I looked up, Raquel was penetrating me with her intense eyes.

-No- I admitted- I should, but... it's difficult.

-Don't worry, I'm not saying you should- she indicated- I don't feel I can either.

It didn't surprise me. Erica had not only killed one of our classmates; she had done it in an instant, quickly and easily. I remembered the way Raquel had reacted to Solis' murder; she had grabbed my arm and told me over and over again that Erica was a murderer. I had never seen her so upset.

-I've been thinking about her story- said Raquel- Do you remember? The one she told us when we were eating. She said that when she was ten years old, the cops shot her after she pushed a classmate into a police car. But the cops don't shoot two kids playing, at most they would have scolded them.

I swallowed hard. I thought I knew where she was going with all that.

-Do you know why she would have been shot?- Raquel continued- after I saw how she killed Solis, I realized. It must have been something similar. I think she pushed that boy into the car, but she must have pushed him so hard that she killed him like Solis. If I was a policeman and suddenly a dead kid fell on my car, I'd start shooting at whatever had thrown him there.

I nodded. It was exactly the same conclusion I had come to. Then, to my surprise, I felt Raquel's hand on mine. I turned to her, she looked worried.

-Erica had seven bullet scars- she said- she clearly had a different story for each one; a story where someone shot her for revenge or protection or something in between. That's at least seven stories where Erica has killed someone or done something just as bad. Seven people!

I pursed my lips in anguish. Raquel was clearly affected by this conclusion.

-No... you're not sure about that, even I can see it- I tried to debate her.

-You saw how easily she killed Solis!- she protested- it wasn't a desperate attempt, Erica knew exactly what she was doing and how she should do it!

-She just punched her. We all saw it. Anybody knows how to throw a punch.

-After being shot in the leg - she reminded me - she did all that with a wounded leg! Why do you think she came to this school for her last year?! Who changes schools for their last year?!

Raquel shook her head.

-I don't think what is happening this year is new, not for her.

I put my hands up to make time.

-Raka, please calm down. Erica is your friend.

To my surprise, Raka gritted her teeth and looked down. Her lips trembled, her eyebrows closed in anguish.

-It is, but I don't want it to hurt anyone else- she pleaded- What if it's Pekos next, or Galica, or me? What if it's you? It's like having a pet tiger; it can be your best friend, but any day it can jump on you and break your neck.

I think mentioning the night of the criminals was not a very good idea at that moment. I decided to keep it to myself.

-But... Erica is a person.

Raquel shook her head.

-I know, I'm sorry. I just... I think the guys were right; doing some distance, taking care of yourself, doesn't seem like a bad idea anymore. Especially you. Please be careful, please.

I almost burst out laughing at what I was hearing.

-You care about me?- I asked jokingly.

-Of course I do, you asshole! You're... you're my best friend.

Wow, Raquel could be really sweet when she wanted to be. I noticed a lump in my throat.

-But I thought you liked Erica.

She turned red.

-I still do!- she admitted- but it would break my heart if anything happened to you.

My nose started to itch. I saw her eyes turn red and fill with tears. I was about to tell her about it, when suddenly she became blurry. After blinking, I realized that I was starting to cry too. We both hugged each other to squeeze back the tears.

I already knew that Erica had killed a lot of people, I already knew that she had failed to finish a school year since sixth grade because of her violence, but until that moment I hadn't associated one with the other. Or rather, I hadn't thought about Erica killing her classmates. I didn't think that, if she killed me, it would be a normal day for her.

The danger I was in going to school every day had not diminished in the slightest, but my vision was beginning to expand. I began to think about the possibility of going to another school and taking my friends with me. It would be a horrible drag, but it would be better than dying young, wouldn't it?

---------------------------------------------------------

The next day we went back to school. I walked past the crosswalk by the grassy field. I stopped for a moment and looked at the corner where Solis' body had crashed. The segment of wall hollowed out by the impact remained there, full of cracks, shaped like a crater. It was a reminder that her death had not been a dream, that in that place, one girl had killed another with a single punch.

I sighed. I had heard that Solis' funeral would be the next day. I thought about her sister, Krois, and her family. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose a child.

I walked all the way to my living room, entered with my eyes on the floor, walked to my station, said hi to Erica, put my backpack on my chair and sat down...

-Erica?!-I exclaimed.

She turned around. She gave me a shy smile that only lasted a second.

I returned to her, bewildered.

-You... -I mumbled- How... Your leg!

-I'm fine- she said- My wounds heal fast, remember?

I looked at her foot. She read my mind, because she lifted it up and placed it on the table. She showed me the area of the wound, only a scar remained, like an ancient memory.

-But this happened two days ago!- I exclaimed.

She shrugged her shoulders.

-My wounds heal fast- she repeated.

-But you were shot!

-Yes.

-How did you do it?

-I don't know.

I looked at her for a long time.

-Is it part of your superpowers?

She shook her head.

-It doesn't always happen.

I remembered that she had mentioned something about this.

-Of course, that wound with the branch- I recalled- it lasted a long time.

She nodded.

-So it didn't happen just once?

-There are other occasions, but I don't get injured every day.

-Then, when you were hit by the truck....

-No, it bothered me all day- she confessed- it's just that I'm resistant to hits. But the next day I was as good as new.

I took a step back. I felt weird with my face pressed against a girl's leg. I put a hand to my head, emotions swirling inside me. I looked around, our companions sneaking glances at us, or rather, eyeing Erica suspiciously. I sighed.

-Maybe... you should take a few days off school- I said.

She was not very happy with the idea.

-Do you think so?- she asked worriedly.

The rest of the students began to arrive a few at a time, there were only a couple of minutes left before the class started. I made my way to my seat.

I waved to my gang, they were all equally surprised to see Erica there, all except for Raka. Soon after the professor came striding in.

-All right, children. Hello, good morning- he put his things down on his desk and looked at all of us. Then he noticed Erica, astonished- Miss Sanz, what are you doing here?!

She took a few seconds to respond.

-Attending class- she said.

-But your leg!

-I'm fine, I was discharged yesterday- she asserted.

The teacher was dumbfounded. He looked at the rest of the class, as if searching for a reason why Erica should not be there. Finally he put the pen down with the rest of his things and left.

We all looked at each other's faces, puzzled. The professor took a long time to return, and when he did, he didn't seem much more composed than before.

-It's fine, it's fine. I spoke to the headmaster- he said- wow, I didn't expect such a quick recovery. All right, take your books, turn to page 72.

For the rest of the class I noticed the teacher was strange. He was nervous. For a while I figured it was due to Erica's magical recovery, but then it hit me like a shingle; the professor was nervous that Erica would jump out at any moment and start killing our classmates left and right. Or maybe not specifically that, but he was scared. It was visceral, something he couldn't control, like prey hiding from predator. I felt sorry for him, but it didn't seem out of place. I think it's okay to feel that way around someone so dangerous.