We pushed and shoved our way through the crowd and slipped through the crowd. I happened to be carrying a plastic plate of cake and I got a trail of it on my arm, Troveto spilled a drink on his shirt and Pekos knocked down a guy without meaning to. We passed by some food stalls. It was hard to get our bearings with so many people around, I didn't know how many guards were around or how close they were, we could only run.

Suddenly someone grabbed my arm and held me back. I turned around, it was a guard. I wanted to break free, but he was holding me tightly and would not let me go.

—No!— I shouted.

But before I could do anything else, the guard folded completely in the blink of an eye. It all happened so fast that it took me several seconds to realize that Erica had appeared next to me and punched him in the stomach. As I continued to be dumbfounded, she grabbed my other hand and tugged me to continue.

—Come on, they're after us!— she exclaimed.

By the time I realized what had happened, I was running at her side. I looked back, the bent guard was resting, out of breath, but he would recover. I was relieved to know that Erica had not killed him with her tremendous strength.

We evaded the mob as best we could, the others were not caught by the guards, but they were close. Two guys jumped on Pekos, but he just kept running as if nothing happened, and left them behind. Troveto couldn't use his skateboard on the grass, but he managed to evade the pursuers with relative ease. Galica just kept close to Pekos and kept her eyes open. Given her small size, she could run through gaps between people that served as obstacles for the guards.

Soon we left the crowds and food stalls behind and entered a small forest inside the park. The trees were tall, thick and dry, and separated from each other by several meters, so I don't know whether to call it a forest, but all in all, a group of trees. The good thing was that we had evaded the guards for a good stretch, the bad news were, as there were no other people around, the guards could easily surround us. That way a few of them managed to get ahead of us and block our way. Pekos and Troveto, who were ahead, slowed down. I looked around for a way out, but found none. The guards were cutting us off at every angle. At that moment, Erica passed me at full speed.

—Don't stop!— she shouted, then jumped over one of the guards in front.

The guard, surprised, could do nothing as Erica blocked his face with her pelvis and knocked him down with her momentum. The others nearby tried to grab her, but she simply stood up, picked one up, spun him in the air and threw him against the other.

—Keep running!— she yelled.

—What the fuck!— exclaimed Troveto.

I understood perfectly the surprise in my friends and the guards. I was also dumbfounded, I had never seen Erica face someone before, but I contained my astonishment to concentrate on what was in front of me.

—Don't stop! Don't stop!— I cried— Come on, we have to keep going!

My friends understood and began to speed up again. We were getting tired, Galica was undoubtedly exhausted, but we were almost at the exit. I knew that park more or less well and I knew that we were heading for one of the entrances. Outside the park, the guards could not do anything to us.

However, as we left the forest and approached the access, I noticed something that had not occurred to me; the entrance it was closed. Two large gates barred the flow. They were so high that they were impossible to climb. We were finished.

But then I noticed Erica standing by the entrance. I was surprised again.

—When did she get there?! — I thought, puzzled.

—When did Erica get there?!— shouted Troveto.

At least thirty guards were chasing us from all directions, I think it was the entire staff available, just for us. At the entrance there was no one but Erica, but that would soon change.

—Erica, how are we going to escape?!— I asked her from a distance, though I was so tired and short of breath that I think I said something like "Eha, howhwe ghagha heph".

Still she waved an arm in a circular motion, telling us to keep giving it our all. We were closing fast, but some of the guards were faster and started to catch up. Then Erica broke into a run. In a flash she crossed the distance to us and launched herself at the guards. I didn't see what she did because I was focused on getting to the blocked access, but I heard banging, shouting and I think a person flying. I turned around for a moment, saw Erica throwing a man taller than her by a head, one—handed, like a tennis ball, into a group of five other men. The shot knocked them all down like bowling pins. Then Erica turned around, launched herself at us and caught us in two seconds. The wind produced by her speed ruffled my hair and uniform tie. I couldn't believe that one moment she had been thirty meters away, and the next she was right next to me.

—Erica!— I exclaimed.

—Get ready!— she announced— Pekos, you go first!

—What?!— was all she managed to say, before Erica grabbed him and threw him over the three meters high wall.

I remembered that moment in the other park, when Erica jumped over the big wall with Raquel and me in her arms.

Pekos screamed like a child on a roller coaster too intense for his age, crossed the wall and fell painfully on his muscular body.

—Catch him!— Erica commanded.

Pekos was still not recovering from his fall when Erica grabbed Troveto and threw him over. Then she grabbed Galica with one hand, me with the other and jumped. The sudden thrust of air bent me for a moment, I hung only by her hand. When I looked up again, we were on the wall, more than three meters high. I wondered if that would become an everyday occurrence.

Finally we fell, Erica left us on the ground. My whole body was shaking. I looked at Galica, she looked worse, she looked like she was going to vomit from the surprise. Troveto stood over Pekos, both dizzy and pale as if they had seen a monster.

—We have to go! Let's go!— urged Erica.

I looked at her, she was pointing to a place. I followed the direction of her finger, I noticed that the guards were trying to open the big doors they had used to block the access. Despite my trembling and not feeling very well, I stood up and helped Galica do the same.

—Erica is right. Come on, guys!— I urged.

We struggled to our feet and started running. We ran in a hurry, which wasn't much with the sorry state we were in, but we still managed to lose the guards. I think they were too shocked and frightened to chase after a girl who had been able to get rid of them so easily.

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

We took a bus to get away, we didn't talk much during the ride. After getting off in the school neighborhood, we went to a square to rest and digest what had happened.

—How...— began Pekos, perhaps the most confused of us all— What was that all about?

—We managed to run away from all those guards— Troveto recalled.

—We jumped over that big wall— said Galica, bent over herself on a bench.

Erica was standing on the seesaw, right in the middle. Pekos was lying on the end of the slide, Troveto and Galica occupied the bench and I was leaning against a tree. The square was small and everything was close enough to talk. There were no other people either.

Erica and I looked at each other.

—I thought you didn't want to show it to anyone— I remembered.

She put a hand to her neck.

—Yeah, well, we're friends— she downplayed it.

With that, the other three stared at her.

—You mean what you did in the park?— Troveto asked.

Erica gave a knowing smile.

—Yes, you see... I'm strong. Quite strong.

—Super strong— I emphasized— Remember the church that collapsed recently?

The others' eyes widened like saucers.

—Did YOU bring down the church?!— Galica shouted, surprised.

—Hey, that was you, Ocko!— exclaimed Erica.

—Oh, that's right. That was me.

—Ocko is super strong too!— said Pekos.

—No, no! Not at all— I clarified— I just rang the bell, how was I supposed to know it was going to come down? Anyway, it turns out that the bell fell on me, that's what collapsed the church. Erica saved me from being crushed to death.

I guess I didn't explain myself well, because it took my friends a while to fully understand what I meant. Troveto was the first to understand. Puzzled, he looked at Erica.

—Is that right?— he wondered.

Erica shrugged her shoulders as if it was no big deal.

—What's up with that?— Pekos asked.

—Dude, Pekos, that bell weighs about two tons!— exclaimed Troveto.

—It's as if she could throw us all over a three—meter wall— said Galica— yes, that's... that's super strength, no doubt about it.

—Anyway, Erica, you were amazing today! You smashed it!— I exclaimed.

—What?! No, no, I'm sure I didn't smash anything!— she argued nervously.

—No, I mean you were great— I clarified— You took them all on like it was nothing! And you even threw them at each other!

—That was epic— agreed Troveto— Do you do things like that often?

—No, no, not at all!— she answered as if two heavy cops were interrogating her.

—So... so you're stronger than me— Pekos realized.

We all kept quiet and looked at him. Pekos looked sad, having finally internalized what had happened.

—Well, yes— replied Erica— but I don't have as much muscle as you.

This didn't seem to cheer Pekos one bit.

—But... all my effort. I could never jump over a wall.

—Carrying two people— I thought to add, but I figured it wasn't a good time to be the "actually" guy.

Erica let go of his arms, without many options to lift his spirits. She got off the rocker to talk quieter.

—If it makes you feel any better, I envy you being in such good shape— through the jumper she clutched a roll in her abdomen— I'm strong, but I'm not in shape, not one bit.

—What? It can't be!— I pleaded.

I reached over to touch her arms. I was surprised to see that they were not very different from the arms of a normal girl. She didn't even have marked muscles, just a bit of extra fat.

—Hey, wait! Don't touch me so much!— she demanded, as she withdrew her arm.

But with a childish smile, I went on to squeeze her belly. Erica asked me to stop, but made no effort to push me away. Finally it was Galica and Troveto who separated me from her.

—That's enough, dude— Troveto pleaded.

—I'm ashamed of you— complained Galica.

—Alright, alright, I'm sorry!

Then I noticed that Pekos had approached Erica from the other side.

—Is it true that you're not in shape?— he wondered.

Erica nodded. This seemed to make him happy.

—Then I can help you! Next week we'll go to the gym!

—What?!— she exclaimed, puzzled— Wait, the gym?!

—Yes, we'll get you in shape— Pekos beat his chest proudly.

—What if I break something? I told you guys about it, but I wouldn't want people to know about my strength— she indicated.

—It's okay, you just come with me. The gym is fun.

—Oh, okay.

From the way she was talking, I figured she wasn't too excited about going to the gym, but she was interested in spending time with Pekos. I hoped she wasn't tempting him. What kind of girl prefers Pekos when she has me so close? It would certainly be a tragedy.

—Why don't you want people to know?— Troveto asked.

—Because... its weird— she commented, not very convinced of her own answer.

—Are you crazy? You'd be a heroine! Everyone would love you!— assured Galica.

—No, I don't like being the center of attention, I prefer it that way— she insisted.

This seemed strange to me. It was true that Erica didn't look like the girls who sought attention from others, but it didn't seem so much a preference as something more intense, something like anger or frustration or... fear.

I wanted to understand what was really driving her to hide her secret, but I didn't want to push her. I was much more interested in having a good time with her than understanding her issues, so it wasn't a problem for me.

After resting, we each went home. We were exhausted and our stomachs full.