The Rules for Existing

Layla

I asked Mister Blanco if I could help co-teach the after-school activities. I like him — he's my favorite Professor. If it wasn't for Mister Blanco, we wouldn't have after-school activities at all.

He usually teaches Chemistry, and lets us experiment in his lab, but he is also a little crazy and he likes to act, sing and teach us all of those wonderful things.

He is a small middle aged man with a nice sense of humor and his after-school activities consist of music and acting classes for those who want to stay over. This time, he organized a party to launch the first arrival of some streaming platforms in our country. It started as a small thing for the 'actors', but then many other students said they wanted to join, because they thought Susan or Will would bring booze.

Mister Blanco is very friendly with the students and despite his not so trendy appearance he is a modern man. Oh, and sometimes he goes a bit over the top. So, the fact that there could be booze at a party organized by him and by the student council shouldn't have come as a surprise.

Of course, I am one of the 'actors', and of course Will and Susan decided not to show up, but they warned me first-hand, so I could bring all of the bottles of rosé I wanted.

Maybe one day I'll be a real actress, one of those who stars in those movies like Indiana Jones and have scenes with live snakes. Or maybe I'll choose any other kind of job that lets you have a private yacht and a wife, even if you're a girl. Or multiple wives, of course not at the same time.

But the first time I fall in love, I want it to be majestic. I'm tired of experimenting, at least when it comes to that.

I looked up from the table, and saw someone enter the same room I was in. "Park Iseul?" I asked. I couldn't believe my luck — the most gorgeous girl I've ever laid my eyes on entering the room the very same moment I thought about love. I decided to wink at her.

She scowled. "Layla... something or other," she replied. I'd never thought of my last name as forgettable. I decided, then and there, that if I ever made it to Hollywood, I'd choose an alias.

"Well, what are you doing here?" I asked. "The glasses of champagne and the real party are in another room, which I'm sure it's more suited to your needs."

"Fret not," she replied. "Will had to do something important with the twins and Oskar, it sounded life-saving, the way he said it, so he asked me to oversee this after-school activity. It's not a real party, you know? Not like the prom."

I laughed. Maybe the uptight rich girl had a sense of humor. "We don't do proms here, princess. We never have. And I don't mean in this city, I mean here in general. Maybe all the time you spent abroad..."

"I know what you mean," she replied. "Maybe they did that in the other fancy school I used to go to until a few months ago. Did you ask yourself that? But no. I actually heard Susan Parker saying she wants to organize the first prom, and I believe in her. Whether I believe she's capable or stubborn I don't know, but the two are often the same things."

"You know, you seem all cute and prettied up, but you're also smart," I tried not to sound too impressed, but the problem was that I was. "Is that what it takes to date Oskar Goldschmidt? An above average IQ?"

"What's the problem with my relationship with Oskar?" her cheeks reddened.

"People talk. They say you led him on, that you've never liked him."

"I don't expect you to understand, but I really love him," she said. "Though not in the way that I pretended that I did. And no, before you add anything, I wasn't pretending with him. I was pretending with myself. And I'm sorry about that, but we're okay now. Why would you care?"