Chapter Two: Problems or a Problem
Damian sat in his college classroom, silently observing everyone. He was trying to decide who deserved to die. He'd asked himself the same question years ago, during a conversation with his friend.
They had posed the scenario: "If there were no consequences, who would you kill?" For Damian, the answer had always been the same, a teacher, or someone from his class at the time. Now, in college, history seemed to repeat itself.
A teacher he had once disliked had become someone just doing his job. Another, without any clear reason, just seemed like the type he'd choose because he sensed they hated him.
But now it was different.
If a god gave you a wish, and then asked you to kill someone afterward… what choice would be enough to justify that?
That's the question Damian was trying to answer as he looked around. He searched his memory, trying to recall who had been a bad person or at least someone whose death wouldn't affect his family.
He didn't know whether killing someone would make things better or worse. Maybe, before knowing his God existed, he wouldn't have cared. But now... it was a matter of fate and faith.
Damian's world now revolved around that belief and this time, he wanted to make the right decision.
"Hello, sad boy."
The same unknown girl spoke to him again. She was holding a bag of fried chicken from a store near campus.
"Hello, fried chicken," he replied.
She sat next to him, wearing a wide smile.
"Still thinking? Or just want to kill yourself?"
Fried Chicken kept eye contact.
Damian stared back. "Relax, fried chicken. We've known each other for less than a day. I usually save my suicide jokes for after a month."
"Relax, sad boy. I'm seriously worried about your tendency to death." She winked.
"Fair enough. I'm also worried about your health. You know the college has free medical checkups, right?" Damian replied, returning the wink.
Fried Chicken threw the bag of chicken at him.
"F*** you!"
The force of her throw knocked over her chair.
"F***." Damian raised his arm to block it, but somehow the food still landed on his clothes. He looked down at the mess, then back up to see Fried Chicken walking out of the class.
"We're not joking around?" Damian called after her.
— — —
"Was she insane, or am I?" Damian asked Fausto as they ate burgers near campus. The restaurant had a promotion.
"Well... the fact that she wants something with you is already enough to consider her insane..." Fausto said, just as Damian raised his hand with a finger up in.
"But that's not enough reason to react like that. If you tell me everything, you're not the problem," Fausto added as Damian slowly lowered his hand.
"..."
"She's not..." Fausto raised a finger.
"We're not in the United States," Damian interrupted, waving his hands dramatically.
"You didn't answer the question."
Damian stood up and took their empty cups to refill their drinks.
"B****. She looks like a mime, and if I lived there, I'd probably suffer from racism. At least she can pretend when she doesn't talk."
He smacked Fausto on the head with a plastic cup. "Same drink?"
"Yeah."
The night before, Damian had considered using it on Fausto. But Fausto wasn't a bad guy at least, he'd never really done anything to deserve it back from them. Why would Damian start now?
While waiting to refill his cup, Damian looked around and reviewed the four rules he had set for himself before using the power:
1. They should either be someone Damian wants dead or someone objectively bad.
2. The person must be expected to live more than a year.
3. The person must be far from him, physically.
4. Damian must know them well enough to notice the effects of their death. (Optional)
On his way back, Damian spotted a guy who would eventually become a college teacher. To Damian, he'd always seemed nice.
Later, he saw a girl who had been a fellow high school student. He remembered seeing her during the first year, but not again afterward.
On the bus ride home, he spotted someone who would later become an acquaintance in a different class, someone who lived in the same building.
The whole day felt like that: people who didn't fit the restrictions. Damian had almost settled on a teacher he believed hated him until he saw her. He'd forgotten she even existed. After all... she was Fausto's future ex-girlfriend.
Not the one he would eventually have a baby with just someone from the past. She was laughing with a group of students, and Damian walked over.
He hadn't remembered Fausto meeting her so early back then. Fausto grinned as they discussed an upcoming test. Damian chatted briefly with them, waiting for the moment.
"We're going to study. You want to come?" Fausto asked. They were heading to an empty classroom to prepare together.
"No, I'll go home. I need to study too." Damian extended his hand to say goodbye but then hesitated. It felt weird, he didn't usually shake hands when saying goodbye.
When he was going after the teacher after the no act, he saw Fried Chicken storming toward him, holding a coffee cup.
"She is not... " She threw the cup at him, and it was not hot. Damien thank God for that.
"What's wrong with you?!"
The only thing that kept Damian calm was that he hadn't shouted back at her. After all, the cup was for Fausto's future ex and the cup fell on him.
She knows her. This will be funny, Damian thought while looking at both girls.
* * * * * *
I can continue this chapter more easily than before, but I'm not sure if the characters' conversation feels natural or too forced. If you can comment on it, I would appreciate it.