The next day Liliana passed him a note. He looked at it dumbfounded: instructions on how to win over a girl. Even with all his knowledge he could not believe that something so powerful existed.

—Now memorize the instructions, she shouldn't see you with that paper.

Arturo quickly read it once.

—Ready.

Liliana held out her hand and Arturo passed her the paper. Liliana tore it into several pieces and put it in her skirt pocket.

—Good. Now go. Good luck!

—Thank you, Lili.

The two embraced and Arturo went to the workshop room. Lili's instructions were very strict, but simple.

"Smile".

"Look at her from head to toe".

"Tell her she looks pretty today".

"Act normal until tomorrow".

"At the second recess invite her to a snack."

"Tell her to wait in front of the shop, you go and buy her what she wants, give it to her while still smiling at her".

"At the end of the day, tell her that you feel like going to Fantastic Park with someone and that you would like it to be her".

"If she says she doesn't want to, tell her it doesn't matter and move on to plan B...".

Arturo did what the instructions said. The last one told him that he should tell the girl that he loved her and would like to have something with her. He felt nervous when he proposed, but she happily accepted. Arturo could not believe it; in six days he had gotten a girlfriend, all thanks to Liliana.

Liliana guided him in the general way he should behave and what things they could do as a couple. Their relationship went smoothly and soon Arturo learned the basics of doing it on his own.

One day, after five months, his girlfriend stopped him and asked him why he was so close to Liliana, the famed "star" of the school, as she was sometimes called.

—She's my best friend, we've always been.

His girlfriend had been afraid of that for a while, Arturo made no effort to hide it, either. The girl continued to question him and little by little she realized that the bond between Liliana and Arturo was much stronger than anything else for him. In the end she asked him who he loved more, Liliana or her. Arturo could not lie.

—Liliana— he confessed nonchalantly— no matter what happens, even if time and space separate us, even if she tries to hurt me, I will always choose her... but I love you, too.

—It's over! It's over!— shouted the girl.

So Arturo became single again. He was a bit sad, but not so sad that he would cry. After all, he had Liliana.

***

Liliana and Arturo were always friends, the best of friends. Even if they had things to do, even if one had a partner, they always got together and spent as much time as possible with each other. Arturo didn't ask Liliana for anything, he wasn't enraptured by her beauty like most guys, nor did he get nervous because she talked to him. Liliana could stop being the perfect, saintly girl everyone wanted her to be and could be herself or even worse. Being with him, she did things she didn't dare do with anyone else, not even her older sister or her parents: if she wanted to, she could sit with her legs open, even if she was wearing a skirt. She could wax in front of him, she could try on panties and bras and ask his opinion without feeling self conscious. They had bathed together as children many times, they had grown up looking at each other naked, she knew Arturo wouldn't think anything strange looking at her. Liliana could even fart around with him. She felt as confident with him as she did when she was alone.

It was the same for Arturo. Sometimes he got tired of people, tired of not being able to read the situation and went to take refuge with Liliana. With her he couldn't talk about complicated equations or physics problems that kept him awake at night, but it didn't matter. Topics of conversation lost meaning when the two of them were together. They talked about what was going on with both of them, their feelings, each other's problems. Arturo had other friends, but none compared to Liliana.

One day, when they were both 16, they were having a picnic, both alone. A few days before, Liliana had broken up with her partner and Arturo could not find anyone who caught his attention after his first girlfriend. As they talked, they realized that neither of them cared too much. It was sad for both of them, but not that sad. Neither had ever cried about breaking up with someone, they hadn't lost sleep or tried to avoid their exes, although their exes sometimes tried to avoid them. They talked and discussed this topic, curious, until Liliana came up with a possibility.

—We have each other— she said, still surprised at the thought— Of course! We don't need another person in our lives that much, because we already have an emotional need satisfied.

—That... —Arturo thought about it for a moment— explains a lot.

—But it makes sense, doesn't it?

—Definitely.

They both looked at each other, surprised.

—What if... —Liliana asked— What if...?

Arturo already knew where she was going with that. He knew her very well and could almost read her mind, but he still couldn't believe it.

—What if... we... were a couple?— Liliana finished, blushing.

Arturo stared at her, paralyzed for a moment.

—It could... it could work.

Liliana shrugged.

—We already love each other.

There was never any discussion about it, but hearing it felt weird. Arturo didn't think to put it into words. Liliana felt it weird too, like a forgotten taboo.

—We love each other more than any previous couple— Arturo said.

They both thought that in that situation it would be normal to be nervous, but they were not. Perhaps because only the two of them were there. Curious, they raised their eyebrows and looked at each other.

—Do you want to try it?— asked Arturo.

—Ah... sure.

They both bend over the picnic table and met in the middle for a kiss. It was nothing passionate like in the movies, just a taste of their lips. After two seconds, they broke apart and looked at each other. It was only then that they began to think about what would mean to be dating; they remembered the good and bad times they had had with their respective couples, the fights that such relationships entailed, how little those relationships had meant up to that point. A sudden fear came over them: the fear of losing each other as they had lost their former partners.

—I think... —they said at the same time.

They gestured for the other to continue, also at the same time. Then they smiled. They understood that, rather than an excuse, it would be better if they were honest with each other.

—I don't think we should date— Liliana confessed.

They sat down again.

—I agree— said Arturo.

—But it's not that you were a bad kisser!— Liliana hastened to point out.

—Neither do you, not at all.

They both looked at each other. They noticed the other slightly confused and anxious, and smiled again.

—I like the girls I go out with— Arturo explained— but I don't mind losing them... it's different with you.

Liliana nodded.

—All the guys I go out with are such sweethearts, but if I lost you... it would be like dying.

They paused, meditative. They looked at each other again, glad to have their friend still there, in front of them.

—Then let's not change our relationship— Arturo proposed.

Liliana nodded, satisfied. No matter what happened, they would have each other. That was what mattered most in life.

—But what are we?— she asked— because I love you more than any boyfriend.

—I wondered the same. It's weird to refer to another person as "more than friends" when a friend is the most important thing we have.

—Yes, definitely!

—I can think of a few terms— indicated him— but they wouldn't do much good if we mentioned them with other people. If we made up a term, we'd have to go around explaining it to everyone who hears it. It would be exhausting and we'd soon end up reverting to what we are.

Liliana stood up.

—Best friends, then.

—Or just friends. I'm also not interested in explaining the details of our relationship to people who don't care.

Liliana sighed.

—Friends to everyone. Best friends to our couples. And between us...

Liliana stretched her hands on the table, Arturo held them immediately. They crossed their fingers, began to dance on the old planks while they thought.

—Mether— ventured the boy.

—Eh?

—Mether, like...

—Me and Another! Of course!— exclaimed Liliana— What a good idea!

Arturo didn't even need to explain it, but the idea was more or less because they were both as or more important to each other as they were to themselves. Therefore, they were an "other self", "me in another", Mether.

They both smiled. Then they looked at the box they had brought with all the things for the picnic. Liliana took out a board game they both liked and they started to play.

Whatever happened, as long as they were both together, everything would be fine.

***

The rest of their school lives were spent well, happy in each other's company. Arturo got a girlfriend on his own and it lasted a little longer than the first one, while Liliana went from one boyfriend to another, loving them all, but not getting as attached as they had hoped.

The years passed. They finally finished school. Liliana and her friends cried during the ceremony. Arturo did not mind very much being separated from his friends, but he enjoyed being rewarded for academic excellence.

During the summer they entertained themselves, thinking that starting in March they would begin college. Arturo had always wanted to become a researcher, someone at the forefront of science, dedicated to solving the mysteries of the world. Liliana, on the other hand, always knew she had the makings of a president, so she went into law. The last two years of high school were hell for her, but in the end she managed to get into her third choice of university, barely.

It was the first year they lived apart, but they organized their time well and left at least one day a week to spend together.

One Friday, Arturo came out of his last class. He immediately headed for the bus stop to go home, where he would meet Liliana. It had been a particularly busy week, so he was anxious to get there and see her, his brothers and his mom, but most of all Liliana. However, not long after he got in the bus, they encountered a horrible traffic jam that left them standing for more than an hour. The people waited bored in the bus, silent. Suddenly the driver turned up the radio. Arturo, surprised, started to listen. The announcer was talking about a huge hole next to the central square, big red beings, a military invasion. Then, several rows of red creatures in armor appeared from the sidewalks and between the cars. The red beings, armed with what looked like firearms, began to point at the people inside the cars and carry them away with one hand as if they were sacks of flour. The people inside the bus tried to get out, but the red soldiers caught them. One grabbed Arturo and lifted him over his shoulder. The boy noticed horns on the soldier's head.

—What's going on?— he pleaded— Who are you?

—Shut up— said the soldier.

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

At the same time, Liliana was heading home from her university. She took the subway as she did every Friday afternoon, but suddenly, as she emerged at the next station, the doors opened, never to close again. A bunch of red soldiers appeared, pulled out all the passengers and forced them to go with them to the surface. The man in front of Liliana resisted: he let go of the red being's arms and tried to grab his rifle, but the soldier threw him to the floor with a sharp blow and sent a stomp to his head. Blood spurted everywhere, the man died on the spot. Liliana screamed, then fainted.

When she woke up again, she was no longer in her world.