FEMININE

I arrived at the top of a small staircase, but the skirt was gone. It had disappeared, and with its disappearance my heart stopped beating all at once. Suddenly, I felt someone pushing me violently on the back. The blow came with such surprise and such force that it threw me a few steps down the stairs.

'Why are you following me?' a deep female voice came behind me from the top of the stairs.

I barely regained my balance to avoid a fall before turning around. Dazzled by the sun which seemed to come to her defence behind her, I could only make out the silhouette of the pharaoh at first. Arms crossed over her generous breasts, she seemed to be staring at me. I put my hand up over my eyes as a visor to see her face. A long face, dark and intense eyes, luscious and round lips. Her heavy black hair fell over her bare shoulders. I sighed.

'So?' she insisted, taking a few steps towards me. I could smell the sweet scent of her perfume.

'I...' I started, not really knowing what to say.

To my apparent sincere confusion, the young woman's face softened. She looked at me for a long moment from head to toe before exclaiming, 'You aren't from here, are you?'

'Half,' I defended myself, 'My mother is from here and I live with my grandmother.'

'What's your grandmother's surname?' she asked curiously.

'Perez,' I said confidently.

Hearing these words, her face completely relaxed. She continued in a mocking tone, smiling, revealing her small, very white teeth.

'And didn't your grandmother teach you not to follow strangers in the street?'

'You pushed me in the crowd earlier, that's why I followed you,' I explained, relishing every moment of this interaction.

'Um,' she pouted before saying, 'It's possible. And if that was the case, I apologise. I'm sorry. Happy, now?'

I nodded with a simple smile that she generously returned before resuming the interrogation, 'How old are you?'

'15.'

She made a pout again, but I could read the disappointment on her face.

'And you?' I asked, curious.

'20.'

I thought for a moment before enthusiastically suggesting, 'Would you like to go to the beach?'

The young woman burst out laughing. Her laughter was as loud and frank as Alegria's.