She couldn’t remember how she got here. All she knew was that now she was lying on the ditch of a remote road surrounded by sequoias. Ah, right, and all she had on was a ripped shining pink skirt that wasn’t long any more, a t-shirt of a race to collect funds for the breast cancer investigation and a unicorn diadem. Teresa hasn’t been this confuse in her entire life.


Teresa stood up, tottered for a few steps and kept her balance. It was easier now that she had no shoes. Oh, wait, what happened to her shoes? She was wearing those shiny silver high platform heels. Anyway, they were a painful footwear.

She stood and looked down: Thanks to God she still had her handbag, but she was dirty, her clothes were dirty, she could feel her hair dirty and a mess and- Oh, what a pity, it was her favourite skirt… But, actually, she had a bigger problem to focus on, what side should she go? Left or right? Where she stood were no signal and she really couldn’t remember where she were. So arbitrariness will choose for her. Left it is, then.


Teresa started walking close to the road, to the left, it was morning and she could see her shadow as she walked. Apparently she was going West. She stepped on a small stone and hurt her foot, what also made her remember how everything started:


The day before, she woke up at ten in the morning, stepping on her charger and hurting her foot. It was Saturday and she was at home, not in any unknown road. Any alarm woke her and, for the first time in some time, she had finally rest. Maybe it was thanks to all the problems she had solved and the fact that she wouldn’t need to worry about them ever again, like that toxic friendship that she was keeping for the happy old days and the awful job that she hated and whatsmore, was underpaid. Even if her foot hurt for a moment, she didn’t care, now she was happier.

Her plans for the day were to eat breakfast at home in the serenity of her house, do nothing ‘till lunchtime and then go to a bar with some friends to get some fresh air, see some lovely faces and celebrate her freedom. Later she would go for a walk, stop on the supermarket to buy things for dinner, go home to cook a dish that she loves and watch some cool series or movie on the TV until she were sleepy. But things didn’t go as planed.

She actually ate breakfast peacefully. She drank a coffee with milk and ate a toast made of good bread with extra virgin olive oil and sugar. Her favourite breakfast. Mindy, her cat, was hovering around, doing her cat’s stuffs and being happy. When Teresa finished her breakfast, she fed Mindy and hovered herself around the house for a wile, cleaning some things, playing with Mindy and just staring at some things.

At half past one on the afternoon, she decided to dress up and go for a walk before lunch. As she was feeling at ease with her self and she was happy to finally had goten it, she chose to wear some cool clothes: her favourite skirt, the shiny pink one that was long and waved as she moved, a blouse that really suited the skirt, a light jacket and those platform heels that she usually used at night so they could shine whenever she went with that glittery silver. They weren’t the most comfortable, but they were really cool.


She really had a nice walk, It was a beautiful day, the streets were full of life and joy and the people seemed to enjoy the day as much as she did. A little girl walked out of a store just when Teresa was walking by it. She stopped and looked at Teresa. Teresa stopped and smiled at her. The little girl smiled back, looked at the unicorn diadem her father had just bought her, looked back at Teresa and held it out for her. Teresa looked surprised at the little girl, then at her father and then back at the girl again.

-No, no, It’s yours, I can not take it -The little girl, without a word, insisted. Teresa moved her hand closer to the diadem but didn’t take it- Are you sure?

The little’s girl father ducked down and talked her to her ear

-Are you sure, honey? You seemed very exited when you saw it.

The little girl looked up at his father and said

-Yes, daddy. I really like it. But I think it would make her outfit perfect- She looked back at Teresa, who was looking at her with tenderness, and said– Also, I think I wanna be like her when I grow up. She looks nice

-Okay babe –replied the father

Teresa bent toward her, took the unicorn diadem, and talked to her in her sweetest voice

-Okay, in that case I will accept it and I promise you that every time I wear this outfit, I will wear the diadem too. –She touched softly the little girl’s nose and added– Also, I wanna be like you when I grow up. –they both smiled– Oh, by the way, D’you want me to buy you something in exchange?

The little girl shook her head

-No, it’s a gift

-Okay, -Said Teresa– But I want to gift you this -Teresa took off the golden bracelet with a dog paw hanging on it and offered it to her. The little girl looked at the bracelet, took it, admired it and put it on her waist.

-All right -Said the little girl

-It’s very beautiful, right Mila? -said her father- What do we say when someone give us a gift?

-Oh, right. Thank you miss -Said Mila

-Thank you to you -Teresa stood again and put the diadem on her head- Good bye, Mila

-Good bye!!

-Have a nice day -said Mila’s father

-You both too -Replied Teresa. And they split apart, all with a bigger smile now.


Lunchtime came and she arrived punctual at the bar. Manolo, Rosa, Pedro and María arrived no much time later. Teresa told them the little girl’s story when they asked about the unicorn diadem she was wearing, they ate a yummy cheap meal and had a good time as they ate. Then they decided to order some drinks on the same bar. And here is when everything stopped going well.

María dropped her drink all over Teresa’s shirt.

-Oh, fuck -Was María’s response

-María, come on… What do I do now?

-Okay, let me think -And after more seconds than expected, in which everyone was looking at her waiting for her to come up with a solution, she finally talked -Okay, listen. -Teresa looked at María knowing that no good could come after that– There is a race in like half an hour, no far from here, to collect funds for breast cancer. I wanted to go anyway and they give free T-shirts to the racers.

Teresa looked at her dazed.

- I mean -she said- You want me to go to a race just to get a shirt? Isn’t it easier to go to my house?

-Oh come on, what are you gonna do all they way home with your T-shirt covered in Gin-tonic? -María said- Go with me to the race, you’ll change your shirt, I’ll take it to wash it for you and whatsmore, you’ll give some money to the breast cancer investigation.

Teresa looked at María for a second

-This is crazy, but all right -she said defeated.

-You girls are going to the race? I’ll go with you, I wanted to go too -Said Manolo.

-Perfect! –María said– And you? –She asked to Pedro and Rosa

-Oh, I have an attendant later, I can’t go, but you run for me -Rosa answered

-And I have to help my mother with some stuff. But don’t worry, I donate money to the cause now and then.

-Okay. We’ll better pay. Teresa is soak -María said

-Yes please.


Ten minutes later a woman who wore a T-shirt of the race herself was giving one to each of them.

-Why did I accept for this? -Said Teresa

-Because you care about breast cancer -María said

-Yes, but… I still have Gin-Tonic all over my blouse

-Yes, but you won’t wear it longer, let’s go to that bar’s bathroom to change your top.

-You girls go, I’ll wait for you here -Manolo told them

-Okay! -María said as she guided Teresa to the bar’s bathroom.

When they came back, Manolo was waiting for them in the same place

-I still think this is an awful idea, I already changed my shirt and donated to the breast cancer, do I really have to run? -Complained Teresa

-Yes!! -Said Manolo and María at the same time

-But I’m wearing heels!

-Come on, I have raced in heels many times -Manolo replied

-But I’m not you -She said

-Oh, you’ll do fine -María told her


Teresa, as she walked near an unknown road, remembered that in that moment, she thought that María wasn’t right. And she was right at thinking that María wasn’t right. If things weren’t already going well, they turned worst. When the race had just started, with so little space separating the racers, she stepped on her own skirt and fell to the floor.

-Teresa! -Manolo screamed

Teresa looked up and hold her hand out to Manolo. Manolo took it and helped her to stand up. When she did, they discovered that she had ripped her skirt.

-Oh, fuck -Teresa said- I loved this skirt

-Oh… I’, sorry Tes

-Ups -Said María- But that’s not my fault! -she excused herself. And Teresa gave her a dirty look.

During the race, Teresa fell six times. When they finished, her skirt was a complete mess.

-I told you it wasn’t a good idea -Teresa complained

-But it was fun, right? -María said

-Not for me

-Come on… I know you’re lying.


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

Teresa walked near the road. It had been like an hour or so. She hadn’t had the nerve to hitchhike, she was afraid of rapists, kidnappers, organ thieves and many more kinds of bad people she had seen on horror movies. She was starting to think, at this point, that maybe she’d watched way too many of them. But now she was tired, she had slept in a forest after all, and the idea of hitchhiking wasn’t that bad at all. All she had to do was to convince herself that she would stop a nice friendly family with a cute dog named Sam.

A new brand electric Mercedes-Benz sedan passed ignoring her hitchhiking.

-Fuck you -She sweared, and sighed- Anyway, I’m sure you were a rich asshole.

She continued walking and a few seconds later she heard another engine. An old Seat Ibiza appeared on her view, she hitchihked and the red car stopped.

A young man with a rasured beard, dark hair and dark eyes were on the driver seat.

-Hi -Said Teresa

-Hi -said the man- were are you going?

-Eh… I don’t know, somewhere with public transport I suppose. -And after a pause she added- Are we far from the city?

-You don’t know where you are?

-It was a weird day yesterday -She answered

-Okay, get in the car, I will lift you

-Oh, thank you very much. I’m tired of walking

Teresa opened the door of the car and sat on the co-driver seat.

-You know? I lost my shoes -Teresa told him

The young man started driven

-How the hell did you lost your shoes? -He asked

-Oh, that was after the race in witch I destroyed my skirt by falling six time

-Six times?! -The man asked astonished

-I were on heels

-But six times… They are too many times

-I know, okay? I’m clumsy -She answered defensive

-I can see that

-Anyway -She started- After the race, I don’t really know how, but my friends convinced me to go to a party at the forest. I remember telling them that my skirt was destroyed, and my feet hurt because I had run a fucking race in heels. And it was like far from where we live but they convinced me anyway. They always do, they have that ability.

-So -he stopped her- You were to a race in heels, destroyed all your clothes and then went to a party at the forest without changing clothes

Teresa took a moment to answer

-Yes -She finally said- Don’t judge me -She added.

-Not in the world

-The thing is that OH WAIT! -she stopped herself and the man hit the brakes- No, not you!

-You suddenly screamed “OH WAIT!” What did you expect me to do! -He complained

-Sorry -She apologized- I just remembered that I lost my jacket at some point, I didn’t have it on the party and for sure not in the race, so I suppose it was in the bar when I changed my shirt -and she added- don’t ask, I told you it was a weird day

-I’m not asking you, but you better not scream again

-Deal

-So, when did you lose your shoes -He asked her

-Oh, I took them off at the party, It’s very uncomfortable to walk in heels at a forest. And I had already run with them two kilometres -Teresa answered

And after a pause were the man was immersed in his toughts he said

-What kind of girl did I picked up from the road

-Oh, I promise you those are not my normal days. Normally I’m a very quiet girl, I like serenity

-Would you believe it! -Was the man reaction

They drove for a while in silence, until the man said

-But

Teresa looked at him

-What?

-What about the diadem? -he asked

-Oh, that was a gift from a very nice little girl -she answered

-And you’re telling me that practically you lost all your clothes but you still keep a diadem a kid gave you?

-She was a very nice girl

-I suppose so -He said and after a moment he added- I’m Marcos, by the way

-Teresa, nice to meet you

-Nice to meet you, Teresa


And they both left on the Seat Ibiza way to the city.