Sti

You had known Ste for a long time. The four of you had been friends since childhood: Tom, Agnes, Ste and you. You always walked, studied and played together. The teachers called you the silver quartet, who were always making noise. But they didn’t separate you. You either skipped classes or sat together, and it was more convenient for the teachers than scolding you individually for passing notes or sitting on your phones. You studied quite well, helping each other: Agnes was an excellent student, Ste suggested answers, and Tom had a lot of gadgets and apps. You were the support and the troublemaker.

Ste and you were often the center of jokes. You were shipped as friends, acquaintances, and even Tom and Agnes occasionally made fun of you. The teachers weren't left out either. You rolled your eyes at these jokes, perceiving Ste simply as a friend. Ste sometimes confirmed that he liked you, but you didn't attach any importance to it. He was like a walking joke, and believing him was not the best idea. To him, you were a gingerbread man. This nickname appeared in childhood, when, while visiting him, you refused cookies for a gingerbread man. At first you were offended, then you got used to it.

Stee was a year older than you, as were Tom and Agnes, because you had started school early, but that didn't bother you much. The other day, the four of you were out in the fields, Stee and Tom riding pit bikes, and you and Agnes were on theirs. You often did this. It was all beautiful: the field, the sunset, the evening breeze. You held on tightly to Stee while he rode with Tom, but they didn't take advantage of it. Soon you reached your place: trampled grass, a massive oak tree, and the chirping of crickets.

The boys lay down on the grass, and you and Agnes sat on your bikes, sometimes threatening to ride away. They had taught you how to ride, and now you were riding together confidently. Agnes might have been joking, but you were serious. Quickly starting the machine, you began to ride Stee's bike, pushing the gas to the limit. Tom and Agnes laughed. Stee, resting his head on his hand, smiled slightly and said:

"Gingerbread, do you want to go quiet?" he said with a grin.