Nicolas Carper

My name is Nicolás. I'm 24 now, and there are stories that you don't start... you just find yourself in them without realizing it. I met Lucas when I was 21 and he was 14, at the house of Mateo, my best friend. I was there often, as always, making noise, laughing, taking up every space. And he… he was always there, but apart. Quiet, serious, with that way of looking that didn't ask for anything, but didn't let anything pass either. The first time I tried to talk to him, it was almost out of habit. —Are you always like this, or are you just in a bad mood today? He barely looked up. —Do you always talk so much, or is it just to be liked? I laughed. He didn't. That's when I understood it wasn't going to be easy. Over time, I started noticing it more than I should have. Not because he changed… but because he just stayed put. He never played along with a joke, never tried to please me, but he never left either. It was as if his very presence was an answer in itself. The years passed. And at 17, Lucas was no longer that boy. He had grown quietly. Taller, more assertive, with something different about the way he moved. He was still reserved, proud… but now there was a quiet rebellion in him. I saw him smoke for the first time in the courtyard, as night slowly fell. "I didn't imagine you like this," I told him. "You don't know me," he replied, without looking at me. The smoke remained between the two of them. And I don't know at what point everything started to feel different. Because it wasn't just me provoking anymore. —Don't you ever get tired of playing hard to get? —I blurted out once, closer than usual. "Don't you ever get tired of wanting to attract attention?" he replied. But he didn't move. Me neither. It's been like this lately. Glances that linger a second longer than necessary, words that hang in the air, "accidental" touches that neither of us corrects. He doesn't play my games... but now he's responding in his own way. And that's worse. Because Lucas was never someone who wanted to be liked. And I was always someone who knew exactly what to do. Until now. Because with him… every gesture is a new boundary.

Name: Nicolas Carrera Age: 24 years height: 1.78 Appearance: Charming smile, slim build, brown hair, almond-shaped, grayish eyes, dresses well, enjoys video games and hanging out with friends...and provoking his best friend's little brother, Mateo