Mikael got up around 12:00. Seven hours of sleep was enough to sober him up, and he woke up with a nasty hangover. He snuggled into his pillow as the sun's rays streamed in through the window and stung his eyes. Suddenly, he realized no one was next to him. He looked around the room. Mare wasn't there. He peeked into the bathroom and then opened the door. He heard her voice downstairs. She was laughing, and another female voice echoed it. It probably belonged to Laurene. Now somewhat calmer, he went to the bathroom and washed himself thoroughly. He couldn't imagine this being his apartment. "This must be a dream," he thought as he showered. "Things like this only happen in fairy tales." He was most surprised that the house was furnished, right up to the roof. He hadn't expected this after such a competition. After a quick toilet, he dressed in three out of four of his clothes. He didn't have much money, as half his school earnings went on hotel bills and food. Now he hoped those expenses would be reduced.
After getting dressed, he went downstairs. The giggles hadn't stopped yet. They weren't in the living room. He decided to follow their voices. Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm. It was Xavier.
"Hi," Xavier murmured. "How's your head?
" "Better not ask. Did you just wake up too?"
Xavier nodded slightly. They walked together toward one of the rooms, having no idea which one. As it turned out, it was a fairly modern kitchen. The girls were sitting at the counter, making some kind of pap—or as they called it—a salad.
"Hi," the boys greeted.
Laurene and Marisa looked at them. They were very amused. They were sitting there, dressed only in bathrobes and covered in tomatoes and other fruit.
"I see you've already started breakfast," Xavier replied, approaching his wife and kissing her cheek.
Mare, on the other hand, jumped down from the counter and wrapped her arms around Mikael's neck.
"Hello, my love, and I invite you for a hearty salad," she said, kissing him hard on the lips.
"You play beautifully," he said through his teeth during the next kiss.
"Oh, shut up," she replied, smiling sinisterly. "I'll give you something for your headache in a moment. I'll just run to my room and get some pills."
"Don't bother, Mare. I have it in my purse with me.
" "Mare?" Mikael asked, surprised.
"Well, that's her nickname," Laurene replied calmly.
"Oh, yes, her nickname," he said, as if lost in thought. "I don't think I'm thinking today yet.
" "It's about time, the paperwork guys will be here soon.
" "Already?" the angel asked, surprised.
"Well, they were supposed to be here at half past twelve. So in less than 20 minutes."
- You probably won't show yourselves to them like that - Xavier remarked, pointing to the bathrobes.
The girls shrugged. Mare began serving salad, while the men sat down at the table right in the kitchen. Laurene handed them glasses of water and pills. Everyone immediately sat down to a delicious meal. It was indeed very good. Not as Mikael had expected. As Mare had said, the "paperwork people" arrived promptly after 20 minutes. Everyone, including Mr. and Mrs. Amor, sat in the living room. The devil sat next to the angel, while the "paperwork people" sat opposite. They presented them with the entire cost estimate. For the first year, they were exempt from all utilities, including water and electricity. The apartment was already paid in advance. All fees were covered by the competition sponsors. The house was to be theirs after signing only three basic documents. Mare carefully read the legal regulations and regulations. Mikael, as usual, read them a second time and signaled to Mare that everything was in order. She signed first, then he.
"In that case, the house is yours now, along with everything in it," the "paperwork guy" announced. He immediately left, leaving the two couples alone.
"Our house!" Mare squealed with joy, throwing herself into Mikael's arms.
"No more hotel!
" "I can't believe you were living in a hotel," Laurene replied.
"And where are you living right now?" Mikael asked, barely getting the words out because Mare pressed against his throat. "Mare, don't choke me." "
I'm not choking. I'm happy.
" "Good, I don't want to see your mischievous moods anymore."
Everyone laughed except the She-Devil, who frowned.
"Exactly. Including those faces.
" "I'll give you the faces."
Laurene laughed, but Xavier shook his head and asked them a question.
"How long have you been married?"
Mikael and Mare thought for a moment, and then the angel replied.
"Less than a year. A few months."
"So you really are newbies.
" "And you aren't?" Mare asked, sitting on Mikael's lap.
"We have been for three years.
" "Wow," she said with genuine admiration. "So how old are you? It's strange I didn't ask yesterday.
" "I'm 21, and Xavier is 22.
" "Yeah," Mikael replied. "You probably didn't even suspect the kind of teenagers you're hanging out with. We're only 19."
The older couple chuckled.
"Then you can come to us for marriage advice," Xavier replied.
"So funny," Mikael added. "But I think we can deal with our problems.
" "Yeah," Laurene replied with a smile.
The conversations took them at least a few hours. Only after dinner did Mikael and Mare say goodbye to the Amors, exchanging addresses and phone numbers. The Deeds were left alone in the large house. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do next. They had a large house, they were wealthy, they had jobs, and each other—what more could they possibly lack to be happy? Probably nothing, considering how things were starting to go. But could one thing disrupt everything they had achieved so far? Well, almost everything.
The next morning, Mare woke up in her large bed. It was only six in the morning. She slowly turned over. Mikael had lain beside her all night. Just as she had asked him before bed, to be with her. She kissed his forehead. She was afraid she would wake him, but he was still asleep. He was tired from having to run the previous day because the "paperwork people" had forgotten an important document. She had it with her now, though she knew it wouldn't last long. She got up and went to the bathroom. She took a lukewarm shower. Then she put on her favorite red dress and jacket. She slowly prepared to leave for school. While packing her change of clothes for PE, she also packed Mikael's papers. When he got up, everything was ready. Breakfast, clothes already ironed and folded on a chair. "Something's not right here. This politeness is too feigned," he thought, taking a quick shower. He had started classes at eight and it was already ten minutes after seven.
"Mare," he called to her from the bedroom.
"Yes," she replied in a sweet yet venomous tone.
"Did you hit your head yesterday or are you trying to pull a trick on me today?"
"I think it's the latter."
"So, it is.
" "Excuse me?
" "No, nothing. I'm just thinking.
" "Answer me, you rascal, or I'll tear you apart.
" "So the old Mare still exists; I'm already afraid of that little trick of yours."
"Don't be afraid," she replied, but not in the tone he expected. It was subdued and somewhat uncertain
A few minutes later, they were at work. They went to their respective teacher's lounges, saying their goodbyes beforehand, as they did every day, like a truly loving couple. Mikael greeted everyone in the room with a scowl. He thought about what Mare had said. Even though he'd said it jokingly, he was terribly worried. It gnawed at him constantly. He wondered why Mare's heart didn't ache when she did good deeds, why she could so easily express her feelings to him—but were they genuine? When the bell rang, he decided to ignore it and focus on the lesson, but even among a group of students, he couldn't relax. He gave them random math problems to solve for an hour, so he could have some peace. By the second hour, he'd gotten a bit better. Perhaps it was because he'd had three strong coffees and become overly excitable. But at least it helped him calm his mind. At the end of the fourth period, he gathered up some papers and told the students that he was going to the principal's office about their trip. The children were overjoyed. The smiles from the entire group brightened his mood even more. He headed towards the principal's office, but remembered he needed to pick up another document from the teachers' lounge. On the way, he met two teachers. They had a temporary slot for one hour. Mikael walked confidently to the door and, like a gentleman, opened it for the science teacher. The music teacher and Mr. Deed followed her. What they saw in the room was a shock. The action unfolded very quickly. The moment the science teacher entered, she let out a soft squeal. The men entered immediately. Mare was sitting on the table, and above her lay the man from the physical education department, whom she had been watching for several days. The devil struggled, trying to free herself from the broad-shouldered man's grip. Tears fell from her eyes. Mikael quickly walked up to Mr. Brunus, grabbed him by his jacket, and punched him in the jaw with all his might. The science teacher closed her eyes. The sound of the PE teacher falling onto the table summoned the principal and three other teachers.
"You touch my wife again, you slowworm, and you'll regret it!"
Mikael was furious. He would have punched Brunus all over the face if his health allowed it. He was breathing heavily. He looked surreptitiously at Mare for a moment. She was smiling, but not casually like last time; no, it was a cruel smile. She was staring at Brunus and watching his every move, as he explained himself to the principal, as he made a complete fool of himself. The angel leaned against the locker. Then he took Mare and hugged her. She wiped the tears from her eyes as if nothing had happened and snuggled up to him.
"Please..." Mikael began, turning to the principal. "...for this man to be expelled from school.
" "Of course, and immediately!" – said the director ominously. He gestured for Brunus to follow him.
The room fell silent. Except for Mare's soft (fake) sobs. Mikael took her to the ladies' room after ten minutes. He went to his own and went to the sink. He turned on the cold water and began quickly washing his face. He felt terribly sick. "How could she do that? It was the most despicable thing she could have done in her life. It was worse than death."
He sat in the bathroom for less than half an hour. After that, Mare came to get him.
"Mikael, I spoke to the principal. He said I could take a week off.
" "Great," he said through his teeth, still leaning over the faucet. "Let's go home. I want to talk to you seriously.
" "Yes, of course."
Her voice changed from a quiet, innocent tone to a serious one. She walked up to Mikael, took his arm, and snuggled into it. Together they said goodbye to their teachers and left the school. Walking home in silence, they glanced at each other every now and then. Mikael looked terrified, yet disbelieving at the same time. Mare, on the other hand, stared at him calmly, as if nothing had happened. When they reached the house, the angel slammed the door behind him and shouted,
"Have you completely lost your mind?!"
"No," she replied in a neutral tone.
"Where did you get that idea?! Do you know what awaits this guy now?
" "Hell, I know, but you'll get him out of it.
" "What?
" "Oh, well," she said, as if with grace. "I met with an old friend of ours.
" "Which one, an angel or a devil?
" "A devil, of course, I don't have many friends among the angels. Namely, I met with Ben.
" "Well, that explains it all.
" "Not entirely, hear me out. He said that when he made one wish, a more abject one, and that little angel helped that one person, that deed counted as a completely different one. As if of a higher order. Apparently, they were number one for a while. They accomplished it with one deed."
"So you figured you could do the same with Brunus. Nice plan, no doubt."
Mikael's voice was laced with anger. Mare watched him the entire time. She was starting to worry, as the angel's breathing was becoming very uneven. She wondered where he found the strength to pace the room.
"Mikael, I explained everything to you, so why are you still so upset?"
He glared at her, turned away, and went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
Mare stared in that direction for a long time, waiting in vain for Mikael to leave, but he didn't. Two real tears fell from her eyes.
"It's not like that," she said quietly to herself. "These feelings for you are real. Please just believe me. I didn't mean for it to turn out this way."
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