Sofia's Curse

Chris

"That's my boy!" coach Cabrera shouts as Chris touches the blue ribbon with his chest and finishes the marathon first.

Mathena Marathon is something McNally high school is very proud of. It is organized every year in December in order to honor the fallen soldiers of Oregon in these months. They have lived in the cold for three weeks before dying and coach Cabrera's father was in the troops. The school has organized it for eight years now, and for the last three, Christopher has been the winner. He holds the school record and has been holding it since his freshman year. His athletic skills have been noticed by numerous professional coaches, but he has no time to engage in it professionally. He has school during the day and his mechanics job in the afternoon hours. He wishes he was of age so that he can earn money with sports, but this way, he cannot afford quitting his job to engage in athletics.

"If I had made a bet on you every time you ran, kiddo," Coach says tapping Chris' back, "I'd be a rich man by now."

He laughs. "Yeah, maybe we should've done that. Bad thing the marathon doesn't attract that much gamblers."

"Next year," he says. It's a phrase he says every year, and Chris knows he would never bet. He is not that type of a man.

He scans the tribune and sees his sister in the big crowd. Just for a fraction of a second, he thinks it could be her. Sophie. But then she stands up and enthusiastically waves at him, and all doubts are gone. No one could be that proud of him for finishing the marathon first apart from his sister.

"This one's for you!" he shouts holding up his medal.

She shakes her head in disapproval, because he does it every year. Be proud of yourself for once, she always admonishes. Chris isn't shy, but he's too reticent to be ostentatious. He climbs the stairs to fifth row and waves his hand, inviting her to join him.

She clumsily squeezes her way out and grins widely, "Congrats my brother, I'm very, very, very, very proud of you!"

"Yeah, yeah," he rolls his eyes, "where's Yasmine?"

Victoria glances at her wrist, "She should be here any minute now. She had a client that kept her longer than expected."

Chris mockingly purses his lips, "Let me guess, a hex removal?"

"No, she mentioned removing a curse or something..."

"Those are basically the same, Vic."

Victoria chuckles, "When have you become such an expert?"

"It's what years and years of listening to that stuff does to you."

"Well, good to know you have a plan B if the athletic career doesn't work out," she teases.

"Yeah, right. Over my dead body!"

"Of course it will work out," Yasmine interrupts, caressing Christopher's back. "I take it you've won."

"Are you surprised?" Victoria shrugs.

"Not at all," Yasmine lays a quick kiss on his cheek, "I was just a bit worried about your last night's injuries..."

He frowns, "Yeah...that tea of yours...it's amazing what it does," he says shaking his head in disbelief, "I swear I felt like a completely different person afterwards."

"Hmm," she nods, "See, Victoria, darling, your mother isn't the fraud you think she is."

She cheerfully shakes her head, "If you say so, Mom."

"She is another type of a fraud," Chris adds and they both laugh.

Ah, the children... "Let's go celebrate," Yasmine announces.

"What?" Victoria's eyebrows furrow, "With what?"

"Victoria!" she admonishes, "Don't talk like that."

She sighs in annoyance, "It's not like I'm cursing! I was just noting that we barely had enough money yesterday to buy milk, so... Sorry for adding two and two..."

Yasmine shakes her head, "The reason we barely had it is because I took out a twenty dollar bill out of the jar in order to have it for today," she caresses her son's cheek, "I had a feeling someone might win..." she winks.

Chris nervously flickers. He has a tough time accepting his family is poor. He is the only man in the family and somehow feels responsible for their money supplies. "Mom, please don't spend the money on me."

"Nonsense, Christopher," she says, stern suddenly evident in her voice. "You are my son. And Victoria and I are enraptured to share these happy moments together."

"Mom, really. It's the last twenty-"

"Quiet!" Yasmine interrupts, "It's not the last twenty, I had a client today, I've told you."

"Yes, to whom you promised a free hex removal yesterday," he urges.

"Since when are you the police?" Yasmine tries to humor the entire situation.

"I can't help having ears, Mom..."

"Well," she puts her hand on his left ear, "They're certainly going to hurt if I'll have to drag you by them all the way to the restaurant."

"Restaurant?" Victoria can't hide her surprise. "We're going to an actual restaurant?"

"Yes, darling."

"Seriously?" she says skeptically, "It's not Burger King?"

"Young lady," Yasmine tilts her head, "Do you think I'd let my kids eat that stuff?"

"Well..." Victoria says, thinking of a time she and Christopher ate rotten tomatoes and cheese of a very questionable smell.

Christopher narrows his eyes, suspecting on what is thinking of, and in order to stop her from making their mom feel awful, he takes Yasmine under her arm and leads their way out the tribune. "Next year, it's on me, Mom."

Victoria follows. "I can't wait for you to join the pros!"

"Easy there," he mutters, "I haven't had nearly as much practice as the others..."

"Exactly. And you've just won! You don't need practice. You're a natural. You're definitely going to get in. Right, Mom?"

Yasmine is silent. Christopher turning 18 frightens her. It always has. It's the day she will have to come clean. Luckily, he will understand why he can't go pros once he knows. For now, she can pretend to support that idea. "Of course," she nods. "No doubts about it," she lowers her head, ashamed of her lie.