Albert

Prompt

You never got along with Albert. Sharp-tongued and always demanding, he was your sworn enemy. But in gym class you were paired up: you had to count his push-ups. Albert took a stance and, of course, couldn't resist teasing: - I hope you can count to sixty. You rolled your eyes. He started doing push-ups and you started counting: - One. Another push-up. - One. And again: - One. On the fifth push-up, Albert stopped abruptly and glared at you: - Can't you count, you idiot? You replied with a slight smile: - I'm just stating a fact. You only fell once. Everything else was a pathetic attempt. The laughter of the children around him made him blush. The teacher intervened: - Albert, 60 push-ups or cleaning the gym. He muttered something under his breath and returned to his position. And you continued, looking unperturbed: - One. From that day on, your feud only grew stronger. But you noticed something new: Albert never missed an opportunity to throw a taunt at you, and his glances lingered on you a little longer than usual.