I scoffed. "I was promised a savior."

Patrick laughs at my sarcasm.

"And along comes the great user of Essences."

This time his response is a simple shrug, his usual blank look returned to his face.

"Mayor Rosalyn talked about her as if she was some sort of miracle-worker." he says flatly as the both of us continue to watch Rosalyn, Buddy the Bellhop and the our new "neighbor" walk among town at a distance, skipping every step of the way. How disguisting.

"Well I certainly hope her opinions are accurate." I say before turning and walking back inside my house. Patrick mindlessly follows, closing the front door behind him.

My home, as most homes do, brought peace and comfort to it's owner, and, for the most part, only it's owner. My sister Poppy was not a fan of my dark and gloomy abode, and when I visited her flower shop for five-second visits the feeling was returned in full.

Patrick didn't seem bothered by my gothic wall-decorations and dark purple wallpaper, so he was my most frequent visitor.

Now that I think about it, I say mentally, taking a seat at my dining table, Patrick isn't bothered by much anything.

Patrick doesn't sit. He spies on the Essence user and her welcoming committee from one of my windows.

I sigh. "Sit down, Patrick." I say nonchalantly. "It's not worth losing sleep over. She won't be around for long."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Let our glorious mayor and her 'magician' friend have their moment with Buddy the freakin' Bellhop." there was a tinge of anger sprinkled over the end of that sentence, like pepper thrown at the end of a breadstick. And as the metaphor comes to mind, I realize that I have a tendency to think about food when I'm around Patrick.

"Indeed." I reply. "Who gives a damn."

My and Patrick's enthusiasm, or lack thereof, wasn't exactly heart-warming. It was hard to be enthusiastic about anything when you lived in a place like this- a decently large town with about five residents, including your mayor. Patrick sits across the table from me, and I see in his eyes that he feels the same way.

Patrick and I simultaneously glance out our window. The new resident and Poppy were skipping arm and arm around town square. I sigh. Patrick chuckles.

"Let's just move, Patrick."

He smiles genuinely, which is not something Patrick was known for doing. "To where?"

"I don't know." I answer, glancing out the window once more to see my typically giggly sister and her newest friend splashing each other with the water from the fountain like two toddlers. "Somewhere where everyone's IQ is over ninety."

Patrick snorts. "And it has to have a large variety of restaurants, a water park and basic cable."

I laugh in agreement. "A water park WITH a restaurant and basic cable."

Patrick looks pleased. "Perfect."

I, too, begin to smile genuinely for the first time in a while.

I am struck with a new idea. "Can it be on an island? An uncharted one, where we can be unbothered."

"Even more perfect." Patrick says, kicking his feet up on my table and resting the back of his head against his hands. I was not what one would call a 'neat freak', so it didn't bother me that his dirty tennis shoes were on my table, although if it were Poppy's home she would be throwing a fit. Patrick looks comfortable, which most people aren't when they are visiting my house.

Come to think of it, I say mentally, standing from my seat to walk to my refrigerator. Patrick is almost never made uncomfortable by anything.

Patrick is looking up at my ceiling with a grin on his lips, imagining an island where the two of us would live together in peace. No nagging mayor. No obnoxious neighbors. His smile is not full of pearly white teeth, nor does it knock me off my feet or cause my heart to flutter, but it is a pretty smile all the same.

The two of us hear a knock at my door. My eyebrows are low and my eyes are wide out of annoyance. I thought that when I first moved here I made it clear that I wanted to be left alone.

Seeing me so irritated, Patrick rises from his chair quickly. "I got it."

He opens the door wide to see none other than Poppy and her new friend. Poppy and her usual black pig-tails somewhat contrast with the Essence user's curly red hair. "Hi, Pat! Where's Violet?"

He doesn't even spare a glance at the red-head beside her. "Right here."

Poppy and the red-headed Essence user look around him to look at me. My face is stoic, as it usually is when Poppy's around.

"Come outside, Vi!" she calls in that high voice of hers. I sigh and stand to my feet. I catch the red-head scan me up and down. Apparently my dress isn't of her tastes.

We, as in Patrick and I, do as Poppy tells us and walk outside in the sunlight. Face to face with her new neighbors, Orphan Annie looks nervous behind that big fake smile of hers.

"My name is Luca," she says with a wave. "I have the ability to use essences to make your lives easier and customize your living space to your liking!"

I hear Patrick snort back a laugh. I picture Mayor Rosalyn handing Luca a little strip of paper for her to memorize and hide a smirk as well.

Patrick is the first to speak. "Name's Patrick." he says flatly, looking directly at Luca for the first time. "I have the ability to lay on my ass and watch television. And I make a mean tomato sandwich."

Poppy shoots a glare at him. "Patrick!" she says sternly, hands on hips.

"This is Violet, Poppy's sister." Patrick does the honor of introducing me to Luca. "She has no abilities and is allergic to sunlight." I cant help but chuckle.

Poppy groans, her idea of a nice, polite introduction ruined.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." replies the now very dazed Luca. She glances at Patrick and blushes when he sees him smiling at her. I feel a tinge of envy, but then remind myself that there's an 80% chance that Patrick's smile is not genuine. Or at least not directed at her.

Poppy and Luca bid us a short and, for Poppy's part, angry farewell. I sigh and make a mental note to apologize later- my sister didn't annoy me as much as some people thought she did, and when I actually stopped to think about it, I probably annoyed her with my constant negativity more than she annoyed me with her bright optimism.

Patrick then informs me that he has to head home. I'm a tad disappointed, but then something suddenly strikes me- has my dark, brooding atmosphere offended Patrick?

I had never given a care in the world what anyone thought about me, and now this brash little paper cut of paranoia has struck. And for something so small, it bothered me. Severely.

I tried to make a little flat, sarcastic joke about it and see his response. "Heh. Has my heartfelt welcoming skills sent you home?"

My friend laughs. "Afraid not, babe. My show comes on in fifteen." He nods torward his house, which is on the other side of town. "Care to join me?"

He has invited me to his home- obvious evidence that I was not the reason he left. I agreed to join him, relieved that I had not offended one of my few friends.

When I actually review the matter, I think, walking alongside Patrick to his house, Patrick really isn't offended by anything.