CHAPTER 1
She sat on the floor, her shoulders rested on the fruit vendor's stand. He had agreed to let her perform there because it attracted customers. She was resting now, the sun was beginning to set and the townspeople were inside their houses enjoying a fully cooked meal. She of course, was no beggar, no, the money she got from the people was for the hungry children on the streets.
It was on Sundays, of every week that she would come out and dance in the square. People tossed money into her hat and all she did was dance all day.
The people of the town had begun to expect her, though she knew they wondered why she only danced one day.
It was because she loved dance, her mother had been a dancer and as a child she had been trained very strictly to be a dancer. But of course, when her
mother died her trainings had stopped. Her father had to travel a lot and so he took her along with him, which meant there was no time for things such as dance lessons.
It wasn't until she'd reached the age of sixteen that he had allowed her to stay behind when he went travelling. He left her at his stepsister's house, in a
foreign country. It was needless to say that they did not like her. She was strange to them, and the first day that her father left her alone with them they began showing how much they didn't like her.
Her aunt was kind enough, but it was her daughters who acted as if she carried the plague. And although they never mistreated her she began to notice how they acted towards other people. They yelled at their servants and threw tantrums and within a year, she had begun to act out against it. Her father
had always told her that it was wrong to see injustice happening and ignoring it so she had begun to help out around the house.
Her aunt wasn't that rich, and her husband was just a baker. The only reason they had servants and such was because of the family that her aunt came from. She had been disowned soon after marrying the baker but she'd started a big catering business, borrowing money from her dad and his sister.
They all now lived just on the outer reaches of the city, and maybe two or three miles from the town, and half the year she would be living there. The other half her dad would pick her up and they would travel around. That was, until this year.
"Papa wants me to stay" She crossed her arms and pouted. "Or stay at someone else's house somewhere else, but I can't travel this year"
The vendor looked at her amused. "And you're unhappy? There's nowhere you haven't been, its not as if you're missing out on anything."
"I know…" She admitted, "But I hate staying here."
He raised one eyebrow pretending to be affronted. "Even when I let you dance on my spot! Ungrateful wench."
'"Shut up Marko," she stuck her tongue out at him. "You only let me stay because Juliette comes by to talk to me."
"Juliette? Who's Juliette?" He smirked, widening his eyes in fake innocence.
"Oh please." She rolled her eyes, picking up the hat filled with coins. "I'm going to go meet her now. You can tag along if you want."
"Wait, one second, I need to pack up." The man scrambled to pack the leftover fruits into his cart. "You better not leave without me."
"'Who's Juliette?' He says" She mocked grinning and helping the man to pack his stuff.
"Hey, you know if your father won't take you, you can always stay with us." He offered nudging her with his elbow.
"With you…?" She shoved the last box into the cart and lifted up one side.
"Yeah, mum and the kids would love it too. They adore you!" She bit her lips uncertain.
"I dunno, they'd get annoyed with me after a week!"
"Yeah, probably" He shrugged, "I can't even stand you."
"Yeah, because you're the most patient person in the world"
"I am!"
"Okay, yeah… maybe you are…" She knew he was too, probably the most patient person she knew.
"Where does she live?" He asked panting slightly, they'd been walking for half an hour now and he had been pulling the cart the entire time. The houses
were beginning to thin and they had left the evenly paved roads of the city and were on the bumpy trail that led to the countryside.
"This cart is unbelievably heavy" He complained out loud earning an eye roll from the girl.
"Ugh, you're so in need of a workout." She grinned poking his arms. "Yeah, no muscle at all."
"Are we there yet?" He asked again, ignoring the girl's remarks. "It's getting cloudy, I heard that the rain was coming today." He was right, the sun was
covered up with dozens of dark clouds and light thunder could be heard. There was no rain however.
"Yeah, that's her house right there" She said pointing at a small cottage that was hidden among a mass of trees. "And look! She's right there too!"
"She is?" He asked fixing his hair, a small blush beginning to rise on his face. The girl sprinted towards the house as another figure ran towards her.
"Leilani!" The other girl ran up to her, grinning from ear to ear. "Did you bring it?"
"Of course I did, seriously Jules." The redhead girl grinned even wider holding out her hand.
"Gimme" The other girl gently dropped a necklace into her hand.
"See? There was nothing to worry about." The redhead jumped, hugging the other girl tightly.
"I didn't doubt you for a second."
"Of course you didn't." She pulled apart, "I brought you something else too." A sly grin came over her mouth as she turned and nodded her head towards
the man pulling the cart.
"I think you've been introduced to Marko?" She waved at him, and winked at her friend.
"Oh no…. I abhor you… I hope you know that…" Leilani smirked, watching as the redhead fidgeted on her feet, dusting off her skirt and fixing her hair.
"Juliette!" Marko's eyes lit up as he reached the girls. "H-how have you been?"
"I'm good, I- uh.. How have you been?" She asked. Her fingers combing through her hair.
"I've been good, um.. you haven't been to the town in a while." He added, while Leilani watched bemused at the awkwardness ensuing between the two.
"Oh, no I haven't, I've been busy," She gave Leilani a panicked look but the other girl ignored her.
It was beginnning to rain, small droplets of water began to fall and the three of them headed into the small cottage.
"Do you want some tea Leigh? Marko?" Juliette asked as the other two entered through the door. The roof was so low that it brushed against Marko's hair
as he walked.
"That would be great Jules!" Leighlani chirped as she collapsed into the bright orange hammock. "Marko would like one too, he hasn't eaten all day actually he's just too polite to ask."
Marko's face went red upon hearing this and even redder when he heard Juliette giggling from the kitchen. "What would you like Marko? I'm sure tea isn't enough."
"Its really alright Juliette, I can eat when I get home" Marko replied, glaring at the girl sitting next to him who was now stifling a laugh.
"Nonsense, I was planning on having chilli tonight, I could cook up some extra for you guys as well."
Marko opened his mouth to tell her not to bother herself but Leighlani stopped him. "Oh Chilli! You better make a lot, Papa loves your chilli!"
"I will, don't worry!" They heard a clanking of pots and before they knew it Juliette was walking out with a giant bowl full of heavenly smelling chilli.
Marko's stomach growled as she placed it on the small table in front of him.
"Wow, Marko, that is a loud growl, you must be starving. He blushed, it was one thing to have Leigh tell her that he hadn't eaten all day but his stomach growling was too embarrassing. "Don't worry, its not that embarrassing." The girl gave him a friendly smile as she scooted in next to him.
"Leigh, get off my bed or you won't be getting any Chilli" She threatened.
"But mommm... " She teased, sitting on the floor opposite her friends.
The chilli was gone in seconds, and Marko could swear he had never tasted anything so good in his entire life. As if reading his thoughts Juliette came out with two bowls both wrapped in blue cloth.
"Here, this is the extra, you guys can take it home with you." Marko thanked her profusely.
"Well, it was nice seeing you Jules," Leigh said as she got up,"but I gotta go home before my dad gets there."
"What? You're leaving already?" Juliette asked,
"Sorry, I'd stay over if I could but I have to go home." Juliette's face fell, and so did Marko's since that meant that he'd have to leave too.
The girl opened the door only to be greeted with an onslaught of rain. "You wouldn't happen to have an umbrella would you Jules?" She asked shutting the
door with a grimace.
"Oh, c'mon Leigh, you can go home tomorrow morning! It's much to wet to go outside." And as if to prove a point a loud thunder could be heard accompanied with a bright flash of light.
"No, I have to go home. Don't worry Marko can keep you company."
Marko looked appalled by this. "I should go home as well, my brothers will be worried."
Leighlani rolled her eyes. "They can wait until the morning don't worry Marko. I'll see you tomorrow!" And with that she walked off into the wetness.