Without disturbing any more customers, I manage to get through the rest of the crowd and serve all the tables. Plus the time being used as a playground. None the less, the night is done, so I can happily go home with the felling of a saviour, and a pocket full of cash.
"Hey, psst, over here!" whispers a voice between the wind. "W-what? Who is that?" "I'm under the bench to your right." The same voice replies. Oh god I wished that I was just imagining it, but who else would I see under there, but the princess. "You have to let me come with you!" "Why? I already helped you earlier so I don't need to help you now." "I can pay you all of my money, I just need a place to hide again. You're the only person I can trust here." "What kind of trouble are you in anyway?" "I need to hide from my mother. She'll chain me up again if they catch me." "Why come to me for help? I hardly even know you? how do you know I won't betray you?" "You're not like them."
"You...you're the...the, the one who broke into my apartment!" "I know I know, and I am sorry for that, but I just need you to hide me, just for two nights, then that's it I swear. Please help me." She says grabbing onto my hand. Talking to whoever is reading this, there wasn't any way I was planning on saying no to her after seeing those eyes. Those, blue, gleaming eyes filled with fear.
"Just, two nights right?" "Yes, yes thank you! I promise I will be gone by then!" "Okay then. come on."
We both sneak inside the apartment complex and climb up the stairs, down the hallway to my room. Hopefully she'll accept the previous arrangements I had the last night she was here: A pillow and a blanket on the ground beside my bed. She practically falls to the floor and wraps herself up in the blanket. "It's like my old blankie I had when I was younger: soft and cold."
"Why did the queen chain you up? That's no way to treat your daughter no matter what they did." "I...she wanted me to marry someone I didn't love, nothing but that." "Your mother's kinda a control freak just by that reason." "She's an egotistic bitch who cares only for her benefits!" She sits up shouting at me.
"Oh, oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to say that." "Nah, she is a bitch. We should both get some sleep though, it's late." "Right."
Morning came, and it felt even wierder knowing she was still here. It felt that when she remained anonymous and left in the morning, it felt normal. Maybe this is good, or maybe it is bad, but it's something interesting none the less. I had a day off for serving the queen, since everyone who worked at the restaurant got a fair payment after her visit. So i wanted to spend the morning with her, just talking to her. Try to make her feel happy after what she's been through.
ZOEY'S POV
It felt nice to sleep in a place where I know I am safe. Back at the palace My mother made me sleep in the dungeon with all of the criminals she locked up who had been driven insane. I was put into horrid conditions for loving someone she didnt there, but i am treated with kindness here by this man who has helped me set my life free. I felt happy going to sleep next to someone I could trust to keep me safe.
Surprisingly, it was a foul odor that awoke me. It smelled like burnt toast, and it was burnt toast. "Ugh, what happened?" "Oh, morning, sorry I messed up breakfast." "What is all of this?" "It's fancy food, i thought you people liked that stuff." "It is nice, but how could you mess it up?" "I cooked it for 3 hours instead of 30 minutes." "Oh god. Can't we just get a normal breakfast? You don't have to serve me my own food. Come on, I'll show you also how to cook."
RILEY'S POV
She takes me down to the market where she buys a bunch of ingredients i have never touched before. I never learned to cook, so i lived off microwave meals and simple foods. But she was taking this like she was on a survival tv show.
"Okay, this is just a simple dish, but you will still need to listen." "Yes miss!" I say in an exaggerated tone saluting to her." I thought it would make her laugh, but she just looks un-impressed. So I just say: "Okay, I'm listening." After a cooking montage with the music inside my head, we manage to cook a semi-eatable pasta. "Not bad. Shall we eat it?" "Just realising it, maybe pasta for breakfast wasn't a good idea." "It's just gonna be brunch then. Anyway, how is it?" I slide a hefty amount of it onto a fork and pop it into my mouth. Not bad, but I think I overcooked the spaghetti and I didn't add enough vegetables to the bolegnaise, But we still both enjoyed my first ever cooked meal, but then came the awkward silence.
We were still both sitting at the table staring at our empty bowls. we knew that we had to talk, but any topic we thought about wasn't nessicarily a good one. We were full from the pasta so we couldn't cook anymore, I had no books or television so visual entertainment was out of the question, and by the looks of it, neither of us needed to go to the toilet.
I had to talk. Even if I sounded like I was intruding on her personal life, at least I would be doing something. It's better to have something bad happening than nothing at all.
"Why did your mother have you in chains at the restaurant?" "...I was running away. Or, at least I was trying to." "Why? What could force her to put you in chains?" "I don't follow her rules. Hardly any of them seem fair to me, or the people of this town."
"What did she not want you to do though?" "I loved someone she hated." "Oh. Well, is he...or she or...are they still-" "Two weeks ago, my mother announced that five princes were coming to ask for my hand." "I guess you didn't take it well." "No, we argued over and over until it ended with me slapping her. She got so mad that she shred my clothes and locked me down in the dungeon. I thought that this was just a step from hell for me, but a light called Jason was there to make me happy again. He and I chatted while I was locked down there. Whenever we were together It went from talking, to kissing it what felt just like minutes. He was the one who got me out of there. Ironically, he was the one who was in charge of keeping me locked up." "What? You mean he was like...the guard to your cell?" "The guard to my cell."
"We were running though the corn fields like we were free. We spent the days loving eachother like tomorrow never existed. He made my heart beat again, and I thought that he would be with me forever. But...it all ended, one night when we were sitting under a tree. We both spotted some thing shimmeringin the sky. It was too late to realise that it was a spear, because it had allready...*sniff* gone...into..." "Oh god, oh god I'm sorry, here." I say handing her tissues. "N-no, I'm okay.
Anyway, I had to leave him there, he literally couldn't move. I ran and ran and ran all the way into town. The only house i could get into was of course, yours. After I left it didn't take longer for the queen to find me again. She locked me up again, but took me out to dinner to try and apologise later. Thank god you were there to save me." "I knew you were in pain so I had to help."
"Anyway, that me so far, what about you?" "Me, well, there's not much to explain. I was born here, I got my job here, And I'll probably die here." "Just-just that?" "Yep. I'm born, I live, then I die. That's probably what everyone else's story is as well if you ask them." "Isn't that painful as well?" "Not as painful as being locked away for loving who you wanted to." "I know, but Isn't there anything you want to do rather than just mope around here being target practise?"
Ouch.
"I, I didn't mean it like that! I just-" *DING DONG* "I'm gonna get that." I say in a slightly more angered tone. I open the door to see a Flygon in a purple robe with white trimmings, with a silver crown on top of his head. "Um, can I help you?" "Indeed, my name is Prince Scaryn. I was informed by the queen that the princess has been running amok this town. May you have any knowledge of her whereabouts?"
ZOEY'S POV
The words struck me like a ton of bricks. He could turn me in right now. All he had to do was step aside and I would be in the gaze of someone who I would be forced to marry. "Can't say I've seen her anywhere." "Righteo, well come to the castle if you have any information about her." The door closes.
"I hate being target practise, but it's the only one I'll ever have. Or else my boss, or...well, dad will throw me out onto the streets." "Your boss is your father?" "Yeah. He found me on the cold streets and he said if I didn't work for him he'd throw me back. I'm going out to...do stuff. Are you coming, or are you gonna stay here?" "I'll come."
We both went out of the hotel and walked around town. To avoid being spotted i had to wear a big cloak that he had in his closet. We walked, and walked, and walked some more. Not doing anything but just walking beside eachother staring at the cold and mossy ground. Until I saw something that we can do. "Ever been to the cinema?" "No, I don't ever have enough money for it." "Then let's go! I have enough money for it? Which ripper off pokemon movie would you lie to see?"
He chose to go to te new GHASTLYBUSTERS movie. We both chose to sit together because we couldn't really trust anyone else in the theatre. We both found it to be a great movie. I still liked the original better, but this one still had nic animations and some good jokes. Ther was an...unexpected moment though. For till being a ninja I got scared easily. On one scene the new GHASTLYBUSTERES were trying to communicate to a ghost. As soon as that ear-piercing scream from the ghost filled the theatre, I got scared and grabbed onto Riley's arm. The awkward part was, I held onto it thinking it was the arm of my past love. It was only when he called my name and asked if I was okay when I jolted back. I would be lying to you if I said that I didn't feel anything for him. And to be honest, he does look kinda handsome.
"Wow, that was amazing. I never knew that people could animate stuff like that!" "I'm glad you liked it." "Should we head back? It's getting near night." "Sure, but what are we gonna have for dinner?" "Well, I dunno, pizza?" "Done with cooking are you?" "Hell yes! I am not going to make spaghetti ever again!"
A hop a skip and a vegetarian pizza later and we were walking back to the apartment. "This was a very fun day. Thank for taking me places Zoey." "It was my pleasure." "Well, I guess I'll just set your bed up and..." His sentence began before he stopped. "Something wrong?" "N-no uh, goodnight." He says laying down on his bed. "Okay, goodnight Riley."
RILEY'S POV
The realisation that she will be gone tomorrow makes me feel, surprisingly...sad. Not many people are nice in this town, but she and I had a day in heaven today. And for once in my life, I'll miss someone leaving this town. If it wasn't allready hinted to you, I did "like" her. How could I not? She was one of the most beautiful pokemon I have ever seen. She can cook, she's funny, and she's a badass. But girls like that only exists outside the realm of reality.
The feeling didn't get better in the morning. All I could look at as I lead her to the outskirts of town was the ground, something I'd have to keep my eyes on for the rest of my time. "Hey, here." "Huh?" "I owe you money for letting me stay with you." At that moment, that big bag of cash just seemed like a bag of nothing. "I don't need it. Wherever you're going you'll need money for your travels, so you deserve to keep it." "Are you sure?" "I am sure, I have enough money to feed myself anyway."
"Then here's something to remember me by." She says, wrapping her arms around my neck and putting her lips on mine. I was astonished and confused, but I kissed her back trying to enjoy the moment we were having. I actually counted the seconds we were together, and we made out for 75 of them. 75 seconds that'll stay in my memory forever. "Goodbye Zoey." "Goodbye Riley."