I got bad news! Ok no, I'm being pessimistic. Thing is I'm back in college and so far my new classes seem to be quite demanding, so I won't be able to update as much as I would like to.

I'll do my best to update weekly, I'll write as much as I can in my free time.

In the meantime, enjoy this one

Chapter 3 – The Glass Porcupine

Flaky breathed in deeply, smelling the scent of the recently painted walls. She had picked a pretty coral red for the walls. From the main door to the left was a small living room with a sofa, an armchair and a small coffee table.

Handy came out of the room at the end of the hallway, right next to the living room.

"The mattress was a challenge but I managed to put it right on the base," he faked to clean his forehead as if tired and chuckled. "Now, where do you want the shelf?"

Flaky pointed at the corner right next to the window facing the living room.

"Right away!"

Flaky noticed she would have to find some decorations to fill the empty walls. To her right was a small dining table with four wooden chairs. On the far side a small counter divided the dining room from the kitchen. The kitchen was simple, a small sink facing the back yard, the stove and fridge already installed and ready to use.

The red in many shades and variations reigned in the house. Flaky's favorite color of course.

"Well that would be it!" Handy left the last boxes right next to the door.

Flaky smiled to the orange-haired man. "You were very kind, I really appreciate it!"

"It was nothing, just doing my job" he smiled scratching his head as he gave her a warm smile.

He was very handsome and had a brilliant attitude. But Flaky had never liked anyone in her entire life, she only saw a friend in every single person she met.

"Once I finish getting used here, I'd be enchanted to have you over to dinner!"

And of course this was an excellent opportunity to build friendship in a place where she knew nobody.

"R-really? Wow, that would be…I mean…Sure! I'd love to!" Handy smiled nervously and blushed lightly at Flaky's kindness. "Well, uhm…" he searched in all his pockets and handed her a small card. "There's my number in case you need any help with anything, getting around town, whatever you need." He gave her another charming smile.

"Actually, could you tell me how to get to the nearest mall or shopping center, outlet, supermarket…anywhere to buy groceries and other things for my house, a gardening store"

Flaky started making a mental list of everything she wanted to buy.

"Woah, hold it uhm…" Handy tried to follow her list quickly while he remembered the area and closest stores. "Well, here in Happy Tree there is only one mall that is downtown. Supermarket is in this same street all straight until you reach the end, it's quite simple to get there. You'll be there in no time."

Flaky knew she would get lost if she attempted getting downtown. So the supermarket was her choice for the rest of the day.

"Ok, then the supermarket it is! Thanks again Handy you've been very…well, handy" both of them laughed.

"It was great meeting you Flaky, we don't get new neighbors often"

Flaky started checking the boxes Handy left by the door to start arranging the items in them.

"Really? How come? This town is amazing!"

"You'll see in time…meanwhile, you will probably become some sort of celebrity so I'd suggest you get ready…" Handy said this as he slowly backed to the door leaving Flaky a little shocked.

"Wait..uh…Handy? What do you mean with celebrity?" Flaky was having a hard time trying to follow with the heavy box in her hands.

Handy hurried into the van, waved goodbye and left.

Flaky was left confused and a little nervous on the sidewalk making an effort not to drop the heavy box in her hands.

What could Handy mean with being a celebrity?

And how could a town as wonderful as this not receive new inhabitants?

Flaky could feel her fingers aching from holding the box for such a long time, the blood pulsating in her wrist was starting to become unbearable. She stopped wondering about what Handy said and started to believe she would not make it back to the house and to the dining table. And dropping it was not an option.

The heaviest box was the most precious belonging she had, a delicate but huge crystal porcupine that her grandmother gave her as a present when she moved away. Her grandmother was the only family she ever had. Both her parents were single children and both died in a car accident when she was very little, so she was raised by her grandmother. They both lived in a very small country town. When Flaky grew and decided she wanted to move out and face life on her own, her grandmother gave her the crystal porcupine. She passed away three months later.

Flaky could let the house burn, get fired, have an accident, have her car stolen, but she could not allow anything happen to her precious porcupine.

She took a deep breath, ensured the box in her fingers and started giving slow steps back to the house. She felt clumsier than usual and thanked there was nobody to see her.

"I don't what you're doing but it looks like some strange interpretative dance"

Fuck.

Flaky slowly looked to the origin of the voice. Leaning on the fence was a strange looking boy. He had green hair and an evident heterochromia. He slowly sucked on a huge lollipop as he stared at her.

"H-hey, uhm…I-"

"You're new!"

"I…uh, yeah I'm new, I just moved in and I'm trying to get this HEAVY box inside..."

Flaky struggled with the pulsation going through her fingers.

"It does look heavy" he kept sucking on the lollipop still staring at her.

The red-haired was starting to get annoyed by the obviousness of this guy.

"It IS heavy so…any help would be nice…"

Flaky smiled still holding the strength in her arms and bending her body backwards to balance the weight a little bit more on her back.

"Help…." The boy stared blankly like letting the word sink into his little brain.

Flaky realized this guy wasn't going to move from the fence so she decided to get in action and go back to getting the box into her house.

Her trembling legs couldn't burden any longer the weight or her fingers the pressure. She had not realized her fingers had gotten sweaty. One step forward and the box slipped down in slow motion. She tried to grab it again but she knew it was too late to get it. She closed her eyes and covered her ears to avoid witnessing the moment of the crash.

But the crash never came.

Flaky slowly opened her eyes and uncovered her ears. The box she expected to have crushed on the floor was gone. She looked around her in case in had…rolled…or…something.

"You must be looking for this, young lady"

Yes! I know it's a terrible cliffhanger! I bet you already know who are the mysterious characters who have been rude and not introduced themselves. More characters in the next chapter I promise!

Btw, in any case you don't know Heterochromia (I googled that so I'm not even sure if it is the right way to call it, please correct me if it isn't) is a characteristic in which eyes are different colors, like our bubbly candy maniac.

Review, message, comments, suggestions, etc…please do.