Chapter four – A prediction

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'Wait up,'

Jess ran after Martine who quickly disappeared into a bookstore. Bursting in and ignoring the glares from the store clerks, he ran down the main aisle. Turning into the fiction literature section, he found Martine flipping through the pages of a very thick book.

'You shouldn't have run,' Jess said, panting, 'Aunt Ester would kill me if you got lost,' Martine seemed to ignore him. She placed back the book she had flipped through, which was entitled Narnia: The Compilation. Pulling out another book, she kept skimming through the pages with a serious expression on her face. Jess shrugged and placed their shopping bags on the floor before collapsing into a nearby armchair.

Martine, too, sat on the floor, leaning on the shelf while occasionally pushing a book back in place and pulling out another one. Jess watched her as she read the summary on the back of the book before skimming the pages. He watched her expression change while reading the summary, either looking interested or looking at the book with such disdain that she practically stuffed it back into its place.

After pulling out practically every book from that row of the shelf, Martine held onto one. It was a light pink color with silver streaks here and there. On the cover Jess could see illustrations of fairies dancing in the forest. Martine turned it over, reading the summary over and over again.

'Hey Jess,' Martine said, turning to him after a few silent minutes, 'can I buy this?' She held up the book. Jess took it from her and flipped through the smooth pages, the pictures inside filled with fairies and other magical creatures. He nodded. Martine squealed in glee before running off to the counter with the book.

Jess stood up a followed Martine out the door. She turned to him, smiling broadly, before giving him a hug. It was only for two seconds, but Jess couldn't help blushing. After all, Leslie was the only girl who had ever hugged him before.

'Thank you,' she said happily, letting go of him.

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'Is something wrong?'

'Wha-no, nothing's wrong,' Jess blurted out, surprised, as they walked across the bridge out of town. Martine pouted at him, a look of suspicion in her eyes. Jess tried to look innocent.

'Then why's your face as red as a tomato?' Martine said, poking his cheek with her pinky.

'T-that's just the sunset,' Jess said, almost shouting. Martine giggled, letting Jess know that she knew very well what the real reason was.

The two just finished doing shopping at market, getting fruits and vegetables that Aunt Ester had listed down. Normally, Abele should have been the one to do this, but Martine practically begged Aunt Ester to let her go to town even if it was just that once. So she was allowed on the conditions that Jess would accompany her and that they would do the shopping.

Now, lugging their bags with them, a few carrots poking out from one, the two made their way across the long bridge that separated the farmlands from the town. Martine was kicking a pebble with her foot, making it go a few inches away from her every time.

'Jess,' she said so suddenly that Jess jerked, startled, 'how'd you know where to find me in the bookstore? You weren't directly behind me when I entered,' Martine turned to him, leaving the little pebble behind.

'Well,' Jess started, 'it was a hunch, I guess, because I had a feeling that you liked fairy tales and such. You don't look like the type of person who'd be interested in all those serious books there,'

At the roadside before the walkway to Aunt Ester's house, there was a little booth set up. Martine stopped in front and read the sign. 'Prediction of the future - $1' it read, painted in wobbly blue paint. Before Jess could stop her, Martine handed the lady in the booth a dollar bill.

The lady waved her hands over some cards before picking three up, one at a time. After laying them out in a neat row in front of her, she gestured for Martine to get one. Taking a quick glance at Jess, she picked up the card in the middle, which had the picture of a scroll.

The lady looked at the card thoughtfully before looking Martine straight in the eye, 'Your secrets will be revealed,' she said in a wobbly voice, 'and these secrets will cause dangers ahead. Be careful,'

'What does that mean?'

'I-I dunno,' Martine said too quickly, 'let's go now,' She pulled Jess' hand as they turned the corner. They could hear the lady at the store shouting out something, but Martine just sped up every time she heard it. Jess wondered what was wrong. She wasn't smiling anymore and her eyes were wide as if with fear.

Breaking into a run, she dragged him on the trail, only stopping when they reached the house.

'Mar-'

She cut him off, shaking her head. Jess could see tears in her eyes just before she ran up the porch steps and into the house.

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Isa: Sorry if that took forever everyone! Anyways, please rate and review!