Chapter 10
The Saturday of Beauty and Disaster
The Saturday sun beat down upon the pair as they faced the decrepit building. The paint was peeling off of the bricks, which looked a little worse for wear themselves. Three windows in the front of the apartment building were boarded up, a quick fix for the shattered glass paired with a blatant reminder of the lack of money for their repair. The two story building looked anything but proud surrounded by its neighbors: taller buildings, all in a state just as undesirable as the smallest of the block. Yet there it still stood, in all its disrepair. It seemed to just be longing for some inhabitants; something that it looked to had been lacking for quite a while.
"There's just no way." Riven immediately voiced at the mere sight of it, shaking his head emphatically.
"We talked about a solution the other day, and we discussed another apartment… I found that this may be something within our budget if we do get the jobs we are hoping for…" Timmy studied the exterior of the building, worry building in his mind, but hopeful optimism written across his face.
"You're kidding. This is the only place we can afford?"
"Well, unless you want to live in an alley and sleep in a dumpster, yes, this is the only option."
After hearing this, Riven began to slightly concede, "How many do you think we can fit in the rooms?"
"We can probably fit four or five, at most. I'd say only four to be at all comfortable. Do take note that we'd only be able to afford one floor." Timmy nervously studied his shoes.
"Great," Riven sighed, "Just excellent." Despite the deep discontent in his tone, he was privately satisfied with Timmy's find. It was perfect, albeit a bit of a fixer-upper. Ideal for a small group… a group he could handle. He had already made up his mind as to who he would be sharing that small apartment with, and Timmy was totally oblivious to it.
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Saturday proved to bear the opportunities that Helia wished it would. The weather was wonderful: the sun was shining; its rays warming the small city of Gardenia to a comfortable degree. With all the chaos and stress surrounding their stay there, he longed for some relief, and he had finally found it.
He walked with his flower-loving girlfriend to the nearest park, an attractive spot with an array of various flowers, plants, insects, and people. Complete with its wiry artistic benches and neatly placed walkways, it was a serene paradise for the couple to get away from the troubles that the rest of the city burdened them with. They sat on a bench to take pleasure in the view. Due to each being incredibly timid and quiet, it took quite a while before one decided to break the ice.
"A waitress?" Helia asked with sincere curiously.
Flora knew exactly what he was talking about, "Oh yes. I'm sure of it. The owner really liked me… She was extremely friendly. They showed me around the place. It looks like so much fun."
Her optimism was inspiring to the artist, "Oh, that sounds good." He fidgeted a bit, "There's a factory… a bit outside of town… I found a job there."
Flora recalled his mention of this during the discussion at the apartment earlier that week, but he hadn't gone into the details at that time, but she thoroughly expected him to explain it now, "Oh… um… what will you be doing?"
"Simple. Packing boxes full of the company's product so it can be shipped."
Flora was extremely dissatisfied when she heard this. She had seen the extent of Helia's talent as an artist, and completely resented the fact that it was going to waste. Instead of expressing this, though, she could only offer a single word for her response, a gently spoken "Oh…"
The two sat completely silent for the time after that. They took in the beauty of the surrounding scenery and watched the people pass by… the awkwardness building with each passing moment, but with it, another feeling was slowly coming about. Something comforting and truly soothing: relief.
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Mitzi and Sarah avoided the sunshine like the plague: fake tans were their forte; actually soaking up some real sun was unheard of. They sat on the king-sized bed in Mitzi's suite in the upscale apartment her parents owned. The room was an ornate blend of old and modern: an iPod lying on the antiquely-framed bed, a family heirloom in the form of a mirror hanging on the wall, just a few feet away from Mitzi's computer decorated with pink glitter and girly stickers.
Despite all that her parents gave her, Mitzi was never satisfied. She always wanted something more… another dress, more money, another puppy, a different boyfriend. At that time, it was something different, yet familiar. Like years before, she wanted Bloom to be miserable… but unlike her desires in the past, she also longed to turn Bloom's blonde counterpart's life into a living hell.
"Kolin better not be flirting with that whore." Mitzi screeched, unleashing her outburst of anger on her friend.
"Oh, he isn't, but she is. I swear Mitzi, we need to do something and we need to do it now." Sarah twirled her long hair and stared at her fuming companion.
"We'll plan something alright! That Stella girl will wish she was never born! Her and Bloom!"
"I think we should snatch that guy…" Sarah started chewing her bright neon pink gum obnoxiously.
"What guy?" Mitzi asked quizzically.
"You know what guy! Sky! The one with the muscles… the blonde? With blue angelic eyes?" Sarah blushed deeply as she recollected his image.
"Oooh yeah! Bloom's oh-so-precious boyfriend! Great idea… where is he?" Mitzi demanded an answer.
"I dunno. Maybe at Bloom's house? Wait, no… A guy like him wouldn't be cooped up in that house… He's probably out…" She smiled at the thought of him walking around the streets of downtown Gardenia… probably hitting all the best clubs… Looking his best and impressing all. She didn't try to suppress another flush of red in her cheeks.
Her daydream was abruptly interrupted by Mitzi's shouting."Let's find him… now!" Mitzi took only a moment to grab her purse and lead the way for her friend to follow. They were officially on a mission to find Bloom's prince charming.
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Every time the phone rang, the two fairies nearly flew out of their seats. Musa and Layla spent their Saturday tucked away in Mike and Vanessa's home, sitting around a table just staring at the telephone. Every single time Mike answered it, they would gaze at him with pure anticipation, but, to their dismay, the person on the other end never asked for either girl… The chances of getting that dream job were getting slimmer and slimmer…
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Sky and Brandon were sitting on a bench in the downtown area of Gardenia. The two had been window-shopping… though they knew that buying the clothes they desired would be an impossible feat. They had given up, after eyeing several disheartening reminders of what could be if they only had the money. At that moment, a pink convertible pulled up. It contained two thin girls… two girls that the boys recognized immediately: Sarah and Mitzi.
"Heeey guys!" Mitzi waved, her nasal-pitch ringing in the air.
The two boys waved, unsure of the reason why they were talking to them.
Sarah beckoned them with her hand, "Wanna grab something to eat?"
"Yeah, we'll promise you a fun time… Promise!" Mitzi pleaded.
Brandon looked at Sky, who immediately shook his head, "I can't Brandon… Bloom would kill me."
"C'mon, she doesn't have you on a leash does she? Why not just hang out with them once?"
"I couldn't do that. They're the ones that got us into trouble in the first place, I don't want to stir anything up again."
"Sky, it's harmless. Nothing will happen." Brandon was simply beginning to lack care. If Stella can flirt shamelessly with Kolin, why can't I hang out with a couple of different women? What's so wrong with that? At that time, not only did it seem fair, but it appeared to be something particularly enjoyable… but that could have also been a false feeling, as the desire for revenge had been flowing through his veins since the first day Stella had shown interest in Mitzi's boyfriend.
Sky reluctantly gave in, and the specialists hopped into the back of Mitzi's vehicle. Little did Sky know how terribly wrong Brandon was about the situation. They were in for one wild ride…
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Author's Note: Oh, I hate to throw another lead-in for a bigger and better chapter out here, but it was the only way it would flow together nicely.
I do apologize for the short size of this one… trust me when I say that the next will be longer.
I also sincerely apologize for the two-month wait… I have been overloaded with homework and work… That and college planning. I haven't had free time for much of anything…
How in the world is Stella getting her money? Who will Riven allow into the apartment? What is planned for Brandon and Sky? What about that creepy landlord? Will everyone get jobs? Find out in the upcoming chapters!