Chapter 11
Aden's POV
Rolling over onto my side, I kept my eyes closed as I laid in bed, before noticing that Caroline was gone. Sitting up, I blearily sat up and got out of bed. Putting on a shirt, I yawned and stretched. Picking up my pants, I went to put them on, until the smell of something burning caught my attention. Forgetting about the pants, I rushed out of the room and downstairs. When I reached the kitchen, I saw Caroline standing near an open window, coughing. "Hey! What happened, are you ok?!" I asked, and she jumped, looking at me guiltily.
"O-oh, good morning Aden... I was trying to bake us some cookies, b-but I burned them..." She said, and I walked in, looking in the oven, only to see that they were indeed pretty burned.
"Wow..." I said, and she lightly punched me in the arm.
"Hey! I tried to cook them right!" She said with a pout, and I nodded in acknowledgment.
"I know. I was only teasing. I'm just glad it was only some cookies and that you're ok. I smelled something burning and thought there was a fire." I said, and she sighed. "I'll tell you what though, how about for right now I cook us some breakfast, and later, I'll help you bake some cookies?" I said, and she smiled.
"Deal!" She said, leaning towards me and laying a kiss on my cheek. Smiling back, I started gathering some eggs as Caroline went to sit in the dining room. Putting them on the stove, I began to make some sunny side up eggs, as well as cook some bacon. When I had finished cooking, the kitchen smelled like the McDonald's across the street where I lived. Sighing to myself, I decided that the first thing I was going to do when I got home was get a cheeseburger. Walking in as I started setting up the plates, Caroline put her hands on my shoulders and looked over my shoulder at the food. "Ooh, it smells and looks good! Let's just hope it tastes good this time!" She said, sticking her tongue out at me playfully. Rolling my eyes halfheartedly, I handed her her plate.
"Trust me, I've learned my lesson. I didn't add any salt or pepper, if you want any, you'll have to add some. I'm not going to ruin any more food!" I said, and she giggled as we took our food to the table. Sitting down, we began to eat, and Caroline hummed in contentment, before adding a bit of pepper.
"Ok, this is good!" She said, and I smiled, taking a sip of water. Looking up from my plate, I saw that she was looking at me, a blush on her face. Raising an eyebrow, I chuckled.
"Ok, what's with that look?" I asked, and she blinked, before looking away in embarrassment when she realized that I was looking at her. Setting down my fork, I frowned looking closely at her. "Hey... Seriously, what's on your mind? You can tell me." I said, giving her a calming smile. She looked at me for a few seconds, before nodding and smiling back at me, a single tear in her eyes.
"I-I'm just so happy and lucky to have you... Growing up, I was used to being on my own. I'm glad to have someone who cares about me." She said, getting up and walking over to me, giving me a hug. Surprised, I slowly wrapped my arms around her as she carefully sat down on my lap. "And not only that, you know how to make me feel good!" She said, giving me a grin. I nervously swallowed, my face going red.
"Y-yeah, about last night..." I said, and she looked at me in confusion.
"What about it? I thought it felt great, but did I do something wrong?" She asked, and I quickly shook my head.
"N-no! I mean... I've never done anything like that before, but it felt right. It's just... There I was, bumbling around and not wanting to mess up, while instead, you seemed to know exactly what you were doing." I said, and she once again looked at me in confusion.
"Is that bad? Was I supposed to go slower?" She asked, and I sighed, shaking my head.
"That's not it. I know that last night was both of our first times, so how come you seemed to know what to do?" I asked, and she frowned, looking thoughtful for a few seconds, before shrugging.
"I don't know... Instincts? I just did what felt natural. If it felt good, does it really matter?" She asked, her head tilted in honest confusion. I looked at her for a few seconds, before shaking my head and giving her a smile.
"No, I guess not." I said, looking her in the eyes and laying a quick kiss on her lips; much to her surprise. "Although, I am a bit jealous that you're a lot better than me." I said, and she blushed, looking away.
"I-I don't know about that. You can't decide from just one time." She said, her eyes half lidded. "Though I do appreciate the compliment!" She said, before reluctantly standing up and going back to her breakfast. I gave her one last lingering look, before picking up my fork and eating as well. After finishing breakfast and washing our dishes, I made my way back to Caroline, who was leaning back in her chair with her eyes closed in content.
"So, how did you like breakfast?" I asked, and she opened her mouth to say something, only to let out a quiet burp. Eyes widening, she covered her mouth, blushing slightly.
"E-excuse me..." She said, and I held up a hand dismissively.
"Hey, don't worry, that tells me you enjoyed it!" I said, and she gave a smile and nod. "Well, I'm glad you liked it. So, now that you're done, are you ready?" I asked, and she looked at me in confusion.
"Ready? Ready for what?" She asked, and I pointed out the window towards the village.
"To go to the village, of course. You said you would be fine with us going today. What better time to go, when people are most likely still in their homes?" I asked, and she sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.
"R-right... The village. I-I wasn't expecting you to want to go this early." She said, before sighing once again. "C-can I at least take a shower first?" She asked, and I nodded.
"Sure, I'll wait here until you're finished." I said, and she nodded, walking towards the stairs, before stopping and grinning at me.
"You know, it would make me feel more relaxed if you were to... Join me in the shower." She said, looking at me with half lidded eyes and licking her lips. I gulped, my eyes going wide.
"I-I don't think that's such a good idea... The point of showers is to get clean, and if I get in that shower with you, we definitely won't be getting clean!" I said, and she gave a little whine.
"Aw, come on. I was only kidding! It doesn't have to be dirty or anything, I could just use some help with washing my back, that's all." She said, looking at me with puppy dog eyes. I sighed, looking away in defeat, unable to resist that look.
"Fine, but promise me you won't try anything." I said, and she nodded, already running up the stairs and towards the bathroom.
"I won't try anything!" She called down, and I sighed and shook my head, well aware she didn't promise anything. Mentally preparing myself, I made my way after her.
After about twenty minutes of helping her wash her back, as well as blocking her wandering hands, we both finished with our shower. "You won't try anything, huh?" I asked, drying myself off and handing her the towel. She stuck her tongue out at me playfully.
"Hey, technically I didn't promise you I wouldn't really try anything." She said, and I nodded, rolling my eyes as she dried off.
"Well, maybe this just means I can't really trust you." I said, poking her in the side, causing her to squirm and giggle.
"Hey, stop that! That tickles!" She said, and I smiled, laying off. Taking a deep breath, she calmed down, putting her clothes on. "Hey, Aden? You didn't really mean what you said about not being able to trust me, did you?" She asked, and I thought about teasing her a bit, until I saw the unsure look in her eyes.
"No, I was only teasing. I was well aware that you didn't really promise anything." I said, and she nodded.
"Good... I'm glad you still trust me." She said, and I smiled. "Anyways, I'm ready to go into the village if you are." She said, taking a deep breath. I nodded, holding onto her hand and giving it a squeeze.
"Sure, if you're ready." I said, leading her out of the bathroom. Stopping by our bedroom, Caroline grabbed her bag of emeralds and diamonds, before we headed downstairs and out the door. We walked in silence, and as we entered the village, Caroline stuck close to my side, looking around nervously as people walked by us, either waving, or paying us no mind. After a few minutes, Caroline seemed to calm down slightly.
"S-so, this is a village? It's a lot calmer than I imagined. I always thought that if I was to enter a village, I would be chased away with swords and bows..." She said, and I placed my arm around her.
"See, I told you that you had nothing to worry about! As long as you stay calm, everything will be fine!" I said, and she gave me a nervous smile.
"I guess you were right. Now, let's go find-" She began, before being interrupted as someone called us. Turning around, we watched as a man ran up to us.
"H-hey... You're Aden and Caroline, right?" He asked, panting slightly from running. Caroline's eyes widened, and she swallowed nervously.
"Y-yes, that's us... W-who are you?" She asked, and the man held up a finger, before taking a deep breath and giving us a smile, as well as holding out his hand.
"Hello, I'm Morgan; Amelia's uncle. Chris and Amelia have told me so much about you." He said, and Caroline shied away from his hand.
"W-what did they tell you?" She asked, and Morgan nodded awkwardly, putting his hand down when he realized that none of us were comfortable with shaking his hand.
"R-right. This isn't really a good place to talk." He said, trailing off as a small group of people walked by. "If you follow me, I can explain it somewhere more private." He said, and we looked at each other nervously, before hesitantly following the man. Morgan lead us through the streets, waving to people as they went by. Eventually, we arrived at what looked to be a farm. Looking around, we began to relax a bit.
"I-is this where Amy works?" Caroline asked, as we walked by a fenced off area with horses. The man nodded, continuing on towards a small log house.
"That's right. She helps me with the horses and other animals, while Chris sometimes helps me harvest the carrots and potatoes." He said, walking up to the house, holding the door open for us. We looked nervously at each other for a few seconds, before walking inside. The house was small, but cozy looking, with two sofas in the living room, as well as a brick fireplace against the far wall. "Can I interest you in any tea?" He asked, looking at us and taking his shoes off. Caroline hesitated, before nodding and sitting down. Not one to be left out, I agreed as well, and Morgan went into another room that I assumed was the kitchen. Five minutes later, he came out holding two cups, which he handed to us. Taking a small sip, Caroline placed the cup on the coffee table and sighed.
"S-so... What did Chris and Amy tell you about us?" She asked, nervously tapping her fingers against the coffee table. Morgan sighed, getting right to the point.
"Well, for starters, I know that you are part Creeper." He said, and Caroline stiffened, looking ready to bolt at any second. Seeing how scared she looked, I got up and stood in front of her protectively. Morgan's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "Whoa, hold on! There's no reason for that, I only want to talk!" He said, and Caroline looked at him in surprise, though she was still ready to run if need be.
"T-talk? Why would you only want to talk?! Knowing what I am, I would have thought you would chase me away!" She stuttered, and Morgan shook his head. Sensing that everything was ok, I sat back down, though I did wrap my arm around her protectively.
"That's right... I only want to talk. Amelia said that you took care of her when she was alone. Is that true?" He asked, and she gulped, looking away.
"Y-yes sir... I found Amy in the cave, and I began helping her. She... She went through some dark times, and I stuck by her side." She said quietly, and both Morgan and I looked at her in concern.
"Dark times? What do you mean?" Morgan asked, and Caroline stayed quiet. He looked at her in confusion for a few seconds, before realization appeared in his eyes. Grimacing slightly, he cleared his throat. "W-well, thank you. Amelia told me you were like a sister to her, and I appreciate you taking care of her even though you didn't know her." He said, and she nodded.
"E-excuse me, sir... May I ask you something? If you know I'm part Creeper, why are you being so nice to me?" She asked warily. Morgan sighed, sitting down on the opposite couch and leaning back.
"For one, you took care of my niece out of the goodness of your heart, and that proves to me that you're a good person. However, if you really must know, I also know that you can't blow up." He said, and Caroline sighed. Seeing that their conversation was over, I sat up.
"Mr. Morgan?" I asked, and he looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "We came into town looking for a shop that would sell art supplies, would you know of any place like that?" I asked, and he scratched at the stubble on his chin.
"Yeah, there may be a shop like that around here. However, may I ask something?" He asked before turning towards Caroline. "I noticed that you are wearing a hoodie, even though it's nice out. Do you have any other clothes? I ask because Amelia didn't have any before." He said, and she hesitated before sighing, looking down at the hoodie I gave her before.
"As you know, I'm part Creeper, so the only other clothes I have is a green hoodie with a Creeper design on it. Aden gave me this one so I can walk around without being attacked." She said, and Morgan nodded, a frown on his face.
"In that case, there is somewhere I would like to bring you before I show you the shop you were looking for." He said, and Caroline looked at him in confusion.
"Where would that be?" She asked, biting her lip anxiously, and Morgan smiled softly.
"Well, my girlfriend happens to own the village's tailory, and I wouldn't mind getting you some new clothes like I did for Amelia." He said, and Caroline's eyes widened.
"Oh, you don't need to do that, I have money to get that kind of thing." She said, holding up her bag of emeralds and diamonds, but Morgan shook his head, standing up.
"No, no, I don't mind. Think of it as my way of thanking you for being there for Amelia." He said, and her mouth opened, though nothing came out. She looked as if she was going to turn down his offer, before she looked him in the eyes and sighed.
"If you're really ok with it... But I still say you don't have to." She said, and he nodded, standing up as we finished our tea. Picking up and putting on his shoes, Morgan lead us out of the house and towards the gate.
"So, you're looking for art supplies? Which one of you is the artist?" He asked, and I pointed at Caroline.
"Caroline is, and I have to admit, she can paint well!" I said, and she ducked her head, blushing from the compliment. Morgan looked at her in pleasant surprise.
"So, you paint?" He asked, and she nodded, still looking away in embarrassment. "That's cool, what would you say your style is?" He asked, and she took a calming breath.
"I mostly do landscapes. I used to have more paintings that I finished, but I got rid of them because I didn't think they were very good." Caroline said, and he nodded in understanding.
"The struggles of being an artist, huh? Most artists always feel that way, even if the paintings are good." He said, and she looked at him in surprise, though she stayed quiet. Walking in relative silence, we finally arrived at what looked to be a small house; Only the sign hanging above the door signalled that this was the tailory. Walking inside, a small bell announced our arrival, causing a smaller woman to look up from her desk. When she saw Morgan, she smiled.
"Good morning, Morgan!" She said, before noticing us. "Who are they?" She asked, and Morgan cleared his throat.
"Hey, Gloria. This is Aden and Caroline." He said, and the woman's eyes widened in realization as she looked at us for a few seconds.
"Wait... Isn't she the one Amelia told us about?" She asked, while Morgan nodded. The woman took a step forward and held out her hand. "Hello, I'm Gloria, and I'm in charge of making and selling clothes in this village." She said, and Caroline looked down at the offered hand for a few seconds, before slowly shaking it with her own.
"H-hello, I'm-" She began, before Gloria held up a finger.
"Oh, I know who you are. Amelia said she owes you a lot!" She said, and Caroline shook her head, looking somewhat uncomfortable with the attention.
"N-no, no, she doesn't owe me anything. She didn't have anyone to turn to, and... I could relate." She said. Sensing an uncomfortable topic, Gloria changed the topic.
"So, let me guess... You're here because Morgan offered to buy you some clothes, am I right?" She asked, and Caroline looked at her in surprise.
"T-that's correct, but how did you know?" She asked, and Gloria smiled.
"Well, for one, that seems like something he would do. Second, he did the same for Amelia. I just assumed he would make the same offer for someone who took care of her like that." She said, before taking a deep breath. "Well, come on, let's go get your measurements so we can get you your new clothes!" She said, and Caroline silently followed, looking nervously back at me, before disappearing through a door.
Caroline's POV
I slowly and quietly followed Gloria as she lead me to a room at the back of the tailory. I watched as she picked up what looked to be a piece of numbered tape and a notepad, before walking towards me with them. "Ok, I'm going to need you to try and be as still as you can." She said, beginning to wrap the tape around my waist. "So, is it true? That you're part Creeper?" She asked, and I flinched, looking away.
"Well, I guess this means there's some things I can't trust even with Amy..." I said, and she frowned, shaking her head.
"Hey now, don't talk like that! I didn't hear it from Amelia, I heard it from Morgan, who in turn heard it from Chris after Morgan bugged him about it. Amelia didn't say anything about it!" She said, and I nodded, feeling a bit better.
"Anyways, yes, it's true. My mom was a Creeper, and my father was human." I said, and she nodded, falling silent; Taking a few more measurements. "I don't suppose this means you're skeptical of me, does it?" I asked, and she shook her head, giving me a reassuring smile and putting the numbered tape away.
"Of course not. You seem like a good person, and your heritage doesn't change that." She said, and I looked at her in surprise, before smiling.
"Thank you. Now if only others could understand that..." I said, and she put a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
"Relax, just give it time. Maybe one day things will change." She said, and I shrugged, not really sure that would happen. "Anyways, I got your measurements, anything from over here should fit you." She said, pointing to the clothes to the left. Thanking her, I began looking through the clothes. Coming across a matching yellow blouse and T-shirt, I picked them out, as well as a pair of jeans.
"How much would these cost?" I asked, and Gloria looked at me in confusion.
"Why? I thought Morgan was buying you these?" She asked, and I nodded with a sigh.
"I tried to say that I could buy them, I have the money, but he insisted on buying me these." I said, and she nodded in understanding, before once again looking confused.
"Wait, no offense, but how much money could you have? I mean, you don't really seem like the kind of person who would have a job in a village." She said, and I shook my head, taking out my pouch of emeralds and diamonds; Showing her, and her jaw dropped.
"Like I said, I have plenty of money, so I would feel bad accepting Mr. Morgan's offer." I said, and she took a shaky breath.
"W-well... You weren't lying! M-may I ask you how you were able to get all of this?" She asked, and I shrugged, putting the pouch away.
"I made my home deep underground. This is about a weeks' worth of mining out stone to make my home. Even though I had no way to use any of it, I still kept it just in case." I said, and she nodded, before looking thoughtful.
"Well... I can see where Morgan's coming from. You helped keep his niece alive, and he wants to do something to show you how thankful he is for that. However, I can also see your point. You have the money to pay for the clothes, as well as plenty left over, and you don't want to feel like you're taking advantage of him." She said, and I nodded. "Have you thought about making a compromise?" She asked, and I looked at her in confusion.
"What? Do you mean like paying half?" I asked, and she agreed.
"Exactly! Normally, something like this would come out to six emeralds, but if you pay three, and he pays three, you would both be getting what you want." She said, and I nodded thoughtfully, before grabbing three emeralds and handing them over. She smiled, taking the emeralds and putting them away in a drawer of her desk. "Excellent, now why don't you try them on?" She said, and I smiled, before going into the changing room she pointed out; The new clothes in hand.
Aden's POV
Sitting in a chair next the door, Morgan and I waited for Caroline and Gloria to return. Looking at me curiously, Morgan cleared his throat, catching my attention.
"What's Caroline's story?" He asked, and I looked at him for a few seconds, before frowning slightly and shaking my head.
"I'm Sorry. Not to be rude, but we don't even know you very well. That's not something I would just tell someone." I said firmly, and he nodded, before falling silent.
"So, Amelia and Chris went off to the mountains searching for something. Why didn't you go as well. Looking at you, you don't seem like the kind of person who would willingly stay behind." He said, and I nodded, sighing slightly.
"Oh, trust me, I wanted to go, but my health wouldn't really allow it, and that's all I'm willing to say on that." I said. "At least I have Caroline willing to keep me company." I said, and he smiled in understanding.
"So you and Caroline are together?" He asked, and I nodded, looking away.
"That's correct, though it took a bit for her to convince me that it was ok." I said, and he looked at me in confusion, getting ready to say something, when the back door opened. Breaking away from the conversation, I looked up, only for my eyes to widen when I saw Caroline walk over wearing a bright yellow blouse and jeans. "Woah, you look great!" I said, and she blushed, smiling.
"I agree! So, how much does that come out to?" Morgan asked, and Caroline turned to look at him.
"Actually, Ms. Gloria wanted to talk to you about that." She said, and Morgan looked at her in confusion for a few seconds.
"She does? Ok, but what about showing you the art shop?" He asked, and she smiled, shaking her head.
"That's ok, Ms. Gloria told me how to get there, so you don't have to show us." She said, and he looked at her for a few seconds, before nodding.
"Well, if you're sure, I guess I'll see you next time." He said, walking through the back door. Watching him walk away, we took our leave, making our way to the art shop that Gloria told Caroline how to get to. As we walked, I couldn't help but think back to something she had said before.
"Hey, when you were talking about Amelia before, you mentioned that she was going through some dark times. Did you mean...?" I started, before trailing off when I saw her darkening features. She stayed silent for a few minutes, before sighing.
"Yes... But you can't blame her! You have to remember, she lost her parents when she was only ten!" She said, and I nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I know, and no one is blaming her, I was just wondering if she knows how much she's like Chris." I said, and she looked at me in surprise.
"What? What do you mean? Are you saying Chris has considered it as well?" She asked, and I nodded. "How do you know? Did he tell you?" She asked, and I shook my head.
"No. He didn't have to. You see, I was taught by my father how to see the signs from suicidal people since he worked for something called a suicide hotline. Anyways, when I first met Chris, he was giving all the red flag signs of someone who was either suicidal, or on the cusp of it. The way he kept to himself, and how depressed he was. When he came up to me, I decided to try and change his mind, and we quickly became friends." I said, and Caroline looked at me with wide eyes.
"Wow, so you kept him from doing anything bad?" She asked, and I shrugged.
"I don't know... I like to think that even if I wasn't there, something would have happened to stop him. Anyways, is that the shop you were looking for?" I asked pointing at a store with a sign naming it the 'Golden Palette'. Caroline looked where I was pointing, before a wide smile crossed her face.
"Yes! That's the place Ms. Gloria told me about, come on!" She exclaimed, grabbing my hand and practically dragging me towards the building. Pushing open the door and entering, we were immediately hit with the odor of strong paint and turpentine, as well as the sound of a bell. As the bell chimed, a skinny looking man peered at us over his glasses. As soon as he saw us, he smiled.
"Ah, welcome! Welcome to the 'Golden Palette', home of all your artistic needs! I am Nigel, how may I be of service to you?" He asked, looking curiously at us. Instead of answering, Caroline just looked around in awe, gawking at all the art supplies.
"W-woah, look at all the actual supplies!" She said, and the man's curiosity turned into confusion as we watched her zip excitedly around the store, looking closely at all of the wares. Giving the man an apologetic look, I sighed.
"S-sorry about that, we'll just be looking around for right now." I said, and he nodded, heading behind his desk once again.
"Right... Well, if you're interested in anything here, or you need anything, just let me know." He said, before focusing on some papers that were on his desk. Left on my own, I quickly caught up to Caroline, who was looking at some canvas paper, still looking excited.
"Hey, Caroline, calm down! Is all this stuff really worth that reaction?" I asked, giving her shoulder a poke and causing her to jump slightly.
"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry. It's just... After having to make my own supplies for so long, having the chance to actually get the real deal is great!" She said. "I mean... Look at these! These are quality Canvas papers!" She said, and I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.
"Fine, well, let's just do what we came here to do." I said, and she nodded, seemingly calming down slightly, getting down to business. By the time we finished shopping, my hands were quite full of bottles of paint and turpentine, and Caroline was carrying her canvas papers and an eisle. As we carried the stuff to the front desk, the man behind it looked up from his papers raised an eyebrow.
"Wow... That's quite a lot of stuff." He said, making some room to set everything down. "So, who's the artist?" He asked, and I looked at Caroline, giving her a smile. Seeing this, her eyes widened, and she shook her head.
"O-oh, I wouldn't call myself an artist! I just... Dabble a bit." She said, and I rolled my eyes. Smiling, the man behind the desk took out what I assumed was a price book.
"You know young lady, being an artist isn't something you should be embarrassed about. In fact, you should be proud. Art is something that shapes who we are, it also shapes our history!" He said, and she looked at him in surprise.
"Really? I've always painted because it's something I enjoyed to do. I had no idea what I was doing was so important." She said, and the man nodded.
"Indeed..." He said, looking between what she was buying, and the book. "If you really are an artist, that is some talent you have." He said, before finally closing the price book. "Anyways, these supplies are going to come out to about thirty emeralds." He said, writing something down. Caroline frowned slightly, before looking in her emerald pouch. A few seconds later, she took out a diamond and set it on the counter.
"Um... I'm sorry, I don't have that many emeralds on me right now, but would this be enough?" She asked, looking genuinely curious. The man looked down at the blue stone, before his eyes widened.
"U-uh... Y-yes. In fact... T-this is more than enough!" He said, reaching into his desk and pulling out a small box. Opening it, the man began counting out the emeralds that were inside. After counting out thirty four emeralds, he slid them over to Caroline, and she looked at him in surprise.
"What's this for?" She asked, and the man looked confused.
"What do you mean? You gave me a diamond, so I'm giving you back your change." He said, and upon receiving a blank look, he frowned. "These supplies cost thirty emeralds, and you handed me a diamond. A diamond is equal to sixty four emeralds, so I owe you thirty four emeralds." He said, and Caroline nodded in understanding.
"Oh... Well thank you." She said, placing her newly acquired emeralds in her pouch, and the man nodded.
"No problem." He said, giving us a smile as we gathered Caroline's new art supplies and got ready to leave. Before we could reach the door however, the man behind the desk called out. "Oh, and young lady!" He called, causing her to look back. "Be careful carrying all that money, some people could try to steal if they know how much you have on you." He said, and she nodded, giving him a smile as we walked out. As we walked back towards home, I saw that Caroline seemed to have something on her mind.
"Hey, what's wrong? You look to be deep in thought." I said, and she blinked, before shrugging.
"Oh, nothing much, I was just thinking about what Mr. Nigel said. Is art really as important as he said?" She asked, and I shrugged.
"Well, I'm not sure about in Minecraftia, but where I come from, sure it is. Because of some paintings and artifacts, we now know life might have been like for civilizations that are no longer around." I said, and she nodded, looking thoughtful. Walking for a few more minutes, I turned and looked at her. "Can I ask you a question? Why did you seem so embarrassed when I mentioned that you were an artist?" I asked, and she frowned and sighed.
"I-it's not that... I wasn't embarrassed, I just... Don't like to bring much attention to myself." She said, and I nodded in understanding.
"Oh... I'm sorry. When you denied that you were an artist, I just couldn't understand why you'd deny having such a good talent!" I said, and she smiled and blushed.
"Aw, thanks!" She said, leaning over and kissing me on the cheeks.
"N-no problem..." I said, blushing deeply. "Now come on, let's get home. I did promise to help you bake some cookies earlier, didn't I?" I asked. Her eyes lit up, and she eagerly nodded, picking up speed, nearly leaving me behind. Chuckling at her sudden enthusiasm, I too picked up speed as we both hurried off for home.