I stood frozen as she wrapped her arms around me and cried into my shirt.
I don't want to sing anymore?
What did that mean? Was she saying she needed a break? Or was she going to quit singing forever? Why would she say that?
Amidst all the questions, her tears staining my shirt brought me back to reality.
"Hey, it's okay…" I said softly, rubbing her back. It was only a small act of comfort and something I wasn't so sure was helping at all, but it was all I knew how to do. Though I had comforted Rose before, comforting someone my age who I barely knew a thing about was completely different.
I sighed. I really wanted to do more, but didn't know how. While I was hugging her, I didn't even know if I was doing it right.
"Everything's gonna be alright." I cringed a little at my pathetic attempt at comfort, but it seemed to do the trick as her cries died down.
Or maybe it was simply because she had already cried everything out and my comforts did nothing. I quickly shook that thought out of my head.
As her cries died down, I let her go and settled on rubbing her arms. It was strange and a little awkward, as I had never done this to anyone my age, much less a girl. I then thought of all the times dad and mom had comforted me when I was going through some hard times.
A hug? Well, I was already doing that.
Candy? Probably not as effective. It wasn't like we had any anyway...
Tell her to stop crying and tough it out? No way, especially not to a guest.
Cook a meal? Hm…
As I brought my attention back to her, I no longer heard any of her cries. Only a few sniffles here and there. Great, now was my chance.
"Did you eat anything yet?"
She slowly shook her head.
And with that, I finally had something I could do.
"It's not good to skip a meal." I started, "Let me make you something. Anything in particular you'd like to eat?"
She shook her head. "Anything's fine." she sniffled.
"Alright then," I said, clapping my hands. "Sit tight. I'll have something out for you soon. In the meantime, why don't you unpack your things?"
I quietly left the room while leaving the door slightly ajar as I wasn't sure if she needed it closed. Making my way through the hallway, I let out a huge sigh of relief.
That went better than I expected.
As I found myself back in the kitchen, I found Rose helping herself to the food dad had bought us, Orchid seemingly completely out of her mind. Dad on the other hand ate it a lot more tactfully while finishing up his work.
"Bạn con sao? Có thoải mái không?" he asked without looking up. (How is your friend? Is she comfortable?)
"I think so." I replied, turning on the stove.
"Con làm gì đó?"
"She hasn't eaten yet, so I wanted to make her something."
"Don't tire yourself. You haven't eaten yet either. You want me to do it instead?" dad said sternly.
"No thanks. I'll finish this quickly and eat after." I replied, giving him an O-K hand.
Now then, what to do? She said anything was fine but was it really? What if I made something for her and she didn't like it? I scratched my chin, pondering on what she might've liked or what might've been good for her.
Well, she was a popstar, so she was probably used to high class meals, right?
...
Yeah, no. That wasn't something I could provide.
Looking in the refrigerator, I saw some leftover white meat that hadn't been eaten for the past day. I had totally forgotten what it was for, but given the current situation, an idea popped into my head.
"Ah! Gỏi cuốn." I said to myself. (Spring rolls)
Simple to make and easy for many to enjoy, I hoped this would be enough to satisfy her tastes.
Grabbing out the vegetables and meat, I soaked the rice paper in water and placed a few lettuce leaves along with vermicelli noodles and meat atop the sheet before wrapping them all up into a thick roll. I could usually eat 6-7 of these for a meal, but in Orchid's case, I figured three would be enough. Turning on the stove, I poured peanut butter and hoisin sauce into a pot to make the peanut sauce I loved so much. Within minutes, the meal was ready.
"Hope she likes it…" I muttered to myself, walking back to Rose's room.
Taking one more deep breath, I slowly pushed the door open and took a peek. To my surprise, Orchid was no longer sitting on the bed and was already unpacking her things. My eye twitched as I noticed the pile of unfolded cloth atop Rose's bed and I could hear the pile screaming at me as I watched her add more and more clothes to it.
PLEEEEASE FOLD MEEE!
It took all my effort just to not drop everything and fold each and every piece of cloth right then and there.
She sharply turned as I knocked the door twice.
"Here you are." I said, gently setting the plate down on Rose's drawing desk.
She jumped a bit before gathering herself and properly sitting down. "O-Oh! Sorry about that. Thanks."
"No worries. Hope you enjoy it."
She eyed the rolls for a few seconds before finally grabbing one and dipping it in the sauce. I leaned on the door and crossed my arms, feeling my beating heart as I watched her take a big bite and chew. While I wasn't insecure of my cooking skills, having people taste my cooking for the first time never failed to make me nervous. Combine that with serving food that was possibly unknown to a guest...oh boy.
I watched as she covered her mouth while she chewed. To avoid staring at her, I tried to occupy myself by opening the closet and drawers to make things easier for her to stuff away her clothes.
"Well?" I asked, with my back still turned to her. "How is it? Hopefully not too bad?"
Despite my futile attempts, I found myself unable to mask my nervousness as my legs refused to sit still. Did she like it? Did she not like it? What did she think?
"It's...really good." I heard her say.
At that moment, my heart settled down. Whether she was telling the truth or just saying it out of gratitude and consideration suddenly didn't matter. I was just glad she didn't barf or anything. Turning back to face her, I was about to joke about making her something different to suit her "refined tastes" but decided against it as I watched her make her way past the second and third roll, much like how Rose devoured her food. While she ate, our eyes met for a quick moment before she quickly turned away, likely out of embarrassment.
"What? Never seen a girl eat before?" she asked while covering her mouth.
"Trust me, I've seen a girl eat plenty. Take my sister. I'm just surprised you eat like her." I teased.
She gave me a "pssh" as she stood up and handed me the empty plate before unpacking the rest of her things. Realizing I was staring at her for what seemed like a little too long, I quietly headed out and back to the kitchen to give her space.
"Bạn con thấy ngon không?" (Did your friend like it?)
I turned to see dad sitting at the dinner table, gesturing at the food he set out for me.
"Cũng ngon." I replied. "She didn't say much else after though."
Realizing how hungry I was after the day's events, I dug in immediately. Couldn't go wrong with burgers, especially if they were from the 24-hour store. Seeing me walk back out, Rose rushed back to her room, most likely to help Orchid unpack and probably probe her about everything now that she wasn't the only girl in the house.
"Thì bay giớ làm sao?" dad asked, his expression now serious. "Con có biết ba mẹ của bạn con đau không?" (So what do we do now? Does your friend have a place to return to?)
I pondered for a bit. From what I remember, Orchid did have a home not too far from here. If anything, it wasn't too long of a walk away. However, I'm sure being a pop star and all had its downsides. Most likely, with all the public attention focused on her, people probably knew where she lived.
Before I could give an answer, though, dad held up a hand.
"Ba chỉ hỏi thôi. We can get to it later." (I was just asking.)
I stared at him for a bit as he returned to his work before shrugging it off and finishing up my meal and starting on my own homework. Rose's laughs could be heard from down the hallway, making it obvious how much she was enjoying her new company. It made me a bit embarrassed and had me contemplating on whether or not I should tell her to settle down to avoid making Orchid uncomfortable. Looking at dad, I noticed him turning towards the hallway and smiling.
"I've never heard An Nhiên so loud before. Not even when she was a baby..." he said.
After a few minutes or so, Dad left to visit Rose's room most likely to help Orchid unpack and give her a quick tour of the house. Finally alone, I allowed myself to stretch and breathe from the day's events. Staring blankly at the ceiling, I tried to process everything that was happening all around me. Getting a popstar out of the sauna, sneaking her into my house and having her stay until who knows when. Thinking back on it now, maybe we should've hid ourselves better. Who knows if someone saw us and knew where she was staying? Even though there was nothing else I could do, I still couldn't help but worry.
Realizing I was wasting water, I hurried with the dishes before heading back to Rose's room to catch up with what was going on. As I approached, I could see a pit of dad's back sticking out from the doorway. He was leaning against the frame with his hands crossed. I didn't know why, but seeing him like that somehow told me that standing too close was a bad idea, so I stood with my back against the hall, trying to get close enough to hear their conversation.
"...Have your parents reached out to you yet?"
His voice was low and a bit somber, a tone he took only when things were serious.
"No, they haven't. I don't even think they know what's going on yet." Orchid replied.
"In that case I think it's a good idea to call them. Let them know what's going on and how you're doing. It'd save them the worry."
Peeking from dad's shoulder, I could see Orchid grimace. It seemed like her parents were a bit of a sore subject. However, if dad had seen it or cared, he didn't show any signs that he did. I wondered how she was feeling under all that pressure dad was exerting. He was always a bit sensitive when it came to family-related matters.
"I'll reach out to them. I think they deserve to know that I'm safe and worrying for them too."
Dad nodded. "That's good. In the meantime, you can stay for as long as you like."
I watched from behind as Rose jumped up and down in excitement. It was exhausting to watch, and a part of me was tempted to get in there to calm her down so as not to overwhelm our new guest, but I quickly turned against it the moment I saw Orchid's face. Even as Rose cheered and hugged her, she gave a slight smile.
So a pop star was staying at my house now.
That was a thing.
Mornings were quiet like they always were, and as I forced myself out of bed I couldn't help but notice that something was different. Reaching the end of the hallway, I raised an eyebrow as I stared at Rose's bedroom door, realizing it was closed.
Wasn't she afraid of nightmares emerging from her closet?
Suddenly, memories of a certain someone flashed through my mind, and I hurried to the bathroom to confirm if everything that happened yesterday was real. Sure enough, I noticed one never-seen-before purple toothbrush next to Rose's pink. I shook my head, still unable to believe it.
We had a guest living in our home now.
Carrying out the rest of my morning routine, I hurried out of the bathroom and scrambled for my uniform. As I put my jeans on, I felt an unusual tightness from my thighs. Looking down, I noticed a healthy amount of my legs already exposed even before I had pulled them up all the way.
Was I growing?
I shook my head again. Looks like I'd have to ask dad to buy some new pants soon as well. On the other hand…
Fishing out the box that was mailed to me by the school a while back, I pulled out some black uniform pants. Taking a deep breath, I could still smell the fresh cloth, making it obvious I hadn't touched them ever since school started. They were a little too long and loose when I had first tried them on. Maybe they'd fit now?
"Huh…I really am growing."
I had always wondered why dad always insisted on buying me clothes a few sizes bigger than I could fit. Now I knew why. Looking in the mirror, I could see the pants fit my frame perfectly. While they were long enough, they certainly hugged my legs more than the loose cotton jeans I liked.
Deeming myself presentable enough, I headed out to the kitchen to see breakfast already prepared. Dad, taking notice of my appearance, smiled and gave a thumbs up.
"Đẹp quá." he said. (So handsome)
"No way." I whined. "Vào cuối tuần ba có thể quần jean mới cho con được không?" (Could you buy me a new pair of jeans over the weekend?)
"Tại sao? Con không thích quần đó hả?" (Why? You don't like your pants?)
"Quần này hơi khó chịu." (They feel a bit uncomfortable.) I wasn't sure if I said the last part correctly, but it seemed adequate enough to dad as he made no remarks.
"You know…" he started.
I blinked as he spoke in English to me. It wasn't the first time, but it was rare enough for anyone (who knew him well enough) to be surprised.
"Ba không bao giờ hiểu tại sao con không mặc quần đó." (I never understood why you held off on wearing those pants.)
Well that didn't last too long.
"Ba thấy con đẹp hơn khi con mặc quần đó." (I think you look better in them.)
I made a long exasperated sigh. It was a speech I had heard many times in the past. Truth is, I just couldn't see it. Me looking better in pants like these? No way.
"Alright then, in that case let's make a bet."
"A bet?" I asked.
"Khi An Nhiên van Lan ra, Ba sẽ hỏi mấy em có thấy con đẹp hơn với quần đó hay là quần jeans. Nếu mấy em thấy quần jean đẹp hơn thì ba sẽ mua cho con. Nếu không thì con phải mặc quần này." (Once Rose and Orchid come, I'll ask them whether you look better with jeans or these uniform pants. If they think you look better with jeans then I'll buy some more for you. If not then you have to stick with this.)
That made sense. If we were going to make a decision it was best to base it on unbiased sources.
"Alright." I nodded.
Rose was the first to arrive in the kitchen and hurriedly said her good mornings before wasting no time in digging into her cereal. Realizing she hadn't noticed dad pointed her towards me.
"An nhiên ơi," dad started, causing Rose to look up and expose her milk-covered lips. "Con có thấy điều gì khác về anh hai không?" (Do you notice anything different about your brother?)
Staring at me for a bit, Rose narrowed her eyes while scanning me from head-to-toe before shaking her head.
"Mm-mm." she mumbled, her mouth full of cereal. That wasn't surprising, considering she had been with me too long to notice.
Dad scratched his chin, trying to find another way to phrase the question. "Con coi nè, Anh hai đang mặc quần mới. Con có thấy quần của anh hai đẹp không?" (Look, your big brother's wearing new pants. Do you think they look good?)
Rose turned to face me again and squinted her eyes once more before nodding yes. I scrunched up my face as she did so. Of course she'd say that! She always listened to dad.
"Hey! That's not fair, she has a bias!"
"Thì mình sẽ hỏi Lan." (Then we'll ask Orchid.)
It didn't take too long for Orchid to finish up and join us. The moment she did, she immediately greeted us with a slight smile and nod.
"Good morning."
We nodded back and returned the gesture.
"Good morning con." Dad greeted. "Ngủ ngon không?" (Did you sleep well?)
"Dạ" she replied, immediately sitting herself next to Rose, to which she smiled.
When dad had asked her what she wanted to eat for breakfast, she simply requested for an egg on a slice of toast. Like how he treated all his other guests, he encouraged her to eat more and added some bacon along with the eggs to her toast. To my surprise, she took quite a liking to it, hence how she quickly dug in. Just as I stood up to get my own things ready, Orchid quickly took notice of my new pants.
"Well lookee here…" she commented, raising an eyebrow. "You're actually wearing your uniform properly today?"
"My jeans don't fit me anymore." I replied, which was sort of the truth. It wasn't like I had made a conscious change. Inwardly, I prayed she wouldn't say anything about it and just shrug it off.
"You look nice."
Right in that moment, dad clapped his hands and punched the air in celebration. If I didn't know better, I would've contested it, saying that Orchid wasn't specific, but who was I kidding? Everybody knew what she was talking about.
"Man, that was my one chance to get dad to buy me new jeans!" I complained to her. Unfortunately for me, she remained unfazed.
"Oh relax. It suits you. Here let me just…"
She got out of her seat and stood behind me, placing her hands on my chest.
"Hey, what are you-?"
Before I could finish, she grabbed my tie and pulled it all the way up to the point where it touched my neck.
"Oh, stand still. Let me work my magic."
Giving up, I did as I was told and let her do whatever she wanted with my uniform. I winced as I felt my uniform become tighter around my torso. I sucked up my gut in hopes of making things easier for her. While she worked, Rose remained unfazed as she was too busy with her breakfast while dad raised an eyebrow while nodding, clearly impressed with whatever it was that was going on.
"There. See?" She took her phone and snapped a photo before showing it to me. Within her phone I saw myself looking a bit more…"proper". A closed blazer along with my dress shirt buttoned up all the way and my tie all the way up to my neck. As I relaxed my gut, I let out a sigh of relief as I felt it fit comfortably in my uniform. Even now I still had trouble realizing my "big gut" days were long gone. While I wasn't too big of a fan of my new look, even I could acknowledge a job well done. I was still skeptical, but at least I looked a bit neater.
"Not too bad…" I mumbled.
"See?" She smiled.
With that fiasco over, we all hurried to school. Because her school was a little farther away, dad offered to drive the both of us, but I opted out considering Maplestory Academy was only a short walk away.
I constantly adjusted myself during my walk to school and even in class. While I wasn't uncomfortable, it felt weird to feel my tie against my neck. It especially didn't help considering everyone else was complimenting my new look
"Ronnie! What did you do to yourself?! You're actually dressing properly now and actually look almost as good as I do!"
I rolled my eyes at Joe. As if I'd never worn it properly! Jeans were totally aloud, so was leaving my uniform a bit undone! And I dare say I was the more attractive one between the two of us!
Maybe…
"Not bad." Alpha complimented, playing with his own locks. "Although I still wear my hair a bit better."
"Don't listen to him, Aaron." Beta interjected. "I think it suits you."
"Yeah. Maybe you could grow it out and tie it into a tail like me. I must say, it's done me wonders with the ladies." Lapis smirked, before earning a hit from Lazuli and Beta.
"Yeah, it's done wonders all right. Namely, it's put you on the list of top 10 guys to not date." Lazuli retorted.
I visibly recoiled at the jab, but Lapis waved it off and took it in stride. I had to give him respect for being able to handle that burn.
"Harsh…" I commented, to which Lazuli stuck out her tongue in response. I smiled, looking back at how far our relationship had progressed.
"So!" Lazuli clapped. "Given how I'm sure most of us are free after school today, how about we all go to Kerning Tower? They've recently opened the cosmetics shop on the upper floors and no way do I plan on missing it."
"Are we really free after school?" I asked.
"Coach DID say we'd have a light practice today since there was a big game coming up. We'll probably be out within an hour. Maybe even less." Joe commented.
And he was right. Come practice, the majority of our workout was a light jog, practicing passes and some small drills. It made sense given how we had a match against Mabinogi High, one of the strongest teams in the district.
"Alright everyone, we have a big game tomorrow. Get some rest and be ready tomorrow alright?"
"Yes sir!"
Rest huh? Sure, maybe after this visit to the tower. I had already texted dad that I had been going today and luckily he had been understanding about it. Without a hitch Joe, Eun-Wol, and I fast-walked to the subway station to get to the mall while everyone else hitched a ride.
We arrived later than the rest of the party and were greeted mostly by friendly waves, although Lazuli was by far the most exasperated.
"What took you guys so long?!" she exclaimed. "Thanks to you guys the new makeup store is already crowded!"
I could tell the twins got here in a rush (or maybe Lazuli herself rushed them) as they were all still fresh in their sportswear. This new store must've been special if she was going to rush them like this. Or maybe not, considering I didn't know Lazuli that well.
"Oh lighten up, Lazuli." Beta commented. "It's not like they were late on purpose. The subway took a while."
"Thank you!" Joe exclaimed, pointing a finger at Beta in appreciation. "Unlike you Lazuli, not all of us have money to afford our own rides."
"Whatever! Let's just hurry on already!"
"Hold on, hold on." Alpha interjected. "Yes, we came here because you pushed us, but we also want to hang out. And I don't know about you, but hanging out at a makeup store is a no-no for me. So we'll have to split members."
...
Split members? Why not just let the girls go wherever they want while the rest hung out? The suggestion sounded ridiculous, but Lazuli didn't contest it, and everyone else besides Eun-Wol and I seemed to agree with him.
"So who will go with who?" Eun-Wol asked.
"We decide that easily...with a game of rock-paper-scissors!" Alpha replied, holding out a fist in the middle of our circle. "Loser has to accompany my sister and Lazuli!"
Deciding to humor them, I joined in and let chance decide my choice.
"Ready? Rock! Paper! SCISSORS!"
Strangely enough, out of the five boys within the circle, four chose paper while one chose rock.
That "one" being me.
"Woohoo! Yeah!" Alpha celebrated, punching his fist in the air. Lapis and Joe followed suit while Eun-Wol merely shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry Aaron! Looks like you'll be their chauffeur for today. A few tips for dealing with Lazuli: Do as you're told and don't speak unless ordered to. Do that and you'll have a good time. That's it for now. See you later!"
Alpha and Lapis patted my shoulders in consolation while Joe performed a mock prayer for my safety. I eyed Joe in anger.
Don't just stand there! Help a brother out, damn it!
Eun-Wol, on the other hand, simply shrugged.
"Would you like me to accompany you?" he asked.
"No…" I sighed. "I lost the bet. Besides, if this turns out to be as bad as Alpha makes it to be then I wouldn't want to wish it on anybody else."
Eun-Wol simply nodded. "Well you have my number. Call if you need me." he said, giving a thumbs up before joining the rest of the boys.
I turned back to face the girls only to be met with Lazuli a few paces ahead while Beta gave me a sympathetic smile while waiting for me.
"Thanks Aaron," she started as we walked alongside each other. "Normally I'd tell you to join the boys but it's during situations like these that Alpha and I agreed we needed a boy with us. Personally I don't mind but Alpha would never listen."
"Oh yeah? And what kinds of 'situations' would these be if you don't mind me asking?"
"Well...let's just say a certain thing happened to us which caused us to be separated for longer than we wanted to be."
I nodded my head, not really understanding the whole situation but at least understanding it was a private matter. We then walked to the elevator with not another word between us, but Lazuli at least put in enough effort to acknowledge me before we entered. I couldn't help but smile at that as that was probably the second time she didn't look at me like I was total garbage.
I appreciated that.
"So uh...about this new makeup store." I started, "What's so special about it?"
"Other than the fact that its skincare and makeup products are top-notch? Nothing. Well, not that you'd care." Lazuli sharply replied.
I gripped my heart as I felt a sharp stabbing sensation within.
"Argh...gack…!" I choked out.
"Don't be mean." Beta said as she jabbed Lazuli's arm.
She did have a point and maybe it was a stupid question. I hardly knew a thing about makeup and skincare, but answer made sense. Practicality above all else right?
Once the elevator doors opened, I was immediately hit with a wide array of colors and scents. Not too far in front of us was a small bustling crowd within a particular store, making it easy to tell where this new makeup store was. It wasn't too crowded per se, but I knew even a popular place like Kerning Tower had its slow days. Seeing the store full of people while neighboring stores were devoid of life went on to show its popularity.
"Came at just the right day, huh?" I remarked. "If this had been the weekend we never could've gotten in."
"Which is why I wanted to go today." Lazuli retorted. "Any other day and everything would've been sold out."
Comfortably walking in, it was strange to see so many shelves cleared of their products. Even for a slow day, I never expected a store to look so empty of products. Beta seemed to be surprised as well as she let out a whistle.
"Seems like the store really is...caked out."
I let out a chuckle at her pun while Lazuli simply rolled her eyes as we dived deeper into the store. I looked around as we walked, trying to take in what products were around. Everything seemed so foreign. Blemishes, brushes, masks, it was full of things I didn't know how to use. Perfume was an exception though, as I remember putting on mom's perfume to fake the fact that I had taken a shower. Sadly, it never fooled dad.
"Ooh, take a look at this."
Turning to Lazuli, I saw here eyeing a makeup package before taking it off the shelf. While she examined the package, I examined other shelves in hopes of finding something that would at least pique my interest. My eyes darted to the face masks. Checking the package for its uses, I hummed at the fact that they could remove pores and oil. While I wasn't breaking out yet, dad said it'd happen sooner or later.
Never hurt to start early.
"Aaron!"
I turned around to see Lazuli ushering me over. Raising an eyebrow, I approached her cautiously as she held a...suspicious look in her eye. While Lazuli looked a little suspicious, Beta seemed to be stifling a laugh. Seeing a chair by Lazuli's side as I approached, I took initiative and sat down to avoid another snarky remark from here.
"What's up?" I asked as I sat down.
"Other than the ceiling? Nothing." Lazuli replied. "BUT! You'd be doing us both a favor by sitting still and being quiet."
Opening the container in her hand and grabbing a brush, she brought both items closer to my face.
"Um...what're you-"
"Silence." she demanded. I shut up immediately. "Now close your eyes and hold still."
I did as I was told and let her work her magic, feeling something brush softly against my skin. It was a little ticklish, and I found myself smiling while stifling a laugh as she did so. Before long the ticklish feeling soon became soothing and I found myself drifting off to sleep. It wasn't until I started hearing giggles from Beta that I started to become suspicious again.
"Hey! Keep your eyebrows still!"
"Sorry..."
My eyes were still closed, but I could hear her giggles turn to laughs as Lazuli went on. Soon the feeling of a brush against my face was replaced with a moving sensation against my lips. I furrowed my brows at this new sensation and my eagerness to open my eyes heightened as Beta's laughs became even louder. I kept my mouth shut, however, until I could no longer feel anything touching my face.
"How long do I have left?" I asked.
"None. Take a look."
Opening my eyes, I found myself facing a mirror. What was inside was something I could not even comprehend. A pale face, sharp eyeliner that reached all the way to my temples and black lips. Nevermine the red eyes that stared at me back.
I shrieked.
And much to my dismay, neither Beta nor Lazuli did anything but laugh and take pictures.
"What the- what did you do to me?!" I asked, looking closer into the mirror to make sure that person was real. That I was real. "Please tell me this isn't permanent…"
"Of course not, stupid!" Lazuli snapped out of her laughter. "What, do you think girls wear their makeup 24/7? You can just wash it off with water!"
Not giving them a second glance, I hurried to the bathroom in hopes nobody would see me and immediately splashed water on my face. To my dismay, even with repeated rubs I still found myself having trouble removing the atrocity from my face. It wasn't until after several deep washes that I found myself presentable and used an unhealthy amount of paper towels to wipe my face.
Walking back into the store, met both Beta and Lazuli at the cash register with Lazuli already decided on what she was going to buy.
"Took you long enough." she commented.
"How is that my fault?! I was your guinea pig!"
"Well, if you had stayed just a few more seconds, I would've given you this makeup remover. It's fast and gets everything out within seconds."
I raised my arms in disbelief. "Well thanks for telling me that now?! Sorry I'm not familiar with makeup!"
"You should be. For someone with your looks, you could use a few products here and there. Too bad they all ran out."
I gripped my chest in mock hurt at her insults. Cruel as she may have been, I think she was finally warming up to me considering she was talking this much. After she had paid for her pack, the rest of us exited the store to find the rest of the crew.
"They said to meet them at the food court. So they're not too far. If anything they were probably waiting for us."
"How nice of them to make us walk over there instead of meeting us halfway…" Lazuli said snarkily. Just as we took a few steps forward, Lazuli took my hand and roughly pulled me back into the store.
"Hide!" she whispered.
"What?! What?!" I whispered back, looking around for whatever it was she saw.
"Just shut up and don't say a word!"
Even as I looked, I couldn't find anything or anyone. Turning back to Beta and Lazuli, both sported desperate looks, almost as if there was someone in the store whom they didn't want to see them. It wasn't until a minute later that Beta walked outside to scan the area.
"He's gone." she sighed. "It should be safe now."
I could only watch them in amusement as they stood up and continued scanning the area. Only Beta was kind enough to help me back to my feet.
"So uh...anyone wanna tell me what the heck was going on back there?"
Lazuli didn't reply and speed-walked past us while Beta was kind enough to stay behind with me again.
"Just someone we didn't want to see. Long story short, Alpha, Lapis, Lazuli and I have a bad relationship with him and don't ever wanna see him again. Just know that if you ever come across a prim-and-proper guy with purple hair and glasses, avoid him."
"Is his name Will?" I asked. Beta visibly scrunched up at the name.
"How do you know that?"
"Heard his name mentioned a few times after I got punched by Alpha."
Beta looked down seemingly in guilt before nodding her head.
"Yeah…sorry about that."
"Eh, don't be. We've all moved past it."
"Mm." The rest of the walk continued in silence as we walked over to the food court with the mood significantly lower than before. I couldn't help but feel as though I was at fault for prying too much, but I figured it would be easier to just keep quiet and let them be in their own space.
The rest of the boys greeted us with raised arms asking us what took so long. Thankfully, with them around Beta and Lazuli became significantly more vocal, making me sigh in relief.
Feeling my phone vibrate, I grabbed it out and checked the mailbox seeing a text from dad.
Where are you now? I'll come pick you up.
Typing back a quick reply, I told everybody I'd be staying behind as dad would be picking me up. Saying our goodbyes, I saw them off at the train station before walking back to the mall.
As I walked back, I felt my shoulder bump into someone.
"Sorry!" I said, turning around and bowing. As I looked up, I noticed his features. Purple hair, thick-framed glasses and getup that screamed prim-and-proper.
Who was this guy again?
Despite the look, he simply smiled and brushed off his shoulder. "Not at all. If anything, I'm equally at fault for my lack of attention as well. I guess that makes us even."
"I guess so?" I responded, not knowing what else to say. Before I could make my way back in, however, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Ah wait! Hold on, I think I recognize you." he said, his eyes wide. I turned my head to the side, not knowing who else would recognize me besides my friends and teachers. From what I could recall, he certainly wasn't either of them.
"You are...Maplestory Academy's right-back aren't you?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
The man chuckled. "Well...let's just say I'm very observant. I'm a trainer you see, and it's part of my job to keep track of promising athletes like yourself."
He took a few steps toward me, prompting me to take a few steps back. I don't know why, but something about him was giving off bad vibes. It was making me cautious.
"No need to be afraid!" he chuckled. "Here. My business card."
Taking the card with two hands, I examined the contents.
William Arachnid
Athletic trainer.
The card was red and white, and several silhouettes of different sports players could be seen throughout the card. From what I could tell, it looked legit though I'd probably have to ask dad for a second opinion. He knew more about this stuff than I did.
"I've watched many of your games and I've noticed that among the others in the field, you are by far the most interesting. If you want to know what I mean, give me a call."
He gave me a wink and a thumbs-up before heading to the parking lot without looking back. As I watched him shrink deeper and deeper into the darkness, something told me this wouldn't be the last time we'd meet.
Sorry for the long wait you guys. Anything you guys liked? Hated? Could've done better? Please don't hesitate to let me know!