Chapter 16
Hollywood
My show in Galaxy Hills had been a massive success and in an instant, despite what Steven had previously told me, more pre-shows were quickly added to the line up for later dates, mainly to get the word out about my tour. With tickets now on sale and the tour announced for the holiday season, it was crunch time. My Crystal Tour merchandise, the name chosen for my major debut, had been at the highest demand on personal record. The profits coming in were through the roof. Fans tuned in for my show, regularly, re-watched my past holiday specials and raved about me and the pending winter tour online.
During the weeks that followed, I spent them away from home and school, studied on the road and entertained at shows from Paris to Mexico City. The money almost literally poured it from back to back sold out pre-shows. In between shows, I went to the gym three times a week, which I grew to love. Kickboxing gave me an outlet to let out my frustrations and it made me stronger. I continued acting lessons twice a week. We'd started a podcast that released an episode every Saturday, titled Sigmund Saturdays. A web-show that fans could tune in to watch had a new video up every Wednesday, titled Wizarding Wednesdays. And finally, as if that wasn't enough, I still had my school board meetings every Friday.
I'd missed a couple of those meetings when my schedule got too tight, but I was always excused by Headmaster Merlin, who assured me it was alright considering my lifestyle. I missed Milkweed though and I'd been seeing less and less of it with going back to homeschooling. It was like being back on the village sometimes. Obviously, I was rich now, but the work I did was a new type of work.
It wasn't field work, but corporate work. I wasn't being shunned anymore either, but being overly popular made me remove myself from most activities anyways. There were times when I just wanted to rest, but there was always someone calling my phone to invite me to a launch party or to come to a birthday bash or whatever else they wanted me to show up to. They didn't ask me to show up for fun though, they asked me so they could flaunt a celebrity around like a show dog.
I frowned to myself as I exited my kickboxing class, sitting in the backseat of a luxury car when the door was opened for me. I'd lost count of how many cars my father had started purchasing. That was his new, out of the blue passion. Luxury cars. What did he know about luxury? It seemed like every other week when I stopped by, there was a new car being delivered to our home. The garage was starting to look like a dealership. And it wasn't just the cars.
My mother's growing handbag collection was something I'd noticed as well. And the amount of shoes in her closet, my goodness. She had a high heeled shoe for every occasion in every color of the rainbow. When she stepped out for book club, her face was always caked with makeup. She never wore makeup before. And as a pair, my parents just looked different. Their mannerisms had changed completely. I felt like I was living with different people that I wasn't even related to.
Some of my peers at school had said the same of me, but I didn't see it. I could agree that I was definitely dressed better than I used to be. I was highly groomed, never with a hair out of place, something I grew to appreciate as my old hair had been most unruly. And I could agree that I didn't make time for folks the way I used to, obviously. What I didn't understand was something Ivan, one of my good friends from Milkweed, had sent me in a letter. It stuck with me and honestly upset me.
Sigmund,
I never hear from you anymore, but I thought I'd write this letter to you anyways. I really didn't appreciate the way you brushed off my birthday party this year, especially after helping you with yours in the past. I was really looking forward to seeing you again and catching up. You told me you'd be there, but I guess I'm just as disposable as all your other friends here. I can't believe you stood me up. Nicolai feels the same way. I thought we were friends, Sigmund. You've gone Hollywood on everyone and that's fine. At least I know where I stand with you.
-Ivan
It was something people loved to accuse me of, going "Hollywood" on them. I hated it and I didn't see it that way. They didn't understand how busy I'd become. They didn't understand my life and how hard I was working to keep everything afloat. I was currently back in Germany to briefly stop by my home to rest. When the door opened for me, I rushed inside and tossed my gym bag on the floor of the entrance.
"Welcome home, Sigmund." My butler, Walten greeted. I ignored him. "Your bath is drawn in your bathroom, whenever you're ready."
I was already upstairs and had already slammed the door behind me. It was the same thing, every week. And as usual, I hadn't seen any sign of my parents in the house. They were always out doing whatever they pleased during the day whilst I busted my ass. Some nights, they weren't even home for supper and I ate at the table alone. As I sunk into the bathtub, my cell phone went off. I answered it with magic and pulled it over, telepathically.
"Hallo?"
"Hey, Sigmund. Steven."
"Why are you calling me after hours?"
"I'm just letting you know I've cancelled your acting lesson for today." I nearly cheered over the phone.
"Did you?"
"Yeah, you're gonna come down to the studio instead to record a special podcast to get your fans excited for the tour next month! Oh, and speaking of the tour, we're thinking of adding extra cities and we need you to come in to hear the plans to—."
"No."
"What? C'mon Sigmund—!"
"I said no. No!" I ended the call and submerged myself completely under the water. I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be able to do this. I could just feel myself starting to crack on the inside. The stress was getting to be too much. I let out a sigh from beneath the water and came up slowly for air. I needed to talk to someone about this.
—
I wasn't sure if I should be here, doing this—actually, I knew I shouldn't, but I wasn't sure who else I could turn to. With Ivan and Nicolai separating themselves from me with that weird letter and my parents never being around, my stress was at an all time high. I just wanted to talk about it and get the pent up feelings out. I also missed her. A lot. I wanted to see her now, more than ever.
I'd skipped out on my morning acting lesson to take the trip back to The Realm. With my board meeting happening the following day, my manager actually allowed me to leave. It didn't ease my stress at all though, because he'd scheduled a double lesson for next week to make up for the one I'd be missing. The work never stopped. I was hoping that by being here, it wouldn't make me feel worse than I already did. I'd take the chance.
I was in the enchanted forest at the moment, at the borderline between Milkweed Academy and Halfmoon Hallows. I hid behind a tree adjacent to where Erin's dorm room, bay window jutted out at the side of one of the academy's many pillars. Reaching into my satchel, I pulled my crystal ball and took in a deep breath before I called her, exhaling as the connection cycled. It cycled and cycled some more before the call finally went through. Erin hadn't answered though, her roommate had.
"Is this a joke?!" Meghan, the green-skinned witch, snarled as her face appeared through the crystal. "And why is it so dark? I can't see you!"
"M-Meghan, right?" I choked. Her angered expression only heightened when she'd heard my voice on the other end.
"Oh, so it really is you?" She scoffed. "You have the absolute nerve!"
"Please..."
"Haven't you bothered Erin enough?! Do you think just because you're a celebrity that you can talk to anyone anyhow you wish?!"
"Meghan—!"
"Don't you dare call her back again! I know where you live! I'll have a fire breathing dragon sent to your home and have it burnt to ashes! And that's not a threat, it's a promise!"
The call disconnected straight away after that and I was left absolutely dumbfounded. Meghan was right though. I hadn't spoken to Erin since our falling out and it had been a nasty one. Looking back on that entire argument, I mentally slapped myself. I'd been so angry with her, but I'd been angry for all the wrong reasons. I had issues with Kyle, not her. Being friends with us both, she'd gotten dragged into the entire mess. Erin had every right to be upset with me. I missed her though. So much.
She'd always been a cheerleader on the set of my show, the first person I'd call when I was down, the only person to push me when I was struggling in classes. I missed her, but she wanted nothing to do with me. Just like Kyle when he hadn't shown up to my show.
Standing up from where I'd been seated in the grass, I pulled the hood of my cloak closer to my face and opened my satchel to place the crystal back inside. Before I could, the crystal began to glow and chime. Someone was calling me!
"O-oh!" I gasped, plopping myself back down in the grass to conceal myself and the glow of the orb. I answered it quickly to stop the chimes from ringing.
"...Sigmund?"
"ERIN?!"
She'd called me back! On the other end, she looked confused. Her eyes narrowed and she leaned in closer to try and get a better look. Ultimately, she backed away again.
"I can't see you..." She told me.
"I know, I can't exactly make light right now."
"What? Where are you?"
Peering behind the tree, I looked up towards the window again. After a quick inspection, I noticed there weren't any boarder patrol guards around, so I decided to take the risk.
"Look outside your window." I told Erin.
Her brow raised, but she lifted her crystal and walked it over to the window. From where I was sat in the forest, I could see her draw back the curtains and peer left, then right. I stood up quickly and pulled the hood of my cloak down, conjuring a weak fire in the palm of my hand to wave for a moment. The sudden light in the dark brush caught her attention, instantly, and I heard her gasp as I shook the flame out.
"Was that you just then?!" She asked. I held back a laugh, sitting in the grass again and pulling my hood back up. "What are you doing here?!"
"I-I wanted to see you..."
"Huh?"
"I wanted to see you, Erin."
"...ah. I don't know..."
"I know you're upset with me. I-I'd be upset with me too. I—."
I jumped when she'd ended the call so suddenly. Looking back at the window, I noticed she'd closed the curtains. I frowned and I felt myself getting worked up all over again. Just as my eyes started to pool over, I felt a tap at my shoulder that nearly made me yelp. I shot straight up to my feet and spun around, my eyes falling on her. Erin.
"Mein Gott!" I gasped, my hand settling on my chest as I steadied my breathing. Erin smiled weakly.
"Scared you?"
"Ja! I thought you were boarder patrol!"
"I couldn't see you on the crystal, so I thought that it was pretty pointless if you're right outside."
Her being in front of me was far from what I was expecting. I didn't think she would've met me outside, in fact, I didn't think she'd be speaking to me at all! With a cold breeze passing through the forest, she quickly worked to button up her academy blazer and rubbed at her arms for warmth. As usual, she wasn't wearing a coat. When I started to unbutton my cloak to offer it to her, she held her hand up.
"I'm fine..." She muttered. I frowned.
"It's cold."
"What are you doing here?"
Her suddenly stern tone caught me off guard. She was serious. There wasn't a hint of softness anywhere. Keeping her arms folded in front of her, Erin eyed me for a response. I pulled my hood down with a sigh.
"I...I needed someone to talk to." I admitted. "I'm on tour right now and i-it's been a lot. I didn't know who I could talk to about this."
"So you thought you could talk to me?"
"I wasn't sure..."
"You can't just show up here." Erin spoke sharply. "You have no idea how much you hurt my feelings, Sigmund."
"I-I know—."
"No! You don't!" Catching her volume, Erin's eyes closed and she paused for a moment. With a sharp exhale, she started again. "You don't know and you didn't care. It's been what? Two months now? And the first time I'm hearing from you is when you need something from me."
"Erin, I'm sorry!"
"You needed someone to talk to. What about me? Huh? Who was I supposed to talk to after you walked out on me like that?"
"I-I wasn't thinking then—!"
"Of course you weren't! You were too busy with your new found fame and massive ego. You didn't need me around anymore to make it any bigger. You've got fans to do that for you now. You pushed me and your friend in need off to the side like we were garbage! Do you know my dorm neighbors heard the fighting that night? The girls here laughed at me for weeks and they still do. You've embarrassed me!"
"That wasn't my intention..."
"What's your intention then, Sigmund? Why are you here? To embarrass me again?"
"No!"
"Then why are you here?!"
"Erin." I paused, rubbed my eyes and massaged my temples. This wasn't what I wanted to happen. I hated her being upset with me. "This is not what I came here to do. I didn't want to argue with you. I didn't want to embarrass you. I wanted to see you."
"And what made you think I wanted to see you?" She asked me. I looked up from my hands and felt a smile creep up on my face. Her brows furrowed in annoyance towards my expression.
"You could've easily stayed up in your room." I shrugged. "You didn't have to come outside."
"You were right outside of my window."
"But you could've stayed inside."
"You're full of yourself..."
"Am I?" When she turned away from me, I sighed.
"From the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry. I know I acted foolishly. B-beyond foolish, truly! I was angry, Erin. I was frustrated that he didn't take our help in the first place. I was upset with how easily he'd just brushed me off. Finding out you were trying to help him, at the time, just fanned the flames. I didn't want you getting into trouble the way I'd been at Milkweed. He ruined my reputation there."
"..."
"When I left your dorm that night, I regretted it. I hate arguing with you. I don't like fighting with you. I like you. You're the only person I've ever liked. I would never go out of my way to embarrass you, I mean it. I'm sorry."
"..."
"...Erin?"
"I have to go, okay?"
Erin's hands glowed, as if she was about to materialize away, but I couldn't let her leave. Not yet. I sprang forward and grabbed hold of her hands, an action that made her jump. Instantly, her glowing palms went out.
"W-what are you—?"
"Wait!" I gasped, reaching into my satchel frantically. There was one thing I needed to give her, well, a couple things actually. I pulled tickets to my tour from the bag and pushed them into her hands. "P-please, take them."
Looking down at the tickets, Erin took a moment to inspect them. I went on to explain as her eyes read over the sparkling, metallic badges.
"They're backstage passes for my show in New York next month. Y-you don't have to come, but it would be an honor to have you and your family there. I know your sister is a fan..."
"Ah..."
"You can come before everyone else. I'll make sure they let you all in, it won't be a problem."
She hadn't responded and hadn't looked back up at me. I couldn't read her expression and I wasn't sure if she was thinking it over or upset with me all over again. I reached into my bag again. There was one more thing I wanted to give her.
"Here." I offered, holding my fist out.
Finally looking back up at me, Erin blinked in hesitation before holding her opened hand out to me. Supporting her opened hand with my free one, I let the necklace I'd gifted to her over the summer fall into her palm, careful not to let the chain tangle. Her eyes widened when she realized what it was. She shook her head.
"Sigmund—!"
"It's yours." I told her, pulling my hands away before she could protest. "I gave it to you and I should've never let you return it to me. Do what you need to do with it, but I'm not taking it back. It's made of Dragon's Blood, remember? It's supposed to protect you."
For the first time since we'd been stood outside, I saw Erin's expression soften. Not just soften, but sadden. Even in the darkness of the forest, I could see her eyes turning glossy. Before I could console her, she'd backed away from me, turned away completely and finally materialized away.
—
Walking into Milkweed Academy the following morning, I met with the other board members in the office for the Friday meeting and sat at my place at the table. I opened my notebook as the meeting started, dating the top of the page with a conjured quill feather. A sigh escaped me and I found myself leaning over the table a bit. I hadn't gotten much sleep. Headmaster Merlin entered the room and welcomed everyone before he started on the agenda for the afternoon. He called us in for a review of documentation.
"We have a student who's requested re-admittance to our academy." He told us.
"Who, exactly?" The witch beside me asked. Merlin hesitated with his answer.
"Kyle Bloodworth-Thomason..."
My head shot up from the desk as the room erupted into commentary and side conversations. I held back a laugh that wanted to escape. Kyle was really pushing his luck this time and it didn't seem like anyone wanted anything to do with it. What I was most confused about was how he'd managed to get his hands on re-admittance forms and how he'd figured out how to send them back to Milkweed. Just as quickly as the confused thought at entered my mind, so did the answer. Erin. Headmaster Merlin raised his hand up to hush the chatter in the room.
"Alright, alright. Everyone, please! Now we all know the protocol here. If the student is requesting re-entry into the academy, an elected member of the school board needs to visit the student and converse with them on why they believe they should be allowed to return. Despite our feelings, every student is given a fair chance. Now the question is, who would be willing to sit and speak with Mr. Bloodworth-Thomason? Well, only those who were against his original request for departure are eligible to take up the task."
With that being said, all eyes fell on me. When Kyle requested to leave Milkweed, I was the only one on the board who was against his decision to be expelled from the academy. The laugh I was holding in finally came out. I shook my head quickly.
"I couldn't." I chuckled. "I'm far too busy for Kyle and his foolishness."
"I'm sorry, Sigmund, but it's your duty as a member of the board to complete this task."
"Seriously?" I gasped. I folded my arms in protest. "My schedule is completely full right now! I'm on tour!"
"Then I'll allow you to skip out on next week's meeting to meet with him instead. I'll send him a letter and let him know to expect a member of the board next week. You'll meet at his home and I'll give you a form with the information you need for travel." Merlin handed me an envelope that was unsealed. As I opened it, he continued. "That document must be stamped valid or void by the end of the meeting and sent to us for approval. If valid, Kyle will meet with us for potential re-entry."
"And if void?"
"Well, coming from you, that decision will be final."
The power. The absolute power in my hands at that moment. It was a feeling I couldn't help but to laugh about. Kyle had no idea it would be me visiting and even though I was already tired thinking about the week ahead and the packed schedule I had, knowing I'd be seeing Kyle lifted my spirits completely. Especially after he'd skipped out on my performance in his weird little town. This was a turn of events. The meeting continued and I had actually enjoyed it, even though it dragged on and subjects from other meetings seemed to repeat themselves.
Milkweed was a home away from home for me these days, even though I didn't spend as much time as I used to. Instead of heading back home after the meeting, I decided to walk around the halls of the student dormitory. Classes had already let out for the evening, so students were out of uniform and going about their day to day. Some studied near the pantry, where we were able to grab an energy drink or a snack and sit around in the tall chairs to study together. Others ran around the halls after each other, finally letting out the stress of the day. Once a couple of students noticed me in the hall, the regularity of it all seemed to vanish.
"SIGMUND!" One of my old peers, Nicolai, gasped from his bedroom door. From the same room, my old friend Ivan the Inquisitive, poked his own head of black, emo styled hair out quickly. I gave him a wave, making my way over to greet him.
"Hallo!"
"Hi..." Ivan mumbled, straightening up when his eyes fell on me. He folded his arms over his Milkweed letterman sweater. "Meeting day, right?"
"Ja, we just finished."
"I see..."
I went into my vest pocket and pulled the letter he'd sent me, unfolding it carefully. I held it out for him to see.
"I...I got your letter." I started. "Your birthday party-"
"Yeah, you didn't show up."
"I wanted to, honest. My manager, he pulled a stunt at the last minute and scheduled tour dates for me that I didn't agree with. And it's been rough, my tour is next month."
"So you couldn't just ask him for one day off?"
I almost laughed at his question and how idiotic it sounded when it processed in my mind. Everyone in school knew how famous I'd become, but for some reason, no one seemed to know what it took to get there. A day off? Not possible.
"Ivan, I wasn't even home for the Christmas holiday last year. This tour is important than the last. I've been doing nothing but promotional work."
"Well, we had wizarding finals and I busted my tailbone to make the grade, but I managed. And I still made time for my friends!"
"Oh wow, wizarding finals!" I laughed sarcastically. "As if that compares to the work I'm doing."
"I work hard too, Sigmund!" He argued. "And I still find the time!"
"Such happy for you!" I clapped, feeling myself growing annoyed. Ivan himself had allowed his face to redden in anger. "You know nothing about my life! Your life is child's play!"
"And yours is nothing but costumes and rolling in money with the way you're dressed! You look ridiculous!"
"Y-you're just jealous!"
"Am not!"
"What kind of friend are you to write out a letter like this to me?"
"I could ask you the same thing, Sigmund. What kind of friend are you?"
I paused at his question and bit my bottom lip quickly to keep back the insult I wanted to blurt out. At this point, other students had been watching us argue. Nicolai looked between us as we argued. We were getting nowhere with this and I was growing more and more upset with the whole situation. It was a side effect of the fame. No one treated me normally anymore. No one understood my situation. No one had any sympathy and everyone thought my life was cake and ice cream. I sighed.
"I'm not a friend..." I muttered, pushing my hands into my jacket pockets.
"What?"
"I'm not a friend. I'm not your friend...not anymore. I can't be anymore." Ivan was taken aback by what I'd said. His face flashed a mix of emotions. For a moment, sadness, but ultimately anger.
"AS IF I CARE! YOU'RE NO FRIEND OF MINE!"
"Ivan—!"
He pushed Nicolai back inside and promptly slammed his room door in my face. Leaving me in the hallway, I glanced around in the direction of my other peers. They'd all slowly and quietly retreated into their own rooms, snickering and whispering after the show we'd just put on. I took that as my signal to head back home myself. Before I could turn away, I spotted Klaus, who'd been looking back at me from the stairwell. I smiled at him weakly and he smiled back as he approached me.
"Are you alright, Sigmund?" He asked me. I shrugged.
"I will be."
"Here, take my crystal code." Opening his notebook, Klaus tore a page out and quickly conjured an ink pen to jot his code down. Once he'd finished, he handed it to me. "Call me whenever, okay?"
"Sure. Danke, Klaus."
"Mhmm! I have tickets to your show in Berlin, so let's catch up before then!"
Klaus waved to me as we parted ways and I looked down at his crystal code. I was thankful that he'd offered it to me, especially with how I was feeling. Milkweed was my home away from home, but not so much anymore.
—
Another, sleepless week had gone by and what usually would've been hard on me, wasn't. I was looking forward to Friday, more than I ever had. I could hardly wait to travel back to Galaxy Hills, the same town where I'd had my first major show. I couldn't believe the odds of running into Kyle in such an odd place. Why that town of all places? Ahead of time, I'd recorded my podcast for the weekend and on Friday morning, I worked on packing my travel bag. To my surprise, my mother poked her head in the doorway of my bedroom.
"Ah, Sigmund—!" She gasped, her eyes meeting the opened, leather duffel bag on my bed. "What's all this?" I rolled my eyes at the question.
"Did you not check the bulletin board in my office?" I muttered. "Or were you too busy with your shoe shopping to notice?"
The bulletin board had become the only way we communicated as a family anymore. My parents only seemed to care about my engagements. Sheepishly, my mother sipped on the glass of white wine in her hand and tapped the glass lightly before speaking again.
"Sigmund..."
"Hm?" I hummed, turning to my closet to pick a couple more pieces out. I didn't have time to listen to her speak. It was never anything of substance these days.
"When you get back home...things will be different. Alright?"
I froze for a moment. So, it wasn't just me after all? Was it? I wasn't the only one who felt the shift in the way our family operated. We never spent time anymore. We used to spend every moment from the early morning hours in the fields to the late evenings around the table at supper, eating nothing but a light soup some nights. The house never smelled like baked bread and sweet tea anymore. My mother's lips, once naturally stained with the juice of the berries we grew, were now slathered with red, sticky goop. My father was hardly home anymore, neither was she. Neither was I. This had been the first time either one of them seemed to acknowledge it though, and I wasn't all too sure that she truly meant what she said.
"...sure." I hesitated, folding a shirt into my bag. Without anymore words, my mother turned away and made her way out. I felt something coming over me, but I wouldn't let it blur my train of thought. Not until I returned from my business trip.
Once my bag was packed to my liking, I made my way out of my mansion home and outside to meet my driver, who was already up front. I opened the itinerary I'd been sent by Headmaster Merlin and read it over as the car pulled off. I had to judge Kyle on a few of his behaviors over the course of my time spent with him. The criteria for re-entrance into Milkweed was quite high, I just couldn't see Kyle meeting any of it. I laughed to myself, anticipating the reaction I'd receive from him when he'd come to the realization that the final say would ultimately be up to me.
From the car, I hopped in the jet and from the jet after 5 hours, I'd landed once again in Galaxy Hills. Evening had fallen on the quiet, little town. There was a charm to it, one that I hadn't noticed while touring. No, it wasn't in the slightest bit posh, but that was what made it charming. Although my driver insisted on chauffeuring me to Kyle's home, I insisted on a different mode of transportation.
I hadn't flown on my griffin in quite some time, but I wanted to. I wanted to see the town from another perspective, get into Kyle's mind and just ponder on what he was probably feeling at the moment. Flying overhead was nothing less than peaceful. The quiet of the open air, the twinkling of the lights through people's windows as they turned on for the night. Simultaneous to the street lights that suddenly lit up in time with the rise of the moon. Indeed, Galaxy Hills was quaint.
Coming across Kyle's brownstone home address, I let my griffin land curbside and alerted the Headmaster through my looking crystal that I had arrived. Within mere minutes of our brief conversation ending, the door to Kyle's home had swung open and to my amusement, a red head poked out. He scanned the street, looking to the right, then the left and freezing in place at the sight of my griffin. I don't think he'd spotted me climbing off its back till he'd rushed to the curb to meet me.
"Hallo~!"
"SIGMUND?!" His voice cracked. "W-WHA-?!"
"Surprise!" I grinned, giving him a wave. "Aren't you happy to see me?"
"HAPPY—?!"
He seemed to have caught his tone and choked up, coughing into the bend of his arm for a moment. I held back a laugh the best I could. It was probably one of the most difficult things I've ever done because the animation in Kyle's expressions was nothing but hilarious. His eyes were frantic and the tone of his voice was frightened with a hint of annoyance. He was beyond confused.
"I thought Headmaster Merlin was supposed to be here?"
"Did you forget I'm on the board?" I chuckled. "Why are you so surprised?"
"B-but—!"
"You screwed up with the majority of the board, remember? You told them to throw you out. They all voted against you returning. I was the only one who went out of my way to fight for you."
"...I see." Kyle mumbled, his voice softening and his eyes, brimming with a look of sadness. "I mean, you know I understand that now, right? Honestly, Sigmund, I didn't mean to make you cross with me. I-I didn't know..."
"So you say."
"I mean it, I—." Kyle stopped himself and sighed in defeat. I crossed my arm and looked away for a moment to take in the home in front of me. I almost feet pity for him being where he was. Almost.
Strangely, in my train of thought, I noticed something that caught me off guard. In my peripheral vision, I saw two figures coming down the stairs of Kyle's home. My brows furrowed in their direction and before I could continue on with Kyle, the pair rushed over to our spot on the sidewalk and saluted me.
"And what is this?" I accidentally chuckled.
It was the tacky costumes for me. And I hadn't noticed at first, but once I did, I nearly did burst out in laughter. It was the obnoxious boys who had come to my show. The same ones who dragged Kyle around with them during my merchandise autograph session last month. Oh, it was such a challenge to keep the laughs back, you have no idea. The whole display had caught me completely off guard.
"M-my elves, of course." Kyle stammered. "Doesn't every successful, powerful wizard have elves?"
Successful? POWERFUL? Who was he trying to fool? He must've thought Merlin himself wouldn't have caught on to the charade. I had a feeling it was about to be a long, yet entertaining night.