It was a sunny afternoon at Gravesfield Park, with a girl with pink bangs and a ponytail, reading under the shade of a big oak tree, feeling the summer breeze brushing against her cheeks. It was a wonderful feeling, freeing even. Though many teens her age wouldn't describe it as such, the girl, named Amelia, loved to read, and when she got to read outside in the wonderful climate, she felt as if all the expectations and worries set by her mother disappeared even for a split second. Therefore she felt free.
Amelia was so into the book she had in her hands, that she hadn't noticed that someone had accompanied her under the tree. "Hey, Amelia. Whatcha reading?", Amelia jumped from being startled as she looked over to the owner of the voice "Oh, Mei. You practically gave me a heart attack." Amelia said as she dramatically clutched her chest.
Mei is Amelia's cousin and best friend, well only friend. They grew up together and have been inseparable. "But, you didn't, so stop being dramatic. Whatcha reading?" Mei asks again.
"Oh, um, I'm reading this book called The Legacy of Azura. It's a next-generation story in the stories of Azura." Amelia explained.
"Oh cool! I've been hearing a lot of good things about that book series. How is it?" Mei asks, sitting down next to her cousin.
"It's very good. The main character is…" Amelia closes the book, holds it in a tight grip, and looks at it sadly.
"Amelia…" Mei puts her hand on Amelia's and smiles.
"I just wish I could be as free as Azura's daughter. Not being controlled by anything or anyone." Amelia laments as she takes out a necklace from under her shirt, which is one-half of the Yin Yang symbol. Amelia has the left half.
"Well… why can't you?" Amelia turns to her cousin and sees her smiling "You don't have to listen to your mom all the time you know. You could just leave and live with me and my parents." Mei said as she stood up and helped Amelia up. Just then Amelia's phone begins to ring.
Amelia looks at it and sees it's her mother.
"Oh, It would be nice, but I don't think I can. Sorry, I have to go now." With that, Amelia left without a second thought as she answered her mother's call.
"Amelia." her mom started in a stern voice.
Amelia was hesitant to answer, "Hello, Mother."
"Where are you right now?"
"I was at the library, I'm heading home now." Amelia was never supposed to be at the park, but she loved it too much to stay away. It was the one rule she never followed. One she has no future plans of ever following.
"Ok, hurry back please."
"Yes, Mother." Amelia's mom hung up the phone and Amelia trudged home dreading the suffocating atmosphere she had learned to breathe through.
The next day, Zoey, Amelia's mother, woke her up early as if it were a school day. That meant it was time to study. Amelia's routine went as follows; Wake up, Freshen Up, Breakfast, Study, Lunch, Study, Dinner, Sleep.
Amelia's favorite thing to do was sleep, it was during that time that she didn't have to think, speak, or read boring text. As long as she was able to peacefully drift to sleep she could ignore how dull her day had been or how she didn't get to go outside like all the other kids. She was just glad that the day had been over in the end.
The day afterward, Amelia was walking to the park again but this time with Mei accompanying her "Gonna finish that book from the other day?" Mei asks.
Amelia nods "Yeah. I really want to see how it ends." Amelia said but then bumped into two women who were carrying groceries. One of the women had dyed purple hair and the other had auburn brown hair.
"Aí bandito." The woman said in Spanish as Amelia immediately stood up, blushing hard.
"I-I am so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!" Amelia said as the woman smiled.
"It's okay, really." The woman smiles as Amelia helps pick up the two women's groceries.
"Luz, we need to get going." The other woman said.
"Ay sí. Well, see you girls around." Luz said.
Luz and the other women make their leave, though as they are leaving Mei has spotted something strange.
"Hey, Milly. Did you see the ears of the purple-haired lady?" Mei suspiciously asked.
"Her ears? What's wrong with her ears?" Amelia asked, confused and concerned.
"They were weird, like pointy. And I don't think it was those costume ones you get at Party City. They looked way too real. I wanna touch them." Mei deadpanned the last sentence.
"You can not be serious Mei, There is no way those are real. AND YOU'RE NOT TOUCHING THEM!" Amelia whispered and yelled, baffled by her cousin's desire to touch a stranger's ear.
"Aw, come on, we're losing them." Mei grabs her cousin's hand and drags her along to follow the couple. Ameilia reluctantly obliged, though she is curious, she would never admit that to her wild card cousin.
The journey was long, hard, and treacherous, at one point they thought they were goners. But nonetheless, the two girls persisted through the hike to follow the couple. Not before long, their brave and courageous work paid off when they reached the home of the women from before. Without a second thought, Mei marched up to the front door as Amelia stayed behind and facepalmed at the ignorance of her beloved best friend.