Chapter 8: The Town
"HEY, WHERE'D YOU GET THAT?" Trisha asked, pointing at the cat Shane is holding. Shane named the cat from its original one which is Shi and the cat is a she. Thinking for a while, it sounds a little bit like tongue twister.
"Uh," Shane scanned the room and looked back at her. She then said, "I got this from the program this morning."
Shane could lie on where did she got the cat. Saying that she got the cat from the sidewalk or maybe she could say that she got it from a friend but who is she kidding? And what is the name of the "friend" anyway? For the record, she doesn't have any. Although she considered Trisha as her friend but other than her, there is none.
'Friends, huh? Having friends must be good in the heart.'
Shane walked and sat on the chair. The cat purred on her lap and the feelling was kind of soothing. What to do, what to do?
"I am so bored! It is weekdays but class is suspended this afternoon. What am I going to do with my time?" frustrated, Shane said it out loud.
Trisha turned her head and said, "Well, you know, I might have the perfect place for you!" she winked and then smiled.
"Where?" Shane asked.
"Hmm. I'd give you the information but, naaah. I'd rather not if there won't be any exchange." She grinned and Shane eventually sighed.
"Fine. Whatever. What do you want?" surrendering, Shane sighed once again. "Give me a dozens of petunias!" Trisha cheerfully said. Oh. That flower.
"What for?" out of curiosity, Shane asked.
"Secret, no clue!" she sticks out her tongue. What a childish act.
"Ow. Okay. So, where is it?" this time, Shane is serious. Trisha might have felt that the atmosphere has changed, so yeah, Trisha took her seriously too.
"It is in the town!" she happily said. You know the bipolar thingy with the girls. She's one of them. Seconds ago, she was serious and then, seconds later, she's like this- the happy yet creepy girl, in Shane's opinion.
"Okay. Thanks." Shane muttered it while walking away. "Don't you dare forget my petunias?! I am going to lock you out if you do!" Trisha yelled which leads to Shane's eyes rolling in a three hundred and sixty degrees' manner. 'I will never.'
~*~
Different noises filled in Shane's ears as soon as she stepped out of the borders of the Academy and in the boundaries of the Town. Shane felt that Shi is purring on top of her head. Shane could not afford to leave her in the dorm room with Trisha because some deity knows what will Trisha do her poor cat! Goodness grace! What would she do if ever Shi will be missing?
"High class quality wands here! Just inquire inside!"
"I am selling pastries here! Anyone? We have free samples!"
Looks like a yummy food to Shane! But in the name of staying on the meal plan, she shall pass it with dignity!
"Flowers? We have variety of flowers here!"
"We make excellent potions! Anything, everything!"
"Help us! We're begging!"
"Food for our poor souls!"
Mostly of the nice stores are lined up on the front while others were on the back line. Some people here in the Town wore formal suits and their clothes stated it all. There is this dark side of the town where everybody is trying to cover up.
Her teacher said that you cannot call yourself "pretty" if there isn't an "ugly" people out there. Same goes for the "good" if there wasn't any "bad" at all. Everyone has their own counterparts, own contradictions. The light has also its dark side-- the side which doesn't have much light, the side which doesn't have anything to please people, the side which we think is not good for us.
She would like to buy some flowers-- or should she say, petunias for Trisha. Shane didn't want them to have a feud because it will hurt both sides. For now, she will not buy any flowers because it might melt and she would just roam around the Town. Before the day would end, she is sure that it will be tiring.
'
"Hey, take a look at this frog!" a figure in my vision is blurred but Shane knew that he smiled.
"What's so special with that frog? It seems so ordinary to me." Shane asked, pouting.
"Well, it is because of, magical capabilities!" he proudly said and she is now getting confused.
"Any proof? How would I believe it when there's no proof?" questioning the figure, Shane said.
"Chill. Let's wait for her to get back here. She got the thing for me to prove that I am not bluffing!"
Suddenly, a girl, maybe an inch taller than Shane, is running for their direction. She stopped on her tracks-- panting heavily. Sweat drops off of her forehead and Shane noticed that she's carrying a mini-bag on her waist. She untied it and gave it to the figure Shane have been talking to.
Let's just assume that this figure is a boy because of his voice and let us name him, Mr. Froggy because of the frog and his persistent convincing that the frog he's been leashed on is magical.
"Why are you so late?" Mr. Froggy asked the girl. Huh! That sounds awful!
"Well, you can't blame me because first of all, I don't know that plant and secondly, I am foreign with this land! Don't you try to nag me with other stuffs because It is your fault in the first place! You ran out of it! Quit nagging me, okay?"
"O-kay," he prolonged the "kay" part because Shane was quite unsure of what the girl said or he just teasing the her.
"Quit yapping! I am not going to nag you, sis! I am not like you." He, then, grinned.
"Where are we?" he asked after turning his face to me. "We're in a market place," Shane answered, as if it was the very easiest question a dumb person could answer.
"Yah! Don't you use sarcasm on me."
Shane rolled her eyes and muttered 'whatever' under her breath.
"Okay. So, I am going to prove that this frog is magical," he said while rummaging through the mini-bag. "As you can see, I have these petals from the petunias'. These flowers contain a magi thermic property that when digested-- by any mammals, amphibian, or reptiles, may succeed on having a short-time magic power," He said. "In that way, I can prove that this frog could be magical!"
"Okay, if you say so."
He held the petals of the petunias and make it swallowed by the frog. Seconds later, with a very loud burp, the frog emits a smoke that smells so sweet and...…
*blackout*
"Heyo!"
"O-ouch!" with all her strength, Shane covered her head with both of her arms to lessen the pain. Someone startled her which led her to the situation she was in. Shane looked up to her and there she saw a petite girl having a chubby cheeks and a very cute smile.
Shane doesn't know what to react or how should she react. And the dream, what was that? It doesn't seem and ordinary dream to her!
"Who are you?" she asked.
'What would Shane reply to her? Should she confess that she got bored so she slept for a bit in one of the trees here around the town? Should she confess that she's cute but Shane would rather not?
Shane sighed as she ran out of words.
"Did you know?" she asked me. Shane looked up to her hinting that she is interested to what she would be talking about. "That I am the Goddess of them all?" she laughed, but half-heartedly.
Shane gave out a poker-faced expression.
"Just kidding," she sat on the grass just enough to be on my level of eyesight. "Your eyes looked sad. Why?" she asked, not breaking their eye-to-eye contact.
Shane squinted her eyes and asked, "Who are you?"
"H-hey! I am asking you that earlier! Hmp. You're a meanie!" she pouted. 'Cute, but whatever.'
"By the way, I am Jzel Syu! A servant of the Highest Prince and today is my day-off! And, you are?" Jzel asked Shane.
A bit confused but Shane managed to pull off a smile. She must leave a very nice first impression so that Jzel would remember her well.
"I am Shane. Shane Chase. A mere student of the Reyka Academy." Shane stood up. Jzel stared at Shane with amusement flashed through her eyes. "You're studying there also? Woah! Nice to meet you!"
Great. Now they are handshaking each other!
"M-my hands," Shane awkwardly said. Shane doesn't know if Jzel's a creep or is she just a creep because all this time she's smiling widely. And now, Jzel's looking at her like there's a hidden business blended with that wide smile of hers.
"Oh. Sorry." Jzel said, awkwardly. Finally, she's now awaken from a fantasy!
Shane is officially going home! She wanted to go to rest and be with her bed and just relax! Yes, she will leave now and be away from this creature that is smiling at her widely! That is the best course of action!
"Uhm…" Shane said, looking at anywhere except for Jzel's face which Shane recommend to herself not to look after for.
"I better leave. Sky's getting dark soon. So, uhm. Thank you and good bye." Shane said, with a rush on her voice. She turned around and then speedily walked away.
Recalling what happened on her day, she didn't get to go out much and tour in this town. Shane get to know another schoolmate of hers which she reminded herself to not have an encounter again.
Alright, time to go home.