"Darling, I have a surprise for you, I brought a loyal friend for you," Greta didn't seem to notice Mia had been gone for an hour. Actually she just thought she was at Raquel's house with Zane.
"Who?" she wondered which friends she had apart from the two lover birds.
Greta whistled, and a small white furry animal came running. It was a puppy.
"Oh my God! He is precious Greta, thank you so much, but Greta, you have already done so much for me. You'll have to wait till I finish my studies to repay you." She cried, hugging Greta.
"No dear, you don't have to do anything, I love you like a daughter, consider me your mom," she filled the void space on Mia's life. Life without a family and without people to love, but she didn't have to feel bad because Greta was her family.
They settled and ate supper chatting happily, but the dog seemed bored.
Then Mia asked a question
"Greta,do you perhaps believe in mythical beings?"
Greta looked at her, squinting as her smile fell on her face.
"Why? No..I...not really, I used to believe in them when I was little, they don't exist, tomorrow is school, how about you rest, name your dog, he has a bed in your room." she acted so suspicious, and Mia was quick to notice she was hiding something.
"Goodnight", Greta replied with a goodnight too.
Mia carried the fluffy small cute dog and went up her room.
She dog barked happily, and Mia wished she could understand it.
" Uugh, I need water, why are you ignoring me girly, humans are all so useless," Mia turned around in shock, and looked around the room to find the person who said that, but there was no one.
"Just a figment of my imagination, no one is in here," she sighed.
"Of course I am, wait, can you hear me? am the new puppy,"
Mia looked at the dog that was staring at her.
"No, this can't be real, no..no...its a dog, dogs don't talk," she muttered to herself.
"Wait, yay! you can understand me? what a miracle," the dog jumped up and down waggling its tail.
"Y..Yy.. you can talk?" Mia felt like her dream wasn't over yet.
"No silly, I can't talk, but you can understand me, thank heavens," the dog barked.
A shrill scream escaped her mouth, and Greta was quick to come upstairs.
"What's wrong dear," she asked, surveying her room.
"Nothing, I just saw a spider on my bed."
"Okay, get some sleep,"She left and the dog roamed around the room.
"Where is that spider so I can teach it some manners?" Mia giggled, it seemed she had already gotten over her fears.
"So what should I name you little doggy, hmm, let me see, Toby? Yes I like that name goodnight Toby, I have school tomorrow,"
Mia realized that if she was willing to understand the dog, she will, but if she wasn't paying any attention to the dog, she couldn't be able to understand it, just like the way she concentrated her powers to the sceptor back in the other dimension.
"What is happening to me? why.. me?" she fell asleep short after.
************
The next morning, Mia woke up earlier at 8:00am, took a warm bath and dressed in blue fitting jeans a simple shirt and a red hoodie, that reminded her of Xander's hair and eyes.
She was so quiet not to wake up the talking dog, or perhaps it was a special gift of understanding the dog's language.
'I am so weird,' she whispered
She took her bag, and sneaked out of the room. Luckily the cute dog was still asleep.
Greta had already prepared breakfast for her, but something about her seemed off. She was not smiling as usual and they were both so quiet.
Raquel's fancy car stopped outside, and Zane came inside to pick her.
"Have a nice day Greta, don't forget to feed Toby, my friend," she told her excitedly, but she just nod in approval, offering her a fake smile.
Before they entered the car, the jealous best friend of hers stopped her.
"Who is your friend Toby, is he a guy, or you found a new bestie, it was more of an interrogation than a question.
" C'mon let's go to school first, I'll introduce you to him later, you know I shall never replace you," after they entered smiling, Raquel's was obviously displeased.
Mia looked at the chauffeur, and he was a new one. "Where is Xander?...Shoot... I mean Davis your previous chauffeur Raquel,"
"I fired him yesterday for going on a joy ride with my car for an hour, and instead of that lowlife to beg for his job, he just went. So foolish, he should have gone on his knees to acquire his job,tsk," Her answer showed how spoilt she was.
They totally ignored what Mia said first, Xander.
"Tomorrow is on a Saturday, Raquel, Mia, what do you say we hang out?" Zane said with enthusiasm.
Before Mia could say anything, Raquel was quick to speak, "No Zane, why do we always have to include Mia, this time we are doing what I say. Not that... Mia you are our friend, but you need to understand, Zane and I are a couple and we need privacy, you are third wheeling every time. Don't take this the wrong way, but we will have to leave you out this time, you can spend time with your books."
Zane felt really bad and wanted to speak but Mia interrupted.
"Its okay, I will..I shall find things to keep me busy for sure," though she was hoping them not to find out about her and Clyde, she felt hurt, not by their relationship, but Raquel's words. It was a sting in the heart!
They reached school, and her chauffeur, a man probably in his early forties, kindly bid them goodbye.
When they alighted, Raquel clasped Zane by his arm, and dragged him away in the opposite side Mia was heading.
Students were idling, since the bell had not yet rang for the lessons to start.
"You are in love with him, aren't you?" Mia was startled by the voice that came behind her.
She turned and found the light brown eyes staring at her.
"No, he's just my best friend, nothing more, I have no feelings for him," Mia said the truth but partly lied.
She had maybe a little bit of feelings for his best friend, the way he took care of her, hugged her and was always there for her.
"So Liam, what is your favorite subject," she wanted to evade the topic.
"History, I love discovering stuff, but people think am boring for being so engrossed in believing the things that don't exist, maybe I am fuddy daddy, but I wouldn't care less if that's what people think," Mia smiled and then came up with a question. Her angelic smile melted his heart.
"Liam? Do you perhaps believe in mythical beings and portals, I ...read...on a book about them...but I don't remember the name of the book," she lied through her teeth.
"If I told you I believe in them, you'd probably think am a weirdo," he said in a sad tone.
"No, actually I believe in them, I not that I saw them or anything like that, I just was... I... I believe they existed,"she stammered.
"Really?" Liam smiled so widely, and it Mia's first time seeing his genuine beautiful smile.
He hugged her in excitement. People around the school were quickly to conclude that Liam had a girlfriend, since they were both smiling at each other and they were the same height.Furthermore, she was extraordinary pretty.
**************
From far at a corner, Clyde was glaring at his best friend while seated at a chair like a boss.
He was with three girls and two boys. "Clyde, don't be like this, you can't do this, just let Liam be with a girlfriend, he has never had one thanks to you. The girls only used Liam to get close to you remember? And you made out with them then dumped them after getting bored. There are other hot girls like me than the Whitehead. Though I might not be hotter than her, she is his type. I can give you everything, please I love you, what is so special about her that you can't stop staring?" Clara almost begged like a child. She called Raquel selfish, but that was the same case with her.
She made sure to dress seductively everyday to please him, but his attention was somewhere else. On the whitehead girl. She was angry.
Clara plotted something.
She straddled him with her front facing him. It was an erotic position, and lucky for them, the CCTV's were never there.
He then averted his gaze from them to Clara.