Chapter Four - The Beginning! I think-
Hiro's pov
Once we reached our treasure trove we hurried up to our favorite branch that sits riiiight at the middle of the tree, thick and sturdy with plenty of smaller branches good for keeping our balance, we wasted no time in diving into a heated discussion about the latest update on a webnovel we love called, 'Ormiscient Thinker's Viewpoint'.
"I'm just saying, that's a terrible first impression!"
"Well you're not wrong but think about it from his viewpoint! The unknown variable approached him first!"
"True, but is that really a cause for attempted strangulation and murder?"
"Ah, but you forget he didn't die. He was fine!"
"Duh, that was cause he had a plan, but what if you were thrown off a bridge, would you make it? And remember that it's a city bridge, not a country bridge."
"..."
"You make a solid argument, Cal, have to say I'm convinced."
"By the way what did you think about how that student…"
We sat and chatted for what seemed like a mere five minutes but upon checking my flip-phone I noticed that it was already a way beyond lunchtime.
"Hey, Cal."
"Yeah?"
"What is an astronaut's favorite meal?"
"Uh, dinner? I dunno."
With a grin, I cackled, "Launch time!"
"... Girl, you know that was legit, terrible right?" She slapped a hand to her forehead in exasperation, her hand hiding the little grin that might've maybe made an appearance.
In response, I held a hand to my chest dramatically and said. "Not nearly as terrible as my heartrate when I saw your beauteous face running to me earlier."
"How in the world you can spit such charming ludicrous quips, with such a straight face never ceases to astound me." She says shaking her head in, was that disappointment? Nah she loves my quips and she knows it.
Figuring I was leading us off on a rabbit trail, I tried steering the conversation back to my original purpose,"Well, buddy pal, if you happen to have a clock to check you'll see we have officially missed lunch."
I say as I hold up my flip phone showing the time on the outer screen.
"Oh my land is it 1:30 already? No wonder I was getting hungry!" Cal said, as she drew her gaze almost perfectly in time with mine own as I too twisted my head to the minifridge in our cupboard just above the Discussion branch.
We each had our own separate reading branches but this one we shared for pretty much any other activity that wasn't Our own separate readings.
You may ask what was in the minifridge or you may ask an even more intriguing question of 'ow the blazes do you have a minifridge in a tree forty+ feet off the ground???'
Well, I'll have you know that that is a perfectly good question! And as with most 'perfect' questions, the answer is rudimentary my dear Watson. Cal is from a family in which Her mom runs a very successful cattle farm and her father is an internationally famous lawyer. So her allowance is a little more than a few nickels and pennies. So, I talked her into buying a solar-powered minifridge years ago for a beach trip we went on together.
But back to why we gluttons suddenly found great interest in the fridge of mini was because… I made brownies the day before yesterday, using my super ultra cocoa recipe of course! But that's something to expand on at another time, the point is that I left the leftovers in there and was waiting to work of finishing them off with Cal.
Naturally I had told her bout it during one of our study-together-from-afar zoom calls. And to say she was interested would naturally be a huge understatement.
In seemingly a single instance as tho someone had fired the starting bullet we both lunged up to the cupboard holding the goodies, heartbreakingly her hand landed on it first and she got a grip and proceeded to hip bump we back to a lower limb as she opened the cupboard using the hidden mechanisms built into the cupboard, [handywork of your's truly- I got a lot of hobbies and free time so...] then opening the minifridge she grabs the plate of brownies, securly closes both latches and starts climbing to the very top of the tree toward my reading branch that is settled at the very highest point with the farthest view.
Not one to back down from a challenge I hurry after her as soon as I regain my balance. She beat me by a little bit so I was left stuck taking the branch just below (mine) her own.
"Hey, you better be planning to share young lady, don't make me come up there!" I whine yet at the same time threaten in a childish voice.
"Yeah yeah, here you go, Hiro." Cal says as she passes me a couple of brownies enveloped in a napkin. "Hey Hiro, did you happen to read that one novel I recommended you read?"
"You mean The Lotus Lost to Shade? Yeah, I almost finished it before my math class started and as soon as that was over it was already time to head this way, sorry I didn't bring it with me."
"No worries, I was just wanting your opinion on something that happens about halfway through the book."
"Yeah? Shoot." I say as we both pause to chew on chocolatey goodness.
"Do you think the villainess got what she deserved?" Cal said tipping her head to the side and gazing out over the treetops toward the mountains and all beyond, contemplative and… kind of… conflicted? At least that was what her eyes seemed to say to me.
"Well, if I'm going to be completely honest… I'd say no, from a modern viewpoint there were a lot of problems with all that happened. Completely ignoring how unlikely it is that a whole group of the strongest kids of an entire empire fell for the same lady and focusing on the question. Uhm, you know,.. I'm not entirely sure the 'villainess' actually fits the description of 'villainous', you know what I mean?"
"You make a good point Hiro, I wonder if you could expand on how you think the novel could be better?"
"That's a compressed can of worms there, Cal, you sure you want to crack it before its even done fermenting?"
"Hmm, good point, I shouldn't jump too fast onto that train wreck, you'll have to tell me later once you finish the book then alright?"
"Sure, Cal, but uhm, I did want to ask if you-"
You know, looking back I kinda regret not skipping the extra and and asking the rest of my question to Cal, from those cryptic words you can probably guess I was rather rudely interrupted mid sentence.
I suddenly seemed to lose all control of my muscles so naturally gravity decided to off it's help and tried to grab me. Wat a bleeding heart am I right?
Anywho so I began to fall backwards and of course with terrific timing Callie was looking over to her right at a murder of crows headed off eastward so by the time she noticed it was already too late.
As I fell backwards still for some reason paralized? I felt confused as I looked up and slowly watched as small napkin holding the rest of my brownies slowly fell next to me as if in slow motion. 'Really hope those don't get wrecked when they land-' was my last thought before I blinked and-