The summer heat made the weak Alicia to slowly open her eyes, only to be greeted by the sting of sunlight beaming through the windowpanes. She then blocked the light so it would not shoot down her already troubled eyes.
The sleeping beauty had risen from her slumber. She turned around and pulled her legs together as a simple stretch. Alicia moaned in the silence of her pillow. After a brief pause, the girl picked up the glasses on her bedside desk—something she did in reflex every time she woke up—and observed her surroundings. Alicia saw a very familiar room, her own bedroom. She let out a sigh of relief before she recalled something odd about her current state. The last thing she was conscious, she was at the cemetery in front of her two friends, with injuries and torn clothes on her body. She examined herself and saw that she was wearing the pyjamas she wore before she left. All of her wounds were covered with medical tape, including the scorching brand on her right hand, hidden in bandage wrapping. Realising something, her face turned red in an instant.
Who brought her home, changed her clothes, and cleaned her body? The pyjama, of course, could not be worn by itself! While Alicia was deep in thought, a melodious voice greeted her. She straight sat her body the moment she heard the sound and scanned the room one more time until she finally found its source. It was coming from the desk next to the spot she used to put her glasses. The orb was still intact with her in the room.
"Haw, rise and shine, Orb," Alicia greeted in a voice that was still weak from exhaustion.
The orb replied to her in a slightly pressing tone.
"M-mid afternoon?" Alicia looked at the clock on her bedroom wall. Its hands showed the time of half-past three. Alicia hardly ever woke up that late. She then tried to move from the bed and took the magic ball. The ball was still radiating dim plasma energy dancing in it, but the afternoon sun dominated its glow. She tried to walk over and grabbed the door. Even with her wide glasses, her vision was still a little blurred. The way she walked was still staggering, but the girl still insisted on going to another room.
After a series of careful steps, she finally found the stairs and went to the ground floor. She saw her friend, Nadine, sitting in the family room, watching a random action big screen show in a home theatre. Nadine heard the footsteps and turned to find her eyes and Alicia's eyes staring at each other.
"Divine Mercy, there she is. Awright, ye snoozie bug?" Nadine stood up when she saw Alicia with her sleepy eyes, and her shoulder-length wavy hair was a little messy.
Alicia looked at Nadine with a smile. "Mornin' too, Nadine. Still a wee wabbit, but aye, awright. What are you watching?"
"This?" Nadine pointed at the telemedia screen. "Just random kino I found from your da's collection. Hope ye dinnae mind."
"Mind? Naw. Not at all. Make yerself home," Alicia chuckled.
"Oh, are you hungry? I'll make brunch for you."
"What? Nadine, there's no need to trouble yourself!" replied Alicia in her still weak sound.
"Don't be silly, hen. You barely have the energy to speak. Last night made us pure wabbit, you especially. So let yer lassie here make a classic Caledonian breakfast set for ye, like the one I made for myself and Gilmore."
"If that's the case… can you make it double? Sorry to bother you," Alicia said with a blushing smile.
Nadine reacted with her gentle smile as well. "Of course. Noo take a seat, hen. Scran is coming."
Alicia sat at the dining table and kept the ball on it. Nadine prepared all the ingredients from the frig and started to light the three stoves. It did not take long for her to heat the canned red beans on the first stove. On the second one, Nadine grilled sausages, lorne sausages, and black puddings, two servings of each. She used the last stove to roast tomatoes and saute mushrooms. All the sizzle sound and those sweet, meaty smells were the pleasure of senses to the Crimsonmane girl. While cooking, Nadine opened a conversation with Alicia in the kitchen.
"Looks like you're getting along with the sphere that you carry everywhere," said Nadine.
Alicia laughed a little in response. "Well, it greeted me when I woke up, and when I realised I was in my room, I brought the ball to check on the house."
"How wise."
"By the way, where's Gilmore?"
"Gilmore, eh? He's going to his house and mine to get our clothes," replied Nadine. "We're probably gonna have a sleepover for a few days, at least 'til yer da comes. And no, I won't take 'no' for answers. We don't know the true nature of that ball, so we can't just leave you alone."
The ball that received Nadine's words responded with a strain of voice.
"It said that the ball is friendly. It has become my friend and it will protect me. So you don't have to worry about me," said Alicia, who tried to translate the meaning of the ball's message.
"Naw, naw, baw. Everyone can say that. But I've been friends with Alicia here for ages. I can't be easily replaced by a hackit baw like ye," retorted Nadine with a frown on her face, pointing at the ball.
Her bookworm pal chortled when hearing her annoyance talking to the magic ball, "Calm down, ball and Nadine. I'm sure you two can be pals and work together. And Nadine. As always, make yourself at home."
Nadine put the cooked red beans, tomatoes, and mushrooms on a plate, then continued to fry the eggs, while the other stoves were used to fry the portions of bacon and heat the scones.
"Uh, Nadine? I wanted to ask you. What happened to me after that incident at the funeral?"
"You blacked out right away, Alicia," Nadine replied. "After that, Gilmore carried you back to your bit. Your orb was a pure fash when carried. It's like it only wanted your hand to hold it. Gilmore and I had a hard time moving the ball because it always jolted us. So, Gilmore took off your cape and covered the orb with it as an insulator. Then I brought it home."
"I see," Alicia went silent for a moment, then asked again curiously. "B-but! W-who changed my clothes and cleaned my body then?"
"Why, it's Gilmore, of course! I mean, who else?" answered Nadine with a little teasing. "He was in a tremendous panic when you got hit by that orb and buried under the ruins. We couldn't just put you in bed with clothes full of dirt and grime, could we? So when we got home, he immediately took off your clothes and bathed you in the bathtub. He also put on your pyjamas and treated your wounds. Who would've thought a boar like him was quite gentle to take care of you? I was surprised too you didn't even notice him brushing yer body!"
Hearing such words, Alicia, who was drinking, almost spat out her drink. Her eyes were wide open, her body trembled, and her visage turned red like boiled shrimp. "Hah!? G-G-Gil-Gilmore? You're kidding! Y-y-yer bum's oot the windae! Stop lying, Nadine!"
The orb on the table gave a signal to her.
"S-she doesn't lie? Orb, not another haver from you too! No! No way! Gil-Gilmore… staring at my body...."
"See, even your magic ball is an eyewitness," Nadine turned to Alicia with a grin and then glanced at the sphere in admiration before focusing back on her cooking. She never thought the ball was smart enough to play along with her pranks.
"N-no…," the girl went limp and imagined her ruined day with a blank stare. That Willy "Gily" bastard. He must be in great triumph after seeing her naked body. And to make things worse, it was the same man who bathed her. Alicia could not imagine when Gilmore tried to touch her body parts. She was still unconscious at that time! What was his reaction when he saw her body? Did he take advantage of the odds when Alicia was insensible in the bathtub? The more she imagined it, the more her soul was drawn from her body.
Nadine looked toward her shocked friend and made a loud guffaw.
"Hey! I was playing with ye! Clerty, clerty, Alicia, yer so innocent. There's no way I could just let yon big yin bathe you!" Nadine said so with her loose laugh still tucked into it. Alicia was still trying to understand Nadine's words with furrowed brows and a gaping mouth.
"S-so… Gilmore didn't actually see me naked?"
"I don't know. Maybe not?"
"Nadine!"
"Okay, okay, Alicia, calm down." Nadine laughed again. "I'm the one who did all the treatment. Gilmore was on guard to make sure no one was following us."
"But! Orb…?"
"Looks like your new friend knows how cute you are when you're being bullied."
Alicia looked at the ball in disbelief. The ball only emitted laughter like the first time they met. She covered her face with her hands while slowly lowering them away.
"You guys really made me have to imagine that, eh?"
"Well, you and Gilmore are used to sharing vulgar jokes and content, aren't you?" Nadine teased her again. Alicia did not know where to put her face. "You're quite... Ah dinnae ken, a raunchy?"
Alicia turned her face, still completely red it was. "Uh, okay Nadine. I think it's time we talk about something else."
Suddenly, the door of her house opened, and a deep voice was heard. Alicia looked like she was being electrocuted when her ears caught a very familiar voice. What a coincidence. Gilmore just returned.
"I'm home! Uh, not home, I mean, I'm Alicia's home! Nadine, where are ye?" Gilmore shouted from the front door as he stepped inside.
"In the kitchen! Hey, hurry and see who's just got up!" replied Nadine from the kitchen. It did not take long for Gilmore to enter the cookroom and see Alicia sitting at the left of the dining table with a blush on her face. Gilmore's eyes lit up when he saw her being well.
"Alicia? Alicia!" Gilmore exclaimed with a big grin. His arms opened wide and almost hugged her, but this time he was wise enough not to crush her bones like before, considering his little friend still had to recover her body.
"G-G-Gilmore! H-hi! Ah… Uh… yer, yer back!" The girl responded by stammering and blushing. She seemed to get nervous looking at him after listening to Nadine's joke, which made her imagination run wild.
"Hmmm? What's with that reid face, hen? Ye look like you're looking at a pervert—"
"Och, n-no-nothing, Gilmore! I… I'm fine. J-just tired, you know, so tired I get startled easily when you scream out like that!" Alicia answered, then pretended to laugh. And Gilmore, as usual, believed the lie.
"Is that so? Apologies, my lady. I'll lower my voice. But what matters is ye look belter!" Gilmore patted her shoulder and laughed out loud. Alicia also responded with a fake chuckle. Nadine was just behind them and chuckled at their strange behavior as well. After a while, she had finished arranging the meal. Scones, meat sausages, lorne sausages, black pudding, red beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, and a pair of sunny side up. All served hot. The matchless fusion of heavenly dishes.
"Food is ready. Please enjoy, my lady!" Nadine delivers food to Alicia like a palace maid serving her queen. Alicia looked at the delicious dish. Her mouth might only reveal a fleeting smile, but her shining eyes showed her delight at the appearance of the very appetising cuisine. She wasted no time. The girl immediately took a fork and knife, then stabbed and sliced the juicy sausage, delivering it straight into her mouth. After tasting that cylindrical minced pork encased in intestines, she devoured the rest of the food faster than sound. Nadine and Gilmore, who had been sitting at the dinner table, looked at her like someone who hadn't eaten in days. Never have they ever witnessed such an appetite in their little pal. Not in Howlett's meat buffet, not in a classy restaurant, not anywhere. But they let Alicia enjoy her meal. Alicia just did not care and kept munching all the scran to where she no longer paid any attention to table manners. She had forgotten the knife on her plate and used her right hand instead for a scone, while her left hand held a fork that stabbed the black pudding.
The starved did not eat long. Two servings of the Caledonian breakfast sets were gone, not generous enough to leave any leftovers. A record for Alicia, apparently. It seems like what Nadine said. Last night's incident really drained her strength until she passed out.
After eating all the food, the languid girl now looked radiant, as she should have by the eyes of the captivated. []