"Whatever you`re thinking? Don`t do it," Oracle said with a purr.
"Relax, I`ll be back before they get home," I said as put on my cap and slung my purse over my shoulder and down to my waist. Adjusting the strap, I then tied it into a knot before examining myself in the mirror," Now I look like Charmcaster."
"You realize, she`s a villain right? It`s wrong of you to idolize her," Oracle reminded me.
"Oh quiet down, you, and let me have my fun, "Satisfied with my look, I patted Oracle`s head lightly before running out the door and locking it." Love you and don`t rat me out before time!"
I didn`t need a car because the street was pretty straight forward and I had enough money to get around plus I had a map. I know, I sound so old school and crazy stupid but you would too if your parents decided phones were a hindrance to your training. My most favorite reason was my mum going "Who are you going to call? You don`t know anyone."
Way to make me feel even worse about myself, mum. Don`t get me wrong, I did talk to people. Online that is. I was part of a chat group like liked to discuss Pokemon so I did talk to people sometimes.
Anyway, I just really needed to leave the house after being cooped up into here for one and half whole day.
Today was my only chance to have a little fun before the ceremony tomorrow night. Since yesterday and this morning, I have been through meeting after meeting after meeting and I was seriously tired. My dress appointment was in the morning and I was told that my dress would be deliver this afternoon. Mum and dad were about doing some errands and Grams had gone to see the arrangements of my ceremony leaving me home alone.
Mum insisted that I stay home and get some beauty rest but honestly, I was just itching to get out of the house. Luckily, on the drive into the town, I saw local mall that looked like the perfect spot for me to have a little fun.
After the whole reveal about how special I was, I didn`t feel like sticking around downstairs so Grams let me up to my new room. It was homey and girly and I seriously didn`t like it. Whoever lived in there before me had a daughter that loved pink, horses and teddy bears. I didn`t like it one bit. Oracle told me that the house had a pool in the back yard and a back gate leading into the woods behind the house. The house was amazing. Me staying here for three nights and two days wasn`t.
When the bus finally stopped at the Mall, a giddy feeling of excitement took over me as I stepped down and into the footpath.
"This is going to be epic," I whispered to myself as I waited for the bus to leave before crossing the street. I stopped at the entrance of the Mall gate when silver of power hit my straight in the chest. I stepped back and winced.
So there were other witches here? Great, makes my afternoon even more interesting.
I walked through the Mall and tried not to look like a teenager who had just escaped from her home. I adjusted the Pikachu cap on my head as I slipped through the crowd and made a bee-line to the Arcade.
Inside, the smell of candy food, soda and popcorn filled the air. The sound of people talking excitedly or the games being played rang throughout the place. Grinning excitedly, I stood on my tip toes and glanced around to check for the counter. Spotting it a second later, I quickly ran over to purchase my tokens from the cool Game Master who manned the counter by herself. I made a note of the name tag on her shirt which read Olive.
"Never seen you before. Are you new here?" Olive asked as she rang the register and handed over my change before she turned to the box behind her.
"Yes, we just moved," I answered with a smile.
Olive picked up some coins and began to fill in a small bag, "How are you liking our little town?"
I nodded, "It`s fine, I guess. I haven`t had much time to explore,"
"Well, then I guess you have today. Have fun," Olive said as she handed over her token bag.
I nodded at her," I will."
I then set out seeking a worthy game to play.
The sound of a game ending brought my attention to the Dance Evolution. The current players, two teenage girls, had left and the games was currently empty. I glanced around to see that no one was going next so I shrugged and headed over. The girls had gone over to the Basket Ball Game here a bunch of guys were playing and clearly dominating the game. I bit my lip as I watched them before shaking my head and focusing on the game.
'Don`t focus on what others have,' I scolded myself.
Putting in seven tokens, I punched in the necessary instructions before I heard someone clear their throat from behind me. She turned to see a Game Assistant," You trying out the game?"
I nodded, "Yeah, is it broken or something?"
Olive shook her head with a smile, "No. Just a little extra tip though, if you can beat this game by not missing a single step, there`ll be a prize."
I grinned, my magic already feeling the excitement over the possibility of beating a game, "Okay, I`ll take that action."
"Forget it girl, it`s unbeatable," A girl said from the other side of the game.
I turned to see the two girls from earlier. They were dressed in your typical jeans and shirts so I didn`t think that they any trouble for me. One of the girls, who was a brunette, ran her hand through her hair and turned to the boys behind her so I wisely ignored that interaction.
"Yeah, "the other girl added with a nod, "We`ve tried like billion times."
"Well…it can`t hurt to try," Olive encouraged me.
"True," I agreed. I then turned to the game and pressed start. As soon as I heard the song and the first symbols hit their mark, so did I. I started to smile as I got into the game.
I`ll admit something. There may have been times when I could sneak out of the house to the local Arcade just to play. Being in a place where you can live in different games and playing so many games whilst laughing really made me happy. I tried to make time for the games but have enough minutes to get back home before anyone notices that I am gone.
This was my game.
When I finally slammed my foot down on the last mark, I stopped and did a peace sign as the game snapped my photo and developed it. A loud whooping was heard as Olive cheered me on from behind. I laughed and ran a hand through my hair before approaching the photo outlet for my souvenir.
"Come on over to the counter," Olive said from behind me. Grinning, I followed her after nodding to the two girls. They looked quite shocked at my dance display but, hey, that was fine. I almost never get the chance to impress others with my normal skills so this was a treat for me.
At the counter, Olive pushed a cross a turquoise diary that seemed to a single black silhouette of a girl dancing on the front cover.
"Awesome!" I exclaimed as I held up the diary to my face.
"That was kind of good for a first timer," Olive commented.
I looked up at her with a guilty smile," I have a similar game back at our home arcade. I`ve played it like a billion times."
Olive chuckled, "Make sense."
'You`d better get home soon, your parents have just left a message that they`ll be home in a few minutes,' Oracle reported via mind link. Mentally groaning, I reached into my pockets and gave back my remaining tokens.
"Umm, I have to give these back, "I said as I slide them across to her," I just remembered that I have to be at home."
Scanning my face, Olive grinned, "Let me guess? You snuck out."
I shrugged and smiled. Olive nodded and took back the token before telling me to stop by again. Leaving the shop with a happy grin while holding my new diary left me thinking of how lucky this afternoon was. I had made a new friend and gotten a new diary. Could this get any better?
Unfortunately, because of my day dreaming, I watch where I was going and ended up walking straight into someone. Gasping, my diary fell with a thud and I rubbed my shoulder because honestly, it felt like had hit a brick wall instead of a human.
"I am so sorry," said the man whom I had accidentally bumped into.
Sighing, I bent to pick up my new item," It`s okay, I wasn`t watching where I was going."
When I finally looked up, the man blinked his green eyes before taking a step closer towards me,"Akila? That`s….," He trailed off before gulping," Impossible…"
Sensing a hidden threat, I retreated a step back," I`m sorry, you must be confusing me with someone else."
"I - "
"Have a nice day," I ended the conversation and left in a hurry.
Mum always did say that world would be filled with predators that would sometimes trick unsuspecting people into their cars or homes. Unfortunately for this guy, I was a witch and capable of turning him into a toad if he considered coming after me. I just didn`t want to waste my energy.
Spotting a Wiccan shop up head, I made a beeline for it and sighed with relief when the shop owner nodded at me when I entered.
The crystals section was at the end of the isles near the cash register so I moved their and pretended to be browsing.
"Something chasing you, child?"
I turned to the shop owner, a woman that looked like Whoppi Golderberg with a blue scarf. Seriously, she has dreadlocks and glasses that looked so cool. I smiled timidly at her, "Yes."
"Not to worry," She assured me as she put down her book and moved to the entrance of her shop. She then flipped the sign that read 'Open' to 'Close.'
"Now, why don`t you tell why you`re in the mall instead of at home, Thalia?"
I freeze.