The stars above are shining brighter than before. Or it might be because it's summer...
I stretched my left arm out, trying to get ahold of the celestial rocks in the sky.
"I bet Kolin could."
"Could what?"
"Gah!"
I jumped, sitting up from my makeshift nest made up of folded blankets and scattered pillows on the rooftop.
It was nothing, I just saw Kolin floating toward me—I mean, it's pretty weird.
"Ah! dang it! Why pop out of nowhere?!" I don't know if any of you have brothers, but they're annoying as hell!
"Could what?" He repeated his question, obviously amused by my reaction. "Nothing, I just thought that you probably could go to space if you wanted to."
"Hmmm... I could try, but I won't; I just got a new life, there's no point in dying again because of a failed experiment." He mused, rubbing his nonexistent beard.
"I thought so." I lost interest in the subject.
Silence filled the air. It was strange, he might be a little different than I thought, but I still feel the same comfort as before.
"So, are you like some sort of hero now?" I asked, initiating a conversation.
"I'm not planning on it." He said as he magically took out a croissant... out of nowhere.
"Where did—you know what? Never mind."
Munch munch munch
An airplane passed by, "Oh right, we're pretty close to the airport, huh?" He said between munches.
Our neighborhood is surrounded by ports and stations, so we oftentimes could hear sirens going off, or planes whooshing through the sky. I'm used to it though, I have associated those sounds with the word 'Home'. I grew up hearing all those noises after all.
While I was lost in my thoughts, he suddenly went back to my question.
"Being a hero sucks." He blurted out, crossing his arms behind his head. I looked at him, confused by the sudden complaint.
"Were you one?"
"No."
I raised my eyebrow.
"Then how would you know if you weren't?" I quipped, rolling my eyes at his illogical train of thought.
"Just imagine, giving your life for the people, only for you to be forgotten."
I licked my lips, trying to come up with an adequate answer.
"Well, some heroes of our world were remembered, like MLK, or Gandhi."
He pursed his lips, his expression akin to one who is lost in their own thoughts.
"Mhm, I wouldn't call them heroes, they just did what others could've done."
"You're maybe right, but they still did it anyways—they knew the risks."
He's being illogical, you noticed as well, right? He's making excuses.
His eyes that were reflecting the night sky squinted.
It's his signature expression at this point like he's talking to himself in the mirror.
"Say, do you want to learn?"
"Learn what?"
"Mana."
"I'm good, thank you."
I immediately rejected it. I don't find the idea of having such power sensible, although I do find it cool. "Huh, why not? you can do whatever you want with this power, you know?"
His greenish eyes reflected the sky more as he widened them in surprise.
"Stop it, you sound like the devil." I joked.
He chuckled.
"I'm just saying, I won't always be around to protect all of you guys."
"It's pretty safe here, I mean this is like the celebrity neighborhood."
Why is he talking like this? I knit my eyebrows, confused by his random antics.
'He probably had booze.'
"By your world's standard, it is."
"..."
"Sure."
Yawn
I looked at my phone, "Oh, it's 11."
"All right, go to sleep, I'll go back to my place for a bit."
He got up, squatted, then jumped.
"Sure—"
WOOOSH
He flew so fast that he vanished out of sight in mere seconds.
"Damn, that guy is trouble," I mumbled to myself as I went down the ladder to my room's own balcony.
I went inside and prepared to sleep. Before that though, I thought about it—about what he said.
'A mage...'
That doesn't sound bad at all, but it's still a foreign concept for me. I feel like having that much rule over nature comes with great consequences.
"Sure, whatever"
While I was imagining myself using a fire sword, or drinking water out of thin air, I dozed off.
...
Chirp Chirp Chirp
The singing of birds woke me up from my deep slumber, like an alarm.
'I wouldn't wanna snooze this one though.'
I wondered what was for breakfast, but someone barged through my door.
"GOOD MORNING, SLEEPYHEAD.!!"
It's my idiot brother, "You can't be barging into a girl's room like that! No wonder you have no girlfriend."
I saw his face drop. He quickly put on a wry smile though. "I knew you were awake, I know my manners, moron."
"Mhm, whatever."
I greeted my parents, had breakfast, and took a bath.
I want to go to a mall, 'I want to go shopping.' I thought as I looked at my wardrobe filled with winter clothes.
"Kolin could drive me there."
...
I found him in the kitchen, drinking out of a big bottle of water.
"I didn't bring my car." He said after chugging the gallon of water, it looks like he went for a run, as he had a face towel around his neck, and a band around his forehead... and he stinks of sweat.
"Gosh, you smell, go take a bath or something."
He smirked evilly, and he tried to bear hug me.
Quickly ducking, I avoided what could've been a lethal attack.
And what option is best? Run away from him, "Go pick me up at the Super Mall at lunch."
I pushed the tall polished wooden door, and immediately smelled the fresh soil and the earthy tones of grass.
I was wearing a yellow below-the-knee skirt, and a white plain shirt, and I am rocking my leather bag that can barely fit anything in it. 'Why are girl stuff so impractical?' I grumbled.
On the way to the front gate of our house, I saw my mom tending to the garden.
"Are you going somewhere, Bevie?" She asked, sweat lining up her forehead.
"Yes mom, I'm going to the mall with some friends."
She put on her usual gentle smile, albeit there was a hint of teasing this time. "You sure, it isn't a boy?"
I felt my face turn red, "I-I don't!!"
'Don't? Don't what?!'
"Sure, sure, just be back before lunch. I'll have Kolin pick you up."
She chuckled.
I wondered though. 'Isn't that plant bigger than yesterday? Oh, it might be a different one.'
...
"Bev, right here!" I heard a familiar cheery voice calling my name.
"Choccy!" I skipped towards her and gave her a hug.
Choccy is my childhood friend and the one whom I hang out at school with. She has jet-black hair and deep black eyes.
Oh, and she's Korean, Park Seung Jee is her real name. We just call her 'Choccy', since she likes chocolate a bit too much. She is wearing a frilly white dress that accentuates her petite look and a tan beret hat.
On her right is our other friend, Lux. She is a bit shy, so bear with her a little bit, okay?
She is what you can define as 'emo', she looks like Wednesday—even her outfit is similar—but she definitely has more 'bust'. If you know, you know.
"Where shall we go? I had breakfast already, so no food."
"We can go buy some summer clothes, I outgrew mine."
"Same, to be honest."
"...Same."
Choccy and I both looked at her at the same time, our eyes drifting down to her chest. "We can see."
HAHAHA
We laughed... maybe a bit too hard.
She looked red, embarrassed by our tease. "A-at least I'm growing! Unlike Choccy!"
I gasped, noticing the vein that popped on Choccy's forehead.
"A-alright, all right, you both should calm down."
"Stay out of this, the average shouldn't interfere."
"The what?" I felt my face twitch.
How did I get into this? Before I could retort though, we saw someone handing out free samples of croquettes.
"Isn't that Tobin? What's he doing here?" Choccy said as he noticed a slim-looking guy, about the same age as us.
Tobin is one of the high-ranking students, only below Lux who is at the top 1.
He is also pretty athletic, but an average-looking bloke. He is neither ugly nor handsome, but he could be attractive if you dress him up a little bit—which he does not do, by the way.
"Yo Tobin! Choccy shouted with her teeny voice." I was kind of surprised by what I saw though. Lux pinched Choccy's sleeve, and she looked... embarrassed.
Gasp
I looked at her eyes, and through that, we communicated, for she averted her eyes.
And I confirmed it, she likes the lanky dude! No way! That scrawny dude might die due to...
Never mind!
"Hello, Seung Jee, Lux, and... Bevie?" He frowned as he mentioned my name.
"Why the hesitation, Mr. Lanky?"
He wore a wry smile as he explained, "Nothing... I just didn't recognize you right away." "Sure, Bud."
"Oh, would you care to taste some croquettes? They're fresh, I personally made them."
I took one and without hesitation, took a bite. The outside was crispy, and salty to my liking. The inside was so fluffy, however, and it made me feel like I was walking on clouds.
Mhmmm!
I saw the two looking surprised as well, and they obviously liked it.
Especially Lux... but she's staring at something else—or someone else, not the food.
'This girl...' I thought with a wry smile.