Being born different, to have everyone staring at you would not have been so difficult to navigate, except that half of Darrell's face is covered in dragon scales. In the dragon world, Darrell would have had many dragon suitors, but as part human, all she has is a scaled face and no knowledge of what she is. Seeing every other girl fall in love and getting good responses from these men back, and knowing that no man will ever ask her out on a date because of her half-dragon face, had Darrell vehemently voice out….
"I hate these scales."
"What In Eck's name are you talking about girl?"
"I wish you can help me scrub them out."
"Help you what? Well, I will let you know that these scales make you stand out."
"Stand out you say? To continue being bullied by cent and his crew? No Drek I wish I could rather stand up."
"You do have a point there, but then, think of it this way, the bullies are just jealous of your beautiful dragon scales."
"Beautiful scales, yes.
But, what do I need these for when I don't even know how to use them?"
"Hey now, don't give up on yourself yet, we just have to figure this out together".
"But I must warn you though, don't you go trying it out on me, like ever!"
"Hm, as if there can ever be hope for me. Remember the times when you forced me to journey around looking for the mystery of my scales?
Before you rather called them dragon scales?"
"They do look like dragon scales to me, but hey those were fun adventurous times though."
"Speak for yourself, Drek all you did was drag me around the places Nina your girlfriend is seen."
"Oh, that? common now Darrell, Nina was just always mistakenly passing through."
"But If you don't believe me, how about you follow me to this other place, again!"
"To see Nina, again?"
"Yes, I mean no. Hey don't look that way at me, Darrell, it's truly a no."
"But Eck, always remembers that there are some slight tendencies that Nina might walk past again."
"Hmm, as if I wasn't already expecting you to say the same. But then, do you even know anyone that can help me solve this scale's meaning?"
"Look, Darrell, to honestly tell you the truth, I don't know anyone that can you girl, but please, come help me convince Nina to be my girlfriend just this one time?"
"You're a selfish friend you know? It's okay though, I will follow you to see your Nina just this last time, it's not as if I have anywhere important left to be anyway."
****
"I have to warn you though, once we meet Nina, you must play nice, she's one Peck of a sensitive girl. Man, I once cracked a butts joke on her, till date I still can't get her to stand and chat with me."
"Drek my good friend, knowing you, you must've done something upsetting to her."
"Man you wound me, Darrell, you do wound me ya know?"
"If I do wound you Drek, what then stops you from telling me this butt-cracking joke of yours?"
"Well, if you must know, Nosey Darrell, I told her that she's the only cockroach in my cupboard."
"The what? Oh my gosh, I swear Drek, your lines need a tailor's touch."
"Laugh all you can, but I tell you what, my lines are cool enough to win Nina's heart."
"Oh no, they can't…the only thing you're likely to win is a comical award. However, if you wish to win Nina's heart, I will be here helping your proud old self out."
"Halt"
"What"
"Why, though?"
"We are by her family's coffee shop."
"Okay, but Drek you didn't have to be damn dramatic about it, you scared me like that."
"Oops, my bad though. But you wait right here now while I go by myself first."
"Drek, why does this sound as if you're yet to book an appointment with her?"
"Just what part of " help me win her over have you not been listening to me sing? Would I drag you out here if my butt's joke hadn't been misunderstood by her?"
"Aw, sorry man, I honestly do have a lot going on my plate now."
"Well, now you can make it up by waiting out here while I go inside the shop, deal?"
"Deal."
(Drek moves to open the coffee shops door, but then looks back saying)
"But don't you go running off on me though?"
"Aye, aye captain, now you go get your girl."
(Satisfied with her response, Drek finally opened to enter the average-looking family coffee shop)
"Why do I feel like he doesn't want me to see him getting embarrassed?"
****
Long moments later and still no sign of Drek, sad and loyal Darrell sits it out waiting for her age-long friend. And just as she had rightly said, it's not like she has any important place to be though.
Filled with despair, and without any hope in sight to help her make meaning of the scale patches she's been born with, Darrell sits by the shop's deck, swinging her legs in syn front and back.
Well, that was till a rolling mantis comes to a stop right before
Darrell.
Filled with awe and admiration for the little creature, Darrell looks it over, instantly making a friend.
"Wow little guy, are you not one Peck of a lucky creature? Here you go rolling out well on the gift of your skills, while I can't seem to make meaning of these scales all patched over my body."
"Now I wish I even knew what I am.
No one knows enough to tell me, but Drek calls them dragon scales.
Sometimes, I too think he says the truth, but won't that denote that I am a half-dragon?
Is that even a possible thing? Who has ever seen a dragon flying around?
Here on the oaks shore, the people are fishermen by trade. The days are either spent on the sea or by the shores tending to their nets. I don't see elves or goblins running around, so what truly are mine?"
"Hmm", she heaves to herself, "well I guess no one has the answer that I seek. I just might have to accept Drek's assertion of my scales.
"Krrrrr, grrrr."
"Huh, you speak?"
"Grrrr, grrrr."
"Okay little guy, but I wish I could make out your cute sounds though."
The mantis starts to roll away, stops midway, and then turns and comes back to the same old spot.
Repeating itself, it says; Krrrrr, grrrr. Twice did this circle of rolling away and coming back to where Darrell sat watching the drama unfold happen.
This repeated circle convinces Darrell that the mantis could be calling out to her.
Yet turning to look towards the coffee shop, Darrell is torn between keeping her sworn word to her friend and following the animal that is now rolling towards the woods.
"Ah well, it's not like Drek even remembers that I am still sitting here waiting for him. What could go wrong if I all but follow these mantis-seeming calls?"
Darrell said lastly in an attempt to convince herself, before standing up to follow the mantis as it rolls away yet again, but this time though, without stopping at all.
While everything could go wrong contrary to Darrell's beliefs, Drek, her friend, is not having the time of his life back inside the coffee shop, one which belongs to Nina's father.
****
"What the heck are you talking about man? Brother, I have swept this last spot twice now."
"Hmm, then get to work sweeping it a third, again."
"Look, man, I'm sorry, ordering them expensive drinks alright, let's call a truce man to the lad, my back hurts like a dang brother."
"Five more minutes, you got five more minutes of sweeping this dirt away."
"But…. There is no dirt."
(Drek said to the manager of Tisand coffee, feeling frustrated)
Seconds later, the sound-dropping Kawai kawai followed to add to Drek's frustration.
"oops here there goes the dirt, now get to cleaning"
"The what? Man, you just dropped the damn bananas now."
"So what? What can you possibly do?"
The manager asks. In Drek's reply, enraged beyond reasoning following the many sweeping and cleaning chores in exchange for ordering an expensive wine when he had no money on him, Instantly gets to work rolling the sleeve of his shirt ready for a bowl.
"Well, I am tired of you pushing me around as if you're not a man like me, tell me, big guy, did you have to drop them banana peels or do I have to knock them outta you?"
"Do you think you can fight me?"
"Oh heck no big fellow, but it will be a damn good exercise for my aching backbones."
"Then I will knock them in good shape for you after I am done removing your teeth."
"My teeth? Now you can forget this fight, cos brother you're not getting anywhere near my teeth."
"Where are you running off to?"
"Oh, I am going to source the money cost of that damn expensive wine."
"You might as well forget it, the door is already locked. you either sweep and mop the floors again, or I get to keep one or two of your teeth."
"You are one eck impossible-to-please aren't you, big guy?"
Hmmm, the manager scoffs out intimidatingly at Drek, even as he tries to stop himself from smiling"
"Well, I might as well mop alright. But where the peck is that mopping bucket already?"
(five minutes later, exhausted Drek with the bucket heaves out)
"Oh yeah."
Before continuing with his floor mobbing.