A knock echoed through the room, sharp and clear, like a pebble hitting a still pond. "Who is it?" A voice, as familiar as a favorite melody, answered from the other side. The air filled with the metallic symphony of chains rattling and locks turning before the door creaked open, revealing the room beyond.
"Hello, Aunt. Is Xyle here?" Sage's voice was a soft murmur, barely above a whisper. Her eyes, curious and bright, scanned the room, darting from one corner to another, searching for a familiar face.
Xyle's Mother chuckled, a sound as warm and comforting as a crackling fire on a cold winter night. "Come in, Sage. Xyle is still washing the dishes."
Sage stepped inside, her gaze landing on her friend who was standing at the sink, her hands submerged in soapy water, busily scrubbing dishes. The clink of porcelain and the splash of water created a rhythm that filled the room.
Sage found a spot on the bamboo flat bed, the only piece of furniture in the room that served multiple purposes - for sleeping, sitting, and eating. After a quick glance around the room, still buzzing with the energy of a busy family, Sage turned her attention to her friend. "Xyle, let's go shopping," she suggested, her voice filled with anticipation.
"Books? When?" Xyle paused in her task, her hands stilling in the soapy water, and looked at Sage. Her petite frame was a bit shorter than Sage, and also younger. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, stray strands sticking to her forehead where beads of sweat had formed.
"After you're done washing, let's go. My treat." Sage replied, a grin spreading across her face, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "You don't have appointments or work today, right?"
Xyle laughed, a sound as bright and refreshing as sunlight breaking through the clouds. "Of course not. But I will need 30 minutes to finish taking a bath and change my clothes."
"Alright. Just come to my house later." Sage whispered, her voice barely audible, "Tell them that you were the one that invited me out."
"Okay!" Their laughter filled the room, bouncing off the walls, before they said their temporary goodbyes.
"I'll be going out with Xyle later, Aunt. Thank you for inviting me in." Sage said, her voice filled with gratitude.
Xyle's mother shook her head, a sigh escaping her lips. "You still remember I'm here huh. Just don't stay out late."
*****
"Do you still have a phone, Xyle?" Sage asked suddenly, her voice cutting through the hum of the city around them. They were already on their way to the mall, the buildings towering above them, their reflections dancing on the glass windows.
"I'm using my mother's phone. But she needs it today, so I didn't bring it." Xyle replied, her voice barely audible over the noise of the traffic.
Sage blurted out her thoughts, her words tumbling out in a rush, "Should we look at the phones?"
Xyle nodded, her eyes lighting up at the suggestion. "Okay let's browse them then go to the bookstore."
Sage had a plan forming in her mind, a goal that she locked in her mind. She would buy both of them a phone today.
When they entered the first floor of the mall, several clerks called out, their voices blending together as they promoted different phones to the passersby.
Sage and Xyle approached one of the stalls, their eyes scanning the phones on display. Xyle was busy looking at the price, her interest waning. Meanwhile, Sage was engrossed in the specifications, her fingers tracing the sleek designs.
They visited six more shops until Sage made up her mind. She decided to buy a SamSong Notepad 4 for Xyle, knowing her love for arts, and an aPhone 11 for herself because of its superior camera which she would need in the future. She planned to buy them when Xyle would be busy browsing books.
The two of them headed to the third floor where the bookstore was located. They played on the escalator, their laughter echoing around them, before arriving at their destination.
Sage picked out some books, all from the mystery genre, and paid for them at the counter. She placed the bag down and went over to Xyle. "I'll be back, I need to pee."
Xyle glanced at her before returning her attention to the book she was holding. "Mkay, come back."
Sage took the bag down to the 1st floor and went to the phone stall that sold the brand and model of the phone she had decided to buy.
"Hello, I'd like to purchase a SamSong Notepad 4." Sage spoke to the employee before they could say anything.
"Hello, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. We have three colors available here, Ocean Blue, Skynight Black, and Freezing Autumn. What would you like to get?"
Sage thought for a moment. There was only one light color, so she decided to pick the blue one. "Blue Ocean. Can you attach the tempered glass right now? I'd also like to choose a case. Do you also sell sim cards?" She said in one breath.
All her requirements and queries were completed 10 minutes later. Then she quickly went to another stall to buy her phone. Afterwards, she left all the items in the booth.
She wanted to buy more things, but her mother's house was far from exclusive. Her mother could access all corners or possible hiding places if she wanted to.
"Did you poop?" Xyle asked with a teasing grin on her face as soon as she saw Sage. She held up the books and suggested, "I've bought these books. Let's go to the arcade!"
Sage just laughed and nodded. "If not poop, then what?" She checked the books Xyle bought and said, "Oh, right. This time, don't pay the bill first, let me treat you,"
"Were you serious about treating me earlier? I thought it was a joke, sorry." Detecting the hint of seriousness in Sage's voice, Xyle decided to watch what Sage wanted to do.
As they were walking towards the other side of the bookstore, where the arcade was located, they chatted.
"What do you want to take when you reach college, Xyle?"
"Huh? I told you already about it just weeks ago." Xyle was dumbfounded. "Did you forget it that quick?"
"Yeah," Sage awkwardly laughed. "Sleepless nights made me do it."
"Yiee, were you thinking about Ran?" Xyle pushed Sage's shoulder teasingly.
Sage tried to remember about the person named Ran, but she could not recall who it was. "No, I'm thinking about you. " Sage also teased back.
The two of them laughed and continued the almost forgotten topic.
"I want to take the Criminal Investigation or Forensic Investigation Program in University. Yours was general med or forensic science, right?"
"Nah, I'll proceed Statistics. I want to focus on research." Sage replied.
They reached the arcade and went inside. Then, they approached the small stall at the entrance to change for coins.
"We'll have 100 coins each." Sage handed a $1,000 bill. One coin costs $5. Thus, the clerk gave her change of $500.
"Statistics? I haven't heard that being offered in all Universities." Xyle was shocked to see Sage handed the thousand-bill casually. But still continued the ongoing conversation.
"Should we start Karaoke?" Sage asked. Then she answered, "It exists, just not well-known. I might go to the King University branch in our country."
Xyle nodded, "Let's go to Karaoke." Then she replied to the previous conversation, "By scholarship? That school is so choosy."
They entered the karaoke room and found their own seats. Sage grabbed the song book and chose a song. They got busy singing and had long forgotten the previous topic.
They used 10 coins each in the Karaoke room until they got tired. They went out and tried the other games. They finished playing after almost three hours.
"Hey, it's almost 6 pm." Sage exclaimed. She double checked the time and it still showed 5:48 PM. "Let's buy groceries, still my treat. Be comfortable and choose anything."
"Alright, alright. Should we eat dinner first?" Xyle said with a gentle smile, her eyes filled with innocence.
Sage shook her head. "The counters in the grocery will close by 6:30 pm. We need to hurry…" Sage paused, thinking of a solution. "How about you order in McDollibee and reserve a table there? I'm sure the line is long. Let's meet in 30 minutes."
Xyle looked at her busy friend. Then she looked at the four $1,000 bills in her hand. Her friend just grabbed the bills in a hurry from a teardown envelope that was in her bag. She clearly saw the newly printed stack of 500 and 1,000 bills in that envelope. She casted a suspicious gaze on the money in her hand, she thought, "Did Sage mistakenly give me four instead of one?"
Sage sprinted towards the grocery store at the ground floor. Since she was bringing a tiny bag, the security guard did not bother to check her for any suspicious items in her body. The guard just said, "Miss, be careful when running."
"Thank you for your reminder, Uncle!" Sage's voice drifted far as she ran towards the glass entrance of the grocery store.
With a determined look, she seized two carts, their metal frames clattering against each other. She sprinted towards the farthest right aisle of the grocery store, her ponytail bobbing with each stride. The carts, stubborn and unruly, slowed her down as their wheels whimsically veered left or right, guided by the scratch marks on the worn-out floor. A silent scream of frustration bubbled up inside her, but she swallowed it down, focusing instead on the rapid patter of her feet against the linoleum.
The far right aisle and the next four were a haven of hygiene products — for self, home, and vehicles. The following two aisles boasted an array of containers: plastic cups, spoons, paper plates, and more. The subsequent four aisles were a cornucopia of snacks and drinks, their colorful packaging vying for attention. The final five aisles were a testament to modern convenience, displaying preserved foods, canned goods, noodles, condiments, fruits, vegetables, ice creams, processed meats, and ready-to-eat foods.
Sage, with a methodical rhythm, grabbed two of each product for each cart. She didn't bother arranging them, whether toxic or edible. The products were all tightly packed anyway, so she shrugged off the usual adult concerns.
In a whirlwind 25 minutes, Sage completed her shopping. The employees inside watched, wide-eyed, as she raced against time until her two carts were filled to the brim. She reached counter 34 and flashed a weary smile at the cashier. "Hello, Miss. Uh, haha, can you still do mine?"
The cashier glanced at the overflowing carts, then at the clock; it was already 6:21 PM. A frown creased her forehead, but she nodded, "Okay, ma'am. Please put the products here."
Sensing the cashier's apprehension, Sage took the initiative to organize the goods, her hands moving with practiced efficiency. The cashier didn't notice it, but she felt her workload lighten up.
[+50 Destiny Credits]
After checking and packing the groceries, the cashier asked, "Ma'am, do you want your groceries to be delivered outside?"
Sage just nodded. "How much?" She peeked at the screen and saw numbers in bold, green fonts: $17,986. "Ugh, expensive," Sage groaned as she stealthily grabbed the cash from the envelope.
She paid for the groceries and stepped outside, her eyes scanning for empty taxis. After a while, she successfully hailed a ride. She negotiated with the taxi driver. After the negotiation, the driver helped the employee load her groceries into the trunk of the taxi.
"Uncle, can you please make a round in the parking lot? Please come back in 30 minutes."
Sage then headed to McDollibee, her eyes darting around to find Xyle. Her friend was not on the first floor, so she ascended to the 2nd floor. Xyle was sitting right beside the stairway, a tray of food on the table, engrossed in a book.
"I'm sorry, I was late. I guess I bought too many," Sage chuckled as she slid into the seat opposite Xyle. "Did you not feel hungry? I forgot we didn't eat lunch."
Xyle closed the book and put it back in the plastic bag. "I am. I'm angry that you took so long," she giggled. She removed the dishes from the tray and put it in front of her, Sage also did the same thing.
There was a steak, a spicy chicken, and one cup of rice on each of the white, rectangular plates. Beside the dish was a glass of pineapple drink, a sundae dessert, pies, and french fries.
"By the way, Sage. You gave me four bills instead of one. These only cost $300. If you intend to give it to me in the first place, I won't shy away." Xyle took a spoonful of rice and took a bite of the chicken.
Sage was baffled and embarrassed to take the money back. But before she could answer, Xyle interrupted, "I bought a wallet for you using your money. Don't recklessly put it in your bag," as she handed a long blue wallet to Sage.
Sage was touched, but she avoided expressing her true feelings. "Yes, I intend to give those to you in the first place. Consider it as my heartfelt appreciation towards our friendship," Sage lied.
Xyle raised her glass of pineapple juice and announced, "To our friendship!"
Sage clinked her plastic glass with Xyle's and took a sip. She also started eating her meal.
Sage glanced at the time. "Let's eat the desserts and drinks on the way. The taxi I called will soon come." She said while also cleaning up their table.
[+50 Destiny Credits ]
"Where?" Xyle inquired.
Sage answered, "Just go to the exit, uncle driver will be there."
When they exited the McDollibee, Sage told Xyle to ride the taxi first. She would follow her in a few minutes. She bolted towards the booth where she left the books and phones. After checking that everything was complete, she ran hastily towards the taxi.
"I'm here!"