adventure – Page 4 – The Ringmasters Society

…a friend in need

December 2, 2022 imeryli

“Hey, that wasn’t a fair shot!” Neil exclaimed.

It was noon on a Saturday in Daredevil City. Sana, Rey, Neil, and Heer were at their local park where they were playing a game of basketball. Well, Heer was just watching from the comfort of the bench, working on a knitting project.

“This is what happens when you play two against one, Neil,” Rey said.

“He’s right,” Sana said.

“Heer, are you sure you don’t want to play?” Neil asked.

“I honestly wouldn’t be of much help,” Heer said as she continued knitting. “Besides, I’m almost finished with this scarf.”

Neil sighed and said, “Fine. It’s fine. Things will be even better once I actually kick your asses.”

“Keep dreaming, buddy,” Rey said.

“Come on. One more round,” Neil said.

“I’m fine with that. You’re getting ice cream for us after this,” Sana said.

Sana, Rey, and Neil commenced in another round of basketball. As they were playing, Heer went back to her knitting. As she was finishing up the ends of the scarf, she heard a buzzing sound. She looked down and saw Neil’s phone was ringing.

“Hey, Neil, I think someone is calling you,” Heer said.

“Who is it?” Neil asked as he got ready to block the shot Rey was about to make.

Heer picked up the phone, looking at the caller ID. She said, “It’s your mom.”

Neil became stunned. He turned to Heer and said, “Huh?”

And at that moment, the ball hit Neil in the head, and he fell down. Sana turned to Rey, who had a look of shock on his face. He rushed to Neil and said, “Are you okay, man?!”

“Huh?” Neil said. “I’m good. I’m good.”

“Are you sure? That was quite a hit,” Sana said.

“Um, yeah,” Neil said as he got up. “Can we go now?”

“Go?” Heer asked as she got up from the bench. “I thought you wanted to finish the game.”

“I’m good with heading out,” Neil said as he got his phone from Heer.

“Do you at least want to get ice cream?” Rey asked. “I’ll buy for you…since I hit your head.”

“No, I’d rather just go home,” Neil said as he began to head off.

“What’s with him?” Rey asked. He started to follow Neil, saying, “Hey, man! How can you say no to ice cream?!”

“Heer, who did you say was calling him again?” Sana asked.

“It was his mom. What are you thinking, Sana?”

“I’m thinking that was the reason for his sudden change in behavior.”

***

Later in the day, Neil was in his room at the boys’ dorm house. He was trying to find something to do. Something other than look at his phone. After the call from earlier, he got two more missed calls and five text messages from his mom. He didn’t open or check any of them. And staring at the assignments on his laptop didn’t help with distracting him from thinking about his mom. He got out of his seat and landed flat on his bed, sighing. Before he could figure out something to do, he heard a knock on the door.

Neil got up and hurried to the door. Once he opened it, he saw Rey was standing outside.

“Hey, man. What’s up?” Neil asked.

“Hey! We were planning on hitting up that new bowling alley at the mall. Are you coming?”

“Oh, sure thing. Let me freshen up quick.”

Neil quickly headed to the bathroom while Rey came inside. Rey looked around and said, “So, are you okay? You kinda just took off during our game.”

“Oh, I’m fine. I just had a headache,” Neil said as he washed his face.

“Must have been a hell of a headache,” Rey said as he looked over, seeing Neil’s phone ding. It was a message from his mom. Rey noticed several missed calls and messages from Neil’s mom on his phone. He’s still ignoring his mom, Rey thought. I wonder what’s up with that.

“Okay, I’m ready,” Neil said as he got out of the bathroom.

“Dude, is everything good with you and your mom? She’s texted and called you a dozen times.”

“Oh…it’s no biggie. I’ve been so busy today. I’ll call her back later.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, let’s go!”

Neil immediately walked out of the room, leaving Rey puzzled. He had a feeling something was up, and Neil wasn’t telling him everything.

***

Later on, Rey and Neil joined Sana, Krystal, Prince, Heer, Zayn, and Akira at the bowling alley. As they were playing and munching on mozzarella sticks and churros, Rey could see Neil was still troubled. It wasn’t long till Sana and Heer both came up to him while Zayn was up to strike.

“So, did he say anything to you?” Sana asked Rey.

“No. He says it’s nothing,” Rey said.

“Do you believe him?” Heer asked.

“No,” Rey said. “He’s clearly got stuff going on in his mind. I don’t know why he’s acting like this.”

“Well, family has always been a touchy subject for him,” Heer said. “You can’t blame him for not wanting to talk about it.”

“But there’s a difference between not wanting to talk about it and acting like you’re completely fine,” Sana said.

“Hey, Neil, you ready for your turn?” Krystal asked.

Neil turned around to Krystal. He was pretty distracted, so he didn’t even hear what Krystal said. He asked, “Sorry, what did you say?”

“She asked if you want to bowl now,” Prince said.

Before Neil could say anything, his cellphone rang. He could feel the irritation boil up inside of him as he looked to see it was his mom again. He walked away and answered the phone, saying, “Can’t you understand that I don’t feel like talking, Mom?!”

“How dare you talk to me like that?! Your behavior is getting worse!”

“My behavior?!”

“Yes. You were so much better when you were younger.”

“What do you want?”

“If you read my texts, you would know. Have you figured it out yet?”

Neil sighed. He didn’t read the texts, but he knew exactly what his mom was talking about. What he couldn’t stand was his mother bringing up this conversation over a phone call.

“Hello? Can’t you say something?” Neil’s mom said.

“Isn’t this the kind of thing you talk about in person?!”

“No matter what time it’s brought up, you don’t say anything. You know people keep asking me what your future plans are. What am I supposed to say?”

“I have to go, Mom.”

“We’re not done talking, Neil!”

“Well, I am.”

Neil ended the call. He felt like throwing his phone. Then he remembered how expensive it was to get a new one. He turned around, seeing the others were looking at him, seemingly concerned. Neil grunted, feeling like he was being a damper on everyone’s fun. He went up to Rey, handing him his cellphone and said, “Take it and throw it somewhere. I’m heading back.”

As Neil took off, Krystal said, “Hold on! Neil!”

“Too late,” Prince said as Neil left.

“Whoah. That was intense,” Akira said. “I knew something was off with him, but I never guessed it was this bad.”

“You think he’s heading back to his room?” Zayn asked.

“Looks like it,” Heer said.

“No, he’s not just going back to his room,” Rey said. “I think he’s leaving the school.”

Sana was surprised to hear what Rey said. She could tell everyone else was equally surprised. She asked Rey, “What makes you say that?”

“I have a feeling. Look, I’m gonna go follow and catch up to him before it’s too late,” Rey said.

“Shouldn’t we come with you?” Heer asked.

“No, it’s better if I go alone,” Rey said as he started heading out. “I’ll keep you guys updated!”

***

Back at his room, Neil was starting to pack his backpack. Rey was right. He was leaving school. He didn’t know where he would go. He just knew he had to leave. As he packed a pair of socks in his backpack, he heard multiple knocks on his door. He sighed, knowing Rey probably followed him.

Neil opened the door to see he was right. Rey was there, sweating and panting like crazy.

“You seriously ran a marathon, didn’t you?” Neil said as he let Rey in.

“Well, duh! I had to stop you from leaving! Why won’t you just talk about what’s going on?”

“You know I hate talking about my issues!”

“Dude, that’s exactly what the problem is.”

“Oh, like you’re one to talk!”

“Dude, not cool.”

Neil sighed. He realized he was letting his emotions out on the wrong people. He turned to Rey and said, “I’m sorry. I…I just feel stressed out.”

“So, let me help with that.”

“How? Unless you can have your parents adopt me, I don’t think anything can help me right now.”

“Well, I can’t do that, but I may have something in mind.”

“What?”

“Just trust me on this. We’ll go out tomorrow early in the morning.”

“You know I hate early mornings on Sundays!”

“Well, make an exception this time around.”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see. Just know that we’re going to go somewhere to help you clear your head.”

Rey began to head out while Neil stood by and watched him go. He was confused as to where Rey would want to take him. Rey stopped as he opened the door and said, “Don’t even try to leave before morning, or I will find you and beat your ass.”

Neil grunted at the thought of Rey challenging him. Rey left, leaving Neil alone. The anticipation of waiting till morning was annoying. But Rey was his best friend. He figured he should go ahead and trust him.

***

Early morning, Neil got ready to meet up with Rey at the front of the academy. Rey told him to only bring a few essentials with him and nothing else. He still had no idea where Rey was taking him. As he got to the front doors of the academy, Rey was already there, talking to Zayn and Akira. Sana and Heer were there as well.

“Thanks for letting me borrow your hoverbike, Zayn,” Rey said.

“Just don’t break it,” Zayn said.

“What?! You don’t trust me?!” Rey questioned.

“His hoverbike is pretty precious. I’m surprised he’s even letting you borrow it,” Akira said.

“Yeah. Why are you letting him borrow it, Zayn?” Sana asked as she held onto a hoverboard.

“Look, I’m not heartless. You said it was important, so I’m letting you borrow it,” Zayn said.

“Well, thank you,” Rey said. “Neil, are you ready?”

“Uh, yeah,” Neil said. “You still haven’t mentioned where we’re going.”

“It’s a surprise. Just know that it’ll be a safe space,” Rey said as he got on the hoverbike. “Now, hop on.”

“Are the rest of you guys coming?” Neil asked.

“Sana and I will be tagging along on hoverboards,” Heer said.

“We would come, but we got homework to catch up on,” Akira said.

“All right, we’ll see you later then,” Sana said.

With that, Sana, Rey, Neil, and Heer took off, riding into the sky. Zayn and Akira waved bye to them. As they were waving, Akira looked at Zayn and said, “So, what was the real reason you lent it to him?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t act clueless with me. Prince told me that Krystal practically twisted your arm to lend it to them.”

“Nonsense. So, she said something. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Sure, sure.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“You should know by now. Come on. Let’s get some breakfast.”

***

Later in the morning, Sana, Rey, Neil, and Heer arrived in Salaar, a prominent town in the state of Aroma. It wasn’t too far from New Iris, so it didn’t take that long for the group to reach there. Neil was new to this area of the country, so seeing it for the first time was a sight to behold.

“So, can you tell me where we’re going now?” Neil asked

“You’ll know soon enough,” Rey said.

“How much longer till we land?” Sana asked.

“Coming up in a few minutes,” Rey said.

And in a few minutes, Rey led the group to land right in front of a brick red house that was amongst other alike houses in a small community. They landed right in the front yard and Rey was happy to see his parents and his sister, Alicia, standing right outside.

“Hey, Rey!” Alicia exclaimed.

“Hey, sis!” Rey waved as he parked the hoverbike.

“Wait, is this your family?” Neil asked.

“You bet,” Rey said.

“Nice to see you all again,” Sana said.

“Same to you, Sana,” Araceli said. “When Rey said he was visiting with friends, I was more than happy to accommodate.”

“Son, introduce us to your other friends,” Royce said.

Rey got off the hoverbike, immediately being hugged by Alicia. As he hugged her back, he said, “All right. I want you guys to meet Neil and Heer.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Heer said.

“Very nice to meet you,” Araceli said.

Neil was surprised. Of all the places to go to, Neil was surprised that Rey brought him to his parents’ house. Then again, it was better than visiting his own parents right now.

“Neil, are you good?” Rey said, seeing Neil space out.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” Neil said. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Murgatroyd.”

“Same to you, Neil,” Royce said. “Rey, bring your friends in, and we can start brunch.”

With that, the group went inside to eat brunch with Rey’s family. Araceli had made eggs with chorizo along with tamales. As they were eating and conversing with each other, Neil couldn’t help but pay attention to how nice the atmosphere was. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had a nice family meal.

“Neil, is the food okay for you?” Araceli asked.

“Oh, yeah! It’s been a while since I had tamales this good,” Neil said. “Thank you, Mrs. Murgatroyd.”

“You’re very welcome,” Araceli said.

“I’d argue she makes the best tamales in our family,” Royce said. “Then again, some might say I’m biased.”

“Is it true that this whole community here is just your extended family?” Heer asked.

“Wait, seriously?” Neil asked.

“That’s right. We also have some other fellow Tiger Clan members here. We’ve always been a tightknit pack,” Royce said. “Though Araceli’s side of the family lives in their own community back in Mexico.”

“Wow. It’s amazing how close everyone is,” Sana said.

Hearing all of this made Neil realize how different his family was from Rey’s. It made him understand Rey’s excited nature better.

“Rey, let’s go play outside,” Alicia said as she tugged on Rey’s arm.

“Alicia, don’t you want to wait for your cousins?” Royce asked.

“Oh, who’s coming over?” Rey asked.

“Thiago, Carmen, and Triana are visiting,” Araceli said.

“All right then!” Rey exclaimed. “Ready for a piggyback ride, Alicia?”

“Yeah!” Alicia exclaimed.

Alicia immediately got on Rey’s back and he held onto her, rushing outside to the backyard as she laughed with glee.

“Be careful, you two!” Araceli exclaimed.

“We should go outside, too,” Sana said.

“You coming, Neil?” Heer asked.

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Neil said.

***

Later in the day, after Rey and Alicia’s cousins arrived, it was a complete madhouse at the Murgatroyd residence. Rey and Royce were keeping Alicia and the other kids occupied. They were playing all sorts of games while Araceli was cooking dinner. Sana, Neil, and Heer were watching them have fun.

It was taking Neil back. He remembered the times that he would play such games with Aiden and Shuto after a long day of training. He took himself back to one day in a quiet winter. After completing their training, Neil and Aiden were having a snowball fight to themselves. Neil was in the middle of creating the biggest snowball he could ever make. When he got it ready, Aiden struck with three snowballs to his face, making him fall.

Neil got up and said, “No fair!”

“Ha! It’s not my fault you’re slow!”

“I’m not!”

“Yes, you are!”

As the two bickered, Shuto came in and struck them both with snowballs. Neil got up and said, “No fair, Uncle Shuto. You never said you were playing.”

“How else would I get you two to shut up?” Shuto asked.

“Neil, let’s team up and take him down!” Aiden exclaimed.

“Yeah, good idea!” Neil said.

“All right. Bring it on,” Shuto said.

Neil couldn’t believe how long ago that memory was. Sometimes he thought about how it was hard to believe there was a time where he and Aiden got along.

“Neil, are you thinking about something?” Heer asked.

“Oh, yeah. I was just remembering something from my childhood,” Neil said.

“Something good?” Sana asked.

“Actually, yes,” Neil said. “I guess seeing Rey and his dad having fun reminded me of a time in my life where things didn’t feel so bad. I’m sorry. I’m being a downer, aren’t I?”

“No. After all, there’s a reason Rey made us come here today,” Sana said.

“What is that?” Neil asked.

“He knew that you were having issues with your mom. So, he wanted to bring you to a family environment that was warm and welcoming,” Heer said.

Neil watched Rey joyfully play with his cousins. After understanding his gesture, it made him see just how great of a friend Rey was.

“Rey really takes after his dad, doesn’t he?” Sana said.

“Yeah, the resemblance is uncanny,” Heer said. “Do you think Mrs. Murgatroyd needs help in the kitchen?”

“You could go ask her,” Sana said. “I’m going to join Rey and the others.”

“Uh, Heer, I’ll come with you,” Neil said.

Heer nodded. Neil and Heer went inside the house while Sana played with the others. Once they got to the kitchen, Heer helped Araceli with cutting vegetables while Neil stood by. He wanted to talk to Araceli, but he wasn’t sure what to say. Araceli herself noticed Neil was aloof. She said, “Rey told me about your mother.”

“Oh, yeah. I figured as much.”

“He didn’t go into detail. He figured that it was up to you on how much you wanted to share.”

“It’s fine. I’ll be honest. Part of me thought that seeing you all so happy would make me jealous. But I know Rey. He wouldn’t want to make me feel that.”

“You’re right. My son has a good heart.”

“He sure does.”

“Mrs. Murgatroyd, I finished cutting. Is there anything else I can do?” Heer asked.

“No, that’s it. Thank you, Heer,” Araceli said.

Heer nodded and headed out of the kitchen to go back outside. As Neil watched Araceli get hold of the cut vegetables, he said, “Seeing them outside, I remembered this time I was playing with my brother in the snow.”

“Aah. Rey mentioned you had issues with your brother.”

“I do. Though I’ll admit…a lot of it might just be projecting…from me. I don’t know.”

“Is it related to your mother?”

“Look, I don’t know what moms are supposed to be like, but with mine, she’s always on my back. It wasn’t like that when I was a kid. It was so much easier. Now that I’m in the academy, she’s always harping about my future and how I have to have a plan. She always talks about how my brother and all my cousins know what they’re doing. And I don’t. I just…I can’t take it…”

“Do you think she’s worried and trying to help you, but ultimately it’s not helping you?”

Neil was surprised to hear Araceli ask him such a question. In his life, it felt like most of the adults he encountered never asked such thoughtful questions.

“Yeah,” Neil said. “That’s exactly how I feel.”

“Look at that. You were able to share how you felt.”

“Yeah, I did do that. So, do you have anything else to say?”

“Well, I’m a mother myself. Rey is growing up, and I think after what he’s been through, he’s trying to focus on the present.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“While the future is important, you can’t spend too much time on it. There are so many unknowns. You’re a good kid, Neil. You may not know the answers to your mother’s questions now, but you’ll figure them out in your own way. On your own pace.”

Neil could feel a lightness in himself that he hadn’t felt in a while. It was almost overwhelming. He looked at Araceli and said, “Mrs. Murgatroyd, this might be an odd request, but…would you be okay with giving me a hug?”

Araceli smiled and did just that. She hugged Neil, and the warmth of this gesture gave him peace. This was something he desperately needed.

As Araceli let Neil go, she said, “If you ever need somewhere to go, you’re always welcome here.”

Neil wiped a few small tears that came from his eyes and said, “Thank you.”

“Now, I should finish preparing dinner,” Araceli said. “How about you go outside and play with the others?”

Neil nodded, leaving the kitchen. As he went outside, he saw everyone was continuing to have so much fun. Rey stopped, looking at him. It didn’t take long for Rey to go up to him, put his arm around him and say, “You coming to play?”

Neil smiled and said, “Yeah.”

Uncategorized

Aiden’s Day Off

September 30, 2022 imeryli

It was a quiet afternoon at Ringmasters Training Academy. This wouldn’t be normal for someone like Rey or Neil, but it was the norm for Aiden. At least when Rey and Neil weren’t randomly trying to jump him during the day. Aiden got up from his office desk. He got together a bunch of papers and placed them in a file folder. Once Aiden exited his room, he headed over to Headmaster Devil’s office. As soon as he walked in, Headmaster Devil was alone to his surprise. He was instead more occupied with a book in hand.

“Is this the Tatia effect?” Aiden asked.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You seem to spend less time with women in here.”

“Since no one knows how to knock around here, this is no longer a good place to invite the ladies over.”

“When was it ever a good place for that?”

“Enough bickering. What do you need?”

“I have the one file you wanted me to put together for you.”

Aiden handed the file folder to Headmaster Devil. “Nice work,” Headmaster Devil said as he briefly flipped through the folder’s contents. “So, you’re with Shuto tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah.”

“How are things going over there?”

“Not much has happened yet. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Well, I’m sure it’s a nice break from all of the work you do here. Anyway, I’ll see you next week.”

“Yeah. See you.”

Aiden left the office and let out a deep sigh.

***

The following day, Aiden reported to the Ringmasters Society building early in the morning. He grabbed an egg and cheese sandwich from the cafeteria for breakfast and headed upstairs to Shuto’s office. Before he could knock on the door, Shuto stepped out of the room and said, “Good morning, Aiden!”

“Good morning.”

“Did you already eat?”

“Yeah. I got a sandwich. What are my duties for today?”

“About that…I have a rather simple task for you today.”

“Okay. What is it?”

“Today, your task is to have fun.”

Aiden found himself puzzled. He was wondering if Shuto was messing around with him. He questioned, “Is this a joke?”

“No, it actually isn’t,” Shuto chuckled. “You see it’s been a while since I took Yashi out. Work here gets pretty hectic. So, I thought I’d take the misses for a nice day out.”

“That’s cool, but what about me?”

“That’s why I’m telling you to take the day to enjoy yourself and relax. You hardly take any time off, so here’s a chance for you to do that.”

“And do what exactly?”

“Seriously, boy? You need to get out more often. Catch a movie. Go roller skating. Anything. Just go have some fun.”

“But…”

“Look, I really have no work for you today. I’m sure you’ll be fine. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Shuto headed off while Aiden watched him leave. He couldn’t believe he had a whole day to do whatever he wanted. Normally, anyone would be elated for a day off, but he was stumped. He didn’t have a clue as to what he would do today. Aiden took the elevator and headed down to the lobby. As he was about to exit the building, he heard a voice say, “Hey, Aiden.”

Aiden turned around to see it was Haruka. She walked up to him and said, “How are you this morning?”

“Uh, I don’t know. Master Shuto gave me the day off.”

“Oh, that’s nice. It’ll be good to enjoy yourself today.”

“Not really. I have no idea how I’m going to spend my time today with no assignments or tasks to do.”

“Sweety, you’re fifteen. Save this energy for your thirties.”

Aiden sighed. He really had no idea how he was going to spend the day.

“Here’s an idea for you. Take yourself back to Daredevil City. I’m sure a bus ride there can help you pass the time.”

“I guess so. I’ll see you later then.”

As Aiden left, Haruka watched him leave. She shook her head, thinking, That boy…he really is something.

***

And so, Aiden took a bus to Daredevil City. As he was on board, he thought about what he would do while in the city. He could go to the city library, or he could go to a local coffee shop and read. Though he did think that Shuto would give him an earful for not adhering to the concept of “having fun” today. Aiden realized the best way to go about this was to treat it like an assignment. He looked at the bus schedule in his hand and noticed the next stop was Orchard Springs Park. He figured that would be a good place to start.

After some time passed, the bus stopped at Orchard Springs Park. Aiden got off and headed inside the park. As he entered, he realized it wasn’t your average park. With springtime, there were flowers blooming within all of the trees. Fallen petals covered the grass like beautiful jewels forming a necklace. Aiden thought a stroll around a peaceful place such as this would be a nice way to pass the time.

Aiden began walking around, taking note of how quiet the park was. There weren’t many people walking by, which was fairly normal for the time of day. As he continued to walk along the pathway that went through the park, he found himself at peace, but as time passed, he was bored. It wasn’t the scenery that bored him. It was the fact that he was all alone in a decently vacant park.

Aiden sat down on a bench and sighed. With no responsibilities at hand, he had no idea how to spend an entire day’s worth of free time. This sucks, Aiden thought. Is my life so bland that the only thing that I can think of doing now is work? I wonder what Neil’s doing now. It’s Friday, so class probably won’t be all day. Then again, that doesn’t stop him from skipping or anything.

Before he could get lost in more thoughts, Aiden was smacked in the head with a soccer ball. He fell off the bench as the ball rolled further away from him. As he got up, irritated, a kid about his age with short brown hair and brown eyes ran toward him with some other kids behind him. The kid shouted, “Hey, what did you do with our ball?!”

“Nothing, considering I was hit by it,” Aiden said.

“I don’t care about that. Thanks to you we lost it!”

“How exactly does that make sense?”

“If you weren’t in the way, it wouldn’t have gone so far!”

“Well, that’s a pretty stupid argument.”

“What did you say, kid?!”

This is absurd. I’m arguing with this kid over nothing. I should just go, Aiden thought.

As Aiden was about to leave, the kid shouted, “Hey, punk! Where do you think you’re going?! I’m not done talking to you!”

“Kid, I’m no punk. I certainly don’t want to waste my time with a useless argument.”

“Useless?! HA! You’re just afraid of me!”

“Listen, I’m now in a very irritable mood. So, if you want to agitate me further, you’re not going to like it. You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

The kid got his fist ready and aimed to swing at Aiden. But before he could land his punch, Aiden caught his fist, surprising him. Aiden said, “I’ll say this once. You threw the ball that hit me. Therefore, you’re responsible for losing it. Not me. Your second mistake was trying to blame me for your incompetence. And thirdly, you tried to throw a punch at me when I told you I’m not to be messed with. What does that say about you? You’re a foolish little boy. Now, leave and don’t make things worse.”

Aiden released his grip on the boy’s hand. The boy looked very shaken and began to scurry away along with the other kids. Aiden sighed. He turned around and was stunned to see Shuto with Yashi at a bench not too far from him. While Yashi was seated at the bench, Shuto was standing and very clearly looking at him. Aiden couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but he could certainly tell he had something to say.

***

After seeing Aiden, Shuto took him to an ice cream shop called The Scoop. He was still set on spending the day with Yashi, but she didn’t mind some time away, so he agreed to meet with her at a different park. While they stood in line, Aiden couldn’t help but wonder why Shuto had to take time away from Yashi to talk to him.

“So, what are you ordering?” Shuto asked.

“What?”

“I brought you to get ice cream. So, you’ll need to tell me what you want.”

“You brought me here to talk about me almost getting into a fight with that kid. Can’t we just get to it already?”

“Boy, I’m helping you out with this “having fun” thing since you clearly suck at it.”

Aiden was stunned. He sighed while Shuto put in an order, saying, “Hey, can I get a small scoop of Ube ice cream?”

Shuto looked over at Aiden, waiting for him to place an order. Aiden sighed and said, “I’d like a medium scoop of strawberry ice cream…with cheesecake bites.”

After getting their ice cream, Shuto and Aiden took a seat at one of the tables inside the shop. Aiden was eating the ice cream, and he was quite fond of it. He hadn’t had ice cream in ages and tasting it again felt rewarding. As he ate, Shuto said, “Enjoying it?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty great. How’s yours?”

“Very nice. You can never go wrong with Ube. So, do you want to talk about what happened back there?”

“Not really. It was simple. A stupid kid got in my face, and I told him off.”

“I know. You’re not to be blamed for how you handled it, but it seems today’s assignment is harder than anything that’s been given to you in the past.”

“Well, you’re not wrong about that.”

“Do you know why that is?”

Aiden sighed. He hadn’t really given it much thought. He took a few seconds to think before giving an answer.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I’ve never really done the typical fun things kids do. From when Neil and I were kids, all I focused on was training.”

“Are you sure that’s it? Or do you just not remember what it was like to have fun?”

“What?”

“You don’t seem to remember that Haruka used to take you and Neil out for ice cream all the time back in those days. If they didn’t have strawberry, you’d get cookies and cream.”

“With the extra chocolate chunks. And Neil would get mad because he’d want the same thing and they only had enough for one person.”

“Yup. Haruka would make you flip a coin to see who gets it.”

“How could I have forgotten all of that? I’m like an old man.”

“Hey, respect your elders, boy!”

“Sorry, it’s just…I didn’t know how much I’ve been missing out on.”

Aiden let it all sink in. It was a lot for him to think about. And as he was processing it all, another surprise came walking in. Krystal, Zayn, and Neil walked into the shop. As soon as they walked in, Aiden could see Neil stall upon making eye contact with him. Shuto turned around to see the group and said, “Well, I think now is the perfect time for me to take off.”

“Seriously, old man?! You leave when I come in?!” Neil exclaimed.

“It’s not about you, boy,” Shuto said as he got up from the table. “Have a good day, kids.”

As Shuto left, Krystal said, “So, Aiden, what brings you here?”

“Shuto took me out for ice cream,” Aiden said. “I’ve been having a rough day.”

“Oh, yeah?!” Neil said.

“Neil, come on,” Zayn said.

“It’s okay, Zayn. So, why are you guys here?” Aiden asked.

“I was going to take Zayn out for ice cream, and Neil decided to tag along,” Krystal said.

“Why do you sound like you wanted to just go with him?” Neil asked.

“Zayn, let’s get in line,” Krystal said as she quickly got in the line with Zayn following.

Aiden was left with just Neil. He could tell Neil didn’t want to say anything. He figured he’d try to say something himself.

“So, what are you going to get?” Aiden asked Neil.

“Cookies and cream.”

“With the extra chocolate chunks?”

“You remember that?”

“I was just talking about it with Shuto. Those were the times when I used to actually have fun.”

“Geez, you sound like an old man reflecting on the mistakes of his life. Get a grip. You’re fifteen not fifty.”

Neil went in the line while Krystal sat down, holding a spoon and a cup with a scoop of raspberry swirl in it. She said, “So, what’s going on?”

“I was supposed to be doing internship stuff today, but Shuto decided to give me the day off to go learn how to have fun.”

“That’s a bad thing?”

“Well, considering all I did was walk in a park, get bored, and almost get into a fight with some annoying kid, it’s been pretty bad.”

“To be fair, I think we tend to forget you’re our age.”

“That’s the problem. I don’t even act my age. Hell, Neil just told me off for acting like an old man.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say you act like an old man. Maybe you’re just very mature for your age. You’re also quite the workaholic.”

“Yeah.”

“Lucky for you, I can help you.”

“You can?”

“Yeah! Not to brag, but I’m slowly helping Zayn out of his loner boy phase. He hasn’t thanked me yet, but one day he will!”

Zayn and Neil came back to the table with their ice cream. Seeing them come back, Krystal said, “Hey, guys, why don’t we go to the beach after finishing our ice cream?”

“I’m cool with that,” Neil said.

“Same,” Zayn said.

“You coming?” Krystal asked Aiden.

“If you’re fine with it,” Aiden said.

***

And so, later on, Krystal, Zayn, Neil, and Aiden took a bus that eventually stopped at a small beach called Onyx Beach. Once they got there, Aiden could feel just how loose everything was. The way the breeze gently waved over the water, the way the shells popped out in the sand like little sparkling specks, and the way the others took in the atmosphere was all so freeing to him.

“You like it, Aiden?” Krystal asked.

Aiden turned to her and said, “It’s beautiful.”

Aiden walked closer to the water, hoping the waves would touch his feet. While Krystal and Zayn slowly walked in the sand, Neil stopped and watched Aiden. This may have been the calmest vision of him he had ever seen.

The water finally splashed at his feet. He could feel it caress him ever so gently. He let out a deep breath and thought, So, this is what peace feels like.

As he basked in the freedom he was feeling, Krystal called out and said, “Aiden, after this, do you want to go see a movie?”

Now recognizing he certainly had the time and the energy, Aiden said, “Sure.”

Books, fantasy, Uncategorized

Stuck in an Old Story Part 1

June 4, 2022 imeryli

“Rey! How dare you eat my Marigold Surprise?!” Krystal shouted.

It was a casual Wednesday at Ringmasters Training Academy. In the afternoon, Sana, Rey, Krystal, and Prince were hanging out in the sophomore lounge area during their break time. Of course, things weren’t casual for long.

“I didn’t know it was yours,” Rey said as he finished eating the Marigold Surprise.

“I left it on the table to go get some water. Did you not hear me say that to everyone?”

“You sure you said that?”

“Ugh! Even so, you just eat food left on the table that you clearly didn’t buy?! Like a heathen!” Krystal exclaimed. “And why did you two not do anything about it?”

“I was in the bathroom,” Sana said.

“I just didn’t care,” Prince said.

“Ugh!” Krystal exclaimed. “You owe me another one!”

“What is happening?” Neil asked as he came up to the group in the lounge.

“Rey ate my Marigold Surprise,” Krystal said.

“Big deal. You can get another one,” Neil said. “Anyway, Devil apparently wants us in his office.”

“What?! Who told you that?” Rey asked.

“My brother casually dropped that while I was walking by in the hall,” Neil said. “Quite rude if you ask me.”

“You guys better not have done anything,” Sana said.

“Knowing them, trouble is their best friend,” Prince said.

“Oh, shut up, Prince!” Krystal exclaimed. “Let’s just get this over with!”

***

Rey, Krystal, and Neil headed straight to Headmaster Devil’s office. Once they went inside, they found Headmaster Devil wasn’t alone. He was with Professor D’Sena.

“Professor D’Sena?” Krystal said.

“Hello, kids,” Professor D’Sena said. “Should I stay for this?”

“No, Arun,” Headmaster Devil said. “I’ll take it from here.”

Professor D’Sena nodded and headed out of the office. Krystal was confused and could see Rey and Neil were as well.

“So, what’s going on?” Krystal asked.

“You three should probably know,” Headmaster Devil said.

“Know what?” Rey asked.

“Professor D’Sena just informed me that you three didn’t do so well on your recent exam,” Headmaster Devil said.

“What?! I actually studied this time,” Rey said.

“Hold on. He didn’t even hand them back to us yet,” Neil said.

“I know. But he informed me that you all are now on the verge of not passing the class this quarter,” Headmaster Devil said.

“What?!” Krystal exclaimed. “That’s impossible. I had a B this quarter.”

“Yeah, and now you currently hold a solid seventy,” Headmaster Devil said. “Needless to say, it’s not looking good for you three. You know that Combat Strategies I is a crucial class to pass this year.”

“We’re not getting kicked out of the academy, are we?!” Neil asked.

“No, but I did talk to Professor D’Sena just now. He’s giving you three an opportunity that could ensure you three don’t fail this quarter,” Headmaster Devil said.

“Okay, what is it?” Rey asked.

“Well, he wants you three to write a six-page paper on the importance of combat strategies and how they’re applicable to real life scenarios,” Headmaster Devil said. “That shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Six pages? When is it due?” Neil asked.

“Professor D’Sena wants it by class tomorrow,” Headmaster Devil said.

“Ugh! How can I write a six-page paper by tomorrow?!” Krystal exclaimed.

“That’s why he wants you to write it together,” Headmaster Devil said. “A group paper.”

“Suddenly it gets worse,” Krystal said.

“It’s a pretty fair opportunity. As long as you get at least a B on the paper, you three will pass this quarter,” Headmaster Devil said. “You three can work on it at the library after school. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

Krystal sighed. Rey looked at Neil and could tell he was feeling just as irritated.

***

After school, Rey, Krystal, and Neil went to the library to begin work on their paper. Krystal was going through the many sections of books to find relevant materials, Rey was going through the bits of lectures he recorded on his phone, and Neil was staring at his laptop screen. As Krystal arrived back to the table with the books, she sighed and said, “What are you two doing?! The laziness here is unacceptable.”

“Hey, I’m actually doing something here!” Rey exclaimed. “I’m looking through the lectures I recorded in class.”

“Those blurry videos with poor audio?” Krystal said.

“It beats trying to learn from a book,” Rey said. “I’m a visual learner. The only reason I did bad on that exam was because I forgot to study.”

“And your excuse is what?” Krystal asked Neil. “I told you to start writing the intro, and you’re just staring at the screen.”

“I have writer’s block,” Neil said. “And since when are you such a taskmaster for school? Isn’t that Sana’s thing?”

“Because of you guys, I’m missing out on the release of the new Reshawna Fruit Fest bag collection,” Krystal said as she sat down at the table. “I was going to snag the Strawberry Milkshake bag at the mall, and now it’s probably sold out! Ugh.”

Krystal sighed. She looked at Neil’s laptop screen and said, “I don’t even know how to start this paper.”

“I would’ve rather gone on some mission where we kick some ass,” Rey said. “Writing about fights isn’t exactly as fun as actually fighting.”

“Well, we can’t sit here and complain all day,” Neil said. “The sooner we finish this, the better.”

Krystal got ready to crack open one of the books. As she opened one, she noticed one of the books fell on the floor. She got up to pick it up but was puzzled. It didn’t look like a book that she picked up from the shelves. It had a lavender cover and gold writing on the front that was in a language she didn’t recognize. There was a small golden fairy in the top right corner as well. She knew she had to focus, but she couldn’t help but be intrigued.

“What are you doing, Krystal?” Rey asked.

“Oh, I just picked up this book by mistake,” Krystal said as she put the lavender book on the table. “It looks really cool though.”

“What language is the writing?” Neil asked.

“Not sure,” Krystal said. “Maybe we can open it and see what’s inside.”

“I thought we were supposed to focus on the paper,” Rey said.

“We are. This is just a quick peak,” Krystal said.

Krystal opened the cream pages of the book. As soon as she opened it, the book emitted a golden glow that stunned her, Rey, and Neil. Suddenly, she could feel herself being pulled into the book along with the others.

The three of them screamed as they were pulled into a golden portal. After a few fleeting moments, they fell onto a ground. Krystal could feel her back was hurting from the fall. She quickly grabbed her wand, which had fallen on the ground. As she grabbed it, she noticed something different. Her clothes had been changed. She was now wearing a long-sleeved orange dress with intricate gold embroidery.

“Damn, what the hell just happened?” Rey asked as he got up along with Neil.

“Your clothes! They changed,” Neil said to Krystal. He looked at Rey, seeing him in a white long-tunic, blue billowy pants, and brown boots. He looked at himself to see he was dressed in the exact same outfit. “I changed clothes! What the hell just happened?!”

“I just asked that,” Rey said.

Krystal was puzzled. She couldn’t understand what was going on. The more she pondered over it, the clearer it became to her.

“I think…we maybe got transported into the book,” Krystal said.

“What?!” Neil said.

“Wait, she might be right. Things went whack when she opened the book,” Rey said. “What did it say on the cover?”

“I don’t know. I couldn’t read it,” Krystal said. “Though there might’ve been a fairy in the corner of the cover.”

“Fairy tales! We must be in a book of fairy tales,” Neil said.

Krystal couldn’t believe it, but the more she processed it, the more she realized how true it was.

“This can’t be happening. So, what fairy tale involves clothes like these?” Krystal asked.

Before anyone could answer, Krystal heard the sound of loud thumps. She turned around along with Rey and Neil, horrified at what she saw. A giant three-eyed dark beast that had the form of a bear was coming towards them. The creature roared at Krystal, Rey, and Neil.

“Maybe we should run and discuss this later,” Rey said as he took off.

Krystal and Neil followed Rey, running off as the dark beast chased them with its loud thumps. It didn’t take long for the dark beast to start launching dark energy beams their way. The trio kept running, dodging each one.

“I thought you two were always in a fighting mood,” Krystal said to Rey and Neil.

“Not when we’re being chased by a giant bear!” Neil exclaimed.

“Look! There’s a little cave thingy!” Rey pointed out.

Rey quickly led Krystal and Neil towards the cave he found. He pushed the green branches away and headed inside with Krystal and Neil, making sure the dark beast didn’t see them. They sat down and Rey took a deep breath.

“That was scary as hell,” Rey said. “Man, I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“I’m confused. I’m scared,” Neil said. “What the hell is happening?!”

“Neil’s the one that said we’re in a book of fairy tales,” Krystal said. “What fairy tale is this?”

“I don’t know,” Neil said. “First off, none of the fairy tales I’ve read mentioned dark beasts in them.”

“Wait a sec. Krystal, was there any writing on the book?” Rey asked.

“Yeah, but it was in another language,” Krystal said. “Why?”

“Well, our clothes and the giant monster remind me of this Indian fairy tale that Sana told me about once,” Rey said. “I don’t remember the Sanskrit title, but it translated to Three Kids and a Giant.”

“So, we’re in an Indian fairy tale book?” Neil asked.

“I guess so,” Rey said. “But it doesn’t explain why we got sucked into the book. Also, the monster in that tale is a ten-headed giant. So, why the change?”

“I don’t know what’s worse between the monster we got and that one,” Neil said.

“Okay, so, does this fairy tale book have some kind of spell on it? I mean how else can you explain us getting sucked into the book,” Krystal said. “Whatever spell was cast on it must’ve transformed the creatures in the stories into dark beasts.”

“Creatures?! Let’s deal with the story we’re in right now,” Neil said. “Rey, what do you remember about this story?”

“Ugh, it’s kinda fuzzy,” Rey said. “There were three characters that were being chased by the giant. That’s all I remember right now.”

“Well, that’s certainly not helpful,” Krystal said.

“Krystal, it’s something. Anyway, we should be focusing on getting out of here,” Neil said. “Maybe there’s some passageway that leads us out of the book.”

“It’s worth a shot,” Rey said. “Maybe the end of this cave can lead us out somewhere.”

Krystal nodded as she got up along with Rey and Neil. The three kept moving through the cave till they reached the other side. Once they stepped outside, Krystal took in the surroundings. The scent of fresh jasmine flowers was in the air and the trees were covered in a variety of greenery.

Rey looked ahead, seeing the sun was still bright as ever. He wondered how time worked within the world of the story they were in. There were hundreds of other questions on his mind as well, but he had to focus on getting out.

“I don’t see the giant bear in sight,” Rey said. “Maybe if we keep walking, we’ll find an exit.”

“Sounds good. Let’s go,” Neil said.

Krystal was about to follow Rey and Neil until she could feel her foot press down on something. She looked down, seeing what looked like an arrow imprinted within the grass. She fell through the ground, screaming as a bright glow surrounded her.

“Krystal!” Rey shouted as he turned around with Neil. It was too late. Krystal had disappeared.

“Damn it. Where did she go?” Neil asked.

“I don’t know.”

Before Rey could even think of what to do, he heard the same giant thumps from before. He looked up along with Neil to see the giant dark beast had returned. As it roared at them again, Rey and Neil ran forward. They ran as fast as they could until they smacked into something that made them fall back. Rey was puzzled as he didn’t see anything in their way. He got up, trying to run again only to fall back again.

“What’s happening?!” Neil exclaimed. “Why can’t we keep going?!”

“I don’t know! It’s like there’s some kind of barrier!”

“So, we’re trapped?!”

Rey could barely think as the dark beast was getting closer to them. He could feel the pressure as he didn’t know what to do.

***

Krystal opened her eyes, feeling the heaviness of her pounding head. She sat up, finding herself to be more confused than ever. She was now in a soft pink bedroom that had intricate paintings hanging on the walls along with the usual essentials like a dresser, nightstand etc. What was jarring to her were the steel bars on the window that looked like they were in place to keep her locked up. She looked at her dress, seeing it had changed again. This time she was wearing a bejeweled lilac blouse with a matching skirt. The thing that made her most confused was her hair. It was now incredibly long, tied in a braid that reached all the way to the floor.

“What the hell is going on here?!” Krystal said.

***

Back at Ringmasters Training Academy, Sana was heading over to the library. As she walked towards the door, she saw Zayn was heading there as well.

“Hey, Zayn,” Sana said as she walked up to him.

“Oh, hey, Sana.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to check out some books here before they close. What about you?”

“I came to check on Rey. I tried calling him, but he didn’t answer.”

“He’s probably just busy, but we can check.”

Sana and Zayn entered the library. The two walked around to find Rey but couldn’t find him anywhere. Then, Sana saw something that caught her eye. She walked over to a table, seeing a bunch of belongings left behind.

“Do any of these belong to them?” Zayn asked.

“Yeah. I recognize Neil’s laptop. It has the same blue cat sticker.”

“Is it possible that they stepped out for a bit or something?”

“If they did, it’s clearly been a while. His laptop is on lock mode.”

“What’s that book on the ground?”

Sana looked down, seeing the book Zayn was referring to. She picked it up, seeing the writing on the front. She recognized it to be in Sanskrit.

“It appears to be a book of fairy tales,” Sana said as she opened the book. “This actually looks similar to the fairy tale book that my dad gave me when I was younger.”

It didn’t take long for the book to give off its golden glow. Sana was stunned, and she could see Zayn was equally surprised. Soon, Sana and Zayn were sucked into the book, and it closed, falling to the floor.

blog, Books, fantasy, Uncategorized, writing

When Friends Fight

April 19, 2022 imeryli

“No! No! No!” Krystal cried. “Sana, how many times do I have to tell you?!”

It was a regular morning at Ringmasters Training Academy. In the gymnasium, Krystal was directing everyone for a stage rehearsal. The next circus show was coming up and Krystal was made lead ringmaster. Sana, Rey, Prince, Neil, Heer, and Akira were all present for rehearsal amongst other students.

“Krystal, I’m literally doing everything you want me to do,” Sana said.

“No, you’re not!” Krystal exclaimed. “In step three of section one, you’re supposed to pivot your foot to the left. You keep starting with your right! It’s ruining the flow of the routine!”

“It’s really not that big of a deal,” Prince said. “Who the hell is gonna pay attention to her foot going wrong?”

“Well, if I can see it, anyone can,” Krystal said.

“Aww, Miss Perfectionist is throwing a tantrum,” Rey said to Neil, chuckling.

Krystal turned to Rey, annoyed, and said, “Rey, I’m this close to smacking someone, so you better hope it’s not you!”

“At this rate it could be you,” Sana said, quietly.

Krystal looked at Sana, trying to think she didn’t hear what she heard. Akira could see Krystal was getting angry and said, “Okay, Krystal. Let’s not create a scene.”

“What was that you said, Sana?” Krystal questioned.

“Krystal, I really think you should take a breather,” Heer said. “Let’s just get back to rehearsal.”

“No! I’d like to know what she said!” Krystal exclaimed.

“Damn. This is gonna get ugly,” Neil whispered to Rey.

“Krystal, I’m already annoyed. Let’s just move on,” Sana said.

“No! You can’t just say something about me and get away from the situation!”

“This is so unnecessary.”

“Please. The only thing unnecessary around here is your inability to comprehend basic dance steps! One would think a bookworm such as yourself could at least do that.”

Before Krystal could say anything else, Sana smacked her on the head, and she fell to the floor with a thud. Rey looked at the others and could see everyone including the gang were shocked. Krystal immediately got up, appalled.

“How dare you smack me, Sana?!” Krystal shouted as she was about to go up to Sana with her hands ready to fight back. Heer and Prince quickly grabbed hold of Krystal by her arms to prevent her from escalating the scene.

“Krystal, you have to calm down now,” Heer said as she struggled to hold down Krystal.

“Ugh! Let me at her! Just let me at her!” Krystal exclaimed.

“Ugh. Quit embarrassing yourself,” Prince said, rolling his eyes.

“You’re the one who basically asked for it,” Sana said to Krystal.

“Damn, Sana. You seem to go off on anyone,” Akira said.

“Man, this really did get ugly,” Neil said to Rey.

“Okay, everyone! Why don’t we call off rehearsal today?” Rey exclaimed. “Let’s all head out now!”

Rey tried to get everyone else to leave while Heer and Prince took Krystal away.

***

Later on, at lunch, Rey, Neil, Prince, Heer, and Akira were seated at their usual table. Once Zayn arrived with his lunch, he sat down and said, “So, it seems I missed quite the drama this morning.”

“You heard?” Neil asked.

“People couldn’t stop gossiping about it when I was in line,” Zayn said as he took a bite of his grilled cheese sandwich.

“You never said why you didn’t show up to rehearsal,” Akira said.

“I didn’t show up because I didn’t feel like it,” Zayn said. “So, what happened?”

“Krystal got on Sana’s case. Sana smacked her. There was almost a brawl. End of story,” Prince said. “It’s really not that big of a deal.”

“You’re taking it quite lightly, Prince,” Heer said.

“Well, yeah. Sana smacking people when they piss her off isn’t new,” Prince said. “Just ask Rey.”

“To be honest, I thought she was improving,” Rey said.

“Is it really any different from you and Neil jumping Aiden all the time?” Akira asked.

“Hey! We would give him a heads up before attempting to battle him!” Rey exclaimed.

“Failed attempts are more like it,” Prince said.

It didn’t take long for Sana to arrive at the table. And right after her, Krystal arrived. The two sat across from each other and Rey could see them exchanging scowled glances. To break the awkward silence amongst everyone, Rey said, “So, did anyone do the homework for D’Sena’s class?”

“You didn’t do it, man?” Neil asked.

“Interesting coming from you since you’re not one to do homework,” Prince said.

“But I did do it…last period,” Neil said.

“So, Sana, did you do the homework?” Heer asked.

“Why are we talking to her like she didn’t smack me in front of everyone today?” Krystal questioned.

“The same way no one wants to tell you how annoying and bossy you are,” Sana said.

“You take that back!” Krystal shouted as she got up from her seat. As she got up, she threw her sandwich at Sana’s face.

The act got Rey and everyone else on edge. It didn’t do much to Sana, but Rey looked at her and she was visibly pissed. He watched her stand up from her chair. She looked like she was close to giving Krystal another slap. Instead, she grabbed one of the slices of pizza on her plate and smacked it directly onto Krystal’s face. Seeing this, Rey could see it was far worse. The sauce and cheese were all over Krystal’s face. It didn’t take long for her to shriek, “Not my makeup!”

“Oh God,” Prince said, shaking his head.

“Sana J. Malik, if my face wasn’t melting right now, you’d be dead!” Krystal exclaimed.

“Yeah, right,” Sana said, rolling her eyes.

Rey watched Sana and Krystal throw one comment after the next at each other like ammo on a battlefield. He looked at the others and could see how annoyed they all were. Except Heer, she just seemed concerned. He thought he would have to take matters into his own hands.

***

At the end of the school day, Heer and Akira were at their lockers, chatting while getting their stuff together. As they were talking, Heer turned to see Rey was coming up to them. She looked at him and said, “Hey, Rey. What’s up?”

“Can I talk to you guys for a sec?” Rey asked.

“Is this about the Sana and Krystal fiasco?” Akira asked. “Because while entertaining, that whole thing is a mess.”

“I know. And we need to do something about it,” Rey said. “As stubborn as they both are, they’re friends and need to move on.”

“Even I think something needs to be done,” Heer said.

“Did you talk to the guys about this?” Akira asked.

“Yeah, and they don’t want to get involved,” Rey said.

“Even Prince?” Heer asked.

“He said they should figure it out themselves,” Prince said.

“Well, he’s not wrong,” Akira said. “I could expect this childishness from Krystal, but Sana, she’s typically above this…when she’s not being overly aggressive.”

“Well, we should give them a push. That’s why I’m coming to you both,” Rey said. “Can you two plan something to get them to confront each other civilly?”

“That could be a good idea. If we get them together in a calm environment, we could get them to talk things out,” Heer said.

“That sounds good!” Rey exclaimed. “Have fun with that!”

“Hold it! You come to us asking for help and you’re not going to do anything?” Akira asked.

“I did my part,” Rey said. “I was the messenger.”

Rey walked away before Akira’s piercing glances could scare him into staying. Akira shook her head and said, “Boys just love not taking responsibility sometimes, I swear.”

“I think I have an idea that could work,” Heer said.

***

The next day, Heer and Akira set the plan in motion. Well, it was pretty much Heer’s plan. Heer invited Krystal to Sage Park downtown and Akira did the same with Sana. They brought both girls to the park right after school. Once they all ran into each other, Heer could see Sana and Krystal were instantly heated.

“What is she doing here?!” Krystal exclaimed.

“I could ask the same to you,” Sana said.

Akira rolled her eyes as she watched Sana and Krystal have a literal glare competition. Heer said, “Now, now. It’s a nice day out and the park is looking lovely. Why don’t we just enjoy the scenery?”

Sana sighed in frustration. “Fine, I’ll be civil,” Sana said as she walked ahead. “I can do that better than some people.”

“Oh, please! You are the last person that should be talking about being civil!” Krystal exclaimed as she started walking as well.

“You sure this will work?” Akira asked Heer.

“We’re in the presence of nature. It should calm them both down,” Heer said and then walked with Sana and Krystal.

“If you say so,” Akira said as she shrugged her shoulders and followed.

As the girls walked around the park, Sana and Krystal were keeping their distance. Heer could feel that there was an unusual amount of silence as they all walked together. She looked at Akira, who was visibly frustrated. She knew she had to do something to get Sana and Krystal to talk like normal. Heer looked at the array of pink tulips in the field. She said, “Aren’t these some beautiful flowers, Krystal?”

“Hmm? Oh yeah, they are nice,” Krystal said as she looked at the tulips. “They’re so bright and beautiful!”

“Do you like them, Sana?” Heer asked.

“Heer, why do you care about her opinion?” Krystal asked. “After all, it’s not like a brute such as herself could appreciate nature.”

“You know, I was going to say they look beautiful,” Sana said. “Maybe I should add that they’re prettier than your face.”

Once again, another argument ensued between Sana and Krystal. Heer began to whimper, seeing her plan was failing miserably. Akira looked at her and shook her head, thinking, They are fighting over flowers. It’s time to put an end to this.

“Okay!” Akira intervened, silencing Sana and Krystal. “Since you guys aren’t enjoying the park, I have another place in mind for us to go.”

***

Sana was stunned, Krystal was shocked, and Heer was surprised. Akira led the girls inside Splash Attack, a paintball center in Daredevil City. Heer would’ve never picked such a place for them to handle the situation, but she acknowledged Akira’s methods were probably going to be different from hers.

“Um, why are we here, Akira?” Sana asked.

“You guys clearly need to blow some steam,” Akira said as she stepped up to the counter. “If you can’t do it peacefully, you might as well come here. Krystal, give me your credit card.”

“What?!” Krystal exclaimed. “Why would I give you my credit card?! This wasn’t my idea.”

“That’s true, but if you don’t want me to smack you harder than Sana did, you’ll give it to me,” Akira said.

Terrified at the thought of Akira smacking her, Krystal quickly handed her credit card to her Akira handed it to the receptionist. After paying, they were directed to a room to get their gear and suits. As Sana and Krystal went ahead, Heer asked Akira, “Are you sure about this?”

“They want to be aggressive,” Akira said. “This is how you get out aggression.”

The girls got suited up and loaded up their paintball guns. They went outside to the actual park where people were already commencing in paintball fights. While Sana and Krystal were in the field, Akira went in blazing. She was having a grand time, striking one person after the next. She took a moment to stop as she looked at Heer, who looked like a frail deer amongst a pack of lions. She went up to her and said, “Heer, why aren’t you shooting?”

“Um, I’m not sure if this is my scene. I don’t really like hurting people unnecessarily.”

“Oh, come on, Heer. They’re just paintballs.”

“I know. But this is pretty aggressive.”

“That’s the point. Hey, we should check on Sana and Krystal.”

Akira and Heer went further into the field to look for Sana and Krystal. As she squared off with a few people amidst the lookout, Akira stopped upon seeing Sana and Krystal engaging in a shootout with each other. Aside from them having bad aim, it seemed like they were both pretty angry.

“You know, I should thank Akira after this,” Krystal said.

“After what?” Sana asked.

Krystal struck Sana in the stomach three times with her paintball gun and said, “That.”

Sana immediately got up and started hitting back. This time, she hit Krystal at her shoulders. They both started angrily shooting at each other. Heer was afraid of what would ensue, and Akira was borderline amused and annoyed.

“You know, only someone as immature as you would resort to smacking people for everything!” Krystal shouted at Sana.

“Immature? That’s rich coming from you. You’re the spoiled crybaby that whines whenever Prince doesn’t want to wear a stupid matching outfit with you.”

“That has nothing to do with this! And you wish you had my sense of style!”

“Oh, please. I don’t need fashion advice from a designer brand billboard.”

“You take that back! You’re just jealous! No wonder you ruined my dress at Headmaster Devil’s birthday party!”

“Oh, get over it. You took it to the dry-cleaners.”

“Yeah, but the resale value plummeted thanks to you!”

Sana and Krystal continued to argue and strike each other with paintballs at the same time. Heer looked at Akira, who was more frustrated than ever. Akira handed her paintball gun to Heer and walked up to Sana and Krystal. She took both of their paintball guns and they turned to her, saying, “Hey!”

“What are you doing?” Sana asked.

“You know, I should smack both of you right now,” Akira said. “But I’m not going to stoop to your level.”

“I haven’t done any smacking this whole time,” Krystal said. “I was the one that was wronged here.”

“Honestly, you both need to shut up,” Akira said. “I’m gonna say this to your faces, so that you two can stop embarrassing yourselves. Sana, you don’t need to smack every person who pisses you off for the slightest thing. It’s unbelievably childish.”

“Um, Akira,” Heer said.

“And Krystal, you’re bossy, rude, and you shove your perfectionist ways down everyone’s throat to the point where it’s annoying,” Akira said. “Heer and I took it upon ourselves to help you guys make up since Rey asked us to. Now we understand why he didn’t want to get involved because you two are irritating as hell. I’m done dealing with your stupidity. So, do everyone a favor and just shut up and sort this out yourselves.”

Akira walked out, leaving Heer, Sana, and Krystal. Heer could see Sana and Krystal were speechless and in disbelief.

***

After some time passed, Sana, Krystal, and Heer got cleaned up and sat in the lobby. After storming out, Akira went back to the field to play some more paintball. Heer figured she needed it to blow off some steam from her earlier lecture. Heer looked at Sana and Krystal, who were awfully quiet and clearly down. She wanted to say something to lighten the mood, but thought it was better to wait and see if one of them would talk.

“She really went in on us,” Sana said.

“I’m not bossy and rude,” Krystal said. “Am I, Heer?”

“Well, I wouldn’t have framed the way Akira said things so bluntly,” Heer said.

“So, you agree with her?” Sana asked.

“I agree with the notion she was going with. You both are wrong in this situation. One of you wants to feel more justified than the other, but neither of you are,” Heer said. “I know you’re both better than this. You two have been friends for so long that you can’t let something like this drag on.”

Sana couldn’t help but think that what Heer was saying was true. She couldn’t believe how far things had gotten. She looked at Krystal and could tell she was feeling the same way.

“You know, if it was put this way, it probably would’ve landed better,” Krystal said.

“Maybe. But Akira’s method certainly made you guys listen,” Heer said.

Sana and Krystal chuckled. They looked at each other and Sana said, “I’m sorry for smacking you that day. And for all the insults that I didn’t mean.”

“I’m sorry for being harsh on you at rehearsal and my share of insults. I guess I should work on not bossing people around like a crazy person.”

“I should probably work on not smacking people.”

“I know some people that would love that,” Heer said.

The three of them chuckled. Akira entered the lobby and upon seeing the three girls, she said, “So, you two made up?”

“Yeah, we did,” Krystal said.

“As much as we hate to admit it, you certainly made us wake up a bit,” Sana said.

“Good. I should be blunt with you guys more often,” Akira said.

“Or you can hold back next time,” Krystal said.

“Anyway, do you guys want to head back?” Heer asked.

“Well, since Sana and Krystal made up, we should do something fun to celebrate,” Akira said.

“I agree,” Sana said. “You got something in mind, Krystal?”

“Actually, you can take the reign on this one, Sana,” Krystal said.

Sana was surprised, but happy with Krystal’s gesture. She said, “Well, I did want to check out the new indie bookstore that opened downtown.”

“Books A Plenty?” Heer asked.

“That’s the one,” Sana said. “And maybe afterwards, we could go to Devil’s Diner for dinner.”

“Yes! I can treat everyone to Marigold Surprises!” Krystal exclaimed.

“You guys okay with that plan?” Sana asked.

“It sounds good to me,” Heer said.

“All right. Let’s head out then,” Akira said.

With that, the girls all headed out together for grand night ahead.