Close Enough: Part One by potatorewkiki |  |
Note: It’s amazing what odd things can happen on an ordinary day, eh? Sometimes
these anomalous events are never really considered out of the ordinary, but they
can bring into your life the most fascinating things. Here’s a story dedicated
to the people out there who know what it’s like to be separated from a great friend.
There are many of us who are frequently underestimated
or thought of differently than who you really are. I know this because I’m one
of them. Every so often, I get a good laugh from rumors being passed around
about myself. It’s entertaining to hear what others think of me, because nothing
they say is ever true. I’m unlike what they believe in every way. Well, sort
of.
“Hey, Blue!” called a high-pitched voice from
down the school hallway. I didn’t bother to look for who said that until I had
finished loading my supplies into my backpack. I swung the blue bag on to my
back and slammed the teal-colored locker closed. After I pushed a small strand
of my thin, straight black hair out of my face, I glanced to the pet who had
shouted to me a moment before. It was my younger sister: a red Shoyru with a
sickening smile on her face and glowing eyes. Ultimate doom, minus the brain.
“Quinn told me that Clare told her that Jake
told her that Heather told him that Molly told her that Kyle told her that Jennifer
told him that a neighbor’s friend’s uncle’s second nephew that saw you two weeks
ago said that you are friends with London Dusk!” Angel blurted out. I couldn’t
help but to stare at her; my face left showing only one emotion: confusion.
"Whoa, kid, slow down a bit! Who is this London
Dusk?" I asked her, with raised eyebrows. The little pet laughed, evidently
thinking that I was kidding. See? I told you she was mindless!
"Oh gosh, that's QUITE pathetic. He's totally
like you, but he's like two years older. Floryn's age, I'm assuming," Angel
responded, eying me suspiciously. "I can't BELIEVE that you don't know who he
is!" Well, I had nothing to hide. For once, I was actually being truthful. Yet,
of all times, this is when she chooses not to believe me.
"Okay…" I mumbled. I spun around, rolling my
cerulean blue eyes, and trotting down the hall, away from my sister.
Sometimes I wish that shadow Gelerts weren't
thought of like the Shadow Usul is, or the Black Pteri! Pets around me will
gasp if I announce that I am supporting Meridell, or other things of the sort.
Then they think things like 'Blue Twistoritoway is friends with some 14 year
old!' Ugh! Why can't they take the time to know me? Why can't they see that
I'm not like that? Erm, well, sometimes, I am.
"Blue! How's London doing?" said a small yellow
Acara. He was grinning the same toothy grin that Angel used just moments before.
I narrowed my eyes, glaring at the boy.
"Why should I tell you? I don't even know you!"
I retorted, twisting around him and storming back into my classroom.
London Dusk, eh? Maybe Kottske knows him.
After all, he knows everybody, I thought as I sat back down on my desk,
readying myself for a straight two hours of a slide show on the founding of
Meridell. How FUN…
~~~~~~
"Hey, Kottske!" I called to a brown Uni across the street. My best friend turned
and smiled at my familiar face.
"Yo, shadow Gelert over there, I dunno you! How
do ya know my name?" he joked, running over the burning hot pavement to my side.
And boy, was he FAST! Of course, that's my funny, athletic friend for you. Being
a year older than me, we go to separate schools, so we cannot see each other
until that awakening bell rings and dismisses the unlucky kids who attend school
for six and a half hours, five days a week. Life truly can't get much better
than that.
"What up, Blue?" he asked me; his heavy, tan
colored hooves clopping on the sidewalk as he trotted next to me.
"Well, I have a question for you. There's another
rumor going on about me. Who in the world might this London Dusk be?" I questioned,
skipping the extraneous details and getting straight to the point.
"Whoa, how do kids your age know London?! He's
a big time troublemaker who has tons of nifty schemes that he almost always
gets away with. The totally advanced you, except he's a bit more experienced,
mysterious, and quiet. London is a year older than me. A good friend, I might
say. 'Lives right down the block, if you'd like to talk to him. But, wait, what
does this rumor have to do with him?" He stared at me inquisitively, obviously
expecting an answer and fast.
"Uh, they're saying that we're close friends,"
I spat out. Kottske smirked, shaking his head as he laughed.
"Oh yes, you must tell him that," he directed,
grabbing my paw and running back across the grey-black street. We spun around
the curve, I, not knowing where I was being taken, a bit freaked out, and Kottske,
seeming to be in a hurry, speeding to our neighborhood.
"Might I ask you," I asked him as the wind blew
straight at me, with my hair flying back, "what all the rush is about?" He slowed
down to a walk as we neared a fence lined with tall, pink-flowered bushes. When
we were barely a meter away, he twisted around and looked solemnly into my eyes.
"Miss Mentula's house. Remember? She comes to
tend her garden at 4:00 PM each day. If I didn't hurry you, we'd fall face to
face with her," he whispered. I suddenly understood why he had ran so fast.
Miss Mentula was a chubby, cold-hearted Striped Tuskaninny. She hated kids,
especially Kottske and I, and would go crazy when we even went in her sight.
We try to do our best to stay away from her, but in this case we apparently
can't avoid it.
"On the count of three, you and I will hop to
'safety' on the other side of her yard. Pass the next row of bushes, and you're
safe and sound. Don't, and I dunno what to tell ya," Kottske warned. "One… Two…
THREE!" We dashed to the other side of the large, luxury, lakeside property.
Lucky for us, the prosperous lady didn't catch us as we stopped at an abrupt
halt at the curb. I was panting and worn-out, yet Kottske seemed to show no
sign of exhaustion.
"Okay, Blue. Look across the street at the little
white house. Now, move your eyes to the residence three doors to the left. No,
wait, right. Oh, never mind, it was left. Yeah, the yellowish colored home.
That's London's house," the brown Uni pointed out, verbally and with his front
right hoof. I gulped as I nodded, a bit nervous to meet a guy a few years older
than me that I'm SUPPOSEDLY friends with. Yeah, and plus, he's a total troublemaker.
Eek, not good.
Kottske pushed me off of the edge of the sidewalk,
urging me towards London's house. Moaning, I scampered over the pavement and
down the sand-toned pathway to London's house. Kottske snatched my paw again
as I slowed down and pulled me forward, until I was standing just inches away
from a lovely, wooden-edged stained glass door. The Uni knocked on the door
firmly, then moved back behind me.
The door was gently opened by a massive, muscular
Jetsam; its shimmering skin a bright red color besides underneath, where it
was a pale grey. The look in his glowing yellow eyes and his towering height
- most likely a foot taller than I - made me fearful of him. My lips were pursed
and I was left speechless, so Kottske had to fill in for me.
"Hey, hey, hey! London, what's up?" he said,
in a calm and content manner. London smirked, raising a flipper, and the two
clapped hands.
"Kottske! Whoo-hoo, you made it! And who's the
Gelert there?" the Jetsam asked, in a low yet fun-filled voice. He sounded a
bit like I'd believe Dr. Sloth would sound. I gave a fake smile at him as his
large eyes shot towards me.
"Oh, yes, this is my best friend, Blue. She's
twelve, but just as clever as you. You and her have much in common, and rumors
have been passed around her school saying that the two of you are friends. Floryn
Twistoritoway is her brother," Kottske introduced. I sighed happily, as London
seemed to be pleased with my presence.
"Well, well, well… Blue. I'm in a few of Floryn's
classes. Your brother is a total dork, though you don't seem much like him from
what I know," he informed me. I giggled, preparing a catchy response.
"I'm quite aware of him being a dork. Believe
me, he knocks on my bedroom door for homework help. My sister's just the same.
I feel so lucky that I'm not too much like them, though even sharing their last
name seems embarrassing," I replied with my quickly thought up response. London,
surprised at my counter, backed away as I, followed by Kottske, entered his
house upon request.
"Eesh, your little friend there has attitude!"
he whispered to the brown Uni as he advanced through the doorway. The door was
slammed shut and London nudged Kottske, inviting the two of us up to his room.
As we entered, I saw white walls, covered with
posters of various rock bands - mostly Gruundo, though. His bed was large, stretching
across over a third of the spacious room, and its comforter and pillows were
black. Just black, as were the head and foot boards of the bed itself. The shelves,
desk and chair, dressers, and interior side of the door. The carpeting below
them was white, so the room had little color in it and seemed a bit spooky for
me. But then I spotted the source of color in the room.
It was an Usul, in fact, a cloud one at that,
sitting on the dark bed. She sat with a timid smile and pretty periwinkle eyes.
Thankfully, she wasn't quite as tall as London, but she still stood a few inches
taller than me. I can't say how nice she looked, like a normal teenage girl,
kept neat and clean.
"Hello, there," she said to me. "Are you a friend
of London's that I am yet to meet, or are you a friend of Kottske's?" Her voice
was high-pitched and soft, and she sounded so kind to me.
"Oh, I'm Kottske's best friend. Blue's the name.
Blue Twistoritoway," I told her, holding out my hand for her to shake. She stood
up and shook it, wearing a delighted grin on her face.
"Ah yes, Blue. Well, I'm Elliapotatorewkiki McArma. I'm London's
best friend. You must me a few years younger than us, for I've never seen you
around our school," she responded. "Here, sit down." She pointed to a space
on the black comforter beside her. I plopped down beside the friendly character,
smiling back at her.
"Ellia and Blue... They seem to have made friends,"
Kottske noted. London nodded. I looked up to the red Jetsam, who looked huge
but not that scary any longer, and smiled. Ellia, Kottske, London and I. I could
tell from there that it would be a long-lasting group friendship.
"Oh dear!" Ellia shrieked, her eyes fixed on
London's 'what-do-you-know, it-is-black' clock. "London, I-I really need to
go. Sorry!" Without much notice, she grabbed her sky blue coat and dashed out
of the door. Kottske and I, totally puzzled, looked up at London, expecting
an explanation for her leaving.
"Ellia has a sick Batterfly that she found. She
has to check on him once each hour to ensure his well-being," he revealed. The
brown Uni just nodded, understanding, but I jumped up in consternation.
"A BATTERFLY?! What's its name? I must see it.
I dare say, I love Batterflies," I exclaimed. Kottske held up a hoof.
"Whoa, Blue, settle down. It's okay. The Batterfly
should be fine. You can see it once it has healed," he said to me. Kottske then
made an attempt to start a new subject.
"So, Blue, um, yeah… I like Kreludor," he spat
out, not knowing what he was saying. I narrowed my eyes, staring at him.
"Wow. I almost care," I responded. London grinned
evilly, obviously admiring my sarcasm. Yup, what great friends they--
Ellia suddenly burst into the room, a horrified
expression on her face and tears rolling down her pale cheeks.
"London… please, d-d-don't go! D-don't go! Dangerous…
them… you don't want to… you really don't…" she whimpered, taking his flipper
and holding it close to her.
"Huh?" London questioned, as confused as one
can be.
"Remember that story… that story… you… you told
me that story… no… they're here… I think… I saw… them…" Ellia cried. London's
eyes widened to the size of Meriballs.
"Oh no…" he spoke softly, but in a terrified
tone.
To be continued...
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