"Uhm, so how are we supposed to live?", Avery asked me. I had finished packing my clothes(my few clothes). "We would be catered for. And besides, side hustles aren't prohibited in the school", I replied her. "If so, why are you packing your clothes?", she asked, pointing to the small bag I had packed my clothes into. "I would eventually get new clothes later on, and it's not like we'd be wearing them often", I said.
I had requested for Marlon to follow us along during the journey, and apparently, pets were allowed. I had planned for Avery and I to take one last stroll in the village square before we went to bed.
In the morning, I gazed at myself in the mirror. The years had done me good. My skin had become more tanned, and my hair was in a voluminous mess, reaching my waist, so it had been tied up in a ponytail. I had grown taller, and my eyes had turned a darker shade of grey. "Shift and lemme see myself too", Avery said and nudged me out of the mirror's view. We were the same height, and her skin was fair. Her hair used to be bright yellow, but she had been dyeing the ends so it had blue streaks. She had the most lovely eyes, like blue sapphires sparkling under the moonlight.
"We've become bigger huh?", I asked her. She only sighed in response.
She put on her favourite yellow dress and I wore my blue dress. "And where are you girls going to?", Madame Dupont asked when we entered her office. "We would like to see the village one last time", I said. "Before tomorrow's departure", Avery added.
Madame smiled at us and nodded, "I'm proud of how you girls have ended up. Go and enjoy yourselves".
We set off on our little expedition, and Marlon decided to tag along. Unfortunately for him, I kept on tossing him in the air any chance I got. "Will you leave me be miss?", he asked, crouching by a nearby rock. "No way. You're going to be in the carriage tomorrow I must stress you out today", I giggled and tried to lure him out with a snack.
He completely ignored us and hid himself in the bushes. "Would you allow him to rest please?", Avery pleaded on his behalf. "Fine I'd let him be", I replied.
The village square was still bustling as usual. The sun was shining brightly, causing the ponds and the fountains to cast little rainbows. The market stalls were also busy, with people rushing to buy trinkets and other stuffs. Maybe because of the school season coming soon, or something else, but it was noticeable that a lot of people were buying anything they could get their hands on.
Avery noticed an antique store. I urged her to check out the wares. "I'd be back", I told her, realising I had seen a craft shop nearby. "Well hello there lovely lady!", the shop owner said, "I make sculptures and other handy stuffs. So, what has caught your eye?". I looked through the sculptures and observed carefully. There were many items to choose from, but one finally got me excited: a moving horse. "Oh the horse?", the man noticed my eager eyes glaring at it, "I sculptured it from an enchanted tree in the forest. Listen, it hums too". I eagerly picked it up and brought it up close to my ear. It was a very calm hum, and it resonated with my spirit in such a way that I also felt calm. "How much does it cost please?", I asked.
"You know what? Take it for free. You'd be going to the Academy tomorrow right?", he enquired. I nodded. He smiled and said, "I figured. It would be fine. Think of it as a gift from the village's best craftsman". I thanked him and ran off to find Avery, not before requesting a similar one for Avery.
"I got a Ovemethium necklace for Madame at a high price, some snacks for tomorrow, and wait, what have you got?", she asked after seeing me hold the two sculptures.
I explained to her about how I got the sculptures and the kind words the craftsman said. We later on bought some bread and sat on a bench by a nearby pond.
Avery sighed, "School's gonna be scary right?". "Uhm, I can't tell". "What do you mean you can't tell? You went to school in Aberdeen and Manchester right? How were they?".
Manchester....."I don't remember much", I replied her, "it seems like I'm beginning to forget about that place". She smiled and hugged me," It's ok. I might not understand how schools work, but we'd figure it out, I know that". "Thank you. And I'd make sure to always stay by your side, as a sister", I said and hugged her back.
As we sat on the bench and talked about our future, the sun began to set, the stars above twinkled like diamonds. Our happy chatter became a silent one. Suddenly, Avery's voice was barely above a whisper. "What if we don't fit in?" she asked, her eyes searching mine for reassurance. I squeezed her hand, my ponytail bobbing as I turned to face her. "We'll fit, Avery. We're in this together, remember? Besides, we're not just students, we're ambassadors of our village. We'll make our mark in the Academy and no one would be in our way". Avery smiled, her sapphire eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "You're always so confident, Aria. I wish I could be more like you". "Don't be silly", I chuckled and bumped my shoulder against hers. "You'd be bored if we were identical, Ave. Besides, you're the creative one. I'm just the brains of the operation." Marlon meowed angrily. He was still sulking in a nearby bush. "Ok, a three man operation", I said. "You're definitely not just brains, Lyra. You've got heart, and that's what matters", Avery added. Marlon let out a soft meow, as if agreeing with Avery's statement. I giggled, throwing a pebble in his direction. "Hey, I've got plenty of heart, thank you very much."
As the stars began to fade, we reluctantly made our way back to Madame Dupont's office, Marlon tagging along, still looking a bit put out. As we approached the office, Madame Dupont greeted us with a warm smile. "Enjoyed your last night in the village, girls?". We nodded, exchanging a look. "It was perfect, Madame," Avery said, her voice full of gratitude. "And we'd like to present you with something", I added, gesturing for Avery to bring out the gift.
She couldn't talk when she saw the necklace. She only jumped up, ran to us and gave us a big hug. "Thank you thank you thank you", she yelled, her eyes twinkling. "I'm soo grateful for this gift. It's amazing how you lot thought of me", she said. "You deserved it, after everything you've done for us", I said.
She made sure to sniffle her tears and ushered us out of her office. "Your big day is tomorrow. You need to have a good night's rest for the journey ahead", she said.
As I lay in bed, Avery's words from earlier echoed in my mind: "What if we don't fit in?" I knew she was worried, but I was determined to make this work. We'd been preparing for this moment for years(Avery more since she knew more about the world than I), and I wasn't about to let anxiety get the better of us. I glanced over at Avery, her eyes closed, but I knew she was still awake. "Hey, Ave?" I whispered.
"Yeah?" she whispered back.
"You'll be amazing, no matter what. And if anyone gives you grief, I'll just... um... scare them away. Or if you like, I'd give them scary dreams." Avery giggled, "You can't use magic on people, Aria. "I grinned in the dark. "Oh, I can try. I'm sure they don't have a punishment for scaring people with dreams".
Avery sighed, "I'm more worried about fitting in than you are. You're always so... you". "You seem to forget that I wasn't always accommodating to be with", I said and shrugged, even though she couldn't see me. A few minutes passed by. "Avery?", I called out to her.
The room fell silent, with only the sound of Marlon's soft snoring breaking the stillness. I wanted to get up and confirm whether she was sleeping or not.
I decided to close my eyes and drift off to sleep. "Here we are again", I heard a voice call out. I had assumed that I was in the clouds, but I was very wrong. The environment was dark, and you could only see the moon shining faintly in the distance. It was hard to observe my surroundings, but I could see a few trees and a lake nearby. I walked up to the lake, trying to search for its starting point.
"You're not helping you case", the voice said, followed by rustling of leaves. "Who's there?", I asked and stretched out my hands. The figure walked out from the trees, from the other side of the lake. It was a woman, wearing a black cloak. I could only see her.....grey eyes?
"Mom?!", I called out. The woman pursed her lips, and started to walk away.
No way was I letting her go this time, I thought and jumped into the water, frantically trying to cross to the other side. "You don't deserve to see me", she said and walked away. And unfortunately for me, I started to drown. No it's a dream, it's a dream, I can get out of the water, I can..."ARIA!", a scream resonated through the forest and I gasped.
I jumped up from the bed and glared at Avery. "AVERY!", I yelled and hugged her, struggling to find my words.
What was my mum doing there? And why did she say I didn't deserve to see her?