Thanks to the furry thing darting around my feet, I was doing a truly bizarre dance. My new, most favorite companion in the world practically refused to leave my side, so my senses were on constant high alert. I really didn't need to step on my dog and break the poor thing in half.
"Alright, Doodle, stop."
I had to do something though. Every step I took was halted because Doodle kept placing himself under my foot. My original plan had me getting a slightly bigger dog, but one look into Doodle's eyes had had me falling in love. They were a stunningly captivating blue. He was a two-year-old schnoodle, which was a cross between a schnauzer and a poodle, with the slightest bit of mutt mixed in. His name when I got him had been Snickerdoodle. I figured the previous owner had wanted to rhyme Snickerdoodle with schnoodle, but I didn't feel as if that name really fit him. That's why I shortened it to Doodle, and he had thankfully had no problem with it. Doodle had also thankfully been well trained from the get-go. He stopped darting about the instant I gave the command.
"Good boy." I praised, kneeling down to give him a good pet.
When mom made her way over to us, Doodle rushed over to her rather than stay where he was, but that was fine with me. As long as he was out of my way for the moment. Besides me, mom was the one he was most attached to. She was always cold due to her thin frame, and Doodle was a cuddler. I couldn't sit without having him on my lap, and he slept on my bed with me. He would do something similar with mom when I was preoccupied. She picked him up and held him close in that moment while I got Doodle's leash ready.
"Are you sure you're feeling up to a long walk?" I asked her, "I heard you coughing earlier."
Mom had finally been able to come home, but I knew that was something that wasn't going to last. Two more weeks. Maybe three. That would be it, and then she would be back in the hospital for just as long or longer. With having heard her coughing up a storm an hour ago, I didn't want to let her get away with pushing herself and forcing herself back to the hospital sooner than expected.
"My lungs have become crap, Coal," she smiled at me wryly, her strained voice confirming her statement, "If there comes a day when I don't spent a third of my time coughing, then it probably means I'm dead. I want to do what I want to do before I get stuck back in that hospital room, and right now I want to go on this walk. I can handle it."
"Alright." I sighed ever so slightly.
Mom was determined if not honest, I'll give her that. Our destination was the dog park all the way in the city. I had tried taking Doodle to the normal parks closer to home, but those had too many little kids and inattentive parents. Poor Doodle would constantly get swarmed by the tiny munchkins desperate to get their hands on him. Thus, the dog park was our lone option. I asked mom if we should get a taxi when we had to stop and a take a break on a bench when she grew tired, but she gave me a gentle smack on the arm for making such a suggestion. The going was slow and mom's breathing grew labored as we neared our destination, but we made it eventually without any real trouble.
Doodle seriously was perfect. He was sweet and cuddly when you wanted him sweet and cuddly, and he was energetic and playful when you wanted him energetic and playful. Mom bought some water from a nearby vending machine and took a seat at one of the tables while I ran around with the best decision I had ever made. Seriously, who needed human friends? Not me. I had forgotten I had ever been lonely since I adopted Doodle. He had made friends with another dog in the shelter, but when I proposed the idea of getting both mom told me one dog was all she would allow. You could bet though when the day came when I inherited the house the place was going to be swarming with animals. Okay, maybe not swarming, but two or three dogs sounded ideal to me.
As much energy as he had though, Doodle was naturally quite little. I was barely beginning to feel much strain when he decided he'd had enough running around. It was our turn for the two of us to get some water, and I gave him a toy to much on afterwards while mom and I sat on the ground nearby to chat.
"It feels like yesterday when I was here with Button," she spoke reminiscently, looking all around, "There are still some days, especially when I visit Eden at my old home, where I'll walk through the door and wonder why she's not coming to greet me."
"I get you. Doodle hasn't been around that long, but the few times he's sleeping or with you when I come home leaves everything feeling much more silent and empty. I can't imagine what it is like actually having your ball of fluff gone. I'm not looking forward to the day when he'll pass on at all."
"It definitely does sting you, but Button gave me so many memories. Even now I can recall that time she took off on the night of our camping trip with perfect clarity." mom laughed quietly.
"The night when you found the two 'fairy feathers' and got gifted with 'fairy gold', right?" I chuckled along.
"Yeah. What a bizarre series of coincidences that was, although some part of me doesn't believe it was coincidence," mom revealed, "The two feathers were identical, I swear it. The owner of the coin store also gave me a small collection of coins that added up to what I considered a small treasure at the time in order to reassure me after what happened with the thief."
I was listening along, and a certain memory popped into my head. I hadn't ever thought to talk about it with another. Now felt like it was that time.
"I don't think it's strange for you to think there was more going on than a serious of coincidences. You know the Arboretum Park? I don't know if you've heard about them, but there have been rumors floating around ever since it was built of strange lights being seen there. I was there with Candy one time. After she left, I could have sworn I saw what seemed to be a small orb of pink light skittering about just on the edge of my vision. It disappeared when I tried to see it better, of course. There's also Mimosa's claims that she's met a man with glowing wings of light as well." I explained.
"Honestly, who really knows? When I was set free and I learned that some people believed in gods, I thought it was the strangest thing I ever heard. I'm not saying I believe in a god now, but too much has happened to me to make me unable to think there aren't strange things out there keeping themselves hidden from us."
"You wouldn't be happening to be referring to Snowbell there, are you?"
"I suppose I am," mom grinned, "How can I write her off as nothing other than a story? I experienced myself too much hay disappearing unnaturally. There was no way any human could have done that without none of the children nearby noticing. When I was pregnant with Wisp and then Pris and Desi and I went up to that loft, the voice I heard about wanting to see the babies was the exact same voice I heard when I saw her in that 'dream' at the sleepover. I even managed to find a picture of her in an old newspaper they had displayed at the museum. The supposed ghost I saw looked just like her!"
"You don't have to convince me. I believe the same belief that there's strange things in the world." I reassured.
Mom smiled at me, but that smile soon faded. It almost disappeared, but not quite.
"To tell you the truth, I would give anything to know for sure that beings such as ghosts and fairies exist. Thinking that there is truly an afterlife would be easy if I did." she spoke softly.
"I have to believe there is, even if I don't believe in a particular god or one in general. It's far too sad thinking it all just ends. No, I'm sure you'll get to run around with Button again the same as you did before. Doodle and I will eventually join you, and everything will be perfect."
"It sounds wonderful to me." mom agreed.
Our conversation halted when Doodle caught out attention. He was really having a ball with his chew toy- flipping all over and flinging his head this way and that as if he was in total ecstasy.
"You're such a weirdo." I scoffed in amusement as I rubbed his stomach.
Our time at the park ended, and the three of us returned home. Several days passed uneventfully. Then Prism showed up for an unannounced visit. He had the excuse of the film he was working on being delayed because of the main director getting horribly sick, but I wondered if he was also desperate to see mom during a time when she wasn't in the hospital. It had been over a year now since he had actually seen her at home.
"Geez, I get busy for a few weeks, and then I find out you've gotten the dog for yourself that I always wanted growing up." Prism teasingly complained to me one afternoon two days into his time with us.
"You know you're twenty-three and living on your own now, right? You could simply get your own dog." I pointed out.
"I work too much though. The poor thing would be left alone all the time."
"Then I guess you're stuck with getting some fish or a pet rock."
Prism sighed in disappointment and shook his head.
"Unfortunately so. But let's get off my problems and talk about you. I haven't heard anything about what your group's been up to lately." he noted.
"That's because I've completely abandoned it." I explained with disdain.
"What? Why?" my brother wondered with a frown.
"Because no one clearly gives a shit when practically no one showed up for either of the two outings, and when I asked nicely if people would show up if I was the one paying for them I lost half the group and had one idiot go off on a rant!"
"Okay, no. I'm not going to stand for this. You're not going to give in that easily. You're not like that, Coal."
"I am when I wasted three hundred fucking dollars on passes to the arcade and rock gym and got nothing out of it!" I protested indignantly.
"Well, fine, that would piss me off majorly too," Prism relented, "But I'm still not convinced your group idea is a total loss. You just need a bit more of a push to get it off the ground."
"And what exactly do you propose I do? I'm not spending another cent on those assholes."
Prism gave me a big grin.
"You're going to let me spend a bit of money. If I can't use it to buy a dog, I might as well help you out. As I know you're aware, my name has quite a bit of power. I'll use that and my resources to get people to come to the next meeting I'm going to plan for you."
"So you want to use your name and money to buy me friends?" I asked dryly.
"Hell no," Prism declined, "I would never do that. I'm going to use my name and money to give you the opportunity to make real friends. The shallow ones coming just to meet someone famous will be easy to spot. They might make up a good portion of those who come. However, there will be a bunch of decent people too. People who just want to have a good time. Ignore the assholes who will eventually fade away, and focus on the ones who are worth it. I'm certain you'll find a few you click with. Having one big event go well will also do a lot in ensuring people continue to show up when you set up the next meeting following what I'm going to do."
"And what are you going to do?" I prodded, folding my arms.
"I don't quite know yet. It'll come to me soon though."
Unlike me, things easily fell into place for my brother. Scratching noises came from behind us. Doodle was at the door and wanted to be let out. So, I let him out. The door barely slid several inches before he darted in a form of a streak towards the open pool gate I forgot to close.
"Doodle, no!" I called after him.
It was too late. He was already in the water swimming and having a merry time.
"You already went swimming earlier this morning, you silly thing. Now I have to dry you off again." I complained.
"He has the right idea though," Prism said suspiciously, "He's given me an idea too. The warm summer weather is almost gone. It makes sense to enjoy it before fall arrives."
I stared at him curiously, and he paused for dramatic effect.
"Coal, I've decided. I'm throwing you and your group a beach party."
Truth be told, I had no clue what to expect. I was still so furious about the disaster at the rock gym that I didn't want to plan anything even with Prism's help. I gave him my password so he could take full control of the process without me. What he was posting on the page, how he was setting it all up, who he was contacting, the response he was getting- it was a mystery. Then the night of the party came. I reluctantly drove down to meet with my brother. He had arrived an hour before to do most of the prep work. Prism went all out with renting the beach, getting a DJ, preparing food, and providing everything that would guarantee a good time. The monumental moment snuck up on me, and, wouldn't you know it, the biggest group of my peers I'd seen since prom turned up.
"Of fucking course." I mumbled to myself as the beach steadily became more dominated by bodies dancing, playing frisbee, splashing in the water, and otherwise having the time of their lives.
While I was annoyed my brother did so easily what I could not, I couldn't exactly be disappointed with the turnout.
Especially because there was at least one familiar face, and especially one that I liked.
"Coal!"
The call came to me while I set up the last of the tables for the food. It was the lone task Prism required me to do.
"Hey, Coconut." I greeted with calm excitement.
I had to talk much louder than normal thanks to the music.
"It's really good to see you. I'm glad you could make it." I continued.
"I'm glad I could too. When the page went dead after that trip to the climbing center, I thought you'd given up on organizing any more events. I was rather disappointed." Coconut admitted.
"Well, you have my brother to thank. He refused to let me admit defeat. He's actually the one who set most of this up." I explained.
"Which brother is this?"
"Prism. He's on break from filming, so he decided to come home for a few weeks. I think he's over by the bonfire with..."
I turned my head to make sure what I had seen before was true. It was, and I wasn't surprised.
"Peony and Stella." Coconut completed my sentence for me with a laugh.
"I think the other girl is Stella's sister," I noted, "And Prism looks like he's doing fine, which is good. I did think to warn him about them before we came too. He just said he's used to it by now- what with all the attention he gets in Tinseltown."
"I'll keep an eye on him though. I want to thank him for encouraging you to keep this going, but I can let that wait until it looks like he needs rescuing." Coconut stated.
"I'm sure he'd appreciate that very much." I laughed loudly.
The sky quickly darkened, but the energy pulsed more intensely than ever. I rushed about here and there making sure everything was going fine. Now that something was going right, one small mistake or accident was sure to turn it into another disaster. Coconut, the saint that he was, noticed my pretty obvious jitters. He got me out of my paranoid state and mingling with others. There were so many people my head was whirling. However, it wasn't as sensation I disliked. I heard story after story, all of them interesting, and the hours began to fly by just like they did back in high school.
I would have to ask Prism later on that evening where he got the catering from, because the food was fantastic. I spent longer eating than I should have, and I'd just finished when I was addressed once more.
"You're Coal Vivid, right?"
Two people were there. A male and female looking pretty similar, and it was the girl who had spoken. I instantly stood up from the table.
"Yes, that's me. You are...?"
"I'm Citrine," the guy introduced, "And this is Pastel."
"Brother and sister?" I wondered.
"Cousins, actually." he clarified with a smile.
"Ah, okay."
"We wanted to say hello and thank you," Pastel said, "The two of us only moved to Berrybrook a few weeks ago, and we've had a bit of trouble getting out and meeting new people. Citrine and I were thrilled to find your group and see that you were throwing this awesome party. It's the first time things have felt like home again. We're really looking forward to joining what else the group will do."
"It's great to hear the party has helped you," I replied, making a mental note to get Prism a really spectacular gift for Christmas this year, "And I've got a lot of ideas for future events. It should be a blast."
When I had first made the group, I had detailed a super long list of places to go and things to do. To be able to rely on that list again after having thought all that work was wasted was an immense relief indeed.
To have two excited faces beaming at me was even better.
"So, you've recently moved to the city, huh? Where from?" I asked the cousins.
"A tiny place called Limoncello up by the Shea mountains. You've probably never heard of it." Pastel answered.
"Nope," I had to grin, "Did you move here with the rest of your family, or is it just you two?"
"Just us two. Things are actually rather...shaky with our family," Citrine admitted, glancing sympathetically at Pastel, "We were getting sick of the problems, and thus we decided to bail."
"That's rough. I'm sorry to hear that. If you ever want some chaos during the holidays or want to hear a bunch of siblings squabble, you're always welcome to visit and borrow my family for a while."
"That actually sounds incredibly nice," Pastel laughed, "We might just have to take you up on that offer."
"Just let me know, or drop by whenever. People are constantly coming and going from our house," I offered, "And, if you don't mind me asking, how are you two doing job wise? I'm just going off the assumption you're not exactly getting monetary support from your family. I know some people who'd be able to help you if you're having trouble."
"We definitely appreciate the concern. Citrine and I managed to find a really nice job though at a cafe up on...what street again?" Pastel faltered off, turning to Citrine.
"Chestnut."
"Right, Chestnut. By that big activity center. We even met the owner the other day. He's incredibly nice."
"That was the one of the people I was going to refer you to," I chuckled, "That's my Uncle Sap. Well, he's not really my uncle. He's my mom's close friend from when they were in high school. He and his wife run pretty much half the businesses in Berrybrook."
"Looks like we made the best choice in coming up to you. You have all the connections." Citrine smiled along.
"I guess I've been blessed with a bit of luck." I shrugged in amusement.
It was easier to talk to Citrine and Pastel than it was to Coconut or anyone else I met that night. While I never got the specifics on why things were difficult with their family, I was more than fine with that. We had just met after all, and I had a feeling I would eventually find out anyway. Citrine and I had a million things in common. It seemed like like in those few short hours I was as comfortable with him as I was with Midas or Azure. Pastel was merely extremely likable. Her attitude was nothing but upbeat, and she quickly showed she had such a strong enthusiasm for merely being alive.
I got a good laugh when Prism suddenly showed up to join us. With how Coconut was now talking to Peony and Stella, it was clear my brother had finally had to be rescued. He hit it off with the cousins much like I did, and before long the four of us were at the water's edge skipping rocks and debating who's went farthest even though we couldn't seen a darn things with the dark lighting.
There had been a set time for the party to end, but I completely forgot about it. Prism never noticed it either. The two of us probably would have had a riot on our hands if we tried to stop the fun going on anyway. Only a few people had taken off. Everyone else was going strong. Pastel grabbed my hand and led me onto the dance floor when her favorite song came on. She and I danced for song after song after that. So swept away, I didn't notice when the police showed up to tell us to quiet down a bit since we had gone over our allotted time. It certainly was a party and night to remember.
I would have to ask Prism later on that evening where he got the catering from, because the food was fantastic. I spent longer eating than I should have, and I'd just finished when I was addressed once more.
"You're Coal Vivid, right?"
Two people were there. A male and female looking pretty similar, and it was the girl who had spoken. I instantly stood up from the table.
"Yes, that's me. You are...?"
"I'm Citrine," the guy introduced, "And this is Pastel."
"Brother and sister?" I wondered.
"Cousins, actually." he clarified with a smile.
"Ah, okay."
"We wanted to say hello and thank you," Pastel said, "The two of us only moved to Berrybrook a few weeks ago, and we've had a bit of trouble getting out and meeting new people. Citrine and I were thrilled to find your group and see that you were throwing this awesome party. It's the first time things have felt like home again. We're really looking forward to joining what else the group will do."
"It's great to hear the party has helped you," I replied, making a mental note to get Prism a really spectacular gift for Christmas this year, "And I've got a lot of ideas for future events. It should be a blast."
When I had first made the group, I had detailed a super long list of places to go and things to do. To be able to rely on that list again after having thought all that work was wasted was an immense relief indeed.
To have two excited faces beaming at me was even better.
"So, you've recently moved to the city, huh? Where from?" I asked the cousins.
"A tiny place called Limoncello up by the Shea mountains. You've probably never heard of it." Pastel answered.
"Nope," I had to grin, "Did you move here with the rest of your family, or is it just you two?"
"Just us two. Things are actually rather...shaky with our family," Citrine admitted, glancing sympathetically at Pastel, "We were getting sick of the problems, and thus we decided to bail."
"That's rough. I'm sorry to hear that. If you ever want some chaos during the holidays or want to hear a bunch of siblings squabble, you're always welcome to visit and borrow my family for a while."
"That actually sounds incredibly nice," Pastel laughed, "We might just have to take you up on that offer."
"Just let me know, or drop by whenever. People are constantly coming and going from our house," I offered, "And, if you don't mind me asking, how are you two doing job wise? I'm just going off the assumption you're not exactly getting monetary support from your family. I know some people who'd be able to help you if you're having trouble."
"We definitely appreciate the concern. Citrine and I managed to find a really nice job though at a cafe up on...what street again?" Pastel faltered off, turning to Citrine.
"Chestnut."
"Right, Chestnut. By that big activity center. We even met the owner the other day. He's incredibly nice."
"That was the one of the people I was going to refer you to," I chuckled, "That's my Uncle Sap. Well, he's not really my uncle. He's my mom's close friend from when they were in high school. He and his wife run pretty much half the businesses in Berrybrook."
"Looks like we made the best choice in coming up to you. You have all the connections." Citrine smiled along.
"I guess I've been blessed with a bit of luck." I shrugged in amusement.
It was easier to talk to Citrine and Pastel than it was to Coconut or anyone else I met that night. While I never got the specifics on why things were difficult with their family, I was more than fine with that. We had just met after all, and I had a feeling I would eventually find out anyway. Citrine and I had a million things in common. It seemed like like in those few short hours I was as comfortable with him as I was with Midas or Azure. Pastel was merely extremely likable. Her attitude was nothing but upbeat, and she quickly showed she had such a strong enthusiasm for merely being alive.
I got a good laugh when Prism suddenly showed up to join us. With how Coconut was now talking to Peony and Stella, it was clear my brother had finally had to be rescued. He hit it off with the cousins much like I did, and before long the four of us were at the water's edge skipping rocks and debating who's went farthest even though we couldn't seen a darn things with the dark lighting.
There had been a set time for the party to end, but I completely forgot about it. Prism never noticed it either. The two of us probably would have had a riot on our hands if we tried to stop the fun going on anyway. Only a few people had taken off. Everyone else was going strong. Pastel grabbed my hand and led me onto the dance floor when her favorite song came on. She and I danced for song after song after that. So swept away, I didn't notice when the police showed up to tell us to quiet down a bit since we had gone over our allotted time. It certainly was a party and night to remember.
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