Gen Two- Chapter Twenty Four

A bizarre mixture of nostalgia, amusement, and sadness swirled together in my chest. It was a bit before lunch on a Friday about a month into the new school year. There was no school on this particular Friday as there was some kind of mandatory training going on for all the teachers in the district. That meant Glade was joining me as I babysat Wisp's daughter like I did most mornings. Her name was Tangerine, although everyone usually just called her Riny. A little over a year old, she was freaking adorable.

And having Glade play peek-a-boo with her while I sat nearby was what brought about the strange mixture of emotions within my chest. I was amused because both Glade's and Tangerine's giggles were hilarious. I was nostalgic because it felt like just yesterday I was sitting in almost the exact spot they were in now entertaining Cerise with a game of peek-a-boo, and I was sad naturally because of the silent yet devastating event that would unfold later that day. I tried to focus on the happier of the emotions, of course.

Gen Two- Chapter Twenty Three

School was done for the day, and it was quiet in the halls. Cerise and Glade were taking the bus home because I had something to do that afternoon, and I was actually letting Azure borrow dad's car, which had basically become mine, in order to go around and do some shopping for Moon's birthday. The two of them had had a thing after they first went to homecoming before there had been a long break where they went back to being just friends. Now they were dating after having gone to homecoming together again, and I swore Moon was already picking out her wedding dress. Girls. Azure was happy though, which was nice to see because I was having trouble feeling such an emotion myself lately.

     "So, what do you think? Clothes? Jewelry? She likes both, but I feel like those are both safe and boring ideas." Azure asked.

     "I dunno." I shrugged.

     "C'mon, Coal! You have three sisters! You should be able to tell me the best presents for a girl with ease!" Azure whined.

     "Except Moon isn't my sister, and every girl is different," I rolled my eyes with a smirk, "But, didn't I hear her talking about wanting a puppy? You could try that."

     "I can't get her a puppy." Azure frowned.

     "Why not? She said that her parents were seriously considering letting her get one. Talk to them to make sure it's alright, and then go to the humane society or something. That's where Uncle Eden got Button. They have a bunch of dogs of all ages, they take care of all their shots and stuff, they neuter or spay them too, and they're relatively inexpensive. Then you and Moon could go shopping for a bed, collars, toys, and whatever, and it'd be like you'd have your own puppy baby to raise together."

     "Possibly." Azure conceded, sounding almost convinced.

Gen Two- Chapter Twenty Two

This was my second time playing this game. The one where I looked down at the wood chips to find matching or similar ones. I wasn't having the best of luck given that I couldn't move from my position on the swing in addition to me having to actively participate in a conversation. I probably should have been focusing more on that second thing anyway, but I had had a lot of trouble concentrating recently.

     "When we got to the market, mom got really mad at me. I couldn't help myself. Everything was so colorful. All I wanted to do was take pictures. Mom kept on complaining that it felt like she was spending her vacation talking to a camera. She finally took it away from me after another half hour." Rosemary spoke cheerfully.

     "I would do so too." I responded.

Then I faded my attention out again. Rosemary had been going on for a while about the vacation she and Aunt Deny had just gotten back from. They had gone to a country overseas known for its flavorful food, rich and colorful scenery, and energetic culture. I had been jealous when Rosemary initially told me about the trip, but now I was content to ignore every now and again what my cousin was telling me. It didn't exactly work out in my favor.

     "After we bought this dragon egg that later went on to hatch in the fire we had in our hotel room, mom and I ended up participating in a local magic show where a spell went wrong granted mom the ability to fly. I rode on her back instead of us taking a plane home."

     "That's pretty cool."

Gen Two- Chapter Twenty One

The gentle tapping of me lightly hitting my forehead against the glass of the table beat out a steady rhythm one could make quite the lovely song to if one was so inclined. Song melodies were not what my mind concerned itself with though at the moment. It instead sped through every kind of job or random career I'd ever heard of in hopes that one of the ideas would catch my interest. The best I was getting were possible jobs that would at least not make me want to rip my hair out. However, there failed to be one that I actually wanted to strive for. There was so far nothing that gave me the impression that I would be happy doing it the way Wisp enjoyed his art or Prism loved his film making.

     "I want at least three things written down by lunch!" mom called to me, poking her head out of her bedroom door to add more stress.

     "I know." I growled to myself slowly in annoyance.