The Lost Life of Laraine

Chapter 17

Vadallea was quite pleasant to be with.

With our arms linked she guided me to various small stores in town, pointing at random objects in the window and making snarky comments about them.

"That looks like a little dog," she said, pointing at a giant poof for powdered makeup as we stood by a salon window.

It was a stupid, not really funny comment, but I could not stop laughing. My stomach and chest were feeling sore from how much she was making me laugh. I think at this point she could just breathe and I would start cracking up.

"Ooh this is my favorite store," she pulled me up to a light pink door, completely throwing me off as we were both dressed in dark coats and heavy boots made for grand outdoor adventures. Opening the door surprised me even more. Pastel pink walls, pristine white furniture edged with frilly white lace and bows. Various frilly ribbons and accessories were scattered around on display as well as different fabric samples. "What do you think?"

"It's..." I looked around once more before looking right into her hopeful eyes, "So cute..."

"I know right!" She skipped over to a table, our arms still connected, and began peeking around the products.

I watched her curiously instead. She didn't peg me as a kind of girl who was interested in this pastel fantasy.

With her very short hair that was cut just above chin length and her go-to outfits of baggy black trousers with a grey blouse and black vest made her look like a commoner boy. The only thing making her look like a typical girl was her dark and long lashes that lined her bright greyish eyes.

"Oh Vadallea," a store owner dressed in a casual red dress and a frilly white apron came out of the back with a black hat that had a beautiful blue ribbon and a pastel dried floral arrangement. "Who's your friend?"

"Lara," she introduced me with a beaming smile, "She's a new adventurer from the captial."

"Oh?" The woman put the hat on a display and walked her way over to us, her boot heels clicking as she walked, "Nice to meet you Lara, I'm  Glenny, and I own this boutique."

"A pleasure," I stood up straight and held out my hand, a strange act for a lady but Glenny seemed amused by my behavior and shook my hand. "It's a beautiful store you have." 

"Thank you," Glenny stood up straight, puffing her broad chest slightly in pride, "I wanted a touch of cute up here in this wasteland."

I giggled slightly before Vadallea picked up a bracelet and showed it too me.

"This is beautiful!"

And she was right. A silver gold interlocking chain that was connected by a pendant with what looked like half of a pink butterfly wing.

"Oh that's part of my friendship series!" Glenny chimed in, picking up a similar bracelet with the other half of the wing. "Buy that one I'll give you this one free."

"Oh I don't kn-" I began but was quickly cut off by Vadallea quite literally chucking money at the poor woman who had to dodge it.

"Thanks!" Vadallea graciously took the bracelets without the wrapping and ignoring the slight glare she got from Glenny, "I'll see you tomorrow!"

Without much explanation, we hurried out of the store and I almost ran right into Vadallea as she stopped very suddenly.

"Oh my gosh I didn't even ask," she held out one of the bracelets, a sheepish smile grew on her face, "Would you like to be my friend?"

Laughing at the cheesiness of this I took the bracelet with a beaming, "Yes!"

She put the bracelet on me, making sure it was secure before letting me put the matching bracelet on her. Although we barely knew each other for a day, it was like I've known her for years. She sorta reminded me of Rebecca. Maybe it's because they are only 4 years apart and both feel like long lost sisters to me.

"Want to start heading back?" Vadallea re-linked our arms as we began to walk back towards the guild.

Light chatter was growing between us until we were outright giggling so hard we stumbled into the entrance.

"Ah, Lara," Flontina approached from our room, "We are going to go on a scouting mission, you and me, tonight."

I nodded, unlinking my arm from my new best friend and saying my goodbyes to her. I almost didn't catch Harken approaching her with a rather serious look on his face. But alas, I should rest a bit before going on my first scouting mission.

"Let's talk," Harken murmured into Vadellea's ear, a scowl formed on her face but she reluctantly agreed and lead him to a far storage room she uses to hide from work.

"So you remember everything too," she began, not even speculating just outright pointing out a fact, "and you still have the audacity to try and be her friend?"

"I just couldn't leave her alone," he tried to explain but he couldn't deny how right she is.

"Why?" She asked, her blood boiling from her anger towards this man-boy, "Didn't you do enough making her life miserable?"

"I didn't-"

"Don't you dare deny it!" Vadallea wanted to scream and rip out this boy's hair, "You don't know Lara like I do! You never bothered to get to know her! So don't come now after she died from your actions, like you're now her savior because guess what?! She doesn't need you! In fact it would be so much better if you just left her alone."

Harken was speechless. Vadallea was right. It was his fault that Laraine died in their past life. He was the one to turn her in only based on a mere accusation. If his father was still around then, he would have beat some sense into the boy before making the greatest mistake of his life.

Vadallea was also correct that Harken barely knows anything about the sweet Laraine. He learned more things about her during her trial and execution than the duration of their marriage.

He still has nightmares of the moment he turned her in. The massive fight they had that caused a massive crater outside his home and the blood Laraine spilled in an attempt to protect herself without hurting him, his people, and his love.

He was a monster. And should avoid Laraine to perhaps better her life.

But she was so adorable, and sweet, and so kind he couldn't help but want to be close to her. To be liked by her.

"Just stay away from her," Vadallea growled, bumping shoulders with him as she left, "God knows the wrongs you've don't to her."