Ch. 5

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     "Hey Zinnia, I'm home," Ray called out.

     I heard footsteps approaching from the hallway and then his sister emerges, took one look at Ray and I and said, "Oh look at that. You brought home another whore and it's still morning. Good job Ray," and then left.

     What?  I felt the blood rushing to my face and look down to my dress - please tell me I didn't just steal a whores outfit by mistake, and if I did, no wonder Ray was so damn nice to me! It was a thin strapped dress that was above my knees, and shoes. Hers didn't look so different than mine. Well her dress was nicer actually if I was being honest. Better fabric, with more vibrant colors and simple sun pattern designs while mine were just color faded red rags.

     I didn't want to be in this house anymore, I turned and had my hand on the knob when Ray caught my arm.

     "Nova, don't," he said.

     "I. Am. Not. A. Whore," I gritted through my teeth,"so if you think I was then it is your fault for assuming that, but I am leaving."

     "Nova, I didn't think that! She's just being mean, that's how she is," he still had a grip on my arm, "don't let her get to you please, I have to deal with her everyday. I'm sure you can manage this until I get you fed."

     The way he was staring at me, his eyes were practically pleading for me to stay. He didn't even laugh or make a joke about this all, which he could have. I let go of the door knob and the worry in his brow softened.  

     I cleared my throat, "So your sister said another whore. How many have you brought in?" 

     Rays face got flushed with red, "Because it would surely explain why your sisters so catty. Poor her. And really Ray? Whores? Your cute enough to get a girl on your own."

     "Okay, first off, never. And secondly, you think I'm cute?" He said.

     I just smiled at him and took a step closer, "Don't think to highly of yourself," and then I walked away from him, to the room where his sister went off to.  

     "But you just said I was cute," he said quietly in confusion.

      Boys are fun to play with. And summer boys are a whole other game, so sweet and gullible. And new.

     I found his sister in the kitchen, she was cutting up some vegetables and other green foods that I haven't seen before. Mostly in winter there's soup and meat for the villagers to eat. My mother keeps it to cold to really grow anything and it's not like we can trade food with the other seasons, seeing as we don't get along with them.

     "What are you making?" I said.

     "Why are you talking to me?"

     "Zinnia, be nice. She's a runaway looking for food and supplies and then she's leaving," Ray said.

    "Hey, woah. Don't go telling the village my business. And secondly I wasn't looking for anything, you begged me and I took pity on you," I told them.

     "A runaway? Why you running?" Zinnia didn't sound as concerned as her brother did, she sounded curious. She was trying to figure me out, she's smart about that. Ray hit her in the arm though and gave her a look that said shut up.

     "What are you making to eat Zinnia?" I said, wanting to change the subject.

     "Just making chicken with vegetables on the side."

     I was curious as to how vegetables tasted, I don't get hungry and I don't need to eat but I still liked to taste. So I grabbed something with yellow soft neatly bumps that had what looked like string coming out of the green leaves outside of it. When I did my had was slapped away by Zinnia, hard. She didn't do it out of anger, just a gesture of keeping me away from the food while she's cooking. But it still angered me. Never have I been hit by some common villager. 

     I felt my fingers turn cold as if the ice wanted to leave my body but it couldn't, not here on summer lands. The feeling of coldness went just as quickly as it came and instead my hands grew hot, I guess I'm starting to feel that true summer heat right about now. In winter she would have been thrown to the wall from a punch of ice, but since I was defenseless here I found an alternative way to show my anger, I threw the glass of water meant for me to drink at her face. 

     I'll admit it, my temper practically has a mind of its own.

     She paused, knife still in hand. I didn't look away from her, didn't show that I was sorry either. I stood my ground like the strong Princess I am. And hoped she didn't know how to throw a knife.

     But next to me Ray burst into laughter. He slammed his hands down on the table with each breath he took in. Zinnia's face softened and she just turned to get a towel to wipe her face of water. And I was confused. 

     "Alright girl I like you, truce?" Zinnia said, extending out her arm.

     "Truce," I said. And we shook," My name is Nova by the why."

     She went back to cooking and Ray finally stopped laughing and pulled down the narrow hall into his room. It was simple, just a bed and a drawer for his clothes. But it still felt empty, there were no sentimental items here.

     "Is it just you and your sister that live here?" I asked him.

     "Yes."

     "What about your parents?" I asked.

     "Somewhere in another village," and he left it at that.

     Touchy subject for him I guess, but I know all about not wanting to talk about your parents so I left it at that. I laid on his bed, it smelled like him. Not sure exactly what but something summer like. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in, summer was something beautiful. The life the land itself had was amazing. Just feeling the buzz of it as I closed my eyes was relaxing me. The animals here didn't just survive, they lived. The birds actually sang non stop, and having the widow open to hear them clearly I listened to the different songs they sang to one another. I probably shouldn't feel this way about another season, I feel like I'm betraying winter. But a mini vacation here once in a while wouldn't hurt.

     I suddenly realized that I wasn't exactly alone, I open my eyes and found Ray staring at me.

     "Creep," I mutter.

     "Well you are the stranger on my bed, so that makes you a creep too," he said. But he didn't take his eyes off me.

     I positioned myself to sit up and face him,"Do you like it here? In summer?"

     "Yeah, it's nice. Of course the heat can be brutal some days but we're luckier than other seasons."

     Better then Winter, he wanted to say.

     "Have you ever thought about leaving?"

     Ray didn't pause to think, "No I don't. Why? Is that where your running to? A different season?"

     I kind of already did.

     "I'm going to be honest, I was suppose to leave."

     "Is that why you were going to the boarder? To winter?" He sounded shocked, " there is nothing there my little star, you wouldn't survive. And I'm not talking just about the season itself, the Ice Queen and her daughter would know an intruder on their lands so fast that you'd be captured on sight. Or worse just frozen to death."

     He no longer leaned against the wall, he walked closer to me and spoke slightly louder to emphasize his point.

     "Trust me, I know. And stop being so dramatic I wasn't crossing the boarder," I had already done that, " I was just going to leave. But I got lost. And then you found me and here I am."

     "So... are you going back home?" He asked me. He wasn't standing anymore, he moved to sit next to me on the bed.

     "No. I'm just going to find a place of my own, and... and just relax."

     I didn't know what I was saying, but it sounded like something I wanted to do. My mother isn't expecting me home for a while, and when I get back to winter it'll take about a day for me to convince the people that winter is better than the other seasons. It's not hard telling the people what they want to hear.


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