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Chapter 18 - Whose Fairy Tale

Chapter 18 - Whose Fairy Tale

Dreamer

By the time the next school year started, I was well into the third book and the outline of the fourth one in the series. Every night, new ideas were formed and everything was branching out. The story took a slight swerve in a different direction though. I was feeling a bit selfish with the first character I had created and wanted to keep him from the world. At the same time, I found some inspiration while walking Mr. Nguyen's dogs.

Mr. Nguyen had asked me to keep walking the dogs during weekends and I gladly grabbed the opportunity to earn more money for college. Walking the dogs was also a good way to burn all the pounds I'd gained with our regular weekday breakfasts, Saturday lunches and weeknight dinners.

Unless I picked up the tab ahead of the brothers, which almost never happened, they'd insist I not pay. I was grateful, but also a bit annoyed. I didn't want to be a charity case. Although Ice did mention we were even because Francis normally emptied our fridge whenever he dropped by.

This was true. Mom now cooked spaghetti twice a week.

The brothers also enjoyed having my sisters around. Iris was still shy, but she talked more now than before. I'd hear her quietly singing pop songs to Ice. Aside from just playing games, Francis inspired Maya to study well and aspire to be a programmer. Francis lent her his Ultrabook and they worked on developing a computer game over the summer. I didn't understand machine language though.

Everything passed in a blurry blend of reality and fiction and I was startled when I woke up one day and realized it was just a few months before graduation. I'd saved enough to get in a particular university I'd been eyeing. Not Hephaestus unfortunately. I couldn't afford it there even if I juggled three summer jobs and walked all of Mr. Nguyen's dogs all days of the week.

Mom already made the arrangements. Maya was old enough to watch over Iris while Mom was at work. I was going to miss Mom and my sisters.

I was going to miss Francis. And Markus. And fine, Ice, too.

I hadn't told Francis yet. Maybe after graduation. I'd ask him to help Maya with her studies like I'd helped him with his.

Maybe I'd tell him later during lunch. It was another Saturday anyway.

Funny that Ice never joined us for Saturday lunch after that first awkward time. Sure, we had breakfast together most days of the week-he decided to sit with us instead of staying at the opposite side of the diner. We'd occasionally hang out for dinner and treats especially when Iris asked for cake. My baby sister had the giant wrapped around her little finger.

Breakfast and dinner, but never Saturday lunches with Markus.

Oh, Markus. Teen Gaspard. How was it possible for him to become more gorgeous every week? His hair had grown longer, but he still looked immaculate even in a plain grey shirt and ripped jeans. He could show up in sackcloth and he'd still be stunning. Those eyes. Those grooves on his cheeks. That dazzling smile. If I drew covers for romances, I'd use him as a model.

It was strange that I'd dreamt of Markus once, but he wasn't as impressive in my dream. Even though he had big black wings, he had looked dull in my vision and he couldn't compete with the creatures that formed a menagerie that night. I hadn't dreamt of him again after that.

Markus may be forgettable in my dreams, but he was definitely striking in reality.

"Could you move a bit? You're hogging all the air-conditioning."

Someone clearly didn't find Markus remarkable. Markus raised an eyebrow at my best friend before he stood and adjusted the fan swing to make sure the cold breeze hit Yvonne directly in the face. Then he pulled a chair and sat next to me.