The Door to the Dragon's Mouth

Chapter 3: The Silver Girl

     Saturday rolled in and I met Kayla at Harmony Square; a park in between out two houses and close to Stacy's. I looked at my phone to see how cold it was outside; 5. "Eh? I don't really need a jacket," I grabbed my scarf (I LOVE IT! Get off my back) and wrapped it around my neck. I took my phone and put it into the pocket of my sweater than left to go downstairs. My sister was chatting loudly to one of her friends. "Where's mom?"

    She let out a long exaggerated groan. "She's at the mall getting some junk for supper. Ha! No I was talking to my sister..." I nodded.

     "Well if she asks (which she probably won't) I'm at Stacy's with Kayla."

     "Isn't that the girl who constantly asks you for homework advice?" She sits up and looks at me suddenly interested. "Why are you going somewhere with her. I thought you found her annoying."

     "I've got nothing better to do. You should know I'm a loser more than anyone," I added jokingly.

     She actually gave me a smile. "Well have fun!" I guess her friend had gotten back because Jordan started gossiping again. "Totally. Damia sucks!"

     I rolled my eyes and opened the door. I left out and I noticed it was snowing; pretty. I walked through the snow, it crunching under my feet.

     Soon I got to Harmony Square but unfortunately I had to wait cause I was 10 minutes early. I grinned and sat down in the snow. I started to form the snow into a castle; kinda like what I used to do with sand.  A couple minutes later a voice came from behind me. "Uh Layla?" I jumped and turned around. Kayla stood over me and began giggling. "This isn't like you at all."

     I got up and forced a cough into my hand awkwardly, "Well I had to do something while I was waiting for you." She bursted out laughing and I smiled.

     "Well, I guess that's true. So you want to go now?"

     I stood up and brushed the snow off my jeans. "Sure, plus I'm getting kinda cold already."

     "Did you forget snow was cold or something?" She chuckled again and started walking. I followed her down the street. Cars raced past, their horns honking and their lights peering through the beginning of a snowstorm. The heavy wind brought more snow and whipped our hair around. I tied my brown hair into a ponytail so it would (more or less) stay out of my face. A couple bits of hair fell down the sides of my face since I didn't have any bobby pins to keep it out of the way. Kayla kept her hair simply out of her face with the braid she wore earlier. "Geez, the wind is picking up." Kayla yelled over the wind. She was right. The gently falling snow was turning into a wild storm.

    "Stacy's should be coming up soon," I replied. I took in a deep breath and exhaled. This always seemed to calm me down, you know; give me a sense of direction. When I was young and my Dad had left I took in a deep breath and I was okay. It always seemed to help me for whatever reason, you know the saying Count to 10 before you act. Or something along those lines. I peered through the storm and I caught lights that made up the word 'Stacy's'. "Great! See, right over there!" I looked at Kayla and she was smiling. She started to run. I followed her more slowly.

    When we got inside it was almost empty except for what seemed to be a couple trying to hide from the weather. Kayla stepped up to the counter and rang the tiny little bell. I looked out the window at the dancing snow. The man opened the door and I looked back at him. "What's a youngster like you doing out here in the middle of a snowstorm?" He asked Kayla.

     "Well we went out earlier but it started snowing, but we're persistent you know!" She smiled warmly at him and he smiled back.

     "Okay, so may I take your order?"

     "Hmm..." She searched the menu board. "I'll just have a baked potato with french fries and a... Dr. Pepper." She turned to me. "What about you?"

     The man seemed to just have noticed me cause he seemed surprised. "Uh..." I looked up at the board searching for the choices of burgers. "I'll have a cheese burger with no tomatoes, onions or pickles please." The man nodded.

     "Debit or cash?"

     "Cash please," Kayla gave her money and I handed mine to her. The man split up the cash to us equally and nodded.

     "I'll get right on that. Go ahead and take a seat." 

     Kayla skipped happily to one of the seats, "Come on L!" I groaned but followed her. I sat down in one of the seats and looked out at the window. "So..."

     I looked up and sighed. "How's school going?"

     She seemed to be happy that I was starting conversation with her instead of her starting it with me. "It's going pretty good actually. My grades are average, you know solid 70s." She chuckled. "I'm guessing your still getting solid 80s? You've always been getting 10 marks higher than me, since kinder."

     "Yeah... It's just the participation mark that is 0 but otherwise I pretty much ace all of my tests and quizzes."

     "Don't forget the exam last year that you got 98% on. That was crazy!"

     "Well I do study at home but I just see no need to do all of that stuff at school, especially when it's a perfect environment to daydream. I know it probably sounds stupid..."

    "Not at all. I've always thought it was amazing that you had that natural talent." She fiddled her thumbs and I looked surprising at her. "That's kinda why I follow you around I guess."

    The man who was at the counter came up with our dinners. He set them in front of us along with our drinks and things. "I hope you enjoy your dinners," he gave a toothy grin and left to his break room. I unwrapped my burger and took a large bite into it. The juicy taste filled my mouth and I licked my lips, delicious. 

    Kayla digged into her baked potato with her fork and stuffed a french fry into her mouth. She munched on her food and after we both finished we sat in silence. I looked out through the window at the swirling storm. I don't know how I noticed but there was a girl. In nothing but a silver skirt and a blue tank top. Her silver-blond hair was tied neatly in a high ponytail and skin? As fare as snow. She turned to me. Her brilliant blue eyes seemed to see right through me, as if she understood everything in that one glance. She gave me the kindest smile I had ever seen and continued walking. Her white, knee-high boots not even making a single mark in the snow. She passed behind a tree and she was gone. I blinked twice but she never returned, didn't come back.

    I turned to Kayla and she seemed to have noticed something was wrong by the look she gave me. I blinked again and looked back out. Nothing.