Raising the Stakes; Zelink Coffee Shop AU (The Legend Of Zelda)

Chapter Twenty Two

10/20/17

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Friday

(10:20 A.M)

Aryll pressed her lips together and sighed. "Fine... I was just showing Zelda where we were sleeping."

The girl had not looked at me since she had come in, even after Aryll gestured in my direction.

I bit the inside of my cheek, wondering if this would be my first cold shoulder of the trip.

"Come on Paya, she's nice, stop being so shy," Aryll laughed.

"I'm not shy!" she replied, but her retort came out as more of a fierce whisper.

"Ha, what about the time you hid behind me when that guy passed by in the shop?"

"He looked creepy!"

"Or the time-"

I smiled as I watched the two girls go back and forth. "Nice to meet you Paya," I said when there was a pause. "Don't you need to go, Aryll?" I asked.

"Yes I do!" she replied and ran out the door.

Paya finally turned to me. "Sorry," she said, her voice raising a bit in the middle of the word. "It is nice to meet you."

"Do I look scary?" I asked, a little concerned.

"No!" she replied quickly. "No, not at all. It's not you, trust me, I'm just-" She waved her hands, then brought one to her face. "I'm only nervous around strangers."

"Well, I'm glad I'm not the cause... I don't meet many people so I'm not good with first impressions."

Paya chuckled, though it sounded a little shaky. "Yeah, me... me neither."

"Should we go back down now?" I asked.

She nodded and led the way out the door. As she closed it I heard a sharp whistle. "Seag is a little indignant that we're keeping him upstairs."

"Why?"

"He's usually allowed to stay downstairs with everyone... But with all the food and people...and their dogs... it's best we keep him up there."

I paused on the step. "Dogs?"

Paya looked back up at me. "Yeah, some of our family have dogs they bring with them so... so that they aren't left alone."

I forced myself to keep going down the steps. I didn't have much experience with dogs...

"They're usually outside during the day... unless the snow is deep."

At the mention of snow, I felt a renewed energy. "Do you think it'll snow this year?" I asked as a spring entered my step.

Paya shrugged. "It usually does." She paused at the bottom of the stairs. "I've gotta get back to Grandma now. Nice to meet you," she said again, then joined Aryll in the kitchen.

I only had time to take one breath before someone called my name.

"Zelda!"

I turned to look. It was Colin. He sat in the center of the living room, right on the floor. Walking over, I knelt beside him. "Hi, Colin," I said.

"Will you play cards with me?" he asked, pointing to a deck that lay in front of him.

Me? You could not have picked a worse playmate. I pressed my lips together. "I don't know Colin..."