New Day - 4

4

Walking through the mall we got to Tower B, which was full of interesting stores, and I could tell that even before we entered them.

I had been trying to ignore the inside for a while to see it with the others, but since the wait was over I was truly excited thinking about what we were going to find and do.

It could be said I had one eye on the stores on the floor we were on, and another on the stores upstairs... And then a third on the highest floor, and a fourth and fifth watching everything else.

Desire:

My mask, completely gray and more flexible, created three more eyes for me, attached to the base through thin deformations. My first two eyes still functioned as usual, but the others were individually fixed on whatever caught my attention. In addition, two mouths appeared, one on each side of the mask, which moved and spoke independently of each other.

Noe: Since we're here, we should choose where to start. What do you think, Twen?

Twen: Yes! - From the first to the top floor, right? - Let's start with that one right there!

Noe: That store... Really? You're going to look like Jean if you buy anything there.

Jean: And the problem?

Zena: Twen, when I said about seeing you as a rebel I meant it as a joke....

Twen: Come on! - I like your style.

We went into that big store full of clothes like the ones Jean wore, with an urban and youthful feel. We looked for something that would look good on me, including a sweatshirt, a cap to fit under the hood of the sweatshirt, and a pair of pants with lots and lots of pockets.

When I showed the others my outfit, they all said it looked great, but it did not seem to be my thing. I thought the same, and there were still tons of styles left to see, so I did not take anything and we moved on to the next store.

Just like that, we started following a pattern.

First we would think about what would go well with me, sometimes the others would also choose things for themselves, and finally we would change and parade down an imaginary catwalk.

However, the answers regarding my clothes were always the same.

We tried out outfits for cold days, for hot days, with emo styles, for sports (including underwater)... I even ended up with a poncho and a hat that we found in foreign stores.

At some point we stopped thinking seriously and simply tried to have fun.

But, in addition to being entertaining, it was also a bit exhausting.

We arrived back at Tower A thinking we would take a break, but first there was one thing to do. That would be, in a place near the big tree that I had totally overlooked.

The "Amber" bakery was one of the newest additions to the mall, and Lani had already heard things about it. Most of them were, of course, positive reviews, so she was dying to see it (and, with a third eye on my forehead, it was clear that I was too).

The line to buy was considerable, so we had time to explore the desserts on display. For some a quick glance was enough, but Lani really looked them over.

Twen: Trying to decide which recipe to steal?

Lani: Not yet... I've just never seen these sweets in person before. I've watched a lot of videos from the chef who created them to learn some techniques, and this is his first location in Novadía, so I really wanted to come check it out.

Twen: A chef you're learning from? Then he must be a true master at what he does…

Lani: He's one of the best! He's still young, but he's like a baking genius. He's very creative and the dedication and love with which he prepares each thing is just great... It's a shame that he's from another country, but I already plan to travel with my mom someday to visit the first store he opened.

Twen: You want to meet him?

Lani: Of course! ... But not only him. There are many other famous chefs in his country, so we would see a lot of things, but the original Amber can't be missed. They say that there are days when he himself enters the kitchen and prepares the cakes, and it is even possible to see how he prepares them...

Even though she was talking to me, Lani barely took her eyes off the candy behind the glass. Her eyes jumped from one to the other as she carefully analyzed them, tilting her head from side to side as if trying to see them from every possible angle.

It was one of the few times I heard her talk so much outside of the X-Café, and it made me understand that gastronomy was a true passion for her.

Twen: A cake made by the same chef...

Lani: It would be the best!

Twen: And I'm sure his store is full of amazing and crazy stuff, judging by what I see here.

Lani: It is. There's a reason why the candy that made him famous looks like an insect encased in an amber crystal....

Her joy slowly began to rub off on me, and before I knew it, I was smiling underneath my mask. Zena, noticing our conversation, looked at me and gave me a smirk.

When we got to the cashier, we all ordered our candy and Lani took pictures of each of them. Then we left the building and sat down to eat on the side of the Greenway, on the grass by the river.

There, we revisited the photos we had taken while modeling styles ranging from the latest fashions to clown costumes.

We stopped to look at a photo where I was wearing an elegant black suit alongside Jean. According to Noe, that was going to be the last time he wore that.

Zena: So you say this is the one you liked the most?

Twen: Yes!

Zena: And what happened to wearing comfortable clothes?

Twen: I was feeling gorgeous... If I ever need to dress up for something fancy, I wouldn't mind wearing something like that.

Noe: But in the end you didn't buy anything. Wasn't that the intention with which we came?

Twen: Kind of. But, honestly, I was just having fun and I'm not going to complain about that.

Noe: That's true...

Twen: Besides, I already have something I can take home as a souvenir.

I said that pointing to the bracelets around my wrist, which made Zena flash a smug smile at Noe. Lani, too, seemed to share in that pride, and Jean could not care less.

With the breeze hitting my mask and hearing the water running in the river, my whole body began to relax.

The steps I was taking towards my new life in Novadía seemed to be the right ones, and fortune was showing signs of being on my side.

I have always enjoyed doing things alone, but having good company was also important and enjoyable for me. That is why I was happy to have met these four people and did not want to ruin the opportunity they represented.

I wanted to be able to call them my friends, and for that I thought I should try to get to know them better.

Twen: I've never asked you about this, but I'd like to know how you met. Did you study together?

Noe: I have known Jean since I was eight years old. We live nearby, so we used to play together in a nearby park. Lani and Zena, on the other hand, I only met them four years ago.

Lani: I've known Zena practically since I was born, because our mothers have been friends for a long-

Zena: Lani! I love you so much~!

She lunged to hug Lani, interrupting her before she could finish talking.

Zena: Yes, I have known Lani since she was little. And as Noe said, we met four years ago. We ended up in the same class and we had to write a group paper the four of us.

Jean: That paper was a real pain.

Noe: It was so complicated that we had to get together before and after school, even at lunch, to discuss about it... But I couldn't complain too much either. I mean, how could it bother me to see two such pretty girls every day?

This time it was Noe who gave a hug, wrapping her arms around Lani and Zena from behind.

Twen: I thought you would have been talking to each other for longer... Although four years isn’t exactly short time either. It's long enough for a lot to happen, especially with the right people, isn't it?

Noe: You said it.

Zena: Yes... Ah!

As she was being handed love, Zena seemed to remember something. She quickly reached into her things and pulled out a plastic card with a big logo on it.

Zena: Lani, I think we still have some points left, don't we?

Lani: For the arcade? Yes, because we didn't want to stay for too long....

Zena: Then I know what we could do now! What do you all think? let's go!

We all answered her with a yes, albeit in a manner similar to how an exhausted parent might. She heard what she wanted to hear, and we lay on the floor for a few more seconds.

When we finally got up, shaking off the dirt that might have clung to our clothes, Zena took the lead in high spirits and led the way. Lani and Noe followed close behind, and I was in the back with Jean.

Being alone with him I started to get curious about a detail, so I asked him about it.

Twen: So... How did they convince you to keep hanging out with them?

Jean: Well, it's mostly Noe's fault.

Twen: Is it?

Jean: Yes. It's because of her that I kept talking to Lani and Zena after a year of knowing them. It's not like I don't have other friends, and I wouldn't say that those two are my best friends either....

Twen: But it's not like you're just here out of some obligation, right?

Jean: If I didn't like them, I would have simply stopped talking to them. It's fun to tease Zena, and Lani is calmer and can get along with everyone....

It was a good idea to have asked, because I could really understand what was going on in the dead-eyed guy's head. It had always seemed like a mystery to me.

I would not have wanted to divert my attention from the conversation, but something happened as we were walking into Tower A. A tall, very thin man, perhaps in his thirties, was coming out.

It seemed like he was going to pass close to us, so Jean and I tried to move aside, but he had no intention of moving, so he ended up bumping into Jean's shoulder anyway. The three of us who were there got angry about it, but decided to let it slide.

Twen: What’s wrong with him?

Jean: Something in the head, for sure... Anyways, as I was saying, spending time with them has almost never been a bother, even if I'm the only man there.

Ignoring the case of that disrespectful person, we continued to move forward and talk.

We arrived at the arcade, and went inside to play with the last points left on Zena's card. I have no idea how much they must have bought at the start, but we had enough for all of us to play for about an hour.

The first to play was Zena, who hit a bunch of little monsters every time they poked their heads out. Then it was Lani, who wanted to try her luck in a big jackpot roulette. We were all (including her) speechless to see her win the Jackpot.

Noe saw a stuffed animal that she thought was extremely cute, and after carefully measuring the position of the claw in all dimensions, she got it on her first try. Jean wanted to use the machine that simulated basketball free throws and did impressively well.

As for me, I killed it on a dance machine. Then we took turns playing “skeet-ball”, and finally we went to a game where two people had to survive by killing zombies.

Zena: We could try to make it to the finish. Lani and I haven't reached it yet....

Jean: I don't see why not. But don't start crying if one of my bullets hits you.

Zena: Yeah, whatever you- But you're aiming for my head!

It looked like the fun was going to go on for quite a while. However, Lani noticed something that would complicate things.

Lani: The idea sounds good, but your card is almost empty... I'll go fill mine.

Twen: Let’s go! Next round is on me.

Lani: Twen? No, no. You don't have to do that-

Twen: But I want to. You guys paid for this bracelets.

Lani: But that's a gift. You don't have to give something back for it.

Twen: Well, this is also a gift and you can't refuse to receive it.

It is interesting to see how some people can resign themselves to receiving a gesture of kindness from another, just to be kind themselves.

That time, because I wanted to thank Lani, I practically ended up forcing her to accept my help... And that is something I would do again.

Finally, we both went to pay for more points for Lani's card and the others waited while playing.

The place in question was next to the entrance. Judging by the prices the economy inside the arcade was impressive, for not a lot of money you could do quite a lot.

We talked to the person in charge and Lani handed her card to her. She pressed a few buttons on her computer and looked at the screen for a few seconds.

At that moment, I heard a loud noise outside the arcade.

I turned to see what was going on, and recognized the same man who, a few minutes ago, when we entered Tower A, had bumped Jean on the shoulder.

He paced quickly back and forth, with one hand next to his ear and waving the other aggressively as if he were arguing with someone.

???: I'm telling you! He doesn't want me to work with him again. He said no and told me to go fuck myself!

He was in the middle of a call, and did not seem to care what was going on around him, not even the people who walked away when they heard him scream.

???: I went and talked to him calmly, but as soon as he saw me his face changed... Yes... Because he hates me, I'm telling you! I'm the best worker he's ever had and I bet you he knows it, but he saw me once raising my voice in the restaurant and fired me. He's a crybaby!

Problems at work, or what was once his job, seemed to be the reasons for his anger. A conflict that must have escalated enough that he could no longer set foot inside that restaurant.

???: Yeah! As a worker, I also have to make myself respected! But then everyone says that I always make faces when they tell me that I’m doing something wrong, that I don't treat the other employees well... Fucking liars... Exactly! Just to follow what the boss says so they don't get fired from the job!

An alleged injustice or a conspiracy against him. Whatever had happened, from his point of view it had come out of nowhere.

I was trying to get an idea of what was going on out of sheer curiosity, as I wanted to know what could drive a grown man to act in such a way, bursting with anger in public.

To be honest, I found that lack of control irritating.

???: I'm not a bad person... But if I meet him in the street I'll break his legs... Yes, that's right! He thinks he's so important, so intimidating, talking to me like that, as if he was the king of the world. He better doesn’t try it again!

???: Sir, that's enough.

I was just watching from afar, frowning as I watched the man, but when I saw one of the security guards approach him I was relieved.

When he arrived he placed a hand on his shoulder, although that seemed to be a bad idea, because it caught him by surprise and made his tantrum worse.

???: Hey, what's wrong with you? Don't touch me.

???: You're being very disrespectful to other buyers, so I'll have to-

???: Don't touch me... Don't touch me! ... Hey, I'll call you back. Another asshole came to bother me.

???: If you're going to keep acting like that I'm going to have to ask you to leave this place, so-

???: Don't touch me! Another aggressive fucker… And what did I do to you? Leave me alone.

???: I need you to leave. If you cooperate I'm not going to-

???: Don't touch me!! You have something in your ear or what?!

There was no longer any doubt in my mind that this man had anger issues. My mask had already begun to shake from the anger of having remembered that cases like that happened in reality.

Perhaps he had accomplished a lot of things in his life. It was a possibility that he had many good friends and that he actually was skilled at his job... But his decisions led him to be seen as a threat and an embarrassment.

His anger issues led him to have trouble with that guard as soon as he showed up. His altered view of life showed everyone against him, without sufficient reason, and his response to it was to stand his ground and put up a fight.

A problem that could have ended quickly escalated into a jumble of pushing, shoving, yelling and disorder, where he was no longer the only one with a marked vein in his forehead.

???: I told you, I'm not going to let you stay here!

???: Then don't touch me!

???: Then get moving!

???: Is this how you treat people who just pass by? I didn't do anything to you.

???: You made the other buyers uncomfortable. I'm going to do my job and stop this from continuing, that's why I'm kicking you out...

At times, it looked as if both were going to resort to violence. But, fortunately, that was not the case.

Before reaching such a point, there was a short period of silence in which they both exchanged glances and seemed to understand that there was no point in taking it to such extremes.

The man with anger issues backed up a step with an apparent intention to leave, so the guard went to his side and escorted him out of the mall....

And, at that moment, he made a mistake. Placing one of his hands behind the arm of that man... Of that piece of shit, it really was not to his liking.

???: Son of a bitch!

Ruining his last chance, that remarkable imbecile found nothing better in his thoughts than to spit in the guard's face. Whether it was a product of his anger or his desire to make himself respected, that was not going to end well.

His dirty spittle flew from his mouth directly into the cheek of his target, who raised both hands to cover himself. But, fortunately, it failed to hit. Before that it evaporated, quickly disappearing without a trace.

Then, in the space separating the two, a huge flame flared up and knocked them back a few steps, taking them both by surprise and leaving them confused.

It burned for about five seconds and then went out, leaving little more than a line of smoke and ash on the ground in front of them.

???: What...? How...?

???: You've got to be kidding me....

Looking over the guard's shoulder, the disrespectful man saw something that he interpreted as another problem for him, and after rubbing his eyes for a few seconds he turned and walked away.

The guard, after turning around, could also see it.

Anger:

The base of my mask was red, with veins strongly marked on its forehead as if it were my own skin. I also grew two black horns, the right one larger than the left, and instead of a mouth there were only four large white pieces that, because of their material, seemed to be teeth. Finally, surrounding my eyes, which I kept wide open even though I was frowning, a purple shadow had appeared.

When I arrived next to him, it was still evident that something was bothering the guard. This time, however, it was about something different.

Twen: I was a bit aggressive too, I'm sorry.... But I wanted to get it over with soon. You know, that man had already upset one of my friends before, so it really made me feel angry.

???: An OV carrier...

Before reaching him, I pulled out the two horns from my mask (which quickly grew back) and transformed them into two useful things for the moment: A broom and a shovel.

However, before I could clean up the ashes my powers had left behind, he grabbed both and cleaned them up on his own.

???: I can understand your feeling kid, and I really appreciate your help, but keeping order in the mall is currently my job. I'd rather you didn't have to worry about things like this, but just hang around and enjoy yourself.

Twen: That... Yes, that's what I plan to do.

???: Well, good luck. Please let me clean this up. You go about your business.

I must admit that I was not very convinced with the way he managed the situation, but he was right about that being his job, and not mine. I decided to leave the rest to him.

After that bittersweet farewell I went back to the arcade, as Lani's card should have been ready by now. I was distracted while listening to that tantrum, but it was over and I could go back to playing with the others.

Twen: Lani! If we are ready with the card, then we can...

Lani: ...

When I approached her, Lani took a step back.

Shit...

It was not the first time I had seen her stepping back like that, and I knew it could not mean anything but trouble. In fact, it felt much worse than at any other moment.

I felt as if, quite suddenly, something important had come into play. A shiver ran down my spine at the mere thought.

My mask suddenly returned to normal and I hurried to analyze the situation that had been presented to me.

Lani's breathing was agitated, her legs loose, her arms tense....

Maybe she had remembered something, felt something, seen something…

There was nothing behind her, beside her, or above her, but something had happened behind me.

I had just witnessed a conflict between two people, and just after that was settled I was faced with another one, but with a different threat this time... Me?

Her eyes were as wide open as they could be and in one of her hands she held a small red object....

It was an anti-stress sphere. She brought it to her chest and, with one hand on top of the other, began to squeeze it in a rhythm.

Why she had that I did not know, or at least I was not sure, but what I had in front of me was a big problem and I had to deal with it carefully, not like that man with anger issues.

Twen: Lani... What is it? Can I help you?

Lani's lips moved, but the words could not get out of her throat. Even she seemed surprised and annoyed by it. It was a hard thing to watch.

Twen: Don't worry, a yes or no can be enough, but I need you to answer me... Lani, please tell me, are you afraid?

Unable to speak, she only responded by shaking her head. If that was enough for us to communicate, then I was not going to complain. In fact, it would be a lie if I said I was not nervous too. My hands were shaking.

Lani: ... (Yes)

Twen: Is it fear for a person?

Lani: ... (Yes)

Twen: That... Is it because of what happened back there? Are you afraid of me?

Lani: ... (No) ... (Yes)

She was not talking, but she was able to communicate his answer. And, from my point of view, I would say that for none of us it was easy.

Twen: If you're worried about that big flame you saw, I want you to know that it wasn't meant to hurt anyone. I just wanted to separate those two people. It was a trick, nothing more. And, regarding you... Lani, I have begun to consider you my friend, and I have no intentions of hurting you. Can you trust me when I say that?

Lani: ... (Yes)

Although she had taken a few seconds for each of her responses, that one was particularly slow.

Twen: Okay... So let's do the following, do you remember where Zena and the others are?

Lani: ... (Yes)

Twen: Please go with them. I'll take a moment, I'll walk around, maybe go to the bathroom, I don't know... But I hope that by talking to them you can calm down, and then we'll talk about this.

Lani: ... (No)

Twen: No? why not? It would be a problem if they see you like that?

Lani: ... (No)

Twen: So... Lani?

Without being able to say why, Lani started walking in my direction.

However, instead of stopping in front of me, she kept moving forward until she exited the arcade and then ran to leave the mall.

That was the last time I saw her that day.

Maybe I should have run after her, stopped her and asked her to talk so I could help her. But that, perhaps, would have been too aggressive from my part... I hesitated too long and could not come up with an answer.

I made a mistake.

After she left I stood there for a few seconds because I did not know what else to do.

The mall was still full. People were walking back and forth, children were running and screaming inside the arcade... But it all felt external to me. Regardless of the vastness of things around me, I felt alone, disoriented and lost.

But I could not just walk away too... At least, not yet.

I had to go back with the others, and by the way I bought a new arcade card, since that is what we had initially gone to do.

...

When I arrived, I found Jean to be the only one still standing in his game, as Zena seemed to have already lost. The only way for her to rejoin was with a point card, so she was glad to see me.

Zena: Twen! It took too long, do you have the points?

Twen: Here, it should be enough for today and tomorrow.

Zena: Great! ... And where is Lani?

Twen: She received a message from her mother and had to return home, although I didn't quite understand why.

Zena: Really? is he going to be okay?

Twen: I hope so...

Even with her explosive and energetic nature, Zena put on a very worried expression on her face for a few seconds. At least, until she heard my explanation, and then she went back to her game.

Jean and Noe also heard and stared at me, but said nothing. The game continued, maybe for a few minutes or an hour. I could not tell.

Twen: You know... I should be going home soon too. I thank you for everything you did today, but now it's time to say goodbye.

Zena: What? Well... I'll see you on Monday, I guess.

Twen: Yes, that should be the case.

Jean: Good luck.

Noe: I hope to see you again.

Honestly, I was hoping for the same thing myself. I said goodbye to them one last time and left.

I knew perfectly well that with my powers I could return home in a matter of seconds, but this was one of those times when I preferred to take a long way home.

Like anyone else, I walked to the nearest bus stop. It was a simple trip without much to note... Except for the fact that I could not think of anything else but Lani the whole way.

Like anyone else, I was afraid I had made a mistake that I could not fix. Someone else was involved, so there were things that were out of my hands.

I... Like anyone else... Could be afraid.