Lucy

Now that Lucy had left, Albert returned to his duties, preparing for the busy hours to come. The tapping of his knife as he chopped vegetables was the only sound in the room. Camie had her back turned against Albert and was focusing on her plush friends.

“Hey, Camie,” Albert called out. His eyes were still looking at the knife and vegetables.

Silence. Camie paid no attention to him. She seemed to be obsessive over her friends at the moment. Albert looked over to Camie and saw her playing with the plushies. Cute. He decided not to bother her.

Camie, however, had indeed heard Albert call out to her. She took a quick glance at him, but returned back to playing with Happy and Fluffy as quickly. A few scoots away from him were also taken. Throughout the time Albert spent preparing for the lunch rush, Camie had sneaked at least six glances at him. Each time, she would turn away as well as scoot further from him. Albert caught Camie peeking at him on her third glance. Oblivious of what she was doing, he ignored her and continued with his preparations. By the fifth glance though, her peculiar actions began to bother him. He finished cleaning and set the mise en place before confronting her.

“Camie?” he approached her and asked, wondering what was going on. “Is everything alright?”

She took one look at him and moved farther away. By this time, she was facing the corner.

Is she pouting? Wondered Albert.

“Camie?” he called again, walking closer.

This time, when Camie faced him, her cheeks were puffed, and she turned away with a scoff. Her chin was tilted high. “Silence!” she shouted.

Albert was taken aback. “What?” Did he do something to her?

“Camie said silence! Camie is ignoring Albert!” she explained while facing the corner. So she was pouting.

“Why are you ignoring me, Camie?” asked Albert.

“Camie is ignoring Albert!” she repeated.

Albert stood there for a while, wondering what he should do. His thoughts were interrupted by the chimes of the black forest clock on the wall. Chirps followed, signalling to him that it was about time to open the shop. Stuck between his job and handling whatever was bothering Camie, Albert was at a loss.

“We’ll talk later, Camie.” Albert went to open the shop for lunch hours.

Those hours were rough on Albert. All the while managing the shop, he kept wondering on why Camie was acting as she was. Every time he saw Camie, her back was turned towards him. Eventually, his worries caught up to his actions, and he began messing up near the end of the hours. Leo was there to witness it all. In fact, he was one of the benefactors to Albert’s mistakes during the lunch period.

Albert had mixed up one of the orders. Where one table should’ve gotten the gratin, he gave them the french onion soup. The gratin ended up in front of Leo, who usually ate whatever Albert handed over to him without question. Without a second thought on the appearances, Leo dug into the dish.

A few bites later, he held onto Albert, who was passing by. “Are you sure this is onion soup?”

“Huh? Oh, no. That looks like the gratin.”

As if on cue, one of the customers from the other table called out. “Hey, Albert! You gave me the onion soup instead of the gratin.”

“Oh, sorry,” Albert shouted in response. “I’ll make one for you right now.” He looked back at Leo, who was chewing while looking at him with a blank stare.

“I’m not giving it back,” Leo said, looking straight at Albert with wary eyes while taking another stab at the dish. “This is better than the onion soup. He can have it.”

“That’s…,” Albert’s voice trailed off. Leo brought the plate closer to him.

“I’ll pay for it. I don’t need the onion soup. Bring me a pint though. I’m thirsty.”

“Sure…,” and without another word, Albert headed back behind the counter to prepare the gratin and pint.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized to the other table. “Here’s the gratin and you can keep the french onion soup.”

The customer took it lightly and laughed it off. “You were always on top of it all, even on your first day alone, I never would have thought you would mess up.”

“I apologize, you do not need to pay for the soup. It’s on the house.”

“I’ll gladly take that offer. But I guess even you would mess up if you have a lady on your mind.”

News does spread fast when they come from Leo’s lips. “I thought I cleared that misunderstanding up this morning.” he answered blankly.

“Is that so?” The customer laughed some more. “Ha! I guess it is since Leo was the one that I heard it from.”

Without another word, Albert left to serve the pint to Leo.

At the end of the arduous hours for Albert, he finally survived, though barely, and was now sitting at his chair, exhausted mentally and physically. Before he started cleaning up though, he had to clear up one thing that was on his mind for the past few hours.

“Camie,” Albert called out, trying to ask her again.

She was still huddled in the corner.

Albert walked over to Camie. “So, Camie. Why—”

“Camie is not talking. Camie is ignoring Albert!” she interjected.

“Why?” Albert asked in a soft tone, trying not to sound angry.

“Camie is ignoring Albert!” she repeated. She stuck her head into the corner, trying to move further away from Albert.

“Camie is ignoring Albert! Camie is ignoring Albert!”

Albert stayed silent, so she stuck a few more in. “Camie is ignoring Albert!”

“Are you done?” he asked after a moment of silence.

“Camie is ignoring Albert!”

“Why?” he asked again. Although he had discovered her yesterday, she didn’t seem to have the type of personality to act like this without a cause. He sighed, wishing he could return the bubbly Camie he met when he woke up. “If you don’t tell me, I can’t solve anything for you.”

“Camie is ignoring Albert! Camie is mad at Albert,” she added.

Albert could already decipher that Camie was mad at him, but he still didn’t know why. “Is there any reason why you are mad at me?”

“Camie is ignoring Albert!” she returned to her original stance.

Albert pleaded. “Camie, I’m sorry, but what did I do?”

Camie turned around. Only slightly satisfied with Albert’s apology, she puffed her face up into a pout and answered through a muffle. “Albert lied.” She returned to the corner to sulk.

“What?”

“ALBERT LIED!” she said again, this time with a shout.

“Camie, could you tell me what I lied about?”

She took a few moments to brood and trace her fingers along the crevices of the corner. “Camie wasn’t able to move enough when the shop was closed,” she finally muttered.

“Move enough?”

“Camie was told to not move when the lady came over! Albert also invited the lady to come later as well!” she complained.

“Sorry, Camie, maybe tomorrow? She won’t come everyday,” replied Albert in an effort to quell her justified anger.

Camie turned to face Albert again. Her face was still in a frown. “Camie waited for too many tomorrows!” She huffed and whirled back to the corner.

It was quite odd for Camie. She had never felt like this before. Back in the shop, she would be able to patiently wait for Ficus to come home or for the next day to arrive. Was it because she finally had a chance to be a bit more free that her patience wavered? No. It was quite different. Albert gave her a chance to freely move around after a month. Then, the lady came and took her chance away. Albert also took her chance away. She didn’t like it. The anger of losing something she should’ve had gnawed at her.

Lucy’s knocks on the door interrupted the two’s conversation. Of course, Camie didn’t want her time to be taken again and was disturbed by the knocks. “Camie is mad! Camie is mad! Camie is mad at Albert!” she erupted once again. This time, her body violently rattled. Her arms and legs flailed. She shook her head over and over again.

Albert needed to handle Camie first. If he let anyone in, they would easily discover Camie in this state. At this point, he was too exhausted, so the only option he could think of was to appease her.

“Okay, okay. I got it. Camie is mad. I’ll turn her away at the door,” offered Albert in an attempt to quell her tantrum.

“Camie—” she stopped short and returned to huddle in the corner. “Hmph!” she huffed. She was, however, silent.

Lucy knocked on the door again. She found it unlike Albert to keep her waiting. There were also sounds coming from inside the shop. An argument? She rapped another set of knocks before Albert finally opened the door.

“Hi Lucy, sorry.” Albert was hiding behind the door so that only his head poked out. “I know I invited you to come again, but now is not a good time.”

“Huh? Why not?” Lucy asked. “Is it because it’s messy inside? If it is, then I don’t mind.” She tried to enter.

“Nononono,” Albert tried to pull the door closed. In response, Lucy reflexively jammed her foot at the door.

“Why not?” questioned Lucy. “What’s the reason?”

‘Uhhhh,“ he tried to think of an excuse. “I’m actually sick because of overwork.”

“All the more reason for me to come in and force you to bed,” she reached out her hand to feel his temperature.

“Nope I’m fine,” he quickly swatted away her hand.

“Come on Albert, I’ve known you since we were kids. Do you think I can’t nurse you back? I definitely know you can’t survive on your own.”

“There’s nothing to say other than I’ll be fine.” He tried to put on his best poker face.

While Albert tried to repel his friend, Camie turned to watch him floundering at the door. She could easily tell that he would probably give in very soon. Upset, she started rattling.

“ALBERT! MEANIE!” she bursted out without thinking. Camie immediately realised what she had done and clasped her hands over her mouth. In a frenzy, she dashed behind Happy and Fluffy.

Lucy heard the shout from outside. “What was that?”

At the same time, Albert was shocked by the yell. “Camie!” her name escaped from his lips.

“Who’s Camie?”

Now Camie and Albert were even, because they both messed up.

“Uh, no one,” Albert answered as he tried to rattle the door shut. “Could you move your foot, Lucy?”

“I clearly heard a girl’s shout,” stated Lucy. “Who is this Camie you have over?”

“I-I…” Albert was clearly trapped.

Suddenly, Lucy released her foot from the door. “I see. So that's how it is, Albert?” She had a sullen look on her face. “Of course.”

Albert relaxed a little bit and didn’t try to close the door. “Lucy? What?”

“No, it’s fine, I get it,” she seemed crestfallen. “You have someone, so you don’t need me anymore. I must have been a burden for you.”

Releasing his hand from the door, Albert tried to clear the misunderstanding as well as cheer up Lucy. “No, Lucy… it’s not. I- It’s-”

“An opening!” Lucy brushed away her previous tone and excitedly stormed inside, leaving Albert to fall on the ground. “Whatever it is Albert! I’m sure it’s you working hard again, but if it’s a girl, I need to make sure she’s a good person.”

“Wait no! Lucy!” Albert called after her, while scrambling onto his feet. “Camie’s harmless! She’s really a kid!”

“So there is someone!” Lucy was stopped in her steps. “A kid!? What are you doing? Even more of a problem! I have no idea how or why you’re handling a kid.”

Lucy marched up the stairs. “She’s clearly not yours!” she yelled at Albert from the second floor. Camie, on the first floor behind her plush friends, trembled in fear. “Whose is she!”

“When I find her! You are going to get an earful of it! Leo will be heartbroken to hear of this!” Lucy stomped down the stairs.

Albert blocked her way to the kitchen. “Why do you care?”

“Well,” huffed Lucy. She calmed down a bit. “I certainly do not want you to be detained by Leo. Why do you have a kid over?”

“Our relationship is…” Albert tried to find the right words to describe his interactions with Camie. “Parent and child?”

“Yeah right. Who are the parents?”

“I don’t know.”

Lucy put her hands on her head and crouched to the floor, trying to make sense of the situation. “So you kidnapped a random child.”

“No, she was given to me.” There was no going back now. Albert took a deep breath and decided to tell Lucy the truth. “She’s not a human.”

“Huh? So you have a pet?” She looked up at Albert.

“No.”

“A plant?”

“No.”

“What do you have?”

“Wait here.” Albert walked to the door and locked it shut.

Confused, Lucy stayed crouched and stared at Albert, wondering if he was planning on pulling a wand from his sleeve and starting a chant or something.

“So…” she slowly stood up.

“Camie is a doll,” Albert revealed, leaning on the door.

“Sorry, Albert, I should have known,” her anxious tone began to leak out. “I pushed you too hard. Maybe you should go to bed for the day.” There was a sincere look on her face.

“I’m serious.”

Lucy stared at Albert. His unwavering eyes stared back. The gaze was held for a few moments.

“Fine.” Lucy decided to take the bait. “So where is she?”

“Camie,” Albert called out softly. “It’s fine.”

To Lucy’s surprise, a porcelain head popped out from behind a pair of stuffed animals. She slowly walked towards the doll.

“So…” Lucy watched it return to its hiding spot. “Don’t be afraid. I’m nicer than Albert and Leo.”

“Hey!” Albert protested from the door.

“Are you Camie?” asked Lucy.

The stuffed animals moved a little. “I. Camie,” she piped up from the refuge of Happy and Fluffy.