A Boy, a Dog Girl and School Preparation: Part Two

Zack had been unusually quiet since leaving the apartment building, his eyes doing most of the communication as they boarded a magic powered steel train, the stack blowing colored smoke into the air as they headed for the shopping district. He remained quiet as they walked, ice cream cone in hand after stopping for a quick treat, not knowing what flavor it was but knowing the deep red color was tasty.

“What’s in your brain?” Chista finally said.

“Something has been bothering me since the neighbor thing.”

“Oh? Did they weird you out? Don’t worry, they’re actually much…”

“Isadora said she and her sister were heroes. And the little goat guy from yesterday say your dad was a hero too. Plus there’s the whole giant magic warning bell thing. How often do you guys need heroes around here? And more importantly, how do I get in on it?”

Everyone stopped walking. They all looked at Zack with the same expression of exasperation, though in varying degrees.

“Of course you hyper fixate on the hero thing. Such a boy…” Chista sighed.

“Thank you,” Zack said.

“Zack…look at me.” Chistos locked his eyes directly onto Zack’s. “I have been alive far longer than I appear. War is not a game to be played. You know what it costs already to save a life.”

“Which is why I want to…”

“No. You go to school. You get friends, have awkward love, find a job, raise children. My friends did not die to leave you a world where you had to fight.”

Chistos began to walk away into the crowd.

“I’m sorry if I…”

“I’m not mad.” He turned and smiled. “You might want to help Honey if you need to help someone.”

Zack finally saw the disaster of Honey’s face as she licked her ice cream. “Am I not supposed to have this much purple stuff on me?”

“Honey! Here, let me get your…man, do I need to start at square one for some things…” Zack said, pulling out a napkin and wiping her face as she laughed.

“This way, children! The clothing store is right around the corner, and you’ll need to be properly fitted for uniforms. Then there’s the regular everyday clothes. How many pairs do you need?”

“Well, back home I had…I dunno, a pair of pants and a few anime shirts. Oh, and underwear. I had one or two boxers laying around,” Zack said.

“I was a dog! I was mostly naked! Except for the collar. It had a little tag with my name on it though!” Honey said.

“Father, maybe I should be in charge of this mission,” Chista volunteered.

“I gladly cede command to you,” Chistos said.

For the next hour Zack was measured, spun, measured again, stripped naked, dressed like a doll, looked at disapprovingly by Chista then made to repeat the process. “Don’t you have any preferences on clothes?” she asked wearily.

“Yes. You picking some so you stop stripping me. I don’t care if I look trendy,” Zack said. He picked up a red shirt and shook it at her. “Here. This is good. It’s my favorite. Buy it.”

“I dunno. It’s so…last year. Plus, with you eye color I think…”

“THIS IS GOOD. IT’S MY FAVORITE. BUY IT.”

“Okay, seasonal fashion isn’t for everyone, I suppose…” Chista sighed.

Honey was much more enthusiastic. She had been sitting eagerly as Zack had modeled his new clothes, clapping and happily encouraging him to try more on. When it came to be her turn she dragged Chista into the rows of dresses.

“Pretty dressies! I want this one…this one…ooh, does this one have sparkles on it?! I love sparkles! Zack would too! Chista, why are you laughing?”

Zack sat patiently on the bench outside the waiting room. His eyes wandered around, taking note of the tall elf woman looking at hats.

“Doesn’t even phase me anymore. I miss my phone. Huh, maybe mom was right about my attention span…”

Honey walked out of the changing room then.

She was dresses in a green, flowing dress, simple with a few white lines tracing looping patterns over it. She swished it from side to side, her hands clasped behind her back, smiling widely.

“Do I look good, Zack?”

His brain short circuited.

“I…you…yes. God, yes. You…I mean, it’s a good look on you.”

“I think we broke his poor little brain. Not saying he had much there to break, though,” Chista said, leaning over Honey’s shoulder and smiling slyly.

“You shut your blue haired mouth, wizard girl! I’m fine. She looks…good. I like when Honey looks good.”

“I bet you do!” Chista said, nudging him in the side. Zack growled at her.

After another forty minutes of Honey proudly showing off her dresses and Chista needling Zack, they left with four large bags hauled in Zack’s arms.

“Good to know…stereotypes exist…over here too…ladies.”

“Oh hush, we have the ticket for this,” Chista said, checking her pockets. Her eyes went wide as she dug through them, turning them inside out.

“Looking for this?” Chistos waved the ticket as he leaned against a light pole in the middle of the crowd, grinning smugly. The ticket began to glow, and within moments a goblin riding a broomstick flew through the air and stopped above them. “Four bags, my good fellow! Deliver to the third floor, Phoenix building, University dorms. And be prepared for more trips! Busy day today!”

“Yes sir!” the goblin saluted. He waved a small wand at the bags Zack held and they began to float behind the broom. With another quick salute, the small green man zipped away.

“Because of course you summoned a goblin on a flying broom,” Zack sighed.

“Come! We need books and paper and school supplies! Plus, I figured you might enjoy the game store. We have a game, King’s Field, a strategy game with moving pieces.”

“After clothes shopping all day, you’re speaking my language, old man!” Zack said with a smile.