Lunchbox

“I should go, they will be useless without me,” Anne said while packing her tiny bag.

“No.”

“But, I want to go.”

“No, we talked about this. You can’t go.” Arthur said firmly.

“Then they can’t go either.” She was throwing a fit.

It had been going like that for an hour. Anne was sadder than the time only Mary was going away. She probably thought she would be all alone without us.

“You two.” Anne pointed at us, “Plan canceled, put your bags down. You aren’t going.” She said with a smug face. 

Oh dear, this girl is so stubborn. 

Mary was just letting her do whatever she wanted. We knew it was her way of showing discomfort.

“Anne you can’t do that. Please let your sister go with a smile.” Martha tried to reason with her. Anne was usually very obedient.

“Well, it is not fair. They are going while I’m staying with you oldies.”

Martha’s face turned grim. Rip Anne, you will be missed.

“Did you call me old??” She chased after Anne.

“Should we just take her with us? I don’t mind.” Mother said to Arthur while putting our bags on the carriage. It was decided that Mother would accompany us. 

The King Herald had especially requested her to have an audience with him. Luckily they didn’t see Mother stopping that powerful spell. It could be just a casual praise visit to the Capital.

 Arthur was relieved that I was going with Mary. Mother would come to take care of our daily necessaries.

“It will be a burden on you, you don’t have to bend to her demands.” Arthur was standing while Anne and Martha were running around him. This man must have gotten used to this.

“It is no bother to me. Three kids instead of two is the same thing.” Mother reassured Arthur.

She can’t exactly say that she needs to be there to share her magic power with me. We still hadn’t resolved the issue about the lack of my magic power. 

The sword being awakened was a secret from everyone else.

“Caught you!” Anne tripped and fell. Martha was standing right behind her.

“I- I have a gift for them, at least let me give it to them?” Anne sat down in a praying stance.

Martha sighed, “Okay hurry up.”

Anne ran inside the house, “When I call daddy, come and pick up the bag. I would be umm... I would be busy doing something else. Don’t wait for me and just put the bag on a seat.”

We all looked at her with curiosity.

“I can bet what it is,” Mary said.

“Shhhh, Let me see for myself.” It was getting interesting.

After a few minutes passed we heard her voice.

Anne shouted in a muffled tone, “Take away the bag. Bye Bye, Mary and Vance.”

Arthur went inside to take the bag.

“I knew it,” Mary sighed with disappointment.

It was a big bag that could easily fit a person. We all knew it was Anne inside it.

“Oh boy, we don’t have any more space. Should we just throw this bag over a cliff?” Martha tapped on the bag.

*EEEKKK*

A small voice came from the bag.

Everyone was just smiling at her dumb cuteness.

They were talking a bit far from the bag, “I will bring her back in a few days if she misses home,” Mother convinced Arthur and Martha, “She would be really sad. Please let us take her with us.”

Martha was tired of Anne’s tantrums too. She gave in.

She went inside and brought the bag Anne was packing.

We all played along to make Anne believe her plan worked.

Everyone said their goodbyes. The carriage started moving towards the Royal Capital. The caravan was in good condition again. We were glad that this time Mother was with us. They all had witnessed her power firsthand. 

Arthur had requested both the village and caravan folks to keep Elie’s power a secret. She would just gain unwanted attention otherwise.

Our journey from there was smooth sailing. I had asked Mother about the Crowned Empire kids. She told me they would arrive before us as they were sailing on a Royal ship. 

Anne had already gotten out of the bag when she felt hungry. We just let her boast about how she fooled everyone back in the village.

“So, can you tell me more about Sakura?” Mother asked me as it was only us keeping a watch. 

The caravan was taking a rest in the grassland for a night. It was necessary for the horses.

Mary and Anne were sleeping in our carriage. I was supposed to sleep too, but I came out to keep Mother company.

I looked around, everyone else was sleeping near the caravan. Mother had lit a few torches around the vicinity. We were sitting near a campfire.

“Did I tell you about the time I confessed to Sakura?” I took a stick and put a potato in it to roast. I gave it to Mother while I made another one. I started telling her my story.

It was a few months after our first meeting. 

Sakura would often invite me to have lunch with her. It was after I had realized my feelings for her. We would always eat lunch on the rooftop because fewer people knew about that place.

“You should eat more. Look at those skinny hands.” She would often make fun of me while feeding me her lunch.

“Hey, they aren’t that skinny.” I raised my hand to show her.

She stared for a while and put her hand together on mine. Is she doing a high-five?

It startled me but I stayed like that.

“Well, look, even your fingers are more slender than me.” She was wrapping her fingers with mine.

“Um..” I got red from the embarrassment.

“Oh,” She gasped. She quickly pulled back her hand.

Is she a natural airhead?

We both got embarrassed. See I made the mood awkward.

I should say something.

“Then how about you make lunch for me from now?” Wait what? No. Don’t say that. What were you even thinking?

“Just kidding.” 

“Yes.”

We both spoke almost at the same time.

“Oh, you were kidding?” Her face turned red, “I- I was kidding too.” She packed her lunch box and stood up.

No, I was not kidding. Say it!

“I wasn’t kidding,” I said while she was about to head down.

“Neither was I.” She ran down the stairs.

After that day she started bringing an extra lunch box for me. At that time only a girlfriend would do that for her boyfriend.

People had already started to spread rumors about us.

“Have you heard them?” I asked one day walking back home with Sakaura.

“Heard what?” She looked away. She definitely heard them.

“I’ll deny them in front of the class tomorrow.” I wasn’t sure if she wanted to date me. Anyone could see I liked her, and she cared about me too. But I had never dated anyone before. She was the first girl I liked.

“Why? I thought you liked me.” She turned to me. She was very straightforward.

“I- I do. I just thought…” I was not prepared for that question. I ended up saying yes. God, someone please drag me away. I might confess everything.

“You think I would make lunch for just anyone?” She grabbed my hands.

“Well, I can see your hands aren’t skinny anymore. I should stop now. Only a girlfriend would keep doing this kind of thing.” Her fingers were touching my hand.

I tightened my grip on her hand.

“Then continue making lunch for me.”

We were both too shy to face each other.