Oceane finishes reading a part of the book she's been reading, through the video call.
"I'm telling you guys that scene was just like how Kyle dropped me off!" She finishes explaining, sliding the book on her desk.
"Omg, that's crazy!" Yamma squealed. Covering a hand over her mouth in shock.
"Hmm, is it?" I trailed off, mindlessly pattering my foot on the carpet.
"What's the name of the book?" I hear Yamma ask Oceane, whilst my vision unfocusses. "Dancing with you."
My vision comes back.
She reveals the book, through her screen. Presenting a cover of two people dancing together in a forest.
But why did I say something stupid like that?
I could have handled it a different way. First of all, I should have just reported him in that instance, but I didn't.
"Wasn't there also another book you mentioned, you were reading before?" Yamma asks Oceane, once again.
"Yeah, it's called…hang-on what was the name?" She brushes a hand through her long silky brown hair.
"Hologram." I remind her, staring out of the dark starry window. "Yeah, that was the name."
"Anyway, enough with that. Ember, you seem off today?" Oceane focuses on me.
I look back at my phone, acknowledging them. "Yeah, ever since you left the chill out area in the hide-out." Yamma adds worriedly.
Do I tell them? I mean they know I went to the shadow kingdom and Yamma came with me. But he said I can't tell anyone he's a shadow cr- "Did something happen?" Ocean asks.
How should I explain this? "Kind of," I tell, they both lean in towards their devices where the facetime is being recorded.
"Go on," Yamma adds, waiting for me to speak again. I sigh.
"Promise not to freak out." I say, still unsure if I should tell them. "Promise." They both agree.
Telling them he's not from this world, and from the shadow world is completely different.
Right?
At least that's what I'm letting myself believe.
"Remember the last time me and Yamma went to the shadow kingdom," I began, "yeah, what about it?" Ocean questions me, unsure on where this conversation is headed.
"I didn't tell you guys because I didn't think it was a big deal until…" Will he actually kill me, If I tell them. There's a possibility. And there's a possibility of him not knowing I told anyone.
"What is?" Yamma persists, on knowing.
I inhale. Then exhale. Pause before continuing this top secret conversation.
"That day when we were walking to the shop, I accidentally bumped into someone, and-"
"They found out, you're an ELE guardian!" I shake my head, denying Yamma's exclaim.
"Then...What?"
"He recognised me at school and-" I was about to go on, when Oceane interrupted.
"He goes to our school!" I nod.
"And he dragged me into a classroom today. While you guys were training." They both act surprised, with a mixture of shock.
"And asked who I was." They stay quiet, listening to my tea.
"When a couple from Yamma's class walked in, misinterpreting us as a couple." I explained.
"Taylor and Sandra." Yamma adds.
I nod.
"Then he threatened me, not to tell anyone I knew he was from-well... not from earth." I finished.
"What did he say?" Oceane asks out of curiosity.
"He'd tell people looking for the ELE guardians that I'm one of them." I sigh.
"How would he know you're a guardian?" Ocean asks.
"He doesn't."
"Then how--" she begins, but Yamma interrupts.
"Because he'll lie about it. Duh." Her tone is soft and slightly agitated.
"Then how-" she begins, when Yamma interrupts. "Because he'll lie about it. Duhh." Her tone is soft and slightly agitated.
"So, what are we going to do?" Oceane wonders, unable to see a solution.
"Nothing." They both give me a confused look. "Nothing, because you guys won't get involved in it," I say, myself clear.
"What, but--" Yamma begins, but I cut her off.
"You're not supposed to know, remember?" I bury my face in my hands.
"Right." Yamma says quietly.
"You know what this situation feels like?" Ocean changes subject.
"The mafia book I was reading, Hologram." Yamma and I burst out laughing.
"What, it's true!" Ocean defends herself.
Literally, what I thought, I muse to myself.
"The mafia boss asks if she's working for anyone, but she denies it. He doesn't believe her, so he threatens to go after her family. When she reveals she's not close to them, he threatens her with something else—her freedom," She summarises.
"And throughout the story, they slowly fall in love." She tilts her head to the side as she finishes.
"Those things don't happen in real life, though." I point out.
"Who knows? Anything could happen," Yamma adds.
*
"So, are we still on for the picnic?" I ask Oceane and the others on FaceTime.
"Yes," Sven replies, looking for something on his computer screen.
"No one can say no. I've been waiting for this picnic all month," Yamma exclaims, packing food into her rucksack in her kitchen.
"Don't worry, we won't cancel it," Sven reassures her.
"How do you know?" Cole asks, brushing his hair in front of a mirror.
"Because I've done the logistics," Sven replies.
"And what are they?" Oceane asks, applying gloss to her lips, in her bedroom mirror.
"I've checked all your schedules and calculated the possibility of anyone canceling due to family. There's at least a ninety-five percent chance you will all be able to come tonight," he finally finishes.
"I see." I comment, brushing my hair in front of a mirror.
"I don't get it," Oceane remarks.
To be honest, I'm not shocked, because I don't get it either.
Okay, to be real--I wasn't listening to half of it.
I was too focused on something else. Callob--I had no idea he was like that.
Among my friends, he's a nice, caring guy. However, in reality, he's a cold-hearted betrayer.
Among my friends–-he's a nice, and caring guy. However, in reality–a cold hearted, betrayer.
Or does he just act like that with me?
I still can't let go of how betrayed I feel. I shouldn't even be thinking of him.
He's on the enemy's side.
He's from the shadow kingdom, and no one from there can be trusted.
This just proves it.
"Ember!"
How he seemed so nice, until you really got to know him.
"Ember?" Mamma's voice buzzes through my phone. "Hello? Are you frozen?"
"Ember!" Oceane shouts.
Why are they shouting? I must have been zoned out again.
"Yeah?" I answer, placing my attention back on my friends.
I wonder...
"Why weren't you answering?" Kyle asked.
"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking of something," I say, brushing off it off.
"To be honest, you've been like this all day," Cole notes, pulling his socks on. "What's up?"
"Just Cal-" I freeze. I immediately realised what I am about to say and cut myself off before his name could escape my lips.
"I mean the shadow kingdom." I say instead, "they're still a threat and I don't know if we will defeat them this time." I exhale.
"Of course we'll defeat them," Oceane assures me.
"There's a fifty percent chance that we'll defeat them," Sven corrects her.
"Anyways…Ember, what are you taking for the picnic?" Oceane changes the topic, ignoring Sven's smart mouth.
"I'm going to take dessert, snacks and another blanket." I smile, ignoring the unsettling questions wondering around in my head.
After talking for fifteen more minutes. We ended the call and I got ready to leave for the park. Cole said he messaged Callob, the time and where the picnic is and told him he can bring anything he wants.
"Mum! Oceane and Kyle are here!" I shout from the front door.
"Okay, honey!" Her voice echoes back from the living room.
"I'll be back around 11pm." I tell her once more, just in case she forgot.
"We're here," Kyle says as he pulls into the parking lot next to the park.
I push open the car door and get out. "Are the others here yet?" I ask.
"Yeah, they are waiting for us near our usual spot," Oceane says.