True Friends On A Perfect Day

You wanna do something fun? That was the text that Jade sent me. It was a Saturday morning and Jack and I had just finished our chores around the house. I was just lying in bed, not really in the mood to do anything else. I didn’t want to go out. It had been two months since my ordeal—since I nearly died from drowning and I was scared, traumatized, and depressed. I had locked myself away from the world like Rapunzel in her tower. In addition to almost being killed by the women’s swim team, I had also just recently discovered that Dad wasn’t my real dad. Mom had a one night stand a few weeks before the wedding and, as it turns out, the man that Mom slept with wasn’t a man. No mere mortal, I mean. He was a fairy duke named Lord Elwing Briarthistle. What Jade said about me being able to see through the Veil made so much more sense now. Just freaking great. So now, not only had I almost died after standing up for someone, but I’m not even the legitimate daughter of the man I loved and looked up to and called Dad my whole freaking life! Plus, everyone’s going to think I’m some stuck up half-Fae brat. So you can understand why I was depressed and not really in the mood.

Come on, Camille! Another text from Jade. Please? It will be fun, I promise.

Do you promise? I texted back.

Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye. I laughed. Silly Jade. We can do anything you want. Just not swimming. I know you refuse to go near the water.

Alright, alright, fine! I said. But if it turns out to be really boring, I’m out. And I’ll feed you to the mermaids. You’re fish food, Evans.

I promise, you won’t regret it. Now, hurry up and get dressed. I’ll be by to pick you up in fifteen minutes.

I stretched lazily and slowly got up, taking my sweet time to get ready. I brushed my teeth, splashed my face with cold water, and put on a little bit of makeup. Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, I heard the honking of a car in front of the house. I rushed down the stairs and told Grandpa that I was going out. His only response was a grunt and “Be safe. Come home before your curfew.” As I closed the front door behind me, I was surprised to find not a car but a van. Jade was driving, of course. In the middle row were Travis Haywood, the kid I stood up for and our resident Elven Clark Kent who ran the school paper; Adam West, the best wide receiver the Salem Beach Sharks has ever had; and Daisy Thorne, a full-blooded fairy. In the back seat sat Dawson Schmidt, Goth Club president and vampire rockstar extraordinaire; his goth girlfriend (or as he fondly calls her, his “ghoulfriend”), Melissa Beck; and last but not least, troublemaking troll, Regie Gustafson. The front passenger seat was reserved for me. Apparently, I was riding shotgun. I counted. We were eight of us in total. Four girls, four boys.

“Get in, loser,” Jade said with a teasing smile. “We’re going shopping.”

I hopped into the front seat, shut the door, and buckled up.

“So where are we off to?” I asked.

“We’re going to Shoe City,” Jade said. “I’m in desperate need of some new gloves.”

Don’t let the name fool you. Despite its name, Shoe City isn’t just a shoe store. It’s a whole freaking mall with a food court, a movie theater, dozens of shops (including the original Shoe City, the mall’s namesake and the store that started it all), a playpen for kids while their busy parents shop, photography studios, and so much more. It’s a huge shopping complex that started expanding from a humble little shoe store. Pretty impressive for a sleepy little town if you ask me.

“How many gloves do you own?” Daisy asked. “I swear, I see you wearing a different glove every week.”

“Yeah, what’s that all about?” Melissa asked. “Do you have, like, a roomful of gloves at your house or something?”

“Hey, I just like gloves,” Jade said with a shrug. “I mean, Dawson collects guitar picks, you collect dreamcatchers. We all have our own things. This happens to be my thing.”

“Don’t laugh, but…” Regie interrupted. “I still collect teddy bears.”

“Awww, Reg,” Daisy cooed. “That’s so sweet!”

“Hey, no judgment here,” I said. “My baby brother and I still sleep with our teddy bears. Actually, I have an idea.”

“What?” Regie asked, surprised.

“We’re going to the mall, right?” I said. “I mean, I haven’t explored all of it, but I’m willing to bet you my last penny there’s a Build-A-Bear somewhere in there.”

“There is actually a Build-A-Bear at Shoe City,”

“That’s an awesome idea!” Melissa piped up. “I like it! What do you say, Reg? You game?”

“Sure,” Regie said with a shrug. “I’m game if you guys are.”

“It’s settled then,” Jade said. “We’ll add ‘make bears at Build-A-Bear’ to our to-do list.”

“Perfect,” I said with a smile.

“This doesn’t go outside this circle, though,” Regie warned. “Or I will kill you all. I can be more vicious than the Swim Queens, trust me. You do not want to mess with a rock troll.”

“Yeah, yeah, a punk reputation to keep and all that,” Jade said with a roll of her eyes and a smirk. “I got you.”

“Don’t worry, Reg,” Travis said. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

“Your secret’s safe with us,” I corrected.

“I have this weird obsession with Broadway playbills,” Travis confessed. “There’s a whole wall in my room dedicated to just playbills.”

“And I have quite the collection of quills,” Daisy added. “And inkwells.”

“Quills,” I said. “As in…?”

“Yes, the quills that you write with,” Daisy confirmed. “I like writing with them better than writing with a Bic, Pilot, or Zebra, to be honest.”

“That’s actually pretty cool, Daze,” I said. “I would love to see your collection sometime.”

“I’d love that!” Daisy said. “Maybe we can have a sleepover? What do you say, girls?”

“I’m down,” Melissa said.

“Heck yes!” Jade said. “As long as y’all don’t snore.”

“Please, I sleep like a baby,” I said with a laugh. “Ask my brother. He’s the one who snores like—I don’t even know what creature to compare his snoring with.”

“That bad, huh?” Adam said with a laugh, the first time he’s ever spoken since we left my house. “By the way, if you must know, I collect records. Elvis, Dean Martin, Beatles, Johnny Cash.”

“Aw, dude, that is so cool!” Travis and Dawson said in unison.

“Jinx,” they both said. I shook my head with a chuckle. Maybe my luck was turning up. Maybe the rest of my stay at Salem Beach High won’t be so bad now that I had these guys.

“What about you, Camille?” Jade asked. “What do you collect?”

“I have collected every Bazooka wrapper from every bubble gum I have ever bought,” I admitted. “Those jokes crack me the Hell up!”

“Did you bring it with you from New York?” Jade asked, grinning.

“They’re in a box in my room at Grandpa’s house,” I answered.

“Oh, yeah,” Jade said, her grin widening.

We finally reached Shoe City and after Jade parked the van, we all filed out, ready to take on the world. Or just the grand mall.

“So, what’s the plan?” I asked.

“Well, we can shop—including Build-A-Bear, and then we go to the park,” Jade said.

“What about splitting up?” Daisy suggested. “I mean, we don’t all have the same stores in mind and we don’t all have the same needs and wants. So why don’t we all go to the shops we want to shop in and then meet back at Arctic Ice. Maybe we can get some ice cream or something while we’re at it.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Dawson said. “I need new strings for some of my guitars.”

“And I am going to go get my gloves,” Jade said. “See you later, guys! Reconvene at Arctic Ice?”

“Where do you wanna go, Cam?” Melissa asked. “Hot Topic? Forever 21? We could shop for homecoming dresses. It never hurts to shop early. How ‘bout it?”

“Daze?” I asked. “You wanna tag along?”

“Sure,” Daisy said with a smile. “Last one to Hot Topic is a rotten egg!”

With a melodic laugh that sounded like tinkling wind chimes in the breeze, Daisy dashed off with a flash towards Forever 21, while Melissa and I ran after her.

We spent most of the morning shopping. It felt like I was back in NYC with my city friends! I had new dresses, shirts, jeans, shoes, and a dress to wear for Homecoming. Melissa was right. It never hurts to be prepared and shop early. New makeup as well. Regie just had to go and splurge on vapes. Typical. Oh, and he also splurged on new leather jackets that were on sale and some hair grease. Travis and Adam both headed straight to the record store and then to the comics store, while Dawson shopped for new guitar strings and picks. And then they texted Regie and all four boys raided the video games store. Jade got discounts on her new gloves, sandals, and shoes. This is the first time in months that I’ve had fun. But the day wasn’t over. There was so much left to do, so many more hours in the day before my 10PM curfew.

On a whim, we went to a studio to have our group pictures taken. The camera captured my friends’ human forms—how they looked like to everyone else through the Veil. In the first shot, we were all smiling. The second one was serious, with some of us wearing scowls and frowns. For the third and last picture, we decided to do a wacky shot, with each of us in different poses. Adam and Regie hoisted Daisy up on their shoulders like she was a champion of something. At the last minute, however, Daisy lost her balance and fell backwards. The only thing you could see were her legs dangling on the two boys’ shoulders. The next stop was Build-A-Bear. That was a fun excursion as well! Dawson made a vampire bear—of course, while Melissa made a Bride of Frankenstein bear. Travis’s bear was a bear version of Frodo Baggins, complete with Sting and a green Elven cloak and leaf pin. Jade’s bear was a mini her. It was uncanny how they matched—chocolate-colored fur and all. And the dress too! It was impressive. I did the same thing with my bear and built a mini me. Regie made a Gandalf bear, complete with beard and staff. Adam made a wolfman bear complete with a plaid red and black flannel shirt and yellow eyes. Daisy built a fairy bear with pink fur and wings.

After creating our bears and paying for them, we went to an ice cream parlor called Arctic Ice. We entered into an ice cream eating contest and made a competition out of it—boys versus girls. We ordered their biggest bowl of sundae, twenty scoops in all. We had fifteen minutes to consume it. Whichever team gets to finish first will receive coupons for one year free ice cream. No payments, just show your coupon at the register and the ice cream is all yours. We weren’t about to lose. I wasn’t about to lose. I wanted that voucher. I was going to get it and no one—not even my cute Elven crush—could stand in my way.

Our server pressed the timer and the game was afoot. I ate spoonful after spoonful of ice cream as fast as I could until brain freeze stopped me completely in my tracks.

“Tongue on the roof of your mouth,” Jade reminded me. “Tongue on the roof of your mouth!”

I touched the roof of my mouth with my tongue and it eased the pain, just like magic. I was then able to resume my siege on the icy fortress. Daisy was lagging behind and looked as though she were about to puke. Soon enough, she leaned back in her chair and burped. She was done. She had given up the fight. Our victory or loss now rested on three of us. I looked over at the next table and saw that the boys were catching up and they were almost done. They worked as fast as they could, but the real ones who carried the competition on the boys’ team were Adam and Regie. They were beasts at this ice cream eating contest thing. That did not look good. That did not look good at all. On our side, Melissa had also already given up and looked like she was on the verge of a food coma.

“It’s just you and me now, Jade,” I said. “You and me, we got this! We can do this! Just a few more spoonful’s worth. Come on!”

Encouraged by my words, Jade redoubled her efforts, and soon enough, our bowl was empty. Jade dropped her spoon in the bowl, while I raised mine in victory. Winner, winner, ice cream dinner!

“Ugh!” Daisy said. “I think I’m just about ready to give birth to a food baby.”

“I do not want to see what that looks like,” Travis said, making a face.

“I am not,” Melissa said in between burps. “Going…to eat…another…human…food…for years…after this.”

“Well, too bad,” Jade said. “We still have a picnic at the Oval after this. Shall we?”

“Dang it!” Travis swore. “We almost had that.”

“Sorry, boys,” I said with a teasing smile. “But I believe this means you’re gonna have to pay for your own ice cream.”

“Oooohhh!” Adam said with a chuckle.

“Damn, Camille!” Regie said with a low whistle. “That’s ice cold, even for a human girl like you. I thought only ghouls and vampires had cold dead hearts!”

“Correction,” I said. “That’s ice cold, even for a half-fairy girl like me.”

At that, Daisy perked up and shook herself out of her stupor.

“Wait!” she said, her eyes growing wide. “You’re half Fae?”

“You better believe it,” I said with a smile. “I’m Lord Elwing’s bastard daughter.”

“Of House Briarthistle?” Daisy said, her jaw dropping, her mouth forming a big “O”.

“Yep,” I said, nodding. “That’s the one.”

“Aaaaaahhhhh!” she screamed, throwing her arms around my neck. “We’re like sisters! Oh, my gosh! I can’t believe it! Or maybe just cousins…”

“I’d gladly accept the tittle of ‘Honorary Sister’,” I said. “I’ve always wanted a sister growing up.”

“Sisters it is,” Daisy said, hugging me tightly.

“No wonder you could see through the Veil,” Travis said.

“It was scary and confusing at first,” I admitted. “I didn’t know what the Hell was going on.”

“Oh I bet it w—”

Suddenly, our conversation was cut short when we saw the Swim Queens from across the food court, making their way towards us. I wasn’t sure if they saw us though. They seemed too preoccupied with themselves to even care or notice. We ducked behind a wall around the corner that led to the restrooms.

“This is like our Gimli and Legolas moment,” Adam whispered, looking over at Dawson. “Never thought I’d die fighting side by side with a vampire.”

“Ssssshhhh!” Dawson and I both said, shushing Adam. “Be quiet! Do you want them to hear us?”

“We can take them,” Regie said. “Or at least I can take them. Just say the word.”

“Let’s not make a scene,” I said. “We have to know when to pick our battles.”

“Wise words,” Travis said. “Let’s wait for them to pass and then we hightail it out of here? Sound good?”

“Sounds good,” Jade said, speaking for us girls.

“Got it,” Dawson said.

We watched the Swim Queens saunter past us until they were out of sight, and then we made a dash for the exit. In the parking lot, we searched for Jade’s van among the sea of vehicles. The van was an older model so there was no alarm we could click to help us find it.

“Legolas, what do your elf eyes see?” Adam said, teasing Travis.

“Shut up,” Travis said. “Not saying it.”

“Are you guys going to help me look or what?” Jade said, a little bit annoyed.

“Sorry,” Adam apologized.

Finally, we found Jade’s van and we all piled in, sitting in the same spots we had as earlier. Dawson, Melissa, and Regie entered first, settling in very back of the van. Next were Travis, Daisy, and Adam. I rode shotgun as usual. We drove to The Oval and picked a spot to sit in and set up, preferably one with a nearby grill. I got to witness Jade use her powers for the very first time since I met her. I have never seen her use her powers before. Apparently, our resident troll dropped his lighter somewhere, so we had no way to light the grill.

“Watch and learn, boys,” Jade said, shoving Adam and Regie aside. “Watch and learn.”

We watched as she removed her right glove and placed her hand on the grill. Her palm glowed red, then orange, then a bright golden yellow. We heard a swift whooshing sound, like The Flash running by, and within seconds, the grill was blazing and the steaks were cooking.

“My hero,” Regie said with a smile.

“Thank you, thank you,” Jade said in her best Elvis Presley impression. “Thank you very much!”

While we waited for the steaks to cook, we ate chips and drank soda, talking about life, love, and other mysteries. I learned so much about my new friends. Here we were, true friends on a perfect day.