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Ok! Thanks!!
yyyyetttt…. though it’s confusing, I may or may not change it… idk…
There are lots of characters with similar names in this story, and—since there are lots of siblings—it’s kinda how I group the characters family-wise… and, yeah, though Blaine and Blair aren’t related, I kinda tie them together in my mind…
I’ll ask my mom what she thinks….😁
Flaz: *yawns* Did the sun just come up? In the west?
Got it!
WE ARE REVIVING THE PROTECTION SQUAD! *steals Joseph, Julian, and Sabina from Ellette*
The next two chapters are already typed out… so it shouldn’t be too long before I share those. I keep saying that, and then it takes me a whole month. Ugh, but it shouldn’t this time.
I was seriously dreading this chapter… idk why. Like, I was lacking so much inspiration, and so I started working on a different section.*sighs*
No matter, here is this chapter:
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SECTION I | CHAPTER III
“Questions… questions… questions…” Blair repeated the word in his head. He was laying across his bed, on his back, with his arms resting at his sides, “What do I want to know…”
It was Thursday, and it had been two days since Blair met Blaine. He laid in his room—with a pencil in his mouth and a paper under a hand—gathering all his questions so that there’d be no waste of time. He and Blaine would only have a few hours to talk, and Blair was looking forward to chatting with his new friend.
“Shannon, can I have dinner early and eat it outside?” Blair asked as he leaned up. He pulled the pencil out of his mouth and began to doodle on the sheet of paper.
Shannon put her hands on her hips and laughed sweetly, “Why would you want to do that?“
“It… might be enjoyable…” Blair said slowly. He looked up and thought for a few seconds. Then he said quietly, “Shannon, can I tell you something?”
“Why, of course,” Shannon laughed, “What is it?”
“I have a friend.” Blair stated, setting his papers to his side.
“A friend?” Shannon repeated, assuming that Blair’s new friend was no more than a figment of his imagination. She rolled her gray sleeves up and continued to wipe the large mirror she was cleaning, “What is this friend of yours like?”
“Well,” Blair thought, “He has purple eyes and… he—he’s a bit strange. He doesn’t look like he’s from Burnswell—but…. that’s because he’s not.”
“Oh, I see,” Shannon laughed, “And, is this friend of yours the reason why you want to eat your dinner outside? I suppose you were going to share a meal with him?”
“Well… yes,” Blair rested his head on his hand.
“I see,” Shannon laughed, “Well, what does your friend like to eat?”
“Oh… I don’t know!” Blair replied, “I should’ve asked him. What do you think people from Needslight like to eat?”
“Your friend is from Needslight?” Shannon hummed a little, and then replied, “Oh, I don’t know. People eat all sorts of things in the world, so it would be hard to say what they like. Now, how often does this friend come visit?”
“He comes up every Tuesday and Thursday,” Blair sighed, “He works in the garden of the Hartford family. He told me he’d come over on those days, after he finishes working. He was very hungry when I first met him, and now I don’t want him to come over and leave without eating.”
“Mmm, hmm,” Shannon hummed, realizing that Blair’s friend was more than imaginary. She thought for a moment and then said, “I have an idea, why don’t I prepare two sandwiches, and then I’ll bring them outside. I wouldn’t doubt you both like similar things.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea!” Blair said. He sighed and stared out his window.
***
A few hours passed by, and Blair looked at his clock. It was coming close to three in the afternoon. Blaine would finish his gardening for the Hartfords any moment, and then he’d arrive in the garden again. Blair sprang off his bed and ran to his closet. He pulled some shoes out and quickly slipped his feet into them. He ran out his door, but stopped as soon as he reached the hall. From there he walked to the garden. He stepped outside right as Blaine came walking up the the house.
“Hey Blaine!” Blair called, opening the iron gates that surrounded the property to let his friend in. He left the gate open, planning to close it after Blaine had left.
“Hi!” Blaine said. He stepped into the fenced in area and sat down, breathing heavily as though he’d been running miles, “I’m tired. You’d never guess how exhausting gardening is.”
Blair wasn’t quite sure what to say, “I don’t know. I never get tired of walking through the gardens. Maybe I should try gardening sometime.”
Blair looked up as the mansion’s door opened. Shannon stepped outside and walked over to the two boys. In her hands were two cups full of lemonade, a strawberry sitting on the edge of each glass. The Jefferson’s footman—Ronan Till—followed behind her, holding two plates with sandwiches. When Shannon and Ronan reached the place where Blair and Blaine sat, Shannon said, “Hello, boys. I have something for you to eat if you’re hungry.”
“Thank you, Shannon!” Blair laughed as Shannon handed him a large glass of lemonade.
“Yeah, thanks…” Blaine said, also receiving a cup. Shannon took the plates from the footman and handed them to the boys. She turned to Ronan and thanked him for carrying the plates—then he walked back inside the house. Blaine looked at the sandwich on the plate. He took several quick bites, and the sandwich was gone. He regretted eating it so fast. Blaine sipped on the lemonade—enjoying its sweetness.
Shannon noticed that Blaine was done eating before she’d even given the boys napkins, so she said, “Would you like another sandwich, Blaine?”
“Yes please,” Blaine replied, “Thanks—I mean, thank you.”
“Of course,” Shannon laughed. Blair ate his sandwich and then handed his plate to Shannon. Shannon carried the dishes back to the house.
Blaine watched the governess leave, and then asked, “Who is she?”
“Who, Shannon?” Blair replied, “She is my governess.”
“Oh,” Blaine sighed. They sat there for a few minutes, and Shannon brought Blaine a second sandwich. Blaine thanked her, and then ate it. Shannon took the plate back to the house.
Blaine watched Blair stand up, and so he stood as well. They began to walk around the garden, but then they walked down to the large open back yard. Blair walked to the large oak trees that sat in the center of the property. He jumped onto the tree and began to climb it. It took him a few moments, but when he was high enough, he turned and sat on one of the thick branches, and said, “Have you ever climbed a tree, Blaine? I love to climb ours, because I can see over the whole yard while I read, and no one will find me.”
“I climb trees all the time. Everyone in Needslight does,” Blaine said. He took several steps back. He ran towards the tree and up the base of the trunk, and he reached for a high branch. With his hands clasped on the branch, he pulled himself up—pushing off the tree with his feet. In a matter of seconds, he was sitting next to Blair.
“Whoa,” Blair said, “That was crazy.”
“Climbing trees is a major part of surviving in Needslight,” Blaine said, “When unhinged dogs chase you down, you have to escape them as quickly as you can. Needslight is no vacation spot—it might actually be hell’s garden.”
Blaine thought for a moment and wiggled his feet, “When you enter into Needslight, an increasing stench greets you. That’s the one of the first signs that you’ve come into the district.”
“A stench?”
“Yeah,” Blaine sighed, “They say that only outsiders can tell it’s there, because those living there have gotten used to it. But I always smell it, as though it won’t let me entertain the thought of leaving the awful place. I refuse to get use to it—no, never! I’d rather die.”
“What causes it?” Blair asked.
“Bad sewage pipes, improper drainage, poor trash collection, and the apathy and low morale of the people who lost hope.” Blaine sighed, “Have you ever been to a dump? Yeah, it’s a lot like that. Sometimes the smell will cling to you, and it can be hard to get rid of it.”
It was hard for Blair to imagine such a thing, “Is that the worst of everything?”
“Not at all. I’ve only began,” Blaine sighed, “You probably can’t imagine the homes in Needslight, unless you’ve seen pictures, of course. They all look similar—bars cover the windows, broken fences surround the properties, locks are everywhere. The bushes and grass are extremely overgrown—so much that it covers the doors. Sometimes I wonder how the owners get inside. Oh, I’ve even seen houses that barely have four walls and a roof on them. No one cares, though, and it cost a lot to get the materials to fix things.”
“Why don’t they just save the money?” Blair asked, “Or just take care of their possessions so they don’t have to spend so much?”
“No one really even knows how to save money, Blair,” Blaine said, watching as a bird flew out of the tree overhead, “If someone comes upon unexpected segets, you don’t put it up in savings—no, you spend it. It’s a treat, anyway. No one works, and most of the money they have is begged for, stolen, or came from pawning objects. If you get a job in Needslight—and people find out—gangs will track you down and threaten you for the money.”
“Oh,” Blair said. He sat silently for a second, and then asked, “Are you like that too, Blaine? Why do you work?”
“Well…” Blaine thought for a moment, “Not everyone in Needslight is bad… I have a few kind neighbors and… and I know lots of people who are trying to be civil and moral. It’s just hard, and there are more bad than good. Oh, why do I work? Well, my dad works, and I look up to him. And there’s an old man who lives next door to me. He used to run a prospering business and he didn’t always live in Needslight. Anyway, he encouraged me to work, and to learn, and to push for success. I don’t always want to be a gardener, but it’s the best I can do right now.”
Blair thought for a moment, and then asked, “What can be done to make Needslight a better place?”
“I think,” Blaine sighed, “that if there were warriors who were willing to go into our dark district and bring light to it, then a change could happen. You know, warriors are professionally trained in many areas and they don’t have to fear the gangs that roam. If some would come help our district, nothing in the world could stop the place from getting better. There just aren’t many warriors who are willing to do that.”
There was a pause in the conversation, and it lasted for several minutes. Blair thought over the information he’d been given. It was much more interesting than the shallow details that his books had stated.
Blaine laughed a little, breaking the silence. He ran his finger across the tree’s bark, drawing invisible lines, “Oh, and in Needslight, you don’t leave anything outside that you don’t want taken. If you leave objects on your porch or in your yard, someone is likely to walk up and take them. Yeah, one time, my brother got me a handball for my birthday. I accidentally forgot to bring it in, and it was gone the next day.”
“How unfortunate!” Blair commented.
Another pause followed. Blaine sat there silently, thinking and running his finger over the ink lines on his arm. Suddenly, he jumped down from the branch, “It’s late! I should go home now. Thanks for dinner, Blair.”
Blair climbed down the tree, and then he and Blaine walked to the gates of the house. Blaine turned around at the gate, “I’ll come back next Tuesday, and maybe I can answer some questions for you since you didn’t get a chance to ask.”
Both boys looked up as the front door opened and Shannon called to them. She stepped outside and walked over to where they stood. She set two wrapped parcels a thermos full of soup in Blaine’s hands, and said, “Here Blaine, you can take this with you.”
“Thank you,” Blaine adjusted his grasp on the items. After saying goodby, Blaine started walking down the street.
Flaz: *yawns* Did the sun just come up? In the west?
__________________
CHAPTER IV
Belle walked along the garden pathway in a queen-like manner. Her hourglass figure was dressed down in a purple mermaid dress. Her dress sparkled and glimmered in the morning sun, and gold earrings dangled from her small ears—complimenting the gold necklace that sat around her neck. She was radiant and majestic—especially as birds flew back in forth in the garden trees. Their chirping was loud, as though they were announcing Belle’s presence. Butterflies land on the rare flowers, and then take flight as though they were in the admirer’s way.
Amidst the enchantment, she sang quietly to herself in a foreign language. Soon passing a statue of herself, she stopped singing to give a fair word to it, and then continued until she was in the front courtyard. She made her way to the entrance, a young boy’s voice disrupted her pleasant walk.
“Hi! Live well!” The voice called.
Belle turned around sharply, her piercing gray eyes scanning the area. Her pretty features warped into an expression of frustration as she called, “Oh, live well. Who are you?”
What did she see that caused vexation to capture her mood? She saw a boy, by the iron fences that guarded the estate. A boy whose dull and hazy purple eyes had a comforting familiarity to them.
“Oh,” he said as Belle took several steps in his direction, “I—I’m Blaine, son of Emrys Gretchen.”
“Blaine?” Belle said. She furrowed her thin brows together disbelievingly, “Son of Emrys? The warrior? Don’t lie to me.”
“I am not lying, ma’am.” Blaine said, he slid his hands into his pockets and began to back away form the fence. Belle reached through the bars and lifted Blaine’s face, staring into his eyes as though she could see through their haze and into his soul. She murmured something he couldn’t quite make out, and then pulled her hand back through the bars.
“You do have his eyes,” Belle said, “It must be true then.”
“D—Do you… well I guess everyone knows the warriors…” Blaine stuttered. He shook his head and asked, “Did you know him personally?”
“I did.” Belle said.
* * *
Shannon whistled quietly to herself. A couple of fresh towels were in her arms, as well as several other fresh bathroom items. She knocked on Blair’s bedroom door and then opened it. She found the boy just where she thought he’d be—sitting in a chair, staring out the window. Shannon walked to Blair’s bathroom and unloaded her deliveries, “You will never guess what has happened this morning.”
“What happened?” Blair asked, eyes still fixed on something outside.
“You’re mother was walking around the gardens and was on her way to the front door, when that friend of yours walked by the yard,” Shannon laughed innocently.
“Blaine?!” Blair gasped. He rose from the chair, his eyes wide and heart beating, “What did my mother say?”
“Oh, she had a brief conversation with him,” Shannon said calmly, “She asked him who he was and what he was doing here. After their conversation ended, she came and asked me about him and I told her about your secret friendship. She wasn’t bothered that you had a friend, but that he was from Needslight and that she was the last to know. She said that as long as he minds his manners and doesn’t reek of Needslight odor, all will be fine.”
“Wait…” Blair looked at Shannon and tilted his head. A bemused expression covered his face, and he squinted.
“Is there something you don’t understand?” Shannon smiled.
“She’s not going to end the friendship?” Blair said, “Even though she hates people from Needslight?”
Shannon laughed heartily, “Yes, she won’t take away your little friend.”
“So… I can invite him in next time?”
“I’d say so,” Shannon said, pulling a sheer layer of curtains open. The bright sun shone through the window, filling the room with summer light. A warm light that shouted all is bright, all is green, new and full—a good season, more than just a change.
* * *
Blair peeked through the tall iron gate and saw his friend walking down the road. He whistled a happy Burnish tune, and successfully gained Blaine’s attention. Blair called, “Hey, Blaine! Shannon told me you met my mother. Come on in!”
“I—In?” Blaine stuttered.
“Yes!” Blair said, “Come on! I want to show you some things.”
“Okay…” Blaine sighed. He looked around the garden and then followed Blair into the house. Cool air gushed onto them as they stepped into the air-conditioned living room. Blair walked to a large door and pulled it open. Blaine looked around as they entered the room.
“I’ll only show you my favorite ones, starting with my second favorite,” Blair smiled brightly. He grabbed Blaine’s jacket sleeved and pulled him through the house. Blaine was overwhelmed, as though he were in a dream. The house was endless—almost a world of its own. They passed through many entryways and rooms, until Blair finally came to a halt in front of a door. Blair turned the doorknob excitedly, telling his friend to prepare to be amazed. Blair pushed open the door and entered.
“The library?”
“Why, yes!” Blair glanced around happily, “We have every book you can imagine.”
“Oh. I can tell,” Blaine took several steps into the vast library. He looked at the loud clock, and all of the neatly organized books. His eyes widened as Blair showed him the room, running his slender fingers along the smooth covers of the books.
“If there’s ever a book you want to read, I’ll loan it to you!” Blair said, looking at Blaine as though he were giving him the secret to life. The boys sat down after viewing the library. Blair thought for a second, and then asked, “Do you know what a map is, Blaine?”
“Uh, yeah,” Blaine replied, “Just because I live in Needslight, doesn’t mean I’m dumb.”
“Oh, well I have a map of our whole world. It’s so detailed that you can see the regions and cities. I’ll go get it,” Blair stood up and retrieved a big book, which held several folded maps inside. He spread one of them out across the table, pointed to several things, and said, “The land marked in red is our country Extroit. Burne and her cities is right here.”
Blaine listened to Blair ramble about the countries and places on the map. His attention split when he noticed a vase of flowers and a jar full of pens and pencils sitting on the table. He glanced at the jar, and then retrieved a pen. He fiddled with it for several seconds, and then began scribbling lines on his arm. Blair stopped talking and watched Blaine for a moment, and then said, “I have a map of Fremir. It shows all of our streets and districts. I’ll go get it, and maybe you can show me where in Needslight you live.”
“Okay,” Blaine said, putting the pen back in its jar. He watched Blair run to the tall bookshelves and pull down a second large book. He opened the book and pulled out a different folded map. Then he sat back down near Blaine, and unfolded it, laying it out in front of them, “Here it is.”
“So,” Blaine said slowly, his purple eyes scanning the names of the streets, “I live somewhere around here. Right along this street called Tregartha. My family has lived there longer than I can remember.”
“Oh, so you live in the center of Needslight,” Blair stared at the spot on the map, “And right off of Tregartha? Oh, that’s not good, I’ve heard terrible things about that area.”
“Yeah, but what in Needslight isn’t terrible?” Blaine leaned back. He pointed to a different spot close to the first, “Your mom used to live somewhere around here.”
“My mother?” Blair looked up at Blaine, “Oh, my mother is not from Needslight. She grew up in Buasall—you know, that city in the region of Rozet.”
“S—So you don’t know?” Blaine said quietly.
“Know what?” Blair asked.
“That—never mind,” Blaine said, lightly shaking his head, “Do you have maps of other regions as well?”
“Yes,” Blair said. He retrieved a different map and spread it out, but an awkward silence followed, and neither of the boys knew what to say.
Flaz: *yawns* Did the sun just come up? In the west?
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