☕️ Paper and Joy 🕯️

Chapter 9: Scarface

"I mean, it was your first day! Things will get better!" Lily chapped beside me. As always, the sun was riding high on her shoulders as we walked away from the towering Academia. Her smile was sympathetic, always willing to assist. Although, to put it lightly, I didn't think it was going to get much better from here on out.

"Lily, I missed everything! I'm gonna fail my first year!" I gave her a desperate look looking for any hint of disapproval in her kind green eyes. Of course they glared back at me without a doubt as a guiding friend.

"I'm sure there's something we can do about your writing problem." She responded nonchalantly.

"Well, I better get to it fast."

Click, click, click

Now as we get further into Cupa village and the mob of students begin to disperse into the moss-covered stone streets, our footsteps begin to echo in the silence on the plaza. I follow Lily toward the route we took yesterday when I was accompanying Lily on the search for Glory. First a steep right turn into a back alley with sketchy ginger cats, and then into the light again on a side street that leads to the Starlight Tavern. Although as I look up at the once clear blue sky, a horizon of grey rides low on the village like a stampede.

Drip, drip, drop

A light rain begins to fall as our school loafers touch the end of the alley. Lily stops in her tracks as tiny dark dots cover her thin grey coat. I glance at her expression, which is just as surprised as me. Then without a hesitation she turned to me with sudden wrath and fire.

"Huh, haha," Lily chuckles beside me, "Ready to run?"

"Run?!?" I look at her preparing myself. I have the stamina of a sloth. And even then, I was weak and flimsy.

"We gotta go!" Suddenly her eyes grew wide and she classically yanked my arm towards the pelting storm brewing in the dark sky.

Lily!

"Lilayyyy!" I am now dragged into the beating storm towards a fortress of  diamond needles blocking my limited view.  But Lily goes on, she goes on as if there is an eternal compass beating in her heart. I can feel the heavy swords of water spike the large of my weak back. It's like a sudden weight so great enough to glue me to the floor had beheld us. The only thing keeping me slightly upright was Lily's strong legs beating the wet ground with determination. And suddenly, I realized, we are at Starlight Tavern.

Under the paddock Lily glues herself against the shackled wooden door, arms out in shock "Huff, Huff, We... made it..!"

My mind was spinning. Where did this storm come from? And now that I thought of it, it really did come out of the blue.

But why are we at the tavern?

"Lily, what are we doing here? I thought you would bring me home?" I said, huffing between my words. A gathering of rain droplets fell down to my chin from my hair.

"Well I figured since it's raining so hard we should have an early dinner until the rain passes." She looked at me hopefully, my stomach began groaning. I had realized not too long ago that little physical exertion that would be normal for people like Lily made me very tired. I could only blame my absent sense of care from above for that. Lily always seems intent on making me fat!

Lily turned around and used the brass hinge to open the door to the Starlight Tavern. With the amount of people inside, it seemed everyone had just about the same idea as us. A thin young lady came within moments and took us to our table in the very corner of the loud, warm tavern. It was probably the best table in the tavern, away from the loud, gambling drinkers.