Faded

Chapter 15: The Four Items

—Alexis pov—

"Sapphire..." I said, pacing around my room.

"Sis, Bella is coming over ok?" Kade said, peeking through my door.

"Mhm." I said, not really paying attention.

"What did I just say?" He asked me.

"Oh- uhm uh." I stammered.

"Bella's coming over. You really have to listen to me, you know." He said, rolling his eyes.

"Ok fine I got it Bella now go." I push him out and slam the door.

"That's it!" I thought now racing down the stairs.

"Heyyy Bella!" I said, awkwardly getting in the way of her and my brother.

"Can I interest you in some cash for that ring?" I said, curious.

"Sure! 200 bucks will do." She said with a smile. I paid her and left with the ring.

—Nishi pov—

"Hey Umi!" I yelled in the crowd at the beach.

"Hey bestie!!" She hugged me.

"I have an idea on how to get the whale snot." I said with a smirk.

We left for the beach since Umi has a boat. We sailed out into the ocean with Umi transformed. She trapped herself in a bubble and flew down into the sea.

"I made it!" She said, coming out after two hours. In her hand she had a small glowing jar of snot which she held close to her as we sailed back.

—Azumi pov—

"Maru?" I asked, trying to peek through the tall grass.

"Yes?" She said, once I located her.

"We need to find a Lily of the valley plant." I said, looking through flowers in the field.

"Found a four leaf clover!" Maru giggled, putting it in my bag.

"It means you're lucky." I said, smiling.

"I have you, so I'm the luckiest girl in the world, and nothing can change it." She said, kissing me.

"Now that you're here, I never want to leave you again." I said.

We kept searching when I saw someone with a Lily of the valley plant. We asked her where she found it and we found a few ourselves.

—Katsumi pov—

Everyone is just so nice.. I wish I was like them instead of having to study just to please my parents. If I wasn't smart or a hero, my parents wouldn't like me. No one would. I thought, while crying in my room. I wouldn't try to do anything with my life, and no one would help me. I'm not fun anyway, I never do anything with the group because all I can do is study to be the top. My parents want me to be the top person... but I can't. It's too hard and I'm being overworked. Help...

—Reiko pov—

"Are you ok Kat?" I asked, seeing her curled up crying on the couch.

"I'm alright. I just need to let it out." She said, hugging me. She told me everything and I nodded. I was worried about what her parents were doing to her.

"This isn't ok." I said, getting her phone. "Call your parents and tell them." I said, feeling bad for her. She doesn't deserve this. They are gonna break her.

I heard her argue and cry. "Sure I'm doing well but it comes with a cost. I want to be happy! I want to be successful but I don't have to be the person with one hundred on everything. It's good to set goals but I don't need to be forced and overworked to hit every time."

I saw something under the couch, so I picked it up. It was dust, an ingredient we needed. I picked a bunch of it up and put it in a small plastic bag.

A few hours worth of arguing passed and she hung up with her mom. "I'm sorry reiko." She said, still crying.

"As long as you're ok, we've all been worried about you."  I said, hugging her.