High Guardian Spice Twice

Ch. 6 - Everything Has an End, What Matters is the Journey.

The next morning, the students were already up, and there was no sign of Salthyer, Caraway, or Dretch. Both the students and the other teachers were puzzled. Rosemary seemed the same as she had the night before. Sage had gone to the cafeteria with the rest of the group to eat.

«How is she?» Parsley asked, to which Sage simply replied, «The same as yesterday. I don't think she'll get over this quickly, especially after the stupid thing I said yesterday...»

Parnelle walked by and stopped to comment, «The spirits know what you said to Rose, and even they expect you to apologize.» Sage raised an eyebrow and said, «Tell your spirits to stop spying and mind their own business.»

Parnelle seemed unsure of what to say but then stared off in a direction as if listening to something, though nothing was there. This was starting to frustrate Sage until Parnelle finally spoke. «You care a lot about your friend, take care of her with all your strength. The spirits know things we don't, and I can assure you, she'll need you more than ever from now on...» The group of girls was taken aback by these words. «Oh well, that's what the spirits say, haha.»

«Sure... and I'm the one believing ghost stories. Thanks, Parnelle, you can go now...» Sage said, to which the small boy smiled and walked away.

«Although what you said was a bit harsh given the situation, we can't keep tormenting ourselves over things we said or didn't say,» Amaryllis said, to which Sage just slumped on the table. «Wow, you really know how to support someone in this situation to make them feel better, huh.»

«Sage, it's clear that you're still as sensitive as ever, but this time, I think someone else is the one affected, hehe.» After Amaryllis said that, Sage just glared at her fiercely. «What the hell do you mean by sensitive?»

Before she could continue interrogating Amaryllis, the third-year students approached to talk to the first-years. «Excuse me, have you seen Professor Caraway? He was supposed to give us a class around this time,» Bolete asked, to which Thyme responded, «No, no one knows anything about Professor Caraway, Professor Salthyer, or Professor Dretch... Are you still high?» Bolete replied, «I don't get high, I just relax with my music.»

«I hope Professor Salthyer doesn't show up here again; he's utterly unpleasant, pretending to be clueless and insensitive, a jerk who seems to have no manners. Just like your friend behind you,» Sage said, referring to Licorice, who was hiding behind Bolete.

«Ooh... right, about that, I brought him because he wanted to apologize to the pink-haired girl, the pretty girl, and the gremlin.» Snapdragon, blushing, quickly said, «Am I the pretty girl?!» Bolete smiled and winked at her, making Snap blush even more.

A rainbow bolt arrived at high speed; Vanilla had heard Bolete. «Did you say gremlin? Were you talking about me, Bo?» Bolete laughed and said, «Not you, lightning gremlin, the purple gremlin.»

«What a subtle way of saying troublemaker, my dear,» Amaryllis said, to which Vanilla quickly responded, «Ah, don't worry, he doesn't mean it seriously. It's his way of showing friendship and affection by using those nicknames. You can give him one too later. Right, pothead?» They quickly replied, «I don't get high, okay?!»

«Haha! I'll save that nickname for him,» Amaryllis said mockingly, but Sage had her own mood. «Well, I hope your words are the right ones, Mister Licorice.»

«I apologize, Snapdragon and Amaryllis. I know I might not have been as respectful as you would have liked, but I had to light your fuse so you'd give your all in that practice.» Amaryllis just smiled, and Snapdragon said, «Don't worry, Lico, you helped me a lot to better understand who I want to be, what my path is, and I'm grateful for that.»