Necromancer For Hire- Arc 2

Arc 2, Chapter 8

The Friend

"That sounds splendid!" Seraph exclaimed, grabbing Victor's hand. "But what is a grocery store, and where is it?"

Walking back onto the sidewalk, the two boys trekked side by side. Victor was painfully aware of the confused looks that Seraph was receiving from passersby, but the strangely-dressed boy seemed not to notice. He wished whomever they walked by a good morning, and the person would awkwardly return the greeting.

Glancing at Seraph, Victor bit his lip. How does he not know what a grocery store is? I mean, yeah, he seems kinda weird, but this is a little too much... He sighed, remembering both his and Seraph's friendless backgrounds. Beggars can't be choosers, I guess... I finally got a person I can talk to, so all I can do is just ignore his weirdness.

Victor frowned. "You're not from around here, are you?" he asked, drawing Seraph's attention.

"Ah, what gave it away?" Seraph murmured, looking bashful.

"Well, you dress kinda weird, you talk funny, you didn't know what a grocery store was-"

"Victor, that was rhetorical. But I suppose I can accept those valid criticisms..."

"Oh." Crap, I thought he was actually asking me a question! He thought bitterly, cursing his scarce social skills. "I'm sorry, I just thought..."

"Do not be upset. It is fine. Now, can you please inform me as to what a grocery store is?"

"It's, like, a place where you go to buy food and stuff. My dad takes me there all the time, so I know where it is." Victor replied, pausing at a crosswalk. Seraph halted as well, taking a step back from the road in front of them.

Seraph looked up at the traffic light above them, taking note of the symbol displayed on the screen. "It is the red hand. We must wait until the white walking person appears, correct?"

"Yeah, that's how the crosswalk works." Victor said within the confines of his and Seraph's minds, casting a weary glance to the man standing near them. Victor had noticed the man walking behind them earlier, listening to Seraph assumably talk to himself. Victor couldn't help but blush under the circumstances, as he couldn't imagine what the man must think of them.

The light changed and the cars came to a stop, leaving the pedestrians a clear route to cross the street. Victor swiftly dragged Seraph across the painted section of road, distancing themselves from the small amount of commuters that had amassed.
"There it is," Victor murmured, pointing at a small store ahead of them. "Let's go in."

A bell lightly chimed as Victor pushed through the door, holding it open for Seraph. Victor's companion beamed at the various rows and shelves filled with a colorful assortment of food and drink.

"This is so cool!" Seraph squealed, taking Victor's hand and dragging him across the small store.

Victor avoided the cashier's questioning stare as he struggled to retain his balance under Seraph's tug. For such a dainty-looking child, Seraph had an impressive grip.

Seraph suddenly came to a halt in front of the candy section, staring at the shelves in shock. "Victor, what are those?!" he cried, pointing at one of the treats.

"Oh, those are gummy worms." Victor knew the product well, as he had his father purchase them for him nearly every time they visited the grocery store.

"Wait, worms?! Humans eat worms?" Seraph looked sickened.

"Nah, they're, like, fake worms. It's just candy shaped like a worm, y'know? The rest of the candy is fake too- they're not real fish or fruit."

Seraph rubbed his chin, frowning. "That is...odd. But I am quite curious as to what they would taste like, so I think I shall eat some." He grabbed a pack of the candy, and nearly ripped it open before Victor stopped him.

"What are you doing?! You gotta pay for stuff first before you eat it!" Victor said frantically, slapping the boy's hand and glancing behind him to make sure an employee hadn't seen Seraph's innocent attempt at shop-lifting.

Seraph blinked at him in surprise, taking back by Victor's physical chastiment. "Ah, um... I am sorry. I was not taught very much about the economical systems of humans..." He shrieked away, taking a few steps back from Victor.

Victor bit his lip, regretting even touching Seraph. He hadn't intended for his new friend to act so hurt, but then again, he also hadn't expected him to be so ignorant of human customs. Just what is this guy? Victor thought, swallowing dryly.

"Hey, um, if you hold on a sec and let me grab the flour my dad told me to get, I'll buy you the candy. My treat." Victor murmured, awkwardly laying his hand on Seraph's shoulder.

Seraph's pink eyes lit up and he snatched the bag back between his fingers. "Really? Thank you so much!"

"No prob. Now, come on before the clerk gets suspicious." Victor hooked his arm through Seraph's and made his way to the baking aisle.

He collected the flour his father had requested and the two boys walked to the counter, Victor paying for the two items.

Victor felt a surge of pride when he realized he hadn't needed the note Umbra had made for him. Seraph had dragged him into the back of the store before he had a chance to quietly slip the cashier the note, indirectly giving him the courage to do something for himself. Victor would have loved to thank Seraph for this, but he felt too embarrassed to even explain the situation to him.

Seraph eyed the clock on the store wall, mouth opening in shock. "Oh dear! I have got to be going! Goodbye, friend. It was very nice to be with you." The boy waved, the wings floating near his back twitching.

"Do you wanna, like, hang out later? Please? I wanna show my dad I made a friend." Victor whimpered, nervously rubbing his knuckles.

"I am not sure, but I will try my best to meet back up with you. I had a lot of fun, and I do wish to interact with you again." And with that, Seraph glided out the door, sprinting down the street to a locations unknown.

Victor stood at the door of the market, watching commuters pass by. In a split second, all his anxieties centered around social situations returned, and the familar churn in his stomach resurfaced. Victor suddenly felt very alone, and very nervous.

It was going to be a long walk home.

Author's note- Who's your favorite character so far? Also, remember to vote and comment!