Paper Airplanes

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"No, you fold the top corners to the middle, then the bottom ones like this." Xylia was attempting to teach Rainer how to fold paper airplanes.

They were in Xylia's room, which was several stories up in an apartment in New York. The window was open; Xylia always worked better with a little fresh air.

Chase had crashed in Xylia's tye-dye beanbag to read a book and Juniper was munching on some Oreos (her new favorite food) while listening to some Owl City (her new favorite music). Meanwhile, Rainer helped Xylia make the airplanes. She was planning to hang them from her ceiling.

"Agh! it ripped." Rainer said frustratedly, holding a paper that was now torn in half. He was pretty clumsy, sometimes Xylia wondered how he managed a bow and arrow, but it was kind of cute sometimes.

Xylia smiled at him, "Here, I'm going to fold one very slowly. You watch and then try to do it yourself." Rainer watched closely as Xylia carefully folded another airplane.

When she finished, his face lit up with an excited smile, "I think I've got it this time!" But then he tried again and it was clear he hadn't.

Juniper stopped humming Vanilla Twilight for a moment, "Pyewacket says Rainer should give him all the messed up paper airplanes, he wants to play with them."

Pyewacket was Xylia's Maine Coon cat. He had an extremely sassy attitude and, according to Juniper, had taken a liking to Rainer the moment he saw him. Now, Pyewacket was sitting next to Rainer, mewing and purring and occasionally rubbing against Rainer.

"No way," Xylia told Pywacket, "I'm not gonna let you shred that paper and throw it everywhere."

Pywacket meowed at her.

Juniper gasped, "Pywacket! That's no way to talk to anyone!"

"What'd he say?" Asked Chase.

"He called Xylia a hairball peasant! That's a huge insult for cats."

Everyone but Juniper burst it laughing, "Hairball peasant?" Rainer
exclaimed between peals of laughter.

"I'm serious!" Said Juniper.

"We know! We know!" Said Xylia, "That's really funny." She looked at Pywacket, "Hairball peasant yourself!"

Pywacket meowed again, then ran out of the room.

"He's very offended." Juniper informed them.

"Well he started it!" Protested Xylia.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew through the window and blew the paper airplanes around.

"Oh no! Help me catch them!" Said Xylia, jumping up and snatching frantically at the airplanes.

Everyone got up to help, they caught all but five, and those flew out the window.

"Oh hairball peasants."said Xylia. She leaned out the window to try and catch them, but they flew out of her reach.

Rainer jumped up, "I will get them for you, milady!"

Xylia blushed. Lately, Rainer had taken to calling her 'milady.'

"It's okay. I can make more."

"Nonsense! I shall retrieve the wayward airplanes!"

"No, really! It's fine!" But Rainer had already gone out the door. Xylia started to go after him, but Juniper stopped her.

"Let him go. He's just trying to be goofy. He'll figure out he can't really get them."

Xylia sighed, it was a nice gesture, but the Nightmares were still roaming around out there. Rainer might get caught and then. . . But she pushed that thought out of her head. Rainer wasn't stupid, he would be back after a couple minutes.

Xylia started painting the paper airplanes she still had. She painted one to look like the green sea with the blue sky above it, and a little red boat in the middle of it. On another, she painted a galaxy pattern, with purples and blues and blacks blending together with sprinkles of stars all over.

Painting the airplanes calmed her, like painting always did. She forgot everything but the brush strokes and colors.

She was so absorbed in painting, that several hours passed without her realizing it. She also didn't realize that Rainer hadn't come back. Not until her mom opened the door to her room.

"Xylia, you and your friends need to come down for dinner now. I made your favorite: nachos!"

At the word 'nachos' Xylia snapped out of her daze. "Yes to nachos!" She said, jumping up. "We're coming Mom."

When Xylia's mom left, Juniper frowned, "Hey, did Rainer ever come back?"

"No." Said Xylia, she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Maybe he's on the roof." Said Chase hopefully.

Xylia doubted that was a possibility, Rainer was scared of heights, but it was worth checking. "Maybe." She said.

They climbed up the stairs and came out on the flat roof. Rainer wasn't there.

Juniper looked grim, "This isn't good."

"Maybe he's downstairs?" Chase suggested, a little less hopefully.

They went downstairs into the kitchen, Rainer wasn't there, either.

Okay, calm down. Deep breaths. Xylia told herself, "Mom, have you seen Rainer?"

"No dear, he dashed out the door a couple hours ago, I haven't seen him since."

Juniper ran her fingers through her choppy black hair, "Night's Mere! The Nightmares got him! He's probably being held hostage or dead!"

Xylia was panicking on the inside, but she tried not to show it. "We don't know for sure if they got him. Let's get our weapons and go out to search."

"I've got my weapon already." Says Juniper, gesturing to the bow slung on her back. She hardly went anywhere without it.

"My sword's over here." Said Chase, he went over to the door and lifted his short-sword off the coat rack.

Xylia stared at him, "Really? You hung your sword in the coat rack?"

Chase shrugged, "Couldn't think of a better place. Besides, it looks kinda cool hanging there. . ."

Xylia shook her head, "Forget I said anything. Let me go get my knife out of my room."

She hurried upstairs and came back as fast as she could. When she came back, however, there stood Rainer.

His coppery hair looked windblown and even more messy than usual. He stood by the door, with that insanely cocky, sideways grin on his face that tugged at Xylia's heart. In his hands, he held all five paper airplanes that had blown out the window.

Rainer saw her at the top of the stairs, and bowed low. "Milady, I believe these belong to you." He held out the paper airplanes.

Xylia stared at him, a smile tugging at her lips. She charged at him, then stopped short and glared, "Rainer Milo Elstare, don't you ever scare me like that again!" Then she gave him the biggest hug, so he dropped the paper airplanes.

She pulled away from him, "I can't believe you actually found them all!"

Rainer just grinned, "Anything for you, milady!"

Xylia's heart was beating double time as she went, hand in hand with Rainer, to eat her nachos.

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