Akina's Reflection

XXXII

And with that simple sentence, everything seemed to have almost gone back to normal. However, large changes happened as well.

Aubrey and I were able to get our dorm back safely, the cops were able to get out of trouble for ditching. I should write a thank you note sometime.

Antonio stayed in the hospital for a week or so, but like Aubrey, recovered fast from the gun wounds. As soon as Antonio recovered, Cody moved in with him in his apartment. The two get along well, except when it comes to food, where Cody insists on cooking anything but mexican cuisine.

Until Cody moved in with Antonio, he lived temporarily with Paul. It's a funny thought, but I thought Toby would be simply terrified of such a visitor, but he seems to like Cody; it almost seemed as if he already knew him him.

The MIRROR building is down for good. Currently a fund is going on to fill all the doors in with concrete, and I think it's gaining a lot of money.

The cops searched the entire building, but only twenty three doctors were arrested, seven were later released. Charles was one of the found doctors, he was taken to a hospital to be treated, and was later found to have some type of mental illness. I don't really remember what it was called, maybe Aubrey remembers. Aubrey and Charles are slowly learning how to get along, and I think Cody is learning to accept Charles as well. Despite all the bad things Charles has done, I don't think he should have a bad end.

In the end, I don't really know what happened to Don Farsdale. Alex, Xela and Alice were found, but not the doctor. I'm hoping that he died, but somehow, I think this is not the end of Dr. Farsdale's evil.

As for me, I think I might have changed as well. Like Aubrey, I'm more open than I used to be. I tell people about my situation, so that perhaps I can find help that I never knew of before. I felt generally happier, happier than I have ever been in my entire life.

I softly hummed a song I heard on the radio, while carrying a delicate bamboo plant in a clay pot Paul made. I wasn't really watching where I was going, and accidently bumped into someone.

There was a crash, the sound of my bamboo pot breaking. Onlookers stared at the scene for a bit.

A girl was on her knees, looking down at the shards of pot around her. She looked up at me.

"Oh...Oh, um, I'm very sorry, I promise I'll pay the full price of the pot!"

I looked down at the pot, then up at her, then back at the pot.

"Don't worry about it." I replied.

"It was my fault I wasn't looking, and I could always get another pot, my friend Paul makes tons of pots!"

I gingerly scooped up the bamboo plant.

"I'm Sayoki, by the way. What's your name?"

The girl was still a little surprised by my reaction to the broken pot. She then realized I had asked her a question.

"Right! My name is Penny, Penny Lewis. I go to the high school nearby."

She quickly added, "I'm still very sorry about the pot, your friend must have worked very hard on it, I could imagine it was beautiful in one piece."

"Don't worry about it!" I said again, cheerfully.

"In fact, you could meet my friend, and see that the pot is replaced, so you don't have to feel bad! That is, if you aren't busy by any chance..."

"I'm not busy at all." Penny said quickly. "Actually, I was just looking around, not really doing anything."

"Great," I said happily.

"Follow me! Paul's sister has a shop around here, and Paul might still be working! Come on!"

Though we just met, Penny happily followed me down the street towards Paul's sister's shop.

I finally stopped in front of the store.

"Ta-da!"

Paul's sister, Rosa, was several years older than Paul. She ran the store as a hobby job, she was really a botanist normally. Paul wants to run the shop full time when he graduates college.

The shop's green framed windows were lined with colourful flowers in beautiful pots. Most of the pots are made in the shop by Rosa or Paul.

"It's so cute...." Penny said, obviously impressed by the shop.

"Let's go inside,"

I pushed the door open, allowing her inside before myself. I closed the door behind me.

Penny stared with awe at all the ceramics in the shop, pots, figurines, piggy banks, dinnerware, and many other things. Paul smiled at me as he turned the potter's wheel.

Behind us, the bell on the door rang again.

"Oh, hi Sayoki! I knew I'd find you here,"

Aubrey, who came in behind me, suddenly stopped talking. Penny turned around, and stared back at him.

"Penny?" Aubrey asked, quietly.

"Aubrey, is that you?"