Before The Storm..

Chapter 24

Recap:

Well even if Zoey was ready to try and regain a semblance of normality in her life she sure as hell wasn’t. She was Lucienne Lucnar, a girl other girls couldn’t help but envy and the girl boys couldn’t ever get, not yet at least. And not even the devil, even with the most adorable British accent, could ever change that, not until she deemed it to be so.

“Why thank you Alfred but I’m not Bruce Wayne I can get my own stuff.” She elbowed him out of the way and placed the plates on the table, heading towards the freezer she took out two pints of ice cream.

“Do you want Rocky road or Mint chocolate chip?”

…………………………………………………………………………………….

“Welcome too ‘The Emporium’, table for two?”

“Make it a booth please.”

Zoey watched transfixed at her surroundings, trying to remember when was the last time she had been at a place so uniquely beautiful.

The restaurant was nestled in the village-like mall Lucienne and she had visited earlier that week with the twins to buy ice cream. From the outside, it looked like any of the other places; high wooden roofs, adobe-like walls and pretty mosaic windows.

But that was the only thing in common this place had with the rest, or that was what Louka had told her and she had a hard time believing any one could say otherwise.

For one it had a vegetarian menu, something Louka had mentioned on the way there and was very proud of in fact, the other was that it seemed to be a cross between a very hipster café and Wonderland.

They were trees sprouting from the wooden floor at seemingly random places, acting as the columns holding the place up. Hanging from them were a gazillion glass jars, all shapes and sizes, with unusual colored smoke inside of them. All of them glowed, providing the only light in the restaurant.

Comfortable sofas dotted the place here with a couple of tables and booths threaded in to the mix. The only thing giving a sense of normality to the place.

The robot that had greeted them took them to an empty booth at the far corner of the building. There were other people dinning there, but most seemed too occupied to even give them a glance. After they were seated the same bot quickly came back and gave them each a menu. They were both made out glass with wooden edges (almost like an iPad). Once it was handed to them the glass came to life giving them the night’s specials as well as the home favorites. With a flick of a finger you could flip thru every choice they had to offer.

“Please feel free to order whenever you are ready.” And with that the bot left them.

Zoey peeked over her menu only to find Louka doing the same thing. They both smiled sheepishly, neither finding something to start a conversation with finally Louka spoke up.

“So, how did you end up coming to this school after the year had already started? That usually only happens when were in elementary or even middle school. Are you a transfer from one of the other boarding schools in the world?” Zoey couldn’t help but like the way he only asked about her.

Lucienne had always been the one that shone a little brighter from the two of them, her direct personality always catching the spot light. Zoey didn’t begrudge for that, not at all, but sometimes it felt good not to be seen as the painfully weak sidekick, always to be the wallflower.

“There are more schools than just this one?” Zoey jumped at this new piece of information, already wondering what the other schools would be like and failing.