A Dandelion's Wish

Foul play

It was Emilia's turn to gape like a fish, racking her brain for any excuses she could whip up as the boy stared expectantly into her green eyes.

"Okay then, am i right in assuming you've been using it to water your plants?" Emilia took that moment to thank whatever god there was that she had practiced long words. These rich boys had no awareness.

Emilia gave the boy, only a year her elder, a hard glare. "Yeah, maybe." The smirk that followed almost made her regret confirming it aloud.

"Well then, that means all your vegetables belong to me." Emilia gritted her teeth, trying desperately not to kick him.
"However, we could strike a deal." It sparked her interest but she was on guard, especially with that sadistic smirk.

"What kind of deal?" Emilia kicked a stone thoughtlessly as they journeyed down the road. The boy wasn't extremely tall, nor short but he still a good head above the girl. His features weren't broad nor as mousy as Pete's, he could have been described as handsome even at this age with his messy black hair framing his hazel coloured eyes.

"A trade of sorts. In exchange for my silence, you give me at least two vegetables a day. I'll walk you home everyday and so when we get to your house you give them to me. Is it a deal?" They halted their meandering to stand on the makeshift trail.

Emilia tossed the figures in her head. Two in exchange for the security of the rest of the stock? It was a hands down deal but the smirk still made her hesitant to place her hand in his outstretched one.

Hesitantly, very hesitantly, she grasped his outstretched hand with her own dainty one.   

His smirk stretched wider, reminding her of the demonic posters that slathered the church walls, warning against deals with the devil. Well she's gone and done it now.

They began walking again in silence, her occasionally glancing skeptically at the rather smug kid beside her. Then it struck her, like a tomato between the eyes and her head creaked side ways.

"Eh uh um you d-don't have you come to my house i can always deliver you them on the way to the market." She tripped over her own words, praying he would buy into the offer.

"No. My family will figure out our dealings, no, we'll stick to the original plan." No such luck. The brown eyed boy was adamant about it and Emilia was starting to become skeptical about this a-bit-too-perfect deal.

His humble cottage was coming into view now and just looking at it made Emilia conclude that maybe it wasn't the fact that he needed the vegetables to why he was making such a deal, it was just to torture her. They passed the cottage, making Emilia raise an blonde eyebrow. The boy chuckled as the girl's eyebrows furrowed in realization and scowled.

Figures he would want to enact the deal immediately.

It took only a few minutes for the pair to approach the next cottage, its familiar thatch roof to loomed in sight resulting in Emilia's scowl to lighten by only a fraction, an action not gone unseen by her companion.

They got to the door and the girl ceremoniously threw herself at the door, making it budge with a creak. The boy's expression at her reckless act earned a faintly amused smile to ghost over the green-eyed girl's features.

How unladylike.

Entering the house the pair was bombarded by the same suffocating silence that coated the cottage every time the girl got home from stealing water from the neighbors.

"You. Stay here. If you move, both your vegetables and your head will be bruised." Emilia disappeared into the kitchen, issuing the threat nonchalantly.

Below the nonchalant facade Emilia was sweating. She knew how educated these boys were and the rumors on this eldest's observation skills.

If the black-haired boy saw the vegetable patches he would probably deduct that there is no other clear patch, meaning she was lying when she claimed that her father had gone for a few days to collect a new seed. He could also reach the conclusion behind the reason she was stealing water from his house, that the money being sent to their house had stopped. Fit this all together and the truth was obvious. The only part of the picture missing would be her sister. If the truth came out about her situation she would be completely vulnerable, she would probably be blocked from the market, meaning no money. She would probably be socially isolated as well. Abandoned little girl, there was probably something wrong with her.

Not only that, but if this carried on every day, it would only be a matter of time before he realized that her pop wasn't coming back from his 'seeds trip'  and her mother hadn't even stepped foot in this house for many years.

She prided herself on her intelligence but no matter what she couldn't think of any way out other than paying him handsomely.

Thinking it over, the blonde haired girl dug out two potatoes, sighing discontentedly at the action. Once they were washed and checked,  Emilia drifted moodily into the hallway where she left the spoilt boy.

Only to  find an empty hallway.

It was in these moments when Em really regretted ever meeting the pompous pretentious devil of a boy who lived up the road.

She quickly located him in the front room, staring at the fire. This was true to her word, if potatoes could bruise, they would be black and blue, a matching pair with the lump forming on the devil's head.

"What was that for?" He whined, rubbing the assaulted spot. Emilia gave him a point glare before tossing the other potato into his lap.

"For a genius you sure are stupid." In response he harrumphed snootily, sauntering to the door.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you Emilia Lyan." He extended his hand once more, clasping the smaller with his own, adding fleetingly before strutting back to his own cottage, "Sebastian Petulan. I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

Watching the figure of Sebastian Petulan melt into the distance, Emilia retreated back into the house, to the small fireplace containing a flame of gold and orange, its crackles being the only source of sound. Her eyes looked straight down into the fire, worry filtered over her face as she examined the fuel for the fire.

There's no way he could have seen it, and if he had, questions were going to be asked that she did not want to answer.