Power of Words

Chapter 3: Shimmer

     I ran my finger around the rim of my empty coffee cup. Shimmer was nibbling away at one of the only biscotti that I had left. She had been quick to take it when I offered. I was currently considering using the rest of my twenty for more biscotti and another caffe mocha. 

      Shimmer spoke up, "So what made you notice us?" She cocked her head to the right a little. 

     "Just.... looking around, really." I admitted. I still wasn't past the 'This is totally a dream!' stage, but I was getting there. I mean, honestly, would this coffee taste this good in a dream? Probably.... maybe.... no. 

    "Hana!" I heard a voice call out suddenly. I looked around Shimmer, towards the door. Shoot! Marie! I  had totally forgotten that I was going to meet her here! Wasn't she early? Had it really been an hour? I pushed back my chair and looked back and forth between Marie and Shimmer. I blinked and groaned silently. I didn't know Shimmer's real name... Yeah, that would go well, wouldn't it? 'Marie, this is Shimmer. Shimmer meet Marie.' Yeah, totally great plan. 

      I stood up and walked quickly, but casually--or, what I thought was casually--to the counter. I used more of my change for another caffe mocha. Hana walked up to me at the counter. She looked at my face and smirked. 

      "You forgot, didn't you?" she said. I nodded, frowning. She knew me so well. 

     "I got busy, okay?" I tried to fix my mistake. 

     Marie giggled, "Yeah, with coffee before the coffee." I looked down at the coffee that the girl had just handed me in exchange for my loose change. 

     "Oh, be quiet." I muttered. I looked over at my purse and mentally facepalmed. It was sitting on the chair that was diagonal from Shimmer. That meant that I couldn't avoid a meeting between Shimmer and Marie. Marie pushed a piece of stray brown hair from her eyes as she stared at the biscotti with longing. She didn't have enough money for that and a coffee. One or the other, I knew that much. She never had enough money. She looked at me, her brown eyes silently pleading. 

     I handed over my remaining change and she smiled, "Thanks! You're the best, Hana." 

     "You owe me twenty now, Marie." I scolded. 

     "I'll pay you back when I get my paycheck, 'kay?" 

     "Yeah, whatever." I rolled my eyes. She had said that too many times before without a follow-through. Money didn't stay with her for very long.

     I quickly grabbed my purse and quickly exchanged numbers with Shimmer. I looked back to see what name she had put in my phone. Shimmer. 

    I looked at her in confusion. She smiled and shrugged, "That's what you call me anyways. Why not?" 

   How did she know that? What was she? A psychic faerie? I didn't get the chance to ask, because  Marie walked up, cradling her coffee. Her large coffee. Marie smiled innocently at me and handed me back my change, like nothing had happened. 

     I frowned, "What happened to a medium and biscotti?" I demanded. She took a sip of coffee guiltily, avoiding my question. She looked at Shimmer and asked a question of her own as an escape.

     "So, who's your new friend?" I sighed and let her get away with asking the question. She would answer it sooner or later--as well as pay me back. 

    The faerie held out her hand and gave Marie a small grin, "I'm Shimmer, nice to meet you, Marie. Hana was just talking about you." I tried to mask my emotions--and failed miserably. What the heck was Shimmer saying? I stole a look back at Marie desperately, trying to figure out if she could see Shimmer, well.... shimmering. Ugh. I really needed to find a better word if I was going to call her that! 

    "Is that a nickname?" Marie asked, shaking Shimmer's hand. 

    "Yeah," she answered, looking at me, "I guess you could say that." 

***

     Marie sipped at her coffee as we walked around downtown without a real destination. She was chattering away in my ear about something or other, but I really wasn't listening. I was stuck thinking about Jesse, Aura and Shimmer. 

     It was only when I nearly walked into a bench that Marie realized that I really wasn't paying attention--to anything. 

    "Hana! Are you alright?" I nodded, coming back to the real world. Marie drained the last of the huge To-Go cup and tossed it into a nearby garbage can. She looked over at me, "So where did you meet the Brit?" 

     "The Brit?" 

    "Shimmer!" she said, exasperated. 

    "In the cafe." I said, honestly. 

    "When?" she said, suspicious. 

    "Today, little miss nosy!" 

    "I don't believe you. You would never spill details to a total stranger. When, then."

    "I told you when! And what kind of details?" Marie looked at me with a face that said, 'Really? You know.' 

     "I told her your name!" I told her, "That's it!" 

     "Sure ya did." she said, still not believing me. 

    "Okay, whatever, think what you want to. I'm telling you the truth, Marie. Anyways, what's the big deal? I told her your name and that you're my friend? What's wrong with that? Is that a crime now? Am I sharing too much personal information?" I joked. 

     Marie didn't answer, she only groaned, "Stop it." 

     What on earth was going on with her? She never acted this grumpy, "What's the matter, Mar?"

     "Nothing." she lied. 

    "Okay, stop lying. Something's up."

     "Nothing's up." she kept up the lie. 

    "Yeah, I'm sure, Mar. Tell me what's going on." Marie didn't answer, she only walked faster. 

    "What, am I not allowed to make new friends?" I yelled out to her. I knew she was rolling her eyes. She still didn't answer. 

    What the heck was going on with her? I met Shimmer, so what? Since when was meeting new people a problem? Okay, yeah, I was keeping a bit of info from her, but honestly? If I told her, I knew she wouldn't believe me. I mean, character's coming to life? That sounded like something out of Inkheart!

    I left Marie alone and walked over to a bench nearby. (Not the one I nearly crashed into, by the way!) There was no one else to hang out with.... not really. 

     All my friends were either working or out in the city on the weekends. My mind jumped back to Shimmer. Maybe she was still at the cafe? No, probably not. My phone buzzed. 

     'What's up?' Shimmer wrote. Psychic, I swear! 

     'Nothing much. You still at the cafe?' I texted back. 

    'Yeah, why?' 

    'Up for another Q&A?' I asked. 

    'Yep.' she wrote back.