Footnotes

Chapter Three

fail·ure\ˈfāl-yər\

noun

1 a : omission of occurrence or performance; specifically : a failing to perform a duty or expected action <failure to pay the rent on time>

-Raise Your Glass-

     "I love this." Fi adjusts the huge sunglasses and purses her lips at us.

I giggle.

     "Hey, guys!" Sadie calls.

We go over to the glass counter. Sadie's fingernail is pointing at a cute pair of earrings shaped like owls, and I'm immediately in love.

I love owls. They symbolize wisdom, and I live for wisdom. I love everything about the set of earrings, except for the fact that they're well, earrings.

     "We should get a pair each! It would be so cool, like those cute friendship accessory things."

     "They're cute." Fi agrees."But I'm more of a bracelet person."

     "I don't have ear piercings." I remind them.

     "We should totally get your ears pierced." Sadie has a mischievous smile on her face.

     "Absolutely not."

     "But Anna, you've been denying ear piercings ever since you were thirteen. You're going to have to do it sooner or later."

     "And who made that assumption?"

Fi holds her index finger under her nose and playfully tilts her head back."Ooh, assumption. Nosebleed."

     "We're seventeen." I point out.

     "But you don't hear any normal seventeen year old say that, do you?"

     "She's got a point." Sadie says.

     "Whatever." I roll my eyes, but I'm secretly glad that the topic had been changed.

     "Guys, about the of friendship bracelets or whatever." Fi whines.

     "The owl could symbolize our friendship, though. We all like owls and are generally smart." Sadie suggests.

     "I overheard your conversation about wanting friendship symbols." The saleslady said sheepishly from behind the counter."And you are in luck," She pats the wooden box in her hands."These owls come in a set, and they are a limited edition. Only one set made every four decades."

She opens the box.

Something glints in the case and catches my attention.

All of a sudden, the three of us lunge, and the case is empty in a flash.

We're all in a mild shock, having lunged impulsively, but the surprise melts away as I marveled the necklace in my hands.

I graze my fingertips on the necklace."I might not wear the earrings, but I would be more than willing to wear this necklace."

I glance at Sadie and Fi. Sadie is trying on a pair of owl earrings- much better than the first set. The owls were gold, with bright red gems for eyes.

Fi was admiring an owl charm, but instead of red eyes, it had green. She clips the charm into her charm bracelet, which already had an assortment of charms ranging from kangaroos to microphones, but for some reason, the owl stands out.