My Best Friend, The Oracle

A Stream of Sapphires And... Afternoon?

Fire circles around me, and another girl with long, fading hair emerges from the flames and takes stance next to me. The flames suddenly erupt higher than before, and my vision goes black.

I open my groggy eyes and turn around to look at the furry creature I can feel huddled up against me. My tabby cat, Apricat, turns her huge, bright eyes towards me and meows, as if to say, "Oh, you're up! Feed me." I pet her fluffy head and cuddle up next to her. She meows once in protest before purring and pushing her head into my hand. We stay like this for a few minutes before I can't stay in bed any longer. I prop myself up and yawn loudly, before looking down at my furry pajamas, covered in ginger cat hair. "Apricat!" I whisper in mock anger. She purrs again and turns on her back, her big eyes staring at me expectantly. I snicker and scratch under her chin before rolling out of my messy bed and trudging to my window.

I pull the blue curtains back and peer into the dark morning. I snatch my phone off my dresser and read the time accusingly. "Four twenty in the morning!" I groan. "Might as well get dressed." I moan as I push the heavy closet door open and art supplies crashes onto the floor. I lean over the mess and rummage through the dresses, shirts, and skirts hanging up. I pull a blue dress off a hanger, and a white belt. I push a dresser door open and grab a pair of black leggings before noticing the clouds outside. I switch the leggings for a pair of jeans and the dress for a cozy blue sweater, keeping the belt. I gather up the stuff on the floor to shove it back into the closet. I shut the door quickly and hurry into the shower.

Half an hour later, I flop back on my bed, grabbing my copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and pushing my sopping wet hair out of my face.

I am able to read for another hour before having to walk around. I jump off of the bed and scoop Apricat into my arms, pushing the door open. I set the fat cat down and she stalks over to her food bowl. I fill it up and pour some water in the second part, pet her, and walk back to my room. Opening the bathroom door, I brush my pixie-cut black-and-blue hair into a calmer manner, and brush my teeth. Finding nothing else to do, I plunge into the bunch of art supplies in my closet. "Let's see what we got..." I wonder aloud. I pick up a bracelet kit I got two years ago, a statue painter from who knows how long ago, and a color-by-number notebook. "Nothing to do!" I moan. I look to see if my computer is charged enough to take off, and delightedly pull it off the charger and climb into my bed.

After checking the time, (6:10 AM) I open my Email and press 'Compose.' I whisper as I type, "Afternoon Dot Bookworm at yahoo dot com. Subject, I'M BORED." The finalized email reads;

To: Cc Bcc

Subject: I'M BORED

Hey Afternoon! Are you up? I woke up and I've got NOTHING TO DO!!!

I read another paragraph of Harry Potter before hearing a bing! from my computer. I click on the email from Afternoon, and our conversation continues.

To: Cc Bcc

Subject: I'M BORED TOO

Hello. I got up early to. Have you finished all of our school assignments?

To: Cc Bcc

Subject: I'M BORED

Obviously. Anything you wanna do?

To: Cc Bcc

Subject: I'M BORED TOO

Let's do Story Switch. I'll start:

Once Upon A Time there was a girl named Marissa. Marissa decided to go to the mall one day, and at the mall, she found a dress that she really liked so she tried it on. But, the dress wouldn't let her come out of the dressing room! So she...

To: Cc Bcc

Subject: I'M BORED

So she grabbed the scissors that she had found under a bench and cut herself out of the dress. But the bits of the dress came to life and followed her out of the store. So she...

I wait another 10 minutes before Afternoon emails back.

To: Cc Bcc

Subject: I'M BORED TOO

So she got on a bus and went to the airport and flew a plane to the other side of the country. But when she got off, she found the dress, fully back together in a store there. I'll see u @ skool all right

To: Cc Bcc

Subject: I'M BORED

OK?

I can't help but notice Afternoon's internet lingo, as she only ever uses it when she is stressed. I decide to ask her about it at school.

I am able to check the time before my computer dies, and see that it is past time for my mom to wake me up. Story Switch is very time consuming. I jump out of bed and hurry into the cluttered kitchen to grab some breakfast. Pushing aside the undone dishes, I put a piece of toast in the toaster and grab strawberry jam. I snack on the toast while watching some TV, and my mom, Sarayi Kenaii, comes running out of her room. "Adira, honey, get up, I overslept- Oh, there you are." She sighs. I had her the coffee I made her. "It's like you're my mother." She laughs. "I love you, hon." I reply, "I know." We both snigger at my Star Wars reference. She sits down beside me and sips her coffee calmly.

Then I got one of those feelings I always get. Deja-vu is all I can describe it as, although I'm sure the sensation is different to others. Suddenly, I see Apricat falling off the couch, and I reach out to grab my mother's cup of coffee. Apricat falls just as I had seen her do milliseconds before, right to where Sarayi's cup sat before I moved it. I look at my mom, and I see for just a moment a look of extreme pride in her eyes, as well as a little fear. Then, she looks back at the TV as if nothing happened and I hand her cup back. Apricat curls up on my lap and I pet her absentmindedly.

After half an episode of The Simpsons, I haul my heavy backpack onto my back, heading toward the door. I wave to Mom over my shoulder as I set off for my 7-minute walk to school.

On the way, I notice a strange shimmer embedded in the bank of the stream I pass everyday on my way to school. I skip across the slippery rocks that line the tributary. Stopping near the other side, a hop further upstream to the glint ahead. I kneel down and wipe away the dirt from the glint, and discover a huge blue gemstone stretching over the stream. "Sapphire!" I shout excitedly. I clean a little further, and a hunk of stone chips off. I run my fingers across it gently, and wrap it in tissues from my backpack until it's three times its original size. Sure that it is secure, I stash it in my bag and get back to work unearthing the larger stone.

"Hey, Adira."

I flinch and jump to my feet, facing the source of the voice-

"Afternoon! And here I thought you had no sense of humor!" I pick up my fallen bag and reach into the pocket I stuck the gem in, find it still wrapped and intact. Relieved, I face Afternoon again.

"You OK?" I ask nervously. She flusters a bit before answering in her usual calm tone. "Of course. Let's get school, we will be late in a few more minutes." We head to school together, and by the time we reach the front doors of North Star Academy, the tension has disappeared. "See you in math?" I shout to her as we are separated in the flood of students. "Yes! Goodbye!" She yells back over the hundreds of voices in the hall. I slip into the door of the otherwise empty Art classroom.