The Destined Protector (The Chronicles of Mistar - Book 1)

Twenty-One · · · Monta (.2)

The walk to Mayno's transport harbor was silent, except the giggling from Ray and Chaka counted. Monta would have talked to Tapalla if she would look at him. A few times, Monta caught her eye when she took a quick glance at him, but quickly looked away as if he didn't exist.

Their group, which consisted of Ray, Chaka, Monta, Tapalla, and Jastka along with five of soldiers who circled them, walked through Mayno's streets. Monta examined the crowds that gathered to watch them pass. Most of the people were pointing at Tapalla, whose picture had been all over in the C.S. screens since people figured out she was Lotna's lost princess. A few people in the crowds where Lotnan's citizens themselves, who had flown from their own planet to Gazar just to see their princess. It was only too bad that they couldn't see their king and queen too.

When the stares and pointing fingers of the crowd got too creepy, Monta's hands got even hotter threatening to burn his perfectly warm elckon coat. He kept his eyes straight forward, focusing on the bounce of Tapalla's bright blonde hair. The fluff ball on top her hat also bounced, making Monta's follow it. Somehow, it kept him well entertained on the busy streets of Mayno.

A few times Monta started walking too slow, causing the guards to have to push him forward. Every time it happened, Chaka seemed to notice and would laugh at him. She would then poke Tapalla in the shoulder and tell her, but she would only roll her eyes and look the opposite way.

About halfway to the transport harbor, Ray took a step away from Chaka after a few words whispered into her ear to walk next to Monta. Monta was exactly surprised by the gesture and almost started to blush.

"I can see she's mad at you," Ray said flatly as he pushed his fingers into his pant's pockets.

"Her? Tapalla? Pshh. I don't know if I'd say that," Monta said trying to sound casual, though it wasn't working.

"Come on, man," Ray said, taking one his hands out of his pocket to pat Monta on the shoulder. "She's mad and it's killing you. I thought it used to be the other way around."

"It was," Monta confessed. "Hey, since when did you become an expert on relationships?"

"I don't know. Since I started hanging out with Chaka."

"What do you mean?" Monta asked. "You started hanging out with Chaka when I added you to the friend group and back then she didn't that interested in you."

Ray shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not going to lie, I did have a little crush on her back then."

"There's no reason to lie. We all knew that you had a crush on her. And by the way, it wasn't little."

Ray scrunched up his nose in annoyance. "You all knew?" he asked sounding concerned. When Monta nodded his head, Ray moaned and cried, "Now I just feel stupid."

Now it was Monta's turn to pat Ray on the shoulder. "Aw, don't feel stupid. You just can't hide your feelings as well as the rest of us."

Ray elbowed Monta in the gut making Monta cough. "Like you did any better. Every time you saw Tapalla you blushed, and that was every day, Charmer," Ray teased, mimicking Tapalla's nickname for Monta.

"At least I have a nickname from the girl I like and what do you have?" Monta fought back.

"Oh yeah," Ray blurted trying to think of something. She then sized himself up to Monta but when comparing them, Ray was nowhere near close to beating Monta in a fight. Ray finally gave in saying, "It's no use. She doesn't have a nickname for me. If she does, Tapalla might know and you're close to Tapalla. Has she told you?"

Monta rolled his eyes. "Does it look like she would tell me?"

"No," Ray said shaking his head. "Maybe later, like in the future or something you could ask her. Will you do that for me, Mon?"

"Only if you don't call me Mon," Monta replied. "It kinda sounds like a girls name."

Ray whistled and looked away. "You're one to talk," he said under his breath.

"What do you mean?" Monta asked. "Are you saying that my name sounds girly?"

"Yes. No. Maybe-so I don't know." Ray squeaked scared of getting punched by his best friend.

Monta only smiled and said, "I would never you, Ray, just don't call my name girly again or then you might actually get punched."

Ray laughed, though it sounded scared. "Yeah, well, I think I had my share of fun here. I think I'm going to talk to Chaka again seeing as that you said I have a crush on her." Ray winked at Monta and jogged to catch up to Chaka.

Again, Monta felt alone, feeling lonely and horrible. He felt bad that he scared off another friend but that's what he usually did when he and Tapalla got into an argument of some sort. After a few days, Monta would become himself again and Ray always came back to his side to cheer him up. That's just what friends were for.