Snow White and Seven Devils (rewrite) ✅

(3) Perceptions

3.

The next few days passed in a blur, Carmen and Daniel went all out in giving me a 'tour'. Most of the things had changed; they had closed down the antique shop down the market road and made it into a grocery store. There was a new coffee shop and café there as well. The streets were cheerier than before, people bustled around everywhere, tourists and locals mixing into each other and creating large crowds that made it difficult to walk through the market street without bumping into them.

Dale didn't accompany us the other day; I waited for him until I realized how much I was looking forward to seeing him again. When I asked Daniel he replied that Dale must be hanging out with his own friends. I was upset since he had agreed the day earlier but now didn't show up without telling us anything. Later I reminded myself that it was stupid to feel bad about it, Dale had his own friends which was cool for him, I guess.

According to Carmen and Daniel, Dale was popular back in high school and girls loved him for his looks. He was also on the basketball team, which earned him extra fame. I wasn't surprised though. With that charming smile of his, Dale had always been a chick magnet. Even the elders loved him a lot; he was the golden boy of Spence Jefferson.

On Saturday, I went out to have tea with Carmen since Daniel was busy with his job. He worked at a supermarket down the main street, and had asked me to come there to have a look but I politely refused. For one, I hated working and I knew this was his scheme in making me join him too, since there was an extra slot for a worker there.

''Have you decided your subjects yet?'' Carmen asked me after ordering the tea for both of us. I hadn't been in a mood to spend my afternoon sipping earl grey but I didn't say no to her. After living in New York, dad had turned me into a coffee freak and right now I was yearning for some caffeine. Over the few days I had spent here, I realized that my relationship with my friends was the same with mom. I feared saying no to them because I didn't want them to think ill of me or have strange ideas in their minds, for example thinking I was acting pricey.

''Literature, Drama and Thinking Skills, what about you?''

Carmen made a sour face, ''Bio, Chem, Food and Nutrition.'' She didn't sound too happy about her choices,

''You don't seem happy?'' I observed,

''I don't know what to do with my life Ally. My parents are always comparing me with Flynn and it's gotten too frustrating to handle. They think I didn't choose the right thing and should have decided to go into engineering like him.''

''But it's your choice right? You are happy with it and that's what matters. And you are the one whose gonna spend the next two years studying your brain out, not them.''

''Thanks Ally, I'm not thinking about it too much, at least Flynn understands me.'' I smiled. Flynn had always understood. Most of things had changed, he didn't and the thought made me glad.

''Are you excited about starting A levels? It's gonna be difficult as hell but whatever really. As long as I study everyday I'll be fine. At least that's what Dale says.''

''Dale?''

She gave me a funny look, ''Oh well, you don't know. Daniel is too dumb for his own good and I don't understand half of the stuff they teach at school. Dale tutored us for our final exams for GCSCE.''

''Oh'' When did he became a professor?

''He gets really serious when it comes to studies you know, the moment we'll talk he'll start hitting us with this wooden stick he found in his yard.''

I laughed, ''Wow, looks like he's committed with educating you guys.''

''Yeah, but those friends of his were there too and they are annoying as hell. Lee is always taking photographs of literally everything. I have a feeling he hugs that shitty camera of his when he sleeps too.''