bloom

Unseen

A stupendous vehicle, coated in a layer of unscathed, glossy, velvet paint materialized before the three of them.

The windows, tinted pitch black only added to the suspense. A tall man in a dark suit, shades, and white gloves emerged from the drivers' side of the luxurious ride. He tramped his way over to where the three were standing before he relieved Macy of her book bag.

Alison and Shinko both leaped in front of Macy and grappled the other side of the bag. A fierce match of tug-a-war broke out between the two parties with Macy spectating in utter disinterest.

"Let it go thief" Shinko shouted, followed by much more foul remarks from both him and Alison.

The man stood, unflinchingly gripping the bag as the darting saliva from his two aggressors' shouts drench his collar.
.

"When you're all finished playing, I'll be happy to introduce you to each other," Macy noted

"Huh?" Alison questioned.

"You mean you know this man?"

Shinko and Alison released the bag.

"This is Benedict, my new chauffeur. I call him Dick" Macy explained.

"Dick?" Shinko asked before he started laughing hysterically at Benedict.

"Wouldn't Ben be, you know, more suitable for a nickname" Alison added

"I never thought of it. Perhaps it does sound more fitting. He does look more like a Ben than a Dick I suppose." Macy replied.

"Forget that for now. If he's you're chauffeur, then that means you'll be traveling around in that limousine!?" Alison queried.

"Precisely" Macy answered.

"So what happened to your old chauffeur and the car he used to pick you up in?" Shinko joined in to ask.

"Oh, the old Bentley? My little brother has that picking him up now. As for my old driver-"

Macy paused followed by a menacing stare.

"We don't speak of him" She added, as Benedict gulped and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"I'd love for you two to get to know Dick, my mistake, Ben, but your little tug-o-war match followed by your interrogation of me has consumed much enough time and I must depart to home in time for piano lessons," Macy concluded the conversion, kissing her friends on the cheek and retreating to her ride.

The limousine took off slowly, allowing the light reflecting off the diamond-encrusted Da'Silva family crest on the trunk to nearly blind all those whose eyes it graced.

"Well, I guess we should head home too!" Shinko mentioned.

"Yeah, I'll be waiting on the bus, you're walking right?" Alison asked.

"Yeah, tell your parents I said hi," Shinko replied with a friendly smile.

"Will do" Alison responded. "By the way, it's been so long since I saw your mom, over three years actually"

"Three years, two months, and seven days," Shinko said, bringing the conversation to an abrupt pause.

The silence lasted for at least five seconds before Shinko patted Alison on her shoulder.

"I'm joking!" He ensured her, once again, his face stained with a pure smile.

"If you decide to come by, I can't promise you'll see her. She works a lot these days and usually some pretty messed up shifts." He added.