Fireflies And Butterflies (ON HIATUS)

25║First Protection

From the moment that they stepped into the limousine, till the moment they entered the mall, Czarina kept her eyes on Lulana. She was still in shock that Lulana had agreed to come with her and her friends, despite avoiding her for the past three weeks. When she thought about the way things had occurred between them during those three weeks, with her trying so hard to get Lulana's attention only for the Yumboe to find one way or another to stay away from her, she mentally rolled her eyes and scoffed in her head.

What a wonderful change in roles. I'm supposed to be the young mistress, yet here I am telling—begging actually!—a maid to accompany me to a restaurant. She blushed when she imagined things differently. Could this be like some pseudo-date? She eyed her chattering friends then rolled her eyes. But we aren't alone. Well blame that on her for not accepting me! What is it with people and acting proud when people confess their feelings to them? Ugh! What a useless attitude it is. And—

Czarina paused her internal rambling when she felt someone harshly nudge her side. She snapped her head to the side and noticed Farina's questioning look, a brow lifted.

"What?" Czarina grumbled.

"You were looking like you didn't want to be here."

Czarina rolled her eyes. "Like that's ever possible."

Farina snorted. "It is possible, especially since you know who"—she jerked her jaw over a shoulder, gesturing at Lulana who was silently following behind them—"is here."

Czarina rolled her eyes again. She folded her arms as they stepped onto the escalator. "Ha, ha, ha, very comforting." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and seemed to hunch her shoulders, her arms still folded. "That's not even—"

"Remotely true?" Farina snorted and waved a hand. She sighed and looked the other way. "You may be right." Czarina was going to say something but she cut her with by raising a finger. "But there's an eighty percent chance that you're all hot and bothered due to your crush that is literally standing behind you, in close proximity." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Don't you just want to kiss her?"

Her eyes widened and she snapped her head to the side, grumbling, "already tried that and it hadn't turned out great."

"What hadn't turned out great?" Mauvine asked as she finally took her attention away from the stranger she had been silently conversing with.

"Oh, sweet, sweet, Mauvine," Farina said, patting her head like she was a little child. "Where has thou mind gone to during these times? What does it yearn, oh flimsy girl of Mairborough?"

Mauvine raised her brows in utter confusion and Czarina heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. Farina simply snorted and looked the other way, leaving Mauvine to figure out what was going on.

When they got to the floor that the restaurant was located on, they quickly made their way to the restaurant. Like before, the moment they entered, Czarina was applauded by everyone. Unlike last time in which they simply clapped for her and returned to their individual activities, they came forward and shook hands with her, even taking pictures of her. Some were bold enough to hug her, whispering kind words in her ear, only to have their pictures taken with her like she was some celebrity.

When the last person left after hugging her, Czarina was clicking her tongue and straightening out the wrinkles in her cloth that came as a result of the hugs. When she was done, she huffed and perused the restaurant, looking for a free spot. When she noticed that there wasn't any free table, she heaved a sigh and turned towards the hallway that led to the reserved area. The others followed after her.

"Guess it's that place again," she said, rolling her wrist.

"Sweet!" Farina said.

"Awesome!" Mauvine said.