<b>His View</b>


    <i>Bam!</i>


    Aslow D. burst into the room throwing back the door carelessly.


    Unbothered by his noise Oswald continued grabbing his coat and fixing himself up.


    “Oh, going somewhere? You’ve had an especially serious expression lately but you seem to be less concerned today. Judging by the fact that there are only a few things that affect your mood… are you going somewhere with Constance?”


    Oswald sighed, turning back to the excited face “We may look similar but that personality of yours doesn’t match me at all.”


    “You’re telling me! Hard to believe people get us mixed up.”


    Oswald shook his head.


    Aslow D. fell back on his bed kicking off his shoes, “ I have better things to worry about than whatever the relation between you and her is, but it’d be nice to know if I’ll have to worry about “Bellow-di” charging at me to find her roommate later on.”


    <i>A scarf or no scarf? Is it cold enough to warrant self-induced suffocation? </i>


    He pondered on this as his roommate''s whining continued. Then he opened the door and headed out. He could hear Aslow D. bounding towards the door he left open and yelling some parting words.


    “Hey, at least tell me when you’ll return! Do you know how hard I’ve been working to help you-?”


    The boy rounded the corner his roommate''s voice no longer audible and began walking more swiftly.


    <i>Help me? There is one more day until that meeting. I don’t care what he’s been doing as long as he finds a way for me to get in. I don’t want to interfere, but I’d rather not be kept in the dark about her connection with that Damien kid.</i>


    After making his way out the school gates he ducked into a nearby alley to wait. Odd as it was, the memory of the two of them standing there before entering the school felt faded already.


    He had gotten used to the school and even her fragile act. Even if she had acted more like herself in the records room, she was still not as relaxed or free as he knew her to be.


    Now, as he watched her darting out towards him he was relieved to see the smile on her face and her eyes bright.


    <i>I’ll figure out her student council “interest” tomorrow so maybe I shouldn’t bring it up today. </i>


    He watched as she shed the last of her Constance act, throwing off one of her shiny shoes and thick coat.


    “It’s still cold even if you aren’t sick.” He went to pick up the articles she’d strewn on the floor while she hopped around.


    He sighed as she shoved on her first boot before pulling off the other Mary Jane to replace it with her aged footwear.


    <i>If I’d known she''d be doing this maybe I would have brought the scarf.</i>


    He studied her expression, noticing a slight drop in her smile when her eyes fell on the coat.“I’d rather not take it with me to the bookstore, at least for now there’s no need to be Constance.”


    “Right. I suppose it would be smarter to leave it” he responded, hoping he hadn’t dampened the mood.


    <i>It’s probably difficult to pretend to be some sickly girl all the time. I shouldn’t have mentioned it.</i>


    “Good, that coat is the wrong color for me.” Her mouth widened back to its original sunny state and she stepped forward into the mouth of the dark alley.


    <i>Nevermind. I guess I overthought again.</i>


    “Alright, you coming? We need to get the copied files there before it gets dark.”


    “We could’ve already been finished by now if we had just skipped class.“ He mumbled this while tossing the Constance accessories in a close by broken wagon.


    <i>It would be better to come get them on the way back rather than carry them along.</i>


    They started heading through the back alleys and it was clear to see that his partner was exceedingly glad to be walking along normally. She sauntered along the cobblestone path ahead of him.


    “What did you do with the orb?”


    He hadn’t seen it in her discarded items and losing it would be a problem.


    “Oh, you mean this?” She grabbed out the blue orb and tossed it up. He nervously watched as she caught it. There was little time to be relieved because as soon as it landed, nestled in her hand it was immediately tossed at him.


    He fumbled, barely catching it and tucking it in a pocket.


    “If you’re gonna worry about it the whole time, you should just hold it… but hand it back when we get to the bookstore.” As she spoke he could see her mischievous smirk appear for a second.


    He assumed she was planning on tricking someone again but more importantly, he already regretted asking for the disguise orb as it and the communication orb clanked around in his pocket irritatingly.


    Weaving through the alley until they were far enough from the school, they eventually joined the hustle and bustle of the street. He quickened his pace so they wouldn’t be separated.


    <i>If that old man had just picked us up with the same enthusiasm as he sent us, he could''ve gotten back much easier. I knew he had no intention of helping when we let him know we had finished copying and he sent no response but still…</i>


    After about 20 minutes and a few turns they made the last left turn down Ainemerr Street where the noise and business were almost nonexistent. They were still a few steps away from the bookstore though.


    He caught up to the girl who had finally slowed her pace nudging her with his elbow.


    “I thought you said you wanted the orb back here?”


    As she turned back he noticed that trick playing face was back.


    “Oh right, I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t break it while we were walking.”


    His face didn’t falter at the comment instead a bit puzzled.


    <i>Is this all? Somehow I expected a more annoying trick.</i>Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    “I’d wager that you’d not only lose but also destroy it long before I cause any damage.”


    He hoped to end the conversation and get this trip to the Shop over with.


    “Huh… Sounding pretty guilty right now, hand it over.”


    Shaking his head in irritation, he pulled it out and placed it gently in her outstretched hand.


    He looked at her examining it for a little bit but after a few minutes, his foot was tapping and his eyes wandered the street with impatience.


    After what felt like entirely too long he noticed her stuff the orb back in his coat pocket and walk again.


    <i>Why take it if you’re still going to have me carry it? She’s something odd, isn’t she?</i>


    He followed her until they reached the gloomy bookstore with its claustrophobic energy and shiny brass bell on the door. The girl paused and he opened the door for the two of them to reveal that the familiar clerk was once again too immersed in something to notice.


    <i>At least he’s found something useful to spend time with this time.</i>


    He could see the account book was fairly empty, but Neil seemed focused on fact-checking every purchase and payment.


    The girl sidled up to him whispering “Shouldn’t you say hello this time, since you’ll just nag me about wasting time if I talk to him.”


    <i>True, she did tend to spend too much time on the jitterbox, but… since when did she care? Whatever.</i>


    Clearing his throat he looked down on the sitting boy, “Hey… Neil, we’re here so hand over the key”


    “I said to say hello, not command him,” the girl said under her breath but loud enough for him to hear.


    Realizing their presence, Neil''s mouth turned upwards but the series of events following were a blur.


    “Oh, you two are back…” All of a sudden as his eyes landed on the boy''s face, Neil froze and turned pale. His ghostly appearance and bulging eyes made for quite a scene. He shot up rocking the desk and knocking his chair once again. He ran to the boy who at this point was thoroughly confused. Neil’s shaking hands moved to the boy''s shoulder and firmly grasped the boy. The boy saw the girl''s cheeky smile fade slowly out of the corner of his eye, but he was a little preoccupied watching the possessed-like clerk baring his eyes into him to think too much.


    “Con-” He stopped and looked at his desperate hand''s grip and stepped back almost tripping over himself.


    “You’re not-” He trailed off, and in the silence, he crumpled to the floor, his glasses became tinged with a cloudy glaze and his sniffling nose was uncomfortably loud.


    At this point, the girl next to them practically flew into the boy''s pocket and slipped one of the orbs into her pocket. After this, she slowly approached Neil. Crouching beside Neil, the girl’s hand reached out and slowly patted his back while the boy watched in almost awe at the absolute absurdity that was this situation.


    “Sorry about that, it was… supposed to be... Well, I’m guessing it meant something completely different to you.”


    <i>click… clock… click… clock</i>. <i>click… clock… click… clock</i>.


    The insufferable awkwardness lasted for several minutes with the boy standing in shock, Neil on the floor, and the girl next to him.


    <i>click… clock… click… clock</i>. <i>click… clock… click… clock</i>.


    It was almost 20 minutes later when one of them moved. Neil rose to his feet and stiffly pulled the key from its spot before stopping the clock movements to open the tunnel door.


    <i>Well, I’m certainly not sticking around in this depressing scene.</i>


    Briskly, the boy headed to the tunnel and beckoned the girl with his eyes and hand to come along. Reluctantly she followed and entered the tunnel. He turned to look ahead but heard Neil’s rushed feet against the wood chase her. He could also hear him reach out for something and then faintly the words “...dead, is she?” flowed to his ears.


    The girl must''ve nodded or given some other nonverbal response because he did not hear her answer when he finally turned. His surrender to the curiosity of the situation caused him to witness the end of the interaction where the now haunted and haggard Neil closed the last window into his lonely and limited life of literature.


    The boy could not distinguish whether there was a thud-like collapse on the other side of the door or if that was simply the clock coming back to life. Either way, he and the girl were fairly silent for half of that walk.


    “I’m guessing that was your doing, right?”


    “I-”


    “To be clear I don’t mean his reaction, there''s no way you would’ve predicted that wreck. I just mean you did something with the orb.”


    He looked back at her now serious expression and crossed arms “You were Constance.”


    “What?” He stopped with her almost running into him.


    Sighing, his eyes followed her gaze as she looked at the orb they were using to light up the passage.


    “I just thought it would be funny to hear your voice come out of Constance, but since it was set so we could both see through the sorcery orb disguise, I thought it would be funny for Neil to see…sorry”


    “Why’d he cry about it though, was it seriously that shocking to see some weak girl with my voice?”


    “Well if you were in his situation…Wait, you’re not even going to blame me at all?”


    “Like I said, how would you be able to know the effect of that joke, plus it isn’t like I was affected so I’m not the person to be blaming you. Just don’t try pulling those kinds of stints… at least without letting me know.”


    “You know I’m not going to feel better just because you say this. But, thank you anyway.”


    He turned towards the pathway to hide his face. He began walking again, pleased to hear her hand trailing along behind.


    <i>At least she won’t be sulking about it for too long.</i>


    “So what did he ask you back there? Did it have something to do with him grabbing me? Almost sounded like he said, Constance.”


    “Nothing. How would he even know her, he’s an orphan and she’s some uptight heiress.”


    “Right… ”


    <i>As if your voice doesn’t give away the fact you are practically racking your brain to patch together just what their connection is. Hardly matters though, we’re not investigating and there is some truth to there being a wide gap between those two. Someone who stays in her manor all day and another stuck in a shabby old bookstore? It is more likely the sorcery orb in action just freaked him out but still, that wouldn’t explain-</i>


    Interrupting his thoughts as usual, the girl leaned near his shoulder, the orb illuminating her narrowed eyes as she looked him up and down.


    “You just forgave me because I''m your only friend right?”


    “You aren’t.”


    “Oh, so you have no friends then.”


    “Let''s just get the files to the old man and go back.”


    “Why rush to get back and be fill-ins?”


    “Do you have to retort every time?”


    “No, but if I didn’t we would both be bored and alone”


    He didn’t respond this time because he could admit she was right. Odd as it was, he realized that the fact they had always been together was comforting and that if they stopped talking to each other… <i></i>


    <i>Still, why does she always have to be right?</i>


    After reaching the SHOP they had a short conversation with Cami, namely the girl reassuring her that Neil was fine and would come to visit sometime. She also spent a few too many seconds watching Cami which seemed like guilt or interest? He couldn’t tell what her face meant and it bothered him a bit.


    The two delivered their files up to the top level of the SHOP. Grandpa Ed was “busy” picking out new missions for other SELLERS so luckily they had no interaction and just handed the information to Grandfather Richie.


    The tall, thin, and firm man certainly contrasted Grandpa Ed.


    “You two… thank you for delivering this, I won’t waste your time with meaningless drivel just get back to it and don’t mess up.”


    “Thank you for the kind wishes, Richie!” The boy knew she was only casual with the old man because he was honest and always rather stern compared to the irresponsible and playful Grandpa Ed.


    He wasn’t a fan of this old man either. The memories of the frigid, snowy dawn the girl had brought him to the SHOP and off the street, Grandfather Richie had scolded her for being frivolous and gullible. The scarf she had handed him that day was much too large and he could tell it wasn’t a child''s size but it still thawed his coldness.  Once again her actions earned her another speech about how she shouldn’t have wasted so much money on an adult scarf for some child who wouldn’t even speak to thank her.


    There were several other times this man had scolded them and each time the boy felt it was just because Grandfather Richie believed he was superior to everyone else. He wasn’t bad, just objectively annoying to the boy.


    “By the way, I’d be careful while pretending to be that deceased young lady, those with money and power tend to keep the most secrets.”


    With that they left, in a hurry to reach the academy before the sunset. Even though they were rushing the boy still took notice of the empty bookstore and he was certain the girl was probably more aware of Neil’s disappearance but neither mentioned it.


    When they got back to the alley he helped her put back on the hefty coat and her shoes were switched, covering up the events of the day. He watched her adjust the orb with a twinge of bitterness.


    Their eyes met and she spoke, luckily still in her normal tone and not Constance.


    “At least I''m less cold now. Speaking of, your nose is pink, you should''ve at least worn your scarf, it''s almost like you think I bought it to be room decoration. You hardly wear it.”


    “Your nose is red too.”


    “So what, we could have shared the scarf then.”


    A chilly wind blew by and the two of them shuddered.  He blew hot breath on his hands and rubbed them quickly but the warmth didn’t last long. To her credit, his nose really was freezing.


    The boy made sure she got back to her dorms and when she had finally left and he was alone, there was only one thing on his mind.


    <i>I really should have worn the scarf.</i>