I awoke, I was in the same moment as then; This time though, I wasn't weak. If my body gave up that wouldn't mean my soul will. I have the power to make fantasy become true; to make reality become fallacy. Stars peak the ocean don't they?
Selpharia was in front of me again, I won't cower and bow this time to her. Who cares if she's immortal? Who cares if she has enhanced senses? Who cares if she has superhuman strength and speed? Who cares if she has whatever the hell she has up her sleeve? I'll fight it all with fantasy.
"Your boobs are as big as ever, aren't they?" I said as I stood up after passing out, I felt adrenaline pass through my body; the magical power I emanated shook the wind. I pulled my fist back and punched her, causing her to back off slightly, it was unexpected and I jabbed her face. I felt like I was hitting a brick wall. I wanna beat the ever living shit out of her, she deserves to die.
Selpharia backed up further, going into her battle stance like it was instinct, she uttered, "Oh my! You're certainly a brave one arent'cha!" She licked her lips, uttering "Let's take it elsewhere, this frail shack isn't enough to contain for what's to come." Does she think we're Goku and Vegeta or what?!
Whatever, my patience was high so I nodded along, Belle stood up and uttered: "Z-Zeni..?" .. Oh, that's right.. This time Belle wasn't a vampire, I stopped her from getting bitten by that bitch. I didn't wanna look back, if I did then I would've hugged her tightly and broken down in her arms again. I won't let it happen again, I didn't wanna sound like a badass but I had to say: "I'll explain it all later." I stepped forward and looked back, "And in 10 years I wanna start a family with you!" I ran off.
Selpharia took off with her wings under the moonlight, I hate to say it but she looked beautiful. I grew myself a pair of golden wings too made out of mana, it came to me so naturally.. So this is what turning fantasy into reality means.
She flew over the shack going over a forest onto plain grass, I followed her. I was gonna beat the shit out of her, I will deflate those boobs and pass it on to Belle.
I quipped, "Are we gonna fight here or what?" , she retorted: "I didn't know you were this strong, weren't you just crying comically? That sure gave me a good laugh. Ka! Ka! Ka!"
That laugh of hers pisses me off. She flew further and further, just how fast was she?! I have to keep it up. Before I realized it we got to an island on the ocean, there was an arena there. We descended down slowly, she snapped her fingers and the arena was full of light. The four pillars in each direction lit up, she said: "Don't you know? I was a massive Dragon Ball back then, that's why I made this arena in my free time.. around.. hmm.. I'd say 600 years or so back."
I sneered, "Cut the small talk, let's begin already." We both started walking down step by step, the stars on this island were very bright and clear. I took a deep breath, I took off my blazer and threw it aside. My heart started beating faster, I was scared; but I won't let that stop me.
The battle started, a loud shockwave shook the ground *Thud* My fist clashing against hers. She lunged at me, her kick sent me flying but I recovered from the momentum and came flying at her again with a kick to her neck.
"I BELIEVE IN EQUALITY!"
Her eyes rolled back, she striked me in the gut and turned over, kicking me in the neck. "I too believe in equality!" I also rolled my eyes back, nearly passing out. She jumped and grabbed my neck mid-air and started thrashing me over and over again. *THWACK* *THWACK* *THWACK* *THWACK*
*Crunch* I reinforced my teeth with magic and bit her fist, she let out a groan and backed off "You lunatic! How dare you!"
I fell to the ground and scoffed with blood all over my face, "Is that all you got? Seems like you didn't watch the Buu saga." The wind was blowing hard.
Selpharia jumped up and a gust of wind appeared from below. I had to jump up as well to not get lost in the smoke. Suddenly chills ran through my body, Selpharia was in the air ready to kick my head with her heel *WHOOSH* huh? Why'd she miss my head— *SWOOSH* *CRASH*
I crashed into the pillar, and groaned "That hurts!"
Blood was all over my forehead, I stood up barely, jumped and hopped from the pillar to her gut with a headbutt. She tried stopping my head like a goalkeeper and lost momentum causing my hit to go through.
I huffed loudly on the ground, my breath was heavy. I stood up barely yet again and glared at Selpharia who flipped over and caught herself on the ground, from where I stood I could see claw marks on the ground. She groaned and ran up the pillar. I screamed "WHAT THE HELL!?" Was she trying to body slam me?! I ran further and further from the center of the arena, hoping that she'd miss me since it was so big; in area. I yelled as I sprinted, "YOU'RE CRAZY!!"
She was up the pillar nearing the tip, I tried running faster and faster! Yet there she was atop the pillar glaring at me.
Her hair flowed in the cold air over the moon, she grinned glaring at me.
She leapt from the pillar, gravity pulling her down, she spun *WHOOOOOSH* falling down as she set her elbow for my face. She laughed in the air comically, "KA! KA! KA!THIS IS THE MOST FUN I'VE HAD IN YEARS!!"
"Eek!!" Before she came crashing on me, I created a bubble around myself. *WHOOOOOOOOOOOOSH* She groaned, *BOING!* She bounced off and landed on the ground on her fours like a beast, I laughed amazed at my skill. Selpharia stood up and uttered, "You know, I underestimated you greatly. How could you be this powerful for your age? Why were you hiding all this power from me earlier?"
She coughed out blood and wiped her mouth. I spat onto the floor and retorted, "That doesn't matter at all. Let's get back to throwing hands." I said as I squared up my fists.
"You can still become my kin, boy." She remarked like; I would ever give in. I proudly gave her the middle finger. We both got into our battle stances again.
I rolled around in the bubble like a hamster, bouncing from pillar to pillar generating speed and friction heating up to strike Selpharia, *BOING* *BOING* *BOING* *BOING* *BOING*. After bouncing around for so long, I finally came on to strike Selpharia. The whole time I was bouncing around, she stood there as if she were calculating every bounce. The magic bubble was moments away from hitting Selpharia from an angle above.. Yet she turned her head around *POP!* and burst the bubble with her finger nail. I was initially astonished when the bubble burst, but I gritted my teeth and was in momentum for a kick to the face; in a slight moment I enhanced my legs with mana as if it were instinct. I landed on the ground enhancing my fist with magic, I was ready to punch her from the back.
*Fsshhhh* Huh? She disappeared. Before I knew it she hit my back with a palm strike; causing me to spit out blood and fall down where I was standing, gasping for air. She scoffed, "Oh my? So you could even handle that attack?" she yawned "I've had enough of playing around, I should get rid of you … or we could go a couple more rounds." She cackled her stupid laugh again. I was bruised all around, yet I stood up.
Astonished, she spoke: "So, you have a little more fight in you?" , I grumbled: "Of..coushe .. A doo.." We both backed up. She uttered, "I should get serious now, Well.. I already used my wind magic." — This beast.. She wasn't even at full strength? Just as she underestimated me, it seems that I've also underestimated her. I'll defeat her nonetheless.
I jumped up and visualized a hammer; creating a hammer out of mana. *WHAM* I hammered the ground Selpharia was on, she dodged out the way before it even hit.. but what Selpharia didn't seem to realize was that; I didn't create it to hammer her. But instead to create a shockwave strong enough for me to go onto one of the four pillars. I stood up one of them and looked at the starry sky. I wish I could kiss Belle right now while gazing at this sky.
But that's beside the point. I took a deep breath, sunlight, I'll use sunlight magic. That's the only way I can win.
Atop the pillar, Selpharia was running upwards to me.. I created a ball of sunlight and spread it all throughout my body, hopefully a punch and a blast of sunlight magic would be enough to pierce and damage her. I jumped down from the pillar; leaping a diagonal kick *SMASH!*
Now, we were both falling down in the air, I found the opportunity to pin her down to the ground *CRASH!* The ground shook creating a crater, I only had a moment's worth to strike, Selpharia was stronger than me by levels. I had to act fast or otherwise she'd have the advantage. My hands on her chest, I pulsed the magic onto her body *SIZZLE* Selpharia groaned out of pain and screamt. She pushed me aside, "HOW DARE YOU!?" She was out of breath, rolling in pain.
I was on the ground laughing at her being in pain, rolling around like a child having a tantrum. She muttered, "How dare you. How dare you. How dare you. How dare you. How dare you." She stood up and snapped "How dare you mock me like that." *Fshhhhh* Before I knew it, her hand was gripping firmly on my neck. She got her bat-like wings out and started levitating up and uttering: "How dare you mock me like that, by reducing me to a dunce." She gripped my neck tighter "You dare use such petty tricks against me? .. HUH!? .. I severely underestimated you. This is it for you, you lunatic." Her tone was different, I flipped a switch in her.
I coughed and muttered, "That's where you're wrong.. I'm not a lunatic.. I'm a fanatic; A visionary!"
She spun around and around, and threw me to the air *SWOOSH* And caught me mid-air. She uttered, "Don't you dare underestimate me!" and threw me to the ground *CRAAASHHH!!* The crater in the arena was even bigger this time. I layed on the ground looking defeated and bloody, Just as she severely underestimated me.. I did too.
*THUD* She came crashing down the sky, she walked step by step. Each step was louder than the other, it felt like an earthquake was happening with each step she took.
The aura she gave off was nothing like what she was before.. I'm scared. But that doesn't mean I'll cower in fear yet again. Suddenly I heard a familiar voice.. It was Rella, "Is your fantasy gonna prevail to reality yet again? Are the stars gonna be in the ocean yet again..?" Was I being delusional again? Or was she speaking to me.. Who cares? It was more or less the same thing, wasn't it?
Those words echoed in my head as I jumped up in the air. My fantasy will live on! Who cares if I was being crazy back there or not!? I'll win against her even if I go coo-coo crazy! Delusion is fantasy after all isn't it?
I created magical chains imbued with sunshine magic, if Selpharia touches the chains she'll get damaged. She stood on the ground glaring at me, *Swoosh!* Naturally she'll go for my neck as soon as she moves faster than wind, she'll be right up in my face— *WHOOSH—CLANG!* Huh? Don't tell me she can throw wind slashes! Why the hell is the first boss so op?!
I hung the chains to each of the four pillars creating an "X" shape, I stood on the center point of the chains, I took the detached chains and wore them on my wrists. She'll be at risk if she comes close to me, I'll just choke her with the chains. This way we'll be forced to fight at a distance. I let out a scream to show my excitement! "COOOMMMMMMMEEEE ATTTT MEEE!" I yelled. Selpharia in the air fanned a huge gust of wind towards me with her wings, thinking quickly, I created a huge fan and fanned it back to her! It was like deflecting a ball with a bat.
The fan's mana returned to my body. I leapt from the center of the chains, in the air I charged up the magical energy to use sunshine magic and flicked my finger *SNAP!* *VSSSSHHHH!* Like a set of marble balls, I flicked them in the air. A few marbles grazed Selpharia, one even came close to piercing her but she barely flicked it back with her wind magic.
With each hit, she looked angrier. Her injuries surely burned and lingered. She stood there looking more serious than ever as I flicked my finger to throw another set of marvels, right as the marbles were about to hit her.. She vanished into thin air. Not even a woosh or anything, she came behind me and whispered, "Don't you think it's time to stop playing around?" Time hung in the air, I felt my heart stop "You seem to be enjoying yourself .. way too much." Only then the air whooshed in my direction.
Why was I fighting again? Was it for revenge.. Or was it to have fun. Who cares, now's not the time to get philosophical.
*Shhk!* "I must thank you for this battle.. I haven't had this much fun in so long." I tried moving my elbow to hit her, but it wouldn't move.. Huh. I wanted to scream, at that moment it looked like the soul in my eyes was sucked out. Dead. I looked down and saw my chest impaled.. My heart was in Selpharia's hand.
Blood rained out of my mouth and the hole in my chest, my clothes were tattered and ripped.
Fantasy wasn't enough to beat reality.
Selpharia uttered, "You did well to entertain me – I see why I couldn't bite you then. Given some time, you would've been nearly as strong as I am."
.. I blacked out..? Ugh, not this again, is my soul a moon this time? Hold on..! What's tickling my neck..? *Snkt*
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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT HURTS!!!!!! WON'T I EVER DIE IN PEACE?! WHAT IS WITH THIS WORLD AND NOT LETTING ME DIE?!
Hold on, was this reality or fantasy? Or possibly what's in between?
"I'm not satisfied enough." The voice.. It was Selpharia's, it came from behind. She held my neck high up in the sky, so high that I felt like the moon was gonna crash on me eventually from this distance.
Selpharia uttered, "Oh my? You're surprisingly conscious.. I thought you were gonna be out at least for a few more seconds." She sneered, "Your heart tasted delightful by the way! Such a tender heart. Delicacy indeed."
I muttered, "How am I alive..?" Suddenly I felt an excruciating ache throughout my whole body. I looked down at the hole in my chest, I could see my organs regrowing. I yelled scarcely till I was out of breath, "Huff.. Huff.. Did .. you .. turn me into a vampire?!" She cackled her stupid laugh and uttered, "Yes I did–" I interjected, "WHY YOU!" .. She answered with something as simple as: "To even the levels." Even the levels?! Are you kidding me! I coughed out blood due to yelling.
She remarked, "Steady now. Don't look so perplexed, there'll only be one victor standing after all; You'll turn back human if you win. You wouldn't have won either way before, I had all the advantages in the world. More than a thousand years of experience, and the moon in the sky; Don't you know? Vampires are at their peak under moonlight."
The pain of everything regenerating hurt so much, it didn't help that the air was so cold too. All over my body it felt like needles pierced me from outer and within constantly. All the fractured bones snapping back into place, if skyscrapers could feel while being built, then this is what they would feel.
After what felt like a day, I could twitch my fingers slightly.
After what felt like a week, I could wiggle my arm slightly.
After what felt like a month, I could turn my head slightly.
After what felt like a year, I could shrug my shoulders slightly.
After what felt like a decade, I could rock my legs back n' forth slightly.
After what felt like a century, I felt my heart pulsate like a star.
I felt like I was ready more than ever, it was like I was reborn again, different from that half-dead state I was in before.. even before that. This was my absolute Zenith.
"It's been an hour already, are you healed or not?" She sneered. I grew a pair of actual vampire wings and moved my neck out of her grip. She tsk'd, "How petty. I just saved your life and this is how you repay me?"
I gave her the middle finger, "Go to hell. Let's get on with it already."
She jeered to the sky, moon, and ocean: "One of us will certainly go there by the end of this battle, there's not much time until the sun rises. If it's not done by then we'll both be there."
Who the hell is "we"?! My heart is pure and golden, such an innocent soul like mine won't go there. Whatever, I just glared at her; flapping our wings in the sky she glared back at me. The look in our eyes said enough for us to descend down back to the island and fight. Descending down the island, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my broken phone.. I sighed audibly and muttered, "I figured much." I couldn't even look at what time it was. My internal clock said it was about 3 am .. although it was probably off by more or less. Nonetheless there wasn't enough time either way.
3:00 am, we were both in the arena.
3:01 am, we walked counter clockwise opposite from eachother.
3:02 am, we neared each other.
3:03 am, we were facing each other directly by a thread.
3:04 am, I struck first with my shackled wrist.
There was a saying "He who strikes first, wins." As for who said it.. I don't know, but probably a fictional detective and no it's not Batman. It was a punch to the face, but it seemed like I barely did any damage.. Was I holding back? *POP* *GUUUUSHHHHHH* My head was blown off, I watched on the ground as my body ran around like it was looking for something desperately.
I picked up my head and put it back into place like a Mecha figure. It popped back in and healed in an instant like I wasn't just beheaded.
Selpharia murmured, "Didn't I say this was a fight, not a tickle party?" She scratched her head. She quickly got back into her battle stance as she saw me come running at her *POP!* I blasted her head off! Her body retaliated and blasted my head off with a punch! We were both headless now, our bodies fought against one another, I blacked out and my head was on my body again; Selpharia too.
In the heat of the moment, she noticed my confusion and leapt and did a half circle of a kick and chopped my right arm off. In an instant with my left arm I gave her a punch and left her flying to the top left pillar. Grabbing my other arm, I imbued it with sunshine magic and threw it at her like a spear to her gut. From afar I heard "G-Guh!" as I regrew an arm.
She threw aside my former arm in the air like a boomerang, and jumped from the pillar to my location in an instant like the wind. She was behind me! She spun in the air and threw a slash of wind and chopped my left arm off, she grabbed it and in the same moment like Thor's hammer my former arm was returning. *THWACK!* THWACK!* My own arms punched me! *THWACK!* Another punch came from Selpharia and it was to my face. Headless yet again.
In the midst of it, my body acted on its own and my remaining arm slapped Selpharia's head off and pinned her down, with a simple pop my head regenerated alongside my arm; she kicked my torso with her headless body! My legs kicked my head back onto my torso. *PLOP!* It was reattached.
After kicking my torso, her body flipped and ran to her head, she grabbed her head by the hair, whipped it and threw it in the air; using her head as a ball she did a bicycle kick and curved it straight to my head. *THUNK!* Ow! It was like my head hit against metal, after our heads collided, her head flew right back into her body as I hit it with equal force.
She leapt back at me, both her hands in the air, her knee lit back. But before she could smash me, my lower body; legs jumped up in the air and kicked her from the side, shoving her away. My arms jumped up to where I was mid-air and with a simple pop they reattached, I perfectly fit into my lower body like the upper half of a lego figure.
A person with autism would be stimulated by what the hell just happened in the span of seconds alongside my landing like some superhero.
Suddenly I got a sense of Deja vu, it was Selpharia with her bullshit attack yet again! She appeared right before me! *SWOOOOOOSHH!* I bent my elbow and wrist to the side to guard myself like some sort of martial artist. *KRUNCH!* I got kneed! My eyes popped out, judging from my other senses I was on the edge of the island laying on the sand. Oh, I regained my visio– "AGUHWAGH!" I moaned effeminately rolling out of the way of her long ranged wind bullet-like attacks.
I rolled forward like a hedgehog and leapt like a frog. I spun to the side and boosted myself onto the arena by exerting magic blasts. I saw Selpharia in a vulnerable position so I extended the chains on my arm and aimed for her shoulders.. ATTACK SUCCESFUL! I suddenly understand why they miss their attacks in JRPGS now. My wings extended like a butterfly as I pulled her up like I was lifting dumbbells.
She groaned in pain as I pulled her up and exclaimed, "How?! How are you still using sunshine magic, aren't you a vampire?!"
I blurted, "Vampire?" There I realized.. My ability, it was the cause of this. A part of me accepted my vampirization, but my subconscious still accepted myself as human. It's not like my vampirization didn't happen, I very much felt the pain; regenerating everything, while basking in the moonlight.
Fantasy led to me becoming a quasi-vampire. That meant I was a daywalker. Cutting back to reality I sliced off her arms, she groaned even harder as blood splattered everywhere.
The chains retracted with her arms, I flew right back down as she fell down with both her arms in each hand. She regenerated both her arms quickly, trying to guard herself from me falling down on her like a meteor. I imbued both of her former arms with sunshine magic; the result was it crumbling instantly, "Tsk. What did I expect!"
She grew out her wings and spun in the air; getting into stance. Her palm forward, but what she didn't anticipate was something that I didn't even expect happening.
4:02 am
An hour had nearly passed after this round first started. After her arms crumbled to dust after imbuing them with sunshine magic, I steered back and pushed my palm upwards. I charged up all the mana in my body getting ready to throw a huge ball of sunshine magic. The mini-sun was heavy, it was like holding a boulder.
I charged up the mini-sun using the last of my mana, it got bigger. The golden light shined beneath me. The golden star jarred my shoulders, the weight was impossible to hold anymore .. So I threw it.
4:03 am
That night for Selpharia, the sun rose 2 hours earlier than usual. As I threw the symbol of hope for most, I looked at my scorched hands, the air wasn't so cold anymore. My hair flowed upwards from the death ball I leashed upon Selpharia. A golden eye and a golden sun. Those were probably the last things she saw as she was incinerated to dust, how sad. I heard not a single yelp nor a scream, she looked in awe, not doing a single thing about it. No tears, no form of resistance at all, instead of saving herself. She succumbed to her fate. In that regard we were similar and not similar at the same time, since to me.. Fate is only a fantasy.
I passed out.
===========================================
*Chirp!* *Chirp!* "Huh..?" It was sometime in the morning, the sun's rays shone upon me as I layed on the arena; a chirupp of titmice birds were all over my body. *Peck* One of the birds pecked my arm lightly .. "AAAAHHHHHH!" I yelped "IT HURTS!" That moment hung in the air, looking at it from a third perspective view it must've looked stupid. It led me to laugh a laugh of joy; a laugh I could reminisce about in the future and laugh just as hard as I did then.
As the wind breezed, I came to a realization. One so simple it made me breathe a sigh that spelled "I'm an idiot." as I put my palm to my face.
That as long as we felt pain, it would fuel our desire to live. And I was– No.. That all of us are the prime example of it.
There'll come a moment in life where I'll think about this, smile and look back with tears in my eyes. Tears of happiness.
Survival is the most selfish act, driven by emotions you understand; full of logic. The hope you had once has elevated beyond in your soul. Unable to grasp it, you stretch your hand to the sky, believing in your will to keep on going. In the end, you'll think about yourself and yourself only being at ease, your eyes screaming "I'm so glad to live." no matter how dull they look. Some day, somebody will ask; "Would you do it all over again?" Given the chance, I would look up and smile and simply say yes. And that'd be the end of it, a satisfaction met by all.
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Sometime later.. I was in the library with Belle after school. She grabbed my sleeve and whispered, "Zeni do you love me?" , I said "Yeah." She pointed towards a set of books, obviously it was her stupid GL books. She murmured, "So, buy them for me! B minus S plus F." I sighed and went out of my way to grab the set.
I gave one look at the cover and title, and sighed yet again. I walked up to the counter to the librarian. She looked like a middle schooler doing her part-time job. My eyes lit up as I locked eyes with her.
She took a look at my books and uttered a line I've heard so many times, a line I despised most. My ears felt like they ringed whenever I heard it. Although this time.. It wasn't as bad.
She uttered, "Oh my? You're certainly a brave one." Hearing it in this voice made it feel like it was a compliment.
I simply smiled and murmured, "Yeah. I am." and walked off with the bag of books in my hand.