A Wider Sky: Beyond Eclipse Series
by Talyis Bagley Ellison
Copyright first edition 2013, 2015
Chapter 16
Shopping. It last thing I imagining doing in my life. No one in the colony shopped as a past-time or a hobby. Shopping was exclusive to basic necessities and even then stopping by a little wares shop in the colony was infrequent. My mom described shopping as something they did before-Eclipse to fill a void within oneself. Often we, humans bought too much and most of it went to waste. I suspect my mom told me this not for my benefit of knowing what life like but more for herself - so she'd sincerely appreciate what was important in this new life. I am sure she misses excursions with her friends, peeking through stylish windows and trying out the seasonal fashions. Whenever she told me about this part of life before-Eclipse, she would grab my head and kiss my crown with an even warming hug. Secretly, I thought she admired how we were forced to be resourceful and considerate of each others needs.
"Kiowa it was chic to be a waste conscious. We carried reusable bags like badges. We had so many most of them we rarely used and eventually threw them away, anyways. We didn't even touch the tip of the iceberg for having a real understanding of using our resources like we do now. Compared to how we live now, we didn't even have a clue then how wasteful we really were." My mother would say while making even our broken things, transforming them into new useful things. We scarcely ever threw anything away.
I nervously waited for Haazic and Sebol and wondered if the Y'vroi shopped soley for necessity or did they continue before-Eclipse habits. Regardless, shopping with Haazic and Sebol was an opportunity to spend the bursary as instructed. Although spending the afternoon with Sebol made me second guess the means.
We started out shopping in a bucolic village of quaint boutique shops. The girls talked amongst themselves for the most part. Because no matter how much Haazic tried to include me, Sebol gave me a cold shoulder. I was okay with Sebol's exclusion from conversation because I was more worried about saying the wrong thing. It's profoundly frustrating. It was like dancing. It's awkward because it's something you've been naturally doing since a toddler - dancing -to be taken aback that you have two left feet facing different directions, even your hands feel larger than any part of your body - and you can't make a single move because it's so foreign to you.
"Let's go in here, " Sebol darted into a shop and we followed behind like her royal entourage as we had been doing all afternoon. Sebol was the queen of shopping and she had the largest purse of the three of us. She had already purchased fancy perfumes and a designer handbag.
"Don't you just love lingerie!" She squealed while pulling a hanger from the store's boudoir. On it hung a pink frilly banquet bra and lace lined silk panties. "Here Kiowa, wouldn't Gaelen like to see you in these."
I blushed so hard.
"Gaelen and Kiowa are simply friends, I've already asked." Haazic took the pink set from Sebol. "But Bane loves me in lace."
"Well that solves my first question then, but doesn't answer my second."
"What's that? " I asked with a hard nervous swallow.
"Gaelen. He said his soul opened during The Festivities but he continues to hang out with you. My soul named him so why is he still hanging out with you? Are you fuck buddies?" She cringed at her own words. "Has he mentioned why his soul hasn't opened? "
The blood drain from my face. "I'm a virgin." Sebol rolled her eyes. "He says his soul did open. But you know Gaelen, he's always flirting."
Sebol draped her arms across her chest and laughed, "Who is still a virgin at your age!! Please, we know you are fucking him, so quit with the innocent flower routine."
"Well I am," I swallowed my words.
"Please, Gaelen fucks every woman who he gives a second glance of interest. He's a prince! He gets whatever he wants. You included."
"Well. he doesn't get me!" I wanted to leave.
"Help me out here Hazzic," Sebol tapped her strappy expensive heels irritated as she looks me over with a disgust.
"Sebol, she says she's not sleeping with him. Leave it be. Shouldn't it make you feel better knowing he is not sleeping with her."
"What do you mean, Gaelen is always flirting?" Sebol's eyes narrowed sharply like a dart.
"I don't think his soul opened. I think he is only trying to be charming when so many people's souls opened during the Festivities."
"No, I meant about him flirting."
"My soul named someone back home if that's what you are really wondering." I snapped, I don't know why I lied. I'm tried of being afraid and timid.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Just friends just like I said before."
"Then what does Gaelen say about me?" Sebol jutted one hip out and her face trembled a bit. I recognize that look. It was unrequited love and I and it were famous friends. I sympathize with Sebol in that moment.
"Give it some time Sebol. Gaelen just needs time."
"God, some time? How can I have any time when he is always hanging out with you," She flipped her hair and exhaled with frustration.
"God, Sebol give the girl a break," Haazic rolled her eyes handing me the offending pink lingerie set.
"Yeah, Sebol give the girl a break! " Gaelen chuckled from behind us all causing us to stiffened like we saw a ghost.
"Gaelen?! " "What are doing here?" "Hey baby!" All of us said in unison.
"Hi Haazic. Can't I shop too? I love the color pink on you, Mouse, it goes well with that blush." He answered with a suave timbre that made my heart skip. My hands whipped into action stashing the lingerie back on the display. He then draped his arm over Sebol, he black and purple hair swooped over his e as he looked down on her with a seductive stare. "Hi baby."
Sebol's face lit up like a exploding firecracker. " Kiowa was right. You are a flirt!" Sebol growled pulling his arm off of her shoulder with perfect flirtatious flare that matched his. They were both pros of exuding sexual appeal. She could precisely time when she could find the opportunity to devour Gaelen right between the lacy teddies and couture corsets.
"I actually came to fetch Kiowa. She promised to tutor me for Windsor's final exams and she said if it was past-" Gaelen looked at his watch, "4pm to get her from her shopping break . So unfortunately, ladies, her fun time is over."
He then squeezed Sebol to him and gave her a reassuring peck on the cheek. She melted in his arms and offered her neck to him. He twirled her around and she laughed melodiously. But it was his effervescent way of ending their interlude because he was already pulling me out of the shop.
"How did you know where to find me?" I whispered once the coast was clear in between the racks of wedding lingerie and honeymoon pajamas, far from the risque outfits Sebol was pressing to her body and glancing towards us - enticing Gaelen to imagine her in them.
"Sebol always shops for frilly lingerie." Gaelen arched an eyebrow and winked. My heart sank, I wonder if he had seen some of her underwear collection and if he expected me to wear something similar. "I'm not the only one who is a supposed slut on campus."
"How did you know what we were..? Nevermind, don't answer that. Why did you lie? We don't have a tutoring session today."
"You shouldn't hang out with those girls for a while. All they want is to gossip about me and whom my soul named. "
"Well excuse me! I didn't know that I couldn't cultivate a relationship with anyone on campus without it being somewhat about you. Sorry, Mr. The World Does Not Revolve Around You."
His rich chuckle made me burn more. "Alright fair. Anyways, I want to take you somewhere. I think you will like it." He opened the shop door for me.
He waved goodbye to the girls over his should as we left. Sebol jutted her out and her arms crossed with a freezing scowl.
"I don't want you hanging out with those girls," he ordered. We walked the charming pebbled path leading back to the more crowded sidewalks leading to the city center.
"Haazic is my friend," I defended "and Sebol-"
"She is mean to you. They will use you to get to me." He didn't look at me to gauge my response, it was just a simple fact to Gaelen. "I do believe her soul opened, it's quite possible it did reveal my name."
I stopped and pulled away but my hand secured in his warm grasp. "Why toy with her? That means your soul named her too. Why toy with me?"
"Kiowa we've been through this before. I choose you. Doesn't that mean anything to you. You are my best friend. I wouldn't toy with you."
I shook my head but thoughts of clarity were muted over the ringing alarms. "I am your friend. I can't be anything more than that if you aren't clear with me."
"First and always I need to be your friend and you mine." He stopped and in his Gaelen way, tucked my wayward braids behind my shoulder. "Let's go. You are going to love this place!"
The busy foot traffic petered off as we walked under a red and gold archway with a fire-breathing dragon on it. An amazing weft of fragrant smells came from the small shops lining the narrow street beyond the archway, wrapping and curling up a small hill.
We walked up the hill street to another winding street. The sun beamed romantically giving the shops, restaurants and small apartments a golden hue. Each uniformed with beautiful windowsill flower beds draping the ground-level shops with falling green tendrils. The streets became more narrow as we climbed the hill until it seemed like the buildings on either side of us were leaning in for a kiss - only a bike could pass through for a little way tightening from a single-person passageway into a crevice.
Joyous music filled the air as Gaelen and I squeezed through the buildings that were so close together that our backs scraped against the brick and our bodies nearly got stuck. Beyond this crevice at the end of town, on the other side of the meeting building open up to a large square with a bubbling fountain in the center. This hidden town was surrounded by more shops and eateries. A large theater sat on facing across the square on opposite sides. A man stood with an easel near the fountain with a black beret and a paint covered smock.
"Those shops are actually classes and schools." Gaelen ushered me to peek through the window to spy on a class of little girls in pink too-tuos practicing ballet dance positions at the barre. Above the mirror in frilly writing a banner hung: Perfect in Imperfection.
