Chapter 8

"Where do we start?" Louisa asked, confused with the rambunctious nature of the surroundings given that it was their first-ever event to witness in their new town. "Every restau is overflowing with customers."

Gianna had returned home to her family already prepared for the fest. Depressed, she was urged to hurry and join them in a failed attempt to suggest staying back knowing full well that the depression would worsen. How she couldn't wait for Saturday to meet Julia and Seth. 

If her face glowed a bit, it was no doubt because of the thought of what Seth was going to say or, better still, do.

"R&R isn't," she said, "I guess. Mimie said they serve the best chicken curry."

"We'll give that a try, shall we?" When they all replied in the affirmative, her father zoomed off Blazing Bean Roaster's parking lot. 

The short journey entertained by 'Old McDonald had a farm' ended upon arrival. With three noise maniacs against one, Louisa had no option but to join. R&R wasn't among the top ten classiest restaurants in Cold Spring but it wasn't deniably the worst either. Already, its proprietor tried his best to embellish the exterior of the tiny restaurant with a luring chicken curry sign and sparsely occupied parasols on the concrete extension to the restaurant's entrance. Very few people decided to perch outside, probably to enjoy the view and fresh air the surroundings had to offer, or perhaps the interior was too congested.

But it wasn't. 

In the energetic interior, smiles and chattering were the welcome sign. Not as small as it seemed from the outside, the room still had a handful of unoccupied seats for a family like hers. 

On their walk to a seat, Gianna took the opportunity to scan the room, and unfortunately for her, her sight and Mimie and the Diths met concurrently.

The triad gaily waved, and she did same, however, not with similar enthusiasm.

"Oh, looks like chicken curry is not all they've got to offer," Louisa said once seated, a menu in hand. "Now I'm confused. What will you order, honey?"

"I'd love to give their main cuisine a try. Gianna said they made the best...from a local's viewpoint, isn't it, Gigi?"

The latter who'd been absent-minded all talk long quivered to reality. "Uh, yeah. Right."

When their orders were served, hums and comments of savor were shared as they wholeheartedly dug into their meals. All but Petra hadn't ordered the main cuisine. She preferred a plate of shrimp risotto which happened to be delicious as well, as tasted by Gianna in tricky circumstances, that which earned her a growl from the deep-eyed minion.

Though still not in full understanding as to why R&R was one of the least ranked restaurants in Cold Spring, Gianna, and her little family hoped to visit as often as they could as they made it out of the restaurant. Mimie and the Diths had long gone and their seats were replaced by a young couple who found more pleasure in feasting on each other's eyes than they did on the meal.

Their faces in her head shifted to hers and Seth's while they walked past them and even after. And if she broke out of her bubble it was only at the sight of four heads that walked towards them with smiles she knew were little to not genuine.

"Mr. Donovan," Mr. McCarthy greeted with a hearty bow, "Nice to see you and the family." He turned to the rest of them with an equally exuberant bow and smile.

"It's been quite a while, Solomon. Please, I insist, as always, you stop being formal. Greetings to you, Sharlene, Sean, Kelly, and Bianca."

Gianna precisely watched Sean who did nothing but carry the oh-so-familiar rigid smile then at Kelly, surprisingly,  who either lied about embedding herself home on such occasions or hadn't a choice this time around. Kelly twisted her lips and shrugged as if reading her mind.

"Indeed. Everywhere is pretty packed. We thought about giving this place a try."

"Oh, you won't regret it one bit."

"Hope so and hope to see you all again tonight, Mason. Heard it will be jammed with more activities than we have ever experienced." His smile was wide enough for Gianna to sight his immaculate overlapping canines. She thought it added some spice to his beautiful ovoid face. 

His genes generously showered on Bianca who had inherited her father's deep brown almost reddish hair, thick untamed brows, and intense grey eyes.

"We would not miss that for the world."

And so they didn't.

If they returned home it was for some refreshments of any sort. Gianna, whose head was hazed with the thought of getting bored over time, made sure to pocket her earphones and would make sure her father left her with the car keys, just in case.

Main Street was suffocatingly crowded by the time they made it there by six-thirty. A massive projector was erected above Mackie's slate roof where all stood, ready to view the fifteen-minute documentary on Machkie's discovery and its pioneers. A job well done was its consistency and resistance over the years.

Being the non-stop Café it had been in the hands of nothing but blood, proved that peer pressure was a choice for she would not believe that such an outstanding Cold Spring antique didn't attract outrageously numerous offers, both financially and persuasively and both home and abroad. 

For the short time she'd lived in Cold Spring, she'd seen and heard a handful of businesses being sold and completely modified despite being family lineages. Mimie's for one. And she feared that at that rate, the place she'd come to love would have not a speck left of ancient times. Of origin. Of a touch of prime. But for talks, books, and imaginations.

Just how susceptible were the majority of Cold Spring inhabitants?

"If you haven't decided where to spend the night yet, you could spend time with Petra and me." The closeness of her mother's whispers shivered her back to earth. Only then did she realize that the crowd had begun dissipating to different entertainment booths specially created for the event after a round of applause given to Machkie's short speech of gratitude.

"Where's dad?"

"He was able to spot Mr. McCarthy. They're probably headed for the beer parlor downtown. Petra and I haven't settled on anything yet."

Gianna growled. "No, thanks. I have plans."

"Interesting. You have to know our meeting with the car is at nine-thirty prompt."

"Okay. Given that I'll be done first, can I have the car keys?"

"In that case, you call me, then I'll fetch your dad."

"Oh no, I don't want to ruin your fun. I'd gladly love to wait in the car."

"Are you sure?" 

"Very."

Louisa delved into her purse for the keys, kissed her daughter, muttered a word about being careful, then dashed off with Petra's hands in hers.

The young teenager watched for a minute, through the glass walls, the population who sat at Mackhie's for something light then those who precipitated uptown leading to the park and harbor, downtown leading to where a few parlors, the cinema, clubs, and most entertainment booths settled, and finally, those who pooled in Main Street around the temporally built concession stands with the projector now displaying a movie she didn't care to know. 

Safe to say Cold Spring was safe in the darkest and most idle corners.

Never had she heard or experienced any grisly crimes let alone pickpockets.

Gianna walked to a hotdog and popcorn stand, ordered, and set on her way to her zone of solitude when a finger tapped her from the back barely four steps in.

A notable grin shone amid the surrounding lights.

"Don't tell me you have plans too," she commented after noting Gianna's wealthy hands.

"Not really."

"Thank goodness," she exhaled as if her breath depended on Gianna's reply. "My social battery shut down after lunch," she chuckled to herself. "I've been looking for a quiet place to binge through this book to no avail. How stupid of me to even bring it along. Do you care for a hangout?"

Gianna stared at Kelly skeptically. She still wasn't over the flyer issue even if it was a misunderstanding. However, sitting alone, in the literal sense, wasn't as fun as it sounded especially for two straight hours with people having fun atop her nose. 

The duo walked their way downtown, with no direction in particular, feeding on the popcorn Gianna offered.

"This is crazy," Kelly began, "I never pictured anything like this. Why are you by yourself by the way?"

"I don't feel it tonight." Gianna refrained from mentioning her wish to be alone that night.

"Is it because of...what happened this morning? Look, I swear I did not--"

"No. No that's not it," she lied. "It's...something else."

"Mind sharing?"

Gianna pondered. "It's Mimie. I don't know, I feel like...she's changed towards me somehow."

"Have you talked to her about it?" Gianna shook her head. "You have to. There should be a reason behind her acting so."

They had managed to get an almost quiet place: a playground around the town's Mall. Dismissing some bunch of couples smooching, some conversing with passionate smiles on their moonlit faces, and some finding pleasure in the seductiveness of the twinkling stars dotting the midnight black sky, they sat on a swing each, admiring their surroundings for a bit.

"So why are you by yourself?" Gianna initiated as she gently swayed.

"Can't find a place to fit in, can't return home either. My dad strictly forbade me from doing that." Kelly mimicked her friend. "Don't know his whereabouts, mum sneaked with Bianca somewhere kidyish, and Sean," she shrugged. "He didn't even join the gathering during the documentary display. I never know what that boy is up to. Oh hey, isn't it tomorrow you'll be seeing Seth?"

"Yeah."

"You don't seem excited about it."

"I'm super nervous. I don't even know what to expect."

"Don't expect anything, they get dangerous when they're too high. Just go with the flow." She had begun to swing twice more than Gianna's gentle sway all smiley and tranquil that the latter couldn't help but wonder how she endured being so with the situation her family was going through as a result of her forefather's avarice.

Happiness is a choice. Many times she'd heard, but until today, she saw the manifestation of the quote.

Kelly had never mentioned a boy: whether making advances or admiring one, even just his eye shades. Never. As beautiful as she was, Gianna didn't think that no one never fell into her charms. That no one ever flirted with her or offered to be a friend. 

Only once had she seen a boy talk to her. Almost so briefly that one would have sworn not to have seen anything. Contrary to the poor boy's enthusiasm to tell her about what seemed to have been good news to both of them, Kelly simply acted aloof. Cold. Enough to kill the boy's excitement and set him on his heels shortly.

"Ah, look who decided to show up."