CHAPTER EIGHT

“What is with the lies?”

“I am not lying,” Justin blurted out getting on his feet and storming out of the house, banging the door. 

The loud bang of the door hitting its fringes made Kale wake up. She looked and was tired, hungry, and angry. A hungry man is an angry man but Kale is always angry. She was always angry when she woke up. 

“What is wrong with you people?” Kale groaned out, walking over to the cupboards.

“Do not bother, there is no food in there,” Miles said sighing sadly.

“Are all those delicious pancakes finished?” Kale said sadly and meanly.

“Yes.”

She closed the cupboards angrily, groaning over and over again.  

“Do you know those cupboards will still be useful for us later in the future?” Miles rested his head back on the wall…thinking.

Kale had never tasted so much goodness in her life. The pancakes were the best things she had eaten in her life but now, they were all gone. She wanted them badly. She would do anything for them. She was like a zombie crying out for more brains. 

“Let us go back to Tyle forest.” 

Miles raised his head to face her. Was she serious? 

“Really?”

“I need those pancakes!” Kale screamed angrily, using her own hand to roughen her hair. “And I want it now!” She sounded more annoyed this time. She looked around. “Where is Justin?”

Miles snickered. Why is he laughing? Kale asked herself. 

“He went out.”

“Where?” she asked sharply, walking closer to him.

“I do not know.” 

“Will you come with me to Tyle forest?” she asked pouting.

She was always dangerous when she did that. Kale had the wits to sell a grown man into slave trade.  

Miles was planning to go to Tyle forest before because he wanted to find Angela, now Kale wanted to come. Is it smart to take her along? The girl can be really evil sometimes. She may even take his angel for ransom to get more of those pancakes. Once she falls in love with something, she will do anything to get it. So will he. 

“Sure, let us go.”

“Really, you will come with me?” Kale asked surprised with her two brows raised widely at him.

“Of course K, let us go.”

He only called her Ka few times but when he did it made her feel special but that was not going to change her attitude towards him. 

“Okay?” Kale said taking the lead.

They both went out of their rotting house. The abandoned house was at the outskirts of the town. All they had to do was take it from there and head to Tyle forest. 

“Look!” Kale said pointing at something.

Miles turned his head to where she was pointing and saw Justin. He was talking to a girl and the girl was laughing madly. She had short brown hair. Her eyes were golden. She was good looking at least but why was Justin talking to her? 

Was she the reason he was brooding and smiling at the same time? The girl was so focused on what he was saying. He was curious to know what they were talking about that made the girl laugh but he couldn’t get what they were saying from there.

They talked for five more seconds before the girl’s smile turned to a frown. That wasn’t good. The girl slapped him hard, walking away with disgust on her face. 

Justin was holding his cheek painfully. His eyes turned to them and immediately got embarrassed. Justin placed his hands in his holed pockets. He walked over to them with his head bowed. He walked like that until he reached them. 

“What were you doing?” Kale asked rubbing her nose. Justin was hesitant to answer. “What happened?” Kale asked again in a more audible tone. 

“I was practicing.”

“Practicing what?” Miles asked with his hands folded.

“Never mind.” Justin raised his head using his hand to rub the backside of his neck. “I was thinking we should go to the Tyle forest and maybe find the girl’s house so we can…” Justin hesitated again licking his dry lips. “…get some stuff.”

“We were just about to go there and we are going to ask nicely,” Miles warned.

“That is boring, let us break-in,” Kale said clenching her right fist and using it to hit her left palm. 

“No, we ask first, if they do not give us then we do it the other way, okay?” Justin said as the two rolled their eyes. 

“Whatever, are we moving or not?” Kale said walking away from them and towards Tyle forest. 

The boys walked behind her as they moved into the forest. 

*** 

THAT same place they stole her pancakes was where she was now. She had a liking to the place and she hoped she would see those bandits again. A normal person would detest such a cunning group of people but she needed to talk to someone other than her chickens. They were attentive but never contributed. 

She needed someone she could seek advice from especially in times like this. That’s if they believe her. Her story was very unbelievable. 

After what her parents told her, she had been inside the confused zone. She couldn’t think straight not to talk less of making a decision. She needed some time alone to think about her life and herself. 

After all these years of dreaming of being a princess, she could finally be one but she first had to restore Prestoria. Prestoria was the most wonderful land then. She has the chance to get to rule it but…what if she fails. 

Or died during the process. Then Prestoria would be kept in darkness for the rest of eternity. This was a mess, how could she fix it? She badly wanted to be a princess but was she willing to take the risk. She might fail but yet she didn’t know what she was up against.

She can’t just chicken out, at least when she didn’t know what she was dealing with. It wouldn’t hurt to try, to get started. If she knows she can’t handle it, she’ll walk away from but again she would do her best. 

She still had great doubts. She was scared. Her fears were covering her thoughts of succeeding. She was not sure of herself. She did not know her abilities. Ever since her parents said those disturbing words to her, she didn’t remember herself again.

She couldn’t imagine herself as that simple barn girl but anytime she saw herself in her head. She saw a beautiful princess. She wanted that and so much more.  

She sat with her back against the wall, thinking about her problems.  

Everyone had problems to deal with.

Her thoughts were disturbed when she heard footsteps. She wasn’t able to see anything or anyone but she was hearing the footsteps. She won’t wait around for something to eat her up.

She got hold of the tree she was resting on and climbed it to the top. What was down there? She was ready for anything that came her way. To make sure she was safe, she looked around for something she could use to defend herself in case she needed it. 

She searched for something on the tree when she saw a stick. It would not be very helpful but half a stick was better than none. The footsteps grew louder. She sat on the tree waiting for what was out there to appear when she heard a voice. 

“Do we even know where we are going?!”

It was the voice of a little child, a female that sounded mean. She knew the voice but could not recognize it quickly because of her mood. 

“Look this was where we found her last.”

Bingo, they were no other than the three bandits. What were they doing here again? Were they looking for her? 

“The two of you should relax, we will get there soon.”

That was Justin’s voice. Where is their destination? Her eyes were fixed on Miles. He looked so amazing even with the clothes he was wearing. If he wore some princely clothes she would be drooling all over him. 

She didn’t know why she felt like that, butterflies were in her stomach again. The exotic feeling was back and it made her concerned. She did not understand the crazy feeling she had in her. She needed to talk to someone about it. Her mother? She wasn’t sure about telling her mother.

Her mother didn’t know she was talking to people other than them. If she found out she won’t like it at all. Especially when boys were among them but the day she will have to introduce the bandits to her will come. Maybe even sooner than expected.

Miles felt eyes on him. He felt as if someone was watching him. He stopped walking. He didn’t know what gave him the urge to look up but he did and when he did, he saw his angel. She was still as beautiful as ever. Why was he so fantasized when he saw her? 

Words couldn’t explain the feeling he was having for her but words could describe it. It was a heavenly and happy feeling. Angela whimpered as their eyes met each other. Why was he looking at her? He should say something. 

“Angel?”

Out of fear she slipped from the tree and fell. Thanks to his fast reflexes, Miles was able to catch her but the two of them ended up on the floor. With Miles close to her, she had an unusual feeling making her act on impulse. She realized she was on Miles and her hands were on his chest. 

She whimpered getting up. 

“I am sorry I…”

“No need to be sorry. You do not have much weight anyway.”

Liar ringed in Kale’s ears. 

Kale walked over to Angela, eyeing her as usual. 

Miles pushed her aside and took Angela’s hand, kissing it with his eyes kept on her. The butterflies became more excited and made her feel limp. Her cheeks turned red as Justin scoffed. 

“My name is actually Angela,” Angela said in a shy tone with her eyes facing the floor. 

“Really Angel and Angela are alike you know,” Miles said as Angela giggled and nodded.

“Is this how you people are going to be till the end of today?” Kale said rudely as Justin shut her up.

I hate this lovey-dovey stuff! Kale said putting on an I-want-to-puke face. 

Justin walked up to Angela smiling at her. She was not expecting him to even look at her thoughtless of smiling at her. She smiled back facing Miles again. Miles gave Justin a warning look as he growled. 

“While they are acting like rams can we have some of your pancakes again?” Kale said unfolding her hands. 

“Uh?” Angela processed what Kale said. “You want them?”

“Yes, they are amazing,” Kale said for the first time with a smile on her face.

She realized she was smiling. The smile disappeared soon after turning to a frown. 

“You all want?” Angela asked facing everyone then Miles again.

His eyes were kept on her and her only.