One week later....

I spent the whole week arguing with Tayt. It was rough. I mostly skipped school.

“C'mon Nahlia. Come up with me to the sky platform. You promised.”

“No, Tayt. I told you I didn't mean that,” I sulk.

Tayt looks at me again. He knew I promised to go to the sky platform. Constantly changing my mind was driving him insane. We both couldn't sway each other. I won by default. Cheap shot. I'm a miserable person for it. I decided to make peace with him. It's easier when I'm not being stupid. We were headed to some antique shop, instead. I told him I'd let him have me for the day. No sex though. It isn't like that. Ya get me?

Bright sunlight invades my large sunglasses, trying to take a peek at what lay behind. I had a bruised eye. No one was going to know. Not even Tayt. Um. An advertising screen changes near me. I stare at it until Tayt starts speaking at me.

“Can you walk any slower?”

I pick up my pace, making sure to stay close. Wherever Tayt drifted I followed. I was getting comfortable in this part the city. I had never been and I was surprised Tayt actually discovered this place before me. He must have found it hiding from the bullies. More pastel colors associated with FauX pass us, as we drift passed another clothing store. Finally, we end up at a row of half-empty stores and restaurants.

“I'm so hungry. We're eating there after,” he says.

“Sure.” I bite my lip.

Tayt's shirt brushes my arm. The smells of cheap food and sugars seemed to follow us. Tayt leads us to a nook in a dark alley. There wasn't the familiar honking from the vehicles or the random gun shots in the streets. People like to shoot their handguns off just for noisy fun. It's something you grow used to in Neandeleria. Tayt kicks an aluminum can out of the way. Two of the street lights were going out and I wasn't too sure. Contrasting the silence, was a mascot who was dancing around a sign. “Barry the Bullet's Antiques n more.”

“A smiling bullet?” I laugh.

“Yeah, that’s Barry the bullet. I actually think I know the guy though. What a joke.”

Barry the bullet makes an angry gesture at us. I'm pretty sure he flipped us off with his mitten hands. I take another peak at the fuzzy costume. He was happy now. He does a small dance that even seemed to brighten his permanent cloth smile. I chuckle and play with my denim. I give a shrug. I could feel Tayt eyeing my smooth legs.

“This place. Let’s go inside,” Tayt points

“Um. Sounds good....”

A quick ring follows our entrance into the store, followed by another. The room we entered was way run down, half filled with antiques, boxes of chewing gum, and practically anything that could be bought for a song. A glass showcase shows the latest, old crap, separated by an open area that lacked any shelving. Tayt is welcomed by an older middle-aged man. His hair and mullet was thinning and he was skinny. He had multicolored contact lenses. It's a fad to have two different colored eyes now.

“Getting that new picture, finally?” asks the man with a grimace.

“Yeah I guess so,” nods Tayt awkwardly pulling out a wad of coins. He lets them pile over the glass display and the man counts them, before returning what he didn’t need. After he takes the money to a register. The man preoccupies himself with a question and turns to us.

“So who’s the special friend?” asks the man.

“Just a friend,” sighs Tayt.

I introduce myself with an inattentive smile.

“Well girlfriend or not, I don’t care who you are. My name is James, so if you ever come back here, ask for me. I’m the bad ass you want to talk to.”

Jame's sarcasm leaves an awkward silence. Tayt told me he was the only one to ever be in the store. James was the owner, employee, and late-night shift all-in-one, and for some reason, he never got bored of it. I got the sarcasm. Tayt was busy looking around. James continues.

”So don’t be afraid to come around here, Nahlia. Other than that, I can tell you to stay away from my buddy Tayt here. He’s up to no good – never,” he adds.

“And why is that?” I ask.

Tayt shakes his head in disbelief. I smile.

“He keeps a dud like me in business when I should be looking for a real job...”

“Pssht.” Tayt shakes his head once more. This time he was fumbling with some nearby lighters. Old designs were on each one. Some had the emblem of Neandeleria’s forgotten nobles. On it was a picture of the sacred bay, surrounded by glowing fairies from The Far Away Dream.

Tayt continues to wander around. He was the only noise in the shop.

“Ha, distracted just like me.”

Suddenly, James motions me closer. I lock eyes. He keeps his voice to a near hum.

“Hey Nahlia. Come here a bad minute,” James exhales.

“What?”

Has Tayt ever showed you the weird stuff about him?

“Weird stuff?” I answer.

“Yeah, you know. Him being from the Ryoken lands having a possessor being or whatever. It’s like sometimes he gets, I don’t know, energized by his possessor spirit.”

I shrug. Tayt and I had been friends in school ever since the field trip we were forced to go on. I never gave it much thought, but the origins of his parents were never known. They just kind of moved their way into Cepertine like most people.

“Well, never mind then,” continues James. He shakes off his comment with a hand. The cash register slams open and the tearing of a receipt fills the store. The shiny postcard-sized drawing is bagged.

“I'm buying this for myself. Here take it,” exclaims James.

James hands me a postcard. It was old, before the chain companies took over Cepertine. I hadn't seen stuff like this before. On it was jungle animals.

“Thanks for the jungle animals,” I smile. James looks at me and scratches his head.

“Nahlia. You can take your sunglasses off in my store. I'm not that ugly, am I?” James chuckles to himself. He turns to the old mirror behind him, a few times, and nods with self-satisfaction.

Tayt comes back with a few books. They were diaries written by old Cepertine fishermen. He knew I would like them. I didn't really want him to buy anything for me. I had enough to read.

“That's all, king of the jungle? Should I give them to the lady now, or just bag 'em for ya, like the big.,,,” James stops himself a little too late.

“Ahh....real shoddy, James,” Tayt looked embarrassed. “These aren't even for her, anymore.”

Another ding goes off at the register. “Sorry folks. Dud-licious me,” sighs James.

“It's ok, James,” I mumble.

Before Tayt and I leave the store, James gets my attention one last time.

“Hey, pretty eyes. Nahlia. Ask Tayt to take you into the picture. The special one. It's boring, but worth it.” James winks at me.

I didn't know what to say. Tayt was upfront with me, but I never asked too much about private stuff. Tayt having a possessor being was off limits. I was pretty chill about the topic. I tried not to snoop around in Tayt-sensitive material.

James waves at us as we leave his store.

“Thanks a bunch, James,” waves Tayt.

“Don't get bored, James,” I smile.

The door shuts and Barry the bullet runs up and kicks Tayt with his fluffy feet. Before Tayt can say anything, I grab him.

“Take me in the picture. I wanna see.”

“No, Nahlia. Not yet. I don't even like that possessor part of me. I hate being Ryoken.”