Nate chuckled. “I can ask him not to pester you with questions.”
“No, no!” Ariadne laughed. “It’s fine. He seems nice, and I don’t mind talking a little about myself. But there’s not much I can tell.”
“You’ve once told me you couldn’t say anything about it at all.”
She stopped to look at him. The smile still lingered on his lips, but she couldn’t read his expression. Was he angry that she’d told Ryan so much?
Somehow, it was easier to open herself up to someone like Ryan. It felt like a game—fun and not serious. Ariadne was afraid that if she started telling all those things to Nate, she would never be able to stop. She wished nothing more than to let him know all her secrets.
Before she had a chance to answer his question, Hanna’s voice rang out from the front porch of the house.
“Are you coming?”
Ariadne blinked at Nate, shaking off the strange feeling that overcame her.
“Gardenia,” she said.
“What?” He blinked back in puzzlement.
“That flower that I gave you.” He was still squeezing it in his left hand. “It’s called gardenia.”
She smiled and walked away.
Fifteen
Hanna’s house was much more spacious on the inside compared to her boyfriend’s. It occurred to Ariadne that her family was a bit wealthier, judging by the marble countertops of the kitchen tables she’d glimpsed from the hallway, the various artwork and décor adorning the walls, and the giant white piano serving as a centerpiece to the high-ceilinged living room in the back. Glossy and marvelous, it looked like a twin to the one inhabiting Nate’s house, and even though she didn’t possess the ability to read the feelings of inanimate objects, Ariadne couldn’t help but think of it as lonely and ghostlike. Like a piece of carved ice, it matched the rest of the furniture and contrasted beautifully with the gray stone fireplace, but, unlike Nate’s beloved instrument, it reminded her an iceberg drifting alone in the ocean.
Nate’s eyes pinned right to it as soon as they walked in.
“Is that the infamous piano?” he asked.
Hanna chuckled. “Yep. That’s the one.”
A floor-to-ceiling window overlooking a pond and a well-tended garden triggered a memory inside Ariadne’s mind. For a moment, she was back in the castle throne room. Crystal glass reflected the glimmer of a waterfall rushing beyond the walls, painting rainbows on every surface. Everything shimmered—from the marble floor to the crystal mosaic walls and ceiling, and the ethereal fabrics of the dresses, hushed laughter of nobles in the background, made the reality seem like an enchanted dream. Somebody took her hand, then kneeled before her, and Ariadne shivered, dispelling the flashback. Her fingers instantly found Nate’s wrist and fastened around it.
“What is it?” He whirled to look at her.
Ariadne shook her head, pulling her hand back to grasp her elbow instead.
“Nothing,” she replied. “I just stumbled and reached to steady myself.”
He examined her face for a couple of moments, his eyebrows drawing slightly closer to each other, before looking back to the rest of the group.
Hanna offered them drinks and snacks, then retreated to the kitchen to get them.
“I texted Mimi,” she said, exiting the living room. “She’ll join us in a few minutes.”
Nate seemed to be gravitating toward the piano as much as Ariadne was to the plants. A moment later he was standing next to it, brushing the lid with his fingers.
“This living room looks big enough for me to fly in,” Ariadne commented as Ryan approached her—drawn like a bee to honey, no less, “even in this form.”
“Really?” The boy’s eyebrows shot up. “Would you do that? I wonder, could you fly while carrying somebody?”
She laughed. “No, of course not. I’m a fairy—not a dragon.”
Ryan’s eyes glimmered with fascination. “Are there dragons in your world?”
Ariadne considered for a moment before replying. “Oh, yes, there are. A few types of them. Though none of them live in the forest—but I came across one or two outside of it.”
“Really?” He seemed like he was about to jump out of his skin from excitement. “How do they look like?”
She instantly regretted starting the topic. She should have compared herself to a pterodactyl. There were definitely no pterodactyls in her world—she wasn’t even sure how she knew the word.
“It depends,” she said.
“But are they giant or small?”
“It depends,” Ariadne repeated. “But mostly giant.”
“Wow,” Ryan concluded. “This is incredible! I want to see that! I … I want to see your world.”
Before Ariadne could say anything to that, Hanna appeared in the hallway, carrying a tray full of drinks. Ray hurried to help his girlfriend.
“Hey, did you know there were dragons in Ariadne’s world?” Ryan shouted out, following after him.
Ariadne received her steaming cup of herbal tea and joined Nate on a couch.
“Dragons, huh?” he asked with a chuckle.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t start. Please.”
“You could have lied, you know? He will follow you forever now, begging to give him more details.”
“I know. I should have been smarter than that.”
Nate grinned, leaning back against the pillows. “Are they hunted?”
Ariadne nearly spilled her tea. “Dragons are a vital part of our world!” she retorted. “Nobody is allowed to even lay their finger on them. Though there is this one type called—” Her eyes suddenly grew wide and Nate laughed. “I can’t believe I’ve let another piece of information slip from my lips. There is no way I would tell you more. All of you!”
She huffed and moved an inch away from him.
“I’m sorry,” Nate said softly. “If it’s any consolation, none of us would ever use that information to our advantage.”
“I know,” Ariadne murmured.
“Hey, Nate?” Hanna’s voice sounded. She perched on the nearest couch with a tall glass of iced juice in her hand. “Why don’t you play the piano for us?”
Nate froze in place with a glass of his own half-way to his mouth. “What?”
“I would love to listen,” Ryan added. “I’ve heard you’re good.”
Nate’s eyes found Ariadne’s, and she nodded slightly. “I would, too.”
He took a sip of his beverage and lowered the glass back onto the table. “Is it tuned? You’ve said you haven’t touched it in a while.”
“Mom plays it every now and then.” Hanna shrugged. “I’m sure it’s fine. They take good care of it.”
“Okay.” Nate pushed off the couch. “If you insist …”
∞∞∞
Mimi pressed the send button and turned off the screen of her phone, then pushed it back into her pocket.
It took her a while to get Ollie to calm down—they’d circled around the whole neighborhood, him sniffing at random shrubs and flowers, probably trying to follow Ariadne’s scent back to Nate’s house.
That fairy girl … Mimi closed her eyes and tried to push the image of her clutching Nate’s hand, Nate squeezing it back so gently, so reassuringly, as if trying to say, “You’re safe with me”, out of her mind.
She couldn’t.
Mimi hated the feeling. She’d never thought would be jealous over a guy, but no matter what she did, she couldn’t shake the feeling off.
She tried to reason with herself. Repeat those things that she’d heard others say. It was all for the better. What was hers wouldn’t pass her by.
None of it worked.
The more she thought, the more she felt herself getting entangled in emotions. Drowning in them. And there was no one around to come and save her.
She contemplated telling Hanna—she intended to ask for her advice even before Ariadne came into the picture—but couldn’t bring herself to even speak the words. She was worried her best f
riend would judge her. Nate was older than her, and even though the age difference between them wasn’t so staggering, she was still a bit scared Hanna wouldn’t approve and would advise her to seek out someone her age.
Maybe it was better to remain silent. Maybe this infatuation would pass as quickly as it had started.
The last thing she wanted was to grow bitter and hopeless just because she couldn’t get the guy she wanted and start obsessing over his relationship with another girl. But as much as she wished to avoid this trap, she felt herself stepping closer to the edge of it every moment.
She fed Ollie and locked him up in the house, promising it wouldn’t be too long before she returned. If anything, she wanted to stay with him; curl up on a couch and watch her favorite TV shows, ruffling his soft fur, just to avoid any further heartbreak. But she’d promised Hanna she would come. She didn’t want her—or Nate, if she were being completely honest with herself—to think her arrogant and indifferent.
Deeply lost in her thoughts, Mimi didn’t notice how she reached Hanna’s house. She’d walked the route so many times she could have done it in her sleep.
Approaching the familiar white door, she pushed it open. Hanna left it unlocked for her to come in. As soon as Mimi was inside, the music enveloped her.
It hit her like a tidal wave, almost making her stumble and fall right at the door rug. Mimi caught her breath and staggered forward, her hands clutching at her heart.
There was something almost hypnotic about the melody. It was like diving into another world. She felt her body lifted up by the invisible waves; her feet barely touched the floor as she passed through the hallway, following the spellbinding sound back to its source.
There was no mistaking it. There was only one person in this world whose music had such an effect on her. And as she entered the living room and saw him sitting at the piano, his unruly hair tumbling over his forehead, she was struck by the feeling so deep she barely stayed on her feet.
A flower lay on top of the piano, right by the musician. So creamy white, it almost matched the color of the instrument.
Gardenia.
A memory sparked in her mind. Some years ago, Hanna had a book on the meaning of the flowers.
She didn’t know how this one appeared on the piano, but it was as if she had given it to him herself. It conveyed her secret feelings perfectly.
∞∞∞
Everyone sat still, enchanted by Nate’s music. It was as if as soon as his fingers had touched the piano keys, the whole world paused to listen. Mimi walked in at one point, and nobody even noticed. Ariadne herself barely detected the appearance of another human in the room, and if it wasn’t for Mimi’s feelings that radiated from her with such intensity, she was sure she would not be able to pay attention.
This girl was drowning in her emotions. Ariadne couldn’t help but commiserate with her. But at the same time, she could relate to her feelings.
There was magic in Nate’s music. The real one. And even though she couldn’t exactly pinpoint the purpose of this magic, she was sure she’d find the explanation soon.
As much as she was sure of another thing.
There could be no doubt anymore: he was that boy she’d met in the woods when she was little.
After all these years, finally, she had found him.
Hanna wanted to throw another picnic by the lake. A regular one—not the magical one they’d come across deeply in the woods.
She said she wanted a barbecue, and Ray promised he would take care of that. Nate and Ryan offered their help as well.
“I want to bake a blueberry pie from the blueberries we’d picked at the forest,” Hanna announced. “Mimi, would you help me with that?”
Mimi hadn’t uttered a sound since she came into the room. She sat at the corner of the couch, her eyes searching the floor, her hands wrapped around her body.
“I will,” she merely whispered.
Hanna frowned, opened her mouth to say something, but then seemed to decide against it. Leaving Mimi alone, she switched her attention to Ariadne.
“You eat berry pies, don’t you?” she asked.
“I do,” Ariadne said. “But the crust shouldn’t have any eggs or dairy in it.”
Hanna nodded. “Got it. I’ll search for some vegan pie recipes then.”
“And preferably no grain flour.”
Hanna quirked an eyebrow. “So, vegan and grain-free? I’ll see what I can do.” Her eyes traveled up and down the gown Ariadne was wearing. “Excuse me for being impudent, but don’t you ever get tired of wearing the same dress over and over again? I’ve seen you only twice, of course. Have you packed any more clothes with you when you left the fairyland?”
Ariadne flinched, almost crumpling her wings in the process. She quickly recollected herself and repositioned herself on the couch.
“No, I haven’t taken anything with me. And, please, don’t call my home that!”
The guys, who were having their own conversation in another corner of the room, paused to throw questioning glances at the girls.
“Sorry,” Hanna apologized. “But why haven’t you packed anything? Weren’t you planning to stay?”
Ariadne closed her eyes for a moment and let out a breath. “I wasn’t planning for anything …” she muttered.
Hanna watched her for a second, her eyebrows knitted together, then shook her head. “Anyway. What I was trying to say is, I could sew you another dress. If you don’t mind, of course.”
Ariadne looked up. “Oh. Would you?”
She used magic to keep herself and her dress clean. Another daily leakage for her limited supply of it, but, as embarrassing it was for her to admit it, she’d never done her laundry by herself. Ariadne couldn’t deny it: she was totally helpless outside the Rainbow Castle and far away from the servants. And she scolded herself for that.
“Sewing is my hobby,” Hanna’s voice distracted her from her musings. “I’ve always wanted to try myself at designing a fairy dress, so I would only be too happy to make one for you.”
“Thank you,” Ariadne replied. “I would really appreciate that.”
∞∞∞
Hanna waited until everyone was out to stop Mimi before she could exit the house.
“Can we talk for a moment?” she carefully asked, then pulled her inside before Mimi had a chance to refuse.
Hanna called out to Ray, telling him they’d join them in a few minutes, then shut the door.
Mimi crossed her arms defensively over her chest. Her heart fluttered inside like a frightened bird. She knew exactly what Hanna wanted to ask, but more than anything, she was afraid her friend had already figured out the truth.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Hanna asked in a soft voice. Mimi made a point of not looking her straight in the eyes. “Is everything okay? You’re acting strange for the second day in a row.”
“Everything’s fine,” Mimi half-whispered. “I just haven’t slept well last night.”
“No, you didn’t!” Hanna’s sharp tone almost made Mimi flinch. “I know you well, and I know that the lack of sleep has nothing to do with that! I just don’t understand …” Her voice turned gentle again. “Why can’t you tell me? I thought we were best friends …”
Mimi stayed still. Judging by Hanna’s words and her tone, she hadn’t figured out anything yet. But it didn’t make things much easier for her.
“I don’t know,” she said. “What do you want me to say?”
“What?” Hanna moved closer, and the next moment she was clutching her shoulders. “Mimi, what’s going on? You’ve never acted like that around me! We … We are like sisters to each other! You know you can always confide in me. I’ll never tell anything to your brothers, or to your parents, or anyone. I just don’t understand …” Failing to get Mimi to look up, she released her and stepped back. “Did I do something to upset you?”
Mimi shook her head and inched closer to the door. “No. I’ve already said—everything’s fine. Can I go?”<
br />
Hanna released a long breath, then raked a hand through her hair.
“I know it’s not, Mimi,” she said, opening up the front door. “I just don’t understand why you want to lie to me.”
They walked back to Mimi’s house in silence, Mimi still avoiding her friend’s gaze.
She’d never thought she was so good at concealing her feeling. They seemed so transparent to her. But, apparently, neither her friend nor Nate himself had any clue about them. And Mimi wasn’t sure if it was good or bad, but just thinking of spilling everything out terrified her for some reason.
She knew, either way, that it was a lost cause. She couldn’t make a guy fall in love with her, no matter how hard she tried—and especially considering that his heart probably belonged to somebody else.
She also knew, logically, that it wasn’t the end of the world. Nate wasn’t the last guy on the planet, and he wasn’t even the first guy she’d ever had a crush on, but right at that moment, it seemed as if she’d never meet anyone as fascinating—let alone anyone who’d also be interested in her. Logic didn’t work in such matters. Depression slowly crawled in.
Before he left, Nate picked up the gardenia flower from the piano, and he and Ariadne walked off together, chatting and laughing about something in hushed voices. They might not be officially dating, but if it wasn’t an image of a happy couple, Mimi didn’t know what was. She had no doubt that the fairy was the one who’d gifted him the flower, and if that was true, then it explained everything.
The only question was, what was she to do now? How was she to escape this whirlwind of emotions?
Mimi didn’t know.
Sixteen
The half-moon floated in the sky like a dandelion puff, reflecting in the calm surface of the lake.
Mimi watched it from her hiding place in the cluster of reeds. The voices of her companions filled the shore.
Nate and Ryan helped Ray to haul out the portable grill from his truck and set it by the water. They all laughed and chatted cheerfully as Hanna and Ariadne unpacked the containers of food Hanna had prepared the night before. Mimi had helped them a bit too, but seeing that her mood hadn’t improved much in the last couple of days, Hanna told her to go and relax. She promised to call her when the food was ready. Mimi didn’t object—she wanted to get away for a while.
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