• Okay, so why was I doing this again? Why was I bounding up to a Hot Topic store, about to become one of the biggest contradictions I could think of?

    First of all, being the weird girl I am, I had made a silent rule with myself as to go into stores that would fit my image of that day. Hot Topic was always a must, so I didn't dress quite as... preppy. No, what I was dressed in didn't even fit my taste in clothes.

    The skirt, oh this sickening skirt that swished around my thighs, swathing them in bright plaids of cerulean blue and lipstick red, with dashes of dreaded neon. The shirt, v-necked and thankfully long-sleeved made me look like I wasn't sure if I was dressed for cold weather or warm weather. My hair- pulled back into such an irritating way as if I was a cowgirl.

    The urge to run away from the stare that followed my movements- to pop the elastics that held my hair at the ears, it grew with each step.

    Sooner or later, I was faced to face Kal.

    The thought made an involuntary jump in my stomach as I approached the store's silver sign that jutted out the walls. Hanging out, just below the entrance sign stood Kal, looking paler than ever. Well, paler than the pictures I'd seen of him.

    "Um, Hi Kal?" I sighed and blushed. This was the first time I'd really be meeting one of them. The thought had me in a bit of awe.

    "Koumeiseidai Hisjan." He cocked his head to the side and smiled.

    "Ah, yes that's me."

    "Wow," he muttered. "Either you're serious as hell as trying to empress my cousin, or you work as an anime cosplayer. Take your pick." He offered and then made a weird look that was part smile part grimace.
    I acted on instinct and tensed, raising my leg as high as I could and swinging it at him.

    Quicker than me, Kal caught my leg by the ankle, and my elastics snapped loudly as the lights from inside the store blinked feverishly. "A little bit of a wild and aggressive side, huh? My cousin will love that." He jolted his wrist up by a smidge before dropping my leg.

    I stumbled with my hair in my face. "Did you just do all of that?"

    "Mm, what do you think Blondie? I can't believe you actually managed to catch me off guard."
    Koumeiseidai hated that he sometimes thought so lowly of her for being "normal." Hell, their "normal" was much cooler than hers.

    "Well, enough of first impressions. It’s time to get down to business." Kal turned into the dim lit store walking briskly. "So, you came for this right?"

    I glanced behind the counter at the thin black box. "Um, I think that's it. I can't really," The box clicked open. "Whoa, yeah..."

    The box held a crystal necklace that was tinted blue. "Now Blondie seems as if you've became quite the pet of my cousin, and that he can't let you go, no matter the distance an ocean can put between you two. Sick really, I never was one for mushy love stories. I do like a little mystery, trouble, violence, seduct-"

    "Well okay," I said loudly cutting him off, and drawing the attention of few customers in the store. "So- the necklace- it does what exactly?"

    "Lets you visit the Shadowy world, Doll. I'm shocked Ethan out of all people in our family, was able to get his hands on it."

    My eyebrows furrowed. "Why? Shadowy world? It's impossible for a human to get there. I'd drop dead." My voice lowered and I glanced to the floor. Only then did I notice the pairs of feet that stood behind me. I glanced over my shoulder.

    "Are you going to move or what?!" A girl, bigger than me yelled into my ear. Kal tossed himself over the counter and moved me out of the way while taking the articles of clothing from her.

    "Wait behind the counter for a second." I waited while Kal proceeded to scan the girls bounty of articles quickly.

    So, Ethan planned this a while before he left? That was extremely nice of him, but he didn't tell me his reason for moving. Well, I didn't ask. I was afraid to find out why but, did I have a right to know? If only this crystal thing can be explained reasonably...

    "The necklace will help you get in touch with Ethan. That’s why he wants me to deliver it to you." The words he spoke had been plucked carefully, so as that no one would question what we were talking about.

    "And that travel, wouldn't it be dangerous for someone like me? I'm pretty sure someone like me would be frowned upon in a different place like that."

    "It'd be fine as long as you'd have one of us by your side, and that you not enter a battle. But I suppose they wouldn't pick on you much. Not often that someone thinks we're real for more than six months. It's been almost two years for you, and for that you have our respect because apparently, you really like us." True, I wanted something in this world to believe in that was different from bleak and bland.

    "Well yes, right. But, how do I use the necklace?"

    "Your best bet is to use it right before you go to sleep so your family doesn't wonder why your body is so- empty. You'll be in a sleep like state so you will still get rest. No need to worry."

    "Okay then..." I reached for the black box that promised something perplexing out of the future. Cold hands stopped me.

    "Best also if you hide this from Naomi. She wouldn't approve, also no telling when Stanten may drop by with her and he surely doesn't approve when our kind dates humans." I frowned. Why do they take orders from a nineteen year old?

    "Ah, another lie I have to tell. Just great..."

    "You're telling the same amount of lies you thought you told. Naomi already knew your taste for Ethan was changing into your cup of tea, she just doesn't know you're trying to sample the bouquet."

    "Must you guys always speak in riddles?"

    "We are quite fond of them."

    "Right..."

    "Sorry doll, but here." Kal handed me the black box and a Hot Topic bag.

    "Tell the 'rents the store clerk was pretty handsome," He smirked. "And he flirted with you and you got a necklace that hasn't gone on sale yet- half price." He was working on a fake receipt just as my cell phone went off.

    "Yo, Ovinai." Kal looked at me, bewildered by my use of "Yo".

    "You're so gay, be a man and tell me what store you're in already." She chimed in from the other side of the phone.

    I turned away from Kal as he ripped off the receipt from the register and shoved it inside the bag. "Sorry, just got done talking to a store clerk in Hot Topic who was a bit too friendly. I'll come to rue21 in a minute. They just started playing a song here that I really like."

    Ovinai gasped loudly before yelling. "I'll come to where you are. Is he cute?!" I clicked call end.

    "Aw, you could have helped me out a bit more there, Blondie." He handed me the bag and whined.

    "At least she thinks you're cute."