Friends

The tree had a thin gray and brown trunk compared to the branches that spread in all directions like a crown. Its orange leaves were shaped like pointy claws, ready to leave home. A gust of wind carried a few fiery leaves, and they swung to-and-fro while descending.

One leaf slowly found its landing on a carelessly wrapped turban. A wrinkled hand picked up the leaf, and the owner began to examine it. He wore a black robe which went around his shoulder several times. Behind him was a banner that said - 'Get Strong In 7 Days! Crash Course'. In front, three people stood a few feet away from him.

"We want him to get better as soon as possible. His parents are so mad as us." The speaker was a kid named Quill. He wore a white shirt tucked into black pants. Two kids beside him nodded. They were in a similar uniform, except the cloth didn't seem as refined.

"And," the old man said. The turban on his head covered his eyebrows, casting a shade of his eyes. But anyhow, disinterest was clear both in his voice and lips.

"We, we-want, you make him better or we will have to tell his parents." Quill tightened his fists and said.

"What was my first condition?" The old man plainly said. His hand was busy moving the orange leaf in different angles. The kids turned quiet, so he opened his mouth again. "Tell me." The leaf came to a standstill, along with his hand.

"That… we have to be 14 or older." Quill was looking at his own feet at the end of the sentence.

"You see, this leaf." The old man gently waved the orange leaf. "It accepts where the wind carries it, no matter what the destination." Suddenly the man jerked his hand, and the leaf stayed in the air for a little less than a second before floating away, disintegrated, as orange dust.

Quill's head shivered, and he took multiple steps back. His friends unconsciously did the same. With dropped heads, they left the ground without giving the old man another look.

Arnacia's group was standing at the side. They were still far away from the old man. Naomi resumed walking, and so did Raffaella. But they stopped only after two steps.

"Are you interested in that tree?" Naomi looked in the direction that only had one point of interest. "Its leaves are like your hair but lighter… I know, we can make a crown for you."

"And for me." Raffaella added. "That's a Sycamore tree, by the way."

So it was. The three girls walked towards the Sycamore tree with different expectations. Naomi browsed different branches to find the perfect leaves for the crown. Raffaella looked at the burning orange and tried to imagine a crown. Arnacia's eyes, however, were fixed at the banner.

The old man didn't move when the three girls approached him. They didn't exist to him as he didn't exist to them. But unexpectedly, one girl stopped in front of him.

"What do you teach in 7 days?" Arnacia asked. Her fists were clenched. It was a deciding moment in her life.

"This course is not for girls," the old man plainly said. It was difficult to tell if he looked up because of the shade cast on his eyes by his messy turban.

Arnacia frowned at the discovery but chose to ignore the old man and walked towards her frozen friends. She briefly looked at Naomi and Raffaella. It was embarrassing for her to even say that she was just curious.

"How… how do you make a crown?" Arnacia's words were nervously said, but they were like music to Naomi's ears. Raffaella, however, looked at the old man before collecting the leaves.

Naomi didn't take any consent, like always, and had the route planned in her mind. The journey continued along the main road. She was holding a branch that measured as long as her arm, whereas the two girls walking beside her only carried a few leaves stacked like paper cards.

"How far is the market from here?" Raffaella suddenly asked.

"Follow this path and you will reach there in no time!" Naomi's eyes lit up. This stick in a breadstick was finally going away. She pointed randomly to a small path going between two houses.

"Alright, we will go after making a crown." Raffaella casually said, as if it was of no concern to her.

"What do you mean we? I am not going to the market with you." Naomi's hopes and dreams of walking alone with Arnacia shattered. Additionally, didn't this girl named that tree?

"Then Arnacia will show me the way after this." Raffaella smiled as if she already held Naomi in the palm of her hands. "In return, I will examine whoever is injured."

"WAIT!" Naomi couldn't accept that Arnacia was looking at Raffaella with bright eyes. "You must be stupid. Are you forgetting that today is Wesion? The market is closed until evening." She smiled back smugly, as if she had won.

"No problem, I will stay at Arnacia's house until evening."

Naomi felt as if this girl swung a hammer at her heart and shattered all hope of being with Arnacia today. Her mood immediately turned shaky, but then she remembered why she was here in the first place. She swung the big branch around, carefully, to show displeasure as a few leaves fell to the ground.

"Stop swinging!" Raffaella said after a while. She noticed the leaves kept falling. If this continued, then there won't be enough to make three perfect crowns.

Arnacia sighed at these carefree girls. Crash course only for guys? Girls are so weak blah blah blah. She looked at Naomi again. There was a slim possibility that it could work. Even Archie was somehow going to get attended by a doctor? She looked at Raffaella. The most underrated power in the world could be summed up in one word: friends.