3 Chapter 3: Getting to Know Andrew
"I'm sorry, but I can't accept that tip!" Andrew held up his hands and started backing away.
"Are all these green pieces of paper not the correct way to tip?" I looked closer at the 'money' I was trying to hand him.
"That's like, one thousand dollars! People don't tip that much."
"Oh, my apologies," Perhaps I should have used one of these little golden blocks I've got in my bag instead. I stuff the stack of money back into my magical pouch. Then I pull out a single piece of green paper with the number 5 on it and hand it to him. He looks at it briefly, then pockets it.
"I gotta go," Andrew states as he walks to the door. I notice evening is coming on.
"Wait, could you also tell me how to get to my school?" Before I came to this strange place called Earth, General Bruce explained that I had to complete my education at a certain Earth institution. I hand Andrew the paper that has the house address in addition to the school address.
"Hmmm, looks like we go to the same school. I can meet you here tomorrow morning at 6."
"6??!!!" I'm panicking because, you know, I usually get up around 8.
"Yeah..." He says, kinda confused. "Anyway, bye. I'm not staying in this haunted house any longer!" He rushes out the door, with it closing behind him… just like all of our magical houses do. I lock it.
I'm thinking I'll take the biggest bedroom; it has a big bed and a nice bathing room. I heft my trunk and handbag over to my new room.
*THUMP*
I drop my trunk and handbag on the hardwood floor, unbuckle my shoes and leave them by my trunk. I guess I'll start the bath.
When the warm water is almost done filling the tub, I spot something labeled "Bubble Bath, Lavender Rain Scented." I wonder what that is? I pour in a third of the bottle under the running water.
Hmm, bathing soap. Bubbles start to form. Lots of them. I breath in the sweet aroma of 'Lavender Rain.' I still have noooo idea what lavender rain is. I turn off the water once the bath is filled and the bubbles start overflowing the sides. After a few more minutes I'm finally able to unlace my corset and undress. The warm sensation of the water and delightful smell of whatever lavender rain is makes bathing very relaxing.
After drying off, I drain the bath, put on my nightgown, and turn off my bedside lamp. I immediately go into a deep sleep.
The next morning, 6am…
——
Gee, I hope she's awake. Classes don't start until 7:30, but sometimes I like to get breakfast first. I guess I'll ring the bell. Oh yeah, no doorbell; it's an actual bell. Well, here goes.
*CLANG, CLANG, CLANG*
Whoops, sorry neighbors.
——
*FLOP*
What was that?! Oh yeah, I have school today... I HAVE SCHOOL TODAY! I'm not even dressed yet!!!
I crawl on the floor escaping my blanket roll and pillows and rush to open my trunk.
I pull out a light yellow poofy dress and my white hair comb. I quickly dress… I TRY to quickly dress. EHHH, HOW DO MY DRESSERS DO THIS SO EASILY!
——
Can she hear the bell?
*CLANG, CLANG, CLANG*
I look at my watch. Yeesh.
——
Yep, that's the bell again. I shout hoping he can hear me.
"I'M-ALMOST-DONE!!!"
——
What did she say? 'Lime, a-roast, bun?' What the heck??
——
Finally! Got my head through my dress, and my stockings on. I can now let Andrew in.
I run down the stairs, trying to gently comb through my long, chocolate-brown hair. I unlock the door and open it, Andrew is standing on the mat.
"Come on in," I say panting. He looks at me funny, tilting his head slightly sideways.
"Do you know that your dress is backwards?"
"What?!" I look down and sure enough, my dress is facing the opposite direction it's supposed to be. The door slowly closes itself behind Andrew. He looks at it suspiciously, then sits down at a chair in the dining room.
I run back upstairs to correct my clothes and put on my shoes. I snatch my pink corset and magical money pouch and sprint back downstairs. I start braiding my hair into a braided hair bunch using a circular hair tie I had stored in my trunk. It kinda looks like a hair bread bun.
"Could... you... help me .... lace my corset?" I ask out of breath.
"Sure." Andrew stands up and walks behind me. I hold it up from the front while he tightens me up. I can barely breathe… yep, it's good.
I'm wearing a shin length, light yellow, fluffy, short sleeve dress with white stockings and my black, golden buckled, high heeled shoes. My light pink corset will be worn on top of my dress. Andrew is wearing a navy blue unzipped jacket, a shirt with a picture of a skeleton riding a unicorn, baggy gray pants, and worn down gray shoes.
"You're really going to wear that?" He asks.
"Yes..." I say confused. "And you are going to wear that bone human riding a unicorn?" I ask.
"Yep."
I frown at him. "Your shirt is inaccurate. Everyone thinks that just because unicorns fart rainbows that they are the purest creatures. WRONG! Unicorns have bugs, they are mean, they bite and wiggle when you try to ride them, and they SMELL."
"Ooooooookay. Let's just go get some breakfast," says Andrew.
After arriving at the "café," (I still don't understand why it's spelled like that) we walk inside. A magic ring echoes as we open the door. We both sit at a red leather booth with a gray table. There are four, thin, shiny books on the table in a stack. They appear to be flexible glass. Andrew takes one of the books from the stack and start studying it. So I do too. Oh, there's pictures of food! It says MENU at the top. These pictures look good, but I'm kinda lost here. I'll ask the pro.
"Andrew, what's your favorite breakfast here?" He has no idea how lost I am.
"I would say the Great Pumpkin Waffle." He's still looking at the menu.
"Ooooh, that sounds delicious." Well, it looks delicious.
After discussing other options with Andrew, we both decide on the Great Pumpkin Waffle, and I don't even know what a pumpkin or a waffle is...
"How can I help you?" A woman with curly red hair and freckles asks. She is wearing an apron and red dress with a name tag reading 'Sarah.'
Andrew orders for both of us. "Hi, yes, we'll both have the Great Pumpkin Waffle."
"Is that all?" Sarah seems bored.
"Yep." Andrew is so casual about all this.
*10 minutes later*
"Mmm, this is delicious!" I say while trying to politely stuff my face full of waffle.
"I'm glad you like it." Andrew says while chuckling at my act of food stuffing.
After we finish eating I pay with a number fifty paper and a number five for tip. Andrew looks as if he wants to say something about my payment.
We leave the cafe with another ring of the door. On our way to school I ask more questions, such as, "Why do you only have one moon? Why are there only little gray birds here? Can you whistle? Do stairs go up or down? What's the point in living if you are just going to die?"
"I can't answer any of those questions!" exclaims Andrew. He's getting kinda annoyed.
We finally arrive at the school. The whole building is white with many windows, arranged the same as my house. Except there's 5 windows for each upper level and four windows on the bottom level with two double glass doors in the center. There is a paved walkway leading to the doors with green grass lining both sides. People who look the same age as me flood into the school. Giant yellow carriages (Andrew calls them buses) line the black road with even more people stampeding out of them.
As we approach the entrance people start staring at my outfit, whispering behind their hands. They can say whatever they want, I couldn't care less. I'm magical and a queen. Hehehe. I love my outfit.
