Chapter 5

She has zero inspiration for homework and spends her Sunday morning half in boredom and half in despair. The words about her never going to school again still hang in the air as well as Helga's unspoken promise or threat, that she won't care for Julia's wish. It makes Julia feel helpless, broken. She doesn't want to go to school. She doesn't want to see those faces again. How on earth is she supposed to last till graduation?

At noon, Julia goes to her room and freezes at the doorstep when she sees the emptiness screaming at her. It's only then she remembers that she will not be able to do homework at all with all her stuff gone. She has no textbooks, no notes, not even a bag. Julia wonders whether or not Helga will be willing to buy her new things. Her mother is not greedy by nature but sometimes she has ideas about teaching Julia a life lesson, and she might see her chance there. Julia can almost hear her mother's voice in her head. "This is what happens when you're reckless. Now you have to face the consequences." Julia is so tired of this. The absence of stuff also means she will have to live in a small room near the kitchen until new furniture is bought. Helga will not let her use any guest room, that's for sure.

Her thoughts are interrupted by the doorbell. Julia hears her mother's step downstairs and her voice and then Helga calls for her.

"Julia, darling, this is for you." She sounds surprised, shocked even. It's been a long time since she was able to say this phrase. Julia is wary. She sneaks to the window and carefully looks at the porch from behind the curtain. She sees a short figure in a white T-shirt and shorts. Stubbornly, she stays where she is, pretending she didn't hear a thing.

"Julia!" her mother repeats in a more commanding tone. Then she apologizes and comes upstairs.

"There you are," she says, in irritation. "What are you doing, hiding here? It is your classmate. Go say hi, at least."

"I'm not in the mood for guests. Tell him I'm not home."

"I will not say such a thing," Helga objects. "This is exactly what I was talking about. People are reaching out to you but you just like the idea of the whole world hating you." 

"I told you I don't want to see him."

"Be so kind of telling him so then because I'm not going to do that." Great. Another life lesson.

  She comes downstairs. Dodie stands on the porch, his face a little bit confused, Julia realizes he waited for her for a long time but can't bring herself to feel remorse. When Dodie sees her, a broad smile spreads across his face. 

"Hi!" he says, managing to look cheerful and shy at the same time.

"Hi," Julia responds, her lips twitching into smile incontrollable. She wants to be colder or angrier but it's hard to do so, his smile is contagious. "How did you know where I live?"

"I asked around," Dodie says.

"Really?"

"Yes. Why? Is it not common there?"

"Why yes, usually it is," Julia says. But he was asking people about her, publicly, even after seeing what an outcast she was. "I just thought you guys are more into following the trail and night stalking." This is not fair to him probably but she just can't stop herself. Dodie shakes his head.

"So the foxes were there already, huh?" he asks. "Well, don't be offended, please. They just-it's a usual thing for them, you know-smell is how they track each other. They see nothing weird in that."

"What about your stalking, spell-casting friend? Is he just following the tradition too?"

Dodie sighs.

"In some ways, he is. Ghosties are not too good at boundaries, you see, what with them flickering here and there. Being able to disappear at any time gives you another concept of personal space. They don't get why we make such a big deal about that."

"I suppose you have a clever reason for him casting a spell on me too? What a loyal friend you are," Julia says sarcastically.

  "No, that-I don't know why he would-" Dodie interrupts himself suddenly. "I didn't come to make excuses for my friends," he says.

"Why did you come then?"

His cheeks turn red, making Dodie look cute. Julia bites her lip to stop herself from grinning.

"I need a favour, actually. I don't know this town well yet. I thought maybe you could show me around?"

Why would she do that, Julia wants to ask. Didn't he choose to stay with her enemies yesterday? But the idea of staying in the house all Sunday is too daunting to turn an offer like this.

"Okay," she says. "Give me 5 minutes."

In five minutes, she comes to the porch, ready in a shirt that is a little too big for her and old jeans. Helga is so impressed with Julia's communication that she lets her borrow her clothes. It will do, Julia thinks. If she was going out with the twins (which she wouldn't do because she's mad and will hate them forever) she would have preferred to be dressed up but Dodie is another story. She doesn't have any other clothes anyway, so this will do.

"Shall we?" He nods.

"Do you want to go to the park?" Julia asks. He nods again. It seems he agrees with everything.

"You're the guide, you decide."

The park is beautiful. Yellow and red colours, leaves under their feet, even the feeling of sadness that always comes to Julia with autumn feels less overwhelming now. Dodie is not very impressed, though.

"Not your scene?" Julia asks.

"Er-not really. I mean it's pretty but I'm more into rocks, mountains, I like to be around buildings."

"Why would you agree to go to the park then?" Dodie blushes again.

"I'm a guest, aren't I? And I didn't want to confirm any gnome stereotypes. Put a rock in front of gnome instead of TV and he won't know the difference."

"Is it really a saying?" Julia asks.

"Have you never heard it?"

Julia shakes her head. She didn't. But she was never too curious about other cultures, her own world kept all her attention and it was the world where gnomes, foxes or ghosties were just random passers-by. There were not too many magical creatures in her city – another reminder of another pointless bloodshed. People really enjoyed those things in the past, Julia supposed.

"Probably for the best," Dodie sighs.

"Are you nervous won't fit in?" Julia asks. "That people will think bad of you?"

"I don't care what people think," Dodie says. Julia raises her brow sceptically but doesn't say anything. "I don't like when they talk shit about gnomes, that's true. I flare up quickly but it doesn't matter what people think about me, I just-I don't like jerks, you know. I don't want to hear shit about my culture."

"Okay."

"And yesterday I got a feeling there are a lot of jerks in this school." This is unexpected and Julia almost feels tears in her eyes. She is not crazy. Someone sees that too. It is not just about her.

"Are you afraid they will treat you like they treated me?"

"No," Dodie says so confidently she wants to slap him. "I know how to stand up for myself." This statement fills Julia with rage. Is he implying that she doesn't? Does he think she is just too weak to defend herself?

"Are they always like this? Do they always bother you?"

"Lately," Julia says. "It wasn't always like that. But I knew what I signed up for when I came to the party."

"Why did you come there at all if you knew they would be so horrible to you?"

"I"-Julia starts but it is hard to summon the words to explain her masochistic choice. "I-I was sort of making a statement."

"Oh?" Dodie's face is puzzled and Julia feels the need to make it clear.

"I'm not used to this at all you see. A year ago I had a totally different life. Mandy and I were best friends, everyone liked me, you wouldn't catch me home on Sunday morning, I would be somewhere in town hanging out. But now all of it is gone. I'm alone and they are always picking and I started to feel like I was disappearing, breaking. I wanted to prove they couldn't break me. I am stronger than them."

Dodie looks at her like he wants to say something.

"What?"

"Well, my father always says, if you are fighting a mountain, expect a broken arm."

"Oh yeah?" Julia says, half irritated half amused. "is that why you are  ready to strangle anyone who says a word about your tribe?"

Dodie chuckles.

"I've never said I listened to him. If I did, I might still be home."

"So you were expelled?" Julia asks, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Not officially," he looks hesitant. "I didn't leave willingly though."

"I'm intrigued."

"It's nothing, really. I just wish this whole thing to be forgotten."

Julia backs off. She knows exactly how he feels. For now, it is enough to talk to someone who's not blaming her for anything for a change. Dodie is quiet. The shadow of sadness on his face is unbearable.

"You know what, why don't we go to the city centre?" she says. "The urban development is dense there, and we also have several places with castle ruins so plenty of stones for you to stare at."

He smiles.

"Can we listen to Scranshers on the way?" He takes out a music box out of his pocket. Julia is officially unable to stop grinning.

They walk the streets, listening to the Scranchers, as loud as it is possible, singing along, although none of them is a good singer. Dodie jumps out and gestures wildly when he hears his favorite lines and Julia imitates playing the guitar. Two times they almost get under the silence spell as other bystanders do not appreciate the beauty of the Scranchers played at the maximum volume or yelled by two teenagers but Julia manages to ricochet spells while singing, and it only makes her laugh more. She smiles so much the muscles of her face start to feel a little numb.

She shows Dodie the ruins of the castle where ancient kings lived. Some of the buildings are more or less intact and some are only held together by the enormous amount of magic. Julia warns Dodie not to come close to the walls. He nods and shakes his head.

"It's weird you make the buildings up, not down," he says.

"Yeah, I could never understand the idea of the castle in the ground," Julia shrugs. "Isn't it basically a grave?"

"That's why it is so convenient," Dodie says, not a hint of joke. "It's an old gnome's custom. When those who lived in the house died, they would be left there, no fuss with the funerals. No coffins, no cemeteries, not like now."

"What if someone died and there were still alive gnomes in the house."

"The dead ones were held on the lowest floor, in the tumb until the last member of the family kicked off. Then neighbours come, clean the house and say their goodbyes."

"Bet there were a lot of stolen goods there."

"If a gnome was rational he would settle those matters beforehand."

"And if he wasn't?"

"There would be a lot of fights," Dodie admits. "But it was a good custom, I don't like that it's been replaced. Why would gnomes mimic humans? It's ridiculous."

"Hey," Julia frowns. "You live among the humans now, you better adjust. We live above the ground."

Dodie groans.

"Yeah, like peasants, it's embarrassing."

"Sorry for the inconvenience Your Highness," Julia says mockingly. Dodie looks away, causing her confusion. Her own words echo in her head, and she doesn't know why she is bothered by them but in a second she remembers.

"Wait-you are not really –are you?" She doesn't really have to ask. The answer is on his face already. "I thought twins were just mocking you."

"They did mock me. Those things are not mutually exclusive."

"Kim doesn't have any respect for royalty, huh?" she giggles.

"Why are you humans so obsessed with it? It never meant anything in Gata."

"It clearly means something to you, mister "you humans live like peasants." Dodie looks at her and smiles hesitantly.

"Maybe it does," he says. "I thought I didn't care about being a prince when I was home. But now I'm here, and I can feel the difference."

"What, they do not allow you to wear a crown here?" Julia teases.

"We do not wear crowns. They are heavy and uncomfortable."

"Do your subjects bow to you at least?"

"Never. It's a waste of time."

"Are you allowed to boss around?"

"Not until I'm a king."

"Are you sure you are a prince?"

"I told you it's different for gnomes. It's not about the power, it's about work."

"Sounds interesting," Julia says. And also a little bit tedious. "So what changed? Why is it so different here?"

"I don't know-it's just how people look-what do they see. I can't explain it properly. No one looked at me this way when I was at home even if I was a disgrace and disappointment." He stops himself as if he realizes that he said too much but Julia is too interested to be delicate.

"And what does count as a disgrace for gnomes?"

"I'd rather not tell."

  "Did they exile you for a crime or something?"

  "It's exactly what Mandy asked," Dodie sighs. "I can see why the two of you were friends."

Those words sting. She is nothing like Mandy. They shared a childhood but this doesn't mean they are alike.

"I was merely concerned for my own safety," she says dryly. "If you did commit a crime, I would prefer to know about it."

"If I committed a crime, my father would have put me in jail, rightfully so," Dodie says coldly. "We wouldn't be speaking right now, so you don't have to worry. If you are afraid I can walk you right back home."

Maybe she is like Mandy after all. Throwing an obviously sore subject in his face again and again just for amusement. Who does that?

"Sorry," Julia says. "I didn't mean to-it's been a long time since I really tried to know someone. I don't think isolation improved my manners."

He still pouts but she can see the anger leaving him.

"It's fine," he says. "And thanks-for an apology I mean." The last part surprises her but Julia's thoughts are suddenly interrupted. She sees two familiar silhouettes, only they are not dark this time, fur brown and red. They approach her and Dodie very decisively and then transform. This is the first time Julia sees foxes turning into humans, their limbs lengthening, faces getting into their usual shape. Kim and Nate look at Julia and give her a synchronized wink.