The Change

When they went upstairs Linri could not hold himself back any more.

"Why did you do it?" He was looking at Jaime demanding an answer.

"Do what?" Her answer made him even more irritated.

"Don't play dumb with me! You forced me to tell them about the school earlier than I intended. What if something went wrong?" Jaime turned back to look towards him. She had a smile on her face.

"It went alright in the end, didn't it? So what's the fuss?" Linri tried to calm himself down. This girl in front of him managed to push his buttons. It had been almost a month since their transmigration but she had already figured out a way to make him angry.

Wait that did not sound right. He was not a person to get agitated so easily so was his fluctuating emotions a side effect? Like how Spark's personality changed drastically? That should not be possible, Linri's personality was quite similar to his own and it was the Togk deities that changed his personality over time. Since he dealt with that he should not be affected by it. Was there something he was overlooking?

"What's got you thinking so deeply all of a sudden?" She had a frown on her doll-like face. This sudden question brought Linri back to reality. He could think about that question later.

"Nothing important. Anyway don't force me in the future ever again, I have my plans and everything has a time and place. Next time if you do something like that it might affect them. Admittedly I could have ignored you and say nothing, but this time I had a back up so that's why I played along. Next time though it might be different so don't take liberties with me."

"Do you know what your problem is? You are always so pessimistic, they did not even reject you but you are already assuming that. Life is not supposed to be like that, you should not always plan your each and every move, your words. You should take things as they come. I am not saying planning is bad but you should be more relaxed about it."

"And where would that put us? If I didn't plan everything you would be sleeping in that run down place right now!"

"Why is that? Are you telling me your parents wouldn't help a girl in need if you were not beaten up? Would they just turn a blind eye to someone in need if you brought them? You could have just said I was an online friend in trouble, you do not have to go to 'extreme' in everything. Don't you feel that it's tiring to plan every single detail? It's alright to make mistakes."

Linri was feeling troubled by her words. He could tell that she was right to some extent but admitting that would deny his way of living.

"You have changed." Jaime's smile became dazzling upon these words.

"Do you hate it?"

"I can't say that I dislike it but it's surprising. You don't feel like the 'happy go lucky' Spark or 'The Ice Queen'."

"Yeah, I know." Then Jaime turned back and went to her room, leaving Linri in deep thoughts. Should he really try to be more 'relaxed'?

Evening came and it was time for dinner, Linri was nervous while sitting down the table. He turned towards his right to look at Jaime who was telling him that it was gonna be alright with her eyes.

"So? Have you guys decided yet?" He was extremely nervous while asking the question. It was just like when he was a teenager and asking his parents for permission. This was a feeling he hadn't felt in years. Something definitely had to be wrong with him.

"Yeah, you can go." It was Lyra that answered his question.

"Huh? Really? I can go?" He was having a hard time processing this information.

"What's with the reaction don't tell me you have changed your mind in half a day?" Arkady chimed in with a grumpy tone.

"No, no of course not! It's just that I was expecting a lecture about how I can't go or something." Linri answered while playing with the peas on his plate.

"Sorry kid, I am in no mood to give you a lecture." Arkady seemed to be feeling down. Linri could guess that it was because of him but he did not feel the need to console him. He knew that Arkady was going to follow him to the school eventually, so why should he bother himself.

"Anyway, we will deal with your paperwork tomorrow. Studying abroad is not an easy thing so we have to make a few trips together to your old school and embassy." Lyra said something that was on his mind. This was a real world so there should be legal procedures to follow if you want to study there legally but he did not have any idea about how to do that. Even if he knew about the future of this world he was still a 22-year-old recent graduate. He did not even leave London before let alone go to a different country.

"Oh, sorry for the trouble I guess."

"By the way Ms Harclaw I want to go there as well! Can you tell me what should I do? After all, I can't always live here. If I want to get away from this place studying abroad does not seem like that bad of an idea." Jaime suddenly interrupted the conversation with her question.

"Hm? You want to go too?" Lyra wondered if there was something going on with this little miss and his son. On the surface they seemed like good friends but she could feel an invisible tension between them. She never really bothered about it as she could not feel any malice from Jaime but it was the reality that they did not get along enough for her to follow abroad. Could that tension be that she likes him but Linri is not responding to her love? There were too many questions on her mind.

"Now that seems to be a problem." Answered Lyra.