Daughter of Luka (LGBT+)

Fourteen 🌑

I couldn't help myself. 

"What do you dream about?" I asked her. 

Accalia shrugged at my question.

"Oh, you know," she began, "The usual- killer bunnies and huge bacon sandwiches," she said nonchalantly. 

I smirked. 

"Strange dreams indeed. Let's hope that killer bunnies won't be a problem you face, any time soon," I said. 

Accalia met my gaze and smiled again. 

 "I had a question on my mind," I continued, as we avoided tripping over some stinging nettles. 

"Do tell," Accalia replied. 

"Do you have a nickname? Accalia is quite the strange name," I admitted, "But it is beautiful, all the same," I quickly added. I didn't wish to offend her, especially when I loved her name. 

"Alia is what most of my close family and friends call me...Fenn sometimes calls me Acie, though," she said. 

I nodded. 

"I like those," I said. 

"How about you?" Accalia asked me. 

I chuckled. 

"My mother used to call me Fifi if she was especially annoyed with me. Little did she know, I didn't mind it that much. As a young girl, I found it sort of funny." 

"It's sort of cute," Accalia thought aloud, as the corner of her lips twitched upwards slightly. 

"Thank you. I thought so too," I said. 

"When's your birthday?" she asked me, then. 

"Next Tuesday," I replied. 

She narrowed her eyes, as though she didn't quite believe me. 

"Really?" she asked me. 

My smile only grew. 

"I guess you'll have to simply wait and find out. I am expecting cake, though," I said. 

Accalia grinned back at me. 

"That could be arranged," she said. 

"And I'll be turning eighteen," I added. 

As we walked on, I realised that Accalia was a little shorter than I was- but only a little. I supposed the first few times that I had met her, I had been so preoccupied with gazing at her eyes that everything else had sort of faded into the background. She was also a little slimmer than I was. I supposed she did a lot of exercise. I was getting quite tired. Meanwhile, Accalia looked as though she could walk for several more miles and not feel slightly drained of energy. 

"I'll bear in mind to get you a cake and a card," Accalia said, "We should probably get back. Those clouds don't look great." 

I supposed that the good weather could only last for so long. 

"I've got to go this way and try to find Fenn again. Are you going to be alright getting home?" she asked me. 

"It's not too far," I said, raising an arm above my head, as though it would prevent the incoming rain droplets from getting to me. 

"Alright," Accalia said and a faint smile appeared on her soft pink lips, "I'll see you soon, Fifi." 

"Later, Alia," I said, with my own smile. 

I turned and ran back home, as quickly as I could. My legs were strong, fortunately, so it didn't take me too long- and I didn't become too much of a human puddle- before I was home again. 

Once I had opened the front door of the house, I swiftly stepped inside, and my father came to find me. 

"Are you alright? Did you have a good walk with..." he trailed off. 

"Alia," I said. 

He nodded. 

"Right, Alia. Did you have a good walk with her?" he asked. 

"I'm alright. And yeah, it was all good until the rain started. She's a really nice person, dad," I assured him. 

"I'm still not sure how she got our address, though," he said. 

"I gave it to her," I lied easily. 

He raised an eyebrow at that. 

"You did?" he asked me. 

I nodded in answer. 

"Yup," I replied. 

What he didn't know wouldn't kill him. 

My dad raised a toned arm up and moved his fingers through his thinning white hair. His hair was soft and in his youth it had been a key feature that had drawn my mother to him, or so she had told me, not that I needed all the details.  

"Good. Good," he said and his expression grew warmer. "I'll make you some more coffee," he said, then. 

I smiled at this suggestion. 

"You know me well," I replied. 

The two of us wandered into the kitchen and my father got started on preparing me some more coffee. 

He eventually poured it into a mug and then set it down on the table. 

As I sat down to take a sip, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. 

During my time with Accalia, I had pretty much forgotten that I even had it with me. 

I took it out of my pocket now and released a breath, relieved that my phone was waterproof- though I wasn't too sure how much damage a little rain could do exactly. 

For some reason, I thought the text would be from Accalia. 

I was even more surprised when I found it was a message from Fenn. 

Fenn: Sorry that I didn't let you know that Accalia was my sister. I just wasn't sure how much I could tell you, exactly. 

Ophelia: That's alright. Is the cave really your family's home, though? 

It was only a joke question, but I didn't get a response for a good few minutes after asking it. I assumed that Fenn was just busy. After all, he was in secondary school, still. He probably had plenty of work to be getting on with. 

Fenn: Maybe. 

Maybe not. 

Ophelia: Did you get all of your tree research done? 

I still wasn't sure whether he had actually been doing that or not. 

Fenn: I did, actually. :)

Ophelia: Well, then, I'm glad to hear it. 

Fenn: And I'm glad that Accalia has made a new friend. She needs them. 

I chuckled at my phone screen. I knew he was only teasing. I was sure that Accalia had no trouble making and maintaining friendships, but then again...I supposed I did not know everything.