Fragmented Dreams

Chapter 24: Much Ado About Dating

I smiled at Maayan, trying not to laugh. "It's a joke hun. Ramsay is a famous chef."

"Oooh," Maya commented, not totally understanding. They placed their head in their hands, leaning on the table to do so. When the table wobbled in its usual fashion Maya looked concerned. "This table is broken!"

"Yeah, we know," I said, pushing on it from my end.

Maya ducked down under the table and began testing the legs. "I can fix it!"

"What?" Zola asked with a bewildered look on her face. We all watched as Maayan took the wax paper from my sandwich and began folding it up into a square. They disappeared again for a moment before popping back up, pressing on the table as they stood.

"Fixed!" they called out cheerfully.

"Ah, old wobbly you're gone now," Zola joked. "Who will spill my sodas now?"

Maya stared at her for a moment, fearful, before realizing she was joking.

"Thank you, Maya," I said, trying to reassure them.

Azar wandered over, dropping his backpack on the ground. "Sup," he said, sitting in the chair in between myself and Maya.

"Making friends?" I asked sweetly, glancing at the popular girl's table.

"I guess," he responded with a shrug. "Is there seriously no place to smoke on this campus?"

"No," Casimir replied, giving him a look.

Zola made a disgusted face. "Ew, you smoke, say it ain't so?!"

I coughed nervously because I had given Azar a similar lecture when I first saw him smoking at the farmhouse. I told him he was going to get a lot of attitude from people here on Earth and he seemed indifferent.

"Sorry love," Azar replied simply, "I know it's a bad habit."

Zola gave him a look before turning her attention to me instead. "So Diana, are you all ready for the Harvest Festival this year? Does your Grandpa still need help with the booth?"

"I am so excited and yes, we would love for you and Sunita to come help," I replied with a smile. Each year during the festival we opened up the orchard for apple picking and there was always a large turnout. Last year I even set up a table to do face painting for the kids and got a great response. I was especially looking forward to the homemade apple cider my Grandpa would make.

"I've got my Hartmann Farms shirt all washed and ready!" Zola said with a smile. "Casimir, you're helping out too I assume."

"Oh yes, we've been making cider since I got here," he responded thoughtfully.

"Oh, a festival? I wanna go, can I help?" Maayan asked, chewing on their carrot stick.

"It's hard work," I admitted.

"Maya is stronger than we look!" they said with a flex of their muscles. I laughed since I had seen the fairy aim a bow and arrow without dropping a bead of sweat, so I was sure this was true.

"I'll ask Grandpa," I said, assuming he'd be fine with it.

Zola was lost in thought for a moment before pointing her fork at me. "Diana, I don't see why you don't try to be the Harvest Queen this year, you'll be too old soon!"

I scoffed loudly. "I'm already too old. I'm pretty sure it's eighteen and under."

Every year the festival crowned a girl to be the Harvest Queen and she would sit for pictures in a pretty dress and crown. I wasn't sure what the point of it was.