The Hidden Evil

Chapter 9- Amy's day life

Amy walked to the shops with her 'new' friends after school. (#she was still adjusting to her double identity.) Being away for 4 months, everyone said how her holiday vacation was. Amy had replied, "You know, fantastic. But I have way too much homework now." Only her close friends knew about the supposed car accident. And now she was back.
Same old road. Same shops. The afternoon sun beat upon her shoulders. MacDonald's and Krispy Kreme's were on the left. If she kept heading for the city centre she'd reach the city library and courthouse.
"Hey Nat!- I mean Amy, I keep forgetting." The youthful voice called.  It was Maize.
"We'll catch you later," her walking buddies said with a giggle. They had their own plans for the day.
Amy rolled her eyes just in time for them to see.

Under the gorgeous sunshine, Amy could see his light hair flapping underneath his helmet. He was her neighbour, two houses down. And he quickly closed the distance on his BMX bike.
"It's easy, Maize," Amy's shrug turned into a smirk. "Still getting used to it all myself."
"Pretty epic name change. I bet your parents totally freaked! Can't believe you are sticking with it. If I ever tried," Maize whistled. "It's totally ballsey."
A name change so totally earned Amy-'Natalie Freeman' cool points in the school. She owned it. And she strutted left to the local shopping centre.
"So anyway, have you heard?" Maize asked.
"Heard what?" Amy asked.
"The school expedition trip. A bunch of us are going." Maoze began.
Amy didn't look too impressed.
"It's going to be totally epic. Right by the beach, like zero teacher supervision. We can head out and swim by the beach after lights out," Maize began.
Beach... islands, Amy's ears perked up.
"You mean, like near those disappearing islands? Those sucked."
"I mean, yeah, we're going to help them. So you in? Your parents can't say no if it's a good cause. Already got Cadance on board. And we can hang." Maize shifted his eyes to the side.
"Thanks, but nah. It really doesn't sound smart." Amy remembered her promise. Not to investigate solo.

(It had been part of Bronte's speech, 'keeping the worlds separate', and her promise... to stay and live a normal human 'girl' life.)
"Wah- you are chickening out?" Maize tilted back in his seat shocked.
"No, jerk! I just... I made a promise."
Amy pulled up by the town Starbucks which she and Cadance always hanged out at; Maize 's bicycle tyre hit the curb.
Amy turned back and faced him at the 'ooff' he made.
"It'll be epic fun time." Maize learnt forward, resting on his bike handles, crooked smile in place. "We can always explore those places you are always asking about in class."
"Bad idea," Amy retorted. She wanted to help, not be in trouble and danger.
Maize kept going. "But it'll be worth it- aye? 'Yeah, man, it'll be totally chilling.' "
"Don't try Jamaican, you suck!" Amy shook his bike handles away. Maize mock acted electrocuted. Amy laughed and shook her head at his goofy face.
"They are totally gonna hate that impersonation." Amy ended.
"So... you're thinking of coming, right?" Maize checked.
"Urgh, I'll think about it." Amy ducked into the coffee store. (In which she wasn't allowed coffee- yet) Walking over to a free booth, Amy swung her hard and heavy backpack on to the floor, underneath the chequered cream and black table. Then kicked her backpack in further, picked up the old paper list and waited. 
A place to just be.
There was a project for science due, so she and Cadance were going to hang and do it... and also talk about all the later goss in the teenage update blogs. It was bound to be a very full, fun afternoon.

As Amy loved looking at the menu, imagining eating everything on it; and she slipped into her own little world. Her thoughts slipped into the wait. Then she pulled out and buzzed Cadance.

"Where are you. I'm here." Amy snapped a picture and drew a little question mark over it in blue where Cadence should be seated in front of her.

"Sorry, I'm on my way," came the text back.

The swing of the door came and in walked Cadance, down right ignoring Maize at his seat by the bike area.  Cadence burst into a sprint to where Amy was.

"Right, you are here," Cadance came panting in. "You are never going to believe what just happened to me."

"What?" Amy asked.
"Jeremy asked me to the movies!" Cadance squealed.
Amy bounced with her. "That's amazing, Cay!"

"I know but we have to change your birthday plans if we do that. Or we think of some place more epic romantic to go," Cadance swung her arms.

"Why?" Amy asked. It was a couple of months before her 13th birthday.

"Because he likes the horror movie too," Cadence began.

"IT?" Amy questioned, then grew excited for her friend as she squealed 'Yes'.

"I can't believe you are going together!" Amy reiterated, watching Cadance's face light up wider. "It's going to be so romantic."

"I know!" Cadance exclaimed.

The girls squealed and took a photo.

"I cant believe your parents still won't let you get TicToc," Cadance said, "Or even Insta or Snap."

"Tell me about it," Amy said.

It had been a while since she had come back, and the elven way for protecting them still stuck to Amy's mind. It was fine being a teenager, but no advertising where she was to power hungry meglomanic elves who didn't like her sister, Soph. They had done the whole 'being abroad' and 'car accident' thing to cover the months away... captive. Amy only knew it was a rough patch for her parents, she didn't want to jog those memories.

"So..." Amy egged Cadence. "What are the details?"

"First, you have to know that Billie Ellish came last season. BTS is coming!"

A squeal came.

"Really! No way! we have to get tickets."
"I know!" Cadance said, "we have to get your parents to come."

Amy said nothing. Her parents were going through counselling for it all, the lingering emotions left.
"How about we see the ticket prices and convince them first."
"Perfect. We've got three months." Cadence checked the calender dates. 138days."
"You are so good at maths."
"I just worked it out. Are you going to go to the trip?"
"Ah..." Amy backed away. Yes she was totally into it. Yes she wanted to go and not be someone boring and useless..."I don't want to."
"You are kidding me!" Cadence said. "It'll be so much fun. And Maize is there."
Then lowered her voice. "You need to get over your "you know who" old crush and get with the hot available neighbour"
"Uh-nah, he's a good friend. It'd be weird," Amy said

"Fair enough." Cadence pouted. "It's bus goggling like always then."
Amy rolled her eyes. They were always on the look out for hot guys to crush on. Jeremy was Cadence's latest and a total success.
But part of Amy didn't want the score of getting a guy to date her. It might of been what had happened in Atlantis. But she wanted someone she could be real with, who'd listen, and not just talk. And she wasn't sure if she was just too old anymore for her classmates who didn't think like that.
Is something wrong with me? Amy wondered.