Amelia: Chapter 8 — My Second Chance
We arrive at the restaurant.
As the two of us walk in, I'm greeted by the sudden blowing of the heater inside. God, what a euphoric feeling that was. Soft music is playing, and I look around in awe, admiring the welcoming atmosphere. For once, the owner isn't chasing me out, but welcoming me inside.
I've almost never seen the inside of a restaurant before. Most I've gotten are views from glass windows, but being inside one was a whole different experience. I couldn't contain my excitement, and I think Mr. White Hair noticed that too. I try to play it cool, but I was jumping for joy like a child deep inside despite the fact that I'm starved half to death.
We take our seats, and I can't help but let out a smile.
ME. Inside of a restaurant, eating!
"You're quite excited, huh? It's almost like it's your first time in a restaurant."
I smile at his joke... not telling him that it wasn't a joke at all.
Mr. White Hair looks at a waiter, nods and smiles. The waiter does the same. It seems like this guy's a regular patron of this place. He just gave the waiter his order through a simple gesture.
He looks at me from across the table. "Can I ask you something? Is there any reason as to why you ran away? Seeing how you were just a while ago, I doubt you have anywhere to go."
What a totally non-personal question. I try to give him a humorous quip as my response, but I realize that this guy seems pretty genuine. Maybe... just maybe, I can be honest with this guy. He seems different from everyone else I've encountered before...
"I... don't have any parents. For as long as I've remembered, I've been living out on the streets alone." That sounded like a good answer. I don't think I need to tell him about what happened in the forest a few days ago.
"You've been alone your whole life? How old even are you?"
There we go again with the prying... but I'll entertain him for now. I respond shyly.
"I'm... sixteen."
That's a lie. I honestly don't know how old I am, but can you blame me? I only started counting my age, like, ten or so years ago, and nobody was there to keep track for me anyways.
"Sixteen, huh? Odd... you're younger than me, but you don't look younger than me."
I'm glad he didn't question the validity of my statement.
He looks right at me, prompting me to shyly look down at the table. His eye contact is so good, it's scary. It's there that I notice that he's not looking at my face anymore, but below it.
Flustered, I murmur. "Wh-What're you looking at, sicko?!"
"Fancy looking locket."
Oh... that's what it was. Get it together, girl. He doesn't seem like the type.
"O-Oh, I um... it was my parents'... or, at least I'd like to believe that it was my parents'."
"Can I see?" He asks.
I question him. "You're not gonna run off with it, are you?
He chuckles. "No-no-no. I wouldn't do that — honest."
This dude is super suspect. "Just so you know, I've taken down guys twice your size before."
That was another lie. Why am I so desperate to sound cool to this guy?
"Hey, you can trust me, I promise. I can prove that I won't take it."
I give him a stern look. This prompts him to reach under his clothes. I watch him carefully, and he pulls out a necklace of his own, hidden inside of his clothes. It's golden like mine, but in the shape of a heart.
He reassures me. "See? I have one, too. I wouldn't steal yours since I already own one."
I answer back. "What if you just stole that from someone else like me?"
"You're quite paranoid. I understand that people probably don't treat you well, but I promise that I'm not like that. Besides, I wouldn't run off while you're wearing my jacket."
I guess he has a point... I should've trusted him earlier. With a sigh, I unlock the latch of my locket. I hand him my necklace, and he opens the photo. As I look at him, he smiles.
"Are these your parents?" He asks.
"I don't know. For as long as I remember, I've been wearing it. I'd like to think that these two gave this to me before..."
"Abandoning you on the streets?" He finishes my sentence.
"I-I guess? Your guess is as good as mine. Hey, look, I showed you mine, and I'm grateful that you were honest, so... um..."
"So, what?"
"Can you show me yours?"
As he listens out to my question, he proceeds to unlatch his own locket.
"I guess it's only fair."
He hands me his locket. I open it up, and I see a picture of a mature woman. I realize who this could be, and I unconsciously let out a smile.
"Woah... is this your-?"
"Yep. It's my mother."
So he is a mommy's boy — I mean, I don't blame him. The woman in the photo is beautiful. She has the same, pure white hair as he does.
It seems like this stranger and I have more in common than I thought. I speak up.
"So we both have our parents close to us, huh?"
He chuckles.
"I'll do you one even better. My mother is gone, too."
Oh... I get it. She's gone gone.
"O-Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that."
"Don't be. I lost her, but that doesn't mean she still isn't here."
Intrigued, I give him a sincere comment.
"I really admire how close you seem to be with her."
He gives me a sincere response right back.
"She means the world to me. You know, when I saw you lying down on that alley, I thought of what she would have done, so now we're here. I'd like to think she's smiling down from above seeing the two of us."
I wish I could relate to this boy... it must be nice having loving parents.
"It's what she would have wanted, huh? What if, hypothetically, she wanted you to leave me to die there alone and hungry?" I jokingly remark.
He defensively waves his hands in front of him, but in a lighthearted manner.
"Hahaha — of course I wasn't going to leave you alone, silly."
I giggle it off, but suddenly, he gives me a more serious look as opposed to the laid-back demeanor he gave me just a moment ago... he tells me something oddly convoluted:
"I've seen death before. I've been on the verge of death numerous times in my lifetime. When you witness exactly how terrifying seeing your soul being ripped away from this mortal realm is, you wouldn't wish for that to happen to anybody — no matter how cruel or evil they may be."
Wow, uh... I really don't know how to respond to that. Trying to switch the topic, I look back at the picture in the boy's locket. He notices, and his mannerism becomes brighter. Something about the woman in the photo is so pure... she almost looks like...
"An angel..."
"An angel?"
"Oh! Did I say that out loud?"
He reassures me by laughing it off. He takes back his locket, and wraps it around his neck.
"That reminds me... you called me an angel when I found you half-conscious."
Crap, did I say that out loud, too?! That's embarrassing...
He notices my uneasy expression.
"Heh heh — I'm flattered. No one's ever complimented me like that in a while."
I don't see it, but I'm pretty sure my face went red. What the hell am I doing?
"Please, ignore that... I was in a moment of weakness.
"Hahaha! ...Angel."
I slap him on the wrist. He jokingly hops back in pain.
"You know, that hurt, Ms. Angel." He teases.
I moan. "Stop calling me that..."
"If you're not going to tell me your real name, then I think I'll stick with Angel."
'Angel Reinhart,' huh? That actually doesn't sound too bad... but I still think 'Amelia' is prettier...
After our short conversation, the food arrives. All of my manners go out the roof; I grab a spoon, and stuff my face. He laughs at me, but I'm honestly apathetic to it. All I cared about was filling the void in my stomach.
Nearly an hour goes by, and I've gone through three plates, and currently finishing my fourth. I really feel bad for Mr. White Hair's wallet, so I think I'm gonna cut this short...
After I finish my plate with a huge grin on my face, he asks me something.
"You know, you don't feel like a runaway. I feel like I'm talking with an old friend from high school."
High School, huh? This might sound weird, but...
"You know, I've always wanted to go to school. Believe me, if I had the money, the first thing I'd want to do is go to the local public school and start learning."
He looks at me with interest.
"School, huh? I understand how you feel. Education was something I took for granted, but now I realize that high school really was the best years of my life.
"Honestly? I'd give anything to lead a normal life. I know it's damn near impossible for me, but, maybe someday, I can live out that dream.
"Your... dream?"
I look at him with a determined gaze.
"I want to make my mark on this world. I'm not going to die a nobody."
That was a little corny, but I can't help it. As my gaze draws towards him, I see a smile form on his face. It wasn't creepy — In fact, seeing him smile made me want to do so even more. It's looked as if he had finally found what he was looking for... in me.
What he asked me next changed my fate forever...
"Listen... do you want to live that dream right now?"
I scoff at his clear joke.
"Sure. Why don't you give me a billion dollars while you're at it?"
"No, I'm serious. My complex is practically empty, and I'm sure we can spare a couple resources on one person."
"'We?' Are you, like, a part of some illegal organization?"
"Hahaha... Organization, you can say so, but illegal? Quite the literal opposite, if you will..."
Okay, I've heard of Hearts of Gold, but this dude's heart has to be like, made of diamond if he's serious, which I refuse to believe he is.
"I'm flattered, but curious. What's in it for you?" I ask.
"Can a guy not just help someone in need?" He tries to respond.
Any way you look at it, this is fishy fishy. No sane human being would take in some random runaway you met a few hours ago. I look at him with one eyebrow raised, and, eventually, he cracks.
"Alright, alright, you got me."
I sigh nervously. Was this about to go where I think this is going?
"Fine... what's your condition? Tell me what you want."
He reaches into his backpack. After a few moments of anticipation, he pulls out a photo. He hands it to me. I observe the object in the photo. It's glowing a bright shade of yellow. It looked like a precious gemstone.
It has a name written at the bottom of the photo. I read it out.
"'The Golden Stone of Name?'"
"It's pronounced 'Nah-May'"
"That's a stupid nah-may..."
I managed to get a chuckle out of him.
"I didn't name it. Anyways, back to the point: I'm looking for this stone, and you're going to get it for me."
This all sounds crazy.
"Okay, but why me? What makes you so sure that I would get it for you, let alone know if I even know where it is."
He explains to me:
"Are you sure you don't know? Take a look at how the stone is glowing. Doesn't that shine ring a bell?"
I take a closer look. Now that he mentions it, the way this stone is glowing is oddly familiar. It's like I've seen this light before.
Wait a second...
It's all coming back to me now. I have seen this glow before. Back in the temple, when my father was sitting in front of a light source that made the whole room shine — the one that I described as a candle...
He looks at me as I come to my revelation.
"So you do know where it is?"
I push him for further questions.
"Okay, but, why do you need me to do this? Why can't you just go take it yourself?"
He answers.
"The answer to that is complicated. I can really only explain this to you properly once you get me the stone. This stone has a lot of significance... to you, your parents and your origin."
Wait.
What.
Who IS this guy
Who does he think he is
"You don't know me."
He only tilts his head, and gives me a small smile.
"You're right. I only have vague ideas about who you are... but I have no clue who Reinhart is.
I stand up from my seat.
"Why should I do this? Will you tell me who you are if I do?!"
He stands up from his own.
"Honestly? I could tell you right now, but would you be satisfied if I did so? You said you wanted to leave a mark on this world, and I'm giving you a chance. You want to know more, don't you?"
I look down, contemplating on my decision.
He looks at me with a patient expression.
"Don't worry — No strings attached. Once I get the stone, you can come with me. I can give you a better life | a life that you deserve.
"Before I give you my answer... how do you know me? How am I related to whatever you want to do with this stone?"
"I guess you can call it a hunch. After seeing your powers, I know."
I remain silent for a moment.
"Hey, don't look so frightened. I'm not, like, a gang member or anything, haha. You have complete freedom to choose whatever you do. If you refuse, I won't force you. Just know that... things will get harder for you in the coming years if you don't comply.
I look at him. For some reason, after seeing the photo of his mother, and looking into his eyes, I can tell that this boy really does mean no harm. There's no malicious intent in his words nor his gaze.
Was he really just a genuine guy?
He extends his arm forward. I look at his hand, then back at him. He closes his eyes, and gives me one of the friendliest smiles I've ever seen. I remember his generosity: looking after me after I collapsed, brought me here to feed a stranger he just met...
He and I have the same locket.
I take his hand in mine.
Huh... his hand is a lot colder than I expected.
It feels nice...
Thus, marks the beginning of this bizarre journey that I brought upon myself... and it all started with a complete chance meeting with this stranger.
But he's making it out to me like he knows me, or at least knows where I came from...
Was this boy really stranger?
Well, whether if he knows who I am or not, I know that I feel safe around him...
"I take it we have a deal?" He asks me expectantly.
As I let go of his hand, I just can't help but wonder...
"Why are you doing this for me? Any way you look at it, I'm a nobody. Why are you so willing to help me out...?"
He pauses before he gives me a smile and his answer.
"The way I see it, you're just as important as anybody in this world. You don't deserve to die here. You deserve a better life than the one that's been given to you..."
He adds more. "To put it frankly... once you've stared Death in the eye... you wouldn't wish that upon any fellow human being. Not me, not you... nobody..."
He reiterates what he told me about death. I understand now. This boy has has undergone tragedy just like I have. He's hiding a tragic past that he doesn't want to share with me... but a hidden past that I want to know.
He is me, and I am him.
This is the first time anybody has acknowledged and felt the same pain as I have...
I trust him.
"Alright... deal."