Chapter 13 - Yukanie

"Are you alright? You seem like you're bothered by something." Maven said as the three of them walked out of their room. It was late in the evening already, they had their fill of fun for today going from the Arcade. Feeling rather hot because of the strong heater at the lower deck of the ship, they decided to head up for some cool air. She stares over at Scarlet's back since she was walking a few steps ahead of them on her phone about something, she was glad to see that Scarlet was no longer bothered by what she had said this morning, or it could be that Scarlet was just hiding it.

"Nothing, it's just the heat getting to me and all the craziness of this cruise trip." She said with a smile.

Maven returned the smile and threw an arm over her shoulder as they made their way up the wide carpeted stairs. Normally she hated it when people do it, she knew that she herself wasn't as tall as Scarlet and Maven who stood at 5'7-8 tall, but she was ok with it when it comes to Maven and Scarlet. For them, it was just a gesture that proves how close one can be and how comfortable one can be around the other.

"I know right? Hehe who would have thought that there's so much food on this ship and so many games to play, it has everything!" Maven said laughing. But her laughing faded away as they reached the open deck, Maven dropped her arm from her shoulder as they came up to the think metal railing. The vast ocean that reflected the bright red color of the setting sun reflects in Maven's eyes. There was a moment of silence as the two of them stared out into the sea, it was so open and the feeling of the soft wind rushing at them made it feel so free. For a moment she almost forgot about what happened this morning until she saw from the corner of her eyes among the crowd of people on the deck, was something watching them from a distance with a familiar black and white vest. Once again the frown return to her face.

"Ahh!" Scarlet said loudly as she finally joined them.

She watched her red hair friend yawn and stretch before a big smile appears on her face. She seems to have finished her phone call and seems much more relaxed.

"Can you smell it? It's almost as if we're free haha." Scarlet said laughing lightly, she leaned her chest against the railing as she stretched her arms outward. "This feeling is the best."

She laughed a little herself at how her friends were speaking on the exact terms. "So what do you guys want to do after this?" She added.

"Hmmm..." Maven said biting her lips as she thinks. It became a noticeable habit.

"Who cares we'll do whatever comes to mind after we eat ok? Come on!" Scarlet said, coming up between them. Pulling them close as she tosses an arm around either of them. Maven elbowed Scarlet but walked towards the dining area as Scarlet pushed them towards it with a huge smile.

"You guys go ahead first, I have to use the bathroom I'll find you guys later." She said, pulling herself away with a smile. She accidentally met those golden eyes of Scarlet, she could see the chain of thoughts clicking away in her friend's mind. Scarlet was a scary person sometimes, having that she was able to read people but not much was able to read her. She swallowed as she stepped away, not wanting Scarlet to point anything out or ask any more questions.

"Alright hurry though before all the food is gone." Maven said jokingly at Scarlet, who broke the stare finally with a smile and rolling her eyes.

"I'll save some for you I promise," Scarlet said towards her. Seeing the smile on Scarlet's face she finally relaxed her shoulder. Thankfully her friend did not press onward or seems not to bother herself further with the matter. She watches as her two friends disappear through the glass door into the busy dining room. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm surprised that she didn't question you."

She jumped when the boy from this morning appeared beside her, his eyes following the same direction her friends gone in. "From what I heard she can read people like a book."

"What?" She said sharply, she had no idea where this person was getting the information from. Was he able to tell that from just watching them? Could he read people's expressions and thoughts like an open book as well? "Quit stalking us, just who are you."

"Who I am? Someone that doesn't belong here. But you'll know soon enough." He replied with a smirk. "Anyways I assume that you got away from your friend not just because you notice me watching you guys but because you want to talk about that offer don't you?"

She crossed her arms and looked at him, although it was hard considering that he was taller, taller than her friends. Still, she did the best she could to look stern.

"What do I need to give for you to get us in? Money?" She replied.

"Money? Money is worthless in my eyes, don't worry even if you didn't come to ask me how to get in I would have gone to you and tell you myself anyways. As for the price, you'll bond to pay it but not now."

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"Whoa, we're invited to this place? I still can't believe it." Maven said.

She too cannot believe it as well when they step past the guards at the doorway and into the carpeted room. There were round-clothed tables placed all around the room with equal spacing between each and combined with 4 fancy-looking chairs. The room was pretty much packed already, but to her surprise, there was not much noise. Everyone in the room seems to know to keep their voice down even as they speak.

"Hello, this way please." A young-looking waitress said, approaching them and leading them over to the right side of the room to an empty table.

As soon as they sat down, the nearby waiters brought them fancy-looking appetizers. While Scarlet and Maven help themselves to the fancy food, she glances around her. It seems to be mostly grown-ups that are here, probably because most of the kids would not be interested in such stuff. She also notices a small stage that was set up with a microphone and a wood stand, she guesses that was where the event was held.

"I hope this ends soon because I can't stand this, I don't like how I'm being surrounded from all sides," Scarlet whispered to them.

When she had broken the news to her friend about this place, and what was going on they had no objections to coming to this place, but now seeing how that they were sitting at one of the tables in the middle of the room and crowd, she felt bad for not realizing such thing was going happen. She knew how Scarlet felt when it comes to being trapped in a closed and surrounding space.

"GOOD EVENING, LADIES, AND GENTLEMEN!" A joyful voice boomed, silencing the room before she could reply.

She directs her attention to the stage, where a woman in office clothes stood proudly on the stage with a huge smile. As soon as she had stopped talking the crowd clapped as if she had said something so wonderful and inspiring, she could see the frown on her friend's face as they were forced to also clap along so that they would not seem out of place. When it finally died down, she picked up the microphone and started speaking again.

"I thank you all for coming here today, I cannot express how happy I am to see so many of you interested in the discovery I have made during my research with the ocean team." She said with a huge smile. "I know you all came here in hope of seeing what we have found and also buying the product."

She heard Scarlet mutter something, but it seems to be mostly for herself rather than for them to hear. She directed her attention back on the woman again.

"I have the 3 extortionary items we have discovered right here." She waved her hands to the empty stage behind her, She watched as three-man came onto the stage. Each pushing a small cart that held a small wooden box on top of it. Once the carts were in their place they left the stage as quickly as they came.

"I just want to say that, selling these discoveries is to help gather funds for further research of the ocean, which makes up the majority of our planet earth, it may come across a few people that we would be doing this for the money and not the research." The woman held a hand over her heart as if she was in pain. "But I am happy to say that this money that you lovely bunch of people are offering to buy the items will be only used for further research products, now I won't take your time any further as I present to you-"

It seems as if the crowd was holding their breath as they watch the lid of all three of the box being lifted slowly. Inside each of the small boxes was a small glass bottle of its own shape, the lights that reflected off the glass made it shine as if it was a gem.

"Seriously? All this for three small bottles of unknown liquid?" Maven whispered in disbelief.

She too couldn't believe the way people reacted as if they found the diamond of their life. It was just 3 small bottles that were sitting on some soft pillow with different color liquid in each. One was light blue, one was golden yellow, and one was emerald green, it seems like it was a scam to her. For all, she knows it could be just food coloring water.

"It may not look strange, but let me tell you how it came into existence." The woman continued. "After days of diving in and out of the ocean, our team has found these three bottles buried halfway into the sand not that far from each other. Strange enough when we had to lift it out of the water the bottle was seal tightly and the temperature of the bottle was the same as that of a living human."

She couldn't believe the non-sense that the woman was speaking. Not bothering further to listen to the story that she continued to share, she turns her attention to the food that was still on the table. Her friends too seem to have lost interest in whatever gibberish the woman was speaking.

"That's the person I saw this morning," Scarlet whispered, shoving a forkful of food into her mouth as if she hadn't eaten for days.

"I'm wondering if these people will really spend money for those." She herself said.

She heard Maven snorted lightly and pointed her fork to the people around them.

"From the looks of it yes it seems like they're about to spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars for those things." Maven replied, shaking her head lightly in dismay.

She glance at the people that sat within the room, each one of them had a spark in their eyes. She can see the desire to obtain the item was strong from their eyes and expression. The only excuse she could find to explain this was the difference between the world of upper-class people and lower-class people.

"Alright! As a thank you for coming today I have asked the chef to prepare everyone in this room a fancy meal, I will announce the highest bidder right after your meal!" The woman said loudly.

It caught them off guard as they were in the middle of finishing when the waiters and waitress came to take the plate away from them, bringing to the table a new set of dishes that seems to be the main course.

"Hey at least the food here is good," Scarlet said, not wasting a minute to dig in.

"Better eat it before they take it away, these rich people don't know how hard it is to put food on the table." Maven added.

She couldn't help but laugh a little as she watches her two friends dig in like no others. She couldn't call them a pig, after all, they were both pretty skinny. It was just that both of them understand the harsh condition that large families struggle through even if they hadn't themselves. For once the room seems to be relaxed as everyone took their time finishing the meal and chatting loudly, the room was no longer in a quiet whisper, it seems like food was the key to the celebration.

"Hmm.."

She directs her attention to Maven who was staring up towards the stage while chewing on her food slowly.

"What? What is it?" She asked.

"No nothing, I'm just wondering where they took those bottles to." Maven replied turning her eyes back onto the food in front of her.

"They probably brought it back behind the stage, you never know what will happen to it when you're not looking after it in a room full of people huh?" Scarlet replied.

The back door of the room suddenly busted open, catching everyone's attention. A man is wearing dark sunglasses in his neat suit came running out breathlessly.

"Mrs. Nikki! The bottles! They're - they're gone!"

She slowly looked over to Scarlet with wides eyes as did Maven.

"Um...did I jinx it?"