CHAPTER 4: NIGHT OUT

Chapter 4: Night Out

Knock! Knock! "Magnus!" said a voice outside the room. He woke up startled as he heard someone knocking on his bedroom door, calling his name. He immediately got up, walked to the door, and opened it. He looked up and saw his aunt smiling as she spoke, "I figured you were asleep and tired from the trip, so I didn't bother waking you up at noon for lunch. We're going out for dinner. Get ready, okay?" explained his aunt. Magnus, with a sleepy expression, nodded and replied, "Alright." His aunt walked away, and he closed the door. He walked to the table, grabbed his phone, turned it on, and checked the time. It was 5:55 p.m.

He dressed in his usual style: a black hoodie with a white t-shirt underneath, black jeans, and black sneakers. He checked his pocket to make sure he hadn't forgotten his phone and wallet, then headed out of his room and went downstairs. As he slowly walked to the living room, he saw Sofie sitting on a single couch on the right, leaning back, looking at her phone, seemingly busy chatting with someone. She was wearing an oversized pink hoodie with a Hello Kitty design, tiny shorts that were almost too revealing but were covered by her hoodie, and pink sneakers. Her bangs nearly covered her eyebrows, and she wore glasses. "So pinkish," Magnus thought to himself. Sofie noticed someone in the room with her, looked around, and saw Magnus staring at her. For a moment, they just looked at each other. Sofie smiled and said softly, "Mom's in the kitchen." Magnus, taken aback, nodded, smiled back, looked away, and walked to the kitchen, passing by her.

He stood in front of the kitchen door and saw his aunt sitting on a chair, writing something on a small piece of paper. She looked up, saw Magnus, smiled, and said, "I'm just writing down the grocery list here. You and Sofie go wait outside the shop. I'll finish this up." Magnus nodded and walked away. He approached Sofie, who was still staring at her phone, and said, "Aunt Cryst said we should wait outside the shop." Sofie paused for a moment, looked at Magnus, smiled, and replied, "Okay." Then she stood up, still on her phone, and went downstairs at the first floor walked toward the door. Magnus looked at her and followed, wondering, "What's she giggling about on her phone? Maybe it's her friends chatting with her, or she's reading something?" he thought while following her outside.

They stood in front of the shop next to the blue minivan with a sign on the light pole that said "No Parking, Private Area." Sofie was leaning against the van, still busy with her phone. Magnus didn't mind her and just looked around at the surroundings. The sky was getting dark, and the streetlights were beginning to shine. A few cars passed by with their headlights on, and a few people walked by, crossing the street. Up ahead, on both sides of the street, were buildings, most of them two stories high, and some with three or more floors. The lower floors of each building seemed to house shops, most of which were closed, just like their shop. "Probably because it's Sunday," Magnus murmured to himself as he continued to observe.

He noticed another shop across the street. He squinted, trying to read the sign: "Cherry Tops." He observed the layout and saw a logo of a slice of cake with a coffee cup beside it. He mumbled to himself, "What's this, a competition?" Magnus chuckled, comparing their shop to the one across the street, both being coffee shops. A moment later, the small headlights of the van suddenly lit up an orange glow, hinting that it had been unlocked from the inside. "Let's go, guys, get in," Magnus looked behind him and saw his aunt walking toward them, holding the car keys and with her purse over her shoulder. Sofie opened the back seat of the car and got in. "She's sitting at the back?" Magnus asked himself. Magnus then opened the front door next to the driver's seat and got in. His aunt settled in the driver's seat as well. Once everyone was settled, she started the car and asked, "You guys ready? You haven't forgotten anything?" Crystal Ann asked the two teens. "No, I'm fine, Mommy," replied Sofie. Magnus glanced at his aunt and also replied, "I'm alright." After confirming everything was okay, Crystal Ann slowly drove away.

As they drove around the city, Magnus gazed out of the car window, looking at the streets where the streetlights illuminated the roads. Some shops were closed, and everyone was quiet in the car. His aunt didn't mention where they were heading, and Sofie was still glued to her phone. Magnus didn't bother asking and remained silent. After half an hour of driving, it seemed like they had arrived at their destination. Magnus looked ahead and saw a giant building with a lot of lights and a sign that said "Metro Mall." He thought, "A mall?" Crystal Ann drove toward the parking lot and parked. "We're here," she exclaimed while undoing her seatbelt. They all got out of the car and started heading to the entrance before Crystal Ann asked, "Where do you want to eat?"

"I want sushi, Mommy. I'm craving it," Sofie exclaimed. "And can we buy a cake later, Mommy? Please… pretty please?" she continued, putting her hands together with her phone sandwiched between them and making a cute pleading face. Her mother laughed and replied, "Alright, alright, we'll buy a cake later. How about you, Magnus, what do you want to eat?" she asked, looking at him. Magnus blushed slightly, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand, looking shy, and replied, "Ah… I don't know? I guess I'll have whatever you're having?" Crystal Ann laughed and nodded. "Okay, okay, let's go."

They entered the mall and walked around, looking for the food court. Magnus observed the surroundings and saw many people walking around, carrying shopping bags. As they walked past shops selling clothing, beauty products, accessories, and ornaments, they eventually reached the food court. "You guys order what you want to eat. I'll find us a table," said Crystal Ann. "I'll go order some sushi over there," Sofie said excitedly as she walked away. Magnus stood there, feeling lost. His aunt noticed his hesitation. "Magnus!" exclaimed Crystal Ann. Startled, Magnus looked at his aunt. "How about you find us a table, and I'll order our meal," Crystal Ann explained. Magnus nodded and replied, "Alright." He then slowly walked away, searching for a table.

As Magnus searched for a table, it seemed like all the tables were occupied, and he began to feel hopeless. Just then, he noticed a group about to leave a table. He hurried over, waited for them to leave, and quickly occupied the spot. The table was a bit messy from the previous group. Magnus noticed a clerk nearby with a cleaning cart and waved to get the clerk's attention, signaling for a cleanup. The clerk came over, cleaned the table, and left. Magnus settled down at the four-seater round table. Shortly after, Crystal Ann arrived, carrying a tray of food. Magnus stood up to help her place the tray and food on the table. "Thank goodness you found a perfect spot for us," exclaimed Crystal Ann as she sat down. "Where's Sofie? I guess she's not finished ordering yet," she added. Magnus didn't say anything and focused on the food: fried chicken, mushroom soup, rice, apple pie slices, fruit drinks, and bottled water. "Let's eat. We can wait for Sofie later; I'm famished," exclaimed Crystal Ann and started serving herself. Magnus followed suit.

A moment later, as the two were enjoying their meal, Sofie arrived, carrying a tray with a bowl of soup, some wrapped rice, a small juice box, and a slice of cake. She sat down and joined them. "What took you so long?" asked her mother. "There were a lot of people in line," Sofie replied with a sigh. The three sat together and enjoyed their meal. After a while, they finished eating, cleaned up the table a bit, and prepared to leave. Feeling full from their delicious meal, they exited the food court and walked around for a while before Crystal Ann spoke to her two companions. "I'll go buy groceries for home. You two look around and buy yourselves what you need," she said while handing them some money. "And Sofie, go buy the cake you wanted. I'll give you a call later, and we'll meet at the car, okay?" she continued, walking away.

The two teens stood there for a moment, then Sofie walked off. Magnus stood there, unsure what to do, holding the one-thousand-peso bill his aunt had given him. He began walking around, window-shopping, but he wasn't really interested in buying anything. After a while, he noticed a bookstore. His eyes widened, and his heart raced as if seeing the most enchanting place in the world. He rushed inside and started browsing. The store had only a few customers checking out the books. Magnus didn't pay much attention to them and began searching for books. In the fiction section, he found a book that looked familiar. He picked it up. It was a thick leather-bound book titled The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. His eyes widened as if seeing a ghost, his heart pounding nervously as he held the book

Magnus glanced at the price and muttered, "Seven hundred pesos?" Shocked by how expensive the book was, he placed it back on the shelf. He stood there, staring at it, unsure of what to do. He had always wanted to own this book, but it was still out of his reach financially. The last time he checked online, it cost around nine hundred pesos, which was far beyond what he could afford. Now, it was right in front of him, but he felt torn.

He didn't need the book, but he wanted it badly. Guilt crept over him at the thought of spending the money his aunt had given him. She had said, "Use this for something you need." Magnus was stuck, not knowing what to do. He stood there, silently contemplating.

After what felt like forever, he couldn't resist anymore. He grabbed the book, ignoring the guilt swirling inside him. "I'll explain to Aunt Cryst later and hope she understands," he thought. As he exited the store, he felt a lingering sense of unease about how he had spent the money.

While walking through the mall, lost in thought, he noticed Sofie in the distance, holding a box of cake she had just bought. He didn't think much of it at first, but soon spotted two unfamiliar men seemingly following her. Something felt off. Sofie's eyes darted nervously, clearly bothered by their presence.

Magnus decided to keep his distance and observe. Sofie sat by the crowded fountain, a place where people threw coins to make wishes. Magnus watched as the two men closed in on her. Sofie, now visibly uncomfortable, stood up to leave, only to be blocked by the strangers.

Magnus felt his stomach drop. Without thinking, he rushed toward her. As he approached, he called out cheerfully, "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" He ignored the two men and walked straight to Sofie, grabbing her hand. She looked at him, relieved.

"Let's go, Mom's waiting for us in the car," Magnus said, his voice upbeat. They turned to leave, but the two men blocked their path.

"Who are you?" one of them asked, sizing Magnus up.

Magnus paused, still holding Sofie's hand. His demeanor shifted in an instant—his playful tone replaced with a cold, serious one. "Excuse us," he said, his voice steady, "but we need to go. Our mother is waiting."

His intensity seemed to unsettle the men, who exchanged uneasy glances before stepping aside. Magnus, still holding Sofie's hand, walked away, leaving the strangers behind.

After a while, Magnus stopped and realized he was still holding Sofie's hand. Embarrassed, he quickly let go. Sofie didn't say anything, though she seemed a bit shaken. The two of them stood in front of a nearby store, where a security guard was stationed. The awkward silence between them hung in the air.

Just as Magnus was about to ask if she was okay, his phone rang. The screen read "Aunt Cryst." He answered, and her voice came through the line. "Where are you? Did you buy what you needed? It's time to go. Meet me at the parking lot," she said. "And Magnus, could you find Sofie? I can't reach her; her phone's probably off."

Magnus glanced at Sofie and replied, "Don't worry, Aunt Cryst. I'm with her. We're on our way."

After hanging up, Magnus told Sofie, "Aunt Cryst called. We should meet her and head home." Sofie simply nodded, still quiet.

As they walked to the parking lot, the silence between them remained. When they arrived, Crystal Ann was loading groceries into the van. She glanced at them and asked, "Did you both get what you needed?"

Sofie wordlessly showed the cake she had bought and climbed into the back seat. Magnus nodded. "Yeah, I think I got what I needed," he said before getting into the front seat.

Crystal Ann didn't say much, and soon they were on their way home. The car ride was quiet, with only a few brief exchanges. Neither Magnus nor Sofie mentioned the incident at the mall, both too lost in their thoughts to bring it up.

When they finally arrived home, Crystal Ann carried the groceries into the kitchen while Sofie went straight to her room. Magnus helped his aunt for a bit before retreating to his own room. Lying on his bed, his mind raced with everything that had happened that day. But he was too tired to think it all through. Instead, he closed his eyes, deciding to deal with it tomorrow.