The stranger

Monday came, Ronnie had finished preparing for school, he waited for Lily who was still in the bathroom.

"Lily, aren't you taking a bit too long?" He asked.

"Did I not just get in? This shower reminds me of the springs back home." Lily said.

There was a pause.

"Do you miss home? I don't mean all the fighting, just the feeling of home" Ronnie asked.

Lily sighed.

"I do not know. Apart from my subjects and subordinates, I have nothing" she said.

"That's— sad" Ronnie responded.

Lily slid open the bathroom door, she dabbed her hair with a short towel. Ronnie turns away from Lily.

"I should have brought my clothes with me— in the bathroom" Lily said. she looked away as well.

"What is this? Could it be that Lily is getting self conscious or it's just me?" Ronnie pondered.

"I'll grab the clothes for you. Which would you like to wear?" Ronnie asked.

"Could you help me pick one out? I'm a bit bad at choices" Lily asked, her voice taking a rather soft tone.

Lily ended up wearing a pair of khakis Ronnie got her and a simple shirt. She tied her hair into a ponytail, trying not draw any attention to herself.

Ronnie sat through the class with Lily beside him. The English studies lecture was a long grueling one, he managed to sit though it without dozing off, Lily however was laser focused on the lecture.

Before leaving, the professor had invited Lily to his office, an offer to which she obliged.

She sat in wait for Ronnie as he packed his books into his back pack.

"Ron Carpenter, we haven't seen much of you lately" Hal said.

They had spotted Ronnie from afar and approached him.

"Well, I've been rather busy, helping out at the pawn shop and all" Ronnie responded with a small smile.

"Yeah right, like anything ever happens there" Daniel said as he laughed.

Hal went quiet, he was focused on Lily who sat in silence, staring into nothingness.

"You know, Ronnie, I saw her last time but I never got to ask, who's the hottie?" Hal whispered to Ronnie.

"C'mon on, tell us, is she a your sister? Never seen her in class before the last time you were here" Daniel asked discreetly as well.

"She's my— sist—"

"His girlfriend. I should introduce myself, I'm Lillian, I see you are friends of Ronnie?" Lily interrupted.

The youths stared in disbelief.

"No— no way, There's just no way!" Daniel said in a high pitched voice.

As Ronnie tried to speak, Lily wrapped her arm around his and pulled him away.

"Darling, didn't we have somewhere to be?" She asked, wearing a wide smile on her face, Ronnie could tell that it was fake.

"Ronald! You betrayed the brotherhood! How could you have such a hot girlfriend?!" Hal yelled from a distance, kneeling in a dramatic fashion.

"Why did you pull me away? Are you in that much of a hurry to meet with the professor?" Ronnie asked as they walked through campus.

"Do YOU want me to meet with him?" Lily asked, she had her usual mischievous smile.

"He looked at you with like a hungry lusting animal throughout the class. I doubt he has anything important to say. He's just being an idiot" Ronnie said, his irritation was displayed visibly on his face.

"So you were jealous?" Lily teased, she slugged at his arm gently.

"I— I wasn't, shut up" Ronnie said, the irritation on his face had turned to a look of embarrassment.

"I see, how sad. I got my hopes up" Lily said. She laughed, but it was different than other times. Ronnie could tell that she was just trying to hide her sadness.

She walked ahead of him.

"Lily! if I said I felt jealous, would it stop you from going to his office?" Ronnie asked.

"It really doesn't matter what you say, I wasn't going anywhere to begin with. I only go where my master goes…" Lily said.

She gestures for him to come closer.

"Remember?" Lily asked, throwing her arm around his shoulder, his face leaned against her chest and he quickly pulls away.

She laughs, genuinely this time.

"You have the best reactions" she said.

"This woman, just what is she trying to do? why do I feel so tense around her, yet so comfortable" Ronnie thought.

"Hey Lily? I thought about asking, you introduced yourself as my girl—friend. Thought we were just going with that story in front of grandpa" Ronnie asked.

"Tee-hee. I could stop if you want. Do you want me to?" Lily said.

Ronnie didn't respond, he walked fast ahead and Lily followed behind him, she wore a satisfied smile on her face.

After school, Ronnie had decided to visit Josh at the school clinic. They entered the hospital and requested a visit, the nurse in granted them them.

"Master, do you feel anxious?" Lily asked as they went up elevator.

"I do. I feel like I shouldn't even be here, I caused this" Ronnie said, he clenched his fist.

"It is, that much is true but it couldn't be helped. Don't beat yourself up about it" Lily said, cupping his face in her hands. 

She gave him a small smile, right then the click sounded and the doors moved apart.

As they stared at each other's eyes, an old lady cleared her throat, calling their attention.

Ronnie regains his composure.

The hospital was brightly lit, Ronnie and Lily's footsteps echo on the crystal colored tiled floors.

As they approached Josh's room, they could see the door ajar from the distance.

Ronnie's eyes widened, he panicked and ran ahead of Lily, making his way to the room.

"Ronnie, wait!, this aura—" Lily yelled, following behind Ronnie.

On getting to Josh's room, they find a strange man sitting on the bed he laid.

He took a glance at Ronnie with sleepy looking eyes.

"Ronald, I've been expecting you" he said.