章節 2: Growth

Crash!

A stack of books is pushed out of the hand of a young girl. Startled she looks up and sees her tormentor.

"Hey burnt fatty, haven't seen you in a while so this is where you've been hiding?" A squeaky male voice speaks above her.

"Me? Hide? No, now why would I do that?" Maiah retorts sarcastically. Maiah rolls her eyes at him wondering if he has any form of human interaction at home because his brain is too far underdeveloped!

"So you weren't hiding from I Epherus?" Epherus scratches his head in confusion.

The lunacy of rich kids, always thinking that everything you do is about them, Maiah thinks while shaking her head.

Epherus is Maiah's only friend in this school where she is shunned for her skin. Although he calls her some derogatory terms from time to time it doesn't bother her. Maiah has long become numb to such things.

"Hey Fatty, what're you doing here anyway?" Epherus looks around realizing that he's in the media center, one of the many places he's restricted from.

The media center is remotely small for a school that holds almost all of the country's children, with only eighty million items. That is because of the severe censorship in Plantae Country.

Maiah has huge stacks of books surrounding her, one directly in front of her already knocked down by Epherus. Knowing that he will not leave her in peace Maiah sighs and begins the process of putting the books away. Epherus notices her actions and rushes to stop her.

"W-wait! You don't have to put them away I'm not staying long." Epherus mutters. Hearing this Maiah stays silent and arches a brow, curious about his meaning.

Epherus lowers his head bashfully and mumbles something incoherently.

"Mm? What is it? Why are you acting so weird today?" Maiah unable to contain her curiosity bombards him with questions.

Maiah's eyes pry at him, making him feel embarrassed, for he's never done this before. Epherus slowly pulls a small box from his pocket and shoves it toward her with a red face.

Epherus looks away and lowly says "Happy birthday Maiah."

Maiah stares blankly at him for a moment.

"Eh?"

Birthday? Todays my birthday? No way. Maiah's mind is in shambles. She normally doesn't celebrate her birthday for cultural reasons and doesn't accept gifts for the day either nor does she give any.

Maiah looks at Epherus, whose face is still redder than a tomato, and huffs awkwardly and accepts his gift. Seeing that Maiah took his gift, Epherus lets out an unreserved grin.

" Um, thank you. But I can't accept this, give it to me tomorrow." Maiah says.

The bright expression on Epherus' face went dark. She doesn't like it? But she hasn't even opened it yet. Epherus is overthinking things.

"It's not that I don't like it or anything, it's just that I don't celebrate my birthday and don't accept the gifts either from anybody." Maiah hurriedly says seeing Epherus' dark look.

Dear god, please allow this small-brained fellow to be agreeable and not give me a hard time over this.

Luckily Epherus albeit a little slow, not completely unreasonable and after pondering on it a while slowly nods his head. Seeing Epherus not chew her a new body part Maiah beams, blinding Epherus momentarily.

"Okay, so I have to get home now before my mother does so I'll see you later Epherus. And thanks for remembering my birthday!" Maiah left the school library stopping to wave at Epherus once more before turning away. Leaving the gift with him.