Chapter 3: Let's gather our comrades
"When we say adventure, I thought we are going to some places." I sighed as I press my temple in irritation.
"Yes, of course." Contrary to my irritated tone, Arya just muttered those reply nonchalantly.
"When we say adventure, it should be something exciting right?"
"Yep."
"So I wasn't wrong when I imagined that this adventure of yours should be something like that right?"
"Well, obviously."
"I see." I paused for a while as I let out a sigh. I don't even know where to start. I sighed once more as I try to gather the words that I wanted to say. I clenched my fists and shouted. "Why the heck are we inside your room?!"
Arya's room is exactly the same as how I remembered it to be back when I would visit her to play. Wall painted in a rather light shade of pink, a bed covered in floral-designed bed sheet, stuffed toys lined up on top of the said bed, everything just screams girly. Even her cabinet with a lot of stickers also complements the room's "mood". To complete the look, just opposite the bed, is a small desk where adorably designed pens resting in a cup covered with floral design happily sits atop it. Several magazines and romance novels are also lined up on the said desk. The room is indeed owned by a girl. Yes, a room that is neat, organized, and bursting with cuteness. This is the usual room of Arya. Or that should've been the case. In front of me is Arya digging in a cluster of boxes spread around the floor. Arya's supposed to be neat and organized room is now filled with mess due to her bringing all sorts of boxes from her childhood out her closet.
"Aren't you excited when you entered my room?" Arya asked teasingly while she continues to rummage the pile of boxes causing more random things to scatter all around the floor.
"Why would I be excited?" I said with a resigned tone. Sometime, I don't even know what's going on with Arya's mind. And this bothered me a lot.
"Eh, wasn't your heart pounding really hard when you saw my room? Pervert Reve."
"Why would my heart pound like that when entering a room I am already familiar with?!"
"So it is now normal to you? Entering in a girl's room? You really are a pervert." Arya commented without taking her eyes of the box she is currently holding.
"You're stressing me out. I'll be going now-" I said after I stared blankly at her for a few minutes.
"Wait. Ah, I have found it!" Arya exclaimed as she holds something up for me to see.
After hearing that, I found myself just a bit curious. Well, maybe not just a bit. I hate to admit it but despite complaining a lot, I feel kind of excited. I mean, just hearing adventures and mysteries will make any man's heart burning with passion right? With curiosity overpowering my irritation, I turned my eyes to what Arya was holding. On Arya's hand was a small notebook that seems to be already a decade old. The cover of the notebook was already missing, and its sides were already damaged. But it was not the ancientness of the notebook that caught my attention; rather it was what was written on the very first page of the notebook.
"8 Mysteries of District 21?" I muttered with a puzzled face.
District 21 is the name of the village where I live. It is a very small village near a hill and a lake. Because of this, just by going outside during a cold morning, one may catch a scent of a damp soil. Not far from the residential area are our one and only school. Behind that school is the lake surrounded by trees. Since it is just a small village, there are no malls or shopping centers. What we only have is a convenient store. But I don't really mind that one. Having a convenient store is enough for me, and as the name suggests, it's pretty convenient. Also, it being small, the village is very peaceful with no or little crime record so I really don't have to worry whenever I go outside late.
"Yep. This will be our adventure." Arya announced as she flashes a smile like a kid presenting an art work she is very proud of.
"I can already comment about a lot of things right now. In the first place, shouldn't it normally be 7 mysteries?" I asked as I put my palm on my face. I mean, usually when we talk about mysteries, it's seven. That's a well-known fact for most stories and TV shows. I should've expected this from the start knowing it was Arya's idea. Nothing was ever ordinary whenever it comes from that girl. Well, I guess that's the reason why I usually play the serious one. Not like I am not excited or anything, I just need to put a bit of restriction whenever Arya wants to do something, like a stopper. At least that's how I view myself.
"Eh, that's what you are worried about? Well, the more the better right?"
"I really don't know what to say anymore." I said as I gave up. "So, when are we going to start?"
"You keep on complaining but you really want to accompany me, don't you?" another teasing remark from Arya.
"I just don't..." I paused for a while and continued. "I just can't put up with you bothering me every time. That's all."
"Ah, you're being shy."
"Shut up. Anyways, is it just the two of us?"
"Hmm. Now that you mention it, it'll be too lonely if it's just the two of us. But wouldn't that be romantic?"
"There you go again." I sighed. I actually wouldn't mind doing this adventure with Arya. But I know she won't shut up about it if I agreed to do this with just the two of us. "Let's invite others."
"Don't you have any friends you can invite?" Arya said before clasping her hand as if she realized something. "Oh right, you are not popular so you don't have much friends."
"Huh?!" I exclaimed. It's true that I usually don't hang out with other kids. But Arya is partly at fault there. Whenever I try to mingle with others, she would invite herself and join our group. At the end of the day, it would be just the two of us playing. But I can't admit that fact. "What do you mean no friends? Just so you know I am quite popular myself."
"Why are you spending your vacation with me then?"
"I-it's because I thought you'll be sad without me." I tried to make an excuse.
"Excuses. Oh, I know. What about Maya and Drew?"
"Oh right! Maya and Drew." I paused for a while. My eyes wandered from corner to corner as I think deeply. Maya and Drew are very close friends of mine and are the only people who were able to keep up with me and Arya. The four of us would usually hang out after class. "Why didn't I think about that?"
"What a friend? You forgot your two childhood buddies. Tsk tsk. It's because you keep on acting mature and all." Arya said teasingly before grabbing my arm. "Let's go get out comrades."
I was busy thinking about the reason why I forgot about Maya and Drew that before I knew it, we were already outside Arya's house and are headed to the houses of our two other childhood friends, Drew and Maya. Drew, unlike me, was a very active person. With a buzz cut, his tall and muscular physique fitted his role as our school's basketball club ace. Being an athlete made him popular with girls, I hate to admit it but that's the total opposite of me. For this reason, even if it was vacation, he would still have scheduled practices. As for Maya, she was the total opposite of Arya. She was well-behaved and a very shy person, unlike that wild girl. She often wears her usual ponytail with a matching pair of big round eye glasses. She would just stay at home during break. People found it a mystery as to how the four of us met and managed to get along so well. But for us, those were precious memories that made our childhood awesome.
"I'm really sorry Arya, but, you see, we will be out for a family vacation so I can't join your adventure." Maya said apologetically as she clamps her hands as if she was praying.
"Nah, it's okay Maya, I understand." Arya replied with a smile in return.
"Well, you still have Drew right?"
"We are actually going to the school to confirm that. It seems like he has another practice match."
"I see. I hope he'll say yes." Maya said.
"Yeah. I hope so too. Or else I'll end up being stuck with this guy." Arya sighed as she points at me with her head.
"What do you mean 'with this guy'?" I interrupted.
"What? It's true though. You complain all the time." Arya said as she pouted. Knowing Arya, this kind of response was definitely another way of teasing me. However, despite that fact, I didn't back down. And before we knew it, Arya and I have started arguing in front of Maya.
"You two really are close, aren't you?" Maya commented as she let out a soft giggle like she was looking at two puppies playing with each other. "How cute."
"No, we are not!" For some odd reason, I and Arya said that in total sync.
"See, you two are really in sync." Maya said with a soft chuckle.
"I can't really handle this woman's craziness."
"You say that but you really enjoy my company."
"Now now, stop arguing you two." Maya interrupted. "This really reminds me of when we first met. Both of you saved me from the bullies but then you ended up arguing who really saved me."
"Why are you suddenly reminiscing? It's embarrassing." Arya lightly tapped Maya.
"It's from a long time ago. You don't really need to bring that up now." I added shyly. Seriously, what's the deal? Why remember such things now? It's as if she was leaving for good or something.
"That's true. But somehow, it feels like it just happened yesterday." As Maya said as she looks down, a hint of loneliness in her voice. After a short while, she raised her head with a smile. "Well, I still need to prepare the things I need to bring so it's bye bye for now. Good luck on your adventure."
"Ah, sure. Sorry for disturbing you. Bye Maya!" Arya replied in return.
I just gave Maya a nod and Arya and I decided to leave. We can't really just stay there and bother Maya after all. Without wasting much time, we arrived at our school's gym. It was actually so fast that I didn't even felt like we walked at all. I guess that's how much we were in a rush. In front of us were girls cheering for the basketball team, players wiping their sweat-covered body, a scoreboard, and a rather old basketball ring with tattered net. It seems like the half-court match just ended. After wiping the sweat on his face, a tall muscular buzz cut guy looked at me and Arya. After staring at us for quite some time as if the guy was confirming that the pair was indeed us, he ran towards our direction.
"Yo! Reve and Arya. Did you watch my game?"
"Ah sorry Drew, we actually just arrived." Arya said apologetically. "How was it?"
"It is just a practice game but we won." Drew said with a smile filled with passion and fulfillment that anyone may even shout 'what a cool guy!'. "So, what brings you here then?"
"About that, this crazy girl here is on to another wild adventure." I said mockingly as I try to roll my eyes. It's a bit mean but I just wanted to pick on Arya. Call it natural instinct.
"You say that but you're probably excited about it." Drew pointed out with a smirk. "So, what's this adventure about?"
"HUH?!" Not even Drew.
"You really know too much about Reve." Arya said as she laughs. "Well, we are going to uncover the eight mysteries of our village."
"Oh, that sounds interesting." Drew said with sparkles in his eyes. "So, when are we going to do it?"
"Now." A flat response from Arya.
"Both of you really are as spontaneous as anyone can get." Drew said. "That makes me remember when we became friends because the two of you suddenly invited me to save a cat. What did you say again, Reve? Something like a hero needs a strong comrade or something. Man, those were good times."
"Hey! Why bring that up now?" I said with an irritated tone. "First Arya, then Maya, now you? What's with all these people picking on me?"
"Chill man. We tease you because we are friends." Drew continued to tease me. Seriously, what's with these guys? Is it that fun to pick on me?
"You're enjoying yourself too much Drew. I approve." Arya said as she gives a thumbs-up. "So, should we go?"
"Yeah, about that. I don't think I'll be available now. Sorry." Drew said apologetically.
"What? But you were so excited a while ago."
"Well, it is indeed exciting. But I still have scheduled trainings for the next few days so I'll have to pass. I'm really sorry."
"That's… too bad." Arya sighed with disappointment. "Well, I guess it can't be helped. Let's go Reve. Bye Drew."
"Yeah. I'm really sorry that I can't join you. Just enjoy the adventure for me. I need to go; the coach is already calling for us." Drew said as he waves at us.
"So in the end, it's just both of us." I sighed. Well, to be honest, I don't really mind this situation. I mean, it's been a long time since Arya and I did something with only the two of us. But I will not tell her that or she won't let me see tomorrow. "This'll be a long tiring summer vacation."
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