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Mel say on top of one of the tables in their dormitory, reading one of the books she found towards the back. The book was pretty interesting.
"What are you reading?" she heard Autumn ask her.
She showed her friend the cover of the book. She wanted to at least read the fiction work of the elvish world.
"The Dragon King? I remembered my mom reading that book, so I got curious," Autumn read off.
"I like it. It reminds me of the mortal version of Beauty and the Beast. Instead of the beast, the monster is a dragon."
"The dragon king doesn't transform, though," Autumn pointed out. "But the Baker does becomes a mortal dragon queen."
"Boring."
"How is that boring? It's romantic," Autumn defended.
"I would think the dragon king would become a baker along with his lover, that's all," Mel explained.
"Many scholars say that the story is based on a true story. Others are saying it's a work of fiction."
Mel looked at the book and saw that there was no author on the book. She couldn't tell who, exactly, wrote the book. Maybe that's why it was in the back.
"It doesn't have a writer. They were probably anonymous," Mel stated.
Autumn looked at the other books that Mel had next to her. She had about three different books, all without authors. She was about to open her mouth to say something, until the door slammed open.
"Ladies!" Nate announced. "We're about to go home for the holidays soon, and I have decided to invite you all to my home."
Mel and Autumn stared at him in confusion.
"Well, I always wanted to see what his childhood home was like," Mel said.
"Maybe even see his mom for the first time," Autumn added.
"Guys-"
"Hey, we can have a home cooked meal, too. That would be nice," Autumn said.
"Ladi-"
"We can exchange gifts with one another. What's the usual standard of celebration for this holiday?" Mel asked.
"Listen!" Nate shouted.
Mel and Autumn, however, didn't hear him through their conversation. Nate was starting to get annoyed.
"No, really listen," Nate finally said.
Autumn and Mel stopped their conversation and looked over at Nate, who had his hands on his hips and stared at him.
"I know we're a little excited about seeing where I lived and my childhood home, but I have ulterior motives in inviting you for the holidays," Nate explained
"And that is?" Mel questioned.
"My mom has the exact same book. It's been passed down from generations, so it's pretty much untouched. We can inspect the pages and see what pages were torn out," Nate explained.
Mel thought about it. This was a brilliant plan. It could explain the reason why the pages were torn out so deliberately. And why the librarian immediately removed the book from her hands.
"Sounds like a plan. I just need to tell my foster parents that I'll be spending the holidays at a friend's house," Mel said.
"Same with me. They'll be a bit disappointed that I won't celebrate the usual traditions at home," Autumn said.
"Excellent! Now we can formulate some plan. My mom is picky about the book, but I'm sure she'll let us borrow it," Nate said.
Mel was a little excited. This was the first time she would celebrate anything with friends. Maybe her foster parents would be proud that she's actually making friends