Chapter Text
Lucy was reading in a quiet corner of the library. The bookshop was already a tranquil place. Yet, she loved the tight space between the dictionaries and encyclopaedia shelves. Hardly anyone ventured there. Her reading session had been upgraded a few days ago when the shopkeeper put a comfortable chair there for her.
She recently moved to Aalborg with her family. The coastal city was hours away from the fjords where she spent her childhood. Being near the ocean, the waters were warmer and the weather was more forgiving. Her parents were teachers who applied for a position there during the previous year.
The pay was nicer in Aalborg while the living costs were nowhere as high as in the capital. The place was optimal for a family on a budget. Her parents were savvy people and manifested the personal discipline one would imagine any teacher to live by. The reading glasses adorning each of their faces made them look all the more serious.
Their daughter was getting accustomed to their new place. So far, she was already used to her middle school's grounds, the road back and forth her home, and the library where her mother purchased the school-mandatory books. She loved her quiet bubble and was unwilling to venture further.
The girl's shyness was maladaptive and sometimes worried her parents. They asked her more questions now that she was in a different school. She was out of their sight during lunch break and they couldn't have a chat with her teachers in the staff lounge. She reassured them she wasn't feeling outcast, but they needed to witness her being included.
Truth being told, she wanted to be more open. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to. So many words stayed stuck behind her teeth. Her unspoken feelings were accumulating in her throat where they clogged her breath. If there were enough people around, her head would spin and she would lose her balance.
She felt steady in the little corner of the library. No one could watch her. Not even the librarian who only called for her at the closing time. In her little corner, Lucy could read tales about the main characters she could only dream to be. On that day, she was a fairy on a quest for the source of magic powder.
She could imagine herself gliding through the wind as her wings pushed her forward. More than envisioning flying, she could feel the wind caressing her face. Even if the windows were closed. That was something nearly magical that only happened when she was reading. Books were like magical portals that made her senses travel.
Absorbed by her reading, Lucy didn't hear the shopkeeper's first calls. She only woke up from her reverie when she heard the wooden stairs creaking. She rushed to the door with the book still in her hands. She hadn't taken the time to make her bag before running from her secluded spot.
"Miss Bondevik! Here I thought that you fell asleep." Exclaimed the librarian.
The girl mumbled her sorry for all the answers. The middle-aged woman laughed her excuses off and wished her a sweet evening before leaving on her bicycle. While the slender silhouette of the adult faded away, the girl secured her book inside her school bag and walked towards her home.
At this time, her parents should be heading home with her younger brother. If she walked fast, she could arrive right before them. Her mother often ran some errands late in the afternoon during the market's days. At this time of the day, merchants didn't have any hope of selling fresh vegetables. They would sell what they had left at a reduced price to prevent wasting.
As expected, she arrived first at home. After she put her bag away, the place remained silent until she heard knocking at the door. That was something strange. Her parents didn't need to knock on the door. She carefully walked towards the wooden panel while rehearsing the right words to let down whoever was at the door.
It might be a delivery or someone looking for the former inhabitants. Her heart was beating fast and loud in her ears. Her hands were trembling when she closed her finger around the handle. She took one deep and shaky breath before opening. On the other side, she was greeted by a boy around her age who was holding her brother's hand.
She had never seen that boy. His smile was bright when he greeted her and wished a nice evening to the siblings. She barely noticed Emil walking inside. She barely moved to wave back at him. She didn't remember what gestures she made and only imagined how awkward she had been while closing the door.
The kindergartener told her that the boy was one of her mother's students in the private high school her parents were employed at. They asked him to take Emil home while her parents stayed late for a staff meeting. Mathias was her mother's student. She assumed he was a good one if he was entrusted with her younger brother.
He didn't look like he lived in the neighbourhood. At least, she had never seen him around. The city was fairly small and the other kids living around attended her school. That boy must live in the nicer part of the city. Unless his parents were also employed by the private school. They might be coworkers her parents were familiar with.
Her younger brother's kindergarten was located near her parents' workplace. While the academy offered schooling for their staff's children, she wasn't yet in high school and couldn't be enrolled there. That would only happen the following year. Then, she would be commuting with at least one of her parents. And maybe, they would worry less for her.
During dinner, the preteen girl was still shocked from the previous encounter and barely noticed her parents exchanging looks. She meekly responded to her family during the whole evening. While she slept, her mind turned her into a mute mermaid. It was a tale she read so often that she could recite it.
She frequently dreamed of being the little mermaid. Like the main character, her speaking abilities were out of reach in the outside world. Like all the other times she dreamt of the story, she was sitting by the beach. But this time, something was different. The prince was sitting by her side and looking at the sun going down.
She couldn't clearly see his face. Yet, she recognised the blonde and short curls on his head. His furnished side-whiskers looked fluffy. His form seemed to be warm. Warmer than anything she ever dreamt of. Lucy's eyes were focused on the new character in her dream. Seeing him was strange but not unpleasant.
She lost track of time until the wind blew her dream away. When she opened her eyes, she saw her mother who had just opened her bedroom's door. The clock was reading seven in the morning. She had enough time to get ready without having to rush. First, she left her room to sit at the dining table for breakfast.
Before getting ready, she put the utensils inside the dishwasher and powered it on. The cycle was over by the time she readied herself for school. Back in the kitchen, she put the dishes inside the cupboards while her parents were checking their cases for the day. She hugged them before leaving for her middle school.
She zoned out during the day. Neither the teachers or her peers noticed her absence as she was usually silent at all times. She wasn't completely out of touch with reality. But occasionally, she would catch herself thinking about her dream from last night.
Before going to bed, she concealed her dream inside her journal. She was hesitant to label Mathias as the boy of her dreams. She didn't know if she had feelings for him. Realistically, she couldn't have feelings for him. They hadn't talked yet. She wasn't even sure they ever would. The only thing she was sure of was that she wanted to dream of him again.