Chapter 6
Nicolas found himself staring out the window again. The view was picturesque; white blankets of snow covered the trees down far on the ground, more coming to join them from the sky. It created a Winter Wonderland feel in the atmosphere.
Zachary was toying with something he found in the cabinet under his seat, obviously having trouble with solving it. He grunted audibly, "How in the world am I supposed to do this!" slamming the toy down in frustration. Azure was preoccupied with her hardcover book—one that didn't specify what the book was about unless you very closely examined the letters on the front—and didn't look up.
"For the last time," she spoke from practically inside the book, "use the technique I gave you!" Nicolas saw Zachary raise his eyebrow. "Like you would know anything more than me about a Rubik's cube," he said arrogantly. Nicolas was wondering what the little colorful block was...
Azure put down her book with utmost contempt lining her face. "I'm the one you always use to gawk at whenever I solved the hours before you!" She replied, causing Zachary to squint his eyes at her. "What are you even reading, anyway?" He muttered in a bratty tone. Azure mockingly smiled, closed her book, and turned it around. Nicolas leaned a little closer to see the title.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, it said in fairly small letters. "Harry Potter again?" asked Zachary in a condescending manner, "Isn't that way above your reading grade?"
"If dunderheads like you can comprehend the title, I can surely read the contents," replied Azure smoothly. She turned to Nicolas, who made an expression that said, "Not bad." She slightly smirked. "Have you read Harry Potter?" She asked him, now ignoring the nasty looks she was getting from Zachary. "Briefly," he replied softly. She smiled, getting that glint in her eye again. "This is sort of like going to Hogwarts, isn't it? With the train, the private education and such?"
Nicolas looked out of the window again. "I guess the two are similar," he said with a tinge of excitement in his voice. "I heard they're making a movie not too long from now," Azure continued, "and, in fact, it's coming out this year! I wonder what house we would be sorted in..." She looked off to nowhere, most likely thinking. "I'm certain I'd be Ravenclaw!" She said excitedly.
Nicolas found it somewhat relieving to see her so jubilant, though he hadn't really felt adverse in the silence before. But something about seeing someone so happy... Seeing her so happy. It gave him hope for all possible future.
But of course, Zachary had to chime in again. "Ravenclaw is for Know-It-Alls who think the world revolves around them," he spat. "I mean, that's basically the trait you need to have to get in!"
Azure slowly rotated her head to his direction. "If you're going to make a statement, get at least one fact straight," she began softly. "The traits that deem a worthy Ravenclaw are an exceptional amount of wisdom and knowledge. They're eager to learn and educate, and not stupid enough to jump into things without knowing—"—she made sure he got that last word—"all of its components. Very much the reason why you're not a Ravenclaw." Nicolas's eyes switched between Zachary's face and Azure's vigorously.
It seemed as though the cat finally bit off Zachary's tongue as he sat there, flustered. Nicolas felt the momentum of the train slow down after hours of going at great speeds. "We must be nearing the camp," said Azure, breaking the thick silence.
Nicolas got up and opened the door, surprised to see bunches of children standing in the main car, chatting away. If he had to admit, he was also afraid to endure what he had to at the station earlier. He felt footsteps behind him, knowing that it was Zachary. "What's going on in there?" he heard him ask. Azure pushed herself between both of them and nearly ran into the hall. "Yes! We're here, see?" She exclaimed, pointing at the window.
Nicolas looked to see this enormous site with a proud, high-standing flag that bared the Kingdom emblem. On the site was a huge igloo-shaped building that towered over nearby hills. "Woah," Zachary whispered, saying exactly what Nicolas was thinking.
There was a zipping sound coming from behind them. Nicolas turned around to see Azure pulling things out of her bag, and the pile she put it in. "Normally, I heard, children go to camp when it's warm in the summer," she explained. "Kingdom Camp is one of the very few camps that start their years in the start of the winter, or the ending autumn." She got up and offered a pile of winter clothes to Nicolas, who accepted it and held out his arms.
She laid it onto them and smiled at him. "I got some for everyone, knowing that Zachary would forget. Something told me to bring three, not sure why," she added. She then turned to Zachary. "You can get your own pile. I don't want to seem like a Know-It-All, but I'm pretty sure you need to thank me for not having to suffer out there with a frost-bitten butt."
Zachary muttered something that Nicolas couldn't make out, but he knew it wasn't anything pretty. "Go change in one if the cars and I'll find another one. Come on guys, we're going to be late!" She said, running to another car. Nicolas quickly sprinted to the car he was in, getting there and locking the door behind him. He knew that he probably slammed the door in Zachary's face, but he didn't really care.
As he begun to change, he thought of how he could have locked the door in the first place. But then I wouldn't have met these two, his internal voice said.
I wonder how that would've been. Very bland, perhaps.
End of Chapter
AZURE WITH THE COMEBACKS OH MY GAH—
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Love ya'll,
nobodyimportant out—
