The Meaning Of Eternity (TMOE #1)

Chapter 2: Our secret

Lucius followed Marilyn around with a hesitant excitement. He wanted to run about like she did, but he was sure his parents would disapprove of such an unbecoming behavior. Marilyn on the other hand was high on sugar and had begun a game of hopscotch as soon as they were allowed out in the backyard. Sometimes Lucius wished he'd grown up with her parents instead.

"Lu, a frog!" she suddenly shouted and ran for the bushes. Lucius looked around briefly before running after her. Regardless of parental dismay he was not going to pass up the opportunity to see a frog in the middle of Wyrmdon, or anywhere at all.

"Look, it's adorable," Marilyn cupped her hands to lift it up. Lucius stared in awe as she passed it over to him. "You should ask your parents if you can keep it."

Lucius snorted.

"I'll be thrown out and living on the streets before I can keep a frog. They don't even let me have any regular pets, you know?"

"That's why you should visit us more!" Marilyn jumped up on the brick fence. "My cats loved you last time, you really should come and cuddle with them again."

"Yes, well..." Lucius placed the frog down to let it disappear into the bushes again. "You know how Mother and Father are."

"But they let me visit you so what's the problem with doing it the other way?"

Lucius shrugged. He honestly didn't know.

"Maybe they're scared I'll get to see what a normal home looks like."

Marilyn laughed, two dimples showing around her mouth and she adjusted her dress. It was of a bright orange color with a quill pattern embroidered along the skirt's hem, and Lucius wondered if her mother had considered color schemes as well as he looked at the girl's sand colored hair.

"That's probably it." She suddenly frowned. "But you know, unlike your parents mine won't let me go to school."

Lucius jumped up on the fence as well.

"It's not like they were happy about it. I just wouldn't stop talking about it."

"I think they see it as a waste of time," Marilyn muttered and jumped down from the wall. "But I'm happy at least one of us will grow up to be something important.

"But they don't want me to go there. You know they want me to sing." Lucius followed her.

"So that's two things you get to do." Her smile was bittersweet, and Lucius felt bad.

"There are many things you can do, even if you don't go to school."

She scoffed.

"You know what they want me to do? They want me to marry someone with money and take care of our house and children. That's all."

"Well that's... Not great. Does it even count as doing something?"

"I hear taking care of children is a load of work," Marilyn protested with a blush. "But it's not like that's all I want to do. I just... Dunno what I'd be good at even if I was able to."

"There are many things out there you could do, isn't there?"

"Maybe for you. You have your talents and I have nothing."

Lucius shook his head.

"No, you have a lot of talents, like... The stories you tell."

Marilyn blushed again.

"They're just parts from what I hear at the sanctuary. I didn't actually come up with them."

"You added some things, didn't you? And removed Dinthia from the picture."