Memories Ch. 5-4

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Anakin pushed open the doors of the academy and dashed out, looking around trying to find the girl. He finally spied her, standing close to the edge of the forest at the far end of the meditation garden. Anakin quickly walked that way, slipping through the garden quietly.

As he neared, he stepped onto a twig, snapping it. Her head twisted around, surprise etched onto her face.

Anakin grinned at her, saying, "You're here again?"

She turned so that her whole body was facing him. "Yes," she responded with a small grin of her own. "I'm here again."

She started walking down a path, her feet crunching against the marble gravel which lined it. Anakin quickly caught up to her, falling into step beside her.

"Your name's Nelani, right? What's your last name?"

She gave him a smile and a mischievous wink. "I think I'll keep it a secret. Mysterious girls have a certain charm to them. At least that's what my mother always told us."

Anakin laughed. "I've found that there are a lot of mysterious girls here."

"You can call me Nelani," she said.

Anakin nodded. "I think you can call me, Big Brother."

"Okay, Big Brother."

Anakin stopped and shook his head. "Maybe you shouldn't call me that."

She giggled. "Yeah, it was kind of odd."

They began to walk again. "So, how is your cold? Are you taking lots of medicine?"

She answered quietly, "I'm taking lots."

"Are you listening to what the doctors tell you?"

She giggled again. "Not really."

Anakin sighed. "You should listen to them, or you'll never get better."

"That's true," she replied slowly. "I'll listen to them."

"If you do that, it'll get better quick," he said. Then he patted her on the top of her head.

She looked up at him and in an almost whisper said, "You really are kind of like a big brother."

Anakin frowned, not quite certain he heard her. "What did you say?"

She quickly shook her head. "Nothing," she replied, and then she smiled up at him.

They continued walking for a little while longer. Finally, Anakin spoke again. "So, why did you come up to the Temple today? Classes are over."

She looked down at her feet, watching them as they walked. In silence, they walked a few more steps and for a moment, Anakin wondered if she was going to respond. Then she said, "I... I thought I could come see you."

She stopped walking and Anakin continued for a few more steps while he processed her confession. He stopped and turned to face her. "Me?"

She nodded her head.

"Why?"

A blush appeared on her pale skin, as she replied, "Because you're an interesting person."

Anakin frowned. "I heard someone tell me that earlier."

Nelani giggled. "That's because everyone's thinking the same thing." She looked around, and then focused on the river in the distance. "Do you like the water?"

Anakin shook his head. "Not really. I... I'm actually kind of afraid of the water, of being in open bodies of it I mean."

"Oh," she said. "I like the water, its pretty. Especially the river here."

She stared for a moment longer and then focused on him. "Are you sure you don't like it? Won't you go swimming with me?"

"You have a cold, don't you?" He said. "If you go swimming, won't you start feeling worse?"

"Ever since I've came here, I've wanted to go swimming in that river over there. Won't you please go with me?" She thought for a moment and her face darkened slightly. "It's been my dream since I've got here. And... And it was my dream to swim in the river back home when I was little too."

Anakin frowned and then looked out to the river for a moment. He then turned his attention back to Nelani. "Tell you what, once you get better, then I'll take you swimming in the river."

A bright smile suffused her face. "Really?"

He nodded, and said, "But I can't guarantee that I'd go in very far."

"Okay, I'll wait then." She waved to him, saying, "And I have to go now. Bye, Anakin."

"Take care of yourself."

Anakin watched as she walked away, all the time waving to him over her shoulder.

A while later he was hiking up the hill towards his apartment complex and saw Sannah running down the hill towards him. He waved at her and said, "Hey, Sannah."

She grinned and waved back. "Hey! I'm off to get some chale for Mara."

"Don't get lost," Anakin teased.

She stomped her feet. "Hey, I'm not a kid, I can find my way."

"You look like a kid," he replied.

"I'm an adult!" She yelled at him. Her eyes narrowed in anger, and a pout graced her lips.

Anakin looked at her and arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah!"

Anakin pulled out a small credit chit. "Then buy me some erotic magazines while you're in the shopping district."

"What are erotic magazines?" she said.

Anakin smiled at her. "Don't you know? They're for adults and you get excited when you read them. They're great." Sannah took the credit chit as Anakin continued, "Just tell the shop keeper that you want an erotic magazine. If there's a lot of different ones, just buy the shop keeper's recommendation."

"Can I read them as well?" She asked.

"If you're an adult," Anakin responded.

"Yeah, I'm an adult," she said. Then she walked past him, heading towards the shopping district.

Anakin watched her walk down the hill for a moment, and then continued on towards the apartment.

A half hour later, Anakin was lying on his bed, reading a holonovel and eating a meatroll, when the door to his room slammed open with a loud crash.

"Anakin!" Sannah yelled. Her face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "I can't buy those... those things. I won't buy them." She pointed at him, while continuing her rant, "It... it was really embarrassing. The shop keeper had to explain it to me!"

Anakin snickered. "It's proof that you're a kid. If you were an adult, then you'd be able to buy them without a problem."

"You're lying!" she responded. Then she blinked hard, and focused on the meatroll he had in his hands. "What's that?"

Anakin glanced towards her and then down at his meatroll. "This? It's just a meatroll."

"A meatroll?"

"Yeah," he replied. "You want to smell it?"

She came closer and he held it out towards her. When she was near enough, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply while Anakin watched. Suddenly her eyes snapped open and a big grin appeared on her face. Her mouth opened and she leaned forward to take a bite and Anakin yanked it back away from her.

"Hey, I just told you to smell it."

She pouted for a moment. "Did Mara make it?"

"No," he responded. "I bought it."

"Oh," she said. Then she noticed the holonovel in his hand. She gestured to it, saying, "What's that?"

"It's a holonovel." He handed it to her, and she took it and flipped through some of the screens, an amazed expression on her face.

She tilted her head slightly. "Where can you buy this stuff?"

"In the shopping district."

Her eyes lit up with delight. "Then I'll go buy some."

Then she ran from the room. Anakin watched her disappear, trying his best to puzzle out her behavior.

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