I gave her a shy smile and nodded. "Thanks, Alice."
"You’re welcome. Now, Logan should be here any moment. You know he's always five minutes early," she reminded.
"You're right about that," I admitted, glancing at the clock and realizing it was six minutes to seven.
I knelt to pull out a hidden drawer built into my bed, reserved for my more luxurious handbags. I didn't use these bags often but wanted to look special for tonight.
It was our anniversary of being friends, yet neither of us could remember how long we’d known each other.
He was two years older than me, and I had memories of him from as young as when I was three, but our parents said we met even earlier than that.
Either way, we always liked to celebrate the day by going out for a dinner, seeing a movie, or taking a walk around town. Today we were walking around the new shopping district that opened then going out for dinner.
I got my phone, lipstick, and wallet, placing them in a red leather bag with a simple pattern of the designer logo all over the material.
It was the newest trend in our town, and all the girls were desperately trying to work their butts off to afford the luxury item.
I didn't need to work due to a large amount of money given to our family after Father's and Gabriel's passing. The government still supplied us money because of Father's contributions to the country, and because of his loyalty, we'd always receive a small amount each month.
I was in charge of the funds due to my mom's health status, but we didn't spend much so the money simply stacked up over the years. On top of that, because my mother was an professor, I received free education.
Once in a while, I liked to splurge on trending items that were unique and eye-catching, but I also didn't mind casual wear. I wasn't hard to please.
My phone began to vibrate. I quickly pulled it out to see Logan was calling me. I slid my hand across the screen to answer it.
"Hey," I said cheerfully.
"Hey, Jewel. Ready to go?" Logan's deep voice questioned; I smiled just from the sound of it.
"Yes. Just finished. Are you outside?"
"Right up front on the ugly green mat," he confirmed.
I rolled my eyes and heard Alice giggle. "I told you that mat is hideous," she boasted.
"I don't get what the big deal is. It's just a mat," I defended.
Alice had super sensitive owl hearing which carried through to her human form, making it easy for her to listen to our conversation. Logan and I had gotten so used to it, we didn't care if she joined in.
"It's disturbingly ugly," Logan declared.
"My exact words," Alice agreed.
"You two can insult my doormat later. I'll see you in one minute, Logan," I reassured him.
"Alright. Bye, Alice." Logan called.
"Have fun. Make sure you kiss—" I hung up the phone before she could finish. She grinned proudly, pulling a different manga book out from my other hidden drawer on the opposite side of the bed.
"I'm leaving. If I don't come home tonight, I’ll be at Logan's. You can come by if you’re lonely or bored. Logan has a bigger manga collection than me," I offered.
"I'll be fine. I'm gonna go for a night flight later once I make sure Mom takes her meds,” she said, relaxing on the bed. She lay down and began reading the new manga I'd bought last week with Logan. He was obsessed with Shoujo manga. I thought it was for more of the female audience, but he began going on about gender equality and I zoned him out.
"Not to mention, you two need some alone time to get freaky in the—"
"Bye, Alice." I was already out the door and closing it shut. I could hear her giggle and I smiled, feeling much better than I had before. Alice always knew how to cheer me up, and I was so grateful to have her in my life.
Having a familiar was a privilege and one I never took for granted. That was exactly one of the reasons why I gave Alice the freedom to do what she pleased.