Random story: There was one rule about chocolate. Callie disregarded rules; they were “recommended behaviors” yet even she respected this one. It was her own, after all. Hal couldn’t have chocolate. Peppermints? Sure, they improve memory. Smarties? Yeah, they sound intellectual enough. Nerds? A little harsh, but a good reminder that sometimes knowledge isn’t always welcomed. Callie sighed. Her essay slid off her lap onto the carpet, and purple hair fell across her face as she bent to retrieve it. Repositioning herself on the couch, she noticed Hal striding across the room. Five days until his birthday, and Callie didn’t have a present. Sure, she could ask Lyra or Elliot, but that felt like cheating. There was candy as a last resort, at least. Callie always carried candy. Not all for herself, but to randomly distribute to friends. Especially if they weren’t feeling great. Lyra liked gummies, Elliot favored skittles. And chocolate? For everyone. Except Hal. If she did choose to give him candy, she would need to make it special. One box of nerds wasn’t birthday-gift worthy. She needed to give him something that showed she cared, and most importantly, followed the rule. Birthdays were only so special. “Hey, Nori!” Callie called. “What’s your favorite candy?” Nori, a new student at Emberglow, turned around to face her. “Smarties. But the kind with chocolate, the Canadian ones.” “Hmm, interesting. Thanks!” Nori nodded, and turned back to her friends. There was the dash of inspiration Callie needed. She could overlook the chocolate aspect, in favor of the Smarties’ name. Perfect! ------------------------------⋆｡‧˚ʚ?ɞ˚‧｡⋆----------------------------- “Are these… chocolate?” Hal marveled, unveiling a blue box of Smarties from within a gift bag. “No, they’re Smarties,” Callie said, winking. “Why would I break the rule?” Elliot laughed, seated across from Callie. “That’s brilliant!” Lyra smiled and nodded from beside Elliot. “Happy Birthday, Hal!” “Thank you so much everyone,” Hal exclaimed, wrapping up his friends in a giant hug.
Fun fact: the name Hal means fish in a language other than English... Can you guess which one?
