Sebas

I slept the whole next day away. I woke up a few times and found mama reading in bed next to me. I was so tired. I think part of it might be due to blood loss. I ask for some water, but mama doesn't need to go anywhere she has a pitcher next to the bed.

I drink three cups and then put my head in her lap and go back to sleep.

I wake up the next morning and try to train with papa, but he tells me that mama will freak out if he lets me train so soon after spending an entire day in bed.

When I slip back in to the warm bed I thank papa in my heart.

Breakfast rolls around and when I finish eating I finally feel like I got my energy back.

Lessons are cancelled for today, so I take it easy.

I high jack Iliza anyway. I ask her about etiquette while working for an employer. She looks confused until I tell her about Gerof. At which point she tells me that I have an admirable attitude and explains what I want to know.

That afternoon I somehow manage to talk mama into letting me go with Hilda to the market.

The atmosphere is different than I thought it would be. Everyone seems eager to greet me.

When I walk to Gerof's shop he greets me with a smile. I end up moving a few boxes around and organizing produce for a bit. I figure out that Gerof may be rough around the edges, but he is really kind when frightened children aren't tripping over him. When I am done he even gives me an apple or at least this world's equivalent. When I try to refuse it. He tells me it's because the work I did more than made up for the debt since I didn't outright break anything from before.

I don't believe it, but I am only three. I know he's just being nice.

When Hilda comes back to get me I see a fluffy brown ear peeking out from behind her skirt.

"I brought someone who wants to see you, young master." Hilda announces.

"Jules?" I ask as I feel my spine tingle. Honestly... I'm still a little scared of her, which sounds silly after I just took down Rollo.

"Julie, call me Julie. Nyah" Jules peeks out from behind Hilda's skirt.

Now that she's not assaulting me with her claws or her words I notice that 'Julie' is a lot more cat-like than her sister.

It's the Nyah.

Maybe it's because she's young or maybe Hilda had it trained out of her to be a maid. When I met her mom for the first time I was kind of out of it. So I don't remember much about her.

"Sebas, nyah."

While I was thinking she got really close to me.

"I'm sorry for being mean before. Thank you for saving me in the forest and bringing me home, you were really cool. Nyah."

My heart skipped a beat. This is the first time anyone has ever called me cool. Is it even possible for me to be cool? No, she has to be mistaken. Anyone would have done the same thing in my position right? It was only natural... no I wasn't cool. I remember all the uncool things I ever did in my past life.

My heart lets out a sad sigh. "Anyone would have done the same... I'm not really that cool."

"Nyo it was Super SUPER cool!" Julie threw her hands in the air enthusiastically and started speaking very fast and energetically. "Everyone is super scared of Rollo, but you were like hiss, back nyoff. Then you were Woosh woosh and jumped through the air. And when Rollo knocked you down, I thought you were dead, nyah. But then you got back up again and it was like woosh crack bam shshshsh! Then you made that big noise like NYOW! It hurt my ears, but it must have hurt Rollo more cuz he went all wacky and crashed like he couldn't walk nyo more. Then you were so fast I couldn't see nyu, but you went ju ju ju ju ju ju ju ju until Rollo stopped moving." As Julie told the story she was very animated.

A crowd began to gather when Julie mentioned Rollo. I held onto the apple and began to tremble a little. Normally, I am okay in crowds because they avoid or ignore me, but now they were all looking at me and Julie as she told the story.

Training, t-this is training. I'm not going to run away anymore. I gulp back my fear.

They were mummering amongst themselves. From the sound of it, papa made a bigger deal out of it than I thought. Nobody seemed to believe I killed Rollo, I hardly believe it. Honestly, I don't care I just wish they'd move on.

Julie's face started getting red, maybe it was because she was talking so much. "and then you came into the tree and got me. Nyah. And carried me like a princess all the way to mommy. Then you even walked me, Hilda, and mommy home, even though your clothes were all torn nyup... So I think you're super super cool." Julie has gone from excited story telling movements to nervous fidgeting.

My attention goes back to Julie when she called me cool again. "But I don't even have any friends."

"Well... I don't nyeither. B-but we could be friends." She was fidgeting a lot now. It kind of reminded me when I first tried to make friends. Nobody ever took me serious, and almost always said no. When they did say yes it was so hollow that when I tried talking to them the next day it was like I was invisible.

My mouth fell open. And my apple dropped to the ground.

"..."

Geraf came to my rescue. He jostled me with his knee. "Just say yes, look how hard she's trying." He whispered.

"Y-YES!" I shout awkwardly. My chest feels like it going to explode. My first honest to goodness friend!

"Really!" Julie glowed. "Can I come over tomorrow and play!"

My reality shattered. I don't know how to play...

There is an audible moan from the crowd, wait did I say that out loud? Julie's tail is sagging a little and Hilda holding her face with her hand. Crap, I can fix this right?

"When you come over tomorrow, will you teach me?" I ask.

Julie perks up again. She nods aggressively, I'm actually worried about brain damage. "I knyow tons of ways to play! I'm going to go tell mommy! Nyah!" She ran away full of excitement.

I reached down and picked up the apple. When I looked up she was back.

"I'll see nyou tomorrow!" She ran off again.

Is she what you call a spaz?

A few seconds later she came back and got really really close, her face was bright red.

"Thanks for being my friend, chu." She leaned and pressed her lips against my cheek. She then ran away faster than before.

Thud.

The apple fell from my hand again.

There were whistles and jeers from the crowd. Geraf behind me called me a lady killer.

All the blood rushed to my face. "Waaaa?" My first friend and my first kiss all in the same day. What just happened. That can't be what just happened. But the crowd is telling me that I didn't imagine it.

I guess I didn't move for a long time because Hilda had to jostle me before I realized the crowd was gone.

"Come on stud. Grab your apple and tell your mama you made a friend." Hilda said.

That was how I made my first ever friend.

I'm sure some people do less than fighting a bunch of goblins and a big scary cat monster to get their first friend.

Hey, I earned this one!

The next day Julie came over to play, we played hide-and-seek, tag, and a bunch of additional  games this world has that mine doesn't or maybe I just never got to experience them because I didn't have any friends before this. Either way I had tons of fun.

And even though I came how covered in mud and dirt, I think mama was happy was wasn't coming home with tattered clothes for once. 

She was happy that I made a new friend, and was on good terms with Hilda's sister Julie, but at some point I swear I heard her ask Iliza for another handkerchief.