The Machine Rules

10

"Can we go see the giraffes and elephants?" Sarina pipes up as we walk out of the restaurant. The food was divine, and the dessert what from another world. I don't think I'll ever eat food as delicious as I ate here.

"You're boring, Sarina. Everyone likes giraffes and elephants," I stuck my tongue out to her like a child.

"And what's the problem with that?" She looks me up and down with a challenging look. "You have something against elephants and giraffes?"

"Nothing at all. I think they are ordinary zoo animals, you know. I would love to see hyenas, snakes, maybe even spiders! You those big ones the size of a food plate," I tease Valrie as she is terrified of spiders.

"Oh, stop it! You know how much I dislike spiders," Valrie pushes me with her shoulder and runs off.

"Wouldn't it be cool if we could hold one? I would only hold if someone were already holding. Some spiders have thick fangs, you know," Sarina gives me a weird look but keeps listening to my rambling.

"You're weird Lilya," She giggles, and I join her. The way to the big animals such as elephants, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, and other animals was quite tiring because of the distance, so I took a seat next to the teacher while the girls took pictures.

"I'll go to the bathroom really quick. Don't go too far, okay?" The teacher speaks to me. I nod, and she goes away, leaving me alone on the bench. Thankfully from where I am sitting, I can still see the big animals in all their glory.

An African elephant with its baby casually walked about the replica of the savanna they once lived. The baby was the cutest thing ever, and what made me fall even more in love was when if tripped over a small rock and fell on the ground.

Other big animals too walked close to where I sat. It was a long, wide corridor that extends all around the large animals' enclosure, so we had a three hundred sixty view of them. But let me tell you, only this area would take me two hours to go around.

As my eyes glanced at the group of zebras, my phone vibrated. I took it out of my shorts pocket and saw I had a notification Ego. s**t. What do I do? Stay calm, you dummy; it's just a text. I roll my eyes at my small panic attack. This is what lack of interaction with boys gets you.

Ego Lilya

Hey Lilya, it's Ego. I just wanted to let you know, even if it was for a short time, I really enjoyed your company :)

A smile broke onto my lips as blood flushed my pale cheeks once I read the small text.

My thumbs hovered over the screen, ready to type anything, something.

Ego Lilya

I'd like to say the same. I'm sorry I can't do anything to repay your kindness

I bite my lower lip as I read over the text and press send.

My hands sweat as I wait for his response like a schoolgirl with her crush. I am a schoolgirl, but he isn't my crush. After a minute of waiting, I sigh in disappointment from getting no response.

"He's just being nice, Lilya. Why and what would he respond to you?" I mumbled to myself in irritation. I think with all the good things happening in my life, my hopes for everything are getting high. My mind needs to remember this will end sooner or later, and I'll go back to my miserable life.

"Why are you looking so down," My head snaps to Valrie, who just took a seat next to me.

"Tiredness. The teacher also left, and we need to wait for her to explore more," I lie. Why? One, I don't need my friends pestering me about Ego; two, it's a stupid thing to be sad about, and I should suck it up.

"I'm back!" We laughed at our teacher's exaggerated manner to announce herself. "Come on, girls, since this place is so big, they'll start closing the last attractions so people can get out in time."

"What are the last attractions?" I ask curiously.

"I think it's the rare animals. I heard that there are animals there that are the last of their kind," The teacher wiggled her eyebrows. My eye widened, and in the next second, I was jumping around like a child, pleading for us to see the animals.

"Let's go! Let's go!" I ran off to look for Sarina, and once I found her, I ran away in the directions of where the signs said the rare animals were. At the moment, I didn't care if people were looking at me weirdly; when it's between cool animals and me, I don't care what they say.

But what I didn't see it coming was a leg on my way. And before my eyes caught sight of it in time, my legs hit it, I tripped, fell onto the floor, and blacked out.

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