Chapter 5: The Mess

Current Gem Balance: 11 Gems

"...And that's why you don't want to keep jade near your fuchsite. I can tell you, I will certainly never make that mistake again."

Chelsea continued talking as we turned a corner, nearing the campus. Emily clutched her bag of computer parts tightly with her legs, giving quiet and simple answers. She hadn't been talkative the entire car ride, which Chelsea took as an opportunity to talk on length about a crystal story. Emily even avoided looking in my direction, just staring out of the window. Even me trying to talk to Emily barely got any response out of her. She clearly had a lot on her mind. I know that I was distracted replaying the scene over and over in my mind.

"And we are here!" Chelsea said as she parked in front of Emily's apartment. "Well, I think this was a great trip! I hope we do another soon! And keep that crystal close to you."

"Right, sure," Emily said absentmindedly as she got out of the car with her bag and shut the door promptly behind her.

Chelsea and I watched her safely get inside before Chelsea drove off. "So, Alice, where do you want me to drop you off at?"

"Huh?" I said, being pulled out of my thoughts. "Um, anywhere is good. I can generally walk from wherever."

"Hmm, are you sure?" Chelsea said with a kind smile. "Well, if you don't mind, then we'll head over to my favorite cafe. They recently got a new herbal blend and I am excited to try it. It's supposed to help align your chi and provide good vibrations."

It took us just a few minutes to drive over to the cafe that Chelsea was talking about, the Brewery Board. I had passed this place a few times, but it never quite caught my eye. It always purported itself a healthy and naturalistic alternative to traditional coffee shops, and I always felt like that was just marketing buzz. Plus, their stuff never really seemed like flavors that I liked. Look, I like the smell of flowers just as much as the next woman, but I don't need my coffee to have lavender, eucalyptus, and daffodils blended into it.

As I entered inside, the smell of herbs and flowers hit me immediately like I had walked into a botanist's shop. There were plenty of …