Tell Me Again, My Love

Ryn watched as Mika tried her best to turn the plain white pop cake into a princess pop cake.  She smiled when Mika,  already fl.u.s.tered and almost at the brink of tears,  lookef at her with her big eyes desperately. 

"Fine.  Here,  let me help you. " Ryn looked around.  Her mind processed quickly,  looking for ideas to help her best friend. 

Then,  the light bulb lit.  Her eyes shone as inspiration  struck.  She took some chocolate dough and tried to make ruffles from it.  Luckily the chocolate she melted and added some cream could be pound, shape, roll and flattened. 

Then,  she layered it around the cake ball,  imitating a princess gown.  

She could not stop from giggling seeing how "fat" the pop cake turned into but still she did not stop.  Then,  using a small stick,  she drew shapes of a gown,  almost resembling a gown.  

"A fat gown? " Mika cried. 

"At least it is a gown," Ryn pointed out as she was not done with her masterpiece.  She used smaller chocolate to create the head and tiara,  then, she drew the face and hair. 

"What do you think? " she was pleased with her work and now showed it to Mika. 

Mika was sceptical.  Although it did resemble a girl wearing a gown and even has a tiara on top of her head,  it was clear not what she had in mind when she wanted to have a princess pop cake.  She chewed her bottom lip sadly. 

"Now,  you can do it, " Ryn stuck the pop cake she just made to the glass filled with rice. Now she had made one according to Mika's demand,  she now wanted to make pop cakes based on animals,  just like how she learned few years ago. 

Mika wamted to change the ball a bit,  make it smaller but Ryn stopped her. 

"If you make it smaller,  it will make it harder to shape into what you want. "

Mika g.r.o.a.n.e.d but obeyed it.  She held the cake via the lollypop stick and narrowed her eyes. 

She could do this. 

She could make a pretty princess pop cake.  

She took a deep breath  and started to use the stick to make an outline.  She should make it prettier.  She waa after all a fashion designer and jewellery designer.  She should be able to make a beautiful pop cake.  

While waiting,  she moved to the third pop cake.  This time she wanted to make a tiger.  Making use of all the small ingredients they gathered on the table top where they were doing their project,  it took her no time to shape it and coat it with melted chocolate.  Again she put it aside to set. 

Finally she looked beside her,  wanting to check on Mika's progress.  Her eyes widened seeing an elaborated gown and Mika was yet still finished.  

"Erm...  Mika,  are you sure it is not too much? " Ryn choked out. 

"You will see, " Mika who was 'in the zone' had no time to look at Ryn and her creations.  She was busy designing a gown for the 'fat' ball.  Hard impossible job?  It was not in her diary.  She would win this challenge. 

Ryn shook her jead in bemused. Trust Mika to tirn a chill and leisurely activity into a competition.  It was not even against her but against the pop cake itself. 

This was going to be a long day. 

Ryn, no longer interested on watching over Mika and her creation,  turned back her attention to her own pop cakes.  They were already set and now it was time for her to use the melted chocolate to draw on the pop cakes.  Compared to the serious Mika,  Ryn was more laid-back and not too focussed on making them perfect. 

As long as they resembled the animals she had in mind,  it was enough.  She was happy. 

They were still busy with the pop cakes when someone called her name from outside. 

Her face darkened. Of course she could recognize that person's voice.  Who else eould come here around this time?  Only him.. 

Without lifting her head and stopping her hands, Mika asked, "Jeremy? "

"Hmm... "

"Is it time for lunch? " somehow Mika could guess the reason behind his sudden arrival. 

"What else?" 

Despite her uneasiness,  Ryn still went to unlock the door and welcome Jeremy in. 

"Am I smelling cake? " Jeremy forgot to speak about the lunch when the smell of the just baking cake hit his nostril. 

Yum...  Chocolate. There was also cake. 

"We're making pop cakes, " Ryn explained as she walked Jeremy toward the dining table. 

"Smells delicious. " 

Without asking,  Jeremy took the "fat" princess and took a huge bite. 

"JEREMY! "

"What?" Jeremy looked at them in surprised with his mouth bulge with cake and chocolate.  What did he do? 

*~*~*

He was swimming desperately to the surface when he felt so hot.  Instead of water surrounding him,  he found himself falling...  Falling fast. 

He looked down and screamed in horror.  He was falling into a volcano! 

Harry tried to stop himself from falling by trying to grab the volcano's wall.  Just anything to stop him from meeting his Creator. His breath getting harder and it felt hotter. He screamed and screamed. 

Someone... Anyone...  Help him! 

His eyes opened wide in horror.  His breaths came in short panting.  His body was wet with sweat.  Hie eyes looked around wildly. 

He was safe.  He was in his room.. He was safe. 

"Young Master? " his nanny came running when she heard the shout.  She looked at him worriedly. 

"What...  What happened? " Harry asked breathlessly.  His throat felt so painful,  it was hard to speak.  His sight was a bit blur. 

What was wrong with him?  Was he going blind?  He asked himself fretfully. 

"Shh...  It's okay.  You just had a fever and it's already broken, " his nanny told him soothingly. She pushed the wet hair from covering his forehead and stroked his arms.  "Are you hungry? "

"I felt so tired.  Nanny,  what happened? " his hoarse voice almost could not be heard. She had to lean down to hear his question. She smiled. 

"You had a fever. You have been unconscious for two days."

Harry closed his eyes tiredly.  Two days?  Ryn must be worried about him. 

"Can you give me ny phone?  Is it fully charged? "

His nanny stopped his hand from searching for his phone.  "No.  You are still unwell.  Don't think so much.  Just rest."

"But I need to call my friend... " he tried to take the phone from her but as he just broke his fever,  his body was still weak,  hence he could not lift his hand higher or even had the energy to outweight her. 

"Be a good boy and have some rest.  I will bring some porridge and your medicine, " she paused and shook the phone,  "I will take care of this until you are healthy enough. "

"Nanny,  don't do this to me.  Don't  be so heartless, " he cried desperately but she was already on her way to the kitchen to retrieve his meal and medicine.  

He called again and again but the nanny turned deaf.  He tried to sit up,  trying to pull himself to sit but he was too weak.  All he could do was hitting the side of the bed frustratedly.