Hollywood Secret Garden

Chapter 52: Travelling together (2)

Peering through the window of the inn felt distinct compared to the view from a typical hotel window, yet the little girl struggled to identify the exact difference. 

Despite the availability of numerous discounted hotels in Edinburgh, Angela who seldom had the opportunity for such escapades, insisted on lodging in an inn. And not just any inn, but one renowned for its haunted reputation. 

In the Scottish region, "ghosts" and "spirits" had always been incorporated as themes for tourism, prompting many historical inns to feature various ghost-themed attractions in order to attract visitors.

"Angie, do you want to take a shower?" Kate came out of the bathroom, towel-drying her hair. The room was heated, so she was only wearing a thin shirt with the buttons unbuttoned, revealing her firm breasts through the slightly open shirt. 

She was only wearing underwear below, with long legs, a perky backside, and a height of 5 feet 7 inches (approximately 173 centimeters), making her figure very proportionate.

"Angie?" No reply. Kate glanced up and noticed Angela gazing at her with a penetrating intensity, a flicker of something unsettling in her eyes.

"Angela?" Kate called out once more, and the young girl appeared to shake off a momentary trance, swiftly redirecting her gaze toward the outside. However, in less than a second, she turned back, fixing her eyes on the ground, and inquired, "Wh-what's the matter?"

"Aren't you going to take a shower?" Kate questioned, her confusion lingering. The strange feeling she had when the little girl stared at her disappeared once she looked away. What could be happening?

"Oh, the shower, yes, of course," Angela replied absentmindedly, swiftly darting into the bathroom without even lifting her gaze.

Kate nonchalantly shrugged, buttoned up her shirt, and settled onto the bed, leaning back. Retrieving a notebook and pen, she contemplated writing something, but her thoughts quickly became muddled, causing her to pause and let out a sigh. Her mind felt oddly disorganized. 

Just then, the bathroom door swung open once more, and Angela cautiously peeked out, her voice hesitant. "Kate, could you grab my clothes from my backpack, please?"

Kate chuckled softly and located Angela's underwear in the backpack, walking over to hand it to her.

"Thanks," Angela murmured softly, swiftly retreating back into the bathroom. After a brief flurry of activity, she emerged wearing comfortable pajamas.

"If you're feeling tired, it's best to get some rest. We have plenty of places to explore tomorrow, and we'll need to catch an evening flight back to London. Time is a bit limited, so we'll have to wake up early," Kate advised, patting the young girl reassuringly.

Angela acknowledged with a quiet "mm-hmm" and settled onto her own bed. However, moments later, she abruptly stood up, took a few steps toward Kate's bed, and climbed in without any prior warning. "I want to sleep next to you," she stated.

Kate was taken aback by the unexpected request, not noticing the faint trembling of Angela's small fists clenched behind her. "What's the matter?" she asked, her surprise evident.

"It's nothing. I just want to snuggle with you. Remember, we squeezed together last time at your place," Angela explained, pulling the blanket over herself and briefly glancing at Kate before bouncing back slightly.

Upon Angela's mention of snuggling, Kate couldn't help but recall the comical yet awkward incident involving dumplings, which brought about a mixture of amusement and discomfort. However, she sensed a peculiar shift in the atmosphere between them, leaving her puzzled about the cause. 

After contemplating for a moment, she decided to steer the conversation in a different direction. "By the way, how's your friend Jessica in Los Angeles? I remember you brought up some issues between you two in your previous letter, but after I offered advice, you never mentioned it again. I inquired about it multiple times, but you never responded. Did you... have a falling out?"

"No, not at all. We actually made up a long time ago, I just forgot to inform you," the young girl responded, her gaze fixed on the ceiling as if lost in thought.

"I see," Kate's eyes twinkled mischievously as she playfully teased, "So, do you two still give each other kisses?"

Angela nearly choked on her own saliva upon hearing that question. She coughed several times, pouted in embarrassment, and shot a glare at Kate. It was quite an amusing sight to behold.

Kate struggled to suppress her laughter, instinctively covering her mouth to prevent an eruption of giggles. "Dear Angie, even though it's not a common occurrence for girls to kiss each other, it shouldn't make you feel so uneasy. Honestly, I've shared kisses with female classmates before, and it's truly not a big deal."

Seeing the continued pout on the young girl's face, a mischievous idea sparked in Kate's mind. A secret smirk danced across her thoughts as she leaned down, gently pinching Angela's chin, and swiftly planted a light kiss on her lips before she could react.

Time seemed to freeze in that very moment, enveloping the room in an eerie silence. The scene resembled a captivating still-life painting— an 18-year-old girl leaning over to bestow a kiss upon the 11-year-old girl nestled beside her. The scene was unexpectedly captivating!

After a brief while, their lips gently parted, and Kate found herself gazing at Angela before her. Surprisingly, her mind felt strangely vacant, whereas the young girl's eyes had long lost their focus. Angela's chest rose and fell rapidly as if her heart raced within her. 

Suddenly, without warning, Angela leaped to her feet, stumbling as she rushed into the bathroom. Kate remained motionless, her mind shifting from a state of emptiness to one of chaos. 

What had just transpired? What was that indescribable sensation? It had been warm, moist, and... sweet! A sweetness that ignited an insatiable greed within her, a desire not to let go!

Kate groaned, rolling over and leaning against the headboard, covering her forehead with her hand.

What on earth had just happened? 

And in that very moment, a soft click resonated throughout the room as Angela pushed open the bathroom door and emerged once more.

"Angie... I... I don't know what came over me... It's just..." Kate attempted to explain, but her guilty conscience left her stumbling over her words.

However, the young girl remained entirely unresponsive. With a flushed face, she took a couple of steps forward, climbed onto Kate's bed, and turned around, positioning herself to face away. In a soft whisper, she murmured, "I... I'll go to sleep now. Goodnight."

"Okay... okay, goodnight," Kate replied, feeling as if she had finally released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Her entire body relaxed, and she gently massaged her temples. What in the world was happening?

...

The weather was far from ideal, with thick clouds hanging low, but it failed to dampen Angela's spirits. In the present moment, she sprinted through the streets of the Old Town, while Kate struggled to keep up, desperately calling out to her.

"Wait, Angie! Don't run so fast," Kate repeated, her breath becoming more labored with each passing moment. Yet, despite her plea, the determined young girl maintained her pace. It wasn't until they reached a street corner that she finally halted, leaning on her knees and gasping for air.

"You're so fast," Kate wheezed, finally catching up. Her stamina exceeded that of 11-year-old Angela, allowing her to regain her breath more swiftly.

"No... other choice. Our flight departs at 6 o'clock. We have to... explore everything here before then," Angela managed to utter between deep breaths, her ability to form coherent sentences gradually returning.

"I don't quite understand. What is there to explore in a café?" Kate shook her head, perplexed.

Angela was well aware that she was being a touch stubborn. After spending the morning visiting Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace, she had irrationally requested Kate's company in exploring the cafes of the Old Town. 

Well, there was indeed a reason behind it, but the question remained: Would Kate believe her if she explained that she was here to find J.K. Rowling, the future billionaire author of Harry Potter, whose novel would inspire an entire industry worth £7 billion?

The young girl hadn't arrived at the decision to seek out Aunt Rowling on a whim. Ever since she had chosen Edinburgh as her destination, she had made thorough preparations to find J.K. Rowling. This was precisely why she had insisted on taking the train from King's Cross Station. 

After all, the tale of the Magical Mom was akin to a Cinderella-like legend, and she couldn't possibly fathom the immense impact her own novel would have.

However, it became increasingly apparent that their efforts that afternoon might be in vain. Angela recalled the information she had gathered about Aunt Rowling—an image of a humble existence in a small Edinburgh apartment, reliant on welfare, and diligently penning the story of Harry Potter. 

During the winter, without proper heating in the apartment, Aunt Rowling would bring her daughter to a nearby café, order a cup of coffee, and jot down the adventures of the young wizard on scraps of paper. This was precisely why Angela had chosen to visit at this particular time.

Yet, even with this knowledge, finding Aunt Rowling was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack. Even if they explored all the cafes in the Old Town, there was no certainty that Aunt Rowling would be present at any of them.

"Just one more café across the street, can we please have a quick look and then leave?" Angela pleaded, her voice filled with desperation.

"Dear, that's actually not the last one. Haven't you noticed? That's the very first café we came across," Kate clarified with a shrug.

"Is... is that so?!" The little girl was rendered speechless, realizing she hadn't been paying attention to the exterior of the cafes they had passed. Angela let out a sigh, acknowledging that her efforts had indeed been in vain. Despite mentally preparing for this possibility, it was still disheartening.

"Alright, Kate, let's go in and sit for a while before heading to the airport. Okay?" Angela suggested with a tinge of disappointment in her voice.

"As you wish," Kate responded, offering a comforting smile.

The café was cozy, with a neat interior and only a handful of patrons. The two girls spotted a seat by the window and settled down. Shortly after, a waitress approached their table and inquired, "What would you like to order?"

"I'll have a cappuccino, please," Kate nodded, and Angela eagerly raised her hand, saying, "I want one too!"

"No, dear, you're not of legal drinking age," Kate responded firmly, then turned to the waitress and requested, "Just bring her a glass of plain water."

"Hey, Kate, even if I can't have coffee, there are other drinks I can choose, right?" Angela protested with a hint of desperation.

"So you're planning to have frozen fruit juice in this weather?" Kate tilted her head, shrugging her shoulders in response.

The waitress couldn't help but chuckle at their banter and chimed in, "Miss, I believe your sister can enjoy a cup of tea."

"Alright, I'll have tea, and please bring a scone as well," the determined little girl asserted, simultaneously making a playful face at Kate. 

Kate, feeling a mix of annoyance and amusement, shook her head and refrained from saying anything further. Instead, she gestured to the waitress to proceed with the order. 

After the waitress departed, Kate stood up, lightly tapping Angela's head and reminding her, "I'm going to the restroom, no running around."

"Got it," the young girl replied, rolling her eyes and slumping against the backrest heavily. Exhausted from their day of running around and a restless night of sleep, Angela's mind began to wander.

However, before she could delve into her thoughts, her mind swiftly veered away. The events of the previous night were mutually understood as something not to be discussed today. It was best to set them aside, at least for the time being.

Shaking off the thoughts, Angela scanned the café, allowing her gaze to settle in a corner of the establishment.

[Note from the author: 

I'm feeling frustrated. I had written up to this point last night, only to realize suddenly that I got J.K. Rowling's timeline in Edinburgh wrong. Rowling began writing in the 90s, but it was after her divorce in 1994 that she fell into adversity. 

In early 1992, she was probably still in Portugal. I mixed up the writing time and the time she returned to Edinburgh, and I only realized it now. It's too late to make changes, and it will also affect many things for the main character in the future. If I change it to 1994, the plot would have to be rebuilt from scratch. It's really frustrating, and if I rewrite it, there won't be any updates for a few days. 

So, after thinking it through, I can only let it be wrong and let Aunt Rowling suffer for a few more years. So, for all the fans of Harry Potter, please bear with me~]