"Come on Chicory! We're leaving." Aralia pauses in her lecture on Boraxian history, and I meet her gaze.
"You should go," She murmurs, but I shake my head, taking her hands.
"Come with us," I reply. She hesitates, and I continue. "Please. I know you feel the same way as I do. I don't want to leave you!"
"I've never stepped foot out of Borax," She protests. "I'd be a burden!"
"No, you wouldn't!" I hug her tightly. "You're very smart! You could read maps, and I could help you!" She remains silent for a long moment and then nods.
"I need some of my books." She says, and I nod, letting her go. She runs back into the library.
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