Should've Put a Ring on It

                                    

                                          
School starts on Monday and I'm going into my Senior year of high school. Wow, I've been working on this on-off since Sophmore year. Isn't that cool?
                          
"Are you done window shopping, Munchkin?" Ben asked. 
                          
"You'd need windows to window shop, Ben. But, yes. I believe that I'm done browsing." I said, handing a man the money for the array of spices I just bought for Leanne. 
                          
"And you call me the smartass." 
                          
"Yes, how dare I call you that! In order for somebody to be a smartass, they'd have to be smart in the first place." I said, picking up my purchase and putting it in the stroller. 
                          
"You're a frozen friggin' tundra, Summer. You know that?" 
                          
"I've never known summer to be cold. I always thought that was winter." I said, grinning widely at my own stupid joke. 
                          
"That was a stretch and you know it." 
                          
I shrugged. "So are we getting something to eat or no?"
                          
"Of course. And I already saw somebody selling sandwiches. I'll go get it and you can check to see if there's anything else that you want." He said, pushing the stroller. "You want your usual kind of sandwich?"
                          
I nodded. 
                          
"White bread, ham, cheese, lettuce, and lots of pickles." We recited together. 
                          
"Alright, then." Ben said. "Why don't you get Nema something nice to show you were thinking about her?" 
                          
I nodded. "Yeah, I'll do that. I was already gonna get something for my sister, anyways." 
                          
As we seperated, I went back over all of the vendors, deciding that I would get Nema a little stuffed animal. Though I'm sure she would probably prefer a new set of tools, I think she's gonna like this stuffed animal. It was a Porygon, after all. 
                          
I went by a woman who was selling jewelry and stopped to look at what she had to offer. She gave me a smile. "Hello, there. Is there anything you're looking for in particular?"
                          
I shook my head. "Not really." I admitted, browsing around, looking for something that would catch my eye and just scream 'Kate Hitomi'. Then I saw the cutest little ring. It was a platinum band with little pink crystals shaped like flowers circling around the band like a vine. I picked it up and slid it on my hand. It was perfect for Kate! "Um... How much for this one?" 
                          
"Oh, that's one of my cheaper pieces." The lady said. "It's marked as $1,000." She said with a smile. 
                          
I took the ring off and threw it back on the display stand as if it had burned me. "Um... I really love the ring, but I just don't have the money for it." I said, reaching for the necklace my sister gave me and moving the stone back and forth on the silver chain. "Is there a cheaper version like it?" 
                          
The lady studied the necklace I was yanking around on its chain. "No, the ring is a one-of-a-kind. But... I might be willing to make a kind of trade with you." She said, motioning for me to lean in closer to her. I obliged and she unfurled my hand from around the stone on my neck and studied it. "I'll trade you for whatever this marvelous stone necklace is. It's just too unique to ignore... Do you know what the shards of these blue, yellow, and red stones are called?" 
                          
I jerked back clutching onto my necklace even tighter. My sister gave this to me as a gift. She said was made out of three stones called the Tears of Princes and that it was very important for me to keep it on. Probably so that thieves wouldn't be able to get it if it was around my neck. I really wanted my sister to have that ring...
                          
"I-It was a gift from my sister." I choked out. 
                          
The lady nodded in understanding, rifling around in a drawer behind her stand and took out a necklace with a white stone with blue veins in it. "Here, I'll even include this moonstone necklace for free to make the decision easier on you." She offered. "I've never seen such beautiful gems like these!" She gave me a look full of intrigue and pleading. She really wanted my necklace more than I did, it seems. Well, if she was going to be so passionate about it...
                          
Unclasping the necklace I haven't taken off since it was given to me, I dropped it in her hand. In return, she clasped the moonstone necklace around my neck in return. She thanked me profusely and all but shove the ring for my sister in my hand. I wrapped it in some tissues from my backpack and stuffed it in the pocket with the letter from my sister in it. 
                          
I walked away from the tent and started my search for Ben and Yuka when something felt... off. I felt a rush of dizziness so strong that I couldn't focus on anything else. One moment I was struggling to keep myself grounded from the sudden wave of dizziness, the next I was on the ground. 
                          
What the hell's going on?