"Y-yeah we have to spend this right now," cried Serpica in reply. If this was so much money that even an adult like Al was excited, they really must have hit the jackpot.

"Let's buy the whole town! Then we can take whatever we want and never have to worry about anything ever again! And if someone is mean, we can kick them out and-"

But she was interrupted once again by the other orphan. This time, however, it wasn't because she was leaving after calling her bad things. Instead, she was coming towards Serpica and crying. She had wanted to scold the girl, of course, for being mean to her, but Serpica had never wanted to make the girl cry. Apparently the pretty bracelet was important and belonged to the other orphan, and that girly man threw it on the ground and abandoned her. Serpica's eyes widened and her lower lip quivered with empathy for the girl's plight.

Of course, Serpica would give it back. She was the bigger person, and she bet it would teach the girl that it really did hurt when one's precious things were taken from them. Then the girl would apologize for taking Serpica's garbage, and maybe they could be friends. Serpica reached for the bracelet, her heart swelling with benevolent love and caring for the other orphan, regardless of how mean she had been, when the other child screamed.

Which turned into a bellow, and then into a roar as the other orphan transformed in front of her. The girl become huge and winged and scaly and really scary. Serpica's eyes widened further, and everything became very quiet. She knew that people were screaming and yelling, but she couldn't hear it at all. Something warm was running down her tail. She wondered if the creature had slashed her with its horrible claws, but she dared not look down.

A small puddle expanded below Serpica, and steam rose up from the frosty cobblestone. Anyone present could tell that the girl had soiled herself in fear.

Then, all of a sudden, the sounds came back. They were louder than anything Serpica had ever heard. The girl still couldn't think or process anything other than the sound of her own crying.

Oh. She was crying.

"Uu... uu... uu... UWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Serpica bawled and choked and tried desperately to keep the snot in her nose. It was all she could do. It was all she knew how to do. The horrible creature flew away, but Serpica didn't know for how long. She almost instinctively slithered over to Al and grabbed onto his leg, getting her tears and saliva and snot all over his pants.