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CHAPTER THREE - The Generation Gap
"You're seventeen years old, and I think that you're old enough to
be responsible for your own life, don't you agree?"
"Yes Mrs. Johnson," answered Julia Lindemann in a bored voice. Her teacher
continued raving, but Julia didn't really listen. She just wanted to get
out of there. Finally the teacher dismissed her, and Julia practically ran
out of the school. She was always getting in trouble, but she didn't understand
why. It was true that she hated school and had never been any good at it,
but sometimes it seemed like the teachers deliberately picked on her. Not
that she cared. She wondered why she hadn't already left school by now.
Julia hurried over to the bus stop outside the school and sat down.
Suddenly, she noticed the strangest person she had ever seen sitting at the
opposite end of the seat. His clothes were weird and he was holding a sword.
He was staring at the sword with a confused look and Julia began to feel
uneasy. Usually she would have laughed at someone like this. She hoped that
he wasn't one of those escaped mental patients. It would just be her luck.
But as she stared at him, something inside her told her that he wasn't going
to hurt her. Maybe he was just going to a costume party. Or maybe he was
an actor. But this feeling inside her grew until she felt like she was meant
to know him or something.
"Hey," Julia said, trying to start a conversation. He kept staring at
the sword for a second and then blinked and looked over at her.
"Oh!" Link didn't realise that someone was sitting next to him. He was
too busy trying to work out what he should do and where to find Ganondorf
in this strange place.
"Relax," Julia said, trying not to laugh at the way she had frightened
him. "What are you up to?"
Link felt a bit unsure of this girl. She was quite pretty, and had a face
that reminded him a bit of Saria, except she was much taller and looked
older. Suddenly, he remembered the Kokiri Forest and his home, and wondered
if he would ever get to go back there again.
"So tell me, where are you from?" Julia tried hard to make conversation
with the unanswering Link.
"The forest," Link replied. Now it was Julia's turn to look confused.
"You are Hylian, right?" she asked, "Because you sure look Hylian to me.
And trust me, there's no forest around here for miles. None in Hyrule anyway."
"Yes, I'm Hylian, but I've lived in the Kokiri Forest all, well most,
of my life."
"So I get it, you were born here, moved to that forest, and now you've
just moved back to Hyrule, is that it?" Things started making sense to Julia
now.
"No, I've never left Hyrule," Link said. Julia was silent. Maybe this
guy really is a nutcase after all, she thought. She glanced down at her
watch and hoped that the bus would come soon.
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Can I ask you something?" Link finally asked.
"Uh, sure," replied Julia.
"Okay, firstly, where can I buy some clothes, you know, like what people
here wear," he asked. Julia nearly peed herself laughing.
"Wait," she said, trying to catch her breath. "You're not serious are
you? Those clothes you're wearing, they're a joke, right?"
"Where I come from these are normal clothes," Link began to get defensive.
He always did when he was embarrassed or felt self-conscious. He was used
to being called weird, because his Kokiri tunic was different from the attire
of the other Hylians of his time, but he still hated being laughed at.
"Look everyone's staring at me. How am I supposed to get on with my job
if no one will help me? I need to just blend in."
Julia had finally calmed down. "Okay stress less. I'll help you. Where
do you work?"
"Well it's not that kind of a job," Link answered. He didn't trust this
girl yet, and he didn't even know her name. He tried to change the subject.
"Have you heard of someone called Ganondorf?" asked Link, just in case.
"Ganondorf?" repeated Julia. "That reminds me, my name's Julia Lindemann.
How rude of me! What's yours?"
"I'm Link, but have you heard of Ganondorf?" Link just wanted to know.
"Link? Hmm, that's different. Oh sorry!" Julia had a habit of being a
bit blunt. "I didn't mean it like that, uh, is it short for anything?"
"No. Can you tell me now?"
"I watched this movie once, and there was a guy called Lincoln, and they
called him Linc for short."
"Have you heard of Ganondorf?"
"No."
Just then the bus pulled up. Julia saw the way that Link's eyes nearly
popped out of his head when he saw it, especially when he saw people get
off. She went to board it, but when she saw Link, something inside told her
that she couldn't just leave him there. He was totally clueless.
"Hey Link, follow me," she called out, silently wondering what she was
getting herself into. Link stood up and followed Julia's lead by climbing
onto the bus. He walked past a fat man dressed in blue sitting up the front,
but the man began to yell at him.
"Whoa there son!" The driver suddenly looked twice when he saw Link, who
stopped abruptly. "That's seven rupees for the fare," he said.
"You've got to pay," said Julia. Link reached into his pocket and pulled
out a handful of rupees. He counted out a blue one and two green ones and
gave them to the bus driver, who began laughing.
"What kind of joke is this? You call this money? What do you take me for,
some kind of idiot? And what's with that outfit?"
Julia saw that the bus driver was getting angry, so she quickly dumped
a ten-rupee note into the bus driver's hand and pulled Link into the seat
next to her. The bus driver nearly had a heart attack when he saw the size
of the sword strapped to that weird guy's back, but he said nothing and pulled
away from the bus stop.
Link was startled when the bus started to move, and amazed. How could
it move on its own? But as the bus stopped and started, turned sharp corners
and sped violently, he began to feel nauseous.
"Gee this bus driver's a lunatic!" commented Julia, unaware of Link's
discomfort. She began talking to him again, but he didn't really listen.
"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but what is with your outfit? And
that sword and the other stuff you're carrying. It's just that, some people
would feel uncomfortable around you. It's not like people just walk around
holding swords. It would be like walking into a shopping center with a gun.
People don't like it. Oh, hang on! We'll get off here!" Julia suddenly saw
the bus stop on a street filled with shops. She grabbed Link and dragged him
off, ignoring the look from the bus driver. She saw a men's clothing shop
and headed towards it, deciding that any clothes were better than the ones
Link was wearing. He was paying for it though! The bell on the door tinkled
and a tall man walked up to her.
"Can I help you?" he asked. Julia turned around, only to find that
she was alone.
"Oh no!" she dashed out of the store and ran back to the bus stop. She
breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Link sitting there. He was holding
his stomach and his face had turned a shade of green to match his tunic.
"Hey are you okay?" Julia asked. Link nodded and mumbled, "Fine." Then
he suddenly groaned and the next thing Julia knew he had thrown up all over
the ground. She turned away, a bit grossed out. Link stood up and walked away
from the pile. Julia also got up, eager to get away from it. Link instantly
felt better and his face began to get the colour back into it.
"Ha ha, do you get carsick?" she asked, amused that an older guy couldn't
handle a short bus ride.
"I'm just not used to that," Link replied.
"What, haven't you ever caught a bus before in your life? What planet
are you from?" Link sensed that Julia had no idea he was from the past,
and he wondered if he should tell her.
"Anyway," Julia continued. "Let's get you some, normal, clothes."
Half an hour later they emerged from the men's clothing shop. Link felt weird in his new clothes. He was wearing a green v-neck jumper and gray baggy pants. He still had his Kokiri boots on, but as a last minute impulse Julia had grabbed a green baseball cap for him. She thought he looked strange without a hat on. Now, she thought, he looked perfect. Not like a weirdo anymore.
"Hey," Link said. "I kind of emptied my stomach before. Now I'm starving.
Is there anywhere we can get some food?" Julia looked at her watch. It was
quarter to six. Nearly dinner time.
"Uh, yeah sure, what would you like?" she asked.
"Anything, I don't mind," he said. There wasn't much food that Link didn't
like. They walked down the street a bit until Julia entered another building.
Link read the big sign outside: "McDonalds." He wondered what that had to
do with food. In his Hyrule, the signs had always just said, "Food" or "Restaurant"
or even the rare "Café." Link followed Julia and they stood behind
the counter.
"Hi can I help you?" asked a young girl behind it. Link saw she was wearing
a name badge, it said "Zelda." He nearly jumped in surprise. Link felt a
little homesick again, but quickly got over it. He thought it was strange
that people should have to advertise their names.
"Yeah, I'll have a medium cheeseburger meal with diet coke," said Julia.
She turned to Link. "What would you like?" Link didn't know, so Julia just
said, "The same."
Zelda went away to get the food, while Link couldn't help staring
at her. She didn't look much like the Princess Zelda he knew. She had short
dark hair and brown eyes. She was also very fast and she soon had the food
on a tray.
"I'll pay," said Link.
"Oh no," said Julia, not wanting another scene with Link's strange money.
But it was too late; Link had already given her some.
"Wow," said the girl Zelda. She took the money and held it up to the light.
"Is it real?"
"Of course it's real," Link didn't understand the fuss that everyone made
over his money. The man in the clothing shop had been almost unbearable.
"Well, thank you. Thank you a lot!" Zelda looked excited, while Julia
quickly took the tray and sat down.
"Thanks!" she exclaimed to Link. "You made her happy, and we didn't have
to pay!"
"What do you mean?" asked Link.
"Well, your money's not real," replied Julia. "And she took it!" She burst
out laughing.
"It is where I come from," said Link.
"Anyway, wasn't that girl a weirdo," Julia continued. "I mean, Zelda,
what a weird name." She looked at Link and thought that today must be her
day for weird people.
"I like it," said Link defensively. Julia laughed some more.
"Of course you would," she said. Link took a bite of his cheeseburger.
He was starving, and within seconds it was gone. He also ate his fries and
gulped down his drink before Julia had even had half of her burger.
"Mmm that was good," said Link. "Except for that drink; it was gross."
"You're not serious are you?" asked Julia.
"Why not? Can I have some more?"
"It's McDonalds, I mean, it's trash."
"I liked it," said Link. He stood up, and was about to grab his sword.
It was a habit and Link never went anywhere without it.
"I'll mind that for you," said Julia, preferring to leave it hidden under
the table.
"Okay then, thanks."