Bad Kindness

   That was serious. That was very serious. And it was not only about usual calm and kindly nature changed to that of badly hidden irritation - it was about the "second half" coming to this place. All right, talking with puzzles won't tell anything. To put it straight, Albert Pertwee, the assistant of the hugest bookstore around, was not himself. In normal state he was in love with his job - he was a natural born storyteller, and his memory kept lots of interesting details, so he could always give a nice consultation for anybody. But today he answered all questions with "yes" and "no", muttering them through clenched teeth, and refused to explain anything. This is why he was not alone here.
   "Wanted to see my bro?"
   Joanna Pertwee, Albert's twin sister (though they didn't have many things in common, except for their names - Albert John and Joanna Albertina, blast!), walked up to her brother's girlfriend Mytrice Allebloo, who wasn't daring to come closer.
   "Quite so. Em... can I do something to cheer him up?"
   "Afraid you can't", Joanna shrugged. "I'm angry as a bear myself. Wanna know what happened?"
   "Yes".
   "Then let's get out of here, or my bro's going to choke me with his bare hands. And I doubt that he would spare you".
   Only when they walked out of the bookstore and found a free bench at the bus stop (though it was cold and moist here), Joanna finally sighed and began the explanations.
   "It's about kindness".
   "What do you mean, Joanna?"
   "I mean it". Joanna pushed the lace on her frilly blouse's sleeve under the jacket sleeve. "Have you ever been taught to be kind?"
   Mytrice hummed, confused.
   "Someone thinks that being kind is bringing others things they need". This time it was Joanna's hair which made her hands occupied - it was curling in huge loops, like her bro's, but was more of blond than ashy shade. "Without asking... See, one of my friends - seems like an ex-friend actually - didn't like it that my bro is still not married. You just look at that!" Her voice changed to teasing squeaky one. "Tall, handsome, clever, agile, strong, with sense of humor - and not married! Catastrophe!" Joanna rolled her eyes and changed her voice to normal. "Just yesterday. What a plan! Jade - that very now ex-friend of mine - was at our home. Albert was at work, but was to return any moment. Well... she locked me in the attic and went to the bathroom, waiting for Albert. It's clear that a naked girl in the bathroom is a fantasy of every normal man, eh?" Joanna's tone was soaked with sarcasm, and Mytrice even moved a bit away from her, fearing that she could choke her. "Albert returned soon. He thought that there was a burglar, and..."
   "What?"
   "He almost smashed Jade with a chair. She explained that she just wanted to marry him".
   "Sounds more like seducing".
   "And what am I on about?" Joanna sighed. "She didn't even listen that Albert already had a girlfriend. Or perhaps... a relative soul". She smiled lop-sidedly, but her green eyes remained half-sad, half-raging. "Tell me nothing, Trice. I've seen the way you look at him, and vice versa. Lucky you two".
   For some moments the two girls were sitting, staring at their gloved fingers. Finally Joanna spoke again.
   "Go for it, Trice. You know what to do. It's time".
   "How do you know?"
   "Don't forget that me and Albert are one flesh and blood".

   Albert knew that he was innocent, but the bitter remains were left. No doubt. That girl was of chatterbox type. Telling others everything, ninety-nine percent lies. Girls. No, not girls, that's too much. Big mouths...
   "He's back in his teens now".
   "Leave him, Dinah".
   Having said that to another shop assistant, Mytrice, not listening to anybody, walked to Albert and gave him a supportive embrace from behind. Albert didn't respond, and they just stood there for a couple of minutes before he spoke.
   "Trice?"
   "Mm?"
   "When you were small, have you ever dreamt about growing up as soon as possible and meeting your... prince?"
   "No".
   "Really?"
   "I didn't like dolls much as well". Mytrice chuckled. "And it went on like this. All the girls dreamt of a charmer driving them on a motorbike and bringing them hugest bunches of roses, and not only that. So tall, so strong, so handsome and with such a shiny smile..."
   "That's what I like about you". Albert turned around, but Mytrice didn't lower her arms. "You are not afraid of telling the truth".
   Upon the closer look he wasn't as handsome as girls like Jade would've seen him. Grey hair wasn't enough. His nose was huge and crooked (it would've made him ugly if he was a girl, and Joanna was lucky to get a far smaller and turned-up one), and his front teeth were a tad bit longer than they needed to be. And his eyebrows (darker than his floppy locks, but with greyish hairs among dark ones) were "really unprofessional", as stylists love to say. Hah! But Mytrice didn't mind it. Beauty-no-beauty, Albert was great.

   I just knew it, Joanna thought, watching them from behind the shelves. Look at that, they fit together like two puzzle pieces.
   It was only her opinion. Albert and Mytrice weren't alike at all, except for the fact that they both were imposingly tall. Themselves when separated, but co-existing in balance. And no fake kindness could get into this.