Rin smacked Len in the face with a pillow, laughing cheerfully. Her aquamarine eyes sparkled mischievously as Len cried out and hit the floor.

"Ow Rin!" He whined, holding his head in his hand.

She giggled and stuck her tongue out at him. "That's for starting a pillow fight while we're studying!"

He sighed. "Guess you're right. Let's get back to math."

Rin unhappily placed the pillow back on Len's bed and laid on the floor in front of her previously abandoned textbook.

She was very content next to her extremely close friend. They had both been orphans, and their friendship with each other had started when Rin asked Len if she could climb on his shoulders to get to the cookie jar. The half of the cookie they each got sealed their bond.

A caring social worker had given them their own house after many failed adoptions, due to the fact that Len or Rin threw a complete fit when they realized the potential adopters would only want themselves, and would not want to adopt the other with them.

Len took his place next to her and began to work out problems. Nothing happened for a while, except for the occasional pencil twiddling and light taps of calculator buttons.

She glanced over at her best friend, so alike in looks, and equally as common in personality. The only difference between their appearances was his headphones replaced her ribbon, and his hair was tied up in a ponytail while hers hung loose. He was gorgeous. She shook her head, blushing slightly, and returned to her homework.

Rin was solving question twenty three when she heard Len pipe up from next to her.

"Rin, you know the Christmas Dance the school is having this weekend?"

Rin's heart flipped in her stomach. She had of course known, wanting Len to take her with all her heart. Her mouth grew dry as she prepared to accept his offer.

"Yup, what about it?" She replied, trying not to sound eager.

"Well," He erased an answer and re-wrote another one in its place, "I'm going to ask Miku to go with me. I've liked her for a while, and this is a great opportunity for me to tell her!" He said cheerfully.

Rin had snapped her pencil in half without realizing it. Her throat clenched up and her eyes began to fill up with hot, furious tears.

She quickly turned around and pretended to grab another pencil from her bag, while she was really wiping her eyes on her sleeve, biting her lip to keep from crying out.

"Rin? What's wrong?" Len's smooth, warm and worried voice pulled her out of her depressing trance.

"N-nothing, just needed a new pencil." She choked out, and returned to her work.

"Something wrong?" He asked her, worry filling his voice.

"Nothing, Len, just butt out!" She snapped at him. She returned to her work yet again, not seeing the confused and hurt look on his face.

The next hour passed in silence. Len continuously tried to get her to talk to him, but Rin quickly gave him such scathing looks that he gave up.

Rin slammed her math book shut after a half hour, startling Len, and began putting her work in her bag.

"Ri-" He started.

She looked at him and he was shocked to see her eyes glistening with fresh, un-spilled tears.

"I'm going to bed. Night." She said, her voice quavering, and walked out of his room.

Len stared at the doorway, frozen. Rin NEVER cried. Even when they were little and an older resident had thrown a brick at her nose and broken it, she hadn't spilled a tear. Dumb-struck, his first instinct was to follow her, but he knew he would only get kicked out of her room if he did. Slowly, he went back to his work.

Meanwhile, Rin walked into her room, shutting the door softly behind her, and sat on her bed, her chest numb. She took a deep, shaky sigh and grabbed her phone from her pocket, wiping her eyes again.

Her phone screen lit up as she pressed the center button and began to type out a message to her friend, Teto.

"Teto, I need to know if I can spend the night at your house tonight." She sent the text quickly, hoping for an equally fast reply. Her heart felt heavy and numb, and she quickly took another breath before tears could be spilled again.

After a few moments, her phone buzzed and she viewed the message.

"Of course you can! I'll pick you up, wait outside!" She smiled tinily at the warm, welcoming message.

A knock at her door startled her.

"What is it, Len?" She said in a emotionless voice.

"Can I come in?"

This was more of a warning message then a question. Whenever they asked eachother that, the other would say yes, no hesitation.

Len obviously predicted the answer and was half-way through turning the knob when her clear voice rang out from the other side of the door.

"No."

He blinked, hurt and curiosity racing through him.

He heard something unzipping and soft thuds, before the zipping sound returned.

Her footsteps approached the door and he quickly stepped back.

"Rin, what's the big deal?" He asked, sounding outraged yet desperate at the same time.

She stepped out of her room, a orange bag slung over her shoulder. "Nothing. I'm spending the night at Teto's. You know her number." She said dully.

She walked to the front door and opened it, about to step out when Len's hand grabbed her arm softly yet firmly.

"Rin, tell me what is wrong." He said, his voice worried beyond reason.

"If you can't figure it out, I'm not telling you." She wrenched her arm out of his grip and walked to the hot-pink car waiting in front of the house.

Len stared after her. He wanted to call out, but pride and anger made his voice catch in his throat. He slammed the door, wondering what the hell he did.

Rin sat on the smooth seats, saying hi to Teto and her older brother Ted, who was driving.

"Rinny, what's wrong? You look a mess!" Teto said unhappily.

"Long story.."

She told them everything from Len telling her about Miku to herself sending Teto a text.

When she was done, she was surprised to see Ted shaking his head and Teto biting her thumb.

"Aw, you poor thing. Len obviously just wants Miku because of her looks, like every other boy. It was nothing against you, Rin-chan." Ted said comfortingly.

Rin wiped another tear from her eye. "I've loved that idiot since we were both twelve, why is he such a dumbass and can't see it?" Her voice broke near the end.

Teto frowned sadly at Rin. "Boys are so stupid sometimes. I bet the only way he would finally realize what he's got is if you started dating another boy."

Silence greeted these words.

"Teto, for once, I'm proud to call you my sister." Ted said in an awed voice.

Teto blinked. "What did I do?"

Ted pulled into the Kasane driveway and turned back to look at Rin. "That's what you have to do. Make Len jealous."

Rin crossed her arms. "With what boy? He's friends with all of you guys, and Ted, you're practically his best friend besides me."

Teto nodded, getting another brainwave. "Then PRETEND to date Ted then! The closer the guy is to Len, the better!"

Ted blushed crimson and looked away muttering.

But Rin was suddenly seeing Teto's point. Usually, she was all against hurting Len. Whenever other kids picked on him for his voice, she would beat the shit out of them until they said sorry. But now, all she wanted was for him to feel her pain.

"Ted." She stated.

"Mhm?" He replied, looking back at her again.

"Are you willing to help me?"

He nodded. "You're my friend Rin, of course. But it'll be awkard."

They both laughed, Rin getting a devilish grin on her face.