Echo did not know how long she had been sitting in the corner.
She blinked, eyes watering slightly as a yawn crept up on her. She had been sitting in her usual, quiet section, on the rooftop of the Art Faculty building. It wasn't as if anyone noticed where she went anyways. But she noticed that, today, she had zoned out very late; the sun was painting golden lines across the canvas of the sky, illuminating the clouds and the buildings in a radiant halo.
She gazed at it with a little awe. She was never good at emotions. Being introverted and shut in, Echo had not had the social experience that other children had been privy to. Her parents had locked her and her twin sister, Noise, in their rooms when they were young.
Noise. The older twin sister. Echo was sure that her parents had expressed some sort of a joke when they had named them Noise and Echo. That Echo was always coming after Noise. Noise who was the first to leave the house, sneaking out with the boy from next door. Noise who managed to make some friends, who managed to stay in social circles before Echo did.
Echo shook her head, clearing her head of her thoughts. She knew that Vincent, the older boy that took care of Noise and her, would be angry that she had not come home sooner. Replacing her sketchbook into her bag, Echo was just about to stand up when the door to the stairs opened and a young man her age stepped forward.
Golden hair that matched the sky's color above them. Green eyes filled with joy, looking as fresh as grass and as rich as emeralds. Oz Vessalius, one of the popular students who shone in the spotlight. Echo's complete opposite.
"Oh!" Echo saw him turn to face her, a wide smile on his face. "If it isn't Echo-chan."
"Just Echo."
Her words hung in the air, but the blunt and cool tone of her voice did not seem to faze him at all. Instead, he laughed at her statement.. "What are you doing staying so late, Echo-chan?"
She shrugged. "Echo forgot the time. Echo needs to leave soon, or her caretaker will get angry." She moved past but was stopped by his hand grabbing her arm, pulling her back.
"Vincent? I'm sure I can convince him to let this slide. He is dating my sister, and Gil is his brother."
Gilbert Nightray. One of Oz's best friends and Vincent's, the boy from next door who took care of them, older brother. "Oz does not need to worry about Echo," she replied, withdrawing her arm. "Echo must return home now."
She watched him look up at the sky for a moment, before refocusing his gaze on her and smiling once more. "In that case, allow me to escort you back, Echo-chan. It was not a request," he added when Echo opened her mouth to protest.
She subsided. "Echo."
"Huh?"
She shook her head and took the stairs, not protesting as he followed right behind her.
"So why was Echo-chan still at school at this time?" he asked again. Echo didn't know why he was following her back, but there was a slight, warm sensation in her chest as they walked side by side the deserted streets.
The sun had disappeared, the clouds menacing and dark now. Echo looked at Oz with her dull, empty gray eyes. "Echo was doing nothing," she answered truthfully. "What about Oz?"
"Me? Well, I was actually finishing some class work. I had to take over some of Alice's work for the council when she fell sick, and Gil has been out of town for a while."
Silence. Then a thundering crash, and she felt the rain pour down on them. Hurriedly, Oz handed her his umbrella. She stared at it. "Does Oz not want to use his umbrella?"
"No, silly." He smiled. "I just don't want to see Echo-chan wet and cold. Are you cold? Do you want my jacket."
"Echo is fine." She lifted the umbrella above both of them. "Echo will keep us both dry." She moved closer to him, her arm resting against his. "Echo's home is close."
In another five minutes they had reached it, a large, white, two-story house. Echo's sister answered the door when she knocked.
"Echo! Vincent's going to be mad that you're late!" Noise hissed at her, not seeing Oz in her peripheral vision.
"Sorry," Echo said, her head down. Then Oz stepped into view, a charming smile on his face, and he squeezed Echo's hand in reassurance.
"Is Vincent inside, Miss Noise? I have some matters to discuss with him."
Noise stumbled back, and the door opened further, illuminating the pair: Oz, smiling and looking happy, his messy hair filled with raindrops and his school uniform soaked; Echo, subservient, head down as she waited for her punishment. She did not know why she was clutching Oz's arm in both hands, but for once in her life she felt… safe.
"Noise!" A loud voice came from within the house. "Is that Echo? Why is she home late?"
"Vi… Vincent," Echo whispered. Noise, clearly stupefied, let the two of them inside, the door slamming shut.
Vincent Nightray looked up with anger, and then horror, when Echo and Oz entered the study room. He jumped to his feet, bowing his head at Oz. "Master Vessalius. What a surprise. What are you doing here with Echo?"
Echo had forgotten that Oz's family were very rich; in fact they owned a lot of companies, including the Nightray industries. "Echo is sorry, Vincent," she began, but Vincent dismissed her with a flick.
"It's alright, Echo. You are excused."
Relief coursed through her and she headed out of the room. Noise grabbed at her as she passed. "What are you doing with Oz Vessalius?" she giggled. "I never thought he was your type."
Echo felt her face heat up. "Echo is doing nothing with Oz. Oz decided to follow Echo back home. Echo does not know what to do."
Noise smirked at her. "You're lucky that he was here, or else Vincent might have punished you badly."
Echo nodded. Noise loved Vincent, even though Vincent didn't love her back. Echo knew that Noise was content for them to share a sibling love. It meant that Echo was usually alone whenever it came to taking sides. And while Vincent wasn't as abusive as her parents were, and even though he had calmed down a lot when he and Ada Vessalius started dating, he was still prone to bouts of anger from time to time.
"Echo will go now," she murmured, brushing past her sister. She had barely taken two steps when a loud voice stopped her.
"Echo-chan, wait up!"
She turned back to see Oz run towards them. "It's Echo." He stopped just before her, grinning as he scratched the back of his head. "Is Oz leaving?"
"Gil's almost here. He insisted on picking us up."
Echo blinked. "Us?"
Oz grabbed her hands. "I, uh, told Vincent that you would come over and stay. You would, right?"
She blushed fiercely at the thought. Why was Oz taking such an interest in her? "B-b-but that… sounds improper, Oz."
"You can sleep in one of the spare rooms we have," he exclaimed happily. "Or if you want you can sleep in Alice's room."
Alice, Oz's childhood friend. Echo was not on on any terms with her, although her observation of the dark haired girl led her to believe her to be straightforward, blunt and a great lover of meat. But what would Vincent say?
"Echo, you can go," Vincent said, appearing around the corner. "Besides," he said with a smile. "Master Vessalius has agreed to send his brother along for another business meeting."
Echo blinked, and then gave a small smile. "Echo will go to her room and pack then. Thank you, Oz."