I'M SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING! I'M SO SORRY, I WAS ILL, THEN I DIDN'T HAVE MY LAPTOP, AND THEN I GOT IT BACK, THEN MY BETA WASN'T ONLINE FOR AGES ON SCHOOL HOLIDAYS AND THEN I GOT A BAN FROM MY LAPTOP! AND NOW I'VE SNUCK ON BECAUSE I'M A BAD GIRL! ... Yep. Anyway, moving on xD

As promised, this chapter is dedicated to my Mr Marshmallow, who I forced to review, because I was bored, so I made him! Mwahahaha! (I had been trying to since I first posted it xD)

Now, for comments back to the reviewers (Even though I PM'd, I'm still grateful, you guys!)

Whiskas1393: Your review made me super happy, because I got it straight away, and it wasn't a flame, but a lovely comment c: Your review actually convinced me to write another chapter straight away, though my brain wouldn't let me at first 8D

I. Am. Cheese. And. Cheese. Is .Me: Pfft, me? Amazing? You know it! ;D Thank you for your awesome review. It made me really ecstatic~ (I use that word too often as you can probably tell xD)

CinnamonAkaNumbuh50: :D *feels loved* You're so kind ;D You should try (if you can manage) to write one. "One is a lonely number, Double D." (It's no time for Ed, Edd and Eddy references at a time like this! xD) But on a serious note, I think you should try c:

Marshmallow: Mr Marshmallow! :D I love you too, even if you called me a wench on Skype. You're a bully, bully :D But, despite being a bully (:P), you do manage to flatter me, so I'll let you off c:

Thank you to my beta, who manages to put up with me being a lunatic while I come up with ideas for stories and practically smash the keyboard xD And not caring that I freak out and grab her sometimes when we play scary games. I mean, she screams too xD And thank you for dealing with me making videos and saying, "Wait, this part sucks!" all the time.

Disclaimer: I own this lingering illness that has attached itself to my person, but not INK. Sickness, Y U NO BE I.N.K?

[Trixie's POV, a week after the first chapter.]

I daydream. A lot.

I know I don't seem like the kind of person to become easily dazed and dreamy, because I'm actually not.

We all do things for strange reasons.

It's like how Vin always makes sure he looks good, but deep down he isn't as vain as everyone seems to think.

It's like how Newton is amused by the weirdest things, but was forced to grow up quickly because his dad wasn't around that much. (Mind you, not like my parents, who were actually away from home. His dad continuously and consciously forgot about his poor Newton.)

Or like Zero, how, since she heard Newton and I talking the other day, whenever I went to steal a glance at her, she was already watching me, but she doesn't like me in the same way.

I don't think she likes me at all right now.

She is pointedly (and rudely!) ignoring me. To the point where it's like I need to jump around with a sign saying, 'PAY ATTENTION TO ME!'

Zero hasn't been talking to me the whole week though.

I know I shouldn't have snapped and told her it wasn't 'all about her', but I couldn't help it. I know the conversation was kind of about her, and my strange 'love', according to Newton, but that's besides the damn point!

The whole thing didn't make me want to spin around singing 'Don't worry, be happy' either, despite what Bobby McFerrin thinks.

When I go up to HQ, I notice Newton literally lying on the ground, while Zero sat on her beanbag.

"I don't feel well..." Newton muttered. (A/N: IF I'M SICK SOMEONE IS GOING DOWN WITH ME! I'M SORRY NEWTON BUT THAT SOMEONE IS YOU. WHY IS TALKING IN CAPSLOCK FUN!)

"Want me to take you to the hospital wing then?" Zero asked.

"No, you just wait here for me to get back." Newton told us.

"As if I'd wait with HER." Zero said, like it was venom, and pointed at me without look.

Ow. My heart just about broke.

"... The ground takes like 5Gum." Newton said into the awkward silence.

I rolled my eyes, and helped him stand up, "I'll walk you, and maybe you'll have nurse MacBeth look after you." I said.

Newton, who was whining like a little kid who wasn't allowed to have dessert, jumped to his feet as quickly as he could, "Look! Miraculous recovery!" He claimed, brushing his clothes of the invisible dust that had apparently gathered there.

"Right, well I'm leaving." Zero said to Newton, and didn't even look at me, still, as she left.

But I watched her go. The absolute grace in her step, the slight flick of white hair, the calm yet menacing way she walked.

"Trix, don't be so cut up about it-"

The sad look I gave Newton cut him off.

"Newton, she hates me..." I whispered.

"Do you want a hug?" He asked, holding out his arms. I shook my head. "What do you want then?"

That's exactly right. What did I want?

The foreshadowing of me being slightly dazed while thinking comes in about now.

Any thought I had ended up something to do with Zero.

I really was becoming obsessed.

It was like I couldn't even eat my lunch without thinking about her. Thinking about her on a table by herself.

I did consider joining her -I promise I did!- but it would have been suicide... She would have moved away, leaving me to get laughed at by everyone at school.

I don't think I have ever been so unhappy since... Well, since a long time.

I once daydreamed in the playground, sitting on one of the benches, vaguely paying attention to Newton's chattering. (He admitted to Zero that he was pretending to be sick so she and I could talk. Even I have to admire the courage he has to stand up to Zero.)

Anyway, on to the daydream. It was about my parents coming to school. They saw Zero and I holding hands, and flipped it. They don't like people who marry another of the same sex. Does that mean that I shouldn't like it either?

Anyway, I felt bad for not listening to Newton, so I asked him to repeat what he said. As he did, my mind wandered again. I wondered what Vin was doing. Obviously Vin went with Zero, because they did know each other first. I felt slightly jealous, the way they were closely knitted together, whispering and giggling. I couldn't help it! It's like how each of us can't help wanting to be accepted by others. We all want to feel loved. Expect Zero, of course, she'd always been the odd one out. But even then, I'm always the only one sitting on the fence, while the others have fallen off.

The week progressed with a pissed of Zero, a slightly irked Vin, an (agree to disagree) immature Newton, and there was me.

There was no way to describe the hurt I felt.

Just because we wouldn't tell Zero about our secret business, she had to yell and verbally abuse us both until we both, Newton and I, felt like crap. I'm sorry, but I didn't expect anything different.

She didn't care whose feelings she hurt, as long as she was triumphant in the end.

I didn't really like that trait about her, or maybe it really was one of the qualities I secretly did like about her. She was headstrong and didn't care what people around thought about her. It was something you could distinguish from a room full of Zeros. 'Gosh, wouldn't that be terrifying?' I think, trying to keep myself from smiling. That would be horrible. A room full of Zeros running around, hanging people up by their undies on coat racks, and rejecting me, because I know she will. The latter would be far more embarrassing...

"She's never going to let this go, is she, Newton?"

Putting down his writing paper, Newton looked up, "She'll let it go, Trix." He reached out and squeezed my hand.

I didn't think she would, but Friday night, I found a box of my favorite chocolates on my pillow, with a note.

I guessed we were okay before I even read the note, even if she DID use red paper (on purpose, no doubt) I'd forgive her any day.

'Dear Trix,

Sorry for being a bit of a jerk last week, but friends aren't supposed to keep secrets from each other.

If you still want to be friends, that is.

-Zero.'

Yep. I could forgive her no matter what.

(A/N: Zero just totally friend zone'd Trixie xD I'm having WAY to much fun writing this~)

"Did you go out of your way to use red paper?" I asked, handing her one of the chocolates.

We were sitting in the library, our chairs next to each other, waiting for the boys to come back with books.

Zero nodded cheekily, "Of course I did. Anything to annoy you, Trix." She said, unwrapping the chocolate and popping it in her mouth.

I smiled, and looked at her. I really didn't notice that I'd been staring for a while, because she looked back with a confused expression.

I looked away, and felt my face start to heat up. That's so embarrassing. I heard her laugh beside me, and I looked at her again. I couldn't help it!

And then she looked back at me.

My heart just about stopped when she moved in slightly. Man, oh man, I'm going to end up in the infirmary, if I don't stop this weird obsession.

I guess we both moved in the slightest bit more. Then a bit more. Soon, we were merely centimeters apart. I think we were almost about to kiss, and then-

And then Vin ruined it by slamming his books on the table and complaining loudly about studying being a pain in the bum.

I swear Zero and I both jumped a meter, trying to get away from the other.

"Are you going to help me with this stupid essay or what?" Vin asked me, and I nodded.

It didn't take that long to finish the full essay, but it was very lengthy and filled with Vin staring at Zero with his stupid lovey eyes.

'Competition?' I thought, then almost cursed out loud. Zero wasn't mine. She didn't belong to me.

I tried to turn back to the essay, but I couldn't concentrate because of Newton's and Zero's laughter. I thought I overheard something about robot pirates and attacking Van, but I really can't be sure of it... After all, I've been hearing lots of strange things lately, like the floor tasting of 5 Gum and that I'm in love with my best friend. (Thanks Newton.)

"Trix?" I looked at Vin, who was waving a hand in front of my face.

"What...?" I asked.

"You zoned out." He noted.

"Oh, right... Sorry." I smiled at him, but I still couldn't concentrate. One lingering thought still fills my mind. What would have happened if we had kissed?