Ken's POV:

I lay my head down on the desk as I try to not drown into the teacher's words. We're in our biology class and we're seated in alphabetical order, which means Emi is next to me in the back and Akiko is just somewhere around the middle.

The teacher went on and on about viruses and how we don't notice we notice the symptoms of STDs. Normally I'd be interested in the lesson, except I didn't have breakfast this morning so my stomach was growling. It's quite lovely to be in the back, actually. The teacher only calls on the people in the front, so she never notices the people in the back.

I yawned loud enough for the students to hear me. With that I soon fell asleep.

- A lot of boring biology later -

I woke up to Emi's bright red face, which was only inches away from mine. By the time I noticed, she had pulled her face away rapidly. "You blacked out, so I just brought you to the nurse office." She said while she was stuttering. "I just wanted to know if you're alright."

I smiled and reached out to grab her hand. "Your concern only makes me feel better."

"Huh?" She said with a huge blush as she was trying her best to contain her emotions.

I politely gestured her with my hand to get out. "I'm fine now, you can go ahead and go back to class. I wouldn't want you skipping because of me."

She immediately shook her head. "Are you sure you're okay, Kenny? It's after school and biology is our last class."

I sat up right after she had spoken the words she did. "I promised Akiko I would be at her house after school to finish our English project. Oh no, what time is it?"

Her expression looked infuriating as she looked at her wrist to tell the time. "It's around five." She looked like she was going to explode of anger. I wonder just what had made her so frustrated. Whatever it was, Emi was always complicated to figure out.

However I was still holding her hand from earlier. I could just feel her fingers clenching as we had them interlocked. "I could stay here, if you want. I can just text Akiko later."

Somehow that had made her more upset. I don't know why she's acting so strange - I'm trying to be nice. She had taken a deep breath. "Why don't you just stay over at my place instead? I can help you finish up that project?"

I hesitated for a moment then looked at her directly in the eye. "Emi, I have to work with her. The teacher made us partners and you aren't even in my English class. We can just hang out at your place for a bit, if that makes you happy?"

Her eyes broke eye contact with mine as her face turned red as a tomato. "I suppose that'll have to do…" Once again she looked at me with a smile brighter than any day.

I got out of the nurse's room with her and she wouldn't let go of my hand. Scary. I picked up my phone and begun to call Akiko. "Hello?" A voice came from the other side of the phone.

"Ken-bear, I'm waiting for you. Where have you been?" Akiko said with a tone of sweetness.

"I'm jus-" Before I could continue my statement, Emi grabbed my phone. "Who is this?" Emi said while she gave me a wink. I will never understand what that wink meant.

"Akiko. Who are you?" She said with a more impatient tone than before.

"Oh, nobody important. Kenny, here, is busy planning our next-" She dropped her voice to a level that I couldn't hear. But judging on her lip movement, it is very likely that she said "date". Soon after she hung up and handed the phone back to me with that huge smile from earlier. "I told her that something came up. I didn't tell her that you were hanging out with me, so don't worry."

I took back my phone, still confused as to why her emotions were changing so quickly. I wish she would just be herself and act normal. I sighed and continued to walk by her side.

After 7 minutes of walking, we had arrived to her place before she started panicking and talking to herself. "What if he sees my sketchbook, or my drawings on the wall? They're all drawings of him, oh my god. What am I going to do? I could do this, yeah. That just might work!" She clenched her free hand together as I looked at her.

"Are we going to stand here all day or are you going to open the door?" I said which had startled her.

"My bad." She got her free hand to search her pockets. She pulled out keys and opened her door with just one hand. I'm quite worried about my safety, she hasn't let go of my hand yet. She pulled me inside the living room and pushed me onto the couch. "You stay there while I go grab us some refreshments."

You would expect her to walk to the kitchen, instead she ran up the stairs with a worried look on her face. I decided to not follow her but lay on the couch.

- Several paranoia hours later -

After watching 12 episodes of Steven Universe I got up from the couch and began to climb the stairs. If she wanted me here, why was she hiding up in her room this entire time? I opened a door and she wasn't in that room. Well I mean, it was only a 50% chance that she would be in that room I checked. She has to be in this room now. Through the hallway, I took short breaths as I grew closer. I opened the door as I looked around. I walked to a wall and took down a piece of paper. "What's th-"

As if on cue, Emi opened the restroom door and sped past her room just to grab a hold of the piece of paper. "You're not allowed to look at that!"

I raised an eyebrow as I looked at her and tugged her shirt. "Oh, I'm not allowed to look at that, but I'm allowed to look at this? Unattractive." I shook my head as I waited for her reaction.

"Shut up before your face meets my hand. And it won't be pretty." She raised her fist as the paper fell out of her hand.

Both of us looked down at the paper then I begun to burst out laughing. "Wow, you've had a crush on me, since when?"

"Dream on. I've never had a crush on you, never had, never will." She said right before her face looked regretful. As if she wanted to shove the words back inside her throat.

"Right, we'll just assume that." I lightly brang my fist down on her head. "Anyways, where have you been? I probably don't bite."

She gently pushed my shoulder. "Keyword, 'probably'. I've been busy doing some stuff."

"Busy staying away from me?" I leaned closer to her, to the point where our noses are briefly touching each other.

"No way, I've just been doing a bunch of cleaning here before I let you in my room. I guess it's too late since you're already here." She let out a sad laugh as she watched me. "I'm just glad you didn't leave yet."

"I should've, it's getting late." I patted her head and stood up straight as I walked out of her room. She followed me from behind with a depressing expression on her face.

"Awe, come on, you don't have to leave just yet." She said with a forced smile.

"No thanks, bye Emi." I put on my shoes and opened the door before I was stopped with a bear hug from Emi.

"Come on, stay overnight so we can play some games, Kenny."

I knew I couldn't say no, she lives without her parents. Leaving her behind would only make her depressed.