Xira had one friend at this point in time, and though to some that may have sounded a bit lonely, she was actually quite content with it. Haku was all she needed. They'd been friends ever since the very first day of the sixth grade, ever since they'd shared a seat on the bus and realized they both were listening to the same band. And upon the sole topic of The Birthday Massacre, they built a close, intimate relationship forged by dark, dry humor, a secret language of eye rolls and smirks, and a mutual chemistry that was akin to that of soul mates.

"Hey, Haku?"

"Hmm?" The boy answered as he absent-mindedly swung beside her in the late April sun. "Can you answer something for me?" He nodded. "Of course. You have to ask?" Xira shrugged. "I mean. It's just that… I need advice. And this is going to sound really out there coming from me." Haku shrugged. "I think it's safe to say that nothing can really come off as strange to us anymore, Xira, so go on."

"Well… I think I want a job. No. I need a job. Would you happen to know any place that would be good for me? You know a lot of people… So…"

Haku stared at the girl as if she'd sprouted another head.

"You? You want a job?" His voice took on an incredulous tone as he spoke. "Oh wow, that is strange." He laughed. "But not without a reason, right? What's up?" He asked with that gentle smile on his face. He was such a kind person. Beautiful, too, with his pale, porcelain skin and long, dark hair, and tender eyes. There was something magnetic about him, in her opinion. Something that kind of drew her to him, the way he almost cared for her as if he were a fussy mother. He reminded her all the time of things, because of her tendency to forget. Casual little reminders. Because sometimes, when she was in really bad shape, she needed to be looked after. And Haku was the best at it. "Have you eaten today?" He'd ask. "Maybe you should get more sleep. You look terrible." "You should relax a little. Don't worry so much, okay? You'll make yourself sick." He always did that for her. And she did so in return. Because they were best friends.

"Don't get mad like you always do, okay?" And though he agreed with a small nod and a serious demeanor, she knew that he probably would. He'd most likely worry incessantly over it. Because that's what Haku did when it came to those who were precious to him, meaning Xira.

"Well… It's Yudaj… I dunno. He's a little overprotective. But you know that. And I told you how he doesn't want me to get a job. Well, just yesterday, he finally said it. He told me why. 'Why do you need a job when you have me?' He said. 'You don't need it. I've always bought you everything you ever wanted. Just keep your little nose in the books, 'kay?'" She quoted her brother's words from the other day.

Haku wrinkled his nose. "I believe it. He's always been like that. Your brother is a level six smotherer. You should just kind of… Put your foot down, you know?" He said, recalling all of their previous conversations on the matter. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to be sure that you can take care of yourself. He needs to see that." He said as if her problem was fully his own.

"I'll talk to him. I need a job. I don't want to be taken care of, as weird as it sounds. I want to be able to look after myself. I don't want to be a child forever. I'm seventeen, for crying out loud!" Haku laughed at this. "Well, when you do, let me know how it goes." And just like that, they moved on to the next subject.

This was their chosen hangout spot. This park, which was always so empty, for some odd reason. People always opted for the other one not too far down the street, with its better selection of swings and slides and a full, mile-long walking trail. That, and that this park in particular was just old and run down and a little too close to the forest for comfort. But it was better for them. More alone time on the swings for them.

The weather was nice. The calm before the predicted storms that would plague the next week. The sky was clear and blue. The air was fresh. Her pollen allergy had alleviated, if only for a bit. And with it being the end of April, it might've even been safe to say that she'd be allergy free until next Spring. All was well, save for the occasional mosquito. But other than that, she could say that she could sit there for hours beside her best friend.

"The strangest thing happened yesterday." Haku started. "Someone asked for your number, Xira." And as he expected, the shock on her face was evident as his words sunk in. It was a priceless expression. A mixture of confusion, shock, denial, and interest ran across her face as she asked the question. "Who?" She couldn't quite wrap her head around what she was hearing. "I don't talk to many people… So who would ask for my number? That's odd." She asked. And Haku, smiling and beaming with that mischievous innocence that only he could wear so proudly, answered. "Well, it was Juugo. You know? From class? That's who asked."

That made it even odder. That Juugo would ask for her number. He rarely ever speaks to anyone. So of course, this was quite the perplexing situation. A groundbreaking development. Something that had never happened before. But there might've been an exception for her. They had history.

"I know how you used to be friends with him back in middle school, so I went ahead and gave it to him." She didn't think his reasoning is bad, but there was something disconcerting about it. But she wouldn't argue with it. She'd accept it. It wouldn't be all too bad reconnecting with an old friend. And to be honest, she had no idea why they're friendship had faded how it had. They were close friends. Throughout the fifth grade up until the eighth. But once they got to high school, they just drifted apart. Around the second semester of freshman year, they'd stop talking completely. Partially because they'd gone to different schools. And it had hurt her. She never wanted to stop being his friend.

She smiled. "Thank you, Haku. You did a great thing." And he did a double take. "You're not gonna freak out? You're okay with it?" She nodded. "Yes. I'm glad I'll be getting a call from him soon."

But later that night, she received a text. Not a text from her old friend , but text from a new friend.

Are you free tomorrow night? The text read.

Yes. She answered. I don't have anything planned. Why?

I want to show you something.

Really? What is it?

With his next text, she could almost see the smirk on his face and the humor in those dark eyes. It's a surprise.

Oh. Okay then! She was a little unsure, naturally. But she went with it. When and where shall we be going then?

I'll pick you up around seven. We're going down to the shore. There's gonna be a bonfire.

Ooooh! I've never been to one of those before! What's the occasion?

None. Just an excuse to goof off. (Rich kids had nothing better to do, huh, she figured.) Darren will be there.

That's great then. I'll be waiting.

And that was that.

And so the next day, she was dressed in nice clothes. She was in a great, impeccable mood that nothing could truly bring her down from. She smiled in her bathroom mirror with excitement and confidence. And her brother could obviously sense it. He walked past the bathroom and saw her in the mirror, swiveling her body to and fro for a better view. And she was beautiful.

It worried him to no end that she'd be out there, among the dogs and beasts that he knew would be after her. For so long, he'd kept her safe here, in their beautiful house in a beautiful neighborhood in a safe community. He'd been afraid to let her go, he'd shamefully admit. Afraid to let her frequent the world beyond their home. And he felt a bit guilty for it, holing her up for such a long time. It must've been lonely for her. It had to have been. But at the same time, he wanted to be selfish. To keep her for just a bit longer. She was seventeen. She could drive. She could go wherever. She was at that transitional age. She wouldn't need him for much longer.

"Be careful, Sis." He told her. "You remember our rules, right?" She nodded. "Yes. Don't take drinks from strangers. Don't go places alone. No means no. Come home before eleven. And the list goes on and on and on." She laughed. "I know all of this, Yu. I'll be fine." But somewhere, in the back of her mind, she questioned this. Last time she went out like this, things didn't go too hot.

Hopefully, things would go better this time. She wouldn't make the same silly mistakes. She'd be vigilant and careful.

"I believe you, Xira. Trust me. It's not you I don't trust. It's everyone else." And this he meant. He knew well that his sister was a smart kid. It was just the others she'd be around. Her peers who'd probably be after her unyieldingly. She was a gorgeous young girl with a nice smile that could raise the heart rate and a beauty that could turn heads. He had to keep her locked away. Away from the hungry wolves.

Or maybe, he was just using it as an excuse to keep her close.

He'd grown up being encouraged to love his sister fully and unconditionally. His mother had said those words to him all those years ago. "Watch over her, Yu." She said. " Love her. Her heart will become yours first. Then the rest will follow." It was almost as if she was telling him that his feelings were valid. And given their family and their history, she might've been. He was even lead to believe that their own mother and father…

No. Now wasn't the time to be thinking of this.

"Do you need any money? Do you have enough?" He asked, ready to pull out his wallet if needed. She shook her head. "Nah. I still have some left over from the last time I was out. Thanks, though." She grabbed her phone and her keys and made her way down stairs, leaving her brother to stand and watch her from the top of the stairs.

His little sister was growing up.

The suave, black car was already in her drive way, silently waiting for her like a dark chariot. She slid into the passenger's seat, greeting the young man beside her with a smile and a friendly hello. And it was odd to her, how she'd willingly accepted this new, unexpected friendship with someone she was so unaccustomed to associating with. She hadn't really asked many questions about it. Whether it would be wise to hang around this person whom she'd just met. This person, who upon their first meeting had bitten her and could've possibly killed her. But yet, she didn't let that change her thoughts.

Because he was a window, beckoning her to look through into a world that people seldom didn't have the chance to glance into. And she'd be damned if she let that annoying hesitance that barred her from great things so many times before bar her from looking through. That's why she was accepting this new, spur of the moment friendship that was happening.

"So." She started. "What is it that you wanted to show me?" But he shook his head, determined to keep it a surprise until the absolute end. "You'll see." And for a second, his eyes flicked over to her in a glance so minute that she didn't even see it, since she stared ahead at the street. She looked good, in a subtle way. She was casual, in her timid little blue cardigan and a skirt that made him want to keep her close, for fear of his other coven-mates may take too much notice of it and her ample thighs. He didn't have a preference when it came to girls. But he knew how to appreciate it when a girl had curves in all the right places.

It was amazing how oblivious she was. The power she held over him flowed unknowingly through her very veins. And she hadn't the slightest clue about it. Without lifting a finger, she had him already a little protective over her. Not quite wrapped around her finger, but damn near it.

"So you're thirty four, huh? So that means you were born in…" She did mental calculations, counting off years with her fingers. "1980, huh? Wow… The eighties…" He nodded. "That's cool. But you're actually very… Young… Like… People expect that all vampires are over like a hundred or something, but then there's you! You're still like… Middle-aged. In human years."

"34 is not middle aged." He interrupted. But she shrugged. "Well. I'm only seventeen. Everything above twenty-five seems far much older." He laughed at this. Of course. The fact that she's still just a girl keeps slipping his mind.

"So. Can you answer something else for me, if you're not already tired of all of my questions?" Of course, he agreed. He might've spoken too soon. She might've had him wrapped around her finger after all.

He just truly didn't mind all of her questions. He found it adorable that she had an interest in what he was. And each question continued to give way to thought-provoking conversations that he really could trust to have with anyone else. Maybe his brother could've been a candidate for that, but he felt that it was more appropriate speaking to her, someone who was just as curious and clueless as he.

"So, last Friday was apparently both of our first time seeing a loup-garou? Have you ever seen anything else… Supernatural? Or are you just as clueless as I am?"

"I'm very aware of all the other things that hide in the darkness. It was just that ugly bastard in particular that caught me off guard." And with this, she seemed to light up entirely, turning in her seat with a new barrage of questions. And the way her eyes lit up as she asked reminded him of someone. She was hilariously similar to his best friend. Those eyes, though dark in color, lit up as if she were a child learning all about dinosaurs for the first time.

She wouldn't be smiling for long. He almost wanted to make things up, just for her peace of mind. But that would most likely do more harm than good. She needed to learn. If what Darren had said about the girl is true… Her life would never be the same again.

"There are other things. Like werewolves. Real werewolves. Nothing like that thing from the other night."

"Really? Like… '1940s The Wolf Man' werewolves or 'Van Helsing' werewolves or 'Twilight' werewolves? What kind?"

"It depends on how skilled at shifting they are. It ranges from all three. But usually, they just look like normal, larger wolves. If you meet one that looks like it jumped straight out of Van Helsing, you're in trouble. They've got nothing to lose. Those are the ones who don't care to conceal themselves." He turned burning eyes of coal onto her, staring her down and imprinting a warning into her very brain. "Don't take your chances with those. I've seen that only once so far in my life, and honestly, I don't care to see it again." She nodded, following his every word as nuns follow the Word.

They went back and forth like this until they arrived at the shore. She would ask and he would answer. And it almost seemed as if she would never stop learning new things. This new world that she had been suddenly introduced to. But yet, she had to restrain herself from asking the true question she'd been itching to ask all this time. It was just then that she'd realize that it was a totally asinine notion to actually expect mermaids to be real. How would he know something like that? He would truly think less of her if she asked, no doubt. So she kept that question to herself.

The car approached the shore, parking in the lot that ran along it. She could see the fire from where they sat. People seemed to litter the entire area. So many people, that she grew a little nervous. In all the excitement, she forgot the type of atmosphere she'd be in. She forgot the situation she was getting herself into. And suddenly, an onslaught of jittery feelings plagued her. A knot nested itself in her belly. She could feel the nervous prickling feeling all over. Anxiety overtook her once more as it usually did. She'd forgotten, though. Talking to him was a distraction. But she couldn't run from it for long.

One thing he noticed as they walked down the slope from the parking lot, was that she'd become significantly quieter. Her eyes never left the crowd awaiting them, staring in obvious apprehension as her pace slackened. She was hesitant all of a sudden, all the pep in her stride gone in moments.

"Hey, Sasuke…?" She asked him, stopping for a moment on the hill. Her words were quiet and she couldn't bring herself to continue. He turned, waiting for her words, yet they never came. "Nevermind." She said, continuing on down the hill beside him. They walked on. "Don't worry." He started. "This is not where we need to be anyway. I don't intend on staying in this mix long." And this somewhat eased her nerves. Not entirely. But enough.

She could smell the barbecue and hear the thundering music. For there to be no real occasion, this was a rather large gathering. Is this what these people did for fun? She wondered. She was having a hard time seeing this all as fun. There were too many people. Too much movement all around, making her nerves go haywire. She tried her best not to appear glued to Sasuke's side, but it was difficult. She usually either ran away or hid behind others in situations like this. She would always hide behind Darren or her brother at family reunions and receptions. She didn't like this setting. She never had.

Some people didn't notice her. But some people did. She deduced that it was because of Sasuke. He was the target of most the attention. Pretty girls batted their lashes and waved hello. And flirty smiles would soon fade as he brushed them off. Their eyes would fall on Xira. Their brows would raise or contort in confusion and she began to wonder if this was a good decision.

But then, some of the anxiety was relieved when she saw her cousin a little further down the way, further away from the bonfire, surrounded by other familiar faces. He turned and saw her as she approached, greeting her with a toothy smile, his eyes holding a peculiar, animalistic gleam to them. She was grateful that they were farther from the crowd, so that no one would see. She tried to not let this faze her. She would have to accept this. Her cousin was different now, he explained. And she would accept this. For him.

She was his first friend, as sad as that sounded. They met a little before middle school. Her grandmother had known his parents before they died. The woman had even taken him in, for some reason. So it was encouraged that she got to know the boy. He was always at her grandmother's house. And she visited regularly. So they spent a lot of time together. Though they didn't get a whole lot of time together during the school day, due to conflicting schedules and the fact that she was already friends with Haku, they still spent many weekends, if not all, together. They were close.

But then, her brother, without warning, wasn't too fond of her spending so much time at her grandmother's house. When they got to high school, they weren't able to see each other a whole lot. Actually, it was more like he was no longer allowed to associate with her. He'd been suddenly told to steer clear of her. Forbidden. And with that, combined with the fact that wasn't able attend the same school due to his grades for a year, and the fact that he didn't even own a cell phone until recently, their friendship had seriously suffered.

But this time, he wouldn't let it happen again.

He couldn't even bring himself to speak to her. He'd abandoned her after so long. He didn't want to, of course. But he had to obey. He understood the consequences that would arise if he didn't heed his guardian's words. So he reluctantly obeyed. He wasn't sure if she'd changed or not. He didn't know if she'd still welcome him as a friend. He didn't want to rush into anything. He was a little on the shy side, as well. So he resolved to take it slow.

He didn't know why he was letting his thoughts get the best of him. She'd even waved at him once in the halls before. A short, meek little wave. She'd caught him looking at her, and she had the saddest expression on her face. Like she wanted to approach him, too, but was too shy and unsure as well.

Damn these shy personalities.

He didn't know where the apprehension had come from, but it was there. And it was barring them from rekindling an old friendship.

He sighed. The dark forest around him seemed to match his conflicted mind. There was an uneasiness in the air, as if the woods and the spirits and everything else couldn't remain at rest. There was something calling the attention of all. Even he could smell a strange scent on the air, tickling his memory in a tantalizing manner that would be bugging his mind for the rest of the night. And now he was no longer at ease. He'd have to investigate, no doubt. Chances were that some party goers had wandered into the forest again. He'd have to watch over them to ensure their safety. A dumb high school kid could easily be killed out here, whether it be in the hands of other humans, the clutches of an animal, or at the fault of forces of a supernatural kind.

His sighed, reluctantly sliding off of his perch atop a boulder. He could feel the past two weeks taking a toll on him, days upon days of missed sleep. The hours were piling up. This was unhealthy, he knew. And it was beginning to show. But he had to keep order. He had to watch over these stupid kids as they partied. God knows how many times he wanted to just remain in his bed and let whatever happened, happen. But he couldn't. He truly loathed the fact that he cared so much sometimes. Especially at times in which he yawned every minute or so, and when he had to use all will power available to keep his body moving.

He contemplated dropping out of school altogether. There was no real reason to continue. Not with his "issues". College was out of the question. An unattainable, useless dream that he'd come to realize wasn't even necessary for him. The only reason why he'd continued school, sad enough, was probably to strengthen his chances of becoming friends once more with Xira. Other than that, he would've stopped going a long time ago.

The leaves yielded absolutely no sound underneath his bare feet. He knew how to traverse the forest without so much as a sound. He'd been doing it for as long as he could remember. He'd never had any qualms about never having many shoes to wear. That was the one thing he could do without. Yes, it was unfortunate when he went to school and turned out to have the least impressive shoes around, but that didn't bother him a whole lot. Why stress over something so minute? He had a shirt on his back and jeans on his legs. He had a home to return to and food to eat. So he was content.

The forest was really losing it. The wind began to pick up, whistling through the trees. He could hear the whisperings, rising steadily in fervor and volume. But not to such a degree that he could understand any spoken words. He could even hear a disturbance in the brush to his right. Something was making its way closer to where the forest ended and the shore began. He let out a small groan at this and picked up the pace, his feet carrying him in a lazy trot.

He should get more sleep. Even though he was no longer absolutely human, he still needed things such as sleep.

His gait slowed to a halt when he finally reached the opening of the forest. He could finally see what was causing all the noise.

"It's just a little creek. What exactly are we trying to accomplish here?" She first shot her cousin a nervous, uneasy glance. Then her eyes fell on the young man who'd brought her to the odd place.

"It looks like that at first glance. But trust me, it's a little bit more than that. And if what I've been lead to believe is true, then you'll be able to see for yourself. Just as soon as you cross that creek." Darren told her.

But she wasn't all too convinced. She was a little apprehensive about the whole thing. Because if what Darren, just now, had told her was all true… "I don't know about this…"

It was just where the shore broke off into a series of trees, which was sort of an ecological anomaly in her eyes, though she's heard of places before. It wasn't like it was a sandy shore, anyway. It was just sandy dirt and rocks stretching along the length of the large lake. It wasn't the ideal place to do any real vacationing. It was just a little hang out that kids like them could go to escape.

They were far from the party further down the way. Far from prying eyes. She was surrounded by familiar faces, which wasn't all that much better than them not being so. She remembered these people from the other night. Neji was there, as expected, standing beside her cousin as if that was the only place he could ever possibly stand. Like a marble statue, he looked perfect beside her cousin, their impeccable beauty paralleling. She wondered when exactly she would ever see them together in a casual situation. She was curious as to how exactly they got along. She had no doubt that they were as perfect as they looked.

And then, there was that same blonde-haired and blue-eyed boy. He was a little more pleasant to be around, she had to admit. He helped ease the discomfort she felt in the situation with his warm, goofy grin and infallible humor. Even then, when she questioned the oddness of the whole situation, he approached her, clapping his hands down on her shoulders and making her flinch, and gave them a reassuring squeeze. She didn't even have the time to comment on the closeness of their proximity before he started speaking. "Don't let it psyche you out, kid. If anything happens, we'll be right here."

"You're probably just making her even more nervous, Naruto." A lanky boy of the rugged variety sat atop a rather large rock. He seemed rather wolfish, yet Sasuke assured her that he was one of them, despite of his piercing, dark eyes and crooked grin and unkempt hair. His name was Kiba, she was told.

She shot a last, nervous little glance at Darren. "What happens…? You know… If everything goes right?"

"We won't be able to see you, but you'll be able to see us. The legend says that you'll cross into a different world. But we'll see."

Her eyes widened. "Are you serious?! How can you be so nonchalant about that?"

"Don't worry! Just cross right back over. We'll just wait for you." Naruto, once again reassured. Her shoulders were tense underneath his hands, but she nodded. A sigh escaped her lips. She lifted her chin and furrowed her brows. Yes, she could do it. It wasn't a big deal. If she was what they were saying she was, things would happen. If she wasn't, it would remain the same. Just get it over with, she told herself. There's no real way you can walk away from it now.

She approached the creek, stepping over it carefully and into the strangely still forest. There. Simple as that. She'd done it. Was she a witch now?

She turned towards the group behind her as they watched her hesitantly. She was still visible. She shrugged and asked. "What now?" Darren called back to her. "Try closing your eyes and counting backwards. Or try to think about something else. Distract yourself for a moment." And she did just that. She closed her eyes and tried counting first. And when she realized that it hadn't done too great of a job distracting her, she thought about other things. Like her classes and the tests she's got that are coming up. She thought about the upcoming summer and her nonexistent plans for it. She thought of the forest around her and how the wind had begun to pick up in a gentle, caressing breeze, kissing her skin and face. She thought about the oddness of her circumstances and how she'd found herself to be here, with these odd people. But if her cousin trusted them, then she would too. She also thought of how utterly silly she must've looked, standing so still with her eyes shut in the dead calm of the forest.

She opened her eyes.

She was alone.

He watched her closely from the trees as her body limply fell to the ground. She'd fallen into a trance. The forest had her in its clutches. The fools, all of them, foolishly pushing her into such a situation. They didn't know much more than she did about it all. They lived in a world surrounded by night horrors and supernatural. They were aware of it. But they didn't know how it all worked. They were just as clueless. He watched as they all stared blankly in confusion and shock. Her cousin cried her name in worry, rushing to her side in less than a heartbeat. He tried to rouse her. He tapped her cheeks and shook her shoulders. But she was like a rock in his arms. Still alive, but entranced.

He was thankful that he'd been standing against the wind. They couldn't smell him. He was completely hidden by a stroke of dumb luck. Not that it really mattered. Even then, he was debating whether he should reveal himself or not. He knew that she'd be fine. These woods, in particular, have a knack for sucking in hopeless pedestrians in such a manner. Usually, it preyed on stragglers. Loners who wandered too far in. But she was an exception. The spirits of the forest had so boldly taken her. They praised those like her. Those who were capable of the craft. Even then, he could see the curious little spirits, leaning further from the trees as they tried to get a better glimpse of her. They wouldn't harm her. If anything, they probably reveled in the joy of knowing that another like her grandmother has shown up.

She had the gift. He'd known it from the start.

He'd missed her so much. It was so refreshing to see her. Every time she popped up, he cursed himself for not staying in touch. He'd become so enveloped by his own problems, he'd just excluded her completely. It wouldn't have hurt to call her every now and then. Or text her. But he was a stupid kid, suddenly thrown into a world that he was by no means prepared for. He still was that stupid kid.

"Juugo…?" He heard her voice. But it was from behind. He turned to see the girl, scared, with wide eyes, tensed shoulders. Hesitant steps. His heart lurched.

Astral projection. That was one of her main gifts, huh?

"Long time no see…" He said, jaw tensed in a faltering attempt to keep his emotions in check. But she didn't return the smile. She was too afraid. She looked past him, at her body lying there limply. "I'm…" He shook his head, hoping to dismiss the thought before she allowed herself to panic. "You're not dead. You're fine. You're just… Taking a little nap."

She couldn't pry her eyes from her body. "What is this? What's happening?" He could see the panic in her eyes beginning to surface. He wanted to reassure her that nothing was wrong. That she'd be fine. But there was no real way of avoiding the expected frenzy she'd be thrown into. This was a lot to take in for a girl like her.

"You're fine." He restated, unsure of what he should say to her. "Hey, calm down. Take it easy." Her breath broke off into frightened little pants. She was going to hyperventilate. There was terror in her eyes as she started to imagine the worst. A sigh escaped his lips as he thought of the right words. On impulse, he took her by the shoulders. "Breathe, Xira. Calm down." And she, surprised that he'd been able to physically touch her, stared in shock. Everything up to this point seemed to just slip right through her, as if she were a ghost. "You've heard of astral projection, right?" He asked once she'd calmed down. She nodded. "That's what this is." He said. "Congratulations, you're now a witch."

He let his hands fall to his sides as she began to digest the new information. "So… Everything that Darren had told me.. Everything he said is true?" She looked down at her hands as if they weren't her own. "Yeah." He answered. "You're a witch. Welcome to the dark side." He gave a little nervous chuckle, wincing at the horrible little joke and how awkward he felt. This was not how he wanted their reunion to be. Not by a long shot.

"Wait…" She finally looked at him, making his stomach flip oddly within him. "Can they see me?" He shook his head. "But you can?" He nodded. "Yeah. I can." She cocked her head and asked, "Why is that? And why do you know all of this?"

And just like that, her time began to run out. Her body began to fade little by little. Her voice began to grow quiet, even though she stood beside him, clearly enunciating each word. "Go to your grandmother's house." He advised. "I'll tell you everything. I'll explain it all."

She fell quiet, staring at her hands once more. She fumbled for the words to say. She shot shy glances up at him, filled with guilt and apprehension. There was a storm brewing in that head of hers. And he couldn't tell why. "Juugo…" She started, her voice catching her own throat. And suddenly, her eyes began to water. "I'm so sorry."

Oh…

He didn't want her to cry. Not over something like that. Friends just fell apart sometimes. It happened. Life just got in the way sometimes. It couldn't have been helped. "Don't worry about it. Look. Just stop by soon, okay? And we'll talk then." But she breathed a shaky little breath. "I'm sorry… I could've called you. We couldn't see each other anymore, but I still could've called. I'm trash. I'm worse than scum. I've even been too much of a coward to even say hi in the halls. I'm such shit."

"Xira, stop. Don't worry too much about it…"

"But..." Before she could get another word out, she was gone. She'd disappeared like smoke in a breeze.

Less than moments later, she'd woken, snapping up as if she hadn't even been asleep. He wanted to stay. He wanted to keep speaking to her. But he wasn't exactly on good terms with her crowd. Now wasn't the appropriate time. Besides, he needed to think. He needed to sort out his chaotic thoughts and think of all the things he wanted to tell his old friend. Everything he'd saved over all this time.

So he turned and left before she could even get the chance to see him once more.

I'm so sorry. It's been a while since I've updated. I'm soooo sorry.

It's just that so many things popped up. Writer's block. I almost lost interest. And the moment I regained it, my old laptop left this freaking earthly plane. So I had to get a new one. But then, I had to start focusing on school with it being my senior year. So a lot of things got in the way. But now I'm back. And I'm trying to write ahead this time!

So I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading!