Vaan's face was filled with agony and misery as he tried sitting at the lunch table across from Penelo, who had a huge smirk on her face.

"Thought I told you: six-."

"You told me, Pen!" he interrupted, trying to be careful as possible as he laid his head on his arms.

"You just don't like to listen."

"No, and I'm glad this is one of the many times that I didn't."

The girl's smirk softened into a sincere smile. "I'm guessin' you and Balthier are okay?"

He nodded, a small smile appearing upon his lips. "Yeah, for now… I'm not sure where this… Uhm, relationship? Fling?"

"Right now it's a fling."

"Where this fling is gonna take us," he finished. Moving his head, Vaan rested his chin on his arms and looked up at Penelo better with his eyes. "If it's going to actually lead somewhere or if it's just a complete fling…" He looked down with his irises. "I'm really hoping that it's the first one…"

Penelo put her hand on one of Vaan's arms. "So do I, Vaan. So do I."

He looked over at her hand and stared at it as he spoke. "Hey, remember that Fran chick that came over a lot...?" He asked to try and change the subject a little, looking back at her face.

"Yeah...?"

"Well, apparently she was Balthier's girlfriend and she broke up with him after figuring out what happened between him and I."

"Seeeeee? He liked you fiiiiiiiiiirst! He was just using her as a replacement, basically!"

"... What the fuck did you eat this morning?"

"Cereal."

"What were they? Bitch Flakes?" he jokingly snapped. "I swear, one day you're gonna be stab happy and/or trigger happy."

"Hey!" she shouted at her friend before remembered something. "Oh, did you hear about the serial killer that's been around town?"

"What? A serial killer?"

Penelo nodded. "Yep. Apparently the cops got nothin'."

Vaan's eyes widened. "You serious?"

"Not kidding. The victims have all been in their twenties. Might wanna make sure to tell Balthier so he's on his guard whenever he goes out."

Vaan frowned slightly. "But he's three years short from being thirty..."

"So?" she challenged. "That's still in his twenties."

"I don't wanna talk about this anymore, Penelo." he stated while standing up and snatching a fry from her tray. "I'll be right back." With that, Vaan started his journey out of the cafeteria and to the bathroom.

He wasn't alone for long, another boy coming in. Vaan recognized him immediately as Vayne, the school's biggest, richest, sportiest, and angriest bully. He had stolen Vaan's Gil for lunch on a daily basis, and the last thing Vaan wanted was to be spotted. But, as usual, his hopes were for naught.

Vayne immediately recognized him, putting a tight hand on his shoulder. "Hey Blondie," he greeted.

"What?" he growled.

"How was lunch?" he teased, knowing fully well that he had taken Vaan's Gil yet again this morning.

"Delicious, actually," Vaan retorted sarcastically. "I recommend the pizza today."

Vayne's grip tightened as he glared. "Oh yeah? I did have the pizza. And you know what? It was fucking disgusting. Like you."

"Oooooh, good one, but... Aren't you running behind schedule?" He looked at his watch. "Shouldn't you be fucking the mascot right about now?" he questioned as he tapped on the face of the watch.

"Ha ha ha," he laughed sarcastically. "Actually, I'm taking the day off. Even I need to relax sometimes, ya know?" His hand got even tighter, his nails digging in through Vaan's white shirt. "You're just jealous you're not getting laid at all, aren't you?"

Vaan took a breath. Usually when Vayne dug his nails into his shoulder, it didn't hurt, but since Balthier had made a bruise right where Vayne decided to dig... "I'm not jealous. You're just not nosey enough to know anything."

He laughed, not sarcastic this time. "Oh yeah? I think you might have a fever." In mock concern, he raised his hand to Vaan's forehead. "Oh my!" he gushed, mimicking an overprotective mother. "You're burning up! You should really just go get your head cooled off." He grabbed Vaan's shoulder and spun him, pushing him into one of the stalls and closing the door, locking it.

Vaan put his hands on the seat of the toilet, straining against Vayne's strength to trying keep his head up. "Really? Can't think of anything outside the box?" Vaan challenged to see if he could make Vayne do something else to him.

"Oh c'mon," he chuckled, "when's the last time you got a swirlie?" He fought against Vaan, trying to get his head down into the bowl.

"Like, an hour before you were suspended all those weeks ago."

"Then let's relive the moment, shall we?" He finally succeeded in shoving Vaan's head down, kicking the lever to flush it as his hand held Vaan's head underwater.

Naturally, he struggled against Vayne's hold. At least he hadn't breathed in any of the water like he had a few weeks ago. Despite how much he was struggling, it was useless. Vayne wasn't about to let go, flushing it a second time. As soon as the second flush was over, he shoved his shoulders down and left the bathroom, laughing as if he just had the most fun he'd had in quite some time.

Muttering while he walked out of the stall after taking a few minutes to regain his breathing, Vaan shook his head and went over to the paper towel dispenser to dry himself off somewhat. He cursed under his breath and began to wring his shirt as he walked out of the bathroom into the hallway when he realized there was no towels. "This day can't possible get any better..." he sarcastically mumbled to himself.

Penelo was running down the hall, obviously concerned. "Vaan!" she shouted, coming to a stop in front of him and wrinkling her nose at the smell. "What happened?"

"Vayne happened. He saw me and decided that I needed two doses of being swirled."

"...Ew." She looked him over, wondering why he hadn't dried off. "Want me to walk you to the office so you can get a change of clothes? If they don't have any that fit, you could call Balthier to drop some off. I mean, that can't be comfortable..."

He shook his head. "One, didn't they stop doing that? And, two, he's probably not gonna answer. He's usually sleeping or got the TV on super load so he can't hear anything during the middle of the day."

She frowned. "So you're just gonna walk around school like that all day?"

"Apparently I am. Unless you go into the girl's bathroom and see if there's paper towels in there."

"Stay here," she instructed, walking for the bathroom. "I'll go check." She ran the rest of the way, not wanting Vaan to get sick.

As he stood and waited for Penelo to come back with his arms crossed over his chest, he started to wonder to himself why he was always the one to have things, like being swirled, done to him. What did he ever do?

Penelo was back in no time, holding only one paper towel. "This's all that was there," she told him, placing it in his hair. Her eyes suddenly narrowed and she pointed to a spot on Vaan's shoulder that she could see through his wet, white shirt. "Is that a hickey?" she asked with a grin.

"N-No!" he stuttered, moving his eyes to look away from Penelo and having a barely noticeable blush.

Penelo's grin grew. "He gave you a hickey!" she practically shouted. "He loves you!"

"We don't know that, Penelo..."

"Maybe you don't, but I do! They aren't called love bites for nothing, Vaan!"

Vaan rolled his eyes. "More like trying to cause a distraction."

She seemed confused. "What?"

"Think about it, smart one."

Penelo did for a moment, then smiled again. "Still! Vaan, he's marking his territory! It's proof!"

"Marking territory and making a distraction are two completely different things, Penelo."

"How d'you know it was just a distraction, huh?" she leered, grabbing the paper towel out of his hair and dabbing his shirt.

Vaan rolled his eyes. "Like I'm going to tell you how it all went."

She smirked. "You should. We're best friends and best friend's don't keep secrets!" she mock scolded.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but there's just some things that even "best friends" don't tell. Like what happens in sex lives."

She jutted out her bottom lip and widened her eyes in a pout. "Pleeeeeease? I need new fanfic ideas!"

"No!" he nearly shouted. "Use your own damn imagination."

Her pout got more desperate to the point that she looked like that Spanish cat with the boots. "Pwease, Vaany?"

"No!"

Her bottom lip quivered and she managed to squeeze out a fake tear. "Vaan..."

He looked away. "Nope. Not gonna happen."

"Hmph!" She wiped her eyes and glared at him. "And why not?"

"Like I told you," he said and looked back at Penelo, tapping her nose with each word. "Some things need to be a secret."

She stuck out her tongue and slapped his hand away. "You're no fun, Vaan. Now, seriously, you need dry clothes." She stopped dabbing him, the paper towel already soaking wet. "You're getting water all over the floor and it's kinda grossing me out..."

"Oh, I am soooooooo sorry." he apologized sarcastically. "Maybe next time I should gain supernatural strength and torture Vayne instead!"

"You should! Or let me at him!" She laughed and started walking for the office. "C'mon, let's go see if there's anything that fits you in the lost and found."

Vaan scrunched up his nose as he followed. Schools never wash the clothes in the lost and found and all the different germs and whatever... It was gross! But, it does beat being completely soaked and cold.

Penelo opened the door to the office and smiled at the old woman behind the desk. "Hi Mrs. Penn! Can we look through the lost and found?"

The old woman smiled and nodded, grabbing a large cardboard box and placing it on the desk. "Take whatcha want, kids!"

"Take whatcha want?" he whispered to Penelo. "Don't think saying that is doing her job."

Penelo shrugged. "It helps." She pulled out a small cheer uniform and grinned. "Here ya go!" she laughed.

Vaan stared at the uniform, unamused. "Try again."

She put it back and dug around a little more, pulling out a pair of aviators and putting them on her face. "What d'ya think?"

"Third times the charm," he sighed.

"Whatever, I'm keeping these." She perched them on her head and went back to the box, pulling out a football jersey that was, however unlikely as it seems, not all that smelly.

He laughed a little bit. "How much ya wanna bet Vayne lost that?"

Penelo frowned. "Right..." She put the jersey back and kept looking, finally finding a plain gray hooded sweatshirt. "What about this? It looks like your size..."

He eyed it for a moment. "I think that'll work."

She handed it over and waited for him to change before giving the box back.

"Thanks... Now, c'mere and gimme a hug." he teased.

"Put on some dry clothes and I will," she muttered, looking at his wet head and shoulders in disgust.

"No, before I go," he stated as he went over to her, his arms open and ready for a hug.

"No way!" she argued, holding up her hands in defense and stepping back, still holding the sweatshirt. "Just take it and put it on!"

Vaan was able to get one arm around her. "I will after!"

"Ewwww! Vaan, stop!" She squirmed, slipping out of his grasp. "Put the damn sweatshirt on!" she yelled, throwing it in his face.

The woman at the desk raised a fine-penciled eyebrow at Penelo's language, but said nothing.

"Fine." He quickly pulled the sweatshirt off of the wetness before just as quickly changing. "Better?"

"Better, but I'm still not hugging you." She gave the box back and left the office, a light skip in her step.

Shaking his head at her and not really wanting to know what she was up to, Vaan followed her out of the office; thanking the lady at the desk as he went by.

Penelo slowed her pace so they were walking side-by-side and nudged Vaan in the ribs. "If you tell me what happened in detail, I'll give ya that hug."

"Yeah, no. No hug is worth that information."

She pouted again before breaking into a grin. "I bet Balthier would tell me."

Vaan looked over at her with a glare. "No, he wouldn't."

"He so would!"

"Would not!"

"Alright then," she said while a smirk formed on her face. "Why don't we find out after school?"

"Fine."

Balthier walked out of the television studio, gripping a rolled-up script in his hand. He was pissed off that he hadn't gotten the part in a new TV drama, but he had to thank them for at least giving him a part at all, even if it was just a minor character. He got in his car and started driving home, glancing at the clock and noticing that Vaan would be getting home before he would. But, before he could think about that for too long, his phone buzzed.

He answered it, not looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"How'd you do at your audition?"

He frowned and answered her bitterly with, "I didn't get the part. I only got a minor role."

"At least you got in at all."

"I know, I know," he muttered.

She paused, not knowing what to say. "So..."

"So? Did you call to get me back as your boyfriend or not? If not, I'm hanging up," he deadpanned, his voice covered in ice. He was still unhappy at her overreaction, but he had to admit that Vaan was definitely better in the sack than Fran was.

"Actually, I called to see what happened between you and Vaan."

"Why?" he drawled, suspicious. "Are you going to call the cops on me yet...?"

"No, I was trying to be supportive..." She sighed, starting to question why she called.. "In a way," she grumbled.

"Well, we're doing fine. Thanks for the concern."

"...Sarcastic at the end much?"

"Sorry," he sighed. "It's just been a bad day."

"Minus the auditions, you wanna rant about it? I'll listen."

"I slept in this morning and missed Vaan, I haven't had anything to eat because we have no food, I spilled coffee in my car, and... I dunno. It's just a bad day." He groaned as someone cut him off, but he stayed on the phone.

"Damn... You are having a bad day." She switched ears with her phone before continuing. "Don't worry 'bout dinner, 'kay?"

"Why not...?"

"Just don't," she insisted.

"Are you coming over?"

"No, I'll be dropping off some dinner for you two later. I would if I could, but I have to go over to my parents' house."

"Oh... Thanks. What is it?"

"It's a surprise," she teased.

"You know I don't like surprises," he reminded, happier than he had been.

Sarcastically, she deadpanned, "It's food. Surprise."

He laughed. "Thanks. With your cooking, I know It'll be good," he complimented with the air of a flirt.

"Whatever," she muttered. "Be happy I found the time to cook so the both of you can eat."

"I am," he argued. "Thanks again, I mea-" He broke off, slamming on his brakes and swerving onto the shoulder. "What the...?" He leaned forward, peering through his windshield at two people walking alongside the road. Shaking, he brought his phone back up to his ear. "Fran...? Didn't Reks go missing?"

"I think that's what you told me. Why? What happened?" Her voice got more and more desperate as she went, confused as to what had just happened.

"I... I'm looking at him right now. It's gotta be him..." His words were slow, still hardly believing what he was looking at. "He's walking with someone on the side of the highway right now."

"Really?" she asked softly. "That can't be..."

"Hang on, I'm getting out to check." He placed the phone down on the passenger seat and turned off the car, slipping the keys in his pocket as he got out to see what was happening.

Before Fran hung up, she muttered in anger, "Out of all the times you hear me loud and clear, you choose now not to hear a warning..."

Of course, Balthier didn't hear. He approached them from behind, not knowing how to go about this. He was walking behind them, matching their pace, when he decided to speak. "Reks? Is that you?"

The two stopped, but the taller, stronger one of the two stepped in front of Reks so Balthier couldn't see, his eyes narrowing. "No it's not."

Reks turned around, deepening his voice in attempt to throw Balthier off. "I think you have me confused for another, Sir."

Balthier frowned. "No, I'm certain it's you." He leaned, trying to see around the large blonde man in front of him.

The bigger man scowled. "It's not your little T-Rex friend, so get out of here, "

The boy that looked like Reks frowned at the other man. "Be a little nicer, he's doing no harm." He turned to Balthier. "Sir, like I said, I'm not the one you're lookin' for. Sorry. I wish you luck for finding this, er, Reks person of yours."

Balthier's eyes narrowed. "Yes you are! I'm living with your brother, Vaan! Don't you remember him? Don't you remember me?"

He cleared his throat, still deepening his voice. "I'm not the person you think I am. There's people that look like someone else and they're not related, am I right?"

The other man briskly nodded.

Balthier sighed, stepping back. "I guess... I'm really sorry." He nodded goodbye to them both and slowly walked back to his car, dragging his feet.

As soon as Balthier was out of earshot, Reks took a deep breath and released it. "Damn," he said quietly.