Let me begin by saying I am so sorry. College finals for my first semester, shopping because I'm in desperate need of new clothes, and the holidays have kept me away from this story, but I promise you I never forgot about it. As far as this chapter goes, it will be taking place in the past, when they are children, but happens a few years after. It will be one of the last events to happen chronologically during the childhood portion of the story, but later childhood chapters will probably take place before it.

Without further ado, enjoy!


Candace was a very private person. It wasn't as though she had any deep, dark secrets, but she valued having certain barriers in life (some of which probably held her back, she admitted) to protect her sensitive feelings. Her diary was the most private aspect of these barriers, and not even the well-meaning, but somewhat nosy Luna dared to peek at its contents. But if she did—or anyone else, for that matter—she would most likely notice the old, dry daffodil pressed between the cover and first page…

"Juli? I don't understand… Why do you want to talk in private like this with me? Is something wrong?" The shy girl wrung her hands, face towards the dirt path beside the river in Flute Fields. It had been quite some time since they had first met, and though the two had never gotten along, each became a constant in the others life.

Julius was still mean, of course. Candace wasn't really sure why; in fact, neither was Julius. What was once a mutual dislike had transformed into something the two couldn't quite describe themselves. Somewhere along the way, Julius' insults started to hold a little less venom, and Candace would cry a little less each time. Having an actual friendship seemed impossible to both of them, though they never spoke about it. For Julius, he didn't know how to take back all the insults, or even how to stop. Like any young boy with his first crush, he was terrified that Candace would reject him and never speak to him again. How could he apologize, anyway? "Hey, I know I've made the last few years of your life terrible and pretty much kept you from making any friends, but water under the bridge, am I right?" That would go over really well. So with no other conceivable option to take, he went on bullying her like he always had. Candace seemed to take it in stride, and though the insults always hurt, she always held a small hope that somewhere deep down, Julius had never meant any of it. Maybe being nasty was just his nature. Luna would always scold her for justifying his behavior, but it became one of the few things Candace wouldn't budge on. Infuriated to no end, Luna blamed Julius for the whole situation and swore she'd never forgive him.

Candace stood, waiting for an answer, but Julius wouldn't look at her. "Juli? Are… are you okay?" she peeped.

"I'm leaving," he mumbled. Shocked, Candace's mouth fell open. He couldn't really mean what she thought he meant could he?

"Leaving? You mean you're… going away?" she asked. He nodded, digging a hole in the path with the tip of his boot. As he looked up, he noticed a lone daffodil growing next to Candace.

"My dad got a job in the city," he explained, "And we're gonna move there. I won't be coming to school here anymore because it's too far away. We're… we're leaving tomorrow," he choked, starting to lose his grip on holding back the tears behind his eyes.

Candace's eyes began to water as well. "Oh Juli," she gasped, and her heart went out to the boy she never could understand. "I… I can't believe it! I don't know what to say."

"Yeah, me neither," the purple-haired boy scoffed, followed by a large sniff.

For a few minutes they stood like that; silent and still, neither knowing quite what to do. Finally, Candace spoke up with a shuddering breath.

"Well… I know we weren't friends, but… I hope you do well in your new school. I'm sorry you have to go. I really am, Juli." She knew this was the end of it. He would never pick on her in the school yard again, never pull her hair again, never throw peas at her during lunch again. She felt terrible, but she was happy about that part. However, along with that came the knowledge that they would never get the chance to be friends now. She would never know why he acted the way he did toward her, and she would never get to see a genuinely happy smile from him. And even though she knew Luna would just about kill her for it, she found herself wishing he could stay.

For a moment his gaze softened with a touched expression, and he opened his mouth to speak. Candace wasn't prepared for what came out, though Luna would later tell her she should have been.

"I'm not," he spat coldly, and his face twisted into a scowl. His voice was thick with tears, but he swallowed down the lump in his throat. If he didn't say this, and say it now, leaving her would only hurt more. 'Hate me,' he wished to himself. 'Hate me, and forget about me. Don't miss me.'

"In fact," he hiccoughed, "I'm g-glad that I'm moving."

Utterly confused, Candace tried to ask why but Julius didn't give her the chance.

"Cause then I'll… I'll n-never have to see your u-u-ugly face again!" he yelled.

"Juli! Juli, stop it! What's wrong with you?" the little girl cried.

His eyes flashed through the spilling tears, and he stomped towards Candace, fists balled at his sides. Heaving in a deep breath, he gave it everything he had.

"What's wrong with me?! I hate you, that's what! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" he screamed, and he kicked the lone daffodil out of the ground as hard as he could.

Unlike any other time Julius picked on her, Candace didn't break down into tears. Not even a frown was on her face, and for the first time since the day they met, Candace was angry with Julius.

She gritted her teeth, puffed her chest out, and glared Julius down with the meanest look a girl her age had ever made. Candace was finally standing up for herself again, something she'd almost forgotten how to do.

"Fine then!" she yelled back, enraged. "Go then, move away, and don't come back! You're just a big stupid bully anyways! Go, see if I care!"

Julius cried, "Good!" and stormed off in tears. When Candace was finally able to calm down, she took a seat at the water's edge. She always loved things like rivers and oceans, perhaps because they were blue like her eyes and hair. Water was also calming. Some of her best memories were of playing in the water; taking huge bubble baths with Luna when they were toddlers, the first time their family went to the beach, and so many more.

As she sat on the bank, twisting the little daffodil between her fingers, she finally allowed herself to cry.

That was the last they saw of each other for years. Julius would later remember it with utter embarrassment as the biggest tantrum he'd ever thrown, and every now and then during those years without Candace he wondered if she ever realized he never meant it when he said he hated her—or any other mean thing he'd said, for that matter.

She did. As the sun began to set on the fields around her family's cottage, Candace made a wish on the first star that appeared in the milky twilight at the edge of the horizon. 'I wish I could see Julius again someday, and that we can be good friends.' She lifted her head, unclasped her hands at her chest, and stood with renewed hope. Before going into the little house to get ready for supper, she gingerly plucked the daffodil from the ground beside her and smiled.

'Really, really good friends…'


Whoo! That took longer than expected. At first, this was supposed to be a light-hearted chapter where the two finally made up and parted on good terms, and Julius would give Candace the daffodil as a token of friendship and remembrance. But then he just started throwing a fit and I couldn't shut him up. Go figure! Merry Christmas guys, hope God blesses you all with happiness this year.

I know it's taken a long time to get another chapter out, but I hope you guys like this! Any reviews are welcome, even the mean ones. Tell me how I can improve, I promise I don't bite.