AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the long wait guys, I had to wait until school got over so I could finally make time to write this chapter. The graduation thing was such a big deal yesterday even though it's just eighth grade. Seriously though, we had to dress up all fancy and get all these awards and shit. In other words, it was pretty Gaaaaaayy.

I'd like to thank the same people (Jaimie and magii-chan) for reviewing and eating my cookies. HAHA, IT WAS A TRAP! You guys are the people that keep me writing chapters and without you, I'd have no inspiration. THANK YOU! :)

Sand

It was hot.

Sweat clung to my neck and back as I lay open-eyed in the middle of a field. It can't be later than midnight, I guessed as my eyes studied the gibbous moon that loomed above us. A dozen people lay circled around, their bodies all pointing in different directions. Some had blankets, some slept covered in nothing. Some lay curled around another, some slept alone. A few lay scattered away from the group we had formed, ostracizing themselves. Despite our different preferences, we all shared a common goal. That goal was to reach the bay and see the only musical performance our land of Termina had, the Indigo-Go's. But this wasn't just some stupid concert, it meant something to all of us. We were teenagers trying to find something to live for. We all knew what we would be when we grew old, we all knew how our lives would start. We will take our parents jobs when they grow unable to work, we would be them and continue where they left off. We had no hope to start our own lives, we would just follow the path set for us. But this . . . this was an adventure.

Where would this journey take us?

We were too optimistic to admit that we would never see these sights again. The ocean, the canyon, the distant snowcapped mountains, the faraway swamp . . . Even the great field we lay in would become a mystery once we became adults. Most of our traveling troupe took for granted everything that surrounded us. But I knew this would be our last chance. I'm sixteen and almost a man, meaning my job as mayor will begin in only a few short years. I have no time to waste doing nothing.

As my eyes scanned the masses of bodies, I noticed three empty spaces close to me. A blanket the length of large bed lay crumpled and vacant directly next to me, it's occupants long gone into the night. On the other side of me, the same sight only with a smaller blanket.

"Ivo?" I asked the night air quietly, cupping my mouth. "Cremia . . . Anju?" No answer. Anxiety started to creep up my spine as my body slowly moved from prone to crouching. I balanced on my haunches and reached a long hand into my open bag, poking around until my fingers fell on a small knife. I flicked it open and on the cool metal, saw my distorted reflection. My face looked so scared . . . so young. Not ready to defend anyone in the least, especially not with a fishing knife. But I had to get to the bottom of this and just like that, the knife was in my pocket and I was on my feet making my way towards the nearest opening. My thoughts lay on the worst possible situation. Had they all been kidnapped? Or worse, killed? I shook my head, unable to believe any of that. I was drowsy from a mere two hours sleep, my head and body ached from the adrenaline and now I was thinking about my friends dying. What is wrong with me?

It was cooler now that I was in the open field, cold even. But my cheeks were still flushed from the pulse of body heat that had surrounded me minutes before, my whole body still warm. I shivered as my eyes strained to try and make out shapes in the blackness. Scrubs of bushes and trees lay not to far from where I stood, the only thing visible between them the small silhouette of a human. Or at least, I hoped a human. I swallowed hard and reached into me pocked, my fingers clumsily grasping the knife. The shape turned towards me, and for a second I thought it was about to lunge. I let out a breathe I didn't even know I was holding in as it lifted an arm and motioned me over. I moved closer, hesitant and still unsure of this was the form of my friend. As he stepped into the moonlight I was relieved to find the smiling face of Ivo. I suddenly felt foolish for bringing a knife, my hand releasing it's grip and removing itself from my pocket. I scanned the trees in front of me only to find that Anju and Cremia weren't with him. Panic once again clouded my thoughts.

"What about Anju an-" I blurted and he quickly covered my mouth with his palm, clamping it shut. With his other hand he motioned with a finger to his lips and then pointed behind the small outcrop of trees towards a pool of water. I looked at him quizzically, removing his hand easily and giving him and angry glance.

"I was worried sick!" I whispered fiercely, "I thought you guys had been stolen or something! Now tell me where they are!"

He gave a sideways glance towards the same place he pointed to before. "They're over there. They'll know we're here if you don't shut up, too."

"Wait . . . they don't know you're here listening to them talk? Are you spying?" I looked at him, my mouth agape.

"Spying, listening, keep an eye out for them, what's the difference?" He replied coolly, his eyes never leaving their place. "You'd be surprised at the things they talk about." He added with a chuckle.

I was appalled at him, anger starting to bubble up in my chest. How dare he listen to their conversation. He knew just as well as I that neither one of them would ever even think of eavesdropping on him.

I grabbed the collar of his shirt roughly, shoving him back into a tree. My breath was ragged as I managed to sputter out a short sentence; "Never, EVER disrespect my Anju again!" The action surprised me almost as much as it surprised the stunned Ivo. My arm became limp and I let him go of him. He slid down to the ground. Since when had Anju became mine?

"I didn't think you'd mind . . ." He said hesitantly, getting up and backing away slowly. "I'm going to go back to camp. Just calm down . . . Okay?" He looked at me as if I was being odd. And I admit, that outburst was uncharacteristic of me, but he was watching them. Watching them! Listening to everything thing they said, every secret they shared! I nodded, my mouth trying to form an apologetic smile. My hand ached with the regret of not punching him in the face.

The small voice of Anju broke the silence. She was laughing at something Cremia had done. I wanted so badly to see her, but my mind told me I'd be contradicting myself. And if I stayed, that's exactly what I'd be doing. I'd be a hypocrite. That would be violating both of them the same exact way Ivo had. What had I become? Assaulting my friend for doing the very same thing I was about to do. I ran my hand over the rough bark of a nearby tree and bit my lip, trying to decide what to do. Am I really that protective and jealous of a person? My shoes crunched against the rocky sand below me. My eyes flickered to the dying flame of the distant campfire, then to the beach in front of me.

I have become a monster.

--

My head lay in the coarse grass of the field, my eyes refusing to leave the hidden beach.

Sleep did not come easy for me that night.

--Anju's pov--

"We love each other." I said simply, my toes brushing against the satiny water below. I smiled as my imagination placed Kafei behind me on the ripples of water, his long fingers brushing against my hair, my jaw . . . my neck. My hand gently skimmed against my face, attempting to capture his imaginary touch. I was startled as Cremia jolted me out of my daydream by laughing, her head flinging back to create a cascade of orange hair down her back. This was so unlike Cremia, so rude, so audacious! My face reddened at her gesture.

"Stop laughing." I said, embarrassed. She grasped onto my hand and grinned, one last chuckle escaping her lips.

"Little Anju, could you really know what love is?" Something was so very wrong with the way she spoke to me. Her voice was like I a mother mocking a child, she was hiding something under that superiority.

"Of course I do." I retaliated softly. I couldn't hide the pained expression that spread across my face as I played with my fingers nervously. Not even a year my senior and she still acts as if she's vastly more mature than I was. I lifted my chin and continued slowly, "When someone can make you feel like your worth everything . . . When someone can make you feel like you can be somebody . . . that you are somebody," I held her gaze steadily, releasing my hands from her grasp. "And when you can return those feelings to that person, you know what love really means. "

"Oh Anju . . ." I could sense I twinge of hurt in her voice as she trailed off. Was she . . . jealous of me? "I really think you two will be happy." She smiled softly and looked down, her eyes wandering the glassy surface of the pond. Just like that, her emotion changed. It suddenly clicked in my mind.

"Do you like Kafei too?" She looked up startled, her mouth opening. But she recovered quickly, her eyes returning to match the stony color of the water.

"I . . . did." She looked down at my face and smiled.

"Cremia . . ." I started gently, "I'm sorry." Suddenly, the only thing I could feel was immense pity for the girl sitting next to me. How much it must have pained her to see Kafei and I together. Guilt rose in my throat like bile. If only I had realized this sooner.

"Don't look so sad." She said shoving me gently. Lazy flies buzzed around us, attracted to the heat of our skin. I swatted them away halfheartedly as Cremia stirred next to me. I could see her long body slide off the bank and into the water, her eyes closing at the sudden coldness.

"It's just not fair how life is sometimes . . ." She said thoughtfully, pausing to examine a small frog that swam close to her, only it's slimy head barely visible. Her eyes flicked back to me. "I tried so hard to get him to like me."

I wasn't sure If she was expecting me to respond, so I just sat there across from her, my mouth unmoving.

"But he obviously never like me that way."

I didn't know what to say to her. Tell her that she'll be happy some day? Tell her she could have Kafei? I was at a loss for words. So I just apologized again.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing." Her voice cut through the still night like a knife slicing through my skin. I cringed away from her. "That's the problem with you, you're so quick to take the blame!" Her angry eyes held mine. "Do you even have a backbone? Or maybe you don't need one now that you have your little friend to protect you from everything!"

At least I have someone who cares for me.

"Please don't yell, Cremia." I muttered softly, trying to hide how much her words stung me. Cremia's long hair was the only thing visible as she sunk all the way into the water, her blue eyes emerging moments later. The water lapped at her chin.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." I said quietly as I reached down to touch a stand of her hair.

She pulled away from me, the red stands of silk retreating from my grasp.

Sorry for the horrible ending! The chapter wasn't finished but I felt like uploading it anyway because I'm a crazy skankwhore like that.