The diner seemed louder than usual, but Jaryn decided that was more than likely her headache that just magnified the noise. She was in the back, transferring dirty dishes from her tray into the sink when she caught a glimpse through the serving window behind the counter of her brother coming in for his shift. Jaryn could feel her lips pressing together. She had been repeating to herself all morning not to let what happened that morning get to her, but she could feel an emotion that she never reserved for her brother bubbling up in full force.

Kerith stepped through the swinging door into the kitchen and gave her a half-smile. "Afternoon, Jare."

She threw the fork she had been shifting from her tray straight down into the sink. "What did you do last night?"

"Huh?"

Jaryn wasn't used to feeling like this and she knew she wouldn't be if he hadn't smelled the way he did when she woke up that morning.

"Were you drinking?"

"…what?"

"I woke up this morning and the stench of alcohol just—you smelled horrible." Rubbing her hands on her diner uniform, she pointed at him. "And don't play dumb like I don't know what it smells like. I don't want to remember any of that."

The expression on Kerith's face went from confusion to sadness, with a hint of shame in between the shift. "I had… one drink. That was it."

That was some of the truth. He had three drinks. But it hadn't affected him much at all. She didn't need to know that though, he thought. It would only hurt her.

"Why?" She didn't give him a chance to answer. "Because everyone else was doing it?"

"It was nothing, Jaryn. They took me to some party, I was uncomfortable. I just wanted to unwind somehow. Wanted to relax, I guess. Steve told me one drink would help me calm down. I just sat and people watched all night. The whole thing was kind of boring. Made fun of people in my head. Wished you were there."

Jaryn turned back to the sink and began placing the rest of the dirty dishes into the basin. She wanted to say she was worried about him. But it was once. It happened once. She felt herself talking deep breaths over the sink. She could still feel Kerith behind her. "Right."

With a sweep of the arm, Jaryn had the tray back up in the air and she was back out the swinging door, back into the dining area. Kerith watched her through the small window over the sink. He could see how tense it had made her.

He didn't have the heart to tell her yet that they had invited him back out that weekend – Friday night. They wanted her to come too.

…

The shelf of fashion magazines at the library was dotted with new issues here and there and Jaryn found herself moving along, her eyes meeting each cover for a few moments before flicking to the next. When she picked up the newest issue of Vogue, the shelf revealed the empty space where she could see through to the other side. Her gaze was met with a pair of light eyes, dyed blue bangs almost covering the left one.

She recognized him right away as the guy from the studio who had interrupted her the night before. Great, she thought, now I have to deal with this again.

What this was, Jaryn wasn't entirely sure. She wasn't used to being complimented on her dancing – or on anything really – unless it was from her brother. The fact that he had done just that the night before caught her off-guard.

Jaryn looked away from him almost instantly, pretending she hadn't locked eyes with him, and wandered away holding the magazine, to a table near the back of the library. The one she and Kerith usually occupied.

Luckily, there was an interview with Lady Gaga in the newest issue, and Jaryn knew she could lose herself in that and easily ignore the guy who was still puttering around near the magazines – what had his name been?

Oblio.

She scowled at the fact that the name had snapped into her mind so easily.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Slowly looking up from the magazine, Jaryn eyed him before peering around in an obvious fashion to the many completely empty tables in her immediate area. "Because those tables aren't good enough?"

He shook his head. "No. Those tables don't come with the added company of a confident woman such as yourself."

"Because you know that."

"I saw you dance last night. I was watching you through the window in the door before I came in. Anyone who can dance like that has to be somewhat confident."

Jaryn kicked the chair out across the table from her, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in her seat. She arched an eyebrow at the cover of the magazine he had dropped onto the table. It was a scantily clad woman straddling a racing motorcycle. "I have a bike. I read these for the bikes," he stated, pulling the chair out further and seating himself.

"Mmhmm, of course. They all do."

He eyed what Jaryn had laid out across the table in front of her. "She has a wonderful and genuine aura."

"What?"

Oblio motioned to the page she had the magazine open to, which contained a large black-and-white image of Lady Gaga and the start of the article about her.

"Her. She delivers a good message, telling people to be themselves. She's on such a large platform, can speak to so many people – and for her to say to everyone that they should stand up for what they believe in… I admire that."

"Oh…" Jaryn looked down the page once more, nodding slowly. "Yeah."

When she looked back up, she saw Oblio sitting across from her, magazine open to an article without a single half-naked woman on the page. Just pictures and paragraphs about motorcycles. He had his head propped against one of his hands as he read, his other hand reaching up to push his bangs out of his eyes.

"That's… that's all you wanted to do? Sit here and read?"

He looked up from the magazine, his head still resting in his open palm. "Yeah, what else would I do here?"

"I don't know. You don't seem like the type who likes company."

"How would you know? You've seen me twice—"

"I guess the whole Lone-Wolf-with-a-motorcycle thing."

"Bikes can fit two. Mine can, anyways."

She looked away from him when he said that, back down to the issue of Vogue in front of her. Back to Gaga. Lady Gaga wouldn't be able to see the color that was rising in her cheeks. When she let her eyes dart back up, Oblio had returned to his article, his gaze running across the page.

"Jaryn."

"Hmm?" He looked up again.

"My name's Jaryn." She stuck her hand out across the table.

He took it and shook it gently, his lips forming a smile. "Nice to meet you, Jaryn."

Oblio had known her name already from Dr. Tan, but it was refreshing to hear it come out of her mouth. It would be nice to finally be able to call her by her name. He felt a little guilty about the situation, but he knew once he and Tan reached their common goal, he didn't have to see the man anymore and he would have back what he lost so suddenly and violently…

"Nice to meet you too, Oblio."

They dropped hands and both let their eyes fall back to their respective articles, traces of smiles still apparent on both of their faces.

…

Friday afternoon. The diner was packed and Jaryn was taking care of six tables while Kerith was moving dirty dishes through the kitchen nonstop. He was doubling as a host as well, while the usual host doubled as a waiter for two other tables. He caught up with Jaryn in the kitchen when there was a small lull and he spoke to her as she was pulling completed orders from the kitchen and placing them on her tray.

"Jaryn, want to go out tonight?"

"Where?"

"To Cathedral. That new goth club that opened up near the water. Elya and the guys invited us. Told us to find our best dark threads so we can go laugh at the goth dancing."

Of course. Them. Jaryn thought as she put the last dish on her tray. "No thanks. Have plans already."

She had been thinking about cancelling said plans and going out with Kerith, if it was just going to be the two of them. But the mention of those people he met in his art class – the ones she'd met on their birthday –

The ones he'd been drinking with.

The mention of them made her original plans for the night look just fine. She would've settled for staring at the wall in their apartment all night instead of going out with them. She still couldn't place why they bothered her so much – besides the fact that, according to Kerith, they regularly enjoyed drinking and causing "silly harmless trouble" as Kerith put it, when he talked about them to her. He said they were funny. Jaryn could do without that.

"What plans?"

"Have fun at Cathedral," Jaryn took her tray and left the kitchen through the swinging door, leaving his question unanswered. She felt a pang in her chest. She felt bad for shutting him down that quickly, but he knew how she felt about those three. The feeling was also because she hadn't told him about Oblio. They usually shared everything, from weird people they saw at the grocery store to what was in the new issues of magazines at the library if they took trips there alone.

She was quite unaware that he would feel the same way only moments later, shortly after their conversation. He would feel a pang in his chest.

He followed her out of the kitchen and took his place at the front of the restaurant, when mere seconds later a man walked in. He held a motorcycle helmet, wore a black leather jacket with yellow shoulder pads and had a head of brilliant blue hair.

Kerith tried to paste a smile on his face, dreading the fact that the guy he had seen staring at his sister that night at the bridge would be able to stare at her more—

"Hi, is Jaryn working today?"

"She is," Kerith's train of thought was derailed and his mind exploded with questions at the fact that he knew his sister's name. How—

"Would it be any trouble if I requested to sit in her section?"

"Not at all," Kerith responded through clenched teeth. "Right this way."

"Thank you."

Kerith seated him at a booth in the corner, forced another smile to him, told him she'd be right with him and then began collecting dirty dishes from the recently abandoned table behind the blue-haired man. As he was approaching the swinging door, Jaryn came out and passed him, serving food to a table near the corner booth. He passed through the door and dropped the dishes in the sink, watching his sister through the window above it.

The blue-haired man grinned up at her and said something. He couldn't see what her sister's expression was since her back was to the kitchen, but she obviously said something out of the ordinary to him because he laughed. When Jaryn turned around and started back towards the kitchen, Kerith kept his eyes on the man. He could see him looking at her, watching her walk away, but he was far enough away that he couldn't see the man's eyes well enough to see if he was looking her up and down. In Kerith's mind though, he was.

She came back into the kitchen. He turned his head towards her and watched as she grabbed a cup, filling it up with root beer.

"Who's your friend?"

"His name's Oblio."

"Oblio."

"Yes, Kerith. Oblio."

She hit the swinging door with her hip and went back out into the dining room, making her way over to Oblio's table and setting the cup on the surface. He watched her lean over his shoulder as he pointed to stuff on the menu again. She laughed at something he said.

It took most of his willpower to look away from them and to the clock in the kitchen. 4:56 pm. Bus a couple more tables, seat a few more people and he was off for the night.

Then it was time to hit up the goth club with Elya, Steve and Tommy.

And maybe get Steve to slip him a few drinks.