I turned the handle and pushed the door open. I walked through the living room, lazily tossing my bag to the side. I walked out to the backyard, opened the door, and followed Petey back into the living room. He curled up on the couch and sputtered like a car engine.

I smirked and pet his soft head as he looked up at me with his squinting eyes. "Why don't you ever sit anywhere else?" His glare was fixated on me. I stopped petting and walked away, retreating upstairs. I hopped into my bed and lied there, sprawled out. I had no idea what to do, even with all my powers. Boredom really is a hell of a thing. I stared into the roof, the roof I had looked at everyday. I would count the cracks and indentations, but I had finished counting it all yesterday. There were 235 different blemishes on the roof, ranging in size.

As I sat there I could hear Natsuki's voice, reading her poem. I didn't want to feel narcissistic, but I knew that that poem was about me. Every time I would attempt to push it out of my mind it would poke its head back in. I started spouting random nonsense out loud, drowning out my inner voice.

It was beginning to anger me, I felt pressure building up in my chest the longer it went on. I closed my eyes and tried to breathe slowly, but the pain didn't go away. I walked back down to the kitchen and opened the freezer. I had left myself a supply of chocolate ice cream. I sat at the table in the kitchen, eating spoonful after spoonful. Yet, the pressure didn't go away. I had the urge to scream, and... I did. I yelled as loud as I could, I felt my head shaking, the scratching against my vocal chords. I coughed violently when I finished, I struggled to catch my breath. I held my arm over my mouth, catching little blips of spit. I looked over to Petey, who was cowering from my shriek.

"It's, cough, okay Petey."

The coughing subsided as I knelt down to his side. I pressed my head against his stomach and hugged him tightly. I let go and stood up, feeling anew. With my newfound energy I called out to nothing, "alright. I'm gonna do it. I'm telling her." I ruffled Petey's head and walked away, emerging outside. The sky outside had darkened, no longer a clear blue sky, but now a warm orange hue. I continued down the sidewalk, nearing Sayori's home, as I placed my hand on the gate I spotted Ryan. He was barely visible as he walked over the horizon. I could see he had his hands shoved in his pockets.

I waited for him to walk up I reached my hand out and tapped his shoulder. "Welcome back! Anything juicy happen after we left?"

"Oh, hey Gaje... What did you say? Wasn't paying any attention."

"I said, anything juicy happen?"

"Um… Yea, you could say that."

"Noice, let me know later, I've got something I need to do real quick, so I'll catch you later."

"Okay, Just be ready to talk for a bit. It's important."

"I doubt it's as important as this…" I said. He walked past me and began making his way home. I opened the gate and I was about to do the same to her front door, but as I went to grab the door handle I hesitated and pulled my hand back. I pulled out my phone and stared at her contact info for a few seconds, I began to have second thoughts about the whole thing.

I'm already here. It would be a waste of time to not do anything…

I started up a message and sent it to her. I asked if it was okay for me to come over. And, as I expected, she sent me an instant reply.

"Yeah sure!" She texted.

I waited around for a few minutes, making it seem as if I had just started walking over. Though in hindsight that was probably a terrible idea. Sitting there only furthered the angst I felt. I knew that she felt the same way, but the idea of saying the words just irked me. I closed my eyes and opened the door. The living room was empty, quiet and dark. I saw the stairway light on and assumed she was in her room. I walked up the stairs and knocked, "Sayori? I'm here."

"Just a sec!"

I leaned against the wall, digging my shoulder into it. I looked at her door, there was a mirror hanging down on it. Looking at my face, you'd never be able to tell I was feeling anything else besides boredom. Most of the times my expressions never matched my emotion. I scratched the side of my head and sighed. I'm really going to do this?

The doorknob turned slowly and she opened the door. She stood in her pink shirt and blue jean shorts, her casual attire

"Hey Gaje."

"Hi." I paused, staring at nothing.

Should I just say it outright now or hint at it first? There really is no easy way to do it. Wait. I could've just texted it!

"Are you coming in?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry."

Sayori crawled onto her bed, there was copious amounts of paper scattered about it. I stood at the edge of the bed looking down at the carpet.

"Why are you just standing there silly? Sit down.."

"R-right." I sat barely on the edge of the bed, any movement would have knocked me off.

"So why'd you want to come over?" She began filling in the paper with a marker.

"Oh, I just wanted to talk… Why do you ask?" I looked at her, she was sitting criss-crossed.

"Just wonderin!" She answered.

"So yeah I wanted to talk and...yeah."

I slowly pushed myself up onto the bed, the blanket was soft. My feet dangled over the edge, I stared into my shoes, observing the scratched up aglet on my shoe

"Okay, about what?" She held up one of the pieces of paper up and squinted at it.

"About… us." I twiddled my thumbs looked at her deadpan.

"About us? What about us?"

"We've been friends for a while now, right?"

"13 years and counting!"

Jesus, really?

"Yeah, and I… sigh… Jesus I really can't say it."

"Say what?" She dropped the paper and crawled to my side. She was close enough that me moving in any way would grind against her body.

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. "I. I can't. I re-really can't."

"C'mon tell me, it's nothing bad right?"

"No... it's far from it."

"Is it about me stealing your lunch yesterday?"

"Wait, that was you?" I shook my head, "no, no, that's not it.

She looked down, she seemed to be in deep thought, trying to discern my issue.

"It's nothing trivial like that Sayori. It's, it's bigger than those things."

"Hmm… I don't know. What is it?"

Why couldn't you just guess?

I tried to think of some way to tell her, without saying it specifically. I licked my lips and made a pop. I breathed out, I could feel some of my nerves leave with it.

"Okay! You know, how Ryan likes Monika?"

"Ahuh…" She nodded.

"Okay so... switch me out for Ryan and... and you out for Monika."

"Okay…"

I looked down at her, she seemed confused. She started muttering to herself as she sat in thought.

"Gaje, likes, Sayori..? Gaje likes Sayori…" her eyes lit up, finally realizing what I was saying. "W-wait... you... like me?"

I exhaled once more loudly, "y-yes!" The weight I had been carrying flew away. I wanted to laugh but, I had the feeling I might've had to clarify, Sayori may not be dumb, but she can be clueless sometimes. "And by like, I mean, as more than friends."

"You're sure?" She said softly.

"I'm sure. And now it's your turn." I said in a slightly higher pitch. "How do you feel?"

"I, I've always… l-liked you. I-I just never had the heart to say so, I thought you'd think I was just a nuisance."

"What have I done to make you think that?" I looked into her eyes, they were despondent, dark.

"I-I don't know, you haven't, it's just… my mind plays tricks on me. It's like a rain cloud over me, filling my head with mean thoughts." She covered her head with her hands, showing me an analogy for it.

The rain clouds… that means she's still holding onto her depression. Hopefully not as much.

"How long have you felt this 'rain cloud,' over you?"

Her eyes were glistening, like she was on the verge of tears. "Since middle school."

"Have you talked to anyone else about it?"

"No…" A single tear dripped down her cheek, falling off her chin.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and squeezed. "Don't listen to the cloud Sayori, it's wrong."

I could feel my heart tightening. I wanted to hug her tighter, I didn't want to let go. She wrapped her arm around me and nuzzled her face in my chest.

"So… this is it." She whispered.

"This is what?"

"What love feels like... It's… nice."

I cradled her skull with me hand and pulled her in closer. I laid my chin over top of her head and closed my eyes. "It really is." I kept a hold of her for a few moments more, but slowly I let go and looked her in the eyes, "are you alright now?"

She nodded and smiled sadly.

"So... are we like, boyfriend and girlfriend now? I-I don't really know how this works."

"I'd like for us to be."

"Then that we are." I said smiling. "I should probably get back home, still got to write my poem and everything."

She scooted over, allowing me space to stand. "Alr-alright... I'm glad you came over."

"I am too. Goodnight Sayori."

"Goodnight..."

I closed her front door and leaned into it with my back. I slid down it, falling to the concrete steps. I sighed out groaned, letting my sleeve catch most of the volume. I pushed myself up, scuffing my hand against the floor. I pat my pants and started making my way out. I strolled back to the house, with a spring in my step. The door seemed to be locked, I didn't bother knocking or pulling out my keys, I kept my stride and phased through it.

"Ryan!" I yelled looking down at him on the couch. "I'm back! Now. What'd you want to talk about?"

He looked at me inscrutably, like he had done something regretful. "Okay, so, when you guys left the club room... some stuff happened."

"Well I mean, of course something would happen! Everyone else was still there." I said oblivious to Ryan's obvious angst.

"I think Monika knows that I like her." He blurted out.

"Oh that's nice, you should totally tell her then. I'll be with you if you want. Let's do it… say tomorrow?"

"No, I can't do it when you are there. It's too embarrassing."

"What's embarrassing about love!?" I walked over to him and shook him around, "it's fucking glorious. DO IT!"

"Uhhh… are you okay Gaje? What happened between you leaving the club and now?"

"Nothing much, I was in my room thinking about Natsuki's poem, then I angrily stormed down here and screamed. I walked outside and I met you at the sidewalk after leaving. Then, I went to Sayori's place and told her that I liked her then I came back here and now we're talking."

"Wait…. You told Sayori?"

"Oh yeah, there was a couple times where I was really teetering on the edge. I felt like I was a passenger of the Titanic, but in the end I told her and she said she liked me back and now I'm here."

"I'm proud of you Gaje... you finally did it."

"Haha, yeah I did. Now shut up and stand up, it's your turn and we must prepare you!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

I held my hand up and pulled a suit out from thin air. "Stand up. Now!"

"Okay, what are you planning?"

"Less talking and more action!" I started putting the suit on, sliding my hands through the sleeves. The suit was something I created from my mind, with a little help from TV shows. It would turn me into anyone I could think of. And for this one I just so happened to choose…

"It's me, Monika!" I said holding my arms out wide.

"Oh my god Gaje. What... why!?"

"Shhh… it is time! I want you to tell me, Monika, that you like me."

"I can't do that, I know it's you Gaje. Goddammit Gaje, this is too weird."

I tried my best to imitate Monika's personality, blinking dreamily and giving an angelic smile. "But, I thought you liked me Ryan-san."

"Gaje, I hope you die."

"So long as my love is strong I shall live forever, now! Say it!"

"I can't man, like, you're not Monika. This is too much."

I looked down at my chest, I could see my cleavage. I grinned and put my hands around my breasts and squeezed them together. "C'mon Ryan, are you saying that these, aren't real."

"I'm going to kill you Gaje, just stop, c'mon man." Ryan buried his face into his hands, beads of sweat began trickling down his forehead.

"How are you supposed to tell her, when you can't even tell a dummy of her."

"Dude, I know it's you Gaje. God I have so many mixed feelings right now."

"Could it be? Does Ryan-kun have feelings for Gaje senpai!? You baka!"

"That's it, I'm going to sleep. I hope you fall down the stairs and die." Ryan began walking away towards the stairs.

"You don't want Monika joining you?" I said following him.

"STOP!"

He shut the door to his room and I burst out laughing, "Ryan, come back. I'm taking it off, Monika's gone!"

"Are you lying to me? Because I don't trust you."

I tried to contain my laughing for the moment, "I, haha, I'm not lying I assure you, come back out."

"I swear Gaje, if you're lying."

I heard him near the door, as he did so I pressed my chest against the door awaiting him to open it. He opened the door and was met by a full view of cleavage.

"Ta-da!"

He covered his face and walked away. He fell into his bed and let out a muffled, "WHYYYY!?"

I leaned against the wall laughing loudly, I started to tear up. I walked away to my room and took the suit off, still having little spurts of laughter. I turned over in my bed, still hysterical. My heart rate was through the roof, I coughed and closed my mouth, trying to contain myself. I cooled down and smirked at the roof. It was time to write my poem.

An angel of white, reflecting vibrant lights

Whose deep blue eyes bless with eternal joy

Whose beautiful skin bestows great might

Whose hair soft and smooth makes me coy

Even in the most mundane of talks

Your mere presence brings upon tranquility

Your very essence inspires during our walks

Queens cannot compare to your nobility

My love has been claimed

By a goddess who deemed me worthy

A goddess whose sincerity is famed

I rush to your side I hurry

Now hope for the future is clear

Because you're by my side

Sayori, my love, you're here.