"Wait, what?" Rhaksha asked, back tracking and looking extremely confused.

"I'm going out on Friday," I repeated slowly.

"So you asked someone out?" Kichiro asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Uh, no. I got asked out," I said, sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck.

Eila laughed at me.

"Oh, geez," she gasped. "You got asked out by a girl?"

"Well, it isn't technically a date," I explained. "Fleur had an extra ticket to that Epica tribute concert..."

Rhaksha choked on her oatmeal. "Fleur?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, frustrated. I ran my hands through my wet hair and slung my towel around my neck. "Is there something illegal about it?"

"Chill, sheesh," Mist said.

"Can't wait to meet her," Kichiro said dryly. "If she's anything like that girl from class, I think I'll barf."

"Don't judge," Rhaksha tutted.

Bobby took a bite out of his banana as Mist sucked her berry smoothie through a straw. We'd just gotten in from swimming in the pond, and we'd set out our homework on the dinner table.

"Phew," Eila said, leaning back from the table and wiping her hand across her brow. "Finally. That took ages."

"Was that the..."

"The trig? I know."

"I finished that at school."

"You what?"

"...With Fleur's help."

"ARGH!" Kichiro, Eila and Rhaksha growled, throwing their hands up.

The door bell rang and someone (most likely Anne or Eila, who was vegging out on the sofa) opened it.

"Hi, I'm Fleur Neo. Uh, is Felix in?" I heard Eila reply, and Fleur giggled. Eila probably told her that I was a lazy, hard-of-hearing slob.

"FELIX!" Eila roared. I clunked down the stairs and crashed into the foyer, leaping over Bobby (who was laying on the floor, head in one doorway, body in the hall, feet in the other doorway) and dodging Mist's heap of novels.

"Whoa," I heard Kichiro whisper, and a sharp thwack. Fleur was dressed in a slim-fitting pair of distressed black jeans, a kimono jacket and an emerald satin top. She smiled and peered at me over her glasses. She looked so cute and innocent, yet edgy. It was hard to describe.

"Hi," she said. I smiled and brushed down my jeans. I grabbed my leather jacket off the stand and stuck my hands in my pockets. Mist handed me my wallet.

"So, uh, what now?" I asked. Fleur laughed and dragged me outside just as Eila yelled at her to bring me back before one.

"Yes, ma'am!" she shouted back, waving. We ducked into Fleur's mom's car. It went a bit like this. We got to the concert, which was actually a kind of carnival, and we joined the screaming mass of fans. I got claustrophobic, so Fleur fished me out and we went around the fair. She bought me a funnel cake, and I returned the favour by buying her a stick of cotton candy.

We found the trash and treasure stall, and she immediately grabbed a couple of old-looking things. I found a wolf charm on a leather cord, an eagle brooch, a beaded hair pin and a fluffy plush fox. I bought them for my other flock members. We played a couple of the games, and I won two plushies: a fluffy brown owl for Bobby, and a whimsical green and yellow dragon for Fleur. She squealed and pecked me on the cheek. I coloured and butterflies whirred madly in my stomach. Fleur whipped out a camera, and we snapped photos everywhere. We spent the night running around, stuffing our faces and screaming at the tops of our voices to the tribute band. It was late when we finally exhausted ourselves, about eleven.

I collapsed onto the soft, cool grass behind one of the carnival tents. Fleur flopped down next to me, catching her breath.

"Ow. Too much laughing," she gasped, hugging her abdomen. I grinned.

"Yeah. Definitely," I agreed. She closed her eyes, turning her face to the light of the moon. The soft silvery light gilded her features, glowing. I traced the line of her nose and jaw with my eyes. The soft contours were unlike anything I'd ever seen before. She wasn't like Eila, scarred and strong; nor did she have Rhaksha's fiery, untamed exoticism. But still, there was that untouched innocence that few other girls seemed to have, her fierce intelligence yet fun-loving, carefree personality.

Fleur opened her dark eyes and looked at me intently.

"Felix?" she asked softly.

"Mm?"

Without warning, she slipped her arms around my neck and kissed me. I tilted my head, tasting the sweetness of the cotton candy on her lips, and slipped my hands around her waist. Her hands came to rest just over where my wings sat. My arms settled around the curve of her waist, over two parallel ridges where...

We both froze at the same time.