I may not be a morning person, but my nightmares refused to leave me alone. I'm actually really uncomfortable with the thought of going to class with Professor Degnis. I can't shake the feeling that he's all sorts of wrong. It might also be because I'm in an unfamiliar place and everything always wakes me up, but I am really scared.

Every single movement is full of dread. Seems like I'm awake before the sun is even up, but I can't even imagine trying to sleep anymore. Needles and green. Chains. Losing my identity. I can't stand it, even if it's in my dreams. I force myself to actually get ready, wearing a white top and a pair of jeans. After a moment of staring at my celestial hoodie, I slip it on. I could definitely use it's magic today. With that, I head to the bathroom. Just washing my face and looking at myself… it doesn't take a genius to see that I'm uncomfortable. Still, I have an hour or two before I have to get to class. I'll just make myself something. John should wake up soon. He'll be able to help.

When I get down to the kitchen, there's a note on the table. I pick it up. Turns out, John, Nasus, and Ez are all going to the field for a little bit of football bonding. They want to make sure that Nasus really feels like he's one of them and not an outsider. Caring and loyal, but I wish they would have told me. Still, at least I can make some oatmeal for myself.

The quiet… it's too much. I'm feeling very uneasy. It's… it's too much like when I was kidnapped.

"Go away, John!" I scream in his face. He's a stupid brat! He just made me look stupid in front of my friends. Now they're all gone because he made me seem like a child… I've been getting better grades than he has been. He's just jealous.

"You're a baby! And you know it!" John sticks his tongue out at me. I swipe at it.

"Nuh, uh. And I'll prove it! I'll walk home alone." I declare. My chubby little thumb pressed against my chest.

"Yeah right! You're just a little baby that can't do anything right!" John shoves me. I glare at him and start the short trip home.

"Distract Uncle for me." I demand.

"You are going to be grounded!" John snickers before doing as I say. I carefully watch John start to pull at Uncle's sleeve. When Uncle looks away for even a moment, I slip out, walking down the sidewalk like Daddy taught me.

"Stupid brother always thinking I can't do things. Well, he needs to start learning that I can. I'm better than he thinks I am!" I grumble to myself. Left, right, left, right. Home's just a few streets away. I know it is. I just keep walking to the library at the end of the street, turn right, count three streets down, left, and home is at the end of the street. Easy peasy. "I can definitely walk home alone! That should get him to stop being such a brat."

I'm almost at the street I live on when a white van comes up. Something in my gut says that this… this is not good. With that, I look around for anyone. There's no sign of a single person nearby. I gulp and do my best to stand my ground. The door opens. I don't get a good look, partially because he's wearing a mask and partially because it was so fast, but I felt a sharp pain in my arm. He stuffed me in a baby's chair, latched me in. I tried to scream for help, but he stuffs a cloth in my mouth. He goes into the driver's seat (Mom taught me that) and drives away. As time goes by, my eyes are heavy and I fall asleep.

"Leilah?" Someone comes into the room. I let out a shrill squeak and point my spoon threateningly at the intruder. Yone holds up his hands in surrender. It takes a moment before my adrenaline calms down. We both lower our arms at the same time. "You seem… tense."

"I… had a bad night." I wipe my tired eyes and turn back to my oatmeal. Yone fills up a pot of water. He's wearing old clothes… From what I know about him, he might have just woken up. No way would he ever look so rough in front of others.

"Two nights in a row?"

"Triggers. First one was bringing up history. Second one is stress." I yawn a little bit. I grab a bit of cinnamon and sugar and dump them into my oatmeal. It starts to smell absolutely amazing.

"...Would you like to talk about it?" Yone offers, a little uncomfortable. I bite my lip before nodding.

"Nightmares about my past. For some reason, they've gotten worse." I let out. Yone raises an eyebrow while grabbing two mugs. Probably for him and Yasuo, though I haven't seen him yet.

"What are they about?" Yone starts to boil the pot while looking for something.

"My past. The worst parts of it." I scoop out my breakfast into a bowl, not wanting to talk about it anymore.

"Would it feel better to talk about them?"

"No. Because I've already dealt with it. I dealt with it when I was a teen. I'm more than happy with who I am and I've come to terms with it." I'll admit, my answer was a little bit snappish because it hits really close to someone suggesting I go to a therapist again. I don't want that. At all.

"Apologies, I did not mean for you to seek assistance." Yone grabs some cereal and some milk. The kettle hisses. He takes it off and pours water into the two mugs. It takes him two trips to bring his cereal and the two mugs, but he takes a seat next to me. Surprisingly, he hands me the second mug of water. "I was merely trying to give you a little bit of help."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. I'm always a little on edge after a bad night." I sigh and take a bite of my sweet oatmeal. It's a little bit sticky, so I grab the mug and sip at the water. It's… surprisingly good for being so bland. It also helps clear my throat. "Thanks."

"It's something I used to with my brother, when he was younger. When he had a bad night, I'd make us some tea. He'd talk about the dreams and I'd just listen. I believe the most amusing nightmare to date is when Master Souma started dancing Gangnam Style, wearing only a loincloth." Yone smirks at the memory. Considering how strict I've heard the man be, I have to fight to keep myself from spit-taking. "I might have told Great-Uncle that nightmare, just in case Yasuo does something really bad."

"You are horrible." I giggle as I take another bite of oatmeal. The sweetness of my breakfast and Yone's tea is honestly heaven when combined. He shrugs and starts to eat his cereal.

"Still, do you want to talk about it?" Yone offers again. I shake my head.

"I'm sorry, it's just too much." I mumble, stuffing my mouth with oatmeal.

"That's understandable. Just… if you need to talk to anyone, feel free to come to me." Yone and I both blink at each other. He looks just as stunned that he would even offer such a thing. We're barely even housemates, and he… wants to help. That's really nice of him.

"Maybe someday I'll take you up on that offer. First of all, I'd just like to get through the day. It's Thursday… so that means it's chemistry in Zaun Hall." I drop my head onto the table. My spoon clatters against the side of the bowl.

"Something wrong?"

"I bumped into him yesterday. Something about him… I hate it. I have no desire to get anywhere near him." I mumble into the table.

"What time is your class?"

"7. In about…" I look at the clock briefly before letting my head fall against the table. "Forty-five minutes."

"I had him as a professor once. Back in my freshman year. I can walk you there if you'd like." Yone offers. That keeps my head off the table for a little bit.

"What about your own classes?"

"Mine is at 8."

"Wha- Why are you up so early?" I yelp in shock.

"I like to get up early. That and Kendo practice is usually Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It's easier to be an early riser."

"What about your brother?"

"He… he's in for a very rude wake up call." Yone sounds a little exasperated. Just so happens that Yasuo comes into the kitchen… once again he's wearing nothing but his briefs. "Yasuo!"

"You really didn't need to come with me…" I mumble under my breath. Yasuo shrugs his shoulders.

"Yeah, but I really should have remembered to put on a shirt and pants. Yone already gave me a lecture about not respecting other people in the house. It was either I help you or get another one. This time, he promised that he would use one of Master's choices of punishment. He would even be personally overseeing the preparations. You can understand which one I would pick." Yasuo stretches his arms above his head as he yawns.

"Yeah… but I have a phone to guide me… That we are currently using right now." I gesture to said phone in my hand. Yasuo smirks.

"I said I'd help. I never said how. So… when are you and my brother going to go on a date?"

"Yasuo! Don't make comments like that! I'm not looking to date anyone. I'm just here to get a college education!" I blush brightly at the thought. Me and Yone? Ha! He's a really nice person so far, but I don't know what else he's like.

"Uh huh. From the first time we met, it's been clear that you just saw him and fell head over heels. Even better, it's pretty clear that he wants to ask you out." Yasuo strolls right past me. I blink before trying to catch up with him.

"Yeah, right. He's probably just concerned that the person that you are constantly exposing or knocking over is going to get brain damage." I try to tease him a little bit.

"That's rich. I'll bet you anything-" Our phones ping, alerting us to a message. I take a peek at it.

Match set up for Saturday at 10 AM

Team 1: Draven, Katarina, Riven, Rell, Caitlyn, Jinx, Darius, Cassiopeia, Elise, Vi

Team 2: Akali, Xayah, Rakan, Ahri, Yone, Yasuo, Leilah, Sett, Wukong, Lillia

Arena 2. Please arrive an hour early for instructions on how to put on protection and use the weapons, as well as go over the rules.

"There's that name again… Lillia." I point out.

"Huh… who would have thought…" Yasuo sounds a little nervous. I frown at him.

"How come you and Yone seem to be uneasy about Lillia?"

"Well… Don't take this the wrong way, but Lillia… Yone saw her all alone in the cafe. Decided to be an awesome person and sat next to her. For a year, he'd keep her company. I'm sure you can only imagine what it's like when you are alone for a long time and showered with affection from nowhere." Yasuo tries to be delicate.

"Yeah…" I sort of agree. I really don't… considering that I didn't let just anyone into my circle. Still, I want to be normal for Yasuo. It's… nice.

"So, Lillia, she's super shy. Always squeaking, trying to hide behind something. It's a shame, she's a really sweet and pretty girl. Anyway, when Yone got her to open a bit, bam! That's when Lillia got a crush on him. And she asked him out." Yasuo looks at me expectantly. I keep a neutral face, as this is certainly not something I would particularly care for. Inside, though, there's an ugly feeling in my chest. I'm very curious to know if he's dating her, but it's not my business. After a moment, Yasuo hangs his head in mild disappointment. "Damn. I thought for sure you fell hard for him already."

"I barely even know the guy. I'm really not sure why his love life would be of any interest." I shrug and brush past him. My phone pings, letting me know that I've arrived at the building. Once more, that cold, sinking feeling enters my body. Professor Degnis… everything about him gives me the creeps. I grip my hands tightly to my body.

"Hey, from what I remember about Yone's time with him, he's not a bad teacher. He was a little short with people who didn't understand, but he really knows his stuff. Give him a chance." Yasuo urges me. I sigh and nod.

"Alright. Thanks for walking me to my first class. I'll see you tonight, right?" My heart is absolutely pounding in my chest. It's taking all of my will to not freak out right now. Still, Yasuo waves a hand, oblivious to my inner torment. He just goes on his merry way back to the house.

As I try to find the room, my hands are getting extremely clammy. I can feel sweat pour down my forehead. Why am I so anxious? This is ridiculous. I clench my hands tightly. I have to convince myself that I'm ok. I'm just going to class. I'm going to be fine. My anxiety is so bad that I accidently bump into another person, knocking me into reality.

"You alright, there?" A rough voice asks. I look up to see a pink-haired girl with braids offer a hand. Even more interesting… is that her hands are covered in giant foam gauntlets. The hand she offers stops right in front of my nose. I can smell the grease from it, it's that close. She takes notice of my pikachu face and seems to remember that she has gauntlets on. She pulls away and pokes at the base of the glove. This just reminds me exactly why I'm in the Zaun building. The tech and chemistry in this place is rather… interesting. "Sorry about that. I'm a bit stuck on this. I was going to ask Professor Jayce or Viktor for some help. I've been working on this baby for over a year, and we were going to test it's capabilities before classes started… but I'm stuck."

"Any way I can help?" I ask, helping myself up. Vi keeps poking at the base. That's when I notice that there's a pin in it. Her gauntlets are just a bit too big for her to grab them properly.

"Yeah. Can you pull on these? I can't… quite.. Get them!" The girl huffs before holding out the behemoth gauntlets. I easily pull out the pin. Surprisingly enough, they just fall right off. "Thanks."

"No problem… what are those for?" I ask, a little bit wary of why she would need gloves. I'm honestly amazed that she can hold them up so well.

"Oh, it's for Paint Wars. My girlfriend and I are going to be in a fight this weekend. I'm just fine tuning them so that they won't hurt anyone else and I'm not about to go launching off into nowhere." Vi heaves her gauntlets up. It's like they don't weigh anything to her.

"You're Vi… Oh, does that mean we're going to be facing each other this weekend?" I squeak a little bit.

"What's your name, kid?" Vi tilts her head.

"Uh, it's Leilah. Leilah Starshadow." I mumble, a little shy. With those gloves, I'm absolutely terrified as to how I'm going to face off against her.

"Oh! Yeah, we're going to be fighting against each other this Saturday. What's your role?" She seems rather friendly, even if her GIANT GLOVES are terrifying, so I try to get along with her.

"Healer." I walk alongside her. I have fifteen minutes until class starts. Besides the fact that right now everything inside me is screaming at me to find someone I know and stay near them until I'm safe again… I also feel free. I haven't felt this way in years. I feel free to make my own choice, to make my own friends and have my own life to live. If I was a bird, I would be flying so high in the sky right now that the sun would melt my wings… That's a bad analogy…

"Oh, I'm very curious as to how the healer class is going to be. I know all my teammates. None of them would ever dream of being a part of the healer class. For one, my girlfriend is a sniper. For another, I talked with Soraka about how many healers showed up. What's interesting is that Team 2 managed to collect two healers. Two! I'm friends with Xayah, she told me her high school sweetheart was joining their team and that he was a healer. I didn't know about you until now, so… this is definitely going to be interesting to see how the healer class will work with everything. You seem a little quieter than most people." Vi remarks. I have no idea how to respond to all that. She was just absolutely dominating the conversation, much like her personality. Still, she's trying to be nice to me, which I definitely appreciate. One part of her gauntlet drops off right in front of my feet tripping me. I yelp as I fall onto the floor. "FUCK! Hey, I'm really sorry about that. I didn't realize that my fucking gauntlet was faulty as shit!"

"It's alright." I gingerly help myself back up to my feet. This time, I grab a few loose pieces into my arms and hold them up. "I can help."

"Oh, thanks a bunch. Where do you need to go so early in the morning anyway, kid?" Vi seemingly flips a switch from irritated to friendly. She's definitely a rough kind of girl.

"I have class with Professor Degnis in… thirteen minutes…" I check a clock as we walk by.

"Oh, you're going to love his class. That man, a certifiable GENIUS. Let me tell you, I took Chemistry in high school and barely managed to pass. I took one class with him, and I swear he almost managed to persuade me to switch majors to his craft. He is a Chemistry and Biology nerd. It's no wonder he teaches both here at Runeterra." Vi raves happily about the man.

"He teaches both Biology and Chemistry here?" I'm a little bit surprised at that information. I thought he only taught Chemistry.

"Degnis is the head of the genetics club. I went to the club once. I didn't understand a single bit of the mumbo jumbo he was trying to teach there, but everyone who loved genetics were practically worshipping the man. He's also really, really blunt. I guess that's what makes him so good. He doesn't care if someone likes him or not, but when he's so blunt, he's really helpful when it comes to learning." She praises his work while we keep walking.

"I… I met him already… He made me feel really uncomfortable…" I mumble a little bit.

"Oh, don't worry about that. He's like that with everyone." She offers a little bit of comfort. The knot in my stomach disappears a little bit.

"Thanks for that. To be honest, I had knots in my stomach from meeting him earlier…" I mumble.

"Lots of people are like that at first. Well, this is our stop." She's coming to a door where rock 'n roll music is getting louder. The part that makes me a little uneasy is the fact that the door is closed.

"Are… you allowed to have such loud music playing?" I ask shyly right before she turns the handle.

"I'll turn it down at 6:55. Professor Jayce is usually pretty cool with my music selection." Vi dismisses me. She opens the door and I swear I'm deaf from how loud it is. Still, I follow her closer to the source of the booming noise.

She sets down her gauntlets with a sigh before pulling out a wrench. I set down her other stuff nearby. I think she says thanks, but I really can't hear over all the noise. When I try to say bye to her, I can't get a word in. It's just so loud. Still, she somehow heard me, waving me off. That, or she noticed me walking away. Either way, I'm able to slip out and be with my own thoughts for a moment.

I really hope that everyone's opinion of the man is accurate. From what I can tell, he's blunt to a fault, determined about genetics, and, quite frankly, a very invested man in his field. That has to count for something, right? Even when I try to convince myself of it, my stomach feels like it's twisting itself out of my stomach. It doesn't make any sense that I could dread a class when I've only heard positive things. I wish that I could shake off my jitters, but I just can't.

"Can I help you?" Degnis snaps me out of my thoughts. I yelp and jump back. He's standing right in front of the door. I'm a little bit aways from the door, leaning against a corner. I didn't even realize that I stopped and was just staring at him.

"Sorry! I.. just… got lost in my thoughts." I hasten to walk into the classroom. One blink, I'm nine. Another, and I'm back. I wipe my eyes a little bit tiredly. I must be exhausted if I'm getting this distracted.

"I trust that you will keep yourself found in my classroom." Degnis mumbles as I walk back. I freeze.

"Yes sir." I squeak before bolting to the farthest seat I can find in the back. My head is spinning while I try not to throw up. What is wrong with me? I've never had such a strong reaction to anyone before. Never.

I find my seat so far away that I'm glad I have perfect vision. I wouldn't have been able to read the presentation Degnis is just starting up if I wasn't. Someone joins me in the back, slipping into the seat next to me. He doesn't say anything, just takes out his notebook and pencil, though his eyes keep flickering to me. I don't bother calling him out for it. Like everywhere I go, I'm going to be something of interest to someone. I can live with that.

"Welcome to Chemistry 101. I am your Professor for Chemistry, Arthur Degnis. Just call me Degnis, accept that I am blunt and do not care about your feelings. My job is to teach. I am happy to ask questions, but know that if you fail this course, it is entirely on you." Degnis starts the class. I have to say, Vi's description of the man is remarkably accurate. I have never even heard someone be so blunt before. "I am required to have help hours, though they are not set in stone. Just email me if you have any questions, and I'll set up a time with you. I am busy with my job and heading a club."

"He sure is blunt, isn't he?" The boy mumbles next to me. I nod a little bit dumbly. He sticks a hand out to me. "I'm Eric."

"Leilah." I introduce myself, though I keep my attention to the front. Eric takes the hint, going back to taking notes.

"Any talkers or those that are too distracted to listen, the door is there. I do not have time for you when we go by matter and you raise your little hands and ask me to repeat everything. If you can't ask a question without asking me to repeat, then it's on you for not paying attention. Those that ask for clarity, keep those hands raised. We can always use more scientists in the world. I'm not going to bother going over the syllabus. You have eyes, you made it into college, you can read things you don't like to. If you say that you didn't read, sucks to be you." Degnis flies through the introduction. I am definitely taken aback by his brash manner. Vi found this man a genius? I guess we'll have to see soon…

"At least he isn't treating us like children…" Eric mumbles next to me. I don't say anything, agreeing with his claim.

The rest of the class is just as brash as the rest. He teaches us units and Scientific notation in a day. One. Day. After just thirty minutes going over too much information, he asks for questions. One student in the front raises his hand up. I can already tell that he's a rather cocky individual just based on how slow his raised hand is. I guess Professor Degnis takes notice and pointedly ignores him, going for the more earnest students. And, to be fair, they ask really good questions. Things like how detailed an answer must be. His response? As long as he can understand where we are coming from. He even mentioned that if it's so darn obvious to us that we can just put it in one answer, he'd give full credit. If they couldn't give a right answer and didn't show work for one question, he'd automatically give the student a C or lower. This guy… he's crazy.

"Why is that?" The kid presses on. Degnis smiles a little bit. I get a shiver down my spine at the sight of it. It's not a pleasant smile.

"If you get the right answer, then you know your stuff. There's no point in asking you to spell everything out for me if you get it right. More than likely, if you didn't do your work and you got it wrong, I can only assume that you were lazy, just wanting to get it done with as fast as possible. That in itself is worthy of a C. So, if you're going to just give me an answer, you better make sure that you are right. If you show your work, I'll give partial credit and you'll get a higher grade." Degnis explains.

"But sir, that isn't fair to the students." The kid persists. Degnis' smile drops.

"Life isn't fair. You got into this college while another smart kid got denied. And even more, another kid could have the life of a model while another shivers in the streets. It isn't fair to me that I get kids who just want to fulfill a credit, not caring about my subject. If you're here, you better learn to appreciate the material. We professors aren't here to hold your hand. We're here to share our wisdom, and you are here to hear it. If you don't want to hear it, you shouldn't in college. Got it?" Degnis snaps a little bit. I notice a few people seem interested in that while the cocky kid is getting impatient. Degnis keeps going, asking everyone he can before he's forced to pick on the obnoxious kid in the front.

"If we already know the material you presented, are we required to come into class?" The boy drawls.

"I doubt that Professor Degnis would take kindly to that kind of question…" Eric flinches next to me. I don't blame him. Degnis is definitely not the kind of person to mess with. We all watch in rapture as Degnis stiffen. The cocky guy doesn't seem to notice or care about the class's rising apprehension. He just looks at the professor expectantly. Degnis takes a deep breath before letting it out.

"You're an adult. You are responsible for yourself. And if your parents are paying for your education, then they have made a waste of an investment. If you think you're smarter than this class, then you aren't required to come here. I just hope that you are capable of passing without assistance." Degnis waves his hand dismissively. The boy stands up and happily leaves the room. "Anyone else?"

A few more students leave the classroom. I'm not stupid enough to be one of them. He's already insane enough to be as blunt as he is, I have no desire to take the pain of his fury. Once the last of the students leaves, he gives a very wide smile. Once again, my stomach drops. This time, I get cold sweat on my forehead. That… that was not a happy smile. I almost want to cry, but that… that's embarrassing. I don't need that in my life.

"Very well. They get to miss the homework assignments I'm going to give you at the end of the class period." Degnis announces once he's sure that everyone who isn't caring about the class has left. A few students let out startled noises.

"You can't do that!" One of them cries out. Degnis scoffs.

"I've been doing it for years. There have been many complaints, but the only people they can blame for leaving early are themselves. Grab a homework sheet on your way out. Due next class! Dismissed." I glance at the clock. It hasn't even been an hour since the class started. That's already weird enough for me. Still, maybe I can finish the homework before the next class, so after everything is done, I can just relax and explore the place. Especially since the next class I'm going to be at is Diplomacy with Professor Kennen. So, off to Ionia Hall.

"Miss… Leilah, was it?" Degnis calls out to me right before I leave the classroom. As much as I don't want to, he's a professor. And maybe I can get some insight on him and how I can pass this class without needing to interact with him too much.

"Uh, yes. Do you need something, Professor Degnis?" I ask. My eyes are frantically looking for someone else to be around. John knows where I am. Where I should be. So do the rest of my housemates. They'll be able to figure out what happened to me. I know they will.

"You wouldn't happen to know an Avah Azir, would you?" Degnis sits down.

"Uh, no? Why do you ask, Professor?"

"Oh, no. It's just… I studied Avah Azir's work for years. I can't believe that genes as unique as yours managed to survive for so long." Degnis sounds amazed. My eyebrows furrow for a moment. I don't recognize Avah, but Azir… Uncle Azir. Maybe this Avah is related to him in some way. A distant cousin or something.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, from our experiments with mice, the young don't even make it to adulthood. The genes start to split too much, creating a second pupil inside the eyes, or cancer from the hair mutating, unable to keep up a pattern. How yours haven't changed at all is astounding." Degnis leans forward a little bit, his arms on the desk. "How did she manage to get a specimen like you so healthy?"

"What… what makes you so certain that I was an experiment of Avah Azir?" I swallow the lump in my throat.

"No one else in the world has ever thought of creating a specimen with unique and distinct features. I should know. After I heard her first thesis, I tried to find others. I wasn't successful." Degnis seems almost disappointed that I would even ask that question. "Tell me, have you had contact with Avah at all over the years?"

"No. I don't know anyone named Avah." I snap a little bit. That's definitely true for me. I really don't know anyone named Avah. My mother's name is Apolline.

"That's… a pity. I won't detain you any further. Have a good day, and I expect you to have that homework assignment completed thoroughly by the next class." Degnis dismisses me. I happily take the opportunity to get out.

Of course, somehow I get my twin's lousy luck. Instead of tripping on my feet, I bump into someone else. It's Eric.

"Woah there." He's quick to react to me bumping into him, steadying us.

"Uh, thanks. Sorry about that." I nervously wipe my hair behind my ears.

"No worries… I was actually hoping that I would get the chance to talk with you." Eric flashes me a bright smile. I gulp a little bit, getting some much needed air back into my lungs.

"Uh, sure… What did you want to talk about?" I'm still shaking off a bit of unease from meeting with Degnis.

"So… he went through all that material very quickly. I didn't exactly get most of what he said. Do you think that maybe… maybe I could get some help?" Eric asks hopefully.

"Uh, sure. It's really not that hard, considering that it's just knowing the different units and how to transition between them. Why not ask the TA's about it? I'm sure they would be willing to help if you need it." I try to be kind as I can be right now. I'm exactly in my right state of mind right now.

"You said that it's not that hard, and I'm… a little bit confused. Besides, you're the only person I know here." Eic keeps slipping in front of me.

"Thanks?" I raise an eyebrow. He's… weird.

"I'm, uh, out of state. Runeterra Uni is like a dream for me to attend, but now that I'm here, I'm a little lost… and I'm really sorry if I'm a little forward. My folks always told me that when I get nervous, I get really pushy and I really don't mean to be." Eric breaths out in one go.

"Well, it might help if you took a breath between sentences. I'd be happy to help." I give him a little tip. He takes a deep inhale before nodding and exhaling at the same time.

"Great! Can I have your number so I can figure out a way to contact you?" He presses, pulling out his phone. I sigh and give it to him. After I put my number in, he immediately messages me. I pull out my own phone and check to make sure that I did get his text. Imagine my surprise when I see John texted me.

John: Hey, twin… So, you know your deodorant?

Leilah: What did you do…

John: I owe ya one. And Yone says hi, btw!

Leilah: As I recall, he has class at eight. It's definitely way too close to eight for him to say hi.

John: Oh yeah. I added that in because it seemed right.

"Who's John and Yone?" Eric asks. I snatch my phone from under his gaze and give him a soft glare.

"My twin and my friend. If you'll excuse me." I finally brush past him and out the door. All anxiety that didn't melt away after I escaped the room eases when I breathe in fresh air.

"Have a good time in class?" Nasus greets me. I roll my eyes a little bit at my friend's overprotective behaviour. They are the absolute worst when push comes to shove. Still, I feel safe. And that's really all that matters.

"It's ok. The professor is crazy. He's blunt and dismissive, but anyone who asks for clarification, he comes alive. He's… definitely going to take some getting used to. He already managed to make it so that anyone who doesn't show up to class isn't aware that he's assigning paper homework. Who does that these days anyway?" I whine a little bit. A pair of arms drape around me.

"Lousy old teachers that don't understand the beauty of technology." John hugs me from behind.

"What are you two doing here?" I roll my eyes.

"We heard that our dearest youngest member of our group was on her own and we were wondering if she was going to have a panic attack from not being anywhere near your precious protectors." Ez joins in the teasing. He gently bumps his elbow into my gut.

"Seriously? That's why you came out here? You jerks!" I shove John off goodnaturedly.

"I am glad to see you handling everything as well as you have been." Nasus pats my head. I almost lean into his touch before straightening.

"Anyway, I have to get to my diplomacy class. In… say… twenty minutes?"

"We'll walk you there." Ez offers before yawning.

"Go get some sleep. I know you were up early, and you still have a few hours before your classes happen. I can handle a day without you!" I shove them towards our momentary house while walking away.

"Alright, alright. We'll get some sleep. You, stay safe. I don't want you to be on your own for too long. You get into way too much trouble somehow." John points his finger in my face. I scoff.

"Name three times that I got into trouble on my own." I retort.

"Nine years old, you wanted to walk home. Got kidnapped. At fifteen, you went on your own to meet with rogue cops to deal with a crazy man. At that exact same age, you left their sight. Trust me, when you are on your own, you are always, ALWAYS in trouble." John ruffles my hair. I shoot the deadliest glare at him. "That's my adorable little sister. "

"I hate you."

"She didn't come out from the front door- Oh, hi Leilah!" Ashe chirps as she rounds the corner. She's dressed rather relaxed, with an off shoulder black top and skinny jeans. Ezreal bounces over to the girl.

"Hi. What are you doing here?" I ask a little warily.

"Oh, Ez mentioned that you were going to be in the same diplomacy class as me and I thought I'd walk with you. I left early and Nasus spotted me, and he dragged your brother and Ez, bribing them with coffee." Ashe explains so casually. I let my head drop. That sounds like them alright.

"So much for the so-called concern of my twin and friends." I mock glare at them. John holds up his hands playfully.

"Hey, I've been looking out for you for over half my life. I'm your brother and best friend."

"How can I forget it? Now shoo! Ashe and I have classes to attend to, and you have a nap that's calling your name." I shove John off me. He, Nasus, and Ez all give me a wave as they go jogging off into the distance. Ashe links arms with me to pull me away. All thoughts of how anxiety inducing that class was can wait. At least until next week. For now, I can enjoy having a friend in my next class.

I've been sitting on this chapter for a long time, debating on if it was good enough to post. Well, I'm throwing it out there now. Feel free to leave a review if you enjoyed this story or not! I might be persuaded to write it more often.