Argh… I am now totally devoid of ideas. When you review at the end of this chapter hint, hint! you have to give me some suggestions on what should happen next. Wait! I'm getting something… A flash of inspiration! Ok, I think I'll be able to squeeze another chapter out of my poor overworked brain.

Disclaimer: sigh this is getting old, and I'm running out of witty things to say. Nothing's mine, everything belongs to my favorite author of all time, the great Tamora Pierce!

"So whaddya think of that new teacher fellow, Sir Leighmont?" Inquired Seaver around a mouthful of bread at lunch. "I like him, personally, but I have never been sore in so many places in my life!"

"Aye, he works ya hard, but think of how much he's helping us improve," agreed Faleron.

"I certainly had trouble with staffs today, but Kel seemed comfortable enough with 'em," Esmond said, rubbing his shoulder where Kel had managed a particularly hard blow. "That really hurt! How come you're so good?"

Kel grinned. "I grew up in the Yamani Isles, remember? All of the women were well trained with a glaive. It's a weapon like a long staff with a blade on the end," she explained, seeing her mates' puzzled expressions.

Merric frowned. "Of course, Kel gets an advantage- I mean, uh, never mind Kel…" he muttered, seeing her dangerous expression.

"I am not any better off than any of you, unless we're speaking of hygiene, or dressing, of course. It seems as if all men were born hopeless of ever achieving a great level of personal maintenance," she teased, glancing over at Neal. Strangely, he was silent, staring at something across the hall with a pained expression. Kel was surprised that he had passed up the excellent opportunity for one of his snide comebacks. She soon saw what he had been staring at, however. Cleon walked over and sat down very close to Kel. At least, he tried to. As he was stepping over the bench, his foot got caught up, causing him to topple to the ground and spill soup everywhere. A stray roll flew across the room and hit a second-year page in the head. Everyone around him burst into peals of laughter, but Kel's Yamani training allowed her only a smile. Cleon looked up at her and blushed as red as his hair.

"I'm really sorry, I'm a little clumsy I guess…" he muttered.

Neal rolled his eyes. A little clumsy?

"Come on then Cleon, I'll help you clean up," Kel said sympathetically, for the sake of good manners. Cleon looked as if midwinter's eve had come a few months early. He almost tripped again as he followed her out of the dining hall.

"Well, you're just lucky that was only potato soup and not something like tomato. At least it won't stain your tunic," Kel sighed as she handed Cleon a towel to dry himself off. They were standing outside by the water pump. Poor Cleon was so nervous to be by himself with his beloved lady page that he almost vomited. Kel turned her back to him to him to rinse off the soiled towels in the basin below the pump. When she turned back around, she realized that Cleon was standing very close to her. In fact, it was making her uncomfortable, and slightly dizzy.

"Kel… You're so beautiful…" he murmured, leaning in closer.

What? Gods, he's going to kiss me! Kel thought, her stomach churning.

At just that moment, Neal walked out the door and saw the two of them standing there, Cleon's pursed lips almost touching Kel's. To his complete horror, the big oaf planted a soft, yet somehow clumsy kiss on Kel.

Cleon looked up and briefly met Neal's gaze. If looks could kill, Cleon would've been dead three times over. It was only a moment before Neal whirled back into the castle like a dark cloud. Too quickly for Kel to realize that her best friend had just witnessed her first kiss- to somebody else.

Neal felt that his entire world was crashing down about him. He just wanted to scream out his hurt and frustration. Or better yet, he wanted to beat them out- on Cleon. Neal, calm down. He thought to himself as he strode randomly through the halls. It's not the end of life as you know it… What am I saying? Of course it is! My best friend, the girl I'm completely in love with, just kissed my friend, the biggest oaf on the planet. No wait, she didn't. He kissed her, right? Clumsily, of course. How does he manage to make a kiss clumsy? Maybe she didn't reciprocate… Maybe she was standing there and he just came down and kissed her. Yeah, right… How do I get myself into these messes? It doesn't matter though, how I do. The important thing is that I get out of it. In Neal's irrational and provoked thinking, the only way he could think of to solve his problem was to hit something- hard. Cleon would be a perfect target. Of course he didn't stop to think that Cleon was at least a good head taller than he was.

He found the person he was looking for studying for an etiquette test in an empty classroom on the first floor. "Cleon," He stated simply, closing the door behind him calmly. The large third-year nearly jumped through the ceiling when he saw whom it was he had the great misfortune to be trapped in an empty room with. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

Cleon did not need it clarified what Neal meant. "I was uh… Um… I dunno…"

Perfect, Neal thought, Kel kisses someone who's not only clumsy and a total buffoon, but stupid as well.

"Neal, I'm really sorry, I don't know why it made you so mad," Cleon stammered, gathering his wits somewhat. "I mean, it was only a little kiss-"

"Justa little kiss? Just a little kiss?" Neal was yelling now. "You ass! You just go around kissing all the girls who will feel sorry for you? You only like Kel because she is a female! She doesn't mean anything to you. You, you-" He didn't get to finish, because just at that moment, Cleon, in a fit of fright and rage, had nailed him in the face and knocked him to the floor.

Neal's shock at being struck so hard and suddenly prevented him from moving from where he lay. For a long moment, there was an ominous silence. Then Cleon started to whimper.

"Neal, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Neal? I can't believe I just… It just came over me so suddenly, and I couldn't stop it. Neal, answer me, are you alive?"

Neal slowly reached a shaky hand to touch his nose, which was freely streaming blood down his face. The pain almost blinded him as he felt his broken nose gingerly. Then he slowly rose to his feet, the room dimming and swirling around him. He looked up into Cleon's face and sent a hard punch full of all his anger, frustration and pain into the other boy's ribcage before he blacked out and collapsed.

No, Neal! Eeek! What will happen to my darling? How 'bout you tell me, since I had to have a prompt just to make this chapter work. (Thanks Talianne!) So send me some reviews, tell me what you think and maybe, just maybe, I'll write some more!