Disclaimer: I give up. If you can't assume that since the previous chapter was not mine, that this chapter also isn't, then you shouldn't be able to read something like this. With words like big. (I'm sorry, bad mood, lots of sarcasm.)

Kai stared at them incredulously for a moment until she snapped out of it and unceremoniously shoved them into her room.

"Are you all crazy?" she hissed, remembering how thin the walls were. "You could be put in jail if you got caught!"

"So could you," pointed out Lora, the flutist.

"I didn't sneak, I was snuck," Kai said with great dignity.

"Same difference," snapped Hedi, who appeared to be in charge. "Now we're wasting time standing around so come on, we're leaving." Four of them noticed the door open into her room, calling back:

"Don't worry, Kai, we'll get all you things." She heard them find the bags that she had packed everything in, and begin putting her few possessions inside.

"How do you plan on getting past the guards?" Kai demanded. "Didn't my talk with you yesterday have any effect at all?" she asked Hedi. "Did anyone talk to Danai?"

Sheepish glances were exchanged. "She said we were acting like idiots and to go get someone else to help," someone volunteered.

"Anything else?" Kai asked, not believing for a second that her best friend would have simply refused to go rescue her but not give an explanation why. Or more helpfully, tell them not to come. Kai would have felt awful if any of them were sent to jail because of her. She watched as more looks were given among the small crowd, but Hedi was glaring. Kai closed her eyes, realizing that she wouldn't like what was coming.

"Danai said that you didn't even TRY to run away, that no spoiled squire brat could have stuck with you in the streets; you know them too well," someone told her quietly. The others nodded, and she went on, "She says you're trying to escape you past."

Kai froze. "Abandon my past?" she repeated dully. She couldn't believe that her best friend would think so low of her; like Danai thought that she was ashamed of her life on the streets! "She really said that?" she asked, not even seeing their nods.

"That's why you need to come back," Hedi said, taking advantage of the moment to grab her wrists and pull her to the door. Hedi put her hand on the doorknob, when suddenly there came a knock.

"Kai? It's just me, Lalasa."

Hedi instantly snatched her hand back from the knob, as if had been burned. They turned to the window on the other side of the room, Hedi still clasping Kai's arm like she thought that Kai wouldn't want to go home. Kai almost sighed as everyone darted between the precariously-stacked piles on the floor and made it to the opposite side without anything tipping over. She had spent a lot of time on those.

Hedi finally released Kai then. Kai was in no indecision; she had heard that her friend thought she was abandoning her and this was her chance to leave. Yes, she had seen that all the people here weren't as menacing and foreboding as rumors claimed, and no, she didn't completely hate Kel or Faleron, but this was her chance to go back to her former life, and to her there was no problem in the deciding.

No, the problem came as Lalasa continued to call out from the hall. Kai looked regretfully at the door as she realized what Lalasa would think when she discovered that Kai was gone. Of course, then anyone who may have a grudge for whatever stupid reason against her could be safely cleared, as they were all squires and Faleron had said that he had classes all morning. Lalasa would know that Kai had left of her own will, wouldn't she?

Kai had no more time to think as everyone except for herself and Hedi had descended out through the window with her bags and was waiting on the ground.

"Your turn," Hedi said, pushing her forward slightly so that Kai could look down. It was a drop that was at least half again as high as she was to the ground. Kai closed her eyes, and felt another slight push from behind. "That girl's going to bring the entire castle running. Hurry up!"

Kai cautiously swung her legs over the window sill and allowed herself to drop.

Actually, "drop" is a very accurate term, as her landing could be considered less-than-graceful.
"You know, for a dancer, you aren't that coordinated," grumbled Lora when Kai almost fell on her. Kai tried to stand, but her ankle burned like fire whenever she put weight on it.

"I think I twisted my ankle," she moaned as Hedi landed perfectly next to her.

"Lovely, well, now all we have to do is smuggle our lame maid out the gates without the guards noticing her or the fact that our costumes look nothing like the real thing," Tam, another singer, commented sarcastically. "I told you they were too frilly, Lora."

"Not helping," Kai commented sharply as she fought to stand.

"Shouldn't you be good at this kind of thing, standing on one leg?" complained Lora as she helped Kai up.

"You'd think so," Kai said, trying to regain her balance, "but sadly, no." She managed to stand with only one person supporting her, and they made their way out, luckily sneaking by the guards as they changed shifts at noon.

And that was how Kai got back to the streets...the first time.

No, this story isn't over yet (and you were all celebrating). Well, the chapter is, do that gives you all a perfect opportunity to review! Wahoo.