Patchy clouds lazed about the bright blue autumn sky. Though it was well into autumn, the summer haze hadn't quite faded away yet. The sound of waves crashing hummed in the distance, accompanied by the loud twittering of the birds. Selene hummed a nonsense tune to herself as she wandered about the campus grounds. Her long, dark hair blowing wildly in the ocean wind.

Autumn was already upon the world in the blink of an eye. She looked towards the twisted, thin tree in the garden. It's gnarled bark seemed as if it would snap with a strong breeze, but the old pomegranate tree has been around longer than many of the students on the island. Pretty red fruit hung from the branches, gleaming like gems.

Selene looked out to the open sea. The bright blue water glittered like jewels underneath the bright sun. The salty breeze made her want to drop everything and simply jump off into the sea. Simply allowing the water to engulf her as she swam through the familiar water.

But she didn't. After all, it wouldn't be a good look to show up to class in a soaking wet uniform. She could only imagine Doctor Crowler's horror if she showed up, dripping in sea water and simply plopping down in her normal seat.

And so she continued her way to campus. Making her way down the brightly lit halls as they slowly began to fill with loitering students waiting for the day to begin. Chatter and whispers abound the halls, as Selene could feel the occasional peering eyes upon her. She smiled, the perfect one she practiced in the mirror.

A familiar, boisterous voice got closer cutting through the mumbling crowd. And a familiar head of blonde hair came into sight.

"-and then he got away!"

Selene popped up, peering over the hunched girl's shoulder. "Who got away?"

Calla Rouge whipped around, her long blonde pigtails flying behind her.

"Oh! Mornin' Selene!" Calla waved energetically, practically bouncing on one foot. Selene admired Calla deeply, having been neighbors since their first-year the girls had known each other for quite long. Still- Selene could barely handle the bundle of energy her neighbor was in the morning. Calla motioned wildly. "I was just telling them about the man who broke into the dorm last night!"

"Someone broke into the dorm last night?" Selene blinked, a bit caught off guard.

"Yup! He totally got away too! Disappeared into the night like- poof!" Calla waved her hands with much energy.

Selene folded her arms, tapping her foot. "That's troubling," she sighed.

"What's the point of security if they can't catch a total jerkass!"

"Bright and early spreading panic amongst the student body I see."

Selene and Calla both looked towards the direction the exasperated voice came from. Walking towards them was a pretty, tall girl. Her shiny black hair was short and framed her slim face perfectly. Often, a brief glance from her serpentine eyes is enough to cause most people to turn and run. However, the two girls remained unfazed.

"Mornin' to ya too, Seika!" Calla greeted, practically bouncing.

"Good morning- Miss V-P." Selene smiled, giving a small wave. "I can see you didn't get much sleep last night, huh."

Seika only let out a deep exhale in response, placing a hand against her forehead. "How could I sleep with all the uproar?" She shook her head vigorously, "I'm surprised you could sleep through all the commotion, Selene."

Selene twiddled her fingers, casting her glance askew. "Haha- yeah…" she murmured.

"Seika! You could totally give me the scoop on the situation, yeah?" Calla leaned towards the student body vice president, smiling slyly. Seika turned away, huffing.

"The situation is all under control, trust me."

"Is it?"

"It will be until Oliver dares to show his face at the student council meeting today."

"Board conflict?"

"Hardly."

"Juicy."

"Calla-" Selene started, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What?"

Selene smiled gently, patting her friend's shoulder. "We should all start heading to class. I heard Banner is handing out test results today."

Calla's face went pale.

"Aieee-!" she clutched her heart, true dread setting in- "Oh no! I know I totally flunked it."

"It's alright. You studied hard, I'm sure you didn't-" Selene reassured.

"Even if you did only one quiz out of many," Seika quipped, rolling her eyes.

"Not helpful!" Calla exclaimed

The girl turned around, starting down the hall to her own classroom. Selene waved.

"See ya, Calla!"

"Bye-!" the journalist shouted back.

Selene turned back towards Seika, her hands on her hips. Seika exhaled deeply, as the two of them began to walk towards their own classroom at the other end of the hall.

"Are you okay, Seika? Do you need any help?" Selene leaned forward to meet her friend's eyes, her hands firmly behind her back. "I think you're overworking yourself."

Seika snorted, crossing her arms. "The pot's calling the kettle black."

Selene's mouth dropped open a bit, half words stammering out. "I- hey-!"

Seika's stoic face cracked into a tiny smile, giggling a bit. Linking arms with Selene, she sighed.

"I haven't seen you much since the school year started-" Seika said, pouting. "We gotta hang out more. Are you free on Friday?"

"I think so."

"Let's go shopping then. I've been meaning to go into town to get a new coat! Oh- and maybe I'll get my hair done. Also I heard the cafe in town is running an autumn special~"

Selene clapped her hands together joyfully. "Alright! Friday it is!"

As the two girls approached the door of their classroom, a familiar boy did at the same time. His combed black hair was as neat as ever, matching his neat, picture-perfect smile.

"Good morning Empress, Seika." Oliver cheerily greeted, in a tone much too energetic for that hour of the morning. "How are you two on this fine morning?"

"Oliver," Selene said with a small nod.

"Have you filled out the incident report yet?" Seika replied, her tone much colder than it was seconds before.

"I'm doing great, thank you both so much for asking."

Selene glanced towards Seika, raising a brow. Seika merely rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out.

"I'm right here, you know."

Oliver glanced between the two girls, his still smile never faltering. He pushed the door open, allowing the two girls to walk in before him. The three stepping down the stairs of the steadily filling lecture hall together, Oliver piped up.

"Empress- would you mind preparing some rose arrangements for me? It appears the Chancellor is having some important guests arrive for a banquet tomorrow, and I believe some table arrangements are in order."

"What do I get out of giving you my precious flowers?" Selene said, half turning back towards the boy.

"My eternal gratitude."

"Try again."

Oliver tiled his head. Reaching a hand out towards Selene, he said, "Then how about an extension on that task I have given you?"

"Hm." Selene paused, as if to think. She knew she didn't have much of a choice on the matter if she wanted to continue her gardening in peace. She snapped her fingers. "Fine," she said simply. "You totally owe me for this, Oliver Kim."

"Is one favor not enough?"

"Not nearly enough."

"Please have the arrangements ready by tomorrow afternoon, Empress." Oliver stopped at the row he normally sat in. Though Seika and Selene had a few more steps to walk down. "Very well, Seika- Empress."

"I better have that incident paperwork in my inbox by the time classes are done today, Oliver!" Seika said firmly.

"Worry not!"

"Someone's been taking my roses," Selene muttered, examining the stems of the flowering bushes. They had clearly been picked off, rather than carefully cut. She had been noticing an increasing number of them- how odd. She didn't mind if people took flowers or fruits from the garden, she just wished that they took care when they did it.

"You poor thing-" Selene cooed, snipping off the torn end of the stem "Maybe I should put up a sign…" she mumbled to herself.

"It's gonna be so busy," she sighed, waving the watering can over the patches of bright flowers.

She bounded over towards the opposite end of the brick path, saying odd musings to the garden around her.

"The school year has been pretty strange so far. I heard someone broke into our dorm. Weird, right?" Still, after years this was the first time someone had been caught sneaking in. Most students knew the best way to get inside the dorm to see their partners without getting caught. What idiot got caught not knowing all the unguarded ins and outs of the building?

"Oh, plus I have to prepare flowers for Oliver. With winter coming up, I've got to amend your soil too. So much to do… So many darn chores."

Selene looked up to the overarching fruit tree branches above her. Taking in the dappling sunlight that filtered through and watching as browning leaves shook to hold onto the branches against the autumn breeze. She spun around, holding her hands behind her back.

"But I'm sure someone will help me with all my responsibilities. Right, Zane?"

She turned around, a bright smile on her face. Zane stood stiffly in the entrance of the small enclave. He didn't greet her back, not that she ever expected him to anyways. If anything it may have been more unusual for him to say something.

"You don't gotta stand there so awkwardly, y'know. Come on, help me out," she said in an ever-carefree tone.

"You can't rely on me forever, you know."

"I know." She grabbed a pair of gloves and clippers she set down on a bench and handed it to him. She brushed past him, her own pair in hand. "Now help me cut some roses."

There she went, doing only whatever she wanted as her straw hat shone bright yellow in the sun. And there he went, trailing behind her as he often did. You had to be careful cutting away at the rose bushes. Selene always gave very specific instructions, repeating them until Zane could hear her voice looping in his head. Being able to quote her verbatim. "Leave at least three leaves on the stem- cut at a ninety degree angle! And make sure that you cut just above the leaves!"

He always tried his best to be careful, doing exactly as she said. Yet even after doing this for so long, he felt his hands couldn't match the precision and delicacy she required. He honestly didn't quite understand it, the way she excessively doted on these flowers. But it seemed to matter to her.

So he carefully trimmed the stems and immediately placed them away in the buckets by their feet. Though sometimes he wished she would put this level of care and attention into dueling.

"Why are you doing this for Kim anyways?"

"Why? You bothered?"

"Kim certainly enjoys asking you for favors."

"I do it for Seika too. I don't want to trouble her more than she already is."

"You and Kohinata…"

"It's a mutually beneficial relationship. I do things for Oliver so he doesn't bother me about what has to be done."

"Wouldn't it be simpler if you just did what you needed to?"

"I met your brother, by the way," she said finishing up on a rose bush and moving over towards the next one over

Zane paused, though Selene continued to work. Humming a nonsense song just as she had before.

"Did you?" he replied, picking his steps up again, trailing behind her.

"Mm." Selene nodded, tapping a finger against her chin. "He seems like a sweet kid. A little shy. But I guess that means he's just like his big brother, no?"

She looked up, trying to meet his downcast gaze. Zane didn't respond, not verbally at least. Selene studied his expression, watching him slightly press his lips together into a tight line. He wanted to disagree with her, she could tell.

"He does remind me a bit of you," she continued. "That same sort of cute, awkward heart."

"Whatever."

"I'm serious! I think you two are more alike than you think."

Zane didn't respond, only glancing at her with serious eyes. She followed with an overblown smile, cupping her face in her hand. Fluttering her eyes.

"How did you even get to meet him anyways?"

"Oh you know- my little cousin is friends with him!"

"Jaden Yuki."

"You got it." She clicked her tongue, pointing at him with a finger gun. She pretended to shoot before bringing her hand back to herself, smiling. "Then again- I'm not surprised you remembered."

She skipped around to the next rose bush as Zane continued to clumsily work his way at his. He wished he could steady his hands now the same way he did when he dueled- then again dueling was much easier than cutting flowers.

"You know, Syrus told me that he's heard a lot about me… Are you saying bad things about me to your family?"

"What?! Why is that the first thing you think of?!"

"I can hear you now. 'She's so~ annoying, I hate her so much~' Nothing but slander, I'm offended!"

Despite his still face, Selene could see the faintest hint of pink on the tip of his ears. She chuckled, slyly covering part of her grin with her hand, looking him straight in the eyes. She looked to her back, frowning a bit. "Oh no- the back of my apron came undone."

"If anything, you're slandering me," he mumbled, firmly averting his gaze towards the flowers at hand.

"Wow! Claiming I'm slandering you-" she gasped dramatically. She placed a hand against her chest, leaning backwards as if she were about to faint. She gasped with all the air her lungs could muster. "How rude!"

"You're so-"

Zane couldn't even finish his sentence as he struggled to find the words to put Selene spun around on her foot. Cupping her face in her clasped hands, she fluttered her eyes wildly. "Charming? Adorable?" she offered, hitching her voice high and soft. "You flatter me."

"Annoying."

"Has anybody told you that the things you say are so funny?"

Selene stuck her tongue out at him, before giggling relentlessly as Zane could only stare in a mixture of emotions. Ranging from disbelief to relief. Selene Amada was bizarre- dare he say more bizarre than Atticus. At least with Atticus, he could understand his old friend's stranger behaviors, placs a meaning behind them. Even if the reasoning didn't make sense to Zane, he knew there was some reason behind it at all. But with Selene he couldn't even do that. Zane sighed, coaxing her to turn her back towards him.

"Hold still," he said, tying up the back of her apron into a small bow. Shaking his head as she hummed. "You really act like a princess, you know."

"Excuse me, it's Empress."

Clearly laughing at her own joke. She picked a trimmed red rose, holding it up over her lips.

"Well, if I'm a princess-" her grin twisted mischievously beneath the blooming flower- "Would that make you my knight in shining armor? Protecting me against the evils of the world!"

He finished tying the bow, stepping away. "Don't expect me to fight a dragon for you."

"Right-" Selene nodded deeply, placing her hands behind her back. She raised her hand up, snapping as if she just thought of a brilliant idea. "Because you're using your dragons to fight!"

Zane looked at her with deadpan exhaustion as she covered her wry smile. Her lips pursed into a pout, though her eyes continued to crease the same way they did when she smiled.

"Don't give me that face," she whined, exaggerating her pout.

"What face?"

"The face you always make." Her lips fell to a tight frown. She pointed to her cheeks, making a serious expression before pointing her fingers back towards his. "The one you make when you're mad at me."

"I'm not mad."

'Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes so."

Zane stood back, crossing his arms.

"Do you want me to be mad? I can stop helping you then."

"Hey~ no fair!" Selene turned to face him, her hands stretched outward. "What would I ever do without my knight in shining armor?"

"Rescue yourself," he said.

Selene crossed her arms, shaking her head. "You're no fun."

Really- her and her relentless teasing… He thought of earlier when he was walking with her, where there were almost stars in the eyes of the people who looked upon her. Yes, to most Selene must seem this elegant being out of their reach. However- childish and bratty was the Selene Amada he knew.

Picking up the buckets at her feet one by one, managing to squeeze two of them in each hand. Zane sighed. Bending down, he pried two of them off her right hand.

"Hey- hey-! I got it!" she whined.

"It'll be easier for me to carry two and for you to carry two," he replied, pulling ahead of her.

Zane pushed open the door to the greenhouse. Greeted with a breeze of warm air, it's glass walls enhancing the golden light from outside. The greenhouse was filled to the brim with all sorts of greenery and rainbows of flowers. It was really a grand affair, even Zane would admit. Though he supposed he didn't expect less of a school created and funded by multi-millionaires with more money than sense. Selene followed not too far behind him, placing the buckets down at one of the wooden tables set off to the side. She bent down, her eyes level with the red flowers. She gently caressed the petals.

"I'll do the arrangements tomorrow," she said. Squeezing some of the blossoms. "Some of the flowers still need to open up a bit."

"Do you need help?" Zane asked, watching over her.

"Only if you can," she replied, standing back up. Stretching out her back.

"I'll check if I'm available."

"Perfect."

She dropped her arms back down to her sides. She marched back out of the greenhouse. Zane noticed the moment she crossed the threshold back outside, she began to rub her hands together rapidly.

"I'm so hungry…" Selene sighed loudly. "When we're done cleaning up let's go eat."

"Are you cold?" Zane asked.

"Freezing," she said plainly.

Zane moved to unzip his jacket. Pulling it off, he immediately held it out towards her.

"Here."

"Really?" She raised a brow, eyeing the jacket suspiciously. "For me?"

"Do you want it or not?"

Smiling, Selene snatched it out of his hand. Quickly tossing it on herself. The dark blue fabric seemed to completely engulf her entire body.

"Thank you~" she sweetly said. Zane could only look away from her.

"Whatever."

He stalked away towards the area they were working from before. Likely to pick up whatever tools they have left laying on the ground to put away in the shed. Selene watched as he did, gripping the too-large sleeves that hung off her arms.

"Can you believe it?" she muttered. "Even with everything I say and do, he's always there… How annoying."

A/N: Hello. I promise I'm alive- its just that life REALLY kicked my butt this entire year ;;_;; I'm making no promises about when Chapter 3 will release, it just will eventually. Hopefully without the 11 month delay...

Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I always struggle with second chapters more than any other chapter honestly so I hope it was enough to meet everybody's expectations! See you guys next time!