As the sun began its descent, a small breeze whispered cool air through the sky. Streetlights awakened as they brightened the streets, though it wasn't quite dark enough for their purpose.

In the more suburban part of town, a green-haired lad resided in his bedroom, lost in the escape of his own world. Eyes glued to the screen in front of him, Cosmo rapidly smashed the buttons to his white controller in attempts to defeat the final boss fight of "Star Fighter II." Such a pleasant way to end a crazy first week of school; sitting in a bean bag chair numbing his mind with mind-numbing video games.

This would unfortunately be short lived.

"Cosmo!" Mama Cosma opened the door to her son's bedroom without knocking. "Did you not hear me calling you from downstairs?!"

"What?" Cosmo half-heartedly replied, eyes still locked on his game. "Oh, no I didn't, mama. What is it?"

Mama Cosma leaned against his doorframe, peeved by her son's lack of attention. "...would you care to pause your stupid little game? Certainly, that game isn't more important than your mother!"

"But mama, I'm this close to-"

"Turn that stupid game off!"

"Yes, mama…" Cosmo reluctantly paused his game and turned off his console. Geez was she a buzz kill…

"Thank you." Mama Cosma folded her arms in dominance as her son turned towards her in his bean bag chair. "Now…I'm having my friends over for a game of Bridge, and I want the house to myself."

"…Why?"

"Because I said so." She replied in an irritated tone. "And, you should go to the football game tonight?"

"But mama I don't wanna-"

The side of his head throbbed from the sudden impact of his mother's sturdy backhand. "You should obey your mother!"

"Yes, mama…" Cosmo mumbled with a solemn groan.

"That's my good Cosmo lo-lo." Mama Cosma spoke as her tone switched to a motherly inflection. She kissed the side of his head red with burning irritation before leaving the room and closing the door from behind.

As soon as she left, Cosmo dragged himself to his nightstand to grab his cellphone. If he was gonna go to a game he didn't want nor care to attend, he might as well invite miserable company.

Susie searched through her accessories box for a necklace when she heard the ringing of her cellphone on her bed. When she saw Cosmo's caller ID across the screen, she picked it up, activated speaker phone, and answered with a "Sup, Cosmo?"

"Hey Susie," Cosmo responded with lack luster enthusiasm in his voice. "Going to the game tonight?"

"I was literally almost ready to go meet Wanda there." Susie replied, rummaging through her accessories box once more. "Her parents always make her go with them so, I go so she doesn't have to deal with them all night."

"Oh, right." Cosmo remembered. "Well…I guess I'm meeting you there too."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Mama's making me."

"That sucks." Susie finally found the chain heart necklace she was searching for and attached the clip around her neck. "Your mom's making you go to a football game? Why come?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

Susie didn't push further. Knowing Cosmo, his mother probably found some absurd reason to kick him out the house. Again. "Well, just meet me at the entrance and we can use our student IDs to get in for free."

"Kay. See ya later."

Cosmo ended the phone call after Susie's goodbye with a pitiful sigh. He scrolled through his contacts (which wasn't a long list) to find Spike's number. Once found, he pushed the number and pressed the phone to his ear as dial tone buzzed for a connection.

With KISS blaring through his speakers, Spike bobbed his head to the double kick and rhythmic rhythm guitar doubled with bass, rocking from side to side in his bedroom. Somehow, he managed to hear the ring of his phone over the distortion. Lowering the volume of his speakers, he reached for his phone and pressed 'answer.' "Yo, wuddup?"

"Hey Spike." Cosmo responded, rubbing the soreness throbbing from his temple. "I kinda have a favor to ask."

"Favor?" Spike questioned. "Like what?"

"So, like…can you come to the football game with me?"

"Seriously?" Spike couldn't care less about some dumb game about fairies running with a ball back and forth. "Why would I do that?"

"...because you're my friend?"

"Again. Why would I do that?"

"Please, Spike." Cosmo pleaded. "My mom's making me go and I want you to come with me."

"So I can be just as miserable as you? That's gonna be a hard pass, dude."

"Spike c'mon! Are you really gonna be like that?"

With a heavy sigh, Spike pressed his palm to his face. If there was anything he learned about Cosmo the last few days, he learned that he'd grown to detest his tenacity. "Okay fine! I'll come." He rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Only cuz you asked so nicely…"

"Sweet!" Spike noticed the immediate chipper in Cosmo's voice, shaking his head. "See you there?"

"Yeah…see ya." Spike dropped the call, instantly regretting his decision.

"Alright, gentlemen!" Coach Hufflepuff announced as his team huddled around him in the locker rooms. Warm-ups were finished, and they had seven minutes left on the clock before the start of the game.

The entire locker room gave their undivided attention as the coach continued his speech. "I know we're playing against Spellman High, which, arguably, is the worst team we'll ever play against this season. However, I still need all of you to be on your Ps and Qs. I hear they've recruited some new players, though not as good as us, but they're still pretty good."

"Here's part of the plan for the night; I want everyone, and I mean everyone, to play their part, but we have a few key players that I wanna utilize tonight." Coach Hufflepuff looked over his chart of various plays and coordinates. "#14, Neptune, you're our designated Kicker tonight. Make sure you don't miss those field goals, especially if it's the difference between a tie. Linebackers, Bozo #5, Dyno #10, Julius #22, and Griffin #17. You guys are gonna be responsible for makin' sure you keep the path open for our Wide Receiver and our Fullback when it comes to crucial plays. #8, Alewandro, you're our FB of the night; whatever play the Quarterback calls, you follow with whatever you need to do. #7, Juandissimo, as WR, if the QB is in a bind, be ready to catch those wide passes and stay in the pocket for those touchdowns. And Luther, #2, as QB, as always, you gotta be able make the right calls depending on how the play plays out. Make it every second count."

There were a few nods of agreement before the coach continued. "First game of the season, gentlemen. Set the bar high, yeah?"

Cheers erupted from some of the team members, followed by a few fist and chest bumps. The coach motioned the team to gather around him in a tight huddle. "Alright!" Coach Hufflepuff bellowed, pumping up moral. "Let's go, Poofy Pants!"

Just as tradition, 'Poofy Pants' began to resonate throughout the red walls of the locker room at a slow rhythm, each chant accelerating in tempo as the team pumped themselves into high spirits. It wasn't long before teammates patted each other on the backs as they exited the locker room behind their coach to travel to their designated area to enter onto the field.

As the sea of white jerseys and red helmets traveled outside the stadium to one of the gates, Alewandro noticed Juandissimo wasn't beside him. He turned around to see Juandissimo floating by himself in the back of the group. Knowing something was wrong, he slowed himself to match Juandissimo's speed. He floated next to his brother floating silently with his arms folded, deep in thought. He knew Juandissimo had the tendency to live inside his own head, and he knew this wasn't good for him.

"Juan." Alewandro elbowed his brother, sparking him back to reality. "Where are you, hombre?"

"Lo siento, Wandro." Juandissimo replied with a somber sigh. "I was just…thinking."

"You know what happens when you think too much, hermanito." Alewandro placed an empathetic hand on Juandissimo's shoulder, stopping him midflight as he stared into his blue-violet eyes. "Focus on the game, not your thoughts. ¿Entiendes?"

Juandissimo returned his brother's gaze, noting the caring yet serious tone in his voice. Distracting his mind hasn't been the easiest thing over the past few months, but for the sake of the team and those counting on him, he had to at least try.

It was a moment before Juandissimo broke the silence with a simple "Comprendo…"

"Bueno." Alewandro gave a couple pats on Juandissimo's back. "Vamonos."

Alewandro motioned for them to continue their journey to the west gate, and Juandissimo was soon to follow.

Blonda clapped her hands in an allegro tempo as her cheer squad rehearsed the last two minutes of their halftime show. Each girl sported a white halter top and pleated mini skirt as a white to crimson ombre ensemble, each top embroidered with yellow crown in the center. As the girls performed with crisp, sharp motions, she observed to ensure each formation was executed with precision and each transition seemed effortless. It was their first halftime performance of the season and her first show as Captain; she had a reputation to uphold.

In the final minute of the routine, the girls prepared for the traditional 'Poof Pants Pyramid.' As Starr, Pearl, Daisy, and Emerald set in place as the base of the pyramid, Amethyst, Sapphire, and Ruby mounted in their role as mid-base. Luna and Misty situated themselves on the top of the mid-base in their spotting position, and Juanita climbed to the top. Once she was in her position, Juanita hit her final pose with pom-poms outstretched. Once the formation was complete, the girls held the form for four counts before Juanita dismounted back to the turf with a back tuck within the next four count. The girls soon transitioned into their final stance at the end of Blonda's eight count with the brightest smiles they could muster.

"Great job, girls!" Blonda congratulated as the girls broke their formation. "We're gonna rock this performance tonight!" She glanced towards the football play clock. "We have two minutes until the game starts. Let's go get in positions for the players to run in!"

The girls obeyed as they flew out onto the field. Juanita briefly turned around to find her parents in the stands. When she locked eyes with them, she happily waved hello as they returned the gesture, Mr. Magnifico mouthing the phrase "You got this."

Wanda noticed the Magnificos waving to their daughter as she grudgingly rested her chin in her palms, the cold of the steel bleachers supporting her weight. Her parents, on the other hand, watched with annoying glee as Blonda and her squad flew out to the field into their diagonal formation. Big Daddy somehow managed to find spare time in his hectic schedule to attend every football game, and Little Mamma somehow managed to coerce Wanda into supporting Blonda with them every single time. She'd much rather poke her eyes out with scissors and bleed to death.

Just when Wanda thought she'd die of boredom, she saw Susie in her peripheral along with Spike and Cosmo, taking a seat in the bleachers on the other side of the isle where she sat with her parents. Finally, a means of escape. "Hey dad," Wanda tugged the sleeve of her father's purple pinstripe. "Susie's here; can I go sit with her?"

"Sure." Big Daddy replied. He turned to his daughter with a stern look. "Just don't go sneakin' offs nowheres I can't sees ya, capeesh?"

"Yes dad," Wanda exhaled as she rose from her seat. If the opportunity presented itself, she will absolutely sneak as far away as physically possible.

Susie gave Wanda a friendly wave as she took the empty seat next to her. Once seated, Wanda glanced over to the boys sitting on Susie's left, greeting them 'hello.' Spike returned the gesture while Cosmo pressed his fingers to his lips and blew Wanda a kiss. Wanda pretended to catch his kiss midair and pressed her palm to her cheek with a loving grin. Having Susie and Spike as company was great but having Cosmo as company was even better.

Spike arched an eyebrow as he turned to his left to Cosmo. "Weird question; why aren't you sitting next to your girl?"

Cosmo awkwardly glanced towards Wanda awkwardly staring towards him. The subject of why they had to stay low-key hadn't come up in the few days Spike had known them. If they weren't hugging each other, they were holding hands as they floated through the halls or to and from school. If they weren't engaging in conversation, they were sneaking kisses to each other when both Spike and Susie weren't looking (or at least, they thought they weren't looking.) As far as Spike was concerned, the two of them were madly in love, so he found it odd that Cosmo didn't immediately fly to Wanda and squeeze her in his arms as soon as he noticed her.

"Oh look, the game's about to start!" Susie interjected, breaking the awkward silence as the buzzer resonated through the stadium. She turned to Spike of whom returned her stare with a puzzled expression. "I'll explain it to you later."

Spike shrugged, dropping the subject, and the announcer began his salutations and introductions as the game commenced.

With the football in place next to the putter, Neptune prepared a running start as the play began. His shoe propelled the ball from the putter's hands and sailed over the field goal right as the buzzer sounded at 0:00, signaling the end of the first half. CPPFH lead Spellman by 20 points, 27 to 7, and cheers erupted from the crowd as the clock reset for halftime.

As the players exited the field into the locker room, Blonda motioned her squad to take their positions center field around the 50-yard line. Blonda stood in front with the girls in a diamond formation behind her. With one hand on her hip, she waved to her parents in the stand as they returned the motion, noticing the proud smiles on their faces.

"Whelp," Spike rose from his seat. "I'm not watchin' this trash. Hey Susie, wanna go get a snack or somethin'?"

"Thought you'd never ask." Susie replied as she rose from her seat as well, stretching from sitting for long periods of time. She turned to Wanda with a simple "We'll be back" before floating with Spike down the steps of the bleachers to the concession stands.

And then there were two.

"Um, Wanda?" Cosmo began, inching closer to his girlfriend. "Wanna go meet somewhere?"

Wanda picked up that Cosmo was using this as an excuse to spend time together, an offer she wouldn't dare refuse. "Sure." She turned to her parents as they were completely enamored with Blonda and her stupid performance. When she realized the coast was clear, she turned back her boyfriend and replied "Let's go meet under the bleachers."

"Kay." Cosmo sprung up from his seat and floated towards the exit through the steps on the side of the stands with Wanda not too far behind as the cheer squad executed their ten-minute routine,

There was a barbed wire gate that fenced the circumference of the stadium, including the stands. They knew the home stands would have the largest population as the concession stands weren't far from the bleachers, so they ventured to the visitor stands where they figured they'd have more privacy. Visitor teams didn't always have fans in the stands, and Spellman High was one of those teams.

Cosmo and Wanda flew underneath the visitor bleachers, completely void of other fairies. The setting couldn't be more serene; the full moon settled high behind the bleachers where its tranquil glow peered through the shadows of the gates, and stars illuminated through the indigo hue of the night sky. Once Cosmo realized they were alone, he pulled Wanda closer to him by the hand and brushed his lips to hers. One kiss turned into two, which quickly turned into Cosmo gently pressed Wanda's back against the gate as they deepened the kiss.

"I love you…" Cosmo breathed in between kisses, cupping Wanda's cheeks in his palms.

"I love you too…" Wanda smiled, melting in his affection.

As the kiss subsided, Wanda wrapped her arms around Cosmo's shoulders as he caressed her chin with his thumb. Shamrock Green orbs met fuchsia, and in that moment, the world around them disappeared, for their worlds were floating right in front of them.

Cosmo brushed the tip of his nose against Wanda's. "I wish we didn't have to do stuff like this…"

Wanda placed a small smooch on Cosmo's forehead, lifting her hands to roam through the scruff of his hair. She could see the longing in his eyes, the desire to express their love without the binds of secrecy. Though they've found ways to sneak around their parents before, there were certain moments where sneaking away just to be together proved cumbersome. Sometimes they couldn't help but wish they could just be Cosmo and Wanda, a normal couple.

"I know, me too…" she replied softly, moving her arms to rest around his neck. "…but as long as I'm with you, it'll all be worth it."

Cosmo smiled as he kissed Wanda once more, wrapping his arms around the small of her waste. Geez, why wouldn't she want to be with Cosmo? He wasn't like most boys in their class; he was sweet like sugar and so considerate, innocent almost. He didn't date her just to flaunt a girl on his arm or to satisfy his own needs. She felt the sincerity of his love for her and her alone, and he reminded her of this every day.

She wasn't sure what to make of him when they first met. He had the energy of a leprechaun on steroids and said whatever was on his mind, no matter how idiotic or pointless it was. He was the complete opposite of her mild-mannered nature, yet she was magically drawn to his aura. If some bully decided to tease her, he was quick to defend her despite always losing in the end. If she was upset for whatever reason, he made it his mission to make her laugh, and if that wasn't possible, he'd at least try to make her smile. If she was crying in a corner, somehow he'd notice her and come running to be the first to dry her tears. He was her light, her peace, her breath. If she didn't have Cosmo…there'd be nothing left of her.

"Can I take this blindfold off now?" A 10th grade Wanda asked impatiently. When it came to surprises, Wanda couldn't stand them.

"Not yet!" 10th grade Cosmo replied as he led her hand towards their final destination. Despite actually remembering that Wanda hated surprises, he wanted the day to be special, one she'd never forget.

After a few more feet that felt like miles, Cosmo stood in front of her and grabbed her shoulders, stopping her flight. "Okay…ready?"

"Where are we?" Wanda just wanted this to be over.

Suddenly the darkness in her vision disappeared, and her eyes adjusted to the magnificent view in front of her.

The radiant glow of the full moon beamed high above the edge of the cliff. The city below them appeared small from their height, almost as if looking at a map, as streetlights sparkled through grids of clouds and roads. All seemed silent, inner city commotions muted by high altitudes. Her pink swirl danced in the soft autumn breeze as the essence of calm washed over her. She couldn't believe where she was; not a lot of fairies ventured this far up.

A tap on her shoulder distracted her thoughts. She turned around to see Cosmo on one knee with a black suede jewelry box in his hand. Oh no, she thought to herself. What is this….

"Ever since I met you," Cosmo began, latching on to one of Wanda's hands while the other covered her mouth in shock. "my life has changed for the better."

Wanda couldn't believe it; was this seriously happening? They haven't dated yet; this seriously couldn't be happening.

"I've learned what it means to care and be cared for." Cosmo continued, staring into Wanda's eyes. "I've learned what it means to love, and to be loved. I'm happiest around you. In your arms, or you in my arms, I feel at home. I can be myself around you, I can be free around you, and all I want, is to hold on tight and never let go."

Cosmo let go of Wanda's hand and placed it atop the jewelry box. "Wanda…" Cosmo released the hatch to the lid, a nervous grin revealing the metal of his braces. He opened the lid, revealing a pair of yellow pearl earrings. "….will you be my girlfriend?"

….Wait….what?!

"Cosmo," Wanda spoke with a hand on her chest. "you did all of this, just to ask me to be your girlfriend?"

"Well, yeah." Cosmo replied innocently. "I…I wanted to propose to you."

Wanda couldn't help but giggle. "Cosmo, proposing is when you ask someone to marry you, not to be your girlfriend."

He stared at Wanda with a blank stare. "…oh." Wow, he royally screwed that up. "…..well…..you still wanna be my girlfriend, right?"

With a face like that, how could she say 'no'? "Oh Cosmo…" She reached down to cup his cheeks in her palms. "Of course I do."

Any nerves he felt before swiftly melted away as he rose from his knees and kissed the love of his life. She caressed his hair as he drew her closer, his chest against hers. After a string of kisses, Wanda broke from Cosmo's embrace to see the pearl earrings sparkling in the box in his hand. She took the box from his grasp and retrieved the earrings before giving the box back to Cosmo. He watched as she clipped the earrings to her earlobes, his chest swelling with pride. Once the earrings were in place, he leaned in to kiss her once more, ecstatic that he managed to nab the girl of his dreams.

Wanda never felt more loved in her entire life.

With CPPFH leading 40 to 10, the game was pretty much over. However, thirty seconds remained in the entire game, and CPPFH had the ball. Why not seal another touchdown just to dig that W in deeper?

The play began off the 40-yard line inside the 50. Luther scanned the field, searching for the opportunity to throw. Spellman's defensive line blocked every single tackle from CPPFH's offense. One of Spellman's linebacker found an opening and attempted to go for the tackle, but Alewandro blocked his path, just a few feet from where Luther stood. Things were getting pretty tight, so he scanned farther out into the field to find Juandissimo wide open by the 35-yard line outside the 50. He didn't know how the heck he got all the way over there so quickly, but he knew he needed to make the pass.

The ball soared through the air as Luther threw it just in time before he was tackled by a surprise cornerback. The crowd watched in anticipation as Juandissimo judged where the ball would land. He flew towards the 25-yard line as the ball began its descent. Once he caught the ball with his gloves, the crowd exploded in cheer as he flew towards the end zone. Twenty seconds left, not another Spellman player in sight, Bozo and Dyno followed a few feet behind Juandissimo as he cleared the 15. This was it, just a few more yards and the touchdown was in the bag.

End zone in sight, Juandissimo cleared the 10 as cheers from the crowd amplified…

Lifeless eyes stared into his as streams of blood poured from the cold of her lips….

Juandissimo blinked in attempts to get such a horrifying image from his mind, but he blinked a split second too long.

One of Spellman's linebacker materialized in a poof of blue smoke, and with brute strength, tackled Juandissimo in the face with his own helmet, Juandissimo plunging headfirst into the ground.

As the referee blew his whistle, signaling an obvious foul with a yellow flag, boos echoed from the CPPFH crowd. The clock zeroed out, causing Spellman's coach to chuck his clipboard out of frustration. While other Spellman players cursed their impulsive teammate, Bozo and Dyno flew towards the end zone hash marks where Juandissimo could be found lying on his back and signaled for medical personal on standby to access the situation.

Juandissimo was unresponsive.

The roar of boos diminished as a crowd formed around Juandissimo's motionless body, Mr. and Mrs. Magnifico anxiously waiting for their son to get up. Starr came to Juanita's aid as she panicked, trying to calm her down. Alewandro could do nothing but look on as medical personal evaluated Juandissimo's vitals and removed his helmet to assess whether they were dealing with a serious head injury. The air grew tense with restlessness; the game was over and CPPFH reigned victorious, yet celebrating seemed inappropriate.

Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes felt like hours.

Just when the worst scenario seemed plausible, Juandissimo's eyes slowly fluttered.

"Juandissimo?" one of the medical personal called to him as Juandissimo came to. "Can you hear me?"

Juandissimo gradually recovered the focus in his vision as he reached a hand towards his temple, wincing from the pain. Geez, his head was pounding.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

After his double vision corrected, Juandissimo glance towards the personal's hand to see three vertical fingers. He mustered the voice to groan "Three."

"Good, good." The personal switched to one finger. "Now, follow my finger with your eyes, okay?"

Though it hurt to move his eyes, he followed the varied directions of the finger in front of him. "Good, that's good." He was able to stay in sync with his finger with little to no issues.

A sharp ray of light stung his eyes as the medical personal flashed his flashlight. Great, now his migraine's worse than when it started.

"Constricting pupils, that's a good sign." The personal placed his flashlight back into his medical bag before turning back to Juandissimo. "Now, are you able to sit up?"

Juandissimo pushed his arms with whatever strength he could find to support himself into a sitting position, a hammer of pain pounding the back of his eyes. Great, more splitting headache. And the sudden cheers from the crowd certainly don't help.

Alewandro and Luther each took an arm for support as Juandissimo slowly came to his feet. They made sure Juandissimo could float on his own before letting him go as the crowd rooted for him with a round of applause. Juanita zoomed past the other teammates and flew straight to her brother, Juandissimo wincing from the impact of his sister rushing into his arms with her arms tight around his torso. He looked down to see fresh tears streaming down her face.

"¡Gracias a dios!" Juanita cried into her brother's chest. "I thought I lost you too…"

"Oye, está bien…" Juandissimo reassured as he hugged his sister tighter. "…I am alright."

For a moment, he honestly believed he had passed on as well, because in the depth of his comatose, he saw a light. A light which resembled the face of a familiar angel. A familiar angel, always near. Her soft, lavender eyes, her silk, golden brown skin, her long, flowing black waves, her warm, porcelain smile. In the void of abyss, he wasn't alone…

In the depths of darkness, he saw their mother.

'Nother quick lil' chap for yas. I think the next chapter is longer, so gots that to look forward to :)