Jesse had gone missing....

Well, if you call it missing!

For whatever reason unbeknown to Jaden, Hasselberry, and Syrus, he'd just up and vanished. He hadn't left the dorm last night, or they thought he hadn't, and he certainly didn't show up for breakfast. He'd also missed out on the first rounds of the day for the Survival Duels. Jaden wasn't worried, Syrus was.

Jesse seemed a mystery to Jaden. Jesse could easily vanish and appear, it seemed, and that made Jaden wonder about him. Jaden had been fascinated by more than just Jesse's Houdini acts.

He snuck away from Syrus to find Jesse himself. Only to find that Jesse was sitting on a pier that Zane and Alexis used to occupy at night. Jesse was tossing rocks and pebbles into the ocean, watching the waves swallow up the little ripples it made.

"Jesse?"

He looked over his shoulder and smiled at Jaden. "Hey, what's up?"

"You've been missing. People were curious where you went." Jaden plopped down beside Jesse. He watched the blue-haired boy toss another pebble into the water. "What's wrong? I thought you didn't feel pity or the like?"

"Ah, stuff." Jesse leaned on Jaden. "You ever skip a rock before?"

"No."

Jesse handed Jaden a nearly flat rock and picked one up himself. "Here, try one." He stood up and threw it out, across the rough surface of the water. It skipped away, jumping and jumping, as if it had a mind of it's own and just wanted to jump as best it could. "You try it."

Jaden gently tossed the stone and got two skips before a wave swallowed it whole. "That's hard. You're good."

Jesse shrugged. "It's easy, if you know what you're doing." He puckered his lips, his hands squishing his cheeks. "Fish dun like joo."

"Joo?" Jaden repeated.

Jesse smiled, lowering his hands. "I dunno. It came out funny."

Jaden was about to say something else when he heard a noise over his shoulder and the duo looked up and to the left.

Atticus was sitting on the ledge, waving at them. The foamy water churned below him, but he didn't care. The ledge he was on was high, but kind of between the grassy plains above and the dangerous ocean below. He was still wearing his school uniform, like he hadn't really gone to sleep. "If you two are done playing skipper, would you mind coming here?"

Jesse didn't, and jumped at the chance to climb the wall. He climbed it like he was made for rock climbing and was soon seated beside Atticus.

Jaden, on the other hand, bid them goodnight and left the pier. As he made his way back to the normal ground, he saw Jim, out late with Shirley. "Hey!" he called, his hand raised and caught on a branch.

Jim waved and came over to free Jaden from his "prison" of a branch. He looked tired and worn from something. "What're you doing out so late, mate?"

"I was...." Jaden pondered it for a moment before speaking up. "I was talking to Jesse."

At the mention of Jesse's name, Jim perked up. "Really?"

"Yeah. He was depressed about something. I don't know what it was."

"Depressed no more!" Jesse lunged out of nowhere and Jaden ducked.

Jim and Jesse tumbled through the bushes and Shirley "rolled her eyes" as the two of them came to a crashing halt.

Jesse jumped a mile and apologized to Jim. His face was redder than a strawberry and he looked down at his hands. "I didn't think I'd knock you down."

Jim was playing dead and Jesse gave a little squeak.

"No, I killed him!" Jesse yelled. He was about to grab Jim, who was sprawled on a down log and some rocks, when Jim rolled over and pushed off the log. "Don't scare me like that." Jesse made the fish face from earlier. "Mean old man."

Jim's eye looked sad and Jesse caught that.

"Secret Attack: TACKLE-GLOMP!" He knocked Jim over again, giving him a hug. He stumbled, though, and the two of them hit a soft, mossy area. Jesse sat up, not getting off of Jim, and put his hands on Jim's shoulders. "Where do you go at night? I don't see you anymore."

Jim's eye widened. "You followed me?!"

"No, not really." Jesse scratched his cheek. "You see, I like walking before I got to sleep. It tires me easily. I'd just follow you and Shirley around until I got real tired."

"I did it to tucker out Shirley."

"Ah, well, where did you go these last five nights? I never see you out 'n about anymore."

Jim didn't answer, but slowly moved Jesse off him. When he was standing again, Jim dusted off his back. "I've been busy. Adrian and I've been trying to figure out these, mate." He pointed at the BioBand he was wearing. "I didn't know anybody'd followed me and Shirley that late at night."

"Ah, sorry." Jesse scratched the back of his head. "Well, to be honest, I dun see a problem with being interested."

Jim sighed and scooped up his hat. "Then I don't see a problem with finding a new route." He touched the brim of his hat, after it was on his head, and walked away.

Jesse suddenly grabbed a handful of mud and threw it at the back of Jim's head. He missed and hit Jim on the shoulder. "Ack."

Jim spun around and was about to say something when Jesse looked up. The two of them watched the sky as the moon came out from behind some clouds. It shone through the trees and cast beams of light over all it could reach. Jim looked down and saw Jesse, bathed in the moonlight, staring up at the moon itself.

He was like something out of a movie, just then. He held his hands up as fireflies began their nightly flights. The moon made Jesse's aquamarine hair glow and become a gentle blue. His eyes became something like pale sapphires and when he laughed, it echoed. He looked like an angel in Jim's eyes.

Jesse noticed Jim staring and his smile faded. "Is somethin' wrong?" His heavy accent came back. Jesse always tried to suppress it so people could understand him easier. "I ain't got somethin' on my face, do I?"

Jim had to hold his breath. "No, nothing, mate." He looked away and stared up at the moon again. Maybe he'd get the scene to go away if he fought the urge to follow his mind's eye. He sighed and looked down to see Shirley slide down and crawl up to him. "Hey, girl."