It was Sky's turn to watch Cal. She didn't mind, but he kept starting new conversations based on old ones; "I'm like the gay best friend minus the gay bit?"

"Yes." Sky agreed.

"What if I was gay?"

"We'd have noticed and I'd be making plenty of gay jokes."

"Have you got something against gays?"

"No. I've just got something against you." He frowned, trying to piece that together in his mind. Sky waited patiently; a minute later, his eyes cleared and he pretended to sulk.

"I thought we were buddies." He sniffed. Sky teasingly shook her head and his shoulders drooped. "Oh... fine, I-I see where I stand now."

"Aah, finally. You're learning."

"Bound to happen at some point."

"Not what I was thinking." He made a face at her and sat back against the pillows. He had spontaneous quiet moments- it was during these that Sky really had to keep an eye on him. They were pretty sure he suffered from hallucinations, but they were so wacked and morbid and only there for less than half a minute, it was hard to tell. He could have been witnessing flashbacks of his ordeal at Pitch's hands, hallucinations, both. Or something else. That was what worried them most. What if they were wrong? What if something was happening below the surface and they couldn't tell?

Tooth's maternal fretting was starting to effect them all, so many 'what if's buzzing about their skulls like hornets on speed. Cal didn't really seem to notice. He spaced out quite often and for quite a while as well. So far, only his little sister had been able to pull him round from one of these, using their childhood games.

Sky thought it was sweet, but she didn't say it out loud. Cal remembered more about his little sister than he did himself. He asked her about 'the thing', which no one else seemed to understand; they played noughts and crosses, hangman, warped Pictionary and various other paper games alongside the 'This little piggy' and 'Round and round the garden' and patty cake. Cal focused more around Aliesha, his thoughts straying less and panic striking once in a blue moon.

"Did you know a blue moon is actually a thing?" Cal asked, as if reading her thoughts. "It comes about every two point seven years."

"Really?" He nodded.

"Father Knowledge told me." He puzzled for another moment. "Years ago. And owls are the only bird to see the colour blue. Penguins can jump six feet high. Elephants can't jump. How do you put an elephant in a fridge?"

"How?" Sky asked, suppressing a sigh. She had heard this one so many times before.

"You open the fridge, put the elephant in and close the door. How do you put a giraffe in the fridge?"

"How?"

"Open, take the elephant out, giraffe in, close door. A meeting for all the animals in the world is called. What animal won't be there?" Sky shrugged. "The giraffe 'cos it's in the fridge. You're stuck on an island in shark-infested waters. How do you escape?"

"I don't know."

"You swim. The sharks are at the meeting." He looked at her expectantly and she smiled.

"Very clever."

"I am, yes." He nodded. Yawned.

"Why don't you try and get some sleep?" He startled to full alert, shaking his head.

"No!"

"Cal, you're exhausted."

"But-" Sky moved from her chair and sat next to him.

"It's alright." She promised him. "I'll wake you if I have to." He shook his head again, his knuckles turning white from gripping the duvet so tightly. "Cal." She brushed his iridescent hair back from his forehead. She was jealous of his hair, not just because of the colours, but because it was always so soft and fluffy. Hers was like that once every two point seven years.

Cal rested his head on her shoulder, sighing.

"I don't want to go to sleep."

"You have to." He shook his head. Sky realised he was shaking. "Cal?"

"N-no. Won't..." He pulled back, drawing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. Sky grabbed his hand, crawling to sit in front of him.

"Hey, it's OK. You can sleep when you feel like it, alright?" He shook his head again. "Cal, you're safe now. We're all safe, I promise you." Another silent no. Tears. He didn't even bother to wipe them away, he was so oblivious.

Sky moved again, sitting more to his side and pulling him into a hug. She was a bit warm, but he didn't notice, hesitantly returning the friendly gesture. Within seconds, he was clinging to her as though she was the only thing left to cling to, to keep him relatively sane.

"Don't like this." He mumbled.

"Don't like what?"

"Scared. All the time. Not nice."

"I can only imagine." Sky said quietly. "But you don't have to be scared, Cal. No one here will hurt you."

"Pitch..."

"As if your mum would let him anywhere near you." He tensed. "Especially now." He said nothing, trembling. "Cal?" A chill worked its way down her spine. And then across her lower back and round her hip. She glanced down and saw a thin layer of glittering frost shuddering down her leg. "Cal, are you trying to freeze me?" She pinched his arm when she didn't get a reply and he jumped. Sky let him go and he sunk against the pillows once more. She stood up to survey her dress. "Now this is a pattern clash." She announced, heating up a little to melt the frost. "Honestly, you're the one who's supposed to have good fashion sense." He looked st her quizzically. "Gay best friend." She reminded him.

"I'm not gay."

"Sure?" He nodded. "Sure you're sure?" She teased. He made a face at her and then put a pillow over his head. "Oy! Rude." She tried to pry the pillow away, but he squirmed away, nudging her with his foot. "Nice socks." She laughed. He peered around the pillow.

"April got them."

"Explains the rabbits. Did Cal want cute ickle bunny wunnies on his fluffy wuffy socks?" Sky cooed mockingly. She thought he would throw the pillow at her. Instead, he kicked her off. "Rude!" She protested.

"You rude!" He countered from under the pillow.

"What are you doing, trying to suffocate yourself?" He didn't answer. "Cal..." She warned, picking herself up.

"No."

"Well, what then?"

"Pancakes."

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

"What-?" He dropped the pillow and looked at her. Looked at the window. "Cal?"

"Am I a good brother?" He asked her.

"I'd have thought so. You're always looking out for Lish."

"Then why does she say I'm not?"

"Who? Lish?" He nodded. "She doesn't. She says you're annoying from time to time, but all brothers are."

"You don't have brothers. How would you know?"

"I'm speculating. Shut up." He watched her for a moment.

"So, Lish doesn't hate me."

"Why would she?"

"I don't know. Where is she?"

"She'll be here in a bit, you can ask her then."

"How long is a bit?" Sky looked at the clock.

"About ten minutes." He furrowed his brow and turned to examine the clock himself.

"It's nearly eleven." Sky nodded. "What happened to eight?"

"What do you mean?"

"It was eight just now." Sky shook her head and he frowned. "It was." He insisted.

"How time flies when you're having fun." He blinked a few times, looked from her to the clock and back again. Confusion gradually cleared away and he nodded.

"Yeah." He agreed. "Flying time." He massaged his forehead, trying to figure out where three hours had gone. Sky had only been here for, what? An hour? Give or take twenty minutes. That still left over an hour and a half unchecked. Where had that gone?

Not much I know, I'm really struggling at the moment.

I've been doing this thing all year where when I've finished a book, I write the name and author down on a bit of paper and put it in this jar. How many do you lot reckon I've read? Has anyone else done it? I'm going to do it next year as well, see if I can read more :D

If I don't update in time, Happy New Year!