I wrote this over twice- the first time was absolutely terrible :P So here goes it!

Disclaimer- I only own Julia, Mira's parents, and all Hightopps other than Tarrant.

"Mere bashfulness without merit is awkwardness."—Joseph Addison

Tarrant, 15 years old

Walking down the hallways, I found that my mind was wondering as aimlessly as my feet were. One second, I was thinking about Mira and Julia, then the next, I was thinking about Nennie and the other kids. I got more nervous when I couldn't stay on one subject for longer than thirty seconds. It scared me, in all honesty. By the time I found myself in the main corridor, I was flashing from topic to topic with no more than 5 seconds spent on each. They were going faster and faster as I stumbled into a tiny hallway off to side. I could swear my head itself was spinning!

I went to press my fingers to my temples and found that my head was indeed spinning. I tried to stay calm, but for heaven's sakes- my head was spinning! After a few minutes of pulling at my long hair, my head slowed to a stop- in the right direction, thankfully- and I noticed a slumped over figure leaning against the wall. I couldn't help but grow a bit worried…or concerned. One or the other. I was pretty sure it was human, but I was cautious as I drew closer. It was dark in this particular hall and I could be seeing things…

It was a human, much to my relief. I squatted in front of it and leaned in. I was hit by a very familiar scent- it certainly smelled like Mirana. I sat back on my bum. It looked like Mirana. But…it didn't quite sound like Mirana. The human in front of me was breathing heavily, as if dry heaving. Mirana…she didn't usually vomit or anything…right? I leaned closer once more and thought. So, from this, at least I could make a question.

So was this person Mirana or not?

And, suddenly, my question was answered. The person's head flew up and their eyes opened wide. It was, in fact, Mirana. This didn't ease my concern in the least. If anything, it made it worse! One look from her and I knew she wasn't too feeling too well. Though, I probably should've figured that out…a while ago. I sat back once more and began laughing hysterically at myself. How could I have missed that she wasn't feeling good? It should've registered in my brain, at the least, that she was tired.

"Tar-Tarrant?" she stuttered. I stopped as suddenly as I began and shook my head to clear all my previous thoughts.

"I'm sorry," I muttered. I turned my attention back to her, hoping my absent-minded-ness didn't last too much longer. "Are you…alright? I mean, you're obviously not alright. I just…can you stand up?" I said, stumbling over every word I tried to pronounce. And, despite her obvious state of health, she cracked a smile.

"Not really- that's sort of why I'm sitting here. Could you…you know…help me up?" That's when I noticed I was staring at her and I probably had been for a rather inappropriate length of time.

"Uh, yeah." I stood and squatted once more, tucking my hands un her arms. It was awkward, though it shouldn't have been. We were just friends, right? Why would this be weird? I found myself asking these question over and over again as my heart raced in my chest at the feel of her body against mine. I struggled to pick her up off the ground, but when I finally got her up, I quickly noticed she couldn't even hold up the slightest amount of weight. And so, my face burning red with embarrassment, I picked her up and held her in my arms.

"Oh!" she shouted in surprise. "Well then. I suppose this is more efficient," she said, her face certainly more red than my own. I giggled, this time retaining my laughs. I started off in the direction of her room and began to feel the effects of carrying her. The last time I'd carried anyone like this was probably with Nennie, but she was younger than Mira and- despite Mirana's light weight- even lighter still. Something told me I need to start working on getting some muscle. This was honestly pathetic!

"Umm…Tarrant? We're at my room," she said. I looked around us and let out a nervous laugh. She was right. That hidden hallway must've been closer to the room than I thought. I shifted her weight so that I was holding her in one arm and used the other to get the door open. She had her arms in wrapped around my neck so tightly that I was sure she was holding herself up instead of me holding her. I found myself enjoying having her close, but I knew it'd be even more awkward if I held her longer than necessary. So, choking as I was, I walked into her room and quickly went to her bed, laying her down as softly as I could. The minute her spine hit the bed, she groaned. I could tell she was tired- either from lack of sleep or from being as sick as she was. When she was completely on her own laying down, she closed her eyes and sighed, letting her body fall limp.

"Thanks," she murmured, re-opening her eyes, "I needed to be here." I smiled politely, pulled up a chair to sit on, and just stared at her. I guess I was trying to telepathically tell her that she needed to just, you know, sleep. She furrowed her brow and stared back at me. After a few moments, she pulled her blankets around her, turned on her side so that she was facing me, and promptly fell into a deep sleep. I let out the breath I'd been holding and sat back in the chair, utterly exhausted myself. How could a young woman that thin feel so heavy to me? Maybe if I ran around our yard with Nennie or Typhany on my back, I could gain some muscle.

"What? You! How? Dad! When? Answer!" I whipped my head around and stared at the person in the doorway, my heart pounding in my ears. When I saw who it was, I sighed in relief. It was just Julia. She would never tell the king I was in his daughters room. He would kill me! Especially seeing as Mira was asleep.

"Yes, well…you see, she…she fell, I guess, in the hallway and she was sitting against the wall and I walked by and I picked her up and I brought her here and now you're here and you're not going to tell you father are you?" I stammered.

"Of course not," she said softly, coming to stand next to me. "Is she sick again, Tarrant?" she asked, this time sounding like a little child, anxious about the health of her dear sibling. Which, obviously, she was.

"Yeah. I wonder what's wrong this time. She's hot, like she has a fever," I said after placing a hand on her forehead. "And her skin looks a bit paler than usual. When she was in the hall, she looked about ready to throw up." The young girl grimaced and moved to sit on the edge of her sister's bed, gently stroking her face and hair. We sat in silence for a while, until Julia broke it.

"You like her?" she asked, ignoring all the grammar etiquette she ever learned. Personally, I was surprised by the question and my mind- once again- went running in a million directions. I stopped it this time, afraid of the head spinning that had happened not 20 minutes ago.

"What do ye mean?" I replied, not bothering to hold back my accent. I had noticed it came only when I was feeling strongly about something, be it in a good way or in a bad way. I think I remember it happening to my father back when we were younger, but I wasn't sure…

"I mean exactly what I said. Or, even, I said what I meant. It's the same thing, you know. Now, do you- Tarrant Hightopp- like my sister- Mirana of Crims. It is honestly a very simple question, yes or no answer-"

"Aye."

"Excuse me?"

"Aye. I like yer sister. Now stop buggin' meh about it!" I huffed and crossed my arms, throwing my back into the back of my chair. I glared at her for a moment, but smiled when she began to laugh. I wasn't sure whether she was laughing at my reaction or my answer to her question, but it made me happy anyway. I loved making Julia happy- it made my day. She stood, shaking her head in disbelief, and left the room without a word. I bit back a giggle as she tripped over, well, nothing. She turned and glared, leaving me alone.

I checked back over my shoulder until the door was shut. I scooted the chair as close as I could get it to the bed and leaned over so I could whisper in the sleeping girl's ear. "I want you. I need you. I…love you. But how could you ever feel the same about me?" I pulled back a bit and kissed her forehead, praying she'd stay asleep. I then, like Julia, left the room without a word.

"What are you thinking!" hissed someone next to me. I swear, I nearly had a heart attack! All these people were scaring me today!

"Is yer bluhdy mission to scar' teh livin' daylights outta meh today?" I turned to find my brother standing behind me. I threw my hands in the air and walked down the hall towards the workshop. He, predictably, followed.

"Wait, wait. I didn't mean to anger you. Tarrant, stop! I need to talk to you. Seriously, I don't want to yell at you or anything. It's not worth it." I sighed and pulled him into the workshop, slightly annoyed.

"Talk," I said, leaning against the wall, crossing my arms.

"I kissed her!" he exclaimed, obviously happy. My gaze hardened as I stared him in the eye.

"Ahnd who did ye kiss?" He cowered backward at my glare and stuttered out the name.

"Julia."

Haha, shouldn't have said that, huh Tarrance? Alright, now, I need to ask you guys a favor. Tell me (review or PM) your favorite names- one male, one female. Please and thank you!