Sorry this took so long. I had to get some blood work done, and it drained me. No pun intended...

For xDarklightx, HPLUVR71495, and xMxRosex. Thanks for the reviews!

Long, black hair, bound by a simple tie. Dark brown eyes, wide with shock, set on a face that had seen more sun than shade. A crooked smile, slightly open in disbelief.

These are the first things Eleni saw when she opened her eyes at dawn Tuesday morning. Years of seeing the features told her they belonged to Lokejo, and she didn't worry. Peeking over his shoulder to her window, she saw that the sun hadn't fully risen yet. Well, neither would she. She merely rolled over in her bed and waved him off. Five more minutes of sleep would make all the difference to her.

Lokejo wouldn't have any of it. With one hand he pulled her back over, his eyes turning as hard as flint. That woke her up. A serious Lokejo meant that something was wrong, seriously wrong.

"Just who did you annoy this time?" That was all he could say. His poor eyes just couldn't believe what they were seeing. How in Mithros' name did the girl manage to do that to her hair?

Stretching out her back, Eleni stifled a yawn. "What?"

She was instantly ripped from her bed and dragged before a mirror. What she saw made her shriek. Green. Forest green. Her once red hair was a bright green!

The scream that came from her mouth resonated throughout the hall, waking those who still slumbered. Soon, other panicked voices could be heard. Hearing wailing moans from the room next door, Eleni rushed to put on clothes and hurry out.

As Lokejo watched her, he asked the obvious question. "Why don't you glamour it back yourself?"

Never pausing, Eleni's reply was curt. "I said I didn't have the gift." She was finding it difficult to focus on dressing and continued to speak in a muffled and distracted voice. "Can't show up with my normal hair. Someone has to change it for me."

Lokejo merely sat on her bed and watched her frenzied motions. His little crow had angered someone, and that someone was powerful. She wasn't taking it well, either, but he saw as cosmic revenge for all of her past stunts.

Without checking her mirror or a "goodbye" Eleni stormed out of her room. Lokejo laughed to himself and wondered just how many others had awoken in the same predicament.

This is good for her, he thought. Maybe the chick will learn that people don't like being messed with too often.

Outside in the hall, Eleni was trying to break down Schuylar's door. She knew he was the snitch. Who else would have told that sniveling dandy? From the screams coming from all over the hall, she could tell that the others had seen the lovely changes bestowed upon them. She resumed her knocking with renewed fervor.

"Schuylar," she beat on the door, ignoring the splinters embedding themselves in her fists. "You come out know, or so help me, Mithros, I wil-" The door was unlocked and opened slightly. "Well, it's a about time," she chided. Pushing the door further open, she took up her lecture. "How could you tell that useless excuse for teacher that we-" Again, her words were cut off.

Standing before her was a despairing Schuylar of Nicoline. He had already dressed for the day and was facing away from the door. His darker than midnight hair was the same shade of green as hers. The poor boy looked close to tears, tugging at strands of his green hair.

"Why was I punished, too?" he finally whimpered. He wasn't even going to put up a fight. Schuylar slumped down on his bed, open to Eleni's retribution, but nothing ever came. No punch, no stab wound, not even something thrown. Myles of Pirate's Swoop did not attack him.

Forlorn as the boy looked, Eleni felt the ice around her heart crack. He might have done her wrong before, but he had been punished along with the true conspirators. That didn't sit well with Eleni. To her, it was just more proof that Radek Radzimierz was a fool. He couldn't tell the difference between the culprits, so he had condemned them all.

A decisively female shriek forced both pages to look towards the door. They barely managed to see Alex running past the door, bound for the next room. When Eleni turned back to look at Schuylar, he was already by her side. When he closed and locked his door, Eleni got suspicious.

"Schuylar," she whispered.

The desolate boy was leaning against his door, almost bracing it against some great storm. A murmur was all he spared.

"Who lives in the room next to yours?"

"Pierina."

That one word said it all. If the lady cried out, Alexander of Tirragen was at her side. But why was she of all people screaming. Eleni sighed and leaned against the door with Schuylar. Today was too much, and the sun had just risen.

"Is it awful? Living next to her I mean?" Schuylar had slid down to the floor, much more quiet than was normal. "What's wrong?" Shaking his arm, she tried again. "Schuylar, are you all right?"

Something snapped inside Schuylar at that question. Much like Eleni the weekend before, he lost his control, but he did not use violence. His weapon was his tongue, and the young academic knew how to use it. Eleni did not expect the tirade that came from the slim boy.

"My hair is green! Green!" He looked ready to tear out the chunks of hair he was tugging on. "I don't care what I look like, but I'm innocent! Where is the justice? And here you are, ready to blame me for your troubles again! I can't take this anymore, I'm through. No matter what I do, it's not enough. I'm not meant to be a knight, not if there isn't any justice to be found in this miserable city. What kind of madhouse is? Grandmother can use her threats to keep her warm at night, for all I care, but I'm not staying here a moment longer! No way am I going to lose another day."

He then proceeded to vent in a foreign language. On and on it went, until Eleni thought the boy would turn blue before he stopped. By the time he had worn himself out, Eleni could only stare openmouthed at the boy. She had known that he liked to talk, but a monologue like that one was unheard of. Schuylar had snapped. And Eleni liked it.

Though the boy may have been annoying with his incessant need to be friendly, this new honest and rabid Schuylar looked like fun.

"I would ask if you are all right," Schuylar shot her a glare. "But I'm not a fool, like you."

Schuylar could only chuckle and slide down next to her. "I am sorry," he said. "I really did think that man was trying to kidnap you."

"His name is Lokejo," she said. Eleni gave him a small shove with her shoulder. "He's been with me since I was born. He'd never hurt me." They were silent for a bit, listening to the screams that continued outside. She sighed. "I'm sorry for taking my frustrations out on you."

"You had every right to," he countered.

"No, I didn't. Mother taught me better."

"I thought she taught she to respect those who were better?" When she looked at him out of the corner of her eye, she saw him grinning. "I don't always do what Warren tells me to do."

"You'd live longer, if you did."

"Where's the fun in that?" Eleni had to agree with the boy. Mischief was fun, and if Schuylar liked it they could be friends.

They were silent again, each thinking of what they ahd learned about the other. This would certainly change things, but if it meant that they could get along and not strangle each other then it wasn't bad at all.

"I don't hear any screaming." Schuylar had his ear pressed against the door. "Think the others decided to just live with it for now?"

"I won't live with it," she pouted.

Eleni forced herself up and offered Schuylar her hand. Then there was a twinkle in her eye. I may not be able to use my Gift, she thought. But Schuylar can!

"Wanna do me a favor," she asked. Eager to make up for his former screw up, Schuylar quickly nodded. "Glamour my hair back for me?"

Schuylar laughed as he sat Myles down on his bed and placed his hands on his head. To think that their friendship was cemented on such a silly thing. His hands glowed celadon, a significantly lighter shade of green than their hair. Eleni found it funny that his Gift would be green, the irony was too much.

Once Eleni's hair was back to red, Schuylar set to work on his own. Soon it was back to its original midnight, and the pages were left with nothing to do. They shared a laugh, the kind of nervous laugh that people share after making up. The atmosphere wasn't tense like before, but they were still many things to learn about each other. The palace bell sounded the hour, reminding both pages that the day had just begun.

Hope you guys liked this one. I love Schuylar too much to make him the outsider. Thanks for reading!