The morning is bright and ready for today—we've got a meeting with Crowley Friday, and honestly a potion to check on today. Our very first one was made this week! I forget what it's called after the sugar high and crash I experienced last night. Oh boy.

But I am up with my third brushing of teeth to get the feeling of sugar sticking to my mouth out, and Grim's walking around a bit wobbly. He ate too much. There was a lot of bellyaching last night and I didn't say told you so, but I thought it deep in my soul.

I am dressed and ready for lab. Really, it's just home room but with Crewel every home room is a lab… class… thing. At least he goes over some stuff with us.

We are ready, and I check out my spiffy uniform. I'd really like a cool one like the Heartslabyul Dorm Uniforms, but we're only a technical dorm, and I might actually start to budget to buy some cloth from the store and maybe make my own and a fancy get-up for Grim? I'm thinking a pretty bow and a hat? I might incorporate his current bow into the design, because it is the same colors as my ribbon, after all. That's a pretty good idea.

But, it's off to class and I've got my hair tied up as needed, since we're checking the potions for home room today.

I'm stopped by the pretty boy that I thought was a girl with an arm full of fruit. "Um—excuse me."

"Oh! Hello." I smile politely. "Do you need help?"

"Actually—could you take the peach? I can't… just waste it, but I'm only supposed to have apples." Well!

"Sure! Thanks." I pluck it from the top. "Oh—I'm-"

"No Wei." He responds with a smile. "Everyone knows who you are. I'm Epel."

"Pleasure! Oh—shoot, if I'm late, Crewel might kill me!"

Grim's already wandered far off ahead. He's clearly too busy tending after his tender tummy to not notice.

"Yeah, go! No one wants to get on his bad side!" Epel gestures me off, and I flee!

Luckily, I catch up with Grim, the peach in my pocket as I go inside to see Deuce and Ace waiting with our potion.

There's the hit of a baton on a desk, and I know class has started.

"Your potion should be a bright green color, think glowing grass." The professor starts, as he goes around the room, starting to inspect everyone with a discerning eye.

As I am, fascinatingly, holding and inspecting the allergy recovery potion that our wonderful professor gave us as an assignment, the creation sat a time and ours is a sickly green as directed—some groups made them poorly, but I sit and behold what looks perfect.

"Unfortunately." Crewel starts, "We are not currently in need of testing these—but I will grade them on the basis of correct color and smell."

I pull out the peach that a student handed me before class, inspecting it closely with a stupid idea in my head.

So, when with boys, do as the boys do: something stupid.

"I guess I'll test it." I take a first, amazing, delicious bite of this peach. Oh God this is Heaven. I could die right now, they are getting progressively worse. It's worth this bight. It's so soft and sweet. The flavor is perfection. I'm wolfing this down, and swallow as I feel the itchiness and my throat swelling.

Crewel is looking at me, perplexed.

"YOLO-" I manage to gasp out as I down the potion.

That is what causes panic in the professor who rushes over as I am definitely getting hives. "NO WEI!"

Oh, boy, I feel absolutely bad, but also heavenly because the taste of peach lingers… a little.

I thumbs up the professor as he's inspecting me over, and has a good grip. I'm getting haulted out of the room. "STAY, ALL OF YOU!"

Oh, the class is a din now of talking as I get hauled off. It was so worth it.

I'm asleep before we make it to the infirmary.

I wake up some time later to see sights I don't really care to see: Headmaster Nightwing and Professor Crewel. I realize after a thought of, ithat's not who I'd dream of/i, that this isn't a dream but my reality. But I'm not opposed to two—just not these two.

Well. I mean. C-.

"No Wei." Crowley starts. "What… was that?" That isn't a good tone.

"...Professor Crewel did say it was… upsetting we couldn't test it?" Yeah, I know that's not going to work.

Divus Crewel is not willing to deal with my bullshit. "What you did was irresponsible—reckless—dangerous-deadly! What IF your potion was not made right, No Wei?"

"Well, I don't have next of kin to inform." I say pretty plainly—because my response to lecturing is to clearly say shit. I have the straightest face known to man kind and no one can say otherwise.

It's nice that he ignores me as he continues. "You little fucking shit—do you have a brain in there?! You are, what I thought, was one of my brightest students with such potential! And then you pull the same stupidity as your gang of dumb fucks!"

"iDivus, we have talked about that language./i" Crowley gives an easy warning, at least.

"iFine. You dumb pup. What do you have to say for yourself?/i" I am on this man's shit list and I don't even care.

I'm surprised to hear the door fly open, "What STUPIDITY did you pull, No Wei!? I expect this from Deuce or Ace—but I was clearly mistaken to believe you had more than two braincells in your head!" That is the voice of none other than Riddle Rosehearts who stops mid-next word to see the Headmaster and Professor standing there, in the middle of giving me a lecture. "I—uh—Headmaster. Professor…"

Immediately, Crowley bursts into tears. "BOO HOO HOO! W-what a WONDERFUL day this is! I-I never thought in my eons a-as an educator I would EVER see students rush in, so CONCERNED about one-another!"

Crewel looks both disgusted and in a state of disbelief at his boss's display. "Why."

I turn my head to see I have an entourage of Heartslabyul students. It's Trey, Deuce, Ace, Grim, and Riddle in a gaggle. I wave. "Hi."

Grim is behind Riddle's leg. But quiet, for once.

There's an awkward silence as Mr. Emotional Crow keeps crying. It's… awkward.

But that's this man's entire existence, right?

I lay back down because boy, giving yourself an allergic reaction to the best food ever is exhausting.

Eventually, the Headmaster stops blubbering. "No Wei, do you have anything to say about what you did today?"

"Do I get an high mark since it worked?" I'm trying.

"Why would you even TRY it?" This man, this professor of science, is about to end me, and is also insanely exasperated and confused.

"Peaches taste like home." I say pretty simply.

"Oh no, this is some sad bullshit." Ace groans.

Deuce sighs. "We already know a bit of the sad backstory."

Grim nods in agreement. "Have you ever had happy things happen, No?"

I give the group a smile. "I met all of you, right? I'd call that happy things."

Why does Crowley start crying again?

Mr. Black-and-White-and-Red all over ignores him this time. "No Wei, you get your tale, and then I will decide your punishment."

I sit back up, and the entire room is eyes on me in anticipation. "When… I was a kid… we had a peach tree in our yard. So that was my favorite snack. Every day after school, or after playing as a kid—something with peach. Until… my parents died. And I left that house." I take in a breath. "One day, I tried a peach again when I realized it had been… years. And I broke out into hives and discovered I was allergic. So, I—had a peach today, and I was just going to give it to Grim until I saw the opportunity. Why not? And I would definitely do it all over again, because that one tasted as good as I remember them being as a kid."

Of course, our over-emotional headmaster is still crying. Absolutely sobbing. The invading students? They're all giving him weirded-out looks, and a few of them have seen this before!

Professor Poison takes in a deep breath, and lets it out. Then another. Oh, he's about to murder me.

"I KNEW it was sad!" Ace has to speak, doesn't he.

"Shh." Trey shushes.

"I am sorry for worrying all of you. I know it was selfish." It was the perfect time for an apology, sure, but I do mean it. I feel bad at all of this worry.

It's Crowley that speaks. "No—if you do this again, you will face full punishment. However," That's a sniffle. "you get this one mercy. Come, Divus, I have something to discuss with you in my office! Go to your dorm when you feel ready, No. You're not getting out of classes tomorrow or our meeting after class!"

"...Fine. I will speak with you later, No Wei." I'm in danger.

The two leave, and the gaggle of guys approach.

Trey has a hand on Riddle's shoulder, but he is still in danger of exploding.

Grim has his paws on the bed, looking at me with narrowed blue eyes. "...I'm hungry."

I can't help but burst out laughing. I'm throwing off the covers. "Okay, okay! Let's go home so I can make us dinner."

I stand, but I am a bit wobbly. "Oooh…" Not great.

"See? This is what you get." Ace huffs.

"It is…" But Deuce is already offering me a shoulder.

"Riddle…" Trey's trying to stop that next temper burst but it's not working.

I take it, I feel… zero percent good. And I'm hungry.

"Are you going to do this again!?" Riddle demands.

"Probably not, Riddle… Ooo…" Yeah, I stumble. Deuce catches me, and gets me sitting. "Wow… that did take a lot out of me."

Even if my body feels weak, my heart's warm. I'm glad to… see they care.

But I'm never going to hear the end of this.

"Out of all of the stupid things you could have done-" Riddle is the one that literally tried to murder us a few days ago but off I go I guess.

"I'm really glad I have friends that care so much." I say with such a bright smile that it disarms Riddle, immediately.

"We're friends? Oh no, this is some sort of imprisonment." Ace cuts in.

Deuce elbows him hard, in the side. "Don't do it again, No."

"No, No." Trey starts, and pauses, ah yes, a victim of this problem name of mine. "-what I mean to say is, please don't do something like this again."

"That." Ace huffs.

"Alright, I'll leave the stupid to you, then." I smile at the dumb duo.

"Wait a second…" Oh, Deuce.

Riddle is in such a huff as I'm helped out of the infirmary and on the way to my dorm. "What does this YOLO mean?"

Ah, someone that is uncultured. "You only live once." I reply simply.

"That doesn't mean you have to make it a challenge!" He's going to be like this all night, isn't he? But I don't really mind being stuck with all of this.

It's so nice when people care.

It's nice to also pull rank and leave Riddle pouting when we get to Ramshackle.

"I'm keeping a very close eye on you, No Wei." He's so cute, I just can't take Riddle too seriously. And as I value my life, I will never say that aloud.