Chapter 51

"Wow, it's been awhile since we've been here," I said, looking around at the cliff where I first met Floyd. It was the day after Azul's birthday party, and Floyd insisted on hanging out with me first thing after classes to have some fun without homework involved.

"It has," Floyd agreed. "This place is great, isn't it?" He stood beside me, looking out at the ocean.

"Yeah, it's pretty calming. I'm glad all the craziness with the SDC is over. Now I just need to get Grim back to normal, and everything will go back to the way it should be."

Floyd gave me a sympathetic smile. "Grim will be fine."

I smiled slightly in return. "I'm sure he will be." I just wished Crowley would let me see him already. What was going on?

"Oh! I found something to make you feel better. Hold out your hand."

"Huh?" I held out my hand, and Floyd dropped something into it. I smiled. It was another shell. This one was tiny. A giant Atlantic pyram, I believed it was call. "Ooo... I love it. Spiral shells are my favorite."

Floyd grinned. "Good!"

I smiled at the shell for a moment longer before putting it in my pocket. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did, but go ahead, Little Shrimpy!"

"Why do you keep giving me shells?"

Floyd tilted his head to the side. "You like them, don't you?"

"Yes, of course! They're beautiful. I'm just wondering if you attach any meaning to them." I would put it down to his randomness, but then why was it always a shell?

Floyd smiled. "Merfolk give little gifts like that as a sign of friendship. You like shells and can't get them yourself, so I give them to you!"

My eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, really?" I smiled warmly at him. That was very thoughtful of him. "I appreciate it, Floyd. Thank you. You gave me a shell when we first met. Does that mean you wanted to be my friend from start?"

Floyd nodded. "Yep! I knew you were different. You weren't afraid of me. I knew I had to keep you close. And I knew Jade and Azul would see it too someday, and they did!"

I continued to smile at him. He really was so different from what most people thought, and I couldn't be more grateful to have him as a friend. "Yes, they did. But they don't give me shells - or any gifts, really."

Floyd shrugged. "That's not their thing. Everyone has their own way of showing they care."

"Yeah, I guess that's true." Then something else occurred to me. "Hey, does that mean you would like it if I gave you small gifts?"

Floyd's face brightened. "You don't have to, but I would like that, Little Shrimpy."

"Okay, what would you like?"

Floyd grinned. "Anything from you would be good!"

I chuckled lightly. I should have expected that response. I could work with it. "Alright, Floyd. I'll find something."

Floyd smiled happily. "Great! Oh, and if you really want Jade to give you gifts, mention it to him and he'll probably starting giving you some of those boring rocks he collects."

"They're not boring!"

Floyd laughed. "Whatever you say. You ready to have to have some fun?"

I gave him my best attempt at a grin. "I'm ready!" I could really use some more fun to distract myself from my useless thoughts about Grim, and Floyd was a great person for the job.

We did end up having fun together. Later on, Floyd brought me back to Ramshackle, where I studied with Jade. Studying with Jade was always a lot less eventful than studying with Floyd, but he was always very helpful with his advice. I ended up not having to bring up the gift thing. He noticed the shells laid out on my dresser.

"Floyd found a new shell for you," Jade said in a neutral tone with his back to me.

"Yeah, isn't it pretty?" I said.

"Quite." Jade turned around to look at me with a smile that seemed genuine, but there was something off about it.

"Oh, uh, Floyd told me giving gifts is a sign of friendship for merfolk. So... if you wanted to give me rocks or something, I would like that."

"Oh?" Jade smiled slyly. "You're requesting I give you gifts? Are you suggesting I don't show you my appreciation enough?"

I flushed. "N-No. I just meant... If you wanted to give me gifts... I would accept them... But you can show your appreciation however you want. I'm just saying... I wouldn't reject ant gifts from you."

Jade chuckled lightly. "I did not think you would." He smirked. "Do you really want a gift from me?"

"I, uh, yeah, I mean... only if you want to." I gave him a weak smile, and he just laughed again.

"I suppose I could pick you up something from the mountains. However... I would much prefer if you were there with me." He gave me a real smile this time.

I relaxed and smiled back at him. "Yeah, I would too."

"Then we'll go on a trip together when the weather warms up. I know you don't like the cold."

I nodded. "Yeah, sounds great." I wanted to say I might not mind the cold if I was with him, but I held back from mentioning it. That might only get me another round of teasing.

Jade glanced at the clock in my room. "It's about time for us to head to the Mostro Lounge." He paused and looked at me with slight concern. "Are you sure you want to go to work today?"

I forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Besides, I can't let down Azul like that."

"Azul would understand. You would take the day off if you were physically sick, wouldn't you? I do not believe you are mentally well right now, and that is just as important."

I hesitated. "I guess, but... Ace and Deuce are busy. Where else would I go?"

Jade gave me a sympathetic smile. "Of course. I'll stay with you, don't worry. I'll make sure Floyd or myself are near you all night."

I gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Jade." I gave him a quick hug before heading outside with him. I nearly ran into someone on my way down the stoop. "Huh? Jamil? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to check up on you," Jamil said without looking me in the eye. He frowned when he saw Jade. "Where are you two going?"

"We are on our way to work," Jade said in a pleasant tone.

Jamil looked at me with a small frown. "Oh, right, you work for Azul." He narrowed his eyes at Jade. "You're forcing her to go to work after everything that happened?"

Jade placed a hand over his heart and gasped. "Force? I would never!"

"That's not what's going at all!" I said quickly. "Jade offered to let me take the day off, but I refused. He's just trying to look our for me. I don't want to be alone."

Jamil relaxed a little as he looked at me. "Well, you're feeling well enough to defend him."

I smiled slightly. "I'm always well enough for that."

"Say, I have an idea," Jade said suddenly. "Why don't you look after her for me, Jamil?"

Jamil stared at him blankly. "What?"

"I agree that Ona should take the day off, yet I do not wish to leave her alone. If you spend time with her, then she can take time off to relax with you. As long as she is alright with it, of course."

I gave Jamil a small smile. "Yeah, I would be alright with that."

Jamil crossed his arms looked at Jade suspiciously. "Are you just pushing her off onto me?"

"Oh, no, I am simply looking out for her well-being," Jade said. "I believe we share a mutual interest in that regard. You came here for that reason, did you not?"

"Yes, that's true..."

"But, of course, if you do not want the bother, you may simply lead her to Kalim. I am sure he would love to entertain her." A sly smile spread across Jade's face.

"No, no, it's fine. Kalim is busy right now. I can spend time with you if you wish, Ona." Jamil smiled at me.

I smiled back at him. "Sure. I would like that." I glanced at Jade. "If you're sure it will be fine."

"Of course it will be fine," Jade said, sounding more sincere as he spoke to me. "Don't worry about Azul. I'll take care of everything."

I gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Jade. You're the best."

Jade grinned. "Of course I am." He gave me a quick hug, which I gladly reciprocated. "I'll see you later than."

I nodded. "Yeah, later, Jade." I watched him walk off before turning to Jamil. "Thank you for agreeing to this."

"It's not problem," Jamil said in a neutral tone. "I do not want you to be alone either." He paused. "I can't believe he left us alone like that."

I shrugged. "He trusts you."

"More like, he doesn't see me as a threat."

I gave him a puzzled look, not understanding the difference. "What do you mean?"

Jamil shook his head. "Never mind. Let's go." We began walking together. The silence lasted less than a minute. "I don't understand why you two are so close. I can see why you might have fun with Floyd, but you have nothing on common with Jade."

I studied his face for a moment even though he was not looking at me. I sensed he was genuinely confused instead of trying to criticism me, so I decided to give him an honest answer. "That's not true. For one, we share a love for the sea. I come from an island that has a deep appreciation for the ocean. I think Octavinelle is stunning."

Jamil nodded. "That makes sense, but that means you could get along with any Octavinelle student. Why Jade specifically?"

I felt too tired to explain the intricacies of my relationship with Jade, so I decided to stick to the basics of what we had in common. "Actually, we have something pretty significant in common. We both love nature."

"Oh, that's right. He likes mushrooms."

I smiled. "Yes, and all sorts of plants, flowers, and rocks. My island also has a deep appreciation for nature, so it was nice to find someone here who shares that. It's how we became friends, actually. I joined him on one of his hikes, and we discovered we have a common passion." I smiled wider as I saw Jamil's interested expression. "You know, I think we could find something in common too if we tried."

"Oh, really? Like what?"

I thought for a moment. "Like... curry? I, uh, really like curry too, you know. I used to help my dad make this curry from his country. It's different from any that you've made."

Jamil gave me a small smile. "Curry is different in every country."

I nodded. "I'm sure there's a country in this world similar to my dad's, but I haven't found it yet. If I experimented in the kitchen, I might be able to recreate it."

"Then why don't we try to make it together? I planned to cook for you, but it might be more for if you joined in."

I brightened at the idea. "Really? You don't mind? I might slow you down."

Jamil smiled. "Don't worry about it. Discovering a new recipe is an interesting process. And I want to make sure you're taken care of."

I returned his smile with one of my own. "Thanks, Jamil. Let's do it." He nodded, and we continued on our way to Scarabia. I was excited at the idea of cooking something from home. I wondered if Grim would like it. I immediately pushed the thoughts away. Not now.

We made it back to Scarabia and began cooking. It was difficult to recreate my dad's recipe from scratch, but Jamil was eager to help. I forgot about my problems for awhile as I tested out different spices. Eventually, we created something that was familiar to me and quite delicious. We had just finished when Kalim walked into the kitchen.

"What's for dinner, Jamil?" he said before noticing me. A huge grin spread across his face. "Ona! Are you joining us?"

I gave him a small smile. "Yes, I am. I helped cook."

Kalim brightened at this. "Really? I can't wait to try it!"

"It turned out well," Jamil said. I helped him set the table for three and serve the curry. I sat across from Kalim and next to Jamil.

Kalim immediately took a bite. "Oh, this is great!" He grinned at me. "Good job, Ona. You too, Jamil."

"Thank you," I said. I took a bite myself. It was almost like I remembered it. I couldn't help but smile. It reminded me of home.

"I wrote down the recipe," Jamil said. He slipped me a small sheet of paper. I glanced over it before noticing that he was giving me a serious look. "I have a favor to ask of you. Feel free to make this for your friends, but do you mind not giving Azul the recipe? I would like to keep this between us."

I was a bit surprised at the question, but then I realized it was a legitimate concern. I gave him a kind smile. "Don't worry, Jamil. We created the recipe together, so it belongs to both of us. I won't give it away without your permission."

Jamil smiled back at me. "Thank you, Ona." We continued eating.

"Hey, are you doing anything after this?" Kalim asked after not even a minute of silence.

"I told her she could spend time with us for awhile," Jamil answered for me.

Kalim's face lit up at that. "Oh, cool! We should watch movies in my room."

"That sounds good to me," I said.

"Fine," said Jamil, "but we can't stay up to late. We still have school tomorrow."

Kalim waved his concerns away. "I know, I know." He smiled at me. "What do you want to watch?"

I shrugged. "Whatever you recommend. All the movies in this world are new to me."

"Then I've got you covered!" Kalim paused before looking at me in concern. "Are you doing well, Ona? Jamil said you might be feeling sad."

My eyes widened. "Did he now?" I looked at Jamil, and he quickly turned away, seeming embarrassed.

"I didn't mean anything by it," Jamil muttered.

"He was trying to help," Kalim said. "We're going to make you feel better, alright?"

I smiled warmly at him. I should have known I could count on him. "Thanks, Kalim. You too, Jamil." I knew the latter cared as well even if he did not want to say it out loud.

"So, is there anything specifically that can help?"

I thought for a moment. "Well... hugs help. And cuddling. Physical affection in general."

Kalim grinned. "Good to know!"

Soon enough, the three of us were in Kalim's large room, watching a random action movie. I sat in between the two boys. Kalim kept an arm around me, cuddling me more as the movie went on. Jamil occasionally glanced at us with a small frown - not that it was much different from his usual look.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" he said at last, motioning between Kalim and me.

Kalim appeared confused. "What's wrong, Jamil?"

"I thought you wanted us to be close," I said.

Jamil sighed. "Never mind. I just don't think it's very... proper."

I shrugged. "Some people like more physical touch than others. Should I suffer because it's not socially acceptable? Kalim doesn't seem to care... and neither does Floyd. They both seem to like it as much as I do."

Jamil's eyes narrowed. "Floyd, huh? Are you sure he's not taking advantage of your vulnerability?"

I rolled my eyes. "He hasn't even come close. If he wanted to, he would have by now. Floyd and Jade have both been great friends these past few days. And you've seen Floyd. He likes physical affection as much as me. And Kalim too. But I will accept it from anyone who is willing."

"Do you want to cuddle with her?" Kalim said brightly.

Jamil quickly looked away. "No."

"Then don't complain," I said. We returned to watching the movie. After awhile, I noticed Jamil hold his hand out to me. I looked at him curiously. "Hmm?"

"This is all I'm offering you," he said with his face turned away.

I smiled and held his hand, appreciating the gesture. "Thanks." He grunted in response.

Two movies later, we decided to call it a night. Kalim and Jamil walked with me to the lounge. By that time, there was no one else around. I sincerely thanked them for spending time with me. They had helped me forget everything for awhile.

"No problem, Ona!" Kalim said with a grin. He gave me another hug. "You're welcome here anytime."

I smiled as I hugged him back. "Thanks, Kalim."

"Would you like me to walk you back to Ramshackle?" Jamil asked with a kind smile.

"Uh, no. Can you take me to Octavinelle? I've been staying with Floyd and Jade." I gave him a nervous smile, knowing what he would think about that.

Jamil crossed his arms and gave me a look. "And why is that?"

"I, uh, haven't been able to sleep. I've never been entirely alone in my dorm, you know."

Jamil's expression softened. "I suppose that's understandable. Why not stay with Ace and Deuce?"

"They don't have as much space as the twins. And Floyd's cuddling helps me fall asleep."

"Aw, I can cuddle with you if you want to stay here," Kalim said.

"You are welcome to stay," Jamil said with an even tone, his face showing little emotion.

I shrugged. "I suppose I could..."

"If you want to cuddle with Jamil instead, I'm sure he would be fine with that!" Kalim said brightly.

Jamil shot him a look before turning to me with a slight smile. "If that is what you wish."

I hesitated as I looked between the boys. I knew both of them would be willing to help me out, and the twins would understand if I told them the situation. Still, I found it hard to make a decision. "Why don't you decide where I should go, Jamil? I haven't been thinking clearly as I'd like lately, and I trust your judgment."

Jamil's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Really?"

I nodded. "You can take me back to Octavinelle... or I can stay with one of you two. What do you think would be best?" I would be fine with any option, and I was curious to see what he would choose.

Jamil stared at me for a long moment with another unreadable expression. Finally, he turned towards the exit. "Let's go."

I smiled. It looked like it was Octavinelle. "See you later, Kalim."

"Bye, Ona!" Kalim said loudly, waving as I left with Jamil.

We walked silently to Octavinelle. Jamil did hold my hand, which made me feel at ease. He let go of it as soon as we reached the dorm. We headed into the Mostro Lounge, where my friends should be closing up.

"I'm sorry, we're closed," Azul said as soon as he heard us enter. He smiled when he saw me. "Oh, Ona and Jamil. What a pleasant surprise."

"I'm not here to see you," Jamil said flatly. "I understand you're letting Ona stay here?"

"Yes, that's right. I thought it best if she not remain alone."

"That was... quite decent of you."

I smiled at Jamil, pleased that he was making an effort to get along with Azul. "I know. He's great, isn't he?"

"Oh, you're returned Ona to us!" Jade said as he approached. "Thank you, Jamil."

Jamil narrowed his eyes at him. "I did it for her, not you."

Jade chuckled lightly. "Of course."

"Kalim offered for me to stay at Scarabia instead," I said. "I let Jamil choose, and he brought me back here."

Jade appeared amused at this. "Oh? Did he now?"

Jamil shot me a look. "You didn't have to say that."

"Ah, so you trust us now?" Azul said with a grin.

Jamil gave him an exasperated look. "I trust you to protect Ona. That's it."

Jade smirked. "Very good. We're not that different, are we?"

"Little Shrimpy!" Floyd exclaimed from across the room and started running towards me. Jade moved out of the way to allow him to engulf me in a hug. "I'm glad you're back."

I smiled as I hugged Floyd. "It's good to see you too, Floyd." He let me go but put an arm around me as he stood beside me. I noticed Jade watching us, but he casually looked away when I glanced at him. I also noticed that Jamil observed the entire interaction.

"Perhaps we're not so different after all," Jamil murmured. He shook his head before giving me a smile. "I better get going before Kalim finds a way to get into trouble. Have a good night, Ona."

I smiled at him in return. "You too, Jamil. Thanks for everything." He gave me one last smile before leaving.

"Well, he seems to be coming around," Azul commented.

"He's only actin' nice because of Ona," Floyd said, "but I don't mind."

"Yes it's an improvement," Jade said.

I agreed. I hoped this positive development would continue in the future even when I got Grim back. If nothing else, Jamil had proven he cared about me, so I would not give up on him if he started to act cold again.

A little while later, I was in the twins' room, ready for bed. There was no discussion about it this time as Floyd grabbed my arm and brought me to his bed. I let him get in first, and my gaze drifted over to Jade. He did not look at me, but he seemed normal enough. Still, I could not help but feel like something was off.

I knew I should not really care. It was as I explained to Jamil. Floyd was as affectionate as I was, so it made sense that he was the one to cuddle for me. And I found the experience entirely satisfying. So, why did my intuition tell me something else was up? "Hey, Jade?" I said softly. I wondered what would happen if I requested he cuddle with me instead.

"Yes, Ona?" he said, looking at me. His smile was not fake, but I could tell there was something deeper behind it.

I hesitated. Whatever his answer, the meaning behind it would not be straightforward, and I did not think I was in the right mind to figure it out right now. I was too mentally exhausted. It was probably all in my head anyway. He was fine. "Good night."

Jade's smile grew warmer. "Good night, princess."

A/N: I found a pumpkin curry recipe and made it recently because Jamil mentions it in his Halloween card. He was right. It is the perfect combination of sweetness and spiciness. I highly recommend it if you like curry.