Chapter 22

I made sure the contract I signed with Azul was beneficial for both of us with no hidden clauses or tricky wording. I would work Tuesday, Thursdays, and Saturdays - unless Crowley had me doing some other random task. I could have left that part out in an attempt to get out of whatever Crowley had planned for me, but I figured he had more power and would cause trouble for me if conflict ever arose.

From my calculations, it would take me eight weeks to earn enough money to buy a surfboard. Of course, other expenses might come up - I fully expected Grim to hound me for tuna at the end of every payday - but even if it took me twice as long, I would still be ready by the time the weather warmed enough to surf. Floyd reminded my of the promise I made to teach him the sport. I told him he would just have to buy his own board. He was cool with that.

At the beginning of my first shift, Azul gave me an Octavinelle dorm uniform to wear - tailored to fit me perfectly. It felt pretty nice, seeing as how Ramshackle did not have a dorm uniform. He then put Jade and Floyd in charge of my training. Floyd was eager to show me the ropes, but Azul did tell me to pay more attention to Jade to learn the right way to do things.

"Excellent work today, Ona," Azul said when the four of us convened in the VIP room at the end of the night. "I believe this venture will proof fruitful for both of us."

I smiled at him. "Thanks. I was thinking the same thing."

"It will be much more fun working with you around here, Lil' Shrimpy!" said Floyd.

"I hope that means you will take your work more seriously," Azul said.

"Ona's presence could just as easily distract him, you know," Jade said, not appearing sorry about it in the least.

Azul gave me a critical look. "Ona, I trust you can handle this."

I blinked. "I'm not sure what you want me to do, but I'll try my best."

"That's the sporting attitude I like to see. We can call it a night."

Something suddenly came to mind. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Can I visit your pool?"

Azul appeared taken back. "Our... pool?"

"Yes. I love to swim, and I hear your dorm has a pool. Can I visit?"

Azul chuckled lightly. "That would not be a problem. You may visit whenever you like. Jade and Floyd can show it to you on your way out."

"We can go swimming now!" Floyd said excitedly.

I hesitated. "I didn't bring my wet suit with me, and it's getting late, but... We could go swimming at the end of my shift on Thursday."

Floyd brightened. "Okay! That sounds like a date. Is it a date, Shrimpy?"

Alarmed, I looked to Jade, but he simply smirked at me and said, "Indeed, it does, Floyd."

"Heheh. I thought so," Floyd said, suddenly hugging me from behind.

I sighed and relaxed into his hold. "Call it whatever you want. I just need to swim."

The Octavinelle pool was the most amazing pool I had ever seen. The main part was about the size as a football stadium, and each side jetted out and curved like a snake and connected with each other, making it appear like some sort of water park or water obstacle course. The water in the center was very deep. Perhaps best of all, this late at night, it was completely empty.

"Pretty neat, huh?" Floyd said from beside me.

"It's amazing," I said.

"Are you going to get in, or do I have to help you?"

I took a step away from him. "No need to help." I had already changed into my wet suit, so I placed my backpack off to the side before stepped up to the pool. I decided to jump straight into the deep end. The cold water initially shocked me, but I got over it quickly. I shook my head when it burst through the surface of the water, sending tiny droplets flying. I looked at the spot where I left Floyd but could not see him. "Floyd?"

Suddenly, something wrapped around my waist and pulled me through the water. Before I could register what was happening, I was pushed up against something hard and slippery. I placed my hands on Floyd's chest and looked up at his grinning face - his eel face. "Hiya, Shrimpy," he said.

I took a deep breath to slow my racing heart. "H-Hi, Floyd."

"Are you doing alright?"

"Yeah. You just startled me. That's all."

Floyd grinned, showing all of his sharp teeth. "You know, I could eat you right now."

I rolled my eyes. It was true, of course. He held me securely in his tail, and there was no way I could escape without magic. "Just because you can doesn't mean you will. I know you won't. I'm not afraid of you, Floyd... in this form or your other one."

"M'kay. If you say so, Shrimpy. So..." He tilted his head to the side. "What do you think about me like this?"

I accepted this as an opportunity to take him in. I studied his face before looking down, trailing my eyes all the way to the end of his tail wrapped around my waist. I could see why people thought him intimidating and scary, though only one word came to mind when I saw him. "You're beautiful."

Surprise flashed in Floyd's eyes before he chuckled. "That's not a normal response."

"Well, I think being normal is boring, don't you?"

Floyd's smile widened to a grin. "I do."

"I already told you I love eels, so I don't know what you were expecting." I glanced down at the tail wrapped around me. My hand hovered over the skin, hesitating.

"You can touch me if you want."

I glanced back at his face. "Really?" I tried to hide the excitement from my voice. "Where?"

"Anywhere you like. Don't worry; you won't hurt me."

"Just... tell me if you're uncomfortable." I returned my attention to his tail, finally placing my hand on it. I gently rubbed it, marveling at its sleekness. I ran my hand along the dorsal fin and tried to memorize the feel of it. "Cool..."

"You're so funny, Shrimpy."

"I fail to see what's funny about this." I grabbed his right hand with my left one. Before I could do anything, he pressed his palm against mine and entwined our fingers. I bit my lip to cover my smile while I continued my exploration. I used my free hand to touch the fin on his arm. Finally, I lifted my head to look at his face. He was watching me with an expression I had never seen on him before. "What?"

"...feels good," he murmured.

While I had been so focused on satisfying my curiosity, I had not considered the effect it would have on him. Thankfully, it was positive. He really did enjoy physical touch, and I bet he did not receive that type of affection much in his life. I figured I might as well try to make both of us happy.

I used my free hand to touch the side of Floyd's face, and he all but melted into my touch. I did not hide my smile this time. My fingers lightly touched the fin of his face before sliding into his hair. His hair did not appear different in this form, but the pleased sound he emitted encouraged me to continue. I gently shook my left hand, and he released it. I used this one to gently rub his cheek while I continued to run the fingers of my right hand through his hair.

Floyd suddenly placed his hands on my back and pulled me even closer to him. Startled, my hands dropped to his shoulders, and I found his face inches from mine. I stared into his eyes while he grinned at me mischievously. "Finished?" he said.

My throat had suddenly gone dry, and my mind refused to work properly. "I, uh-"

"Or maybe you would like to touch me teeth?" He spread his mouth open wide, displaying the sharp teeth for me.

I swallowed hard. Was he teasing me, or did he actually want me to touch him? "Will you bite?"

"Only if you want me to!"

I chuckled weakly. "That's alright. You know what? I came here to swim, and we haven't swam yet."

Floyd brightened. "Do you want to see how fast I can swim?"

"I, uh, think I remember from last time."

"Then swim with me! It was fun right? Hand onto my back." Floyd finally released me and turned around. I noted the pretty, heart-shaped marking on his back. "Well?"

I smiled. "Alright." I figured I did not have much to lose. He was right; it had been fun the last time he gave me a ride. As soon as I wrapped my arms around his neck from behind, he took off. Swimming with him was just as thrilling as I remembered. How he navigated the pool at that speed was a mystery to me. By the time he stopped, we were both giddy with excitement.

We slowed down for a bit, swimming side by side. It did not take long for Floyd to start flicking and splashing me with his tail. I chased him around in the water. Of course, I only caught up to him when he wanted me to. All in all, I had a great time. I did not realize how late it had gotten until I noticed Jade standing off to the side. Floyd and I swam to the edge of the pool to greet him.

"I came to check up on you," Jade said when I questioned him. "Everyone else has gone to bed. You should get back to your dorm, prefect, or your furry little friend way start to worry."

"Aw, but we're having fun!" Floyd complained.

"No, he's right," I said. I did not want Grim to barge in here and cause trouble. Then again, he was just as likely to already be fast asleep. "But before we get out... Jade, can you get the camera that's in my bag?"

"Certainly," said Jade. He walked over to my backpack and retrieved the camera. "Ah, this is the ghost camera I have heard about."

"Yes. Do you mind taking a picture of Floyd and me?"

"A picture?" Floyd said happily. He put an arm around me and pulled me into his side.

Jade watched us with that unreadable expression of his. "You are the one meant to take the pictures," he said. "Are you sure you do not want a method to observe our soul-bond?"

I stared at him. Why did he always have to assume an ulterior motive? Was that his experience with people? I decided logic would be the best way to deal with him. "No, I just want a picture with Floyd. Even if I was certain I could take a good one myself, I am wet and don't want to damage the camera. Besides, a soul-bond works both ways. I could just as easily snap a picture of you and have the same effect. I don't need you to take it. The only thing I would learn is your bond with Floyd - but I hardly need a picture for that."

"Come on, Jade!" Floyd wined. "I want a picture with Shrimpy!"

Jade's expression softened ever so slightly when he glanced at his brother. "Alright, if you insist. But after this, you're going home."

I smiled at him. "Thank you, Jade." I put an arm around Floyd and leaned my head close to his. Jade snapped one photo before returning the camera to my bag.

"I want to see!" Floyd said excitedly.

I chuckled. "Then we better get dry." I climbed out of the water first, turning my back to Floyd so he could change. After drying myself off, I quickly put my clothes on over my wet suit. Then I grabbed my camera and approached Floyd. "Here it is."

Floyd looked over my shoulder at the picture on the screen. "It looks good! But nothing is popping."

"I have to print the photo for that. I'll do it once I get back to Ramshackle. You can watch if you walk me home."

Floyd smiled. "Okay!"

Jade bid me farewell, and Floyd and I headed back to my dorm. As I expected, Grim was already asleep. I quietly retrieved my photo album and opened it to the newest page. Then I printed the picture on the camera and placed it in the album. "There were are," I said.

"Oh, wow!" said Floyd. He picked up the album and held it close to his face. "It looks like a mini me! But you look normal."

"Well, that's because Jade and I haven't really bonded."

"Hmm..." Floyd set the album down and then turned to me. "Then you've got to do some bonding with him!"

"Uh, right..." I did not want to admit the idea was not exactly thrilling. Although I had never felt in danger from Floyd in any way, there was something about Jade that frightened me a little. I did not fear for my physical safety bur that he would learn too much about me and use it against me. He was way too observant and perceptive.

"Aw, come on, Shrimpy, I think you two would really like each other!"

"I'm not sure about that. He doesn't seem to like me too much right now."

"It takes him awhile to warm up to people. He's not used to people liking him, so you'll have to put in the effort. But I promise he'll come around!"

I gave Floyd an appraising look. "And how can you be so sure?"

Floyd grinned. "Because you're awesome and Jade's awesome! That means you'll make great friends, right?"

I could not help but smile at his innocent explanation. "Alright, I'll try harder to befriend him." For Floyd's sake, I could do it. I had promised him, after all.

Floyd lit up before pulling me into a hug. "Yay! You won't regret it!"

My worries melted away as I hugged him back. "If you care for him this much, he must be worth knowing."

Floyd was not hesitant to remind me of my promise during my shift at the Mostro Lounge on Saturday. Thankfully, he never said anything when Jade was within earshot. I had a feeling that, if Jade knew I wanted to be friends with him for Floyd's benefit, it would make him all the more resistant to my attempts. I finally got Floyd off my back by promising to take my break with Jade. I was still mostly following both of them around while I trained, so it was easy to convince Jade to join me in the break room.

We sat across from each other at the small table, food in front of both of us. "You are picking everything up quickly," Jade said. "Soon you should be able to manage on your own."

I smiled slightly. "Thanks. Can, uh, we talk about something besides work?"

Jade gave me his polite smile. "Certainly. What do you have in mind?"

"I want to learn more about you. What do you like to do for fun?"

Jade widened his smile, showing off his teeth. "I like to watch my prey from the shadows and calculate the perfect opportunity to strike."

My eyes widened, and my heart skipped a beat. "Wh-what?"

Jade leaned in closer, smirking. "That doesn't make you nervous, does it, prefect?"

Suddenly, something clicked for me. He was joking. I rolled my eyes and pushed against his chest. "Haha. Very funny."

"I fail to see the humor in the situation."

I gave him a pointed look. "Right." Was it really going to be that difficult to get this much out of him? Maybe I should be more specific in my questions. "Which club are you a member of?"

"The Mountain Lover Club."

Finally, a real answer! "That's pretty cool. How many members are there?"

"One."

I lifted my eyebrows in surprise. "Really? No one else around here likes mountains?"

"It would seem that way... Unless there is another reason for them to stay clear of my club."

Understanding dawned on me, and I felt the tiniest bit of sympathy for him. If Floyd scared most people off, his brother probably had a similar fate. I thought I understood why Floyd insisted I try to befriend him. Jade probably didn't have many friends either. "I'm sorry to hear that. I quite enjoyed hiking through the mountains in my world."

Jade's expression softened ever so slightly. "Oh really? You have many mountains where you're from?"

"Tons. Surfing is my main hobby, but I loved hiking as well. The nature on my island - and the surrounding islands - is beautiful. There is so much to see. Have you ever hiked up a volcanic crater?"

"No, I have not."

"It's wonderful. Volcanic rock rock is pretty cool. Unlike most rocks, it's is black and extremely smooth because it is made from hardened lava."

Jade leaned leaned in closer to me, though this time it was not to intimidate me. "I must say, your homeland sounds much more fascinating than I imagined. I would love to visit sometime."

I gave him a small smile. "If Crowley ever finds a way to connect to my world, I'll show you around. But for now... Maybe I could join you for one of your hikes in this world." Floyd had asked me to do just that at one time, hadn't he? And it would be a good opportunity to get to know him.

Jade examine my face, and I did my best to meet his gaze. "Are you sure about that? You know you will be alone with me."

I straightened up to look confident. "I don't mind. I would really like to go with you."

"Very well. I was planning on getting in one more hike before the first snowfall. Do you have hiking gear?"

"... no."

Jade smiled. "Not to worry. I will assist you in obtaining the proper gear tomorrow. I'll have Azul take it directly out of your paycheck if that suits you."

"That would help. Thanks, Jade."

"Of course. It is my duty to make sure everyone participating in club activities is adequately prepared. The school store should have everything we need."

I smiled slightly. "Excellent." Now I just had to tell Grim and hope he did not freak out.

"You're WHAT?!" Grim exclaimed when I told him where I was going Sunday morning. "Do you WANT to die?!"

I rolled my eyes at his dramatics. "Don't be ridiculous. Jade is not going to kill me."

Grim placed his hands on his hips and gave me a disapproving look. "How can you be positive? He's capable of it."

"So it literally everyone else at the school who could kill me with magic if they wanted. Jade has no reason to hurt me, and he doesn't do anything without reason. We're just going hiking."

"Alone."

"I've been alone with Floyd plenty of times, and I've never come back injured, have I?"

Grim crossed his arms. "Yeah, but you were never off school property where there are no witnesses."

"If you don't want me to be alone with him, you can always come with us."

"Are you INSANE?! I'm not going anywhere with him."

"Then stop complaining." I had to admit, though, it was kind of nice to know he cared so much. I left him to sulk as I headed to the school store to meet Jade.

Soon enough, I had everything I would need for successful mountain climbing expedition. Jade told me he would pick me up from my dorm after school on Monday. When the time came, I entered Ramshackle to find it occupied with visitors: Ace, Deuce, and Jack.

"What's going on here?" I asked hesitantly.

"They told me you were in trouble," Jack said, pointing to Deuce and Ace, "but you look fine to me."

"That's because I am fine!"

"Grim told us some disturbing news," said Deuce.

"You're going on a trip with Jade Leech!"

I rolled my eyes. "We're going hiking for a few hours. I'll be fine."

"I know you can be reckless this time, but this-"

I groaned. "Jade isn't going to do anything to me! Even if he wanted to, Floyd would be upset, and he wouldn't do anything to hurt his brother."

"That is supposed to make us feel better?" said Grim.

"I am going to get ready." I entered my room and got ready for the hike. Just as I returned to the lounge, there was a knock on the door. I gave my friends a look. "You guys better be nice." I took a deep breath and opened the door. As expected, Jade stood there in his full hiking gear. "Hi, Jade."

"Hello, prefect," Jade said politely. He looked past me at friends, who were all glaring at him. "Having a friendly gathering?"

"We're here to make sure nothing happens to Ona," said Ace.

Jade appeared amused at this. "My, aren't you bold? What exactly do you plan to do if I do have bad intentions?"

"You're not helping," I muttered.

Jade smiled. "I'm sorry." I knew very well he was not sorry but could not say as much without undermining my position.

"Let's go," I said, grabbing his arm and turning him away.

"We will see you when you get back," said Deuce. I gave them a small wave.

"So," Jade said as soon as we were alone, "your friends are too afraid to confront Floyd, but they have no problem with me?"

I sighed. "I know. It's an error in judgment."

Jade chuckled lightly. "Indeed."

I soon forget about my friends' silly concerns when we stepped through a mirror and arrived at our destination. A lush forest stood before us with a moderate incline. It was chilly, but my jacket kept me warm enough. "It's so pretty here."

"Then let us get started."

We walked in silence for a good mile. It was not uncomfortable per se. There was a lot to keep me interested, and Jade seemed to enjoy looking around at everything as well. I wondered if he did not speak because he was not used to having a companion on his expeditions. Then I remembered what Floyd had told me. If I wanted to be more than casual acquaintances, I would have to be in the effort at first.

"Do you mind if we talk?" I ask.

"Not at all," said Jade. "Speak whatever is on your mind. I will respond if I feel so inclined."

That was not exactly a reassuring response, but I figured it was better than nothing. I racked my brain for something to ask him. "What is your favorite color?"

Jade looked at me as if questioning why I would ask such a silly question. "That depends on what we're talking about. For instance..." He moved closer to me, bringing his face down to peer at me. "As far as eye color goes, the warm brown of your eyes is my favorite."

"Wh-what?" I backed away from him, nearly tripping on a root in my flustered state.

"Is something wrong?" Jade gave me an innocent smile, though I saw amusement in his eyes.

"That's not funny," I huffed. I resumed walking, casting him a wary glance.

"Do you wish to continue?"

"Yes." He was not going to scare me off that easily. "What is something you dislike?"

"Organized harmony."

I had anticipated a non-serious answer, so this surprised me. "Huh. Yeah, I can see that. I've spent enough time in Heartslabyul to have been turned off by that sort of thing. I enjoy harmony, but it has to be spontaneous, you know?"

Jade watched me with an unreadable expression. "Yes..."

I wished he would give me some sort of indication on how I was doing, but I had a feeling he enjoyed keeping me guessing. "What's your favorite food?"

"Octopus carpaccio."

I nearly stopped in my tracks. "Wait... Octopus? Floyd's favorite food is takoyaki. Do you both secretly want to eat Azul or something?!"

"Well... If he ever steps out of line, we can take care of him." Jade smiled, showing all of his teeth.

Suddenly, something shifted in my mind. Instead of seeing him and his antics as intimidating, I saw him as... funny. Maybe it was some sort of defense mechanism, but I did not care. I doubled over in laughter, unable to help myself. I fell to the ground in my fit of glee.

"My my," Jade said with amusement in his voice, "is everything alright, Ona?"

It took me a minute to calm down enough to be able to speak properly. Laying on my back, I grinned up at Jade. "Have you always been this hilarious?"

"I am afraid I have no idea what you're talking about." Jade offered me his hand. I took it and let him help me up.

I smirked. "Right."

Everything changed after that. I felt much more relaxed with Jade. It may have just been my imagination, but I thought the feeling was mutual. I cut off my questions so I could focus on another task. We were nearly at the top of the mountain when I found what I was looking for.

"Jade, look!" I said excitedly.

"Hm?"

I ventured into the trees and heard him follow me. "There! See?"

Jade smiled when he followed my gaze, his expression a bit softer than before. "Ah, wood ear. How observant of you, prefect." He bent down to examine the mushrooms growing along the side of the trees.

"I knew they would be growing around an area like this."

Jade began carefully retrieving the mushrooms. "Did you now?"

"Yep. Floyd told me you loved mushrooms, so I thought I would help you find some. He helped me study that book you gave him once. I can't memorize everything like he can, so I focused on the few I thought would grow around here." I smiled to myself. "I'm glad I was able to find some. I thought for sure you would notice before me." Jade's hand froze on a mushroom. My smile slowly faded. "Jade? Is everything alright?" Had I unintentionally done something to offend him? Floyd had assured me this would please him.

"I am fine, Ona." He looked at me with a smile - a real smile this time. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness. I am starting to understand what Floyd sees in you. You are a delight to be around."

I smiled back at him. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself." Perhaps he would not be that big of a challenge after all.