Chapter 39

Vil made us practice late to make up for Deuce and Epel's absence. I felt tired after dinner. While everyone else hung around to chat, I found my way to one of the chairs in the lounge. I pulled out the book Floyd had given me. I gazed at the cover, admiring the pretty mushrooms.

"You're that interested in mushrooms?"

I glanced at Jamil, his expression unreadable. "Floyd gave this to me."

"Floyd likes mushroom?"

I smiled. "No, he hates them, actually. But Jade loves them."

"Floyd is trying to set you up with Jade?"

I was confused for a second, and then I recoiled in surprise. "What? No! He just wants me to be closer to his brother. There's nothing wrong with that. He's important to him, so he wants him to be important to me too."

"So, you are doing this for Floyd?"

I gripped the edges of the book. "I don't have to explain myself to you. I'm doing it because I want to."

Jamil was silent for a moment before speaking again. "If you're looking for a romantic interest, I think Kalim would be perfect for you.

I stared at him in shock. "What?"

"Think about it. He shares your sense of morals, has a personality you obviously find pleasing, and he is quite well off. You would never want for anything if you married him."

"Married?! Are you out of you mind?!"

Jamil looked at me oddly. "No. It's quite a normal suggestion."

"In who's world?" There was nothing about this world that told me this kind of thing was normal. Then again, the different countries might have different customs. "Is this part of your job?"

"Not technically..."

"Then stay out of it! If I was interested in Kalim - which I'm not - I would do something about it. I don't need your help. And I doubt Kalim would need your help in that department either."

"Sorry for bothering you." Jamil sounded almost offended, but he did leave me alone after that. I managed to read a few pages of my book. When I returned to my room with Grim, I decided to text someone about the strange encounter. My fingers paused over my messages with Jade. Would he really want to hear from me? I'd hate to bother him or have him ignore me. I remembered what Floyd told me, and I decided that his assurance was good enough for me. I quickly typed out a message.

Ona: Jamil tried to arrange a marriage for me to Kalim today.

I need not have worried. The reply was almost instant.

Mushroom Eel: Did you accept?

I stared at the phone for a long moment before I burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" Grim said from his bed. "Who are you texting?"

I grinned at the phone. "Jade."

"What? Since when is Jade funny?"

"You have no idea." I knew there was no way to be serious. He was teasing me again. And just like that, all the tension from my day melted away.

Ona: No! Of course not.

Mushroom Eel: Why not? Kalim is almost like a prince. You would be very well off. And you do get along.

Ona: Jamil said the same thing.

Mushroom Eel: Then what's the problem?

Ona: For starters, what do I have to offer Kalim? I'm not rich or from a well-known family. I have no magic. I'm not even from this world. Why would Jamil possibly think I'm a good match for him?

Jade took a long time to reply. I had almost dozed off when I heard the notification sound.

Mushroom Eel: Jamil finally sees it in you, does he?

Ona: What are you talking about?

Mushroom Eel: I'll tell you sometime.

Ona: In your own sweet time, right?

Mushroom Eel: Good night, Ona.

A smile flickered on my face.

Ona: Good night, Jade.

The next day, I looked forward to telling the ridiculous story to Floyd as well. However, he did not meet me outside the ballroom or in the courtyard. Figuring he must be late, I leaned against a tree and waited for him. He still had not shown up after 10 minutes, so I decided to text him.

Ona: Hey, where are you?

Floyd responded several minutes later.

Cool Moray: I'm not feeling up to it.

My heart stopped for a moment.

Ona: What do you mean? What's going on?

When he did not respond after five minutes, I decided to text Jade.

Ona: Hey, what's up with Floyd?

Mushroom Eel: He's in a bad mood. I don't think he'll be coming today.

Ona: Oh, ok.

I did not know why this affected me so much. I should have known something like this might happen. It was a reasonable enough excuse. Still, I could not help the ache in my chest. I did not feel like returning to the ballroom or doing anything at all, so I sat leaning against the tree until my break was over.

I was silent as I entered the ballroom. My friends immediately crowded me. "What's wrong, Ona?" Deuce asked in concern.

"Did something happen?" said Grim.

"Did Floyd do something to you?" Ace asked with an edge to his voice.

"Nothing happened," I said. "Floyd wasn't there." I caught Jamil's eyes from nearby and knew he had heard me. Before anyone could question me further, Vil insisted we get back to practicing.

Jamil found me when we were headed back to Ramshackle and walked beside me. "Floyd didn't show up, huh?" he said. "I hate to say I knew this would happen."

"It's not a big deal," I said, looking straight ahead.

"It doesn't seem that way."

I sighed. "It's not that he didn't want to see me. He was just... in a bad mood."

"I hardly see a difference."

"There is a difference. He cares. He'll be here tomorrow." It looked like he wanted to say more, but we had arrived at Ramshackle. I pushed away my doubts. This wasn't a problem. I could work through this. Everything would be alright.

The following day, I nervously waited outside in the Pomefiore courtyard for Floyd. After several minutes, I see someone with teal hair approaching me. Someone who was not Floyd. "Jade," I said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you unhappy to see me, Ona?" Jade said with a slight smirk.

"No, not at all. I was just expecting Floyd or... no one."

"Yes... I thought you deserved an explanation. We both did. Floyd is still not feeling well, but he asked me to come here and talk to you."

I nodded. "Okay, thank you." They could have done that yesterday, but better late then never, I supposed. "So what's going on?" I looked at Jade intently, but his face gave nothing away as usual.

He looked at me with a serious expression. "Floyd is not in his normal type of bad mood. This one is much worse. He is very angry and.. volatile. He did not want to come see you because he did not want to risk hurting you."

My eyes widened in shock. I did not know what I was expecting, but it was not that. It was actually quite touching. It warmed my heart to know that Floyd cared about me that much. "Wow. Thank you for telling me." Then something occurred to me. "Hey, Jade, do you think Floyd actually would hurt me?"

He stared into my eyes for a long moment before speaking, his expression unreadable. Then his eyes softened ever so slightly. "No, Ona. He may fear it, but I do not believe he is capable of hurting someone he deeply cares about."

Peace settled within my as I heard his answer. I believed him. "Thank you."

Jade gave me a curt nod. "You are quite welcome. If that is all-" He started to turn around.

"Wait!"

He stopped and faced me. "Yes, prefect?"

I did not like the look on face. It was the same fake pleasant he gave everyone he did not care for. I thought we were passed that. "Don't you want to to stay and spend time with me? I do have an hour off..."

Jade gave me his perfectly fake smile. "That's alright. I know you wanted to spend time with Floyd. I will not bother you."

"You're not bothering me at all. I like you too, you know. I want to know you better."

Something shifted in Jade's eyes. There was something... darker there. "I do not think that is such a good idea."

I crossed my arms. "Why not? Don't you like me?"

Jade suddenly strode toward me. "I do like you, prefect. I think you are very entertaining. Your naivete never fails to amuse me."

I wrinkled my eyebrows in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

He stopped right in front of me, and I could see something sinister on his face. "You do not want to get closer to me. I am not like Floyd. He would never hurt you, but I would. Not physically, of course, but I could mentally and emotionally break you if I wished." He smirked. "Do you really want to take that risk?"

My whole body froze as I heard his words, and a shiver ran down my spine. Why was he doing this? Was he trying to push me away? I swallowed hard. "You don't have to do this."

Jade leaned in closer to me. "Oh, yes, I do." His tone took a dark tone I had never heard from him. "You really think you can charm me into being a better person? Do you truly believe your presence has made a difference to anyone at this school? Yes, plenty of people like you because you are likable. But that it is. There is nothing deeper there. Nothing real. No one here needs you... including me."

My eyes were wide with shock. He had indeed managed to find my biggest fear and exploit it. He had proven he could hurt me deeply. And yet... I did not feel the pain he intended. This was another one of his acts. Sure, there was probably a lot of truth from it as he was digging from something real, but his intent was not to hurt me with the end goal of causing me pain. Everything he did had a reason to it. I did not believe he found pleasure in torturing others in and of itself. And he especially would not intentionally hurt someone he cared about without a good reason. No, there was something else at work here. I could not believe the time we spent together had meant nothing to him. Many times, his touch had been gentle, his eyes soft. And I still believed Floyd when he said his brother cared about me.

I put together everything Floyd told me and understood. The twins both pushed people away to protect themselves. Once someone got past Floyd's tough exterior and showed him acceptance, though, he dropped his guard almost completely. Jade was different. He did not immediately put people off like his brother, so he needed to guard himself closer. He hurt people when they tried to get to know him to protect himself. Maybe he feared people would reject him once they saw enough of his true self. Perhaps it had happened in the past. I bet he was even more sensitive than his twin, his heart even more fragile. And Floyd trusted me with it. He trusted me with his precious brother. And that knowledge gave me the strength to withstand everything Jade flung at me.

He had been watching me carefully. He seemed to find what he was looking for as he said "good," and started walking away.

So, he could not read me perfectly after all. "JADE, STOP!" He stopped but remained with his back to me. Taking a deep breath, I walked right up to him and hugged him from behind. He stiffened but made no move to detach me. "Yes, you have the power to hurt me, but that's alright. I'll probably end up hurting you too at some point. That's what happens when people get close to each other. The people you care about the most can hurt you the most, but it doesn't end there. I can't promise I won't ever hurt you, but I promise I will always apologize and do whatever I can to make it up to you. And I will forgive you if you hurt me. I won't abandon you. I care about you, and I want to work through any problems we may have, just as I've worked through my problems with Floyd.

"I know you don't show your true self easily, but I want to know you, Jade. I want you to trust me enough to show me who you really are. I promise I'll never reject you. I'll be a true friend to you." I took in a shaky breath. "But if you don't trust me yet, that's alright. I will trust you. I'll open myself up to you first. Please, just give me a chance." I released him and took several steps back so he could leave if he wanted to. I willed my nerves to calm as I waited for his response. I did not know when I came to care about him so much, but something deep inside me told me to hold onto him... just like it had done with Floyd.

"Alright," Jade said softly, his voice dripping with an emotion I could not place. He turned around and looked at me with his normally calm expression, but there was a warmth to his smile I could not miss. "I need to go to the botanical garden to tend to some mushrooms. Would you care to join me, Ona?" He held his hand out for me to take.

My face immediately lit up, for he was offering to share something he enjoyed with me. "Yes, I would love to." I took his hand and started walking with him.

Jade chuckled softly. "You have very strange tastes, you know that?"

"Yeah, I've been told that before."

We continued to the botanical garden. I observed Jade as he tended to his mushrooms. He talked excitedly about them, his face lighting up when I urged him to continue. I actually did find it all quite interesting, but I loved seeing him truly happy most of all.

"Do you have any interest in plants?" he asked after some time, appearing genuinely curious.

I thought about that for a moment. "Well, there is one flower I would like to plant here if I could ever find it. The hibiscus, the symbol of my land."

"I have never heard of it. Tell me more." He continued to work, but he seemed interested.

"Well, it's a beautiful flower that comes in many colors such as pink, red, and orange. They only boom for a day on the vine, so they're symbols of ephemeral beauty. They can also mean friendship, love, romance, or hospitality. They are worn in girls' hair or made into necklaces. Oh, and they make the most wonderful tea! They have many medicinal and health properties, and they taste great."

Jade smiled. "That sounds interesting. I am sure it must exist in this world somewhere."

"Yes. I will have to keep looking." I paused. "Are there any other plants you're interested in?"

He looked at me happily. "Oh, there are many. I have a few terrariums in my room right now. Perhaps you would like to see?"

I smiled back at him. "I would love to."

Jade led me to Octavinelle and into his room. I was once again impressed with how neat and organized it all was. He had several terrariums on a shelf near his dresser, and he enthusiastically explained the contents of each while sitting next to each other on his bed.

"Wow, you sure know a lot about all of this," I said after he returned the last terrarium to the shelf.

Jade smiled at me. "I try to learn everything I can." He glanced at the clock. "Do you have to be back soon?"

"Yeah, I should head over in a few minutes. I don't really feel like being yelled at by Vil again, but I've got to return."

Jade chuckled lightly. "I'm sure you'll manage."

"Yeah..." Impulsively, I poke him in the side.

He stared at me. "What was that for?"

I shrugged. "I just felt like it." I poked him again.

A sly grin spread across his face. "Keep that up, and you will regret it."

I smirked. "Oh yeah?" I poked him using two hands this time.

"You asked for it." With a devious look in his eyes, Jade grabbed my sides and started tickling me. I immediately fell over laughing, but I did not give up. I continued to poke him until I found a spot that made him laugh. Once I had the pleasure of seeing him like that, I gave into to the sensation myself. He swiftly gained control, pinning me to the bed with a triumphant look on his face. "You cannot beat me."

I continued to laugh. "Okay, okay. You win." I grinned at him while I calmed down.

Jade smirked. "I think I deserve a prize."

"What do you want?"

He brought his face closer to mine. "A kiss."

I stiffened. Suddenly, our position took on a whole knew meaning to me, and my heart rate quickened. From the glint in his eyes, I could tell this was exactly the reaction he wanted. "I, uh..." I couldn't even think straight to use the martial arts move to get him off of me.

A knock on the door saved me. "Jade, are you there?" came Azul's voice.

"Come in," said Jade.

I gave him a panicked look. "Wh-what?" He had my wrists pinned and made no move to release me.

Azul entered the room and looked at us. If he was surprised to see us in a compromising position, he did not show it. He simply sighed and said, "Why did you ask me to come in here? I don't want any part of your games. Ona, shouldn't you get back to Pomefiore right now?"

"I, uh, right..." I averted my gaze. Jade chuckled before finally letting me go. Not wanting to be outdone by him, I quickly grabbed his head and kissed him on the cheek. The look of utter shock on his face made it all worth it. Grinning, I got back and walked to the door.

"That is a dangerous game you are playing," Azul said as I walked out of the room. "One you cannot win."

I gave him a pointed look. "He's the one who started it."

Jade exited his room with a pleased smile on his face. "Shall I walk you back, Ona?"

I smiled at him. "That would be nice." Azul said nothing more as Jade and I left the dorm. We did not say much during our walk, but it was a pleasurable silence.

"Thank you for spending time with me today," Jade said when we were outside Pomefiore.

"No, thank you," I said. "You can always join Floyd when he visits me if you want to."

He gave me a polite smile. "Thank you, but I would not want to detract from his time with you. If you ever need me for anything else, do not hesitate to call."

I smile slightly. "Alright. Goodbye, Jade."

Suddenly, he pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead, leaving me dumbfounded. He smirked at my response. "Goodbye, Ona." And then he walked away. I smile on my face, I happily returned to the ballroom.

"You seem in a better mood today," Ace commented. "Did Floyd show up today?"

I shook my head. "No, he still wasn't feeling it. But Jade stopped by and explained everything. Then the two of us hung out."

Ace's eyebrows rose. "Jade, huh? Why-" He paused and shook his head. "You know what, never mind."

"Yeah, as long as you're happy again," said Grim.

I smiled at them. "Thanks, guys." I felt Jamil's eyes on my again, but he did not say anything to me during practice. He did find me as soon as Vil let us out and started walking with me.

"Tell me," he said, "what was Floyd's excuse for not showing up?"

As I remembered what Jade told me, I suddenly felt awkward explaining it to Jamil. "Well... he was afraid of accidentally taking his anger out on me."

Jamil's eyes narrowed. "That sounds like a reason to avoid him all the time."

I bristled. "Jade told me he wouldn't actually do that. He would never hurt me like that."

"You believe what Jade tells you?"

"Yes. He wouldn't lie to me about something that important."

Jamil sighed and shook his head. "You're delusion about both of them. If you really want to hang out with someone, you should-"

"-hang out with Kalim, right. Then I should probably be talking to him instead of you." I looked around until I spotted Kalim talking with Epel. "Hey, Kalim!" I ran up to him and flung my around around him.

Kalim laughed and gave me a hug. "Hey, Ona. What's going on?"

"Do you want to race back to Ramshackle?"

Kalim grinned. "Okay!" I could have sworn I heard Jamil muttering about both of us being idiots, but I paid him no heed.

Finally, on the third day, I spotted Floyd in the Pomefiore courtyard as soon as I stepped outside. He brightened when he saw me. "Hey, Little Shrimpy!" he exclaimed. He ran to me and engulfed me in a huge hug. "I missed you!"

I laughed and hugged him back tightly. "I missed you too. I hope you're feeling better."

Floyd grinned at me after pulling back. "I'm much better! How did it go with Jade? He said you two hung out."

I smiled. "It went very well, actually. I think he's starting to open up to me."

"That's great! What did you do?"

I shrugged. "Not much. I just... listened to him. He talked to me a lot about his plants. It was nice."

Floyd seemed genuinely pleased at the news. "Good! Jade is always listening to other people. He needs someone who will listen to him. You must have been really interested in what he was saying if he talked to ya that much."

"Yeah, I was, actually." I smiled. "He is quite knowledgeable, and I admire his passion."

Floyd playfully ruffled my hair. "Good job, Little Shrimpy. Keep it up!"

I chuckled lightly. "I will." It looked like he was about ready to change topics, so I decided to steer the conversation in the way I wanted it to go. "Hey, Floyd?"

"Yeah?"

"About the past couple of days..." I took a deep breath. "I know you stayed away from me to try to protect me, but you don't have to do that. Jade doesn't believe you would ever hurt me, and I agree." Surprise flashed on his face. "What I'm saying is.. If... If you need to be alone when you're in a mood like that, it's fine. I'll understand. Do whatever you need to take care of yourself. But if they only reason you have to stay away is for my sake... you don't have to. If there's even a slight chance I could help make you feel better, I want you to come to me. I trust you, Floyd, and I want to be there for you."

Emotions swelled in Floyd's eyes. Before I could figure out what they were, he pulled me into a tight hug. "Thank, Ona. You're really special, you know?" His hug was as tight as usual, but it felt different. He sought comfort, and I gladly gave it to him. "Jade thinks so too. We're both lucky to have you."

A contented smile formed on my face as I continued to hold him. "I'm glad to have you guys too."