Chapter 48

I ran through the streets without any thought to where I was going. I only stopped when I heard someone call my name. "Hey, Azul," I said, panting a little as I approached him. "What's going on?"

Azul looked past me for a moment before meeting my eyes. "I should be the one asking you that. Who are you running from?"

"Jade." I paused. "And Floyd, I supposed."

Azul lifted his eyebrows. "Really now?" I knew what he was thinking. While my statement may have been normal for any other student, I had never run from the twins. He also knew they would never threaten or hurt me. I saw him reach a decision in his eyes. "Come with me."

"Huh?"

Azul grabbed my arm and started pulling me along with him. "You have not eaten yet, have you? Please join me."

"O-Okay."

Azul let me go when I started walking with him. "There is something I wanted to try..." He did not say more until we reached one of the food stands. I stared at the familiar product.

"Corn dogs?"

"Yes. Are they good?"

I grinned. "Yeah, they're great. I just never imagined you eating them."

Azul appeared offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I chuckled lightly. "Never mind. Let's get some." We walked up to the stand together. He bought two corn dogs for each of us, and he refused to let me pay.

"You can repay me by telling me about your woes," he said with a smirk as we made our way to a table."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure." As we sat across from each other, I realized their was little harm in telling him something about what was going. It was not like I had anything to fear from him, especially since my issue was with the twins. He had expressed concern over his friends in the past, and I knew he would not do anything to hurt them. Of course, I could not tell him about my dream before I entered this world. I could see him charging people for the chance to find out of they were my 'true love.' And he would not narrow down the list like Jade. "Alright, I'll tell you, but can you give me a minute to think first? I want to try to figure something out on my own."

"Of course." Azul looked at me with interest. "What are you thinking about if I may ask?"

"I'm trying to figure out Jade's motivations."

Azul smirked, appearing extremely amused. "Good luck with that."

I knew it was a long shot, but I had to try. One thing seemed clear to me. Jade intentionally led me to think for a moment that Floyd was the person in my dream. The question was, why? If the person in my dream was either Floyd or Jade and they remembered the dream themselves, Jade had to know. And if he knew, there were much better ways to show me the truth, like teasing Floyd about the dream. So, I could assume that the person in my dream did not remember what happened, much like the others I had a mental connection to. Logically speaking, it made sense that it was one of the twins. Out of all my close friends, they were the only two who fit my description. I didn't buy the left-handedness thing. Maybe most people would use their dominant hand in that situation, but I would not put it past either of them to purposefully use their other hand.

In any case, why did Jade push me towards Floyd? He could have been messing around with me. Or maybe he still thought Floyd was a better person to spend time with. Or else he really did believe Floyd was the person in my dream... perhaps because he believed Floyd had feelings for me. Any of those would be simple enough explanations, but then why did he reenact the dream sequence with me as if he thought it might be him? Again, he could be messing with me. It would not be the first time his teasing was borderline flirting. But just like the other times, I had to wonder how much of it was real. Did he have real feelings for me? Were his actions an excuse to get close to me? Did he purposefully mess up the experiment by flustering me because he was afraid to know for certain that the person in my dream was not him? Or maybe he was afraid it was him...

"Any luck?" Azul asked casually. He had finished one corn dog and was working on the second.

I sighed. "I have possibilities but nothing definite."

"You know, you would have better chances asking Floyd for his insights."

I sighed. "Yes, he has been extremely helpful about Jade in the past, but I can't go to him this time."

Azul smirked. "I see. Why did you run away from them? Jade said something, I presume?" He paused. "You were the one who wanted to talk to him, were you not?"

"Yes, and that conversation did go well. It was after that..." I noticed him watching me intently. "Don't get me wrong. Jade is amazing. It's just, his teasing..."

"I thought you liked his teasing."

"I do. I just..." I bit my lip as I tried to think about what I wanted to say. I decide to just come right out and ask. "Azul, do you know if Jade or Floyd have romantic feelings for me?"

Azul seemed more amused than surprised. "I understand why you might think Jade's flirting means something, but why Floyd? Have you noticed something?"

"Well, no. I mean, if he was anyone else, I might take his affection as romantic, but I think that's how he treats his friends. I haven't noticed him change his behavior around me or anything. It's just that... Jade seems to be pushing me toward him. I thought it might be because Floyd likes me. That makes me more confused about Jade's feelings."

Azul nodded. "You are quite perceptive, Ona. It's true, Floyd is affectionate towards everyone. He's never been close to a female, so I doubt he sees you any differently. That would blur the line between friendship and romance in his mind. He may not be aware of any feelings himself if they exist. But Jade would likely pick up on them, and you could be right that he's trying to push both of you in that direction."

"Alright. And what about Jade?"

Azul laughed. "You think I know what's going on in his mind? Your guess is as good as mine. It's entirely possible he has real feelings for you. It is also likely that he is messing around with you. Tell him if it bothers you, and he'll stop."

I frowned. "It's not that I want him to stop. I just-"

"You want to be on the same page as him. You want him to tease you only if you both like each other - or if you both view it as entertainment."

I looked at him in surprise. "Yes. That's exactly it. That's what I want."

Azul smirked. "Then then question remains, how do you feel about Jade... and Floyd?"

My heart skipped a beat. "How do I feel about them?" That was the question I had been avoiding thinking about, but he was right that it was vital. I remembered how I had fled when Jade made me believe Floyd was the person in my dream. Had I been afraid because I feared it was true or I feared it was not true? After a moment, I realized it was neither. I was afraid of any answer at all. "I don't know. I admit I am quite attracted to both of them." That was why Jade was able to fluster me so much. But I knew Azul was talking about something much deeper than that. "Any romantic feelings I may have, I think I've pushed aside... probably both consciously and unconsciously."

Azul nodded, his expression solemn. "I feared that might be the case."

I winced. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to make a mess of things like you warned me about. They're good friends, and I want things to remain as they are."

Azul's expression softened. "I understand, but this is what I was worried about. You only cause problems if you hide your feelings. You need to be open and honest with both of them - and yourself."

I bit my lip. "What if they both like me? You're not worried they'll fight over me?"

Azul gave me an encouraging smile. "Not at all. They have not shown any jealousy for each other yet, have they?"

"Well, no. Just the opposite, actually."

"Exactly. The three of you are so close that I'm sure you can survive any outcome - as long as you're honest."

Now that I thought about it, that did make sense. Jade and Floyd were close enough not to let a girl come between their bond - especially a girl they were both bonded to as well. I knew we could work through any problems that arose. Still, that didn't mean it wouldn't be difficult. "Okay, being honest is fine, but what if we don't want the same thing? Or what if I like both of them?"

Azul appeared thoughtful. "Even if you like both of them, you are bound to like one more than the other. If he doesn't like you back, there is nothing wrong with giving the other one a chance if he asks you out. Your feelings may grow with time. And, of course, you can always ask out the one you like best. I assure you, even if they do not have any strong romantic feelings for you currently, either one would be willing to at least give you one date."

I smiled slightly. He made it sound so easy. "Thanks, Azul. How do you know so much about this?"

Azul smirked. "I have my ways."

I had a feeling I did not want to know. "I see. So, any advice on how to sort out feelings?"

"That you'll have to figure out on your own. But I'm sure a smart girl like you will have no problem."

"I guess so..." Of course it sounded easy to a guy. It was then that I really missed female companionship. I wished I could talk to my mom. She would know what to say. Even my little sister would be of some help. I pushed the the thoughts back. Azul had done all he could for me, and I needed to express my gratitude. "Anyway, thanks for the advice. Are you sure you don't want anything in return?"

"Not at all! It was my pleasure. You looked like you were really in need."

I grinned at him. "And you're a great friend... to me and the twins."

Azul looked away uncomfortably. "That's not why I did it."

My grin widened. "Sure it's not."

Azul looked away and muttered something under his breath. Then his expression changed. "Oh, look who's here."

"There you are, Ona!" Grim said excitedly. He was carrying a plate full of corn dogs. I froze when I saw Jade and Floyd behind him. "Look what Floyd bought me!"

"I believe it is to share," Jade said, watching him with amusement. He took a seat next to Azul and looked at me. I immediately looked away.

"That's right," Floyd said. He took the plate form Grim and set it on the middle of the table before sitting across from Jade. Grim grumbled but sat at the end of the table. He cheered up as soon as he stuffed a corn dog in his mouth.

"Grim, why did Floyd need to pay for you?" I asked. "What happened to the money I gave you?"

"I spent it already," Grim replied with zero regret.

I rolled my eyes before turning to Floyd. "I can pay you back."

Floyd grinned at me. "Don't worry about it, Little Shrimpy."

I smiled back at him. "Thanks, Floyd."

"What were you two talking about?" Jade asked, looking from Azul to me.

"That is private," Azul said casually.

"Ona?" Jade's expression appeared neutral, but there was a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine," I said quickly. I looked away again but not before I saw him grin. I grabbed a corn dog Floyd handed me and stuffed my face to appear busy. My heart raced just thinking about what was to come. This was going to be difficult indeed.

"Whew... This has been one rough month," Grim said at Ramshackle that night. "I never did get my tuna bonanza. And all that hard work I went through as manager was for a big ol' load of nothin'! Myargh! I should be buried up to my ears in tuna right about now!"

"It was fun though," I said.

Grim looked around the dorm. "Now that the SDC's over and the guys've all gone back to their dorms, this place sure feels bigger, huh?"

"It feels a little empty."

"Well, we're all cleaned up for the night. We should get to bed." Before either of us had a chance to move, there was a knock on the door. "I wonder who that could be."

I strolled over to the door and opened it. I was surprised to find Jade standing there with tea just like every night for the past several nights. "Jade! What are you doing? The SDC is over. You don't have to keep doing this."

Jade gave me a look at mock hurt. "Are you rejecting my offer of tea and companionship?"

I smirked. "Of course not. I'm just surprised." I opened the door wider and allowed him to step inside.

"You had a long, eventful day. I thought you might need help relaxing." This time, he looked at me with a genuine smile.

I smiled back at him. "Thanks, Jade. That would be nice."

Jade nodded and started for the kitchen. "Would you like some tea, Grim?"

"Nah, that's alright," said Grim. "I'm going to head to bed."

"Have a good night, Grim," I said.

He waved at me as he walked towards our room. "Don't be too loud and keep me up."

I chuckled softly. "We'll be quiet."

"Interesting," Jade mused as soon as Grim was gone. His back was to me as he made the tea. "He has no problem leaving you alone with me. And he was quite friendly with Floyd earlier."

"That's true." I understood what he was getting at. Although they did not stop me from hanging out with the twins, Ace and Deuce still made their disapproval clear. Grim, on the other hand, appeared to be slowly embracing them.

"It is a little odd considering he has not spent much time with us."

"It's probably because of our relationship. We're partners, you know? We spend a lot of time together, and we have a bond that's different than one I have with anyone else."

Jade looked back at me with a smile. "I know what you mean. You two seem close. You treat everyone as your equal, don't you? It doesn't matter that he is of a different species."

I nodded. "As far as I'm concerned, any sentient being is equal to a human with the same rights and inherent worth." I paused as I thought of something. "But maybe that's not a popular opinion here?" It seemed natural to me considering so many different species went to school together as equals. I had not witnessed any prejudice or discrimination even against Grim.

"Oh no, that's the predominant mindset. At least, it's getting there. The situation is a lot better than it used to be, though there are a few stragglers." He poured the boiling water over the tea. "I'm surprised you're so accepting. The only sentient beings in your world are humans, correct?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't apply my morality to a different situation." I think about it for a moment. "In my world, people from different cultures can fight a lot. But my island is a blend of cultures that come together to form something beautiful. We all respect each other despite our backgrounds. We call each other 'cousins' because we consider ourselves one big ohana - a family." I smiled. "My parents are from two different worlds, so I have personal experience there too."

"That is very wonderful, Ona. You are quite enlightened." Jade walked towards me with two mugs. Together, we headed into the lounge where we sat down beside each other.

I blew over the tea before taking a sip. "This is great. Thanks, Jade."

Jade smiled. "You're welcome." He took a sip as well. "So, how are you going to spend your time now that your little training camp is over?"

"I don't know. I haven't thought about it. First, I want to relax."

"Well, once you finish relaxing, you can work on this list." He pulled a folded piece of paper from his jacket pocket and handed it to me.

Curious, I took the paper from him. "What's this?" I unfolded it and saw three names: Floyd, Malleus, and Sebek.

Jade gave me a sly smile. "That's the list of students you know who are light-skinned and above 185 centimeters."

My eyes widened in surprised. "Wh-What?! You already made a list?"

"It wasn't that hard. It's good you view everyone as your equal. None of them are human."

I looked at the list with a frown. "You're missing one person. You should be on the list." From his smirk, I knew that was the reaction he wanted.

"Ah, so you're not saying you have ruled me out?"

I shook my head. "You didn't do the test right. You used your wrong hand, and you didn't wait until I was calm enough to decipher my feelings." And you did it on purpose, I added in my head.

Jade chuckled lightly. "I'll keep that in mind next time. And I'll let the others know as well."

I felt myself flush. "You know what? That's alright. I don't need your help with this. I don't even know if the dream has anything to do with romance. Maybe 'destiny' just means we're meant to be good friends. Or perhaps the person isn't important, and all that matters is that I'm meant to be in this world. Anyway, I'll figure out my true love the old fashioned way."

Jade looked at me in amusement. "If that's what you wish. Good luck."

"Thanks..." I looked back at the list. There were really only four guys who could be the person in my dream? Now I was even more certain it was one of the twins. Fortunately, Jade did not press the subject. We discussed lighter topics until we finished our tea and he left.

I had just entered my room when I heard a weird knocking. Had Jade forgotten something? No, it was coming from... my mirror? I raced to the mirror to check it out.

"...lo?" said a voice. "Hellooo? Are you there?"

"Mickey!" I exclaimed, spotting the mouse in the mirror.

Mickey smiled and waved. "Hiya! Top of the evening to you! It's been a while. How've you been? I wonder how long it's been since we last met. Then again, maybe 'met' isn't the right word. I only see you in my dreams. I've been trying to get back to this dreamland ever since, you know. I've tried wearing the same pajamas, reading the same book before bed, you name it! But nothing seems to work. So how come I made it here tonight? I didn't do anything special."

"That's weird. Neither did I." Did that mean connecting with Mickey requires something else?

"Anyway, we lost touch right when you brought up that strange camera you have. I've been curious about it ever since."

"Thanks for the reminder! Can I take your picture?"

"Sure, absolutely!"

I quickly ran to grab the ghost camera. I held it up to my face. "Smile for the camera!" Mickey smiled, and I snapped the photo. I looked at it, pleased. "Thank you!"

"How's it look?"

I took the photo and turned it around so he could see it. "It came out perfect! Now I've got proof I'm not dreaming!"

"Ha ha! That really is a nice photo! I wish I could have a copy... Oh, wait. I wouldn't be able to take it back with me from dreamland, would I? Either way, I feel like you and I are closer than before now. I can see and hear you more clearly. It's like the only thing separating us now is a single pane of glass." Mickey knocked on the glass. "We're getting to talk longer, too. Maybe one of these days, you and I could watch a movie together! Do they have movies in Twisted Wonderland? I'd love to watch any of your favorites. I sure wish Donald and Goofy could join us here in this dreamland... If they found out I had a friend here, oh boy, I can just picture the look on their faces!"

Suddenly, I thought of something. "Hold on a sec! I know! I'll wake up Grim!" I ran to the bed but could not find him. Maybe he got hungry. I checked the kitchen and lounge, but he was not in either place. I checked the whole dorm. Grim was gone. I returned to the mirror, feeling extremely worried.

"What's the matter?" Mickey said. "You're lookin' a little pale there."

"My roommate's missing," I explained. And I had a really bad feeling about it.

"Oh no! I wonder what happened? I wish I could help, I really do. But I can't cross over to your side. You'd better go find your roommate fast! I'll see you later, Ona!"

"Later!" Despite my near panic, I remembered it would be a good idea to ask for help. I knew I had promised Jade when I was in trouble, but Ace and Deuce knew Grim better and would be able to help. Besides, it was so late at night that I wouldn't need protection. Everyone would be in their beds. I quickly texted Ace and Deuce that Grim was missing.

I ran out of the dorm, my heart pounding. I began searching everywhere I could think of for my little friend, but I could not find him anywhere. Finally, I found myself at the Purple Stage. I held my breath when I saw movement. Then I spotted a fluffy creature with its back to me.

"Who's there?!" said a familiar voice. "Grrr..." Grim turned around... but he did not look like Grim. There was something wrong with his eyes, and he was snarling, clutching a black stone. "This is MY stone! RAAAWR!" Then he leapt at me.

"Grim...?"