Chapter 38

A half hour did not give us much time to go anywhere, so Floyd and I opted to stay in the Pomefiore courtyard. "Little Shrimpy, I found this for ya," he said, holding something out in his hand. It was another shell.

I smiled as I took the shell from him. "Thank you, Floyd." This one was a pretty zebra ark. "Where do you find all of these?"

Floyd grinned. "That's a secret." My phone made a notification sound, and he frowned. "Who's that?"

"It better not be someone complain about us." I dug out my phone. "Oh, it's Jade."

Floyd immediately relaxed. "You can respond to him."

Mushroom Eel: How did it go?

Ona: Good. Vil was surprisingly reasonable. He's letting me have an hour break every day.

Mushroom Eel: Good. Azul will be happy to hear it. Floyd has been driving him crazy.

Ona: I can imagine.

I put away my phone and glanced at Floyd. "Why didn't Jade come with you?"

"Didn't think to invite him," said Floyd. "Do you want me to ask him to come tomorrow?"

"If you don't mind."

Floyd smiled. "I don't mind sharing with him."

With that out of the way, we had a good time chatting and goofing off. Floyd let me go after the half hour was up, and I returned to the ballroom feeling happy. The others cast me uneasy glances, but no one said a word to me until we were heading back to Ramshackle. I was surprised that it was Jamil who fell in step beside me.

"What's up?" I said casually.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to continue to meet with Floyd," Jamil said.

"Do you still think he's plotting something?"

"No. Floyd doesn't plan. I would say Azul or Jade put him up to it, but... He is clearly fascinated by you."

"Yeah, so what's the problem?"

Jamil gave me a look. "It's not going to last. You're setting yourself up for disappointment. There's no way someone as unpredictable as him can meet at a predictable time for four whole weeks."

I tensed. "You don't know that. He'll do it if it's the only way he can see me."

"You're assuming he will remain interested in you. I find that highly unlikely."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You know nothing about us."

"I know something about Floyd. He's only interested in people for entertainment. He'll get tired of you one day and leave. I'm trying to stop you from getting hurt."

I clenched my teeth to hold in my anger. "No. You are wrong about him, Jamil. He is quite capable of caring about other people, and I know he cares about me. He's never going to get tired of me."

Jamil sighed. "Why must you learn the hard way? If you want to spend time with someone, get closer to Kalim. He's a much better companion for you."

"Funny, Jade said something very similar."

"Then perhaps you should listen to both of us."

"Well, in Jade's case, he was worried that I would hurt Floyd. What does that tell you?"

"That he was messing with you."

I rolled my eyes. "Listen, Jamil, I don't know why you're worried about me in the first place, but I'll be fine."

Jamil opened his mouth to protest, but Kalim ran up to us with a huge grin on his face. "Hey, guys! It looks like you're getting along well."

I smiled. "Yeah, we're the best of friends." Jamil muttered something under his breath, but I did not care. He would get over it.

"I asked Jade to come with me, but he said I'd have more fun on my own," Floyd said while we sat beneath a tree in the Pomefiore courtyard. "I told him that's not true, but he still said no."

I frowned. "Is it me? Does he... not like me?"

Floyd gasped. "No! Jade likes you a whooooole lot! Trust me, I can tell."

That did make me feel a little better. If anyone could tell what Jade was thinking, it was his twin. I might as well see what else he knew. "Then why doesn't he want to see me?"

"I don't think it's that." Floyd tilted his head to the side. "He's still cautious around you. It's hard for him to open up."

"But why? He has to know I'd never hurt him."

"He may know that, but it's not that simple, Shrimpy. You've got to prove it."

"How?"

"Keep being his friend, of course! If he pushes you away, just pull him right back. Do whatever to takes to get through to him." Floyd leaned closed to me. "It will be worth it, I promise!"

"You really think he's that great, huh?" Not that it was any surprise. I just thought he might get jealous of me spending time with his brother instead of him. In reality, the opposite seemed to be true. It was kind of sweet.

Floyd grinned. "Of course! Jade is the best. And I trust you."

"Well, you know him best..." It made me uneasy to think about going to far over a line with Jade, but Floyd would never give me bad advice.

"Don't worry. I'll you something to tomorrow to help."

I smiled slightly. "Thanks."

"I've got something for ya today!" Floyd dug into his pocket and pulled something out. Instead of a seashell, this was a shiny, blue stone.

"It's so pretty!" I grabbed the stone and examined it.

Floyd smiled happily. "I'm glad you like it. Usually I give the stuff I make to Azul, but I wanted you to have this one."

I smiled back at him. "Thank you. I'm guessing you made it in class. Do your experiments always turn out this well?" The stone was smoother and more perfect than anything I ever made.

"Nah. Only when I feel like following the instructions."

My eyebrows rose. "You ignore the recipe?"

"If you mix everything in according to the recipe, you already know it's gonna work out, right? That's the most boring thing."

He sounded so serious that, at first, I simply gaped at him. Then I broke out into laughter. "Yeah, that's true." I made a mental reminder to myself to never test out any of his potions.

We had a good time talking and laughing together. The next day, he ran toward me excitedly, carrying a plate of something. "Shrimpy! Guess what I made?"

I peered at the circular objects on the plate. "Cookies?"

Floyd grinned. "You said you're not allowed to eat sweets, right?"

"Not in front of the others, at least."

Floyd held the plate out to me. "Here. I made them from random stuff. You'll enjoy every last bite for me, won't you?"

I was about to reach for a cookie, but then I stopped, remembering out conversation from yesterday. "Floyd, what is in these?"

He smiled lazily. "I don't know." He continued to hold the plate expectantly.

I thought hard about my decision. There was a high possibility that there was something incredibly gross inside those cookies. On the other hand, Floyd was smart enough to not accidentally poison the cookies. Whatever was in them, it would not cause me harm. So, I grabbed a cookie and brought it to my mouth, expecting the worst. Instead, a unique and fascinating flavor filled my sense. "Wow, these are actually quite good!"

Floyd brightened. "Really?"

I took another cookie. "Yeah, you should try one."

Floyd eagerly snatched a cookie and stuffed it in his mouth. "You're right! I'm an amazing baker."

I laughed. "Maybe we could make something together next time."

Floyd grinned at me. "That sounds like fun." Between the two of us, the cookies were quickly devoured. "Maybe I should of saved one for Jade. Oh! That reminds me!" He set down the plate and put his hand into his bag. "This is for you."

I stared curiously at the book he handed me. "It's about mushrooms."

"Yeah. Jade gave it to me, but I found it boring. You might like it though. If you do, it will really impress Jade if you can spout out a few facts. But only if you're really interested. He'll be able to tell if you're faking it."

I smiled. "Thanks. Floyd. I'll take a look at it."

"Good. Now we better work off those cookies, so chase me!" He took off running, and there was nothing for me to do but follow him.

Once back in practice, it did not take long for my good mood to evaporate. Vil was extremely critical today. He had me stop the music in the middle of the song to complain.

"What's the matter, Vil?" said Rook.

"EPEL," Vil said sternly.

Epel flinched. "Y-yessir!"

"Hoo boy," Ace said in a quiet voice. "Epel's gonna get another tongue-lashing. I feel bad for the guy after watching this play out every day."

"He's on main vocals," said Deuce, "so I'm sure Vil expects a lot out of him, but still..."

"Every time I hear 'stop the music,' my first instinct is to cower with my tail between my legs," said Grim.

"Have you learned nothing from your ballet lessons?" Vil said to Epel. "I told you to throw out your antiquated notions. I said nothing about acting so halfhearted! Don't just sing the words without thinking about what they mean. This song is more than mere lip service."

"But this is the most 'charming' I can sound..." said Epel.

"Being charming is another matter entirely. Do you think that will be enough to take Neige down? Now, take it from the top!"

"...Nnngh! I don't... I don't WANNA be cute!"

"Excuse me?"

"I never wanted to be in Pomefiore to start with. And I don't wanna compete in the SDC, neither! I didn't come to Night Raven College to sing and dance! I came here to get stronger! I don't wanna be some dainty little flower. I wanna be BIG! And STRONG! And TOUGH!" Epel's voice grew more intense as he spoke, and he ended with a glare that looked surprisingly intimidating on him.

"Unbelievable. Most of us grow out of temper tantrums by the time we're three. You speak of being 'charming' and being 'strong' as though the two are mutually exclusive... when in fact both of them are equally valid forms of power. As long as you fail to make that distinction, you will never be a match for me."

"Oh, get off your high horse! I'm done with this. I'm out. I'm quittin' the team!"

"What?!" Deuce, Ace, and Kalim exclaimed.

"Hmph. Is that a fact?" said Vil. "Very well. I believe it's time for the usual, then."

"Both of you, stop fighting!" I said. I did not like this one bit.

"Don't worry, Ona," said Rook. "This isn't a fight."

"It's not?" said Jamil. "Looks like sparks are flying to me."

"Just observe."

"Go on, Epel," said Vil. "Get out your magical pen."

Epel held out his pen, a determined look in his eyes. "Today is the day I put you in your place!"

"Uh, this is TOTALLY a fight!" said Deuce.

It certainly looked like a magical fight to me. It was over quickly, though, and left Epel coughing. "And there we have it," said Vil. "I win, as usual. As it stands, you are neither cute nor strong. You're but a plain apple, devoid of any poison. If you don't shape up, you'll never land a single hit on me."

"Ouch," said Ace. "Harsh."

"Pomefiore goes harder on athletics than even Savanaclaw..." said Grim.

"Come on, Vil," said Kalim. "Epel's a freshman. Cut him a little slack. I'd be hard-pressed to think of anyone on this campus who could take you in a fight."

"Kalim, you stay out of this," said Vil. "Listen, Epel. I told you this on the day we first met, and I'll say it again. If you want to be yourself, then become strong and beautiful first. Cease this childish tantrum and get back to rehearsing."

"D-dagnabbit..." said Epel. "I just... I just..." Tears spilling down his face, he bolted out of the room.

"Epel!" Deuce called after him.

"Let him go," said Vil. "If that's enough to crush his spirit, then I'll remove him from the roster myself.

"Don't you think you're being unfair, sir? He's been putting a ton of effort into dancing and singing, and you're just dismissing it..."

"Spare me the infantile notion that hard work guarantees a reward!" Deuce and Jamil appeared taken back by Vil's statement. "For that matter, Spudling Two—you have no bandwidth to spend worrying about others. You're far behind the other members in all aspects of your performance. Spudling One started at the same time you did, yet the difference between you is telling. You are, in effect, slowing the rest of us down. Don't give me reason to accuse you of conveniently ignoring this fact."

Deuce lowered his head, ashamed. "I know that, sir..."

"Then don't talk like a full-fledged ensemble member when you're still dead weight."

"...Sorry, sir."

"Yeesh. You really set him off," said Ace. "See, this is why I keep tellin' you to keep your head down and stop butting into things. You're not exactly smart about this stuff, Loosey-Deucey."

Deuce rounded on him, glaring. "Grrr... Shut! UP! You think I don't know that?!"

Ace recoiled. "Whoa, easy!"

"A 'smart guy' like you wouldn't understand!" Then Deuce ran off as well.

"What was THAT about? Dude, I am so confused."

"That was a little insensitive of you," I said.

"Ace, you really gotta start thinkin' about other people's feelings before you open your mouth," said Grim.

"You're the last one I wanna hear that from, Grim," said Ace. "And why should a guy with his act together walk on eggshells around a guy slowing down the team? We're doing the same rehearsals. Not my fault he can't do the moves."

Jamil sighed. "This is getting nowhere. We're not going to get in any decent practice like this. Upperclassmen, what would you say to calling a quick recess?"

"I second that motion, Jamil," said Rook. "Let's all take a breather, shall we?"

"Yeah!" said Kalim. "We can all rest up and clear our heads."

"Fine," Vil huffed. "If we must."

"I better make sure Deuce is okay," I said. I glanced at Ace, but he seemed as stubborn as always. I held in a sigh. One problem at a time. I grabbed a water from the case Vil always kept on a table and left the room. Grim followed me. We found Deuce outside, seeming utterly disappointed in himself. My heart went out to him. "No need for the long face."

"Hey, our kindly manager's brought you a bottle of water," said Grim.

Deuce accepted the water from me. "Ona. Grim. Sorry about running off like that."

"You should be! If you guys don't win first place, my tuna bonanza goes up in smoke. You and Epel both better buck up and get back to practice."

"Ha ha. You and your one-track mind. It makes me kind of jealous."

"Y'know, Deuce, I've been wondering: why did you stick your nose in Vil and Epel's argument? Even I know that's just askin' for trouble."

Deuce frowned. "It is, huh? I agree. It was dumb of me. But I've seen something in Epel ever since we ran into him by the courtyard well. I think... he and I are a lot alike."

"Seriously? You and Epel? You guys don't look or act anything alike."

"It's hard to put it into words. It's about wanting to change, but not being able to... Not knowing HOW to change yourself, and just kind of floundering. Ugh. Ace was right. I'm hopeless with this stuff. I'm bad at getting a point across. It's just so... frustrating."

"Such frustrations are the bittersweet pain of youth, Monsieur Spade!" Rook said, popping up on Deuce's left side.

"C'mon, what's the matter?" Kalim said, popping up on Deuce's right side. "Cheer up!"

"WHOA!" Deuce and Grim exclaimed.

"Rook?" said Deuce. "Kalim? You scared me! What are you doing here?"

"It's about time to get back to dance rehearsal, so we came to check up on you," said Kalim.

"Are you feeling ready to return to the ballroom?" said Rook.

Deuce's eyes widened. "C-can I...really go back?"

Kalim blinked. "Huh? Of course you can."

"Vil was right when he said I'm dead weight. I know that. I was chosen for the ensemble, and I'm trying my best. But I'm afraid it might not be enough..."

"Do not get ahead of yourself, Monsieur Spade," said Rook. "You are but a chick still inside your egg. Would you expect an unhatched chick to accurately gauge their own limits? Non. You will not attain a beautiful warble or plumage for flying while huddling within your shell."

"Rook..."

"Don't worry. I've heard it loud and clear— I've heard all of you pecking, slow and steady, at the shells around you, striving to break out. Here's a bird fact for you, actually. Unhatched chicks have a hard, pointy, horn-like protrusion on the end of their beaks called an egg tooth. They use that to break their shell. That egg tooth fades away as the chick grows, though. The point I am making is this: Ensnared as you are in the throes of hatching, each of you has an egg tooth that no one else possesses. You have power within you, somewhere. Speaking not only for myself, but for Vil: We're both waiting eagerly for all of you to break free and stand tall at long last."

"A strength that only I possess, huh? Hm..." Deuce seemed to think hard about it. "Nope. I got nothin'. The best I can come up with is that I'm a little quick on my feet. I'm neither book smart or a clever thinker. I don't have much going for me at all, really..."

"Hey, Deuce?" said Kalim. "Maybe the problem is that you keep using your brain to try to work through these problems?"

"Huh?"

"If that's not really how you're wired, then why are you trying to force it? When I watch you, do you know what I see? I see someone trying to write with their non- dominant hand, then yelling, 'Oh, I'm so bad at writing!' You're doing something you know you're bad at, then beating yourself up when it doesn't turn out well. Of course you won't see your strong points when you do things that way."

"Heh heh heh. Kalim, your eyes are as clear as the sky after rain," said Rook. "Such candor. Such a pure luster. Truly, that is your strength, Roi Doré."

"Hm? Was that a compliment? That's very kind of you, Rook!" Kalim smiled brightly.

"Kalim is right, Deuce. Your true strength lies elsewhere. It's not about using your head."

"Ain't that the truth?" said Grim. "Every time you come up with a plan, it's a disaster waitin' to happen. Remember that time you tried to catch me by throwin' Ace, and you broke a billion-thaumark chandelier?"

Deuce grimaced. "P-please, don't remind me."

"I get that a lot too, you know," said Kalim. "Jamil calls me thoughtless and oblivious all the time. But it also means that whenever I'm feeling down, a little food, rest, and dancing are all I need to purge whatever's bugging me from my mind. So, it can also be a plus, in my view. Basically, um... I'm trying to say that something you see as a negative can actually be a positive. I'm not sure how to word it better."

"A weakness can also be a strength, right?" I said. "Many people would think my compassion for others is a weakness at a place like this. But that is exactly what has allowed to get close to people who would normally pose the most threat to me, and they in turn protect me. So, it's really a strength."

Deuce's eyes widened. "Oh. Ohhh. I get it! Thank you, Kalim. Rook. Ona. I think I understand things a little better now!"

"Really?" said Kalim. "Well, glad to hear it!"

"Um, may I ask a question?"

"Oui, by all means," said Rook. "We'll be happy to answer if we can."

"There's something I need to borrow."

Rook and Kalim exchanged a look. "Oh?"

Deuce asked to borrow a blast cycle from Ignihyde and raced off to find Epel. They did not return for a long time, when the sky had turned dark. In the meantime, Vil took out his frustrations on the rest of the group, forcing us through rigorous exercised. We were relieved when Deuce and Epel finally returned.

"You think you can just waltz back here?" Vil said angrily. "Not only did you skip your rehearsal, but you left campus without permission AND got in a fight? You're lucky it was written off as self-defense. But what if you'd gotten barred from competing in the SDC because of it? Does your irresponsibility know no bounds?!"

"Vil, I am so, SO sorry!" Deuce said. "I was the one who took Epel off campus without permission. I accept whatever punishment you deem fit, sir!"

"No, I was the one who ran out in the middle of rehearsal..." said Epel, "and I started the fight. This is my fault! And, if I may add one other thing? I learned something today. I finally understand what you mean when you talk about power." He took a deep breath. "Deep down, I've always looked down on people who care about being cute or charming. But you endorsed my hometown's apple juice, and everyone in town is happier for it. I think your concept of power finally clicked for me. And now I want to have power like yours, Vil."

Vil smirked. "Heh... Let me tell you something, Epel. I like making people prostrate themselves before me. There is one form of power that can bring people to their knees. It's more overwhelming than violence; more eloquent than words. I speak, of course, of beauty. That is why I devote myself utterly to the art of aesthetics—so that no one can outshine me. So that I can be the fairest in the land. You were fortunate enough to be born with the weapon called 'charm.' Whether you sharpen that weapon into something useful or let it rust away is up to you. I suggest you remember that."

"Yes, sir. I'm going to keep getting more powerful." Epel appeared determined. "Powerful enough to beat Neige AND you!"

"Heh. At least you're ambitious."

"Heh heh heh," Rook laughed. "I see the baby birds have learned a valuable lesson. What would you say to letting them off the hook this time, Roi du Poison?"

Vil sighed. "I suppose the point has been made. There's no sense in belaboring it. I'm giving you both a second chance. There will not be a third. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" said Epel and Deuce.

"Don't take that peppy tone with me. You both clearly have an excess of energy. Your punishment is to run thirty laps around the dorm!"

"Yes, sir! Running now, sir!" They both took off running.

"It sounds like they got into some trouble, but at least they're feeling better!" Kalim said with a grin. "They look like they both had a moment of catharsis."

"A moment that could have thrown the whole show into jeopardy, you mean," said Jamil. "What a mess..."

"No kidding," said Ace. "And Vil ran the rest of us through the wringer while they were out. Have some pity for the rest of us, man."

"Oh, by the way, Ace!" Deuce said as he neared us, still running.

"Yeah? You'd better not be expecting an apology."

"Hey, don't put words in my mouth. You were right, okay? I'm not as smart or as slick as you are. But even then... I'm not letting you outshine me, okay? That's all I wanted to say. Later!" Then he was out of sight.

Ace appeared perplexed. "Wait, what?" He turned to me. "Huh? Did he just declare war on me? Is he nuts? That knucklehead wouldn't outshine me in a million years. Ona, Grim, you two agree, right?"

I held my hands up in defense. "I'm not taking sides."

"From where I'm standin', any competition between you two is a race to the bottom," said Grim.

Ace glared at him. "BWAH?! What was that, you little furball?!"

"Ahhh, youth," I said with a sigh. Still, there was a soft smile on my face. It was good to know some things would not change.