After the 404 people came and took both David and Agren into their care, Ball was once again without a shadow. Dora's voice up above directed her to Oscar's art class. He would be her shadow now. Ball knocked the door to the classroom.

"Come on in! It's a studio day today!" The teacher practically sang. She was putting together a large sketch. Ball kept on knocking, but it became slower because she started to knock with her head. Oscar was skeptical, but after a while he realized why the person on the other side could not open the door.

The lad went over to the door and opened it. He looked down at a very distraught Ball.

"Ball? What's the matter? I've never seen you look so sad," Oscar asked.

"David is in the hospital. He is not waking up. His bodily fluids were leaking from his nose," She said quietly. Ball illustrated a nose bleed by putting her foot up to her face and gliding It down, "His fight with Agren had turned, sour..."

"Oh dear. Well I'm sure he'll be okay. We just have to think positive!" Oscar said. Ball nodded slowly. The 2 walked into class, one slightly more solemn than the other.

"I expect that you can not bring the dead back to life," Ball said.

"Who can?" Oscar asked.

"... I do not know," Ball sighed and lied.

Oscar sat down at his art table, and ball hopped up from a stool an onto the tabletop to sit.

"Heyo! Ball!" 2 students sitting with Oscar said. There was another one, but he just waved.

"Oh, hello?" She was surprised by their enthusiasm.

"I didn't think that you would be in this class with us!" a freshman girl named Kiki said, "We've drawn so much stuff of you," she got out her sketch book and began to go through a flipbook animation of Ball walking.

"I did a little statue of you made of wood..." a timid freshman boy called Ethan took the figure out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

The lad who did not speak, took out a sad painting of Ball made up of mostly blues blacks and white. He pointed to it. Out of all of the works, the painting spoke to Ball the most.

"Thanks..." Ball breathed.

"What's wrong?" Kiki asked.

"My friend is in danger..." Ball said.

"David got beat up near the lunch bathrooms," Oscar explained.

"You mean the aw seriously kid?" Kiki asked.

Oscar nodded.

"What... what can we do?" Ethan asked.

"I am not sure. Are you educated in any medical field?" Ball asked.

"No," Kiki and Ethan said. The speechless lad shook his head.

"Oh..." Ball looked over to the speechless lad, "Do you? Not talk?"

"His name's Robey (Row-bee) And he, he doesn't, can't... talk," Ethan said timidly.

Robey pointed to Ethan and nodded, agreeing with him.

"Can not talk?" Ball looked back over to Robey. Robey put his pointer finger below his eye and dragged it down imitating the trails of a tear.

Oh?

"We don't mind. I mean, Robey is one of a kind," Kiki said. Oscar started laughing.

"These are my friends Ball! Luckily we all have art together. We play all sorts of games," he pointed to Kiki.

"Talk about movies," she said.

"And, and, create stuff about it!" Ethan said. Robey gave him another thumbs up.

"You can come over to my house if ya wanna play," Oscar said.

"Oscar stop saying play, we're not 4 yaknow," Kiki said.

"What else am I supposed to say? You know what we do, and it's totally, play!" Oscar said.

Robey signed 'rhyme' in ASL, although nobody understood him. His translator was out for the moment.

"Well whatever it may be, it should be rather fun to try," Ball said timidly.

"It's an honor. But you'll have to keep up," Kiki said.

"I am fast," Ball said defensively. It made the kids laugh.

"How fast can you be with those stick legs?" Kiki asked.

"I outran Agren!" Ball said.

"Who's t-that?" Ethan asked.

"He...is a JERK! A stupid big moron who likes to hurt people for no good reason!" Ball burst. She stomped on the table a little.

"Ball don't thrash around. It's rude," Oscar said matter a factly with a pointer finger up.

"Sorry Oscar, but Agren can not get away with what he has done! It makes me so...enraged!"

"Maybe y-yo..u..." Ethan trailed off.

"Go ahead Ethan, we're all ears," Oscar said.

"Maybe you could draw it. It always makes me and Robey feel better," Ethan said.

"It does not sound like a bad idea, but I think I would rather take action on my anger and confront him!" Ball said.

"But Ball! Didn't you say that Agren beat up David? If you confront him them I'm sure he'll just try to bash your face in," Oscar said.

"Yeah, you wanna get your face bashed in?" Kiki asked.

"No. But he does need justice to be served... Somehow," Ball got less excited.

"There's really nothing we can do about bullies here. The school is so lazy that they can't even get a kid expelled. We just have to expect it and move on," Kiki stated the harsh truth, it was her specialty.

"Instead maybe we should just play a game. How about angels and demons?" Oscar tried to change the subject.

"S-s-ure! But I wanna be an demon this time," Ethan said.

For the rest of art class the band of freshman played their drawing games. (Angels and demons being a game in which a player must humorously draw and change a situation for good, or for bad).

During the last couple of periods Ball could only think about how David was doing and how excited Oscar would be to meet Rocky. With the 2 different types of interesting thought, it also gave her 2 types of outlook and mood. For the most part she was quiet.

Every new person she met that wasn't giddy to see her made her nervous.

Do they think I'm here to harm them? Please do not think that! I am just as confused as you!

In reality, if she didn't want to talk with a questionable new person, she would simply say so.

"I do not wish to speak for the moment," She would say, especially if they ever asked about the sound.

"She's a little in the dumps, so excuse her," Oscar would say. The last period of the day, 8th, Ball had become more lighthearted and giddy. When they exited the class Oscar had already noticed. She was swaying back and forth and couldn't keep from smiling. Oscar copied this action to attempt to share in the feeling.

"What's got you all smilin?" He said sweetly.

"I have a gift for you, remember?" Ball looked up at him still swaying.

"You never told me you had a gift," Oscar said. She had just told him to meet up with her later.

"Oh, well I do. I think you will enjoy it to no end!" at that exact moment Ball wondered if somehow Oscar wouldn't like it. She was putting Rocky on a pedestal, but was he really all that great?

Well Oscar requested this so I guess if he doesn't like it then he should not have of asked She reasoned, "We will have to be somewhere private! Do you suggest anywhere?"

Oscar looked up at the ceiling while thinking.

"What is this place?" Ball asked amongst the bushes and trees.

"It's the courtyard! I've, never actually been here, but it looks so pretty doesn't it? I don't see anybody in ever enter, but I think we're allowed to be here,"

The courtyard was like a little wild island surrounded by the school. It had trees, a coy pond, flowers, and a wooden gazebo.

"It does not concern me if we are allowed. It is ok. And, it is very beautiful," Ball actually found it hard to not look at all the plants. The purple grass she liked to look at the most.

"There isn't a lot of sunlight here, so plants have trouble growing. I'm surprised how much has grown here. Uh you, you had a gift for me?" Oscar didn't want to be rude.

"Yes," Ball proceed to take her bag off and then unzipped it.
Rocky stood up, "Meet Rocky. He is your object," Ball pointed to him with a foot.

Oscar was speechless. His mouth was open and he fell over on his knees. Ball was having trouble interpreting how he was feeling.

"Hey..." He waved.

"Hello!" Rocky said.

Oscar put both of his hands over his mouth and rolled backwards.

"You were my rock?" Oscar asked.

"Uh huh!"

"Do, do you want to play?" Oscar was practically squealing.

"Prop Hunt," Rocky said.

"Ahhh! I-" Oscar breathed in to calm his demeanor, "I think we're gonna be friends,"

"Oh?" Rocky asked.

"Well you're gonna come home with me! And I can show you my toys and my Xbox and we can dress up! And and play role-playing games and draw each other,"

Rocky's smile increased.

"We are already friends," Rocky said,"Bleh," He had vomit all over Oscar. Ball had feared this. Instead of reacting negatively Oscar just started laughing. He took out a towel from his backpack and wiped his face off.

"That was incredible! Do you have some sort of powerful slime ability?"

"Yes," Rocky said.

Oscar smelled like avocado.
"Thank you so much Ball!" He said. He picked her up and gave her a big hug.

"You are always deserving," Ball responded. She was also smiling. It had worked out after all, "You must hide Rocky on our way out,"

"No problem," Oscar held Ball out away from him before placing her back on the ground, "You mind being placed in my backpack while we get out of here?" Oscar asked Rocky.

"No problem!" Rocky said. Oscar started to think of how long he was in Ball's backpack.

Hope I don't have to keep him in there too long.

After that the 3 of them went outside. That was when Ball, Rocky, and Oscar had to part.

"You know how to get home right?" Oscar was driven home. They were standing outside on campus.

"Yeah. I usually walk to school," Ball said.

Oscar's parents pulled in in front of the sidewalk.

"Ready to go kiddo?" Oscar's father said putting the window down. He was wearing sunglasses.

"We need to get back soon cause I kinda left the kiln on," Oscar's mother said.

"Oh don't worry about it hun the floor is tile," Oscar's dad said to reassure her.

"I know, I know," She smiled.

"Oh hey there Ball!" Oscar's dad flipped a penny and caught it. Heads, "Need a ride home?"

"Yeah, ya wanna ride?" Oscar turned to ask her.

"If you say so," Ball said.

"Yay!" Oscar's entire family said.
Oscar's mom opened the door and they began to drive her home (an incredibly short venture) When she was dropped off, Ball was stuck with only one thought left.