Chapter 10

"Gah, Dorm Head Riddle!" Ace exclaimed upon seeing the boy with scarlet hair.

This wasn't good at all. Riddle had heard Ace saying all those things. A stuck-up tyrant. A pushy leader. A black hole that sucked in all happiness. So many things that only enraged the dorm leader. Now he was there before them with his brow twitching. Glancing around the table, she noticed that the boys were now silent. Trey was staring down at the table with his hands folded in his lap. Meanwhile, Deuce was as stiff as a board, sitting up straight as he could with his arms at his sides. Though Marie could see his eyes flickering every so often.

"Hey, Riddle, you're looking awfully cute today." Cater nervously chuckled in what was clearly a desperate attempt to appease the dorm leader.

Riddle simply glared at the upperclassman as he replied "Hmph. Cater, proceed to run your mouth and it's off with your head."

Now that simply was rude. She understood he was mad, but no sense in taking it out on others.

"Well, aren't you just a cup full of sunshine." Marie sarcastically remarked.

Both Trey and Cater went pale from the girl's words. As for Riddle, his jaw tightened ever so slightly. Silently he walked around the table to Marie's side. She turned around in her seat to face him, seeing him study her with a stern look and his arms crossed.

"So, you're the new prefect. Honestly, it's ridiculous the headmaster placed you in charge instead of throwing you out for your antics the other day."

Marie scrunched her nose as she stood up. She was only a few inches taller than Riddle, so they ended up at an equal eye level.

"You know, I wanted to talk to you earlier today. What's the big deal with banning Ace from Heartslabyul?" She placed her hands firmly on her hips and leaned in close to the boy's face. "I get he made a mistake by eating the tart. That's fine, and it's perfectly understandable that you want him to make a replacement tart."

"Just whose side are you on?!" Ace questioned.

Ignoring her friend, she continued "But banning him outright until you're appeased, that's just an overreaction. You're treating him like he committed a heinous crime when honestly it was just a small mistake. So again I ask, why?"

Riddle raised a brow at the girl. It was hard to read his expression to know if he was angry from the question, or surprised. Instead of immediately replying, he pushed his hand against her shoulder, pushing her away from his face.

"Miss... Marie was it?" He waited for her to nod before continuing, "Miss Marie, as a fellow prefect I find you should not question my methods. I am merely reinforcing the rules established by the Queen of Hearts herself. You surely know her to be one of the Great Seven yes?"

"Well yeah, but what does that have to d-"

"So if you are to question the rules, that means you question the Queen of Hearts herself. The Queen, who herself, is renowned for keeping order in a land of madness. Who is a part of the very foundations of Twisted Wonderland. Whose example the people of Queendom of Roses follow to this very day. So allow me to ask..." Now he was the one leaning forward toward Marie's face. His eyes were narrowed and his hands firmly clasped behind his back. Despite being of similar height, this boy was succeeding in making Marie feel very small. "...are you sure you want to question the rules?"

Marie opened her mouth, but no words came forth. In truth, she had no counter to Riddle's statement. She was still a stranger to this world. Who was she to say what was right and what was wrong? If there was something wrong with the queen's rules, surely someone would have spoken up about them. Right? Slowly she closed her mouth as her shoulders slouched.

Riddle gave a knowing smile with a hum. "That's what I thought. Now I will not have any more disruptions. Understood?"

"Yes sir." she replied in almost a whisper.

She didn't dare look at Riddle's face as she sat back down. What had meant to be a defense for her friend had turned into what felt like a scolding. Still, it didn't sit right with her.

"Well, now that's settled, I shall take my leave. But be sure not to sit here chatting away, as that would be breaking Rule 271: 'One should leave their seat within 15 minutes of finishing their lunch.'"

As he started to leave, Ace yelled "Hey, what about this collar?!"

Marie glanced up to see Riddle had paused in his steps. He turned around with a deadpan look.

"I was going to remove it, but I clearly see you haven't learned your lesson yet. Keep it on a while longer."

With that, he left. Only then did Cater and Trey finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Ace, I'm so sorry." Marie frowned, feeling guilty. Perhaps Riddle would have felt inclined to remove the collar had she not opened her mouth.

"Tch. It's fine, it's not your fault. It's obvious he was angry at me in the first place." Ace replied while slouching forward on the table with his chin resting on his arms.

"Man, you sure know how to make a guy's heart stop." Cater laughed, jabbing his elbow into Marie's side. "You are so lucky you're not a Heartslabyul student. Riddle wouldn't have cut you that much slack."

"That was him cutting slack?!" Grim exclaimed.

Marie pursed her lips in thought. What Riddle said about the laws kept running through her head.

"Is.. is what he said about the rules true?"

Trey and Cater glanced at each other a bit confused by her words. Adjusting his glasses, Trey leaned over where he could face Marie along with Ace, Deuce, and Grim. His golden brown eyes had a deadly serious glint about them. Marie could find her back straightening a bit just from them alone. He had yet to say a single word, but she could tell that what he was about to say was crucial.

"Out of everyone here, no one knows the Queen of Hearts Laws better than Riddle. He both lives and thrives off of these very rules having both followed and studied them all his life. This is the kind of thing that Riddle doesn't take lightly. Never has the Queen been wrong. Those who wish to keep their head follow her law."

A pit settled in her stomach when she heard those words again. They said the Queen managed to maintain order because of her laws. Yet was threatening people to obey truly the way to maintain order? The whole thing just made Marie's head spin. What was right? What was wrong? She had yet to be certain.

"So in other words, if I want this collar off, I gotta get a replacement tart." Ace groaned, his fingers digging into his arm slightly.

"Bingo. Preferably in time for tomorrow's Unbirthday Party." Cater winked.

"Don't take it too hard." Trey said as he leaned back into his seat with a smile, "Riddle just is trying to be a good leader."

"Has a funny way of showing it. I mean he-" Grim said, but Deuce quickly silenced him by shoving food into the cat's mouth. He choked and gagged, flailing around his arms as he was trying to swallow. Marie picked him up and started beating on his back.

"You're absolutely right, I'm sure Dorm Head Rosehearts is just doing what's best for the dorm." Deuce grinned. "We'll make sure to follow all the rules. Right, Ace?"

"Huh? Oh yeah sure."

Marie finally succeeded in making Grim swallow down his food. He looked exhausted as he hung from Marie's hand with his ears dropping. He shook his head a few times and his ears immediately perked up.

"What the heck was that?! I almost died!"

Deuce could only grin nervously at the feline's outburst.

The final bell of the day rang, indicating the end of classes. Before the end of lunch, Trey had offered his services to help the group make a tart for Riddle. He suggested that they bake Mont Blanc, a tart made with chestnuts. So it was now for that reason they found themselves in the woods behind the campus. The forest was thick with trees and bushes. All of them flourished with an assortment of fruits and nuts. There were even some mushrooms growing at the base of some of the trees.

Marie smiled at the sight. It reminded her of the woods back home. When she was a kid, she and her younger sister would often sneak out of the house to go pick berries. Fortunately, they were able to tell the difference between those that were poisonous and those that were safe to eat thanks to their mother. She could recall how messy they both got, often coming home with berry juice all over them and grinning with teeth stained red or black. She sighed with a laugh before frowning. It's been already a day. Was her sister going to be alright? She could hardly imagine her sister lasting long without her. All she could hope was that she hung in there until she returned. Then, everything would be okay.

"Hey, Marie!" suddenly Ace yelled, making the girl yelp with a jump.

"Jeez, Ace, don't scare me like that!" she snapped, holding a hand against her beating heart.

"Well, I was calling out your name like ten times now and you weren't responding. You were just spacing out."

"That doesn't mean you have to scream at me like that!"

"Well I wouldn't have to scream if y-"

At that moment, Deuce shoved his way between the two and held them at a distance with his hands. "Will you both stop arguing? We still need to get the chestnuts for Trey."

"Right, sorry Deuce. Guess I'm still just still a little rattled from lunch today." Marie sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I just hated that I really couldn't say anything."

Ace's face softened with a small frown. "You're still blaming yourself for that huh?"

The girl gave a silent nod.

Ace's brows furrowed with his lips pressed into a firm line. His eyes glanced to the side as his arms swayed back and forth. Suddenly he punched Marie in the shoulder.

The girl yelped and immediately held her arm. It wasn't a strong blow that left a bad injury, but it was still hard enough to leave a sore. "What was the for?!" Seriously, she had done nothing to deserve being hit. Looking at the ginger, she saw he was glaring at her with a pout.

She opened her mouth, but Ace beat her to the punch.

"I hit you cause I want you to snap out of it."

Her mouth instantly closed. Okay, now she was confused.

"Even if it's your fault, it doesn't matter anymore. You're a screwup and I'm a screwup. And as screwups, we need to stick together." He let out a sigh as he turned his head away from her. "So, stop beating yourself over that jerk. Just help me fix the tart. That's the least you can do as my friend."

Marie was touched. Ace had a strange way of showing it, but he can be a caring friend. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply before giving her cheeks a light slap.

"You're right, Ace. Now let's go pick those chestnuts!"

He looked back at her and gave a small smile.

With that settled, the group searched for some chestnut trees. Fortunately, it didn't take too long. A small line of trees was brimming with chestnuts. Grim out of excitement climbed up the tree trunk and pulled himself into the limbs. "So many yummy chestnuts! Heh, I don't think Trey would mind if I took a few~" He tried to pluck one, but with a whine, withdrew his paw. His eyes were filled with tears as he held out his paw which had some spikes from the shell stuck in his paw.

Marie could only groan and pinch her nose at the sight. Crazy cat didn't realize they couldn't pick the chestnuts barehanded due to the thorns on the shell. "Sometimes I wonder if he even has a brain, or if it's just a second stomach."

"Yeah, we're gonna need some gloves if we want to pick them, and even a bucket to carry them to the kitchen." Deuce commented.

"Think the botanical garden should have that stuff. I think I remember it actually being nearby." Ace said.

It makes sense that there would be a botanical garden nearby. The trees in the woods look far from being just the bounty of nature. Rather they looked like someone had been caring for them. So it certainly would be ideal to have a place to store the supplies nearby. With them all in agreement, they headed to the botanical garden.

Inside, Marie was stunned. This didn't look like a garden, it looked like a full-blown jungle. There were a variety of lush plants as far as the eye could see. Flowers of nearly every kind and color, palm trees with coconuts and bananas, and even a rock structure with a working waterfall. It was truly a beautiful sight and far too large to take the time to search for the tools themselves. So it was agreed that it was best to split up and see if they could find the caretaker. If anyone knew where to find garden tools, it would be them.

Marie headed to the back with Grim sitting on her shoulder. Looking at all the flowers, she noticed there were no roses. "Guess, only the 'Queen' can have roses or something." The thought made her huff in annoyance. She had been so annoyed, that she had failed to see where she was stepping.

Her only warning was feeling something hard under her foot followed by an angry hiss. She immediately jumped back to the point where Grim almost fell off her shoulder, managing to stay on by clinging to her neck for dear life. Looking down, she saw a brown lion tail flick back and forth from a bush. The bushes rustled a bit as a familiar figure sat up while muttering under his breath. It was the lion guy from the entrance ceremony. "Ah crap."

The young beastman turned around, brushing some of his long brown bangs from his face. When he saw Marie, his green eyes glared angrily at her with his fangs bared.

"So, it's you again herbivore. Figures you would be the one to step on my tail." he growled.

Well, to give him credit, he was the first one not to call her "that girl".

"Sorry about that." she replied.

There wasn't much that she could say around him. He felt like someone she needed to be careful around. Especially after he had prevented her from slipping away at the entrance ceremony. Her breathing hitched when she watched him get off the ground and stand to his full height. She hadn't realized it back then, but he towered over her. He stared down at her with hands in his pockets and his lips curled in a sneer.

"Nyeh, and I thought that lazy janitor was scary." Grim whimpered, trying to curl up to make himself as small as possible.

"Honestly, I still think Peterson is the scarier one." Marie said, recalling the bear man's massive frame. Coughing to clear her throat, she gave the lion guy one of her own glares. Maybe if she showed she wasn't scared, he would lose interest and leave. She dealt with the bullies in the cafeteria, surely she could handle him. "Anyways, we really need to get going."

She tried to walk away but found herself blocked by an arm. Turning toward the lion guy, his sneer turned into a smirk that easily showed off all of his sharp teeth.

"Don't think you're getting off that easy, herbivore." he taunted, "No one steps on my tail and gets away with it."

Okay, now he was pushing it. Guess she had to handle him just like she did with those bullies. She plucked Grim off of her shoulder and set him on the ground. Of course, she had to resist the urge to groan when she saw the grey feline immediately dart around to hide behind a tree. He really needs to stop leaving her in these kind of situations. Taking in a deep breath, she laid her hand on the arm blocking her path. Lessons from her judo classes came to mind. Pull, sweep, and throw using their weight. Simple.

She yanked and the next thing she knew, her world spun as her feet were no longer on the ground. Marie cried out when her back painfully slammed on the ground. Unfortunately, she had no time to recover, as a knee shoved down on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. It took a few seconds to register her surroundings other than the fact her body was wracked with pain. Above her, she saw the lion guy leaning over her with his hair hanging downward around his face like a curtain. He had his knee pressed into her stomach and one of her arms bent backward.

"Did you just judo flip me?!" she managed to groan out.

"Heh, you got guts, but are still pretty stupid to think you could outdo a lion in combat." he grinned maliciously, "Honestly, girl or not, your kind of attitude pisses me off. Perhaps I should take a tooth in exchange?"

"Crap, this guy is serious!" Marie panicked internally.

"Hey, leave her alone o-or you'll have to deal with me!" Grim yelled. The gray feline was doing his best to look brave as he abandoned the safety of the tree. Though Marie could easily see his legs were trembling. There was no doubt in her mind that the lion guy noticed as well.

He let out a humph and opened his mouth.

"Oi, Leona!" a voice called out.

Hearing this the beastman grumbled as he lifted his knee off his prey.

Now free, Marie quickly scuttled backward to make distance. Her body felt a little shaky, still having been rattled. Perhaps Grim wasn't the only one who needed a reevaluation in confidence. Looking for her unintentional savior, her eyes fell upon another approaching beastman. This one was much shorter and had a fluffy set of hyena ears that blended with his shaggy hair. He wore a lazy grin and had his hands resting behind his head.

"So this has been where you've been hiding. I figured you would be ditching class but I didn't think you would have friends here."

Leona grumbled as he stood to full height, pushing back some hair from his face. "As if having the herbivore disturb my nap was bad enough, now the annoying one is here."

The hyena boy let out a snicker. "It's your fault for always trying to slink off. Fail any more classes and they're gonna hold you back again." He leaned slightly past Leona, eyes falling upon Marie and Grim. "So you're gonna introduce me to your new friends?"

Leona simply grunted as he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked off.
Seeing this display, the hyena boy frowned while muttering, "Well that's no fun." He sighed before turning back toward Marie and Grim, flashing them a wide grin. "Guess I'll be seeing you guys around then." With a final snicker, he trailed off after Leona.

Finally, Marie released the breath she had been holding. Grim immediately scampered into her arms before she stood back on her two feet.

"Whew! I'm sweating bullets! That guy was intense!" the feline exclaimed, clinging tightly to Marie's arms.

"Y-yeah, he was. I can't imagine what would have happened if that other kid didn't show up." the girl groaned, the memory of those green eyes glaring down at her still fresh in her mind. "I really didn't want to lose a tooth like he suggested."

"Hmph, well next time he shows up, he's getting a face full of flames! No one threatens my minion and gets away with it!"

"Grim, for the las... ugh, forget it."

After some time of searching the botanical garden, Marie and Grim managed to meet back up with Deuce and Ace, both who had successfully found the basket and tongs they needed to pick the walnuts. As the group made their way back to the walnut trees, Marie wasted no time recounting what had happened with Leona. As she explained it though, she noticed Deuce's features seemed to darken into an unreadable expression. At his sides, his hands were clenched very tightly.

"Just how many delinquents are at this school?" he muttered darkly.

He lifted his head with his teeth grit and his green eyes smoldering with rage.

"Just where does he get off threatening his fellow students like that?! If I was there I would of..." he trailed off with a shaking fist.

Marie and Ace glanced at each other in concern. This wasn't the first time Deuce changed up character. He had done so the previous night at the Dwarves Mine. Just what exactly caused these kinds of person switches? Concerned for her friend, Marie spoke up "Deuce?"

Hearing her voice, the boy blinked rapidly glancing back and forth between his friends and his fist. Suddenly he's coughing, clearing his throat as he immediately drops his hands to his sides. "Upperclassman Trey is still waiting for us, we better get those chestnuts." he said with a forced smile before shuffling off.

"He can't seriously expect us to pretend that just didn't happen." Ace whispered over to Marie.

"I know, but we can't exactly force an answer out of him. We still barely know each other." she whispered back.

"Well, I guess that's fair. Man, this guy gets more bizarre with each second."

"Nnnngh, can you both stop whispering and start gathering chestnuts!" Grim complained within Marie's arms, "That Leona guy's yellow vest has made me really hungry. Reminded me of bananas."

Marie rolled her eyes as she and Ace followed after Deuce while saying "Grim, almost everything reminds you of food."

Using the tongs they had found, the group proceeded to pick the chestnuts from the tree branches. It took little effort to fill the basket. Seeing as they had enough, they made their way back to the school cafeteria. All the while, Grim couldn't stop snickering to himself as he gushed at the thought of the chestnut tarts. Reaching their destination, they were greeted with Trey waiting for them. He waved with a smile before guiding them into the kitchen.

Inside, Marie was quite impressed by what she saw. It seemed less like a school kitchen and more like a high-quality kitchen, which she often saw popular chefs cook in on television. It had about everything you needed to cook every dish imaginable, from top-notch ovens to racks containing an assortment of knives and spatulas. Trey was able to navigate the kitchen with ease, opening up cabinet drawers and fetching different ingredients.

"Alright, now first things first..." Trey began as he set a large bowl on the counter, "... we'll need to peel all these chestnuts and put them into the bowl." He gave Marie, Ace, and Grim a small knife. "Now while Deuce and I use magic to separate the nuts from their burrs, you three will be peeling the chestnuts." As an example, he pulled out his magic pen, levitating a single chestnut. In an instant, the two separated, the burr landing in the trash can while the nut itself into the palm of his hand. Taking the small knife, he cut a small x onto the chestnut and then used both thumbs to peel away the skin. Once peeled, he placed it into the giant bowl. "Once we finish peeling then I can start the crushing process. Everyone got that? Great, now let's get to work."

The group worked like clockwork. The chestnuts sparkled as Deuce and Trey used their magic pens, creating a pile for Marie, Ace, and Grim to work with. Marie tried to work as fast as she could, cutting the small x into the nut like she was shown. However, the nut proved sometimes a little difficult to peel back its skin. Her brows furrowed in frustration as she dumped her latest peeled chestnut into the bowl. She couldn't understand how Trey made it look so easy. Fortunately, it seemed Ace and Grim were having as much trouble as her. She couldn't help but laugh when Grim tried peeling one chestnut, only for it to slip out of his paws and hit him square in the forehead.

By the time the bowl was filled with peeled chestnuts, Marie was flexing her stiff fingers. Grim was lying flat on the counter on his belly, paws in front of him and small tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Seriously, that was tiring." Ace grumbled, shaking his hand lightly.

"Afraid to tell you but this is only the beginning." Trey laughed, "We need to crush the chestnuts into a paste so we can mix it with the other ingredients." He went about gathering more ingredients such as flour, eggs, and cream. Once he had laid them all out on the counter, he took a step back. His lips pressed into a firm frown. "Huh, seems we got carried away with the walnuts that we have more than what I prepared for. We'll have to get more ingredients for the mixing."

"Oh, I can run out and get them for you!" Deuce offered eagerly with a raised hand, "Does the school store have them?"

Trey nodded before quickly getting a piece of paper and making a list. "Don't worry about the cost, I'll make sure to pay you back in full."

Deuce accepted the list and gave it a quick look over.

"I definitely can't carry this all by myself. Marie, would you mind coming with me?"

"Heh, sure. Sides, I needed to see where the school store is anyway." she replied with a smile.

Hearing this, Grim's ears twitched as he quickly jumped up "Nyeh, let me come too! I wanna go to the store too!" Without any hesitation, he jumped up onto Marie's shoulder, leaving no room for debate.

"Alright, then Ace and I will start crushing these chestnuts so they'll be ready to mix by the time you guys come back." Trey stated as he got out a couple of mashers from one of the counter drawers.

"Right, I promise we won't be long!" Deuce replied, practically beaming with pride.

For a magical school, Marie was a little shocked at how ordinary the school shop looked. It was just a simple small purple building with the sign "Mr. S's Mystery Shop". Nothing really stood out about it. The only peculiar thing she could note was how it was a little isolated from the rest of the school, being hidden away among the woods. That is until she stepped inside. Within the shop, it was like stepping into a whole different world. A large room full of strange items and knickknacks. The girl had to double-take, constantly going back and forth in the entrance.

"I wha... but... huh... how does everything fit..."

She took one last comparison of the outside and inside states. There was simply no other explanation. The shop must use magic to look bigger on the inside.
Grim stared all starry-eyed at the items in the shop, walking along the glass cabinet. There were so many things: crystal balls, books, potions, jewelry, and even tribal masks. One was painted green with big black eyes, which caught the feline's attention especially.

"Hey Marie, check this one out! It looks like a silly frog!" Grim laughed.

"Oh, would you perhaps be interested in purchasing it?" a smooth yet slippery voice spoke up from behind the mask.

Grim yelped as jumped back before landing on all fours with a hunched back. The voice chuckled before standing up from behind the mask, revealing himself. He was a dark-skinned man wearing a purple and black suit and a top hat. Skeletal paint decorated his cheeks and arms.

"Greetings little imps. The name's Sam and I sincerely welcome you to my shop." he said with a slight bow and a wink.

"Oh no, a 'salesman'." Marie paled.

The girl was no stranger to this type of person. She had encountered plenty of them back in New Hampshire, most notably in the local mall. They were the type of people that get ahold of you and start shoving products in your face. Their words are laced with honey, drawing in respecting victims. And when you agree to buy something, they only place more and more before you, making it nearly impossible to say no. By the time you're finished, you will have spent far too much money. As much she had hated to admit it, she often fell victim to such tactics. They just had such a way with words that made everything enticing.

"How can I help you, my devilish patrons?" Sam asked with a sly smile, "Perhaps some mystical items from lands far away? Or even some rare jewels, such as this beautiful ruby necklace? It would look lovely around your lady friend's neck." From his white-gloved fingers he dangled a golden chain necklace that had smaller rubies dangling off of it while a larger one made up the centerpiece.

Marie's eyes sparkled as she unconsciously started reaching for the necklace. Before she could touch it, her wrist was snatched by Deuce.

"Actually, we need the items on this list." Deuce said as he used his free hand to give Sam the list.

Realizing what she almost did, Marie immediately tried to hide away her beaming red face with her hand. "Way to go, Marie. You ended up falling for it again. Marie zero, salesman infinity."

The shop owner hummed as he looked over the list before disappearing into the backroom. It took a few minutes, but when he reemerged, he had bags full of every item on the list. It seemed the school store truly did have everything. Deuce and Marie scooped up the giant bags in their arms.

"You know, those bags look awfully hard to carry. If you like, I can offer you a flying magical tray and if you buy a second one, I can give you thirty percent off your price." Sam slyly suggested.

"Oh! I want one of those!" Grim exclaimed.

"Grim, you can't poss- wait, did you say thirty percent off?" Marie started but perked up at the mention of a discount.

"No, just what we have is fine." Deuce said with a forced grin, forcing both Marie and Grim behind him. "Thank you for the help Mr. Sam." He didn't waste any time urging his two friends out of the shop lest they get convinced to spend more money.

As the group made their way through main street, Marie was constantly readjusting the bags in her arms. With the bags being so big and full, it wasn't easy to grasp them firmly. She could feel them slipping and it would always force her to stop in her tracks so she could adjust them. Her actions were easily noticed by Deuce.

"That bag looks heavy. Let me take it, I know a trick for carrying heavy bags." he said.

With ease he slipped one of the bags out of Marie's grasp and held it in his arm, all without losing a grip on the bags in his other arm.

The girl couldn't help but let out a whistle. "That's pretty impressive, where did you pick that up from?"

"I help my mom out with groceries, especially during sales. Seeing as I'm the only guy in the house, I tend to do most of the heavy lifting."

Ah, that made sense. Looking back at her own memories, she could recall her father being in a similar situation. Whether it be shopping or even carrying luggage, he almost always would be carrying large amounts to the point she was surprised his arms didn't fall off.

"That's very sweet of you. I can only imagine how much you care about your mom to help her out like that."

Deuce bit his lip as he glanced downward. "Actually I-"

Just then the young teen had bumped into a couple of students, jostling his grip. One of the bags ended up falling to the ground and with a resounding crack, eggshells and yolk were spilled upon the ground.

"Gah! The eggs!" Grim wailed.

Marie couldn't blame the cat in this instant. Even she was shattered by the sight of their entire supply of eggs now lying broken on the ground. Looking up at the two students Deuce had bumped into, she clenched her teeth upon recognizing them. It was the two bullies from earlier that morning, of all the luck to have.

"Oi, it's you guys again!" the delinquent snarled, "It's bad enough you ruined my lunch and made me look bad, but now your friend got egg all over my shoes!"

"Your shoes? What about our eggs?! They're completely ruined!" Marie exclaimed, "At least your shoes can be cleaned. Now we have to go all the way back to the store and buy more!"

The delinquent's red-haired companion snorted before replying "Well blame your idiot friend here. He should watch where he's going. Honestly, you're both just so disrespectful to your upperclassmen. I think we deserve an apology."

She couldn't believe it. The nerve of them demanding an apology when it should be the other way around. Yet before she could say anything, she heard the crinkling of bags. Looking over to her side, she saw Deuce had set down his bags. His fists were clenched and his jaw tightened.

"You say we have no respect, yet you have none for those eggs." His lips curled into a sneer. "Those eggs were going to be made into a delicious tart to make up for not being able to hatch! But now they can't do either, all because you broke them! I demand you assholes give those eggs an apology and pay us back, not only for this batch but the next batch as well!"

The two delinquents glanced at each other, confusion clearly painted on their faces. The dark-haired one clenched his fist and exclaimed "Oi, just where you get the nerve to talk like that?! I ain't paying for shit!"

"So, you won't pay nor apologize huh?" Deuce growled, "Then get ready to square up!"

Before Marie could even blink, her friend had punched the delinquent square in the face, sending him tumbling to the ground. The delinquent's companion didn't even have time to react before Deuce punched him as well. The girl was stunned, it was like a flip had been switched. Deuce was now on top of one of the delinquents, repeatedly punching them in the face to the point they were starting to bleed. His eyes were wide and wild, his teeth barred in indescribable fury. This couldn't go on, she couldn't let Deuce get in trouble for something as small as starting a fight after all they went through yesterday.

"Deuce! Deuce stop!" She looped her arms under his armpits and pulled back hard, "They had enough, Deuce! Please stop!"

The boy within her arms wriggled with his arms swinging wildly, chest heaving. He took in heavy breaths as he slowly blinked. It seemed he was returning to his senses.

The delinquent underneath him crawled back, taking a shaky hand to his face to wipe away the blood from his nose. His companion immediately helped him to his feet. "We're sorry eggs! We're sorry!"

Marie continued to hold onto Deuce as the two delinquents took off. Only until she was sure they were gone did she finally let go.

"Wow, Deuce, you became a completely different person there! You were all like grrr ragggh!" Grim said, swiping his paws in a punching motion, "Honestly it was kind of cool... if not terrifying at the same time."

Deuce groaned with his head slumped. "I messed up again."

"Again?" Marie asked.

He nodded before explaining himself. "When I was younger, I got into a lot of fights. I bleached my hair, gave little care to my studies, and rode my magic wheel everywhere recklessly. I just did whatever I wanted cause I felt like it." A shaky breath slipped from his lips. "Then one night, I heard my mother crying on the phone to Grandma, blaming herself. It was then I realized how much I was hurting her and those around me."

"Deuce..."

"My mom was so happy when she saw that black carriage arrive for me. To have her son attend a prestigious school such as Night Raven College, I don't think I ever saw her smile that much before. So I promised myself I would become an honor student and never make her cry again."

Marie was deeply touched by his story. Now she understood why he had been so desperate to get the magic crystal to avoid expulsion. It was all for the sake of his mother. Her mind recalled the day her sister was first put on the crutches. How crestfallen she had looked as she stared down at her leg. The sight was like a stab to her heart and she did everything in her power to make her sister smile again. With time, she eventually succeeded and never saw the crestfallen look again. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around Deuce, pulling him into a hug.

The young teen let out a sigh and placed his hands over hers. No words were shared, but they simply weren't needed. The two could understand what the other was saying through the hug itself. Surprisingly enough, Grim decided to join in the hug as well by curling up into Deuce's lap. Soft purrs could be heard from him. It was really comforting to Deuce. Taking in a deep breath, he finally pulled out of the hug.

"Thanks, you two. I'm really glad we're friends." he smiled.

"Don't mention it. Sides, those guys had it coming." Grim smirked with paws at his sides, "If you ask me, they deserved a hundred punches!"

"You know, I'm kind of with Grim on this one. They'll think twice before messing with us."

Deuce laughed at the words of comfort from his friends.

"Alright, I get it, but seriously I don't want to make a habit out of it and get in trouble. We've been through enough as is."

Marie and Grim couldn't help but agree.

"Ah, at least those baby chicks can rest in peace now." Deuce sighed.

Hearing this, it finally registered in Marie's mind exactly what he was saying. She hadn't noticed it earlier cause she had been too angry at the delinquents before being caught off guard by Deuce's aggression. She pursed her lips as she stared off to the side. "Uh Deuce, about those eggs..." Her tongue clicked in awkwardness, "Eggs from the store typically don't hatch cause they're unfertilized. There were no baby chicks."

Silence lingered in the air.

"Deuce?"

More silence.

"Uh, Deuce?"

The boy glanced at the shattered eggs on the ground before looking up at Marie. Finally, the silence was broken.

"Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh?! You gotta be kidding?!"