Chapter 64

Something awoken me much too early. I groaned and hugged my pillow tighter. Then I realized my pillow was warm and breath. My eyes flew open, and I looked up to see Jade watching me with an amused expression. Despite my slight embarrassment, my sleepiness took over, and I snuggled closer to him.

Jade chuckled lightly. "It's time to get up, princess."

"Five more minutes," I mumbled.

"You're as bad as Floyd."

"But I'm not as cranky." I had seen Floyd in the morning several times, so I knew what I was talking about.

"Let's just see about that..." I felt him run his hands down my sides. Then, out of nowhere, he began tickling me. I immediately burst out laughing.

"Ah! J-Jade!" I finally let go of him and rolled onto my back. Jade moved to hover over me while he continued to tickle me.

"Are you awake now?"

"Y-Yes! Yes!"

"What is going on?" Grim grumbled from nearby. "It's too early for this."

"It's never too early for fun," said Jade.

I noticed he was momentarily distracted while speaking, so I used a martial arts move to flip him onto his back. He looked up at me with surprise, which I always loved to see. Then he began laughing when I started to tickle him in retaliation.

"You two are weird," said Grim.

"Very," Idia muttered.

"Whatever works for them," said Epel.

"Shouldn't we be leaving?" said Sebek.

"Yes, fair point," Jade said between laughs.

I finally relented and stopped tickling him. I stood up before offering him my hand. He grabbed it and then pulled me back on top of him, causing me to laugh again. "Jade!"

"This could take awhile," Grim muttered.

I slowly adjusted to life back at school. It was nice to not have to be in the cold all the time, though it was still chilly walking between classes. Grim gave up halfway through the day. He fell asleep and made me drag him to the classroom. I ended up leaving him at the end of the day while I walked outside.

"Hey, Ona," said a friendly voice.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Epel. I gave him a small smile. "Hello, Epel. How are you doing?"

"Pretty good. Where's Grim?"

"Sleeping on a desk in our last classroom. I'm going to check out the school store, and I'll pick him up on my way back."

Epel nodded. "I'm headed there too. Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all."

We walked in comfortable silence for awhile. Eventually, Epel spoke in an almost hesitant voice. "How have you been doing? Have you seen Jade today?"

I glanced at him with surprise. He had never asked me about Jade. "I've been doing fine. No, I haven't seen Jade. Why do you ask?"

Epel hesitated and looked away. "It's just..."

I tilted my head curiously. I could tell there was something on his mind. "What is it?"

Epel shrugged. "You two seem close. That's all."

I wondered exactly what he meant by that. I responded carefully. "Yes, we are. We are very good friends."

Epel hesitated again before responding. "Are you sure that's all it is?"

My eyes widened in surprise, understanding his implication. Suddenly, I remembered the conversation I had with Azul before the episode with Idia and Ortho. It seemed so long ago, but it was only a couple of weeks. Azul had given me advice, but I had not figured anything else since then. Instead of denying everything like usual, I decided to see if Epel had his own thoughts. I tried to keep my voice calm as I spoke to him casually. "I don't know. Why? Does it look like something is going on?"

"Well, Jade seems to like you as more than a friend."

I looked at him in surprise, feeling a flutter in my chest. "Really? Why do you say that?"

Epel shrugged. "He acts differently around you, that's all."

I thought about that for a moment. "We're good friends, and he doesn't let many people get close to him. Maybe that's why our relationship looks different."

"Maybe... But he's close to Floyd too, and Jade definitely looks at you differently."

I felt a strange stirring in my chest at the thought that Jade might like me. At the mention of Floyd, my thoughts turned to him. "What about Floyd? You've seen us together a lot. Do you think he might like me?"

Epel tilted his head to the side as he looked at me. "Why? Do you like Floyd?"

I smiled nervously. I knew that, if I wanted advice, I had to be honest. "I don't know if I like him. Or Jade. I think I might, but it would be nice to know if they liked me before I did anything."

Epel nodded. "That makes sense. I don't know if Floyd likes you. He's very open and affectionate with you, but that might be his way of expressing friendship. If you like him, though, I think you should go for it."

I let out a soft sigh. "If I was sure I liked him, maybe I would. Emotions are confusing. I don't want to make our friendship awkward or anything."

Epel chuckled lightly. "I don't think awkwardness would bother Floyd, but if you're worried, maybe you could bring up the topic of romance in general. It might give you some insights about his feelings for you."

I brightened at the idea. Floyd was very open about his thoughts and feelings. And he might even tell me about Jade's feelings. For sure, I would get nothing out of Jade about either of them. Floyd was my best bet. "That just might work. Thank you, Epel!"

Epel grinned at me. "No problem, Ona. Good luck."

"Why did you want to meet me here, Shrimpy?" Floyd said as we stood together on the cliff where we first met.

I shrugged. "It seemed kind of fitting. Ramshackle is still under construction, so this was the first place I thought of where we could speak in private."

Floyd looked me over with slight concern. "Aren't you cold?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, but it's fine. I need to get used to it."

"I'll help ya out." Floyd walked right up to me and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close to him. I felt a slight flutter in my chest and warmth seeping through me from his body. I gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks."

Floyd grinned. "No problem. So, what did you want to talk about?"

I hesitated, trying to figure out how to bring up the topic. I rested me head on his shoulder so I would not have to look at him. After a moment, I began in a casual tone. "Yesterday, Epel and I got to discussing romance. I was just curious about your opinion on the topic."

"Romance, huh?" Floyd sounded curious and not at all suspicious. "It sounds like fun if you find the right person."

My heart started to beat a little quicker at his response. So far, so good. "Then it is something you would want for yourself?"

Floyd let out a long laugh. I pulled back a bit so I could look at him, and he grinned at me. "That's not something I would have ever thought about before. I didn't think anyone would ever want to be my friend let alone my romantic partner. But if you can like me for who I am, then maybe someone else could too!"

My heart warmed as I saw the excitement in his eyes. Whether or not he ended up liking me, it was good to see him have hope for the future. "I'm sure you'll end up meeting lots of people who like you for yourself. And you'll find a great partner. You deserve it."

Floyd beamed at me. "Thanks, Little Shrimpy! Is that all you wanted to know?"

I paused as I looked him over. I saw no signs he was hiding anything. If he did have feelings for me, then Azul was right and he probably didn't even realize it. My mind then drifted to someone else. "Actually, I'm curious about Jade. Do you happen to know his opinion on romance?"

A mysterious glint appeared in Floyd's eyes. "Why don't you just ask him?"

I sighed. "I would, but it can be hard to get anything out of him. I thought you would give me a straight answer."

Floyd chuckled softly. "That's true. Anyway, I personally think Jade would love to find someone he can share his life with. It's very hard for him to get close to anyone, as you know, so it's probably not an active goal."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, that makes sense." Still, that did not tell me if Jade had any romantic feelings for me, someone he was already close to. I decide this was enough information for now. "Thanks for sharing your opinion, Floyd."

"No problem! Why are you so interested anyway?"

My mind quickly tried to come up with an excuse. "Uh, I was just curious about boys' opinions on the subject. It will be helpful once I decide to start dating."

Floyd nodded. "Makes sense, but I don't think you'll need any help. You'll do just fine!"

I smiled slightly at the compliment. "Thanks." I hoped he was right.

Finals sneaked up on me, and I spent most of my time preparing. By the time they were finished, the snow had begun to melt, and Jade said it was the perfect time to start hiking. So, Friday afternoon, I found myself climbing a small mountain with him.

I listened attentively as he shared his knowledge with me. When he was not speaking, my mind drifted to my conversations I had with Floyd and Epel earlier in the month. I knew better than to bring the subject up with Jade. That could go horribly wrong on so many levels.

"Are you alright?" Jade asked after a long moment of silence. "You've been very quiet."

My heart sped up a bit at his observation. I should have known I could not hide anything from him. I shrugged, trying to appear casual. "I just have some things on my mind."

"Anything you would like to share?"

I hesitated as I looked at Jade. he was trying to look neutral, but I saw the care in his eyes. I decided to be as honest with him as possible. "I've still got a lot to sort out on my own, and I'm not ready to talk about it yet."

Jade gave me a small smile. "I understand. If you ever do want to talk about it, know that I am here for you, alright?"

My heart warmed at his words, knowing he meant each one. I gave him a genuine smile in return. "Thank you, Jade. You're a really good friend."

"You're welcome." I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes, but it was gone before I could decipher it.

I resumed looking around at the scenery while we hiked up the mountain. Something else suddenly came to mind. "You know, now I'm thinking about bringing something back for Floyd since he's always giving me shells, but I don't see anything that wouldn't be too boring for him."

Jade chuckled softly. "Oh, you don't have to worry. Floyd would like anything you gave him. Trust me."

I shrugged. "If you say so."

Eventually, Jade and I made it to the top of the mountain. The view was beautiful, and it made the effort worth it. I even found something interesting to give to Floyd. After walking down the mountain with Jade, I was too tired to do anything else, so I waited to find Floyd in the cafeteria the following day.

"Floyd! I got you a gift," I said happily as I stepped in front of him, blocking his way to the food.

Floyd seemed irritated at first, but he grinned when he realized it was me. "A gift? Lay it on me, Little Shrimpy!"

I chuckled lightly at his enthusiasm. I reached into my bag and pulled out the item, holding it out to him. "Here you go."

Floyd took the hard, triangular shaped object and looked it over. "Ooo... what is it?"

"It's an arrowhead. Ancient civilizations used them for the points of their arrows. Do you like it?"

Floyd beamed at me. "I love it! Thanks, Ona!" He pulled me into a hug, which I gladly returned. A warm feeling filled me at his appreciation.

"You're welcome, Floyd."

The days flew by, and soon March 18th arrived: my birthday. I did not expect much to happen. I knew the dorms usually threw parties for their dorm members, but there was no one in my dorm to do that for me. Plus, Ramshackle was currently unusable. So, I merely invited a few friends over for the evening. Of course, a lot of people said happy birthday to me throughout the day, which was nice.

I was heading back to Octavinelle with Grim when Floyd suddenly run up to us. "Little Shrimpy!" he exclaimed. "Where are you going?"

I chuckled lightly at the question. Where did he think I was going? "We're going to go study."

Floyd grinned and shook his head. "No, you're not. You're going to the beach with me!"

My eyes lit up a bit at the mention of the beach, but I quickly schooled my expression. "I really shouldn't..."

"Aw, come on. It's your birthday! You can take one day to relax."

"Yeah, have some fun for once!" said Grim.

I hesitated before deciding they were right. I gave Floyd a warm smile. "Okay. I would love to go to the beach with you, Floyd."

Floyd grinned again before pulling him into a crushing hug. "Yay! Thanks, Shrimpy. You'll have a great time, I promise!" He suddenly pulled away from me. "Let's go!"

I let out a light laugh at his enthusiasm. "Floyd, I think we should get out swimsuits first. Well, maybe you don't need one, but I'll need my wet suit - especially when the water is still so cold."

Floyd smiled sheepishly. "Good call, Shrimpy. We can go to Octavinelle first."

"I don't want to swim in any cold water," Grim grumbled while we walked.

"You're not invited, Sealie."

Grim glared at him. "Hey! I like the beach too."

"You have something you have to do with Azul, remember?"

Grim's eyes widened. "Oh yeah!" He turned his attention to me. "Sorry I can't join you, Ona."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "It's fine, but what do you have to do with Azul?" The two of them weren't friends as far as I knew. They tolerated each other at best for my sake.

Grim shook his head. "Some boring stuff. Don't worry about it."

This only confused me further. "Since when do you-"

"Hey, Shrimpy!" Floyd said, slinging an arm around my shoulder. "I've got a surprise for you at the beach. Are you excited?"

I was surprised at first, but then my expression warmed. Of course, Grim was giving us some time alone because Floyd had something special planned. "Yeah, I'm excited!"

"Good. Then let's hurry!"

Soon enough, we were back at Octavinelle, where I made a quick wardrobe change. I put on my normal clothes over my wet suit since it was still cold outside. I noticed Floyd sporting similar attire. Then we were off to the beach. We talked casually to each other until the water came into sight. I froze at what I saw.

"Floyd, what are those?" I asked in an even voice.

Floyd looked at me with a wide smile. "They're surfboards! You wanted one, right? I got one for you and myself. What do you think?"

I walked closer to the surfboards, inspecting them both. One was aquamarine while the other was blue with yellow lightning bolts. I felt my heart tighten in my chest. No one had ever given me a gift like this. No one had cared this much. I turned back to Floyd with tears in my eyes. "They're perfect. Thank you, Floyd. This is amazing."

He smiled warmly at me. "You're welcome, Ona. Only the best for you. You're the best friend I've ever had."

I walked up to him and flung my arms around him, hugging him tightly while I felt overwhelmed with emotion. "You're the best friend I've ever had too."

Floyd held me just as tightly. When he spoke to me, his voice came out softer than usual. "I'm glad to hear that. Which one do you want?"

I pulled away from him to look over the surfboards again. I pointed at the aquamarine board. "I want that one."

Floyd grinned. "Good. I like the other one better."

I looked at him with a soft smile. "Do you really want me to teach you how to surf?"

Floyd beamed at me. "Of course! It sounds like a blast!"

I grinned back at him, feeling incredibly grateful to have someone with whom I could share my passion. "Then let's get started!"

Floyd and I spent the rest of the afternoon surfing together. We had an absolute blast. I had almost forgotten the joy of losing myself to the ocean. I had so much fun that I even forgot about the cold. Soon, dinnertime approached, and we had to call it quits.

Azul greeted us once we returned to the Octavinelle lounge. He held a large box, which he held out to me. "Welcome back, Ona. Happy birthday."

I smiled at him as I took the box from him. "Thank you, Azul."

"Open it! Open it!" Floyd said excitedly.

I chuckled softly at his enthusiasm. I noticed Azul also waited for me expectantly, so I nodded. "Alright." I opened the present and lifted the cover off the box. I gasped when I saw a dress inside. I picked it up and held it out so I could examine it.

"Do you like it?" Azul asked. "I know you don't usually have a chance to wear dresses. I'm not sure if you even like them."

I swallowed hard. "I don't normally wear dresses... except this kind." I stared hard at the dress. It was a traditional Hawaiian muumuu dress. It was white with light blue flowers, a square neckline, ruffled cap sleeves. I lifted my gaze to look at Azul in amazement. "How did you find this?"

Azul smiled. "I did some research into your home. Do you like it?"

"I love it! Thank you!"

Azul's expression warmed. "You're welcome. Why don't you go put it on? It will be perfect for your party."

My eyes widened in surprise. "You're throwing me a party?"

"Of course." Azul glanced at my companion. "Thank you for distracting her Floyd."

Floyd grinned at him. "No problem. It was fun."

I looked at Floyd incredulously. "You were in on this?"

"Yep! Go and get ready for the party! I can't wait!"

I chuckled and shook my head. I couldn't help but be affected by his enthusiasm. "I'll be right back!"