ASUU STRIKE UPDATE: Pro-chancellors Orders Universities Open Nationwide

The Committee of Pro-chancellors of Nigerian
Federal Universities, on Tuesday, unanimously
ordered immediate re-opening of universities
across the country. The communiqué signed
by the Chairman of the Committee, Professor
Kimse Okoko, was made available to newsmen
late Tuesday in Abuja.



The communiqué was issued at the end of the
committee meeting to discuss the protracted
strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) and other issues affecting the Nigerian
university system.
The communiqué stated that the decision to
re-open the universities was unanimously
agreed by all pro-chancellors in the overall
interest of all concerned.
The pro-chancellors, in the communique,
directed all vice chancellors to comply with
the committee decision.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the decision
of the pro-chancellors was predicated on the
earlier referendum held by various chapters
of ASUU that voted 60-40 in favour of
suspension of the over four months old
strike.
They expressed dismay that all efforts to
resolve the crisis, including the intervention
of President Goodluck Jonathan, has failed.
The communiqué recognised “all effort by
Federal Government to address the major
issues involved in the strike action including
the bold and the supportive intervention by
Mr President.”
It also stated that the committee noted “with
satisfaction the outcome of the referendum
conducted in all branches of ASUU nationwide
which voted 60-40 in favour of the
suspension of the ongoing strike by ASUU.”
The pro-chancellors called for the
understanding of ASUU and indeed all staff of
the various universities in Nigeria.
This order is coming on the heels of
polarisation that has already crept into the
ASUU, following the meeting they had with
President Goodluck Jonathan penultimate
week.
Nigerians were amazed that the emergency
National Executive Council meeting, held in
Kaduna last weekend, came out with fresh
conditions for suspension of strike after it
was rumoured that a deal was struck with
President Jonathan.
ASUU has been on strike since July 1 and the
NEC meeting was to deliberate on the
resolutions of various chapters of ASUU on
whether the strike should be suspended or
not based on the offers by the government.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the pro-
chancellors were aggrieved that even when
majority of the members of ASUU want the
strike called off, few elements in the union
have refused to yield to the popular desire of
the members.
Meanwhile, the crisis rocking the University
of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter of ASUU, over its
continued participation in the ongoing strike
action by the union’s national body,
worsened on Tuesday as the two factions in
the crisis openly traded insults.
The congress, called on Monday, saw a sharp
division in the chapter with a faction
favouring a pull-out from the strike action,
giving a week ultimatum to open the
institution.
The faction also promised undisclosed further
actions if the ultimatum was not met, after it
held a separate congress following the
disruption of the earlier one.

Jackie Chan's only son will not inherit any of his father's money

Being the only son of international movie
star Jackie Chan clearly comes with many
privileges and advantages. Jackie Chan’s
only child, a 30 year old son named Jaycee,
lived a life filled with opulent mansions,
luxurious vacations, expensive cars, the
best education and much more.
Jaycee was even been able to launch his
very own singing and acting career thanks
to his famous father.
But there is one important thing that Jaycee
will not receive from his father. Jackie Chan
recently announced that upon his death, he
will donate 100% of his $130 million
fortune to charity and that his son Jaycee
will be left out entirely…
While accepting an award in Beijing, Jackie
was asked if Jaycee will inherit his massive
fortune some day. Jackie stated that he was
originally intending to donate half of his
wealth to charity and leaving his family the
other half but recently changed his will to
leave 100% for charitable causes
throughout the world.
The elder Chan explained: “If he is capable,
he can make his own money. If he is not,
then he will just be wasting my money.”
Jackie also expressed regret for not sending
Jaycee to the army where his son would
have received “life experience and
character.”
If Jaycee wants to continue living an
extravagant lifestyle, his career is going to
need a boost. Since 2004 Jaycee has
appeared in around 20 films, most of which
have been major flops.
Jaycee’s 2012 movie “Double Trouble”
became one of the biggest box office
failures in history grossing just $9000 at
the box office, despite heavy marketing and
promotion. He also starred alongside his
father in 2010′s “1911″ which became
Jackie’s worst performing movie ever.
Jackie is not the only celebrity who plans
on giving their fortune to charity instead of
their children.
Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Ebay founder
Pierre Omidyar are some of the more
notable billionaires who have pledged their
entire fortunes to charity.
Buffett is an especially staunch opponent of
what he calls “dynastic wealth” (wealth that
is so vast it creates generational dynasties).
Buffett refers to anyone who grew up
wealthy as a “member of the lucky sperm
club” and, like Jackie Chan, firmly believes
that if his children work hard enough they
can achieve great success the same way he
did.

Amazing World of Creativity:Artist Transforms Abandoned House Into A Giant Reminder To Live Life

A beautiful thing happened to Candy
Chang one day in New Orleans two years
ago. After losing a loved one, the artist
came up with an unconventional way of
dealing with the grief she was
experiencing. She decided to paint the
wall of an abandoned building in her
neighborhood, turning the exterior
surface into a giant chalkboard
emblazoned with the words "Before I die
I want to _."
Within 24 hours, that empty wall was
transformed into a giant homepage for
personal testimonials, as passersby
finished Chang's sentence with their own
reflections on life. The final result was a
collage of bucket list promises crafted by
anonymous individuals confessing their
aspirations to see a daughter graduate,
sing for millions or simply be themselves
completely.


"It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-
day and forget what really matters to
you," states a description on the "Before I
Die" website. "[Chang] wanted a daily
reminder and she wanted to know what
was important to the people around her."
Chang wasn't expecting the
overwhelming amount of responses she
received, and she quickly realized that
the phenomenon she had started in New
Orleans wouldn't stop in Louisiana. The
project had already spread across the
web, as people shared the image of the
"Before I Die" wall on social media. So,
upon demand, the artist created a "tool
kit" with downloadable stencils, allowing
admirers around the world to build their
own version of Chang's living sculpture.


Since 2011, more than 400 of these walls
have been built, spreading the simple
phrase to over 60 countries, in 25
different languages. Kazakhstan,
Denmark, Iraq, and South Africa all
have their own "Before I Die" wall, each
serving as a unique reminder to
contemplate not only death but the value
and meaning of life right now.
"Our public spaces are our shared spaces
and at their greatest, they can help us
make sense of the beauty and tragedy of
life with the people around us," the
"Before I Die" site declares.

This month, Chang's project will move
from the streets of international cities to
the pages of a book, published by St.
Martin's Press. Check out a preview of
the images included here, and let us
know how you'd answer Chang's big
question in the comments.

Photos from private party peter okoye hosted for his girl Anita Isama

Paul Okoye’s babymama and fiancee, Anita
Isama clocked plus one yesterday – Friday –
and her husband-to-be threw her a private
birthday bash on the Lagos Island.
Some of the notable faces in attendance
include Kate Henshaw, Karen Igho, Toke
Makinwa, Peter Okoye and Lola Omotayo.
See photos below:

Do you know If you visited a new beach in Australia every day, it would take you around 27 years to visit them all!

Australia is home to more than 10,000 beaches which is why the beautiful island is so closely associated with surfing and marine wildlife.
The beaches range from ones that are crowded by thousands of people, to beaches so small and remote that you can sit by your lonesome on the sand without a care in the world.
The geography in Australia is truly unique because many beaches have backdrops of bush and forest!
This diverse environment can bring a variety of wildlife as your sitting on the beach, soaking in some Vitamin D! You may see eucalypts, koalas, and other species native to Australia while you relax in the sand!
(Source)

Eminem's Childhood Home In Detroit Burns After Woman Tried To Purchase It

The Detroit home where Eminem spent
part of his childhood burned in a blaze
Thursday, just days after a woman
reportedly offered to purchase it and
turn it into a museum dedicated to the
rapper.
Firefighters responded to battle the fire at
the small, two-story bungalow just south
of 8 Mile Road at 6:20 p.m., the Detroit
Free Press reports. The boarded-up home
was on a street with numerous other
vacant homes and overgrown yards.
According to the Associated Press, an
immediate cause wasn't known for the
fire that damaged the top floor of the
house. A Detroit Free Press video shows
some of the aftermath:



Here's 19946 Dresden St. in September:



The house will look familiar to fans of
the Detroit MC. It appears on the cover of
Eminem's 2000 release "The Marshall
Mathers LP," and makes a comeback on
the cover of "The Marshall Mathers LP
2," released this week.
The vacant house has been up for auction
through the Michigan Land Bank for
months with an apparent minimum bid
of $1. But just Monday, MLive reported a
Tennessee woman was in the process of
bidding on the home, though her offer
had not yet been accepted by the
Michigan Land Bank. The news site
describes 28-year-old Shelly Hazlett as
an "avid Eminem fan" who wanted to
turn it into a museum dedicated to the
rapper.
Before falling into disrepair, the home
belonged to Eminem's mother for several
years, according to records obtained by
the Detroit Free Press. In her book My
Son Marshall, My Son Eminem , Deborah
Mathers spoke fondly of the house at
19946 Dresden St.
"Marshall loved it so much that he had a
model of it made to take on tour with
him," she wrote. "Even though we'd
moved a lot, he always said the house on
Dresden was his childhood home."
You can see Eminem walking on a dark
street past the boarded-up house at the
end of his video for "Survival," starting
at minute 4:06. It's hard to read the
stone-faced rapper's expression, but some
might say he almost looks wistful.

And These are the 7 crucial skills we need to survive in this life

None of us like to hear negative feedback
in any area of our lives. But in reality,
constructive criticism is really good for
drawing attention to areas that need
improvement in your life. Don’t be afraid
to ask your friends, boss or spouse about
their honest opinions.


1. DON’T COME OFF AS SELF-ABSORBED
I will tread with caution on this subject so
as not to offend. Because of the age we live
in and the explosion of social media
connections, many of us have become boxed
in to only a perception of reality, a.k.a. a
false front for our own lives. One of the
most crucial life skills is not to come across
as self-absorbed. I can’t tell you how much
it bothers me when women post beautiful
“selfies” constantly on social media sites. It
seems apparent that they are seeking
attention and fishing for compliments. For
me, it almost ruins my perception of that
person because I see them as self-absorbed,
or worse yet, insecure of themselves. A
couple of shots here and there are great,
especially if you’re feeling particularity
beautiful and confident that day- but don’t
overdue it because it’s just tacky.
2. RECEIVE COMPLIMENTS WELL
When genuine compliments are thrown
your way, it can be difficult to know how
to respond in an appropriate manner. I
think there’s a fear of agreeing with the
compliment, like you’ll come off as
narcissistic or arrogant. Or perhaps you just
don’t believe the compliment and simply
reject it outright. The best way to respond
when someone gives you a sweet remark, is
by genuinely thanking them with a smile on
your face! Don’t respond with another
compliment because that could seem
insincere. Just thank the person, actually
believe what they said and move on to
another subject.
3. ASK FOR HONEST OPINIONS
None of us like to hear negative feedback in
any area of our lives. But in reality,
constructive criticism is really good for
drawing attention to areas that need
improvement in your life. Don’t be afraid to
ask your friends, boss or spouse about their
honest opinions. It can be difficult at first
but so rewarding. Isn’t it better to know
where you’re weakest so as to become
stronger?
4. DON’T BE EASILY OFFENDED
The mark of a mature person is their ability
to let the little stuff (or possibly big stuff)
go and not hold bitterness or grudges
towards others. I’ve been hurt by lots of
people in the past; people I trusted dearly
who betrayed my trust and I’m sure most of
you can relate. I can say that it’s much
better for your well-being to just let things
roll off your back instead of being offended
and hurt. What helps for me is looking at a
person’s intentions. Most of the time, people
aren’t out to get you and don’t mean to
cause any offense. Look at it from that
perspective and you won’t be as easily
offended!
5. REMEMBER PEOPLE’S NAMES
I have the worst time remembering the
names of people I just met! Literally, within
a couple of minutes I forget names which is
terrible. The reason this is a crucial life
skill is because when you don’t remember a
person’s name, it sends the message that
you don’t care about them even if that’s not
true. What works for me is that when I
meet a new person and they introduce
themselves to me, I repeat their name back
to them after they say it! It logs it into my
mind along with their face so I won’t forget
it for our next encounter.
6. KEEP CONVERSATIONS ALIVE
Don’t you just hate those awkward silences
with people during conversations? There
aren’t many more awkward social settings
than that! Really what stems from awkward
silences is a lack of interest in one or both
parties. Try finding something interesting in
the conversation and take it in another
direction. This will keep the conversation
alive and definitely more intriguing!
7. BE OK WITH BEING ALONE
For extroverts, the concept of being alone is
unsettling and frightening. We’ve lost the
ability to just be alone, quieten our minds,
put away our cell phones, computers and
TV’s and just be. To be alone is a form of
meditation and being OK with it means
you’re not afraid of life and you’re secure
within yourself.

9 Ways To Become The Master Of Your Own Mind

Many of us spend an exorbitant amount
of time and energy not to mention
money -- taking care of our bodies, and
trying to keep ourselves looking and
feeling our best. But when it comes to the
mind, less attention (literally) is paid.
Taking care of the mind can come as an
afterthought, and often we think of the
mind as something outside of our own
control.
"Our life is the creation of our mind,"
according to Buddhist scripture. Buddhist
philosophy developed an entire science of
training the unruly mind to help anyone
overcome its constant fluctuations to
achieve stillness, and eventually,
enlightenment.
But even if it's not enlightenment you're
after, developing a good relationship
with your mind is critical to building a
life that is successful on your own terms.
Here are eight habits of mind to start
cultivating right now for less stress,
more creativity, less distraction and
more enjoyment in life.
Make time for stillness.



Meditation has been around for
thousands of years, and it's perhaps the
single most powerful tool out there for
gaining mastery over your mind. The
mental health benefits of meditation are
virtually endless, from addiction
recovery to reduced anxiety and
depression to enhanced creativity and
improved cognitive function. Meditation
can actually increase neuroplasticity,
making it possible to literally rewire the
brain.
"Meditation research, particularly in the
last 10 years or so, has shown to be very
promising because it points to an ability
of the brain to change and optimize in a
way we didn't know previously was
possible," neuroscience researcher Zoran
Josipovic, who has conducted brain-
imaging studies on Buddhist monks, told
the BBC in 2011.
Pursue meaning over pleasure.




Not all happiness is created equal, and in
your own pursuit of joy and bliss, keep
in mind that the type of happiness you're
after can make all the difference. A
recent UCLA study found that eudaimonic
happiness -- that which was linked to
having a larger purpose or sense of
meaning in life -- was linked with
healthy gene activity, whereas hedonic ,
or pleasure-seeking, happiness was not.
Those who were happy because they had
a sense of purpose in life had lower
inflammatory gene expression and higher
antiviral and antibody gene expression
than others.
"Eudaimonic happiness is something you
build up over a lifetime," Shimon
Edelman, cognitive psychologist and
author of "The Happiness Of Pursuit,"
told The Huffington Post. "In a sense, it's
a great consolation for older people it's
nice to know that on that component,
people can get more and more happy as
they age if they led good lives."
Read, read, read.


Consider reading your mind's daily
greens. Simply reading a book can lower
stress levels, help you sleep better, keep
your brain sharp, and also stave off
Alzheimer's.
But before you turn to your Kindle, take
note: Reading on screens may drain more
mental resources and make it harder to
remember what we've read after we're
done, as compared to reading on paper,
according to Scientific American.
"Whether they realize it or not, people
often approach computers and tablets
with a state of mind less conducive to
learning than the one they bring to
paper," according to the article.
Let it be.


Sweating the small stuff is one of the
most toxic things you can do to your
mind -- not only can it take over your
thoughts, but dwelling on what's beyond
your control has been shown to be a
contributing factor in the development of
depression.
You know that unfinished project that's
been nagging at you? Try just letting it
go. According to Arianna Huffington, a
great way to complete a project is by
dropping it. Huffington recently
explained at a Women in Business event
in Toronto:
"One of my favorite sayings is
'100 per cent is a breeze, 99 per
cent is a bitch'... That doesn’t
mean ignoring my other needs,
but it means when I’m in it, I’m
really in it. And that means often
saying no to good things, to
things that you might want to do,
but get in the way of sleep, or get
in the way of being with your
children, or whatever it is that’s
also very important to you. Just
have a conversation with
yourself and say these projects
are done, over, and then you
have energy for the things you’re
really going to commit yourself
to."
Flex your memory muscle.


Thanks to technology, we're taking in
more information than ever before, but
we're also losing our ability to retain
that information. A recent poll found
that millennials are even more forgetful
than seniors, due, at least in part, to
their reliance on technology.
Keeping your memory sharp requires
some time and attention but your
brain will thank you for it. Certain
cognitive tricks and exercises can
significantly boost your powers of
memory, and make sure that you hold on
to those things you never want to forget.
Unplug and recharge.


Constant digital distractions can take a
toll on the mind over-reliance on
technology has been linked with
increased stress levels, reduced focus and
productivity, stunted creativity and poor
sleep quality. And Internet addiction is
increasingly being recognized as a very
real psychological problem.
Many of us never take a break from our
devices, even when we're supposed to be
relaxing (nearly 60 percent of Americans
stay plugged in to work while they're on
vacation). But allotting yourself some
tech-free time could make you more
focused, less stressed, and happier.
“[A digital detox] is almost like a reboot
for your brain and your soul,” Cisco
executive Padmasree Warrior told the
New York Times. “It makes me so much
calmer when I’m responding to e-mails
later.”
Let your mind wander.


In addition to boosting creativity (and
being a generally enjoyable activity),
daydreaming can actually make you
smarter.
According to NYU psychologist Scott
Kaufman's theory of personal
intelligence, mind-wandering is an
adaptive trait that helps us to achieve
personally meaningful goals, and it helps
us to access spontaneous forms of
cognition like insight, intuition and the
triggering of memories and stored
information.
Kaufman recently wrote in Scientific
American that mind-wandering can offer
significant personal rewards:
These rewards include self-
awareness, creative incubation,
improvisation and evaluation,
memory consolidation,
autobiographical planning, goal
driven thought, future planning,
retrieval of deeply personal
memories, reflective
consideration of the meaning of
events and experiences,
simulating the perspective of
another person, evaluating the
implications of self and others’
emotional reactions, moral
reasoning, and reflective
compassion... From this personal
perspective, it is much easier to
understand why people are
drawn to mind wandering and
"willing to invest nearly 50
percent of their waking hours
engaged in it.
Linger on the positive.


Want to wire your brain for happiness?
You can start by savoring those tiny
moments of joy in your day, whether it's
the smell of fresh coffee or a smile from
a loved one. Lingering on these positive
moments can help to overcome the
brain's "negativity bias," which causes us
to store negative memories in our brains
more easily (and strongly) than positive
memories.
“[Lingering on the positive] improves the
encoding of passing mental states into
lasting neural traits," "Hardwiring
Happiness" author Rick Hanson recently
told the Huffington Post. "That’s the key
here: we’re trying to get the good stuff
into us. And that means turning our
passing positive experiences into lasting
emotional memories."
Build daily rituals.




Habit is one of the most effective ways to
make any positive change in your life. By
developing habits, good behaviors that
may have once required a feat of
willpower to put into action become
automatic which is why they can also
be so difficult to break.
"For the things that you decide matter…
the only way to ensure that things that
aren’t urgent but are important happen is
to build rituals," The Energy Project CEO
Tony Schwartz told the Huffington Post.
"Build highly specific behaviors that you
do at precise times over and over again
until you don’t have to use energy to get
yourself to do it anymore until it
becomes as automatic as brushing your
teeth at night."

Asuu wants to bring down this current Administration -Governor Suswan

Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, has
alleged that the strike embarked upon by the
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)
was aimed at bringing down the government
of President Goodluck Jonathan.
In an interview with THISDAY, Suswam, who is
the chairman of the Federal Government's
Needs Assessment Committee for Nigerian
Universities said: "ASUU’s leadership is
determined that PDP government must be
brought down and the easiest way to do it is
ensuring that every family is affected. And so,
the Nigerian family will simply say, ‘look, to
keep this government in place, our children
will be out of school. So it is better that we
kick this government out and bring another
government.’
"That is all they are doing. There is nothing to
it. Otherwise, the Federal Government has
touched on all the requests that led to the
strike by ASUU. They have no basis rather
than playing politics with the strike and then
holding the nation hostage and destroying the
future of this country."
Buttressing his claim, Suswam said: "I feel
that if it is not that they have introduced
politics, you know people can't say that they
don't have political leanings. ASUU’s
leadership, we know where they are standing
in this whole political process. They can't
deny that they are sympathising with
opposition parties and they are determined to
destroy the PDP government. That is what
they are doing and it is nothing more than
that."
The Benue State governor, who had attended
several meetings with ASUU on government
side, said the nine issues raised by the
academic union had been attended to, though
not 100 per cent.
He said: "I think that it is unfair. And I keep
saying it that they have introduced politics
into it. It's purely political. There is no way
that any person can say any other thing. It is
just to portray the government in bad light so
that people will say that you have a
government that is not capable of keeping the
children in school. That is pure politics. There
is nothing more to it because if you present
nine issues and all of them have been
attended to, even if not attended to 100 per
cent, at least you should appreciate that
efforts have been made and you should say
that it is okay because this has been done.
"There were a lot of issues that were
presented. Constitution of governing councils
has been done; they said they should help
them set up pension administrator, N250
million was given to them; they said they
wanted the properties of universities handed
over to them, government said go and form
companies and compete, we will do that. You
know a couple of other things, the need
assessment, an initial N100 billion has been
distributed.
"The retirement age, they say they don't want
to retire at 65, it has been approved, all the
academic staff in the university retire at 70.
Earned allowance, out of N57 billion, N30
billion has been given."
Suswam said the issue that had kept the
universities closed were not because
government could not pay salaries but the
earned allowances, adding, "Academic staffs
of universities collect more than civil servants
in this country.... They have been paying that
consistently and nobody is being owed salary.
These are issues of allowance.
"This earned allowance; it is not every
lecturer in the university that is entitled to it.
So, why must it be a reason why you keep the
children out of school? It doesn't make sense
and I am surprised most Nigerian are looking
at this differently. If in a nation, the whole
leaders of tomorrow are being kept out of
school, then its means that in future, you can
imagine the kind of leaders we would have."
Recalling his involvement in the efforts to
resolve the crisis in the Nigerian university
system, Suswam said when he was invited by
the President to chair the Needs Assessment
part of the ASUU strike, he took the
responsibility very seriously.
"Out of this three weeks, may be I spent like
just four days in Benue because I was
determined that we must raise money for this
Needs Assessment. And within those three
weeks, that committee which I chaired was
able to raise the N100 billion, which has
since been shared. Once we shared that
money, this people (ASUU) moved to other
areas; which is issue of earned allowances,
which was being handled by the SGF", he said.

Source :thisday

Chapter 14-Night and Day[Game of The Heart]

Chapter 14: Night and Day
*****************************************************

For a long while, I just sat there, shivering on the cold hardwood floor of the orchestra room. I was just too damn tired to move my ragged body away from the piano bench I collapsed against. I was still in the midst of recovering, and as I leaned my head against the cushion, I could see those drops of blood splattering on the ground beside me. Now the only question was: Whose blood was that? Just thinking about it began to revive the headache, but before it could get worse, I crawled my way out of the orchestra room. It was a slow process, but I eventually made my way out.

From there, I threw my hand up and latched onto the side of the door, gradually pulling my body up and following wherever the walls led me. I wandered for what was likely five minutes and finally found the familiar staircase. Then, I dragged my leaden body up the stairs, down the hallway, and towards my room. Just as I approached my door, two men emerged from the one across me.

"Damn, Vulpe. I know you can't sleep now, but why'd you have to wake me up?" Akin whined as he ruffled his bed hair.

"Because I was bored…" he reasoned weakly; he sounded almost like I did earlier. Plastering a forced smile on my face, I leaned back against my closed door and pressed my foot into the frame.

"Morning, Alice. You couldn't sleep either?" Akin asked, closing some of the gap between us.

"Of course not. She's the one who woke me!" Vulpe scratched at his mud brown bunny ear and sighed.

"Aw, come on. You're why I had to suffer this whole morning?" Akin teased with a small pout.

"Sorry…" I mumbled back, eyes lowered and glassy.

"I'm just kidding, Alice. The suffering is worth it if it's for you," he reassured me with his usual smile, reaching forward to tousle my golden locks, which dangled helplessly in front of my face before he brushed them back.

I blinked away the moisture in my eyes and brought them up to meet his, genuinely smiling this time around. "Thanks."

"So, since we're all up, why don't we grab some food?" Vulpe questioned, eyes sparkling. For once, he showed a huge smile—one that I didn't even know was possible—and threw his arms around us.

"You're always hungry, you damn rabbit. We just got up, so give us a break, would you?" Akin snidely retorted.

"Fine, suit yourselves. I'll be downstairs looking for breakfast."
Just as quickly as he told us that, he was off and away to scavenge. Akin rolled his violet eyes and smirked.

"He's an ."

"You're a bit mean when you're tired, aren't you?" I teased, curling a lock of blonde hair around my index finger.

"Not as mean as someone here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I cleared my throat expectantly and crossed my arms against my chest.

"You're really grouchy when you get up, you know that?"
I flushed pink. "N-No I'm not. I react how any person would if you woke them at four in the morning."

"No… You're just grumpy."

"You—"
I raised my hand to smack him, but he wrapped his fingers around my wrist.

"Tsk, tsk. Violent, too," he mocked playfully.

"You forget I have feet."
I kicked the back of his shin—of course, not too hard—and he immediately drew away, laughing.

"You're fun to play with."
I pursed my lips in the hopes that the blood rushing to my face would be diverted. Unfortunately, I realized the body doesn't work that way, and the heat grew on my cheeks anyway.

"Blushing, are we?"

"N-No!" I growled back, though it came out more like a pitiable squeak.
Beaming with success, Akin said, "Come on, let's go grab Leo and Cane for some breakfast."

"Oh, what about Eri?"

"Ah, jeez, don't even get me started on her. She sleeps like a—"

"Pig, yeah," I added with a nod.

"How did you know?" His eyes widened ever so slightly as he tilted his head curiously at me.

"O-Oh… Um…"

I didn't want to reveal that I'd showered in Cane's room this morning. It would easily give the wrong impression, and I couldn't have my partner getting suspicious of me.

"Lucky guess?" I asked, smiling hopefully.

"Hm…" He took a short pause and then grinned as happily as usual. "Good one. Yeah, she won't be getting up for at least another three hours. So we'll just grab Cane and Leo, and we'll be good to go."

"Wait, not Leo," I blurted out instinctively.

"Why not? I know he's quiet, but we can't exclude him like that… That's really mean, Alice…"

"That's not it!" I shouted at him. Hell, how could he think I would do that?

"Then why not?"

"Because…" I breathed out a heavy sigh; I couldn't really avoid this one. "I woke up in the middle of the night yesterday and decided to go outside for a bit to look at the stars. And Leo was just standing out there… He was probably up for a while, so I don't think we should wake him."


He looked at me like I'd struck him. "Oh, I see. Were you two talking?" His smile had ebbed away, and his eyes had narrowed with a bit of severity. Anxiously, I nodded my head at him.

"Is there something wrong with that?" I questioned in my own defense.

"No…" he mumbled, nibbling on his lower lip and averting my gaze.

"Akin? What's wrong?"

"Honestly?"

"Of course."

"Looking at your clothes…" He ran his eyes over my body, prompting me to glance down at my tank and shorts. "You must've been cold. If you ever go out in the morning like that again, you can wake me up and I'll find you something warmer."

His cheeky grin finally returned, and he gently brushed my cheek with his rough fingertips. "Okay?"

"Y-Yeah…" I whispered. "But Akin?"

"Hm?"

"Why aren't you being honest?"
His eyes broadened, and he drew his head back slightly. "W-What do you…"

"I asked you what's honestly wrong, but you're lying to me. Why are you lying?"
He stammered for a moment, trying to find a combination of words that might fit as an explanation, but he quickly found it futile and just smiled at me. "You're sharp, Alice."

"I know. Now, tell me."

"Do you really want to know?"

"Of course."

"Are you really sure?"

"Yes!" I answered without an ounce of hesitation. Had I known what was going to happen, I probably wouldn't have even answered.

Suddenly, Akin tucked his arm around my hip and tugged my body forward, pressing it hard and flush against his until a smoldering heat burned between our bodies. My eyes widened. For just a moment, I was captivated by the power and impulse he used to grab me… until I caught a glimpse of his smirk and remembered one very important detail.

This was Akin. If this didn't stop now, who knew how far it would get?

I immediately flew into a panic. I writhed against his grasp and tried to slither free, but with each struggle, he held me closer and tighter, almost like he was trying to pull me into his skin with him. And then, swiftly and skillfully, he slipped his hand under my tank and gently ghosted his fingertips across the bare, sensitive skin of my back. My mouth immediately ran dry; butterflies flew all across my torso as my heart thrashed about wildly in my chest and temporarily halted my struggles.

"W-What are you…" I managed to whisper as he cradled my head with his other hand and breathed his hot breath against the shell of my ear.

"Do you understand now?" he murmured alluringly.

Shivers resembling pleasure crawled almost incessantly up and down my spine as Akins’s fingers continued walking along the small of my back. He slowly trailed his lips along my tickled skin and began feathering sweet, tender kisses against my neck until I vigorously nodded in response to his question, hoping the attention would stop. It had to! All he wanted was for me to nod yes, right? I gulped when I felt his kiss become more forceful against my neck. He was too close to me! Too close! I managed to wriggle my arms between us and tried to push him away, but he held strong and firm like the fighter he was.

"S-Stop it. Stop it…" I finally whispered, "Please."

Then, as per my command, he simply released me and pulled away, providing the usual distance he did between us. That huge grin, cheekily as ever, plastered itself across his face. Did he just want me to beg him or something? I wanted to scream at him, but my voice just wouldn't come out right; it only spoke in stammers and broken phrases.

"W-Why would…" My cheeks were hot; burning like the sun had touched me.

"Why what?" He tilted his head innocently, and I could have smacked him if my limbs weren't so numb.

"W-Why would you even—"

"Remember what I told you before? I said you're cute, but I wouldn't attack you yet," he told me with a smirk carved into his lips. "Well, I decided now was the time."

"W-Why?"

"Because I got jealous," he stated, completely unabashed.

"J-Jealous? Of Leo?"

"I'm a guy. I can get jealous, you know? Especially since you guys were talking outside under the stars… It's more romantic that way, isn't it?" He smiled, and I couldn't help but feel he was just teasing me again. With that knowledge,

I felt a bit calmer, but unfortunately, I was one to voice my opinions. And quite clearly, too.

"But why would you be jealous? We're not… anything like that. Are you just screwing with me again?"
I backed away defensively, but he caught me by the wrists and pulled me back to where I was.

"Relax. You wanted to know what was wrong, and now you know why. It's all good, right?"

I studied the innocent expression he wore and shook my head violently, heart still racing. Here came the yelling I wanted to do earlier.

"No! You can't just do that to me! I'm not a toy, dammit! You can't just reach out and touch me whenever you want!"

I must've somehow struck a nerve there. Akins’s eyes immediately swirled with pain, his smile faded, and his chest heaved with deep breaths. I drew back, slightly frightened. What had I done?

"No, you aren't a toy! That's why I'm not treating you like one! I really…" His voice cracked sharply, and I found myself quickly withdrawing the accusations running through my mind. Was he serious?

"Akin? Do you really…"
He turned his head aside. Wait, but… Akin was never serious! Why was he acting like this all of a sudden?

"You don't really like me, do you? Not already?" I questioned in disbelief.

"You don't understand. Just forget about it."

He hurried down the hall to Cane's bedroom and knocked at his door before I could say anything more. Just because Cane was so damn prompt and stepped out about a second later, I couldn't bring up the subject with Akin again. I obediently trailed behind them, and as the three of us walked down the stairs, Akin chatted and smiled as easily as he usually did.

He seemed like such a bright and happy person, but that smile…

He was hiding so much underneath that smile.

***************************************************

It was a quiet, quiet breakfast. Cane was rather mild-mannered; while that was a bit odd, he usually did not speak without being prompted to, so it wasn't that unusual. Vulpe was engrossed in the act of consuming a feast for breakfast, and he would've been silent were it not for his sloppy chewing sounds and the occasional period of choking. Akin was the only one truly out of sorts, just sulking and prodding at his food without really eating it. He even refused to sit next to me, so I was stuck alone on one side of the table, being forced to watch Vulpe's disgusting eating habits. He wasn't a bad person, but he possessed the table manners of a monkey with a fork. I wondered if I should confiscate his knife, just in case he got the bright idea to pick it up and fling it at me.

I wasted my time at the table, battering my eggs with the fork and mulling over what I'd done. Akin attacked me; if anything, I should have been the one to get upset! But in the end, it somehow turned out that I upset him. Was I not taking him seriously enough? He is human, after all.

And putting myself in his place, I suppose I would've been mad, too.

Damn, how do I keep messing up?

If I hadn't looked up, I wouldn't have even noticed. Almost as silently as a mouse, Akin rose from the table and strode out of the dining room. Was he really that mad? God, what the hell did I do? I tore at my hair in frustration.

Vulpe, who just finished his breakfast, finally sensed the tension in the air and followed readily after Akin. With nothing more than a whimper, I looked down at my plate and continued poking at my eggs.

"What did you do?" Cane questioned with his eyes directly on me.
Without lifting my head, I stopped playing with my food. "What do you mean?"

"What did you say to Akin to upset him like that?"

I brought my eyes up and glared coldly. Even if he could tell something was wrong with Akin, why did he automatically assume it was my fault? Just when I thought he was getting nicer, too! I must've suffered some brain damage. How else could I think that was even possible?

"I didn't do anything," I retorted quickly.

"I don't care how good a liar you think you are. I can tell."

I immediately slammed my fork into the plate and cringed at the decibel of the clang. Though it took a moment, I recovered myself and reinforced my defenses. "You think you know everything, don't you? But you don't. Get over yourself," I growled.

"Why don't you stop acting so high and mighty? This world doesn't revolve around you, no matter how much you might like it to. If you did something silly, then get up there and apologize. Your silly pride means nothing."

His words stabbed at me through the flesh, pricking my skin until I nearly jumped from my chair. "Y-You're…"

"Just suck it up and go talk to him." He averted my gaze, a faint blush powdering his cheeks, and muttered more softly,

"He's my best friend, so go fix him."

"Best… friend?"

Akin was best friends with this guy? Great, now he was confusing me, acting all nice when it came to Akin… Was he trying to confuse me? Or did this guy maybe have a split personality? That would explain how he and Akin got to be best friends. Those two were polar opposites, like day and night.

"Yes. So throw away your pride for a second, no matter what that did, and fix him."

"So, you agree that it was his fault?" I questioned, chin tilted up at him.

"I don't know what happened, but most likely."

"You're not blaming me for this? Why the sudden change in attitude?"

"Because if I piss you off any more, you won't go up there to fix him."

I rolled my eyes. "I see. Fine, I'll go up there and talk to him. But you know, if you were really his best friend, you wouldn't talk about him like he was a broken toy."

I rose from my chair, starting for the door until he sighed and spoke a few words that seemed to be directed at me.

"Sorry for snapping. I just… get nervous every time that goes off. He does silly things when he's upset. So…

T-Thanks. You know, for going up there."
I glanced over at his profile; blood was creeping up his ears and cheeks as I whispered gently, "O-Oh… Sure."

Still stunned and ducking my head into my chest, I darted out of the room before my reaction could fully show. I breathed in deeply and shuddered out an exhale, nervously shaking my head. He was thanking me? With him, it was like one step forward, one step back. For now, we were at one step forward, but I could guarantee that we would back up at our next encounter.

Well, he wasn't important right now. I had to go upstairs and recover that little to his former self.
****************************************

I swiftly dashed up the steps and barreled down the hallway, heartbeat thumping in my ears. After gliding across the carpet and landing in front of Akins’s room, I began my incessant knocking on his door. For a while, there was no answer, so I pounded more vigorously and began yelling at him through the door.

"Akin! Akin, say something!"
No answer.

"Get out here already!"

Suddenly, the door cracked open, and I heard another voice addressing Akin in a whisper.

"Hey, it's Rise. Should I go?" Vulpe asked carefully.

"Sure, sure. Let her in."

Vulpe threw the door open wide and brushed past me, mussing up my hair on his way.

"Cheer him up in there. He's really down."

Yeah, like I didn't already know that.

As Vulpe passed to his room, I slipped into Akins’s and slammed the door shut behind me. Compared to the realm of darkness and the land of sunshine and sprinkles, his room was quite refreshing. His walls were painted a cool lavender shade, and he had an air freshener in some corner that made it smell nearly as sweet. He was a bit messy with his clothes strewn about the floor and papers sprawled across his white desk, but he had overall an inviting bedroom. I looked down at Akin, who was seated on the corner of his teal comforter with the mattress sinking in a deep pit around him, and gestured for myself to sit as well.

"Go ahead," he whispered with a sigh. So, I slowly made my way beside him and rested my body on the plush bedding.

"Are you… okay?"

"Not really, but I'll get over it."

"Akin… Come on."

"Come on what?"

I paused a moment, stuttering out a few words to buy me time. "I-I was going to talk to the Queen when she woke up…

A-And of course, I need my partner to back me up! Come with me, please?"

"No," he stated, short and simple. He was really cold when he was angry.

"I… I'm sorry I didn't take you seriously…" I pleaded, fisting my fingers into his sleeve.

"No, you aren't. You're only doing this, because you feel like you have to. Well, it's fine, so forget about it."

"No, that's not it! Really!"

"Alice, don't lie like that. It makes me mad."

"Akin!" I whined, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I'm upset! Am I not allowed to be upset?" he snapped back quickly, effectively silencing my cries. I wanted to huddle in the sweet, lavender corner and hide myself in shame. Had I really upset him so badly? He was so welcoming to me, but I ended up stepping all over his feelings.

I was scum.

"Akin, I'm sorry…"

"No. Stop lying to me, Alice."

"I'm not lying!" I yelled, feeling dangerously emotional. "I'm not! Listen, I'll do whatever you want, dammit! Just stop being upset! You have to believe me already!"

Suddenly, his lips curled in a malicious smirk, and I could actually feel the regret coursing through my veins. I shouldn't have spoken so quickly. I really shouldn't have.

"Anything I want?" he clarified, grinning practically ear to ear.

"N-No, wait—"

"Ah, ah. You can't go back on your word now," he teased, playfully wagging his finger at me.

Dammit. Dammit.

How could I be so silly? Akin was never serious! He just knew I would say that, didn't he? Feelings, my Bottom! He was after this the whole time!

"Well, you were talking about going to see the Queen, right? She should be up by now, so let's go see her."
Akin smiled, beaming with glory, as he leaned over and pinched my cheek gently between his fingers.

"I win, Alice."

"You bastard," I hissed through my teeth, knowing now I couldn't go back on my word. I just had to pray he wouldn't take too much advantage of this.
**********************************************************************

Chapter 13-Rediscovering Music (Game of the Heart)

Chapter 12: The Taste of Friendship
.
*****************************************

There we were, standing out in the dead of night like two lost souls. After Leo signaled for me to sit with him, he readily peeled his green hoodie from his thin form and set it over the concrete, a small cloud of dust lifting around it.

"What are you doing?" I questioned, staring at the limp clothing spread out at my feet.

"Please sit on this."

"What? No, it's fine! Why did you do that? You're going to be cold now," I scolded as I ran my eyes over the narrow, frail frame that was loosely veiled by a baggy gray tee. Leo was all lean muscle and bone, appearing like he'd snap with the touch of my fingers against his skin, and yet here he was, putting down his jacket in the frigid cold just so I wouldn't hurt my Bottom sitting down. I insisted he take it back, but he was just too obdurate on the issue.

"Just relax. I'm fine," he whispered with a slight smile. "Please. I'd feel bad if you stayed out here with me and I didn't even do this for you."

"But Leo…"
I would've argued more, but the boy had powers I just couldn't beat. What did he do? He simply stared at me with those wide, pleading honey eyes that threatened to well up with tears if I didn't sit. Could he just do that on a whim, or was he seriously that sensitive? Either way, it broke down my determination and I took a seat on his jacket, which still felt warm from Leo's body heat.

"Thank you," he said while quietly seating himself beside me.

For a long while, there was utter silence between us, only the thick roars of the wind occasionally breaking in. I pulled my knees up to my chest and hugged them tight, shivering against the breezes as goose bumps pricked my skin like thorns. Leo looked on at me, worried but realizing he couldn't do anything more. He was down to a tee and sweat pants; he'd be silly to give me another article of clothing. Instead, I pulled his jacket out from under me and smoothly wrapped it around my bare legs.

"Better?" I asked as I flattened my hands against themselves and rubbed to create a bit of warmth from friction.

"Yes…" he whispered, smiling, while I dipped my head and locked our eyes.

"Why have you been smiling so much? You're usually so nervous all the time."

"Ah…" He lowered his head, smile retreating and face gradually turning pink.

"N-No, no! I didn't mean for you to stop smiling! I was just curious why!"
I whimpered. I felt like I broke him.

"It's… nothing. Don't worry about it," he assured me as he lifted his eyes longingly towards the stars, almost like he wanted to be up there rather than down here.

"Do you… like the stars?" I pried carefully.

"Hm? Ah… Yes. I do." He continued to stare up absently at the dimmed sky. I followed his gaze and ended up watching as well. The stars twinkled incessantly, burning their life source away to provide us with such unsurpassed beauty.

Suddenly, it hit me. I remembered an old story, though only vaguely. Someone—I don't know who—told me once that each star is a person who has passed on, and they are put up there to continue watching over us. I glanced down at Leo, who was still baring his soul to the stars through that intensity in his honey eyes. I had to ask.

"Is there… someone up there you know?"

"Someone up there?" He dipped his head at me and a look of melancholy swept his features. "Yes, there is."
My heart sank for him. "C-Can I ask… who?"

"It was… my mother." He lowered his gaze defensively.

"O-Oh… I'm sorry."

"It's okay. She must be happier up there."
He forced another smile, and my heart practically shattered. Did this boy think that little of himself? Did he really believe that his own mother would be happier up there alone than down here with him? Or was it simply a hopeful wish that she'd find happiness even after passing? I wanted to ask, but I couldn't find the courage to say the words. I didn't want to be the one to pour salt on the wound or tear open the scar after it was suppressed for so long.

"Are… you okay?" I asked instead.

"Yeah. She…" He gnawed at his lip, nearly slicing the flesh and drawing blood until I frantically spoke up.

"Stop that! You're going to get hurt!"

"H-Huh? Oh, right…" He lifted his sharp teeth from his lower lip and brushed the imprinted bite mark with his thumb.

"Do you want to talk about it, Leo?"

"No, no… I don't want to be a burden."

"You're not a burden. I'd actually like to hear about it, if you don't mind."
He fetched out a small pocket watch, flipped up the intricate cover, and peeked at the time.

"It's a bit late, though. Aren't you tired?"

"Oh? What time is it?"

"Nearing one," he said warily.

"Oh… Well, are you tired?"

"No… I stay out here much longer with her. I just want to know if you're okay." He blew a gentle sigh that took form as a cool, wispy white mist in the air.

"Of course. Tell me about her," I whispered with a small smile that urged him to speak.

"Well…" His eyes swirled with happiness as he watched the stars and began regaling to me a description of his mother.

"She was beautiful. She had the same gold eyes and long silver hair I do, and she had the white ears, but… She was just so much prettier. Her skin was softer than anything I'd ever felt and she just had that way of lighting up a room when she smiled… She was always happy. It was like she just couldn't frown, even when she…" Suddenly, his voice cracked sharply and he lowered his head and his honey eyes, brimmed with tears. I was dangerously close to tears myself, but I forced a smile, even though I felt myself choking up with pity for him.

"I would've loved to meet her," I whispered as gently as I could. And then, I saw two teardrops splatter onto the pavement like rain.

"Y-Yes…"
For a while, we just sat in silence, calming ourselves. His tears faded quickly, and mine dripped back behind my lids. The two of us simply waited in each other's company, and for a bit, I felt good. I felt like I'd finally connected with someone in this place—not just a little chit-chat here and there, but real, solid communication. And who would've thought that Leo, who was so shy and fragile, would open up to me?

Maybe… I was making more of a difference here than I thought.
"Leo?"
"Yes?"

"Thank you for talking to me like this," I told him, genuinely smiling. I also genuinely enjoyed how he squirmed and flushed red at the sight of me.

"W-Why would you thank me for something like this?"

"Because it was really nice."
He nervously tilted his chin to his chest and flit his eyes over the pocket watch still held firmly in his grasp. He seemed startled by the time.

"What? What time is it?"

"It's past one. We need to have enough rest for tomorrow."

"Oh… Okay then. Let's go."
I rose to my feet, and grasping his jacket tight in my fingers, draped it over his shoulders as he stood. I smoothed it out against his small chest and arms, and he shied away at the contact.

"T-Thank you," he mumbled, just as reticently as he did before.

"Of course." I began making my way towards the front door until Leo's soft voice called out to me again through the still night.

"Alice? I… I come out here every night to look at the stars… So if you ever want to talk to me again... we can…"
I grinned, watching him anxiously shuffle his feet against the cobblestones.

"Definitely."
And with that, I swiveled in position and marched back upstairs, feeling so giddy I didn't know if I could fall back asleep. It was amazing.

I was making friends.
******************************************************************.
The next morning, I finally awoke in peace. No yelling, no shoving me off the bed, no creepy people watching over me… It was nice. I glanced over at the time, and it was just about four. It felt like I took a nap as opposed to really sleeping, but for some odd reason, I was really refreshed. I probably slept for a long time after I collapsed yesterday.

Oh… Right. I finally remembered the severity of that incident—the blood, the exposed flesh, the heart that was torn from its rightful spot… It horrified me to the point I fainted, and it still horrified me even now. I closed my eyes and sighed, shaking my head and suppressing the tears that nearly flooded my eyes again. I couldn't handle this. I had to tell the Queen I couldn't do it anymore. But…

I touched my hair, which was sticking to my face in ragged strands and clinging greasily to my back. Maybe I would shower first. And in the meantime, I would push the scene out of my mind. If I just set it aside and buried it, I would be okay. I wouldn't collapse again. My only goal right now was to shower.

So, for once, I bolted up from bed rather than dragging myself out of it and rushed out into the hall, searching for Eri's room. I didn't know where the bathroom was, so I figured I'd just use hers again.

"Which one… was it?"
My eyes flit over the three consecutive bedroom doors, and I whimpered. Each finished wooden door was exactly the same, without even a name carved into it, or a little flower in the corner to show me it was Eri's. I was too tired yesterday to pay attention to where I was going, and now, I had no idea which one was hers. I knew it was on this side, but that's all I had. Damn my short attention span! Should I just knock on each door?

Before I even weighed the consequences, my fist was pounding on the middle door. I held my breath and simply prayed it was the right one.

For a while, there was no answer. In fact, there was dead silence in the room, and I wondered if maybe Eri was in the shower already. She's such a bright bubble of energy that she was probably up and ready to go. Should I peek in? I could check to see if it was the right room, and if not, slide out before anyone noticed.
Okay… Let's do this.

I took a deep breath.

One… Two… Three!

My hand reached for the knob and just started to turn it, but I stopped myself from going any further. Jeez, what was I so nervous about? It's like I knew on the other side of the door was some awful, terrifying thing.

But that was ridiculous.

Okay, one more time.

One… Two… Three!

My hand finally spun the doorknob round, and the door clicked open. I cautiously pushed the frame open and peeked through to…

"grin-Dammit!" I screamed as I slammed the door behind me and leaned against it, cheeks heating pathetically. "Huge, huge, huge mistake!"

I stood corrected. There was an awful, terrifying thing behind that door. I inwardly continued cursing myself, mangling my hands through my hair and slapping myself across the face.

"Why the hell did I do that? Why would I—Ah!"
Suddenly, the door swung in from behind me, and I instantly fell flat onto my back, my head landing just between a pair of bare feet partly obscured by crisp, black fabric. I squeezed my eyes shut to avoid the sight from before that had scarred me, but then the voice echoed even louder through my ears.

"Oi, what the hell are you doing?"

"N-Nothing…" I mumbled as I slapped my hands over my eyes.

"Then is there some reason you needed to show up at my door this early in the morning?"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"You just had to peek at me?"

"N-No!" I screeched, whipping my hands down to my hips and glaring up at him.

Yes, him. The only person in this place who used the word "Oi"—Cane. And then, remembering why I had my hands over my eyes in the first place, I replaced them.

"Then why would you barge into my room when I'm changing?"

"grin-Don't say that! I-I didn't mean to!" I yelled with cheeks heated. "And I didn't barge! I knocked and I got no answer!"

"So that gives you the permission to come in?" he asked as he repeatedly tapped my cheek with the edge of his foot.

"Y-You… Get your silly foot off me!"

I smacked his foot away and quickly brought myself to a standing position, eyes still clenched to avoid his half-Unclad appearance and fingers nervously fisted into my shorts.

"Why are your eyes closed? It's rude to not look at someone while they're talking to you, you know."

"B-But you…"

"What? Just because I don't have a shirt? Grow up, would you?"

"A-Aren't you embarrassed?" I snapped as I shot my head away, hair flowing and whipping against my back.

"What do I have to be embarrassed about?"
I rolled my eyes behind their protective covers. "You're that conceited…"

"I'm not conceited."
I scoffed. Was he kidding? He's been condescending since day one!

"But you—"

"Grow. Up. It's not a big deal."

Sighing, I slowly lifted my left lid and took a peek at his chest. His muscles glistened with small droplets of water still resting on his skin—likely from a shower—as he curled his hands around his broad shoulders. After a moment, when my eyes accustomed to the sight, I lifted both lids and relaxed my hands against my hips.

I didn't like him.

I couldn't stand him.
But I had to admit, he had a beautiful body.

Gorgeous planes of defined muscles lined his chest and arms—not too large, not too small. His milky skin was tanned by the sun and made him the faintest shade of bronze. He had an entirely different body type compared to poor, pallor Leo.

He was wider, bigger, but while I despised myself for thinking this way, he was remarkable. If he had this body and a nicer personality, he'd be perfect.

But of course, what's underneath always outweighs the superficial, so he's still disgusting in my eyes.

"Hey, my eyes are up here," he said as he motioned my head upward.

"I-I wasn't staring," I argued, bringing my eyes up to meet his. "They were just there."

"Yeah, and when a guy says that to a girl, she smacks him."
I studied the seriousness in his eyes and burst out into a small fit of giggles. He was right, and he seemed so deadpan

when he said it. Even through my laughter, I saw a smile rise up out of him. After a few more moments, I slowed myself and looked up at him, both of us still smiling.

Realizing that, I defensively wiped my smile away and crossed my arms over my chest. "W-Why are you smiling so much?"

"Because no one ever laughs at my jokes," he stated plainly, his smile easing from his face.

"That's because you're such a—"

"'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.' Haven't you ever heard that phrase?"

I grumbled and sealed my lips. I wasn't going to say something nice, so…

"That's what I thought. So, what did you come here for?" he questioned calmly.
"I was actually looking for Eri's room… I needed her shower."

"Eri sleeps like a pig."

"Huh?" I asked, eyes widening in surprise. "Where'd that come from?"

"She sleeps so much it should be a sin. I guarantee she's still in bed."

"But she was just up at four in the morning yesterday, running around like a maniac..."

"Yeah, for that little bit because it was your first day. Once you left, I'm sure she fell dead asleep, and she probably won't want to get up like that again."

"Okay, but what does all this have to do with what I was asking?"

"She's still in bed. Did you not get that?" he explained somewhat tiredly.

"So..?"

"Eri's fast asleep, and she's too paranoid to leave her door unlocked for you to get in."

"Paranoid?"

"She thinks ghosts are going to come in and kidnap her or something, I don't know. Point is you won't get in there."

"So, what the hell should I do?" I sighed heavily, tousling my hair. "Is there like, a hallway bathroom or something?"

"No. None of us need that since we have our own bathrooms."

"So where do I go shower in the morning?" I shouted, listening to my voice reverberate back to me in the hallway walls.

"Would you shut up? You're so damn loud. You can use my shower if you need to."

"N-No!" I squealed, my heart racing at the thought.

"Fine, suit yourself. Go ahead and be dirty. It's…" He glanced back at a large, rustic wall clock and then back at me.

"Not even five yet. No one else gets up this early on their day off. Have fun sitting in your own filth for the next six hours."
I ran my hands through the sticky strands of hair on my face and groaned.

"Fine. I'll use your shower. But don't get anywhere near me, got it?"

"Why would I want to? Don't worry, I don't plan on it."
I quietly tiptoed into his bedroom, and the door clicked shut behind us.

Chapter 12-The Taste of Friendship (Game of The Heart)

Chapter 12: The Taste of Friendship
.
*****************************************

There we were, standing out in the dead of night like two lost souls. After Leo signaled for me to sit with him, he readily peeled his green hoodie from his thin form and set it over the concrete, a small cloud of dust lifting around it.

"What are you doing?" I questioned, staring at the limp clothing spread out at my feet.

"Please sit on this."

"What? No, it's fine! Why did you do that? You're going to be cold now," I scolded as I ran my eyes over the narrow, frail frame that was loosely veiled by a baggy gray tee. Leo was all lean muscle and bone, appearing like he'd snap with the touch of my fingers against his skin, and yet here he was, putting down his jacket in the frigid cold just so I wouldn't hurt my Bottom sitting down. I insisted he take it back, but he was just too obdurate on the issue.

"Just relax. I'm fine," he whispered with a slight smile. "Please. I'd feel bad if you stayed out here with me and I didn't even do this for you."

"But Leo…"
I would've argued more, but the boy had powers I just couldn't beat. What did he do? He simply stared at me with those wide, pleading honey eyes that threatened to well up with tears if I didn't sit. Could he just do that on a whim, or was he seriously that sensitive? Either way, it broke down my determination and I took a seat on his jacket, which still felt warm from Leo's body heat.

"Thank you," he said while quietly seating himself beside me.

For a long while, there was utter silence between us, only the thick roars of the wind occasionally breaking in. I pulled my knees up to my chest and hugged them tight, shivering against the breezes as goose bumps pricked my skin like thorns. Leo looked on at me, worried but realizing he couldn't do anything more. He was down to a tee and sweat pants; he'd be silly to give me another article of clothing. Instead, I pulled his jacket out from under me and smoothly wrapped it around my bare legs.

"Better?" I asked as I flattened my hands against themselves and rubbed to create a bit of warmth from friction.

"Yes…" he whispered, smiling, while I dipped my head and locked our eyes.

"Why have you been smiling so much? You're usually so nervous all the time."

"Ah…" He lowered his head, smile retreating and face gradually turning pink.

"N-No, no! I didn't mean for you to stop smiling! I was just curious why!"
I whimpered. I felt like I broke him.

"It's… nothing. Don't worry about it," he assured me as he lifted his eyes longingly towards the stars, almost like he wanted to be up there rather than down here.

"Do you… like the stars?" I pried carefully.

"Hm? Ah… Yes. I do." He continued to stare up absently at the dimmed sky. I followed his gaze and ended up watching as well. The stars twinkled incessantly, burning their life source away to provide us with such unsurpassed beauty.

Suddenly, it hit me. I remembered an old story, though only vaguely. Someone—I don't know who—told me once that each star is a person who has passed on, and they are put up there to continue watching over us. I glanced down at Leo, who was still baring his soul to the stars through that intensity in his honey eyes. I had to ask.

"Is there… someone up there you know?"

"Someone up there?" He dipped his head at me and a look of melancholy swept his features. "Yes, there is."
My heart sank for him. "C-Can I ask… who?"

"It was… my mother." He lowered his gaze defensively.

"O-Oh… I'm sorry."

"It's okay. She must be happier up there."
He forced another smile, and my heart practically shattered. Did this boy think that little of himself? Did he really believe that his own mother would be happier up there alone than down here with him? Or was it simply a hopeful wish that she'd find happiness even after passing? I wanted to ask, but I couldn't find the courage to say the words. I didn't want to be the one to pour salt on the wound or tear open the scar after it was suppressed for so long.

"Are… you okay?" I asked instead.

"Yeah. She…" He gnawed at his lip, nearly slicing the flesh and drawing blood until I frantically spoke up.

"Stop that! You're going to get hurt!"

"H-Huh? Oh, right…" He lifted his sharp teeth from his lower lip and brushed the imprinted bite mark with his thumb.

"Do you want to talk about it, Leo?"

"No, no… I don't want to be a burden."

"You're not a burden. I'd actually like to hear about it, if you don't mind."
He fetched out a small pocket watch, flipped up the intricate cover, and peeked at the time.

"It's a bit late, though. Aren't you tired?"

"Oh? What time is it?"

"Nearing one," he said warily.

"Oh… Well, are you tired?"

"No… I stay out here much longer with her. I just want to know if you're okay." He blew a gentle sigh that took form as a cool, wispy white mist in the air.

"Of course. Tell me about her," I whispered with a small smile that urged him to speak.

"Well…" His eyes swirled with happiness as he watched the stars and began regaling to me a description of his mother.

"She was beautiful. She had the same gold eyes and long silver hair I do, and she had the white ears, but… She was just so much prettier. Her skin was softer than anything I'd ever felt and she just had that way of lighting up a room when she smiled… She was always happy. It was like she just couldn't frown, even when she…" Suddenly, his voice cracked sharply and he lowered his head and his honey eyes, brimmed with tears. I was dangerously close to tears myself, but I forced a smile, even though I felt myself choking up with pity for him.

"I would've loved to meet her," I whispered as gently as I could. And then, I saw two teardrops splatter onto the pavement like rain.

"Y-Yes…"
For a while, we just sat in silence, calming ourselves. His tears faded quickly, and mine dripped back behind my lids. The two of us simply waited in each other's company, and for a bit, I felt good. I felt like I'd finally connected with someone in this place—not just a little chit-chat here and there, but real, solid communication. And who would've thought that Leo, who was so shy and fragile, would open up to me?

Maybe… I was making more of a difference here than I thought.
"Leo?"
"Yes?"

"Thank you for talking to me like this," I told him, genuinely smiling. I also genuinely enjoyed how he squirmed and flushed red at the sight of me.

"W-Why would you thank me for something like this?"

"Because it was really nice."
He nervously tilted his chin to his chest and flit his eyes over the pocket watch still held firmly in his grasp. He seemed startled by the time.

"What? What time is it?"

"It's past one. We need to have enough rest for tomorrow."

"Oh… Okay then. Let's go."
I rose to my feet, and grasping his jacket tight in my fingers, draped it over his shoulders as he stood. I smoothed it out against his small chest and arms, and he shied away at the contact.

"T-Thank you," he mumbled, just as reticently as he did before.

"Of course." I began making my way towards the front door until Leo's soft voice called out to me again through the still night.

"Alice? I… I come out here every night to look at the stars… So if you ever want to talk to me again... we can…"
I grinned, watching him anxiously shuffle his feet against the cobblestones.

"Definitely."
And with that, I swiveled in position and marched back upstairs, feeling so giddy I didn't know if I could fall back asleep. It was amazing.

I was making friends.
******************************************************************.
The next morning, I finally awoke in peace. No yelling, no shoving me off the bed, no creepy people watching over me… It was nice. I glanced over at the time, and it was just about four. It felt like I took a nap as opposed to really sleeping, but for some odd reason, I was really refreshed. I probably slept for a long time after I collapsed yesterday.

Oh… Right. I finally remembered the severity of that incident—the blood, the exposed flesh, the heart that was torn from its rightful spot… It horrified me to the point I fainted, and it still horrified me even now. I closed my eyes and sighed, shaking my head and suppressing the tears that nearly flooded my eyes again. I couldn't handle this. I had to tell the Queen I couldn't do it anymore. But…

I touched my hair, which was sticking to my face in ragged strands and clinging greasily to my back. Maybe I would shower first. And in the meantime, I would push the scene out of my mind. If I just set it aside and buried it, I would be okay. I wouldn't collapse again. My only goal right now was to shower.

So, for once, I bolted up from bed rather than dragging myself out of it and rushed out into the hall, searching for Eri's room. I didn't know where the bathroom was, so I figured I'd just use hers again.

"Which one… was it?"
My eyes flit over the three consecutive bedroom doors, and I whimpered. Each finished wooden door was exactly the same, without even a name carved into it, or a little flower in the corner to show me it was Eri's. I was too tired yesterday to pay attention to where I was going, and now, I had no idea which one was hers. I knew it was on this side, but that's all I had. Damn my short attention span! Should I just knock on each door?

Before I even weighed the consequences, my fist was pounding on the middle door. I held my breath and simply prayed it was the right one.

For a while, there was no answer. In fact, there was dead silence in the room, and I wondered if maybe Eri was in the shower already. She's such a bright bubble of energy that she was probably up and ready to go. Should I peek in? I could check to see if it was the right room, and if not, slide out before anyone noticed.
Okay… Let's do this.

I took a deep breath.

One… Two… Three!

My hand reached for the knob and just started to turn it, but I stopped myself from going any further. Jeez, what was I so nervous about? It's like I knew on the other side of the door was some awful, terrifying thing.

But that was ridiculous.

Okay, one more time.

One… Two… Three!

My hand finally spun the doorknob round, and the door clicked open. I cautiously pushed the frame open and peeked through to…

"grin-Dammit!" I screamed as I slammed the door behind me and leaned against it, cheeks heating pathetically. "Huge, huge, huge mistake!"

I stood corrected. There was an awful, terrifying thing behind that door. I inwardly continued cursing myself, mangling my hands through my hair and slapping myself across the face.

"Why the hell did I do that? Why would I—Ah!"
Suddenly, the door swung in from behind me, and I instantly fell flat onto my back, my head landing just between a pair of bare feet partly obscured by crisp, black fabric. I squeezed my eyes shut to avoid the sight from before that had scarred me, but then the voice echoed even louder through my ears.

"Oi, what the hell are you doing?"

"N-Nothing…" I mumbled as I slapped my hands over my eyes.

"Then is there some reason you needed to show up at my door this early in the morning?"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"You just had to peek at me?"

"N-No!" I screeched, whipping my hands down to my hips and glaring up at him.

Yes, him. The only person in this place who used the word "Oi"—Cane. And then, remembering why I had my hands over my eyes in the first place, I replaced them.

"Then why would you barge into my room when I'm changing?"

"grin-Don't say that! I-I didn't mean to!" I yelled with cheeks heated. "And I didn't barge! I knocked and I got no answer!"

"So that gives you the permission to come in?" he asked as he repeatedly tapped my cheek with the edge of his foot.

"Y-You… Get your silly foot off me!"

I smacked his foot away and quickly brought myself to a standing position, eyes still clenched to avoid his half-Unclad appearance and fingers nervously fisted into my shorts.

"Why are your eyes closed? It's rude to not look at someone while they're talking to you, you know."

"B-But you…"

"What? Just because I don't have a shirt? Grow up, would you?"

"A-Aren't you embarrassed?" I snapped as I shot my head away, hair flowing and whipping against my back.

"What do I have to be embarrassed about?"
I rolled my eyes behind their protective covers. "You're that conceited…"

"I'm not conceited."
I scoffed. Was he kidding? He's been condescending since day one!

"But you—"

"Grow. Up. It's not a big deal."

Sighing, I slowly lifted my left lid and took a peek at his chest. His muscles glistened with small droplets of water still resting on his skin—likely from a shower—as he curled his hands around his broad shoulders. After a moment, when my eyes accustomed to the sight, I lifted both lids and relaxed my hands against my hips.

I didn't like him.

I couldn't stand him.
But I had to admit, he had a beautiful body.

Gorgeous planes of defined muscles lined his chest and arms—not too large, not too small. His milky skin was tanned by the sun and made him the faintest shade of bronze. He had an entirely different body type compared to poor, pallor Leo.

He was wider, bigger, but while I despised myself for thinking this way, he was remarkable. If he had this body and a nicer personality, he'd be perfect.

But of course, what's underneath always outweighs the superficial, so he's still disgusting in my eyes.

"Hey, my eyes are up here," he said as he motioned my head upward.

"I-I wasn't staring," I argued, bringing my eyes up to meet his. "They were just there."

"Yeah, and when a guy says that to a girl, she smacks him."
I studied the seriousness in his eyes and burst out into a small fit of giggles. He was right, and he seemed so deadpan

when he said it. Even through my laughter, I saw a smile rise up out of him. After a few more moments, I slowed myself and looked up at him, both of us still smiling.

Realizing that, I defensively wiped my smile away and crossed my arms over my chest. "W-Why are you smiling so much?"

"Because no one ever laughs at my jokes," he stated plainly, his smile easing from his face.

"That's because you're such a—"

"'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.' Haven't you ever heard that phrase?"

I grumbled and sealed my lips. I wasn't going to say something nice, so…

"That's what I thought. So, what did you come here for?" he questioned calmly.
"I was actually looking for Eri's room… I needed her shower."

"Eri sleeps like a pig."

"Huh?" I asked, eyes widening in surprise. "Where'd that come from?"

"She sleeps so much it should be a sin. I guarantee she's still in bed."

"But she was just up at four in the morning yesterday, running around like a maniac..."

"Yeah, for that little bit because it was your first day. Once you left, I'm sure she fell dead asleep, and she probably won't want to get up like that again."

"Okay, but what does all this have to do with what I was asking?"

"She's still in bed. Did you not get that?" he explained somewhat tiredly.

"So..?"

"Eri's fast asleep, and she's too paranoid to leave her door unlocked for you to get in."

"Paranoid?"

"She thinks ghosts are going to come in and kidnap her or something, I don't know. Point is you won't get in there."

"So, what the hell should I do?" I sighed heavily, tousling my hair. "Is there like, a hallway bathroom or something?"

"No. None of us need that since we have our own bathrooms."

"So where do I go shower in the morning?" I shouted, listening to my voice reverberate back to me in the hallway walls.

"Would you shut up? You're so damn loud. You can use my shower if you need to."

"N-No!" I squealed, my heart racing at the thought.

"Fine, suit yourself. Go ahead and be dirty. It's…" He glanced back at a large, rustic wall clock and then back at me.

"Not even five yet. No one else gets up this early on their day off. Have fun sitting in your own filth for the next six hours."
I ran my hands through the sticky strands of hair on my face and groaned.

"Fine. I'll use your shower. But don't get anywhere near me, got it?"

"Why would I want to? Don't worry, I don't plan on it."
I quietly tiptoed into his bedroom, and the door clicked shut behind us.