We're back.

 

Took you long enough, but I guess I do feel better than this morning.

 

Good. We do have to talk to Sophie about some stuff as well.

 

I know.

 

I walked into the room where my family and Sophie sat.

 

Ask Sophie about what Kendall's been doing, and make sure to check if Holly's okay as well. We don't know if Kendall's going to target her.

 

I sat down and like before, Emily climbed onto my lap and Sophie sat right next to me.

"How is everyone?" I asked as Sophie smiled and poked my arm.

"I still miss you a lot, when are you getting out?" Sophie asked.

"Things have been going well, so maybe a couple more days."

Sophie looked as thrilled as I would have expected. Same for everyone else.

"We set up a surprise that we think you'll like when you get back," Dad said, "And your bird of Paradise is doing fine as well."

"Thanks. That means a lot to hear." I said as I alternated between giving Emily hugs, and poking Sophie back.

 

Ask Sophie what's been going on with Kendall and Holly.

 

"Hey Sophie, have you heard what's been going on at school?"

"Uhh, yeah, but only really about Kendall, and I know you don't want to talk about her, so we don't have to."

"I just want to make sure she wasn't going after any of you since I wasn't there."

"Thing is…she apparently tried to ask Holly who's been bullying her."

 

What? Why would she want to know that?

 

"Do you know what she's planning?" I asked.

"Holly told me she's trying to get Malisa to stop bullying her."

Pern hovered over Sophie in disbelief at what we just heard. 

 

That doesn't make sense. Ask her again! We must've misheard her.

 

"What do you mean?"

"Holly said that Kendall sat with everyone during lunch and asked if anyone was bullying them. Something to do with wanting to protect them or something. Then after school, Kendall tried to sit next to Holly to ask her about Malisa."

 

That- wha- no. That doesn't make sense! Someone got mixed up, because that'd never fucking happen.

 

I stared at her with a blank face. Pern was right, we must've been mishearing things. "I think you misheard something along the line because that wouldn't happened."

"Yeaaah. Holly actually told her about Malisa, and then they apparently just sat together on the way home."

 

No. She's lying. Or someone is. Kendall just sitting there with someone? Never. She's up to something, and we need to be prepared.

 

"Again, are you sure you heard her right?"

"She sent a text. I couldn't bring my phone in here, but that's what she said. 'Kendall sat next to me and didn't say much after I told her.'"

 

Tell Sophie to stick near Holly as much as she can.

 

"Can you stay near Holly as best you can? She's up to something and I don't want Holly getting hurt."

"Of course. Though that's kinda hard, I still have another day of suspension, but I go back in a couple days."

"Thanks."

"How about we focus on something else," Mom said, "I don't want you to have to worry about this right now."

"Yeah, neither do I. So how's everything been at home?"

"The house has been feeling empty, but it's good to see you getting better," she said, " Emily's been asking when you're coming home."

Half laughing and half smiling, I looked down at Emily's sad puppy dog eyes.

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about my promise to play with you."

"Mom and Dad got me Legos. Can we play that when you get back?"

"Sure. When I get home we can play for as long as you want."

She gave me a massive hug and didn't move from that spot for the rest of the visiting time.

"I know this might not be the best place to ask," Dad said, "But do you still want to go to the flower convention with me?"

"Can I still go to that?" I wasn't even sure if Dad would've let me go after everything, but I was still actually pretty pumped to hopefully show off the one plant that survived.

"Of course. Assuming you still want to."

"Yeah, I want to. Thanks."

"Great, I'll let some of my co-workers know. They've been wanting to meet you with how much you're into plants like them."

"As long as they know I'm just starting out, then sure."

"They do, so don't worry about that." 

After that, the rest of the visiting time was small talk, but it was still great to be able to see them. I decided to not tell them about what happened with what's been going on in my end here with Susie and Zach.

 

We should tell them we have an anima.

 

Not right now, and maybe only Sophie.

 

We know our parents are going to find out soon enough.

 

Yeah, but it's a lot easier for them to explain it than I could. And I really don't want to try and explain to them why Kendall woke up my anima.

 

We guess we'll have to hope they don't find out then.

 

Visiting hours ended and I went back to the main room. Still no sign of Susie, but at least Zach and Alice looked like they were doing better. Trish wasn't around either, though. Deciding I spent enough of today in bed, I walked up and sat down next to Zach, who was sitting alone. "Hey."

"Have a nice visit?"

I stretched out and leaned forward onto the table. "Mostly, yeah. But I found out that Kendall's planning to do something to one of my other friends. And she's already getting bullied…"

"Maybe she has feelings for you? That's the only reason I can think of for someone to go after you that hard for no reason."

I lifted my head up to glare at him. "No."

"Alright, alright. Sorry. So she doesn't like you."

The two of us sat there staring off into nowhere. Both because times were just not good, and because it was starting to get really. Damn. Boring. Aside from drama, which I wasn't a fan of.

"One of those days," Zach said.

"Yeah."

"Trish is in her room. Wanna go pay her a visit?"

I got up without saying a word and he joined me as we walked over and peeked our heads in. "Hey Trish," I said.

She looked up from a notebook. "Hold on." She closed the book and put it under her bed before walking up to us. "What's up?"

"Do you want to try and lighten the mood?" Zach asked.

She scratched the back of her neck. "I'd like to, but feels kinda hard right now."

"We could tell stories to each other," I said, "I mean stories of good memories."

The two of them stared at me blankly.

 

I fucked up again, didn't I?

 

Alice's happiest memory was getting out of her home. We think we may have fucked up.

 

"Sorry. We don't have to."

Trish walked out of the room. "Sure."

"Sounds better than my idea," Zach said.

 

Guess we didn't fuck up. Finally.

 

The three of us sat down at one of the empty tables. "You wanna go first?" I asked Zach.

Zach smiled, "Trish would know this one, but how about the story of how the both of us met."

Pern scooted in next to me and sat down on the floor, his vines resting on the table that he used to support his bulb.

"Sounds good," I said.

"Okay, so, it was freshman year at high school, and I didn't really know anyone. I was kinda a troublemaker."

"Kinda?" Trish chimed in, "You got into fist fights with people because they tried talking to you."

"Okay so slightly more than kinda. Anyway, It was freshmen year, and I was about to get into another fight when Trish cut in and pulled me away." Trying to hold back a smile.

"He's laughing because he almost hit me instead," Trish said.

"No, I'm laughing because we almost immediately became best friends. You dragged me aside, slapped me and then threw your arm around me and walked me to your house. It was actually a really cool moment." 

 

Going from almost hitting her to being best friends? Ask them why she tried to be friends after he tried to hit her. That doesn't make sense to us.

 

"Why would you be friends if he tried to hit you?" I asked.

"Felt sorry for him mostly." She nudged his shoulder. "He seemed like he was struggling with stuff, and thought he was a pretty cool guy when he wasn't picking fights."

"I still don't understand that. I don't think I could be friends with someone if they tried to hit me."

"It's kinda weird, but she's pretty weird herself." he shrugged. "So I guess it wasn't a big issue."

Pern studied the two of them.

 

Nope. We still don't understand.

 

"What about you?" Trish asked me.

 

—

Sitting down and playing games with Sophie and Holly. Even if I was terrible at it.

—

 

"A lot of times Sophie and my other friend Holly would play video games together for hours. I'm bad at them, and Holly was a hell of a lot better than both of us, but that didn't stop me from having fun. There was one time when I got a game we could play together. A top down versus shooter. Holly kicks our asses most of the time in those kinds of games. But I don't think I'll forget when they both ganged up on me. I was goading them into teaming up by saying I'd beat them both. I timed it well enough and killed them both with a mine." Smiling to myself, I kept going. "They were stunned I beat both of them at once. And I got my chance to rub it in their face a bit. Sophie was impressed, but neither of them fell for anything else. But I was fine with getting last if I got to do stuff with them."

"That's actually a really good one," Zach said, "I'm more into action games. They're really good for venting out anger."

"Holly would probably like playing with you then. Sophie's good at those too, but she's also really competitive. Even with me." The mood was skyrocketing at this point for me. "I try to be as competitive as her, and I wouldn't change it for anything."

"I'm starting to wanna meet Sophie. She's sounding more and more like my kind of friend," Trish said.

I perked up, "You two go to the school just across town, right? We can meet up when we get out if you want."

"I'd be up for that, and I'm sure Zach would be too." she slapped his back. "And if you want we can teach that bully of yours a lesson for you."

"I don't think we should get involved in that," Zach said, "Robbie said he wanted to be the one to teach her a lesson."

 

What? Nonsense! We want all the help we can get now.

 

"Actually, if you guys want, then I'd actually be really happy to have your help."

"No problem," she said as she eyed Zach, "What's going on? You'd always be the first one to jump to defending people."

"I just thought he wanted to deal with it on his own. If he wants, then of course I'll help." He said he was fine with it, but he was shifting in his seat every which way.

 

Something's off about how he's acting just now when Kendall was brought up. We didn't say her name, but he knows full well we're talking about her. And we want to know why. Ask him if it has anything to do with Kendall.

 

"Is something going on? You've been acting like you already know Kendall since I mentioned her."

Trish's mouth dropped as she faced me, but her eyes were squarely on Zach, who was rubbing his forehead.

"Isn't that-"

"No." he cut her off. "It's not her. The Kendall I knew has dark hair. The one that's been bothering Robbie is blonde."

"How can you know? People dye their hair. Besides, I thought you'd be happy to possibly see her again."

Zach stood up, "I said it's not her." And walked away, leaving Trish and myself sitting there.

I slid down my seat and folded my arms. "So much for trying to lighten the mood."

"Don't worry. He'll calm down soon enough, then we can go back to talking about the good times."

"Everything always seems to need to cool down. How does he even know the name Kendall? I know he told me a little about her, but I'm starting to get creeped out that he knows the one I do."

"It's not really my place to say. You could try asking him when he calms down, but I've never seen him react like this to her. As far as I knew, he really liked her."

 

We can possibly use whatever Zach knows about Kendall against her when we go back to school. Catch up with Zach and ask him more about it.

 

He clearly doesn't want to talk about it.

 

We want to get dirt on Kendall a lot more than we want to protect Zach.

 

He told me not to ask him about why he was here, and for all I know he's here because of her.

 

Pern's bulb lowered next to me.

 

If it concerns Kendall's past, then we have a right to know it after what she put us through.

 

I'm fine with hurting Kendall, but I'm not going to hurt Zach so just stop pushing it.

 

We're not thinking clearly. This could get us info we can use to force her to stop for good, and we're going to throw that chance away? All so Zach might not have one uncomfortable night?

 

That's right. I'm not going to do it.

 

Pern's vines wrapped around my head and moved it to the side so I was looking at him.

 

Our job is to protect us. To make us better. We won't let us miss out on something this huge just because of someone's emotions. Besides, we saw how big Zach is about helping people. He'd likely jump at the chance if we tell him he can solve all our problems by telling us about her. Assuming they are the same person.

 

That- But still. Zach really-

 

Tell us he wouldn't want to try and help after we've seen him go out of his way to do just that.

 

…

 

We can't, because we know he'd be for it. All we need is something good enough that we can rub in her face so she'd leave us alone.

 

"You okay?" Trish asked, which snapped me out of talking with Pern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just going to go to the bathroom." I got up and walked off with Pern.

 

We'll talk to him later about her then.

 

And possibly put him in this state again? It'd probably be better for him if we asked now when it's still on his mind.

 

…Fine, but we get it without hurting Zach. Okay?

 

If that's possible, then that's fine.