Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

***

A/N: I'm sorry I'm shipping everyone with everyone this fic is CHAOTIC.

***

 "Ooh, is that Alex Bailey?"

 Alex shuffled along, her head kept low. Just go to your lunch table, just go to your lunch table-

 "She's smart, but also weird, like reeaally weird..."

 "I heard that she hugs books in the library! What a freak!"

 Alex had heard every word of the girls' gossiping, and as much as she wanted to deny it, she knew it was true. She was weird as she kept on hugging books in a futile attempt to somehow magically transport her back to the Land of Stories- the place where she truly felt alive.

 Alex knew she didn't really belong at the Otherworld. Maybe Conner was, but Alex wasn't. Her soul had deeply resonated with the magic she'd seen at the Land of Stories, and now she felt like a part of her had been ripped off and left there. She knew she was a freak, but she was incomplete and hollow, and she needed to go back to the Land of Stories to be herself again-

 "Hey! Mean girls with weird stripy hair!"

 Oh.

 That was Conner's voice.

 Alex immediately looked up to see her brother next to her. His face was flushed with angry red. The relief she felt upon seeing her twin was rapidly washed away by concern. "Conner, what-"

 "You know, you should stop saying hurtful things to my sister!" Conner bellowed, his voice probably much louder than he had intended. As a result, the area went deadly silent in the blink of an eye.

 Conner immediately attracted the attention of the entire cafeteria. Everybody stared at him, as if an invisible limelight was glaring on his head, but he paid no heed.

 "So what if she hugs books? Everybody has their own quirks, like your curious style of hair which I don't like but respect, and how some like to pace while they study, and how some just have to chew gum during class-"

 The only sound was the excited murmurs of the crowd as they witnessed Conner Bailey standing up for his twin sister. Alex had never felt more grateful and embarrassed at the same time.

 It was at that exact moment Bree entered the cafeteria. Her eyebrows raised at the sight of a furious Conner against the vicious snakes- whoops sorry, she meant the girls. Noting Alex's nervous expression and Conner's clenched fists, Bree quickly connected the dots. The girls were probably bullying Alex or did something to hurt her, and Conner, a loyal brother with a righteous heart, had to defend her. Bree was reminded when he'd glared daggers at the idiot that had pulled her hair a few months ago. Of course he wouldn't let it slip past him.

 Bree liked Alex, and was already idly daydreaming revenge plots, but she didn't move. She was sure Conner had it under control.

 In response to Conner's speech, one of the mean girls loudly drawled, "Huh, look at that little Bailey boy. I guess freaks do stick to each other." Her cronies bobbed their heads enthusiastically.

 Conner's eyes narrowed, slicing them with a sharp glare. "How dare you-"

 "Stop, Conner." Alex's voice, filled with apprehension, cut through Conner's fury like a knife. Her blue eyes flitted to the girls, then back at Conner. "They're not worth it," she stated quietly yet clearly.

 Go get them, Alex! Bree inwardly cheered for her friend. They don't deserve your time!

 "Let's just go," Alex muttered and dragged Conner away. Once the drama was over, the crowd surrounding them dissipated, and drifted back to their respective lunch tables. Bree tried to see the familiar strawberry blonde heads over the mob of students, but they too had vanished. Deciding she could see them later, Bree navigated through the busy cafeteria to get her meal (if that disgusting slop could be called a "meal") and she went to her usual table. Her friends were discussing the recent incident in hushed but agitated voices. Bree sat down besides Danielle.

 "Hey, Bree!" Danielle's brown eyes glittered. "Did you see what happened just now?"

 "You mean the showdown? Yeah, I saw that." Bree put on a calm demeanor and dug her spoon into that gooey mush. She stuffed it in her mouth and immediately made a face. "Blegh! How come this is still legal?"

 "I feel bad for Alex," Danielle commented as she munched on some soggy vegetables. "I mean, it is a bit weird that she hugs books, but Alex's a nice person. Those other girls are just plain nasty."

 "I agree, Alex's great." Bree absentmindedly looked around at the cafeteria again, hoping to see the Bailey twins. She didn't find them, but however, she found Fred, his tall figure and spiky blond hair sticking out like a sore thumb. Upon seeing Fred, Bree's friends giggled and nudged Danielle, whose face flamed up, and she choked on her drink. Amused by Danielle's reaction, Bree too sniggered, which angered Danielle even more.

 "Bree, don't act like you don't have something to tell us!" Danielle rambled, rattling off nonsense words in a desperate effort to defend herself. "H-how about Conner Bailey?"

 Bree's stomach jolted at the name, and little bouts of euphoria bubbled inside her like champagne. "Oh. What about him?" Bree kept her voice neutral.

 "He spilled his lunch over you!" Danielle exploded, still in hysterics over Fred's appearance.

 Bree raised an eyebrow and took a sip of water. "Yeah, that is very romantic. Dani, shall we call Fred over with his lunch for you?"

 Danielle groaned. "I told you, he was distracted because he was looking at you! And he also kind of flirted with you when he returned your lucky bracelet!"

 It was Bree's turn to choke.

 The other girls gasped dramatically, as evidently, neither Bree nor Danielle had mentioned it to them.

 "Oh my God! He flirted with you?"

 "What pick up line did he use? Was it one those cheesy ones like 'did it hurt when you fell from-"

 "Girls, this is big news! Big, BIG news!"

 The girls interrupted each other with animated exclamations, their voices rising a pitch every time they spoke. Rather dizzily, Bree knew she had to stop it before matters got out of hand.

 "Dani, pray tell me, when did he flirt with me?" Bree drawled, using sarcasm to hide whatever turmoil that was raging inside her. "How come I wasn't aware of it at all?"

 Danielle's face broke out in a big, self-satisfied grin. Doubtless she was glad that those "who likes who" rumours had a new target to feed on. "Didn't he say something like," she now put on a fake deep voice, " 'we're each other's lucky charms', yeah?"

 "That's not flirting, Danielle," Bree told her friend in what she hoped was an exasperated tone. "He was just making a dumb comment."

 "Uh-huh." Danielle was disbelieving. "How do you explain him looking at you and you looking at him all. The. Damn. Time?"

 The girls around them gasped again, shocked yet delighted at this turn of events. One girl shoved a handful of peanuts in her mouth, her eyes bulging wide with excitement.

 For one of the few times in her life, Bree was at a loss for words. She originally thought only she knew they were crushing on each other, but apparently Danielle had suddenly gained the intellect of Sherlock Holmes.

 "Come on, girls," Bree forced a laugh to show how casual she was. Everybody stared at her, attentive ears catching on every word she would say. "Dani's just randomly spinning up conspiracy theories." She turned to Danielle. "You just want to distract us from your... ahem, relationship with Fred Hayford."

 Danielle's flushed again, and accompanied by her red hair, she resembled an angry strawberry.

"Yeah, Dani, don't switch the topic!" a girl chastised Danielle.

 "I told you guys!" Danielle declared indignantly. "I don't like him! It's just something stupid that someone cooked up!" She poked Bree. "And you, Breanne Anneliese Campbell! I thought you were on my side!"

 "Weell." Bree chewed in a deliberately long manner. "Firstly, you somehow had to drag Conner in this mess to save face, and secondly, you do suspiciously sound like you have a crush on-"

 "Don't say his name!" Danielle huffed.

 Somehow sensing some invisible cue, the girls clustered around Danielle, shielding her from the outside. It was the universal sign of "girl talk about to happen".

 "Spill the tea, sis," somebody hissed.

 "I..." Danielle lowered her head and fidgeted with her cutlery.

 There was a pregnant pause as everybody waited for her.

 "... So what if I like him?" Danielle began in a small voice, still refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "I don't know why I like him! He has a stupid personality and even worse pick up lines, and he flirts with so many people, and I hate how he wears his baseball cap backwards and casually punches his friends and-"

 "Woah, looks like someone's stalking him," Bree couldn't help but say. She was met with enthusiastic "shh!"s from her companions, as they were eager to hear the rest of Danielle's speech. Bree obediently quieted down.

 "B-but." Danielle blushed even more. "I guess... he has a cute face."

 The tension visibly lessened in the circle of girls. Everybody immediately realized Danielle's supposed crush on Fred was real, and several girls "awww"ed.

 "He's great at sports," somebody mentioned.

 "And yeah, he does look good," someone else said. "Don't worry Dani, we won't steal him."

 "Just don't tell anyone, okay?" Danielle quickly muttered. "I don't want anyone to know. Well, know that it's real."

 "Alright, alright." Bree patted Danielle's shoulder. "Of course we'll keep it a secret."

 Knowing that Danielle was crushing on Fred was expected, but nevertheless still funny. Afterwards, Bree refrained from playfully shoving Danielle every time Fred passed by, but still had to hide a few chuckles.

A week later, Bree sat in her Social Studies class. Her eyes roamed over the blackboard, but she didn't really understand what was written on it. Bree always found herself thinking about other things during lessons. Maybe the lessons were too boring and caused her untethered mind to drift off into the forbidden territory of romance and crushes...

 Bree bit back a grin when she recalled Danielle's hysterical reactions to being accused of crushing on Fred. It was funny and a bit endearing to see her friend act that way. Besides, Bree could also (sort of) relate with Danielle. Her mind kept on racing and racing and creating possibilities after she realized she had feelings for Conner. Bree guessed it was a way how people responded to crushes, and everyone had different ways.

 Bree idly wondered what would Danielle do. Would she wait it out or try to attract Fred's attention or-

 Wait.

 When had she became so invested in Danielle's love life?

 It wasn't like Bree had a big interest in romance before. She'd snorted at her sisters' self-indulgent shipping and Mary Sues and bad boy stories, and generally stayed out of the school's gossip circle.

 At first, Bree thought she probably only cared because one of her best friends was involved. But even with that, something seemed to be missing.

 Because Bree knew once upon a time, she didn't really care whether Danielle had a crush on Fred.

 The answer then came to her pretty quickly.

 Of course it was Conner again.

 That stupid crush of hers was screwing up her mind. And said stupid crush was probably causing her to have an increased interest in romance.

 Ugh.

 Bree wasn't against romance, but she disliked the sloppy, immature affairs middle schoolers usually put on. And Bree didn't want to date anyone (not even Conner) at the moment.

 But there was something deep inside her that was intrigued by the messy tangles of puppy love.

 Just slightly.

 Or maybe, disregarding the entire crush scenario, Bree was just curious and wanted to know the truth. That seemed to be likely, but Bree couldn't deny that her feelings for Conner had made her a bit more aware of the rumours that swarmed the school.

 She knew Conner liked her back, but she was still... curious.

 Did anyone else suspect? Did people, using that horrendous term, "ship" them?

 Bree groaned internally. Everything was so confusing! Crushing on someone was confusing! Her feelings were messing her brain up and to make things worse, she still didn't know what was up with that aura surrounding the Bailey twins.

 Get over him, get over him, she droned to herself.

 She knew this crush was making her act weird and empty-headed. Her sisters and Danielle had caught her spacing out, something she'd rarely done before. It wasn't just one occasion.

 And it got worse.

 Because Bree now knew Conner was crushing on her which meant their feelings were mutual.

 So everytime Bree saw Conner in the corridors she would immediately get that electrifying sensation through her body and whenever they brushed past each other, Bree's mind would chant you both like each other, you both like each other until Bree felt like dying.

 Bree could only wish to get over him as swiftly as possible. She still wanted to investigate the Bailey Twins Mystery, but she decided acting less weird and air-headed was more important. The last thing she wanted was something finding out, and she knew Conner Bailey was not... the most subtle of people. She'd narrowly escaped from being exposed by Danielle but Bree knew someone might find out one day or another.

 So that was why Bree was determined to avoid Conner at all costs.

 Because she acted funny around him and if she wasn't "around him", she would surely stop acting out of character, right? Then no one would suspect.

 But yet another thing that concerned Bree was that, some part of her liked to look at Conner. That freaky, fangirly part of her that she desperately wished to cease to exist. Bree had to control that insufferable urge to seek out Conner at every crowd, no matter she liked it or not. It was for her own good.

 Therefore, during that Social Studies lesson, Bree resolved to maintain as much distance between her and Conner as possible.

 But, obviously, the universe thought her grand scheme was a colossal joke. The biggest joke in all cosmic existence.

 The bell rang and the students milled out of the classroom. Bree packed up her books and also left to find her friends during the short break time. After a brief stop by her locker, Bree went to a classroom where she knew some of friends were at. Bree peered in the room and to her relief (and a certain extent of disappointment?), Conner was nowhere to be seen. Bree and her friends chatted idly about something funny Mrs. Peters said and the auditions of the school musical (Danielle got in, to no one's surprise). Bree congratulated her friend and promised herself she would attend the musical no matter what. Danielle was talented, but she needed a confidence boost to help her shine.

 Bree glanced at the clock. "I need to go now; my class' a bit far away."

 She and her friends said their goodbyes and Bree made her way to the door. A vaguely Conner-shaped thing was also approaching the door from the outside, but he was moving too quickly and Bree's mind couldn't swivel that fast-

 They bumped into each other.

 "Oh my God, I'm so sorry," Bree apologized instinctively without even fully realizing who she'd bumped into. A flash of strawberry blond kicked up a string of churning emotions, and Bree's mind went blank.

 What is life? Is he who I think he is? Why-

 "Ah?" The person, who was now-very-clearly-Conner, looked up, confusion and slight panic in his eyes.

 Time froze.

 (Bree indistinctly remembered what she'd vowed to do just ten minutes earlier- to avoid Conner Bailey at all costs. Now she just ran into him. What a joke.)

 "You okay? You don't look okay," Bree found herself saying, lips moving on their own.

 Bree's words sent Conner back to life. The boy blinked once, then twice.

 "Hm-? Oh yeah, I-I'm alright, just a bit..." Conner used his hands to gesture vigorously. "... stunned."

 "Heh, I can see," Bree stupidly said in return. Before either of them could screw it up even further, Bree turned on her heel and abruptly departed. But not before Bree caught a glimpse of Conner's red cheeks.

 Bree wanted to sink in a hole then die.

 Bree walked briskly to her classroom while screaming internally. Every time she thought of her oh-so-stupid crush, her pace quickened, almost as if she wanted to leave him behind in that damned doorway.

 It was ludicrous. Impossible.

 She had just decided to stay away from him and of course she had to literally bump into him.

 Bree audibly groaned and shook her head.

 Oh, the universe was making fun of her alright.

 What the heck was that? Fate? Coincidence? Something relating to that dumb aura again? Or just pure (mis)fortune?

 And that was how Bree miserably gave up on avoiding Conner. For two people who only shared one class, they sure saw each other often. Almost too often.

 Fortunately for Bree, she lost some of her mushy lovesickness. Sure, she couldn't stop that leap of joy in her heart whenever she saw Conner, but at least she didn't space out as much nor did she do weird things around Conner. Conner however, appeared to be as clumsy as always.

 Bree, Fred, and Alex watched with similar exasperation as Conner slammed into a wall- again.

 Bree sighed. Well, I guess he never changes.

***

 The days sped by, and soon the cold fingers of winter crept onto them. Alex's winter scarf was old and tattered, but Alex didn't want to waste money on buying a new one, so she kept on using her scarf even if it couldn't keep her warm. Somehow or other (Alex suspected it was Conner), word reached Fred's ears, who immediately gave Alex one of his scarves. When the Baileys protested, Fred had said he was going to throw the scarf away (even though it was in perfectly good condition) and wouldn't want it to go to waste. Reluctantly, but gratefully, Alex accepted the scarf.

 With the long, striped scarf wrapped snugly around Alex's neck, she and Conner walked from their small rental house to Fred's. They had decided to hang out on the first few days of winter break.

 The Christmas atmosphere was alive and brimming in the Hayford household. The Bailey twins knew Mrs. Hayford was one of those people who were super enthusiastic about Christmas. Bright ornaments and strings of fairy lights decorated the cheerful Christmas tree, and a miniature wooden figure of Jesus in the manger was brought out. Scented candles were placed on the dining table, and Mrs. Hayford even proudly displayed a clay angel Fred had made when he was four. Alex and Conner knew Fred was still embarrassed about his... bold creation.

 "My mom goes over the top every Christmas." Fred sheepishly scratched his head, eyes roaming over his lavishly decorated house.

 "Really? I think it's nice," Alex replied. The twinkling lights and familiar warm atmosphere brought her back to her simpler times- when her father was still alive and they spent happy Christmases together as a family. She smiled up at Fred. "By the way, Freddie, your scarf is really warm."

 "It's also suuuper long and Alex gets it tangled up," Conner butted in.

 Fred ignored Conner. "Ha, I'm glad it's cozy for you, Alex. My mom baked some Christmas cookies- yeah, too early, I know, and you know how it goes every year-"

 "We have to finish the entire platter," Conner deadpanned.

 "Or else she won't let us leave," Alex continued in a similar deadpan way.

 Fred rubbed his hands together almost wickedly. "Great! You already know the rules of surviving Christmastime the Hayford way. The cookies this year are noticeably more than last year's..."

 Conner and Alex shared a look. They both had sneaking suspicions it was again one of the Hayfords' means of helping them.

 Conner took a cookie and tossed it in his mouth. "These are as amazing as always," he praised with his mouth full.

 Alex sighed deeply. "How many times have I told you, Conner? Do not speak while eating."

 Fred gestured to Alex using finger guns. "Ooh, Mommy Alex!" he teased her.

 Conner swallowed the cookie, and said, "Hey! Let's play Mario Kart! I wanna hit someone!"

 "Mario Kart again?" Alex glanced at the controllers. "How about we do something else?"

 "Sure," Fred, who was always easy-going, agreed. "What do you want to do, Alex?"

 "Play board games?" Alex suggested.

 Fred was already making his way up the stairs. "Nice, which one?"

 Forty-five minutes later, Alex won her third round of Scrabbles. Conner groaned and held his head. Fred slumped over the couch and closed his eyes. Alex just sat there calmly and amused herself with the boys' reactions.

 "Ughh, Alex, the spelling bee queen," Fred muttered lifelessly.

 "How can you use words like 'connoisseur' when I struggle with spelling 'receive'?" Conner moaned. He rolled over so his face was planted into the sofa.

 "I think that's enough for today," Alex said almost cheerfully, which irked the boys.

 "I don't want to play Scrabble for the rest of my life." Conner's voice was muffled.

 "My brain feels dead," Free chimed in. After a short while, he opened his eyes and sat up. Fred reached over for his smartphone and scrolled through some of his messages.

 "By the way, do you guys want to go ice skating?" Fred asked the twins. "Apparently someone's dad works at the nearest rink and can offer us discounts."

 "Oh." It was at times like these Conner wished he had a smartphone of his own, so people could contact him without calling his home number or sending him a good old-fashioned letter. "Who's going?"

 Fred stared at Conner and hid a smirk, as he knew Conner was going to like what he was about to say. "Well there's the gang: me, Will, Jackson, and Owen. As for the girls, there's Hannah, Abigail, Danielle, Emma and I remember one more... Bree."

 Hearing Bree's name come from Fred's mouth was like sending a lightning bolt down Conner's spine. He didn't know why, but he was suddenly very enthusiastic about going ice skating with Bree (and his friends) even though he didn't know how to skate.

 Alex nearly rolled her eyes when Fred mentioned Bree. Another matchmaking scheme, whether intentional or not? Fred made eye contact with Alex and winked. Thankfully, Conner was still too out of it to notice, or else he would've punched Fred for winking at his sister.

 "But Conner and I can't really skate," Alex reminded Fred.

 "No worries," Fred said dismissively. "Ice skating is easy. I learnt it in less than half an hour. I'll teach you guys."

 "When is it?" Conner asked, trying to hide his excitement.

 "Two days later. 3pm at the mall."

 "Ooh! I'm going! How about you, Alex?"

 Alex looked thoughtful. "I don't think I'll go. Firstly, I can't skate, and secondly, I don't really know these people. I mean, I'm probably closest with Bree, but still I'm not really close with her."

 Both Conner and Fred were disappointed. They looked so sad, it was almost comical to Alex.

 "Alright, if that's what you want," Fred said. "But just in case if you don't have mittens for skating, I have some."

 Alex threw a cushion at Fred. "Hayford, what is up with you and knitted garments?"

 Fred just grinned in reply. Truth be told, he liked this side of Alex, who was smart and sassy and wasn't afraid to speak up. Alex was usually so shy and reserved in front of others, and Fred was glad he and Alex were good friends.

 "But..." Alex quieted down. "Mom has an afternoon shift on that day, so if I don't go, it would only be me in the house."

 "Then go with us, dude!" Fred said as if it was obvious.

 "C'mon, Alex!" Conner grinned at his twin. "It'll be fun! Ice skating can be pretty useful."

 Alex looked around, avoiding Conner and Fred's eyes. She scrunched up her forehead and thought deeply. "Since my schedule is open, I guess I'll go," she said finally. Then she glared at the boys. "But don't you dare ditch me."

 "Of course we wouldn't, my darling sister." Conner stood up and went to the platter of cookies to get some. During his short absence, Fred slid over the couch and whispered in Alex's ear.

 "Thanks for coming, Alex. I don't think I alone can stop Conner from being stupid in front of you-know-who."

 "Oh?" Alex snorted. "That's what we're calling her now?"

 As Conner returned, Alex and Fred automatically shut up and separated. The only sound was Conner's rather loud munching. He was oblivious to his two best friends' hushed conversation, which was probably for his own good.

 A sudden thought struck Alex. "Fred," she hissed. "You're not trying to stick them together, are you?"

 Fred waggled his eyebrows comically. "Hmm, who knows?"

***

 Alex was nervous.

 No, she was beyond nervous.

 She was currently stuck with a bunch of random classmates, including her brother, her best friend, her potential sister-in-law, and some girl that was rumoured to crush on Fred.

 Alex didn't think she'd spoken more than five words to most of them.

 Alex quietly tied the laces on the pair of skates she had rented. Next to her, Conner's friends Jackson and Will were having a loud argument about soccer. Hannah and Danielle discussed boy bands enthusiastically. Bree and Abigail were laughing about something. Conner nudged Fred and they both burst into boisterous chuckles.

 The only ones that seemed as silent as her were Owen, the guy whose dad worked at the rink, and Emma. Owen had that kind of scary, solemn face which made you think he could kill you if he wanted to. Emma was just shy and clung onto her friends. Alex internally sighed. Why did she agree to come along in the first place?

 Alex shifted to the side of the bench, desperately hoping she could somehow turn invisible (or maybe she already was to her peers).

 "Yo!" a familiar voice popped up next to her.

 Alex wearily spun to see Fred, who was sitting next to her. Funny. She had thought he was on the other side of the room.

 Somebody wolf whistled. Alex suddenly saw everyone staring at her and Fred, and she felt her face scorch crimson. Why did middle schoolers go nuts every time a boy and girl merely talk? Embarrassed, she desperately trained her eyes on the ground, hoping a black hole could devour her right now.

 Fred had evidently did something, because from her peripheral vision, Alex could see the others shifting and turning away.

 "You wanna skate?" Fred continued, voice sounding from above.

 Alex saw Danielle and Bree stand up and move to the rink. She gulped when she eyed the blades on their feet. How could they balance themselves on such a thin blade?

 "Umm."

 Alex swallowed and fidgeted with her fingers.

 "Come on!" Fred stood up easily and brushed dust off his trousers. "It's not as terrifying as it looks."

 "Fine," she muttered. She used her palms to slowly propel her upwards. She wobbled a little, unused to the new balance. To Fred's credit, it really wasn't that hard.

 "Dude!" Fred yelled across the room to Conner. Conner's head bobbed up in response. "I trust you not to die on the rink sooo off you go! I'm going to teach Alex."

 Before Conner could even protest, Fred marched off to the rink. Alex did her best to follow him, hobbling uncomfortably behind Fred as if she was a penguin. She wondered if the ice was as slippery as she thought. Alex shuddered at the thought of falling down.

 Alex saw two blurs on ice speeding past. She internally marvelled at Danielle and Bree's skating, especially Danielle, who looked like she had official training. Her red hair bright against the ice, Danielle slid elegantly across the ice, her feet moving faster and faster-

 "Don't be intimidated by their speed," Fred laughed, and gave Alex a little nudge. He'd seen the dumbstruck look on Alex's face.

 (Secretly, Fred had also been impressed by the skating.)

 Alex swallowed. "Okay," she replied. She didn't really know what to say.

 They got onto the ice, and almost immediately Alex's hands found the railing. She gripped it tightly as though it was her lifeline (it probably was). Even though she'd just taken a tiny step, the ice was slippery so her feet moved in different directions, and Alex was weirded out by the sensation.

 Alex's head whipped around to see if she could catch a glimpse of Conner, but her twin was nowhere to be found. Alex suddenly wondered if he was struggling with the skating laces.

 "Hey, Alex!"

 Alex spun to see Bree skate past her, hand reached out in a wave. Still clutching the railing, Alex gave Bree a weak smile. Bree's blonde ponytail flashed and in a second, she was gone as quickly as she came.

 "Alright, try to hold the railing with only one hand so you have room to skate," Fred said as he surveyed Alex. Alex nervously moved herself into that position, her skates skidding awkwardly on the ice. She kept her eyes trained on her feet, thinking that one small mistake could cause her to slip and fall.

 Don't worry, a small, but steady voice told her. Freddie's gonna help you, that's why he's here, and that's why you're here. Alex breathed in deeply, then exhaled. You're not going to die.

 Fred told her the right way to skate and even taught her the "proper way to fall down" ("It's a real thing I learnt," he insisted). Alex's jittery nerves soon faded a little and she became more comfortable with her predicament.

 Fred whooped in encouragement. "Aww look, you're doing it!"

 "Really?" Alex questioned, but a hidden smile quirked on the corners of her lips. She shuffled forward and applied pressure on her skates, so she slid on the ice instead of walking. Surprised and delighted by her progress, she boldly picked up her pace. Alex slowly loosened her grip on the railing and rubbed her numb fingers together. They had become stiff when she'd clenched the railing for too long with too much force.

 Alex stretched out her arms for balance, and inched forward. An unexpected jerk to the side caused her limbs to flail and Alex slammed against the railing.

 "Woah! You okay?" Fred's loud voice exploded against her ear.

 Alex winced and nodded. "I'm fine, Freddie." She looked up at her friend and suddenly realized he was staring at her, hard concern etched on his face. His arms were reached out and frozen into place, as if he was going to catch her if needed.

 Alex looked at Fred.

 Fred looked at Alex.

 Something weird tinged in the atmosphere. Awkwardly, Alex hastily brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

 Fred's eyes travelled back to his outstretched arms, and his Adam's apple bobbed. His arms jerkily fell back to his sides. "Well, it's lucky that you're not really hurt."

 Fred's voice suddenly sounded like it was clouded with- with something. Something Alex couldn't recognize, in all the years she'd known Fred.

 Alex abruptly felt the need to retreat self-consciously. "Thanks for teaching me to skate, Fred. I-I think I can handle myself from now on."

***

 Meanwhile, on the other side of the rink, a gang of middle schoolers were excitedly discussing Alex and Fred.

 Jackson was sniggering, and didn't even make any effort to conceal his obvious amusement. Will repeatedly slapped his hand on his knee, chortling the entire time. As for Owen, the quiet boy had uncharacteristically collapsed into a laughing fit, and turned away, hands over his mouth to muffle his chuckles.

 Abigail had a big fat smile on her face and Emma was giggling. Bree's face remained as neutral as ever, but the cogs in her mind were turning at this new potential development.

 Hannah was silently screaming and shaking Bree's shoulders with frenzy as she watched Fred and Alex. "Oh my gosh, they're soooo cute together!" she squealed.

 Danielle gave her an unusually frosty glare.

 Oops, someone's jealous. Bree was rather exasperated by her peers' dramatic reactions to a boy and a girl simply talking. They're all so heteronormative.

 "He tried to catch her when she fell! Awww!" Hannah continued to screech.

 "Well, Fred's just being a normal, decent person. You don't need to have romantic feelings for someone for you to help them," Bree said matter-of-factly.

 "Yeah, Bree's right," Danielle sniped rather loudly, which caused the others to go quiet.

 The girls turned to her. Abigail's smile was sliding off her face like melting ice cream. "Dani, I'm sorry, but I'm a gigantic multishipper-"

 Danielle shrugged. "You do you," she said in an indifferent tone. She spun, crimson hair splaying out behind her-

 "Hey! It looks like Fred's coming back!" Jackson exclaimed. Sure enough, Fred's figure was making its way back to the gang.

 At the mention of Fred, Danielle seemed to pause. Hannah nudged Abigail, and they exchanged whispers, then Abigail turned to the rest of the group.

 "I have an idea!" Abigail said brightly. "Let's have some a skating competition and see who can finish a lap the quickest!"

 "That's not even a competition. We all know Danielle's the fastest," Will remarked.

 "But it'll be fun!" Hannah's eyes were practically shimmering. Bree was suddenly very sure that this was yet another "matchmaking" plan concerning Fred and Danielle, even though Hannah and Abigail had been screaming about Alex and Fred approximately seven seconds ago. They really were chaotic multishippers.

 "Ooh, a skating competition? Count me in!" Fred declared excitedly. There were murmurs of agreement from the boys and the girls, and some began to shift on their skates, getting ready.

 Danielle's face was uncharacteristically stony. "Get ready to have your ass handed to you, Hayford."

 Bree snorted.

 Fred gave Danielle a lazy smirk. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, Miss Rowland."

 Hannah, Abigail, and Jackson "oohed" at the reply.

 Bree watched as pink bloomed on Danielle's face once again. Danielle spluttered and skated to a traffic cone. A sharp brake caused shaved ice to fly out under from her skates.

 "Here is the starting point," Danielle notified the group. "The fastest one to come back wins."

 "I'll stay here as the judge," the quiet Emma spoke up.

 Bree's eyes scanned the rink for two familiar people. Alex was clinging onto the railway, carefully skating, while Conner was, again, nowhere to be seen. A little concern bubbled in her heart. She didn't think he knew how to skate, and she had thought one of his friends would teach him...

 "On your mark!"

 Bree, following everyone else, got into position by the traffic cone.

 "Get set!"

 A blur of strawberry blond at the entrance of the rink caught Bree's attention. It was Conner, and judging from his unstable feet, he was having a hard time balancing. Seeing him created that warm twist in her stomach again, and Bree snapped her eyes away, not wanting to be distracted.

 (But what was he doing there? Was Fred not going to teach him? Did he think his friends had abandoned him? Was he-)

 A sharp voice pierced through Bree's thoughts, sending her slamming back to the land of reality.

 "Go!"

***

 "Ugh, this sucks."

 Conner wobbled unsteadily on two feet. He stumbled to the ice rink and saw his friends zooming across the ice, apparently engaged in some sort of skating competition.

 "Thanks for ditching me, you jerks!" Conner hollered towards them. But they were already too far away and couldn't hear him.

 Conner internally groaned. Great, his friends were all gone. Truly the exemplar of A Wonderful Friendship. And his sister (whom Fred had decided to teach first for some reason) was at the opposite side of the rink, skating slowly. She couldn't possibly help him, as they were practically worlds apart to Conner.

 Conner didn't want to stand there like a log of dead wood waiting for someone to rescue him and sweep him on the ice. First of all, unlike his sister, Conner didn't really think much before putting himself in action. Trial and error was one of the ways Conner learned from the most, and if he didn't try to skate, he knew he would never learn it. Even if he didn't know how to skate, even if he had a 200% of falling down on his first second on ice, even if Bree would see him act stupid again, he had to skate. After all, it didn't hurt to try, right? And it surely couldn't be that hard.

 Conner gingerly stepped on the slippery ice. He experimentally wiggled his feet and placed his other foot on the ice. He grunted, face colouring with effort as he tried to maintain a balance.

 "Slow and steady, slow and steady..." Conner muttered to himself through gritted teeth. Every muscle in his body was tense and it felt like his legs had been frozen solid along with the ice.

 Conner inched on the ice, hands flapping by his sides as if he was a windmill. He really wasn't skating, he was just talking steps and letting the blades slam on the ice instead of gliding on them. He awkwardly moved on the surface, wishing he was somehow making progress.

 He was not.

 His gloved hands found the railway and he used it to somewhat propel him along. The more he struggled, the more his good-for-nothing body refused to cooperate with him. Conner's limbs were like heavy bags of concrete, and they stubbornly protested against whatever signals Conner's brain was sending.

 "Please tell me I'm at least a quarter through," Conner panted to no one in particular. He sighed and craned his neck, exhausted eyes seeking out the entrance of the rink.

 The entrance was five feet away.

 Frustrated, Conner puffed, his bangs floating up from his forehead. He angrily pushed the railing, and due to Newton's third law of motion, the force he exerted pushed him back-

 And sent Conner toppling into the deep abyss of hell.

 Okay. Maybe it was more like onto the hard, cold ice but it still felt like hell to him.

 Conner fell and crashed on the ice, his cheek slamming on the surface. A strangled yelp escaped from his lips. Pain sprouted from various places across his body but none of them was as bad as the sheer humiliation of completely collapsing on the ground.

 I hate my life. My dear sister, please tell our mother that I love her, for I shall perish-

 Conner remained motionless, the fall still ringing in his head. He was lying flat, the only thing in his sight being the faint blue of the ice. He knew a bad bruise was forming on his cheek and he could already feel the hot pain throbbing from it.

 Next to him, blades skidded to an abrupt halt. Conner was too preoccupied with his current, pathetic state to care but then an oh-so-familiar voice sent him jolting back to the real world.

 "Oh my God, are you okay?"

 It was Bree.

 It was obviously Bree, because she always happened to be around him whenever he did something idiotic, which was painfully ironic, as the person Conner wanted to look least stupid in front of was Bree. He didn't know why, he just did.

 "Yeah, I'm totally fine," Conner drawled out in a hopefully non-sarcastic way. His heart rate started to speed up and he could feel his mind suddenly go blank. Conner could no longer think of any good comebacks which doubled, no, tripled the embarrassment.

 A pause from above. "Umm, you sure?"

 "I just like hugging the floor!" Conner yelled from his still-awkward position. The moment the words left his mouth, Conner regretted it as they sounded incredibly dumb.

 Bree kneeled down, stretching out a hand. Conner suddenly felt like he was brought back to a month ago when he spilled his lunch on Bree, and she ended helping him up too.

 Why did he always have to screw up in front of her?

 Conner's pride was already too damaged for him to refuse Bree's hand. Besides, he knew with his crappy balance and equally crappy luck, he had no chance of standing up without exterior support.

 "You better be glad no one has accidentally skated over your fingers or something," Bree commented absent-mindedly as she pulled Conner up.

 Even though they had two layers of knitted material between them, Conner still felt the warmth radiating from Bree's hand. He swallowed, that jittery sensation starting in his stomach again.

 "T-thanks a lot, Bree," Conner muttered, his cheeks coloured red with mortification. And why is this girl so morbid?!

 "Y'know, it's not really safe for you to be on ice when you don't know how to skate," Bree remarked. Her eyes trailed down to Conner's skates (the laces were thankfully tied). "I mean, I'm not a pessimist, but you can get badly hurt."

 "Yeah, that makes sense." Conner wobbled over to the railway and used it as support so he could make his way out of the rink. Bree, who was curious and concerned for Conner, followed him.

 "I think these skates aren't your size." Bree peered down at the skates again. "They seem to be so big for you."

 "Oh. You mean they're supposed to be tight?"

 "Yeah, tighter than usual. That way, you won't fall down as easily."

 A noise of annoyance rumbled from Conner's throat. "Ugh, and I thought the skating rink dude had given me the wrong size..."

***

 Bree watched as Conner hobbled to one of the benches and took his skates off. Then, when he rented a new pair of skates, Bree went to the vending machine.

 Why he is lovably stupid? Bree groaned to herself as she mindlessly punched the buttons. She sort of wanted to watch after him to prevent him from injuring himself. A can of soda fell from the vending machine and Bree picked it up, feeling the coolness of the surface through her mittens.

 She returned to Conner, who was tying his skates. Bree felt bad for him, as his friends were all out there skating and had basically ignored him. Of course, out of human decency, she wanted to help him, but she was also cautious of the over-excited minds of her peers. Alex and Fred had already blown up because Fred was a nice person and had decided to teach Alex to skate. But was that going to stop her?

 "Hey."

 Conner looked up. "Hey."

 Bree held out the can. "I bought something cool so you can have something to ice your bruise." She gestured to his cheek.

 "Oh! Uh, umm..." A nervous smile broke across Conner's face. His eyes flitted from his skates to the can. Bree could see his Adam's apple bob. Then quickly, he took the can and pressed it to his cheek. "Thanks again. I'll pay you back."

 "There's no need." Bree dismissed it with a wave. She bit her lip, and observed her surroundings, somehow liking and disliking the fact that they were alone.

 Conner looked like he was about to protest and shove money in Bree's hands, but he glimpsed Bree's face and shut up.

 Conner pressed the can between his cheek and his shoulder, head tilted at an angle. He stuck out his tongue as his fingers twisted the laces of his skates. Bree privately thought he looked adorable.

 "Y'know, even with this," Conner half-heartedly pointed to his new pair of skates. "I still can't really skate."

 Bree had thought of teaching him. Of course she had thought of teaching him. But again, she despised having people murmur about her supposed love life behind her back. The "incident" with Fred and Alex was already blowing up, and she would hate to be the next-

 Footsteps were heard. At the same time, Bree felt her hair fizzle with static. The aura. Conner and Bree's heads spun to the origin of the sound, which was Alex Bailey.

 Alex looked rather stunned by their appearances. After two seconds of staring, she fidgeted with her mittens, and walked over.

 "Hi," Alex said, and nodded politely to the both of them. Her blue eyes swept over to Conner, and arched an eyebrow. "Wow, so you actually can't tie laces-"

 "It's not like that!" Conner burst in, his face reddening again. He scrunched his nose and glared at his sister. "I just got the wrong size."

 Alex stared past Conner and made eye contact with Bree. "He didn't do anything stupid, did he, Bree?" Her tone reminded Bree of a teacher.

 Inwardly, Bree chuckled to herself. On the outside, Bree maintained a cool demeanor. "Oh, he just sort of slipped. Once."

 An amused yet exasperated grin wove itself on Alex's face. "I'm somehow not surprised," she quipped.

 Conner had been following the conversation, eyes bouncing back and forth from Alex to Bree as if he was watching a ping-pong match. "Alright, alright," Conner cut in loudly. "You two can stop making fun of me right now."

 Bree was feeling in the particular mood to tease Conner. "Oh, and Alex, you know what he said?" When Alex looked at her curiously, Bree continued, "He said he liked to hug the floor."

 Bree could practically the hotness torching from Conner's face. Hoping she hadn't hurt him too much, she quickly added, "That was pretty funny though."

 Conner threw his hands up. "I'm leaving this 'let's make fun of Conner' group chat," he declared dramatically. He attempted to boldly stride away to maintain the theatrical effect, but he just wobbled on his two feet. Bree had to hold back a grin.

 Alex chuckled and started to drag Conner along. "It's time for this couch potato to do some exercise," she remarked.

 Bree watched as the Bailey twins nudged and laughed their way to the rink. She followed them, ready to get back on the ice.

 She could still feel the strange aura they emitted, and she still had no idea what they were up to. To Bree, the Bailey twins were just normal, likeable people. They didn't seem to be the type to keep government secrets or whatever. But perhaps their innocent facade just made them more likely to be hiding something.

 But whatever they were, be it agents, wizards, or superheroes, they were still kids. Kids her age. Middleschoolers who had to deal with love rumours and mean girls and never-ending gossip.

 Of course, Bree was still intent on getting to the bottom of the mystery, but if they weren't going to tell her, she would be fine with it. She would be itchy, frustrated, annoyed, but nevertheless accepting. She accepted that they had secrets, but they already had too much on their plate. Bree didn't want to add on their troubles.

 Bree was content with right now. She was on good terms with the twins, she'd stopped acting weird around Conner (although she still had a big crush on him). She remembered what she'd thought before, that her life was boring and ordinary, but this year, with the addition of the Bailey twins-

 She finally got the excitement she was craving for.

 And she was thankful for that.

***

A/N: aaaaAAAAA I'M BACK after an eternity (read: two and a half months) ~~ I'm writing this during the first of my finals week, and I just had to get it done. And I spent so much time trying to proofread this chapter and I'm exhausted. Pardon my mistakes.

 Ahh writing Conner//Alex//Fred interaction is so much fun! And I KNOW I said there won't be OC x Character buuuut I can't resist, and endgame is still Arthur and Alex (but even I prefer Fredlex over Arlex lol).

 Also, I'm genuinely interested, here's a question for the Fredlex shippers: why do you ship Fredlex? Like, do you not think Arthur is a good love interest for Alex? You saw everyone commenting about Fredlex and decided to ship them too?

 By the way, if anyone's wondering if there's going to be a petty fight between Danielle and Alex for Fred or something, no, nothing of that sort is going to happen. Dani's just momentarily jealous like the middle schooler she is.

 I've also published a How To Train Your Dragon/ TLOS thing!! It's on my profile and it's called "Confessions of a Crushing Craftsman". Please give it some support if you have free time! :D

 Thank you very much for your votes and comments, they inspire me to write :D Please continue to support this fic!! Also, please vote if you liked it ^_^

30/5/2019