Two weeks had gone by without any bullying attempts from Amber and her friends, which I knew was mainly due to the seemingly endless supply of basketball players that would pop up next to me at random points in the day. The team had apparently adopted me as their big sister/tutor. I had already held three study sessions for some of the academically struggling guys and Iris was more than happy with my new friendship with the boys. Kentin, on the other hand, mentioned several times that the boys were trying to 'steal' me away from him. He had become ridiculously clingy lately, no matter how much I tried to reassure him that we were still friends.

I sighed, sticking my thumbs in my jeans pockets. Today had been the first day I had dared to wear one of the short-sleeved shirts Auntie had bought me. It was a bright yellow with a drawing of three black and silver roses with sparkles and black specs throughout. It was very loud, something I would never have dreamed of wearing before, but I had been drawn to it the first time I saw it. To match the flamboyant shirt, I pulled my hair back with a black headband decorated with silver veins running through it and I quite liked the effect.

"Hey Sato, wait up!"

I turned around to see Dajan, Brandon, the tall brunette, and Troy, the only basketball boy that wasn't a giant, behind me. I smiled and waited for the boys to catch up. Dajan raised an eyebrow and let out a small grin as he walked up to me.

"Well, look at that. You're finally taking advantage of the second amendment," Dajan said with a mischievous sparkle in his dark eyes. I blinked and then let out a delighted laugh. Brandon joined in with me but Troy looked between us three with a confused expression.

"The second amendment is the right to bear arms," I explained amidst giggles to Troy before turning on Dajan. "That was a really funny nerd jerk, Dajan! I didn't know you had that in you," I said with a grin. Dajan gripped his heart playfully, acting as if I had wounded him.

"Ouch! You think I'm just a dumb jock?" he asked with a teasing frown. I couldn't help but giggle and Dajan grinned widely. "Honestly I've been waiting to use that one, Sato," he admitted with a small shrug.

I returned his smile and cocked my head to the side a little. The whole team called me by my last name and I didn't really get why, but I figured it was a sports thing.

"Hey, Sato, you busy after school?" Brandon asked as we all started walking towards school together.

"Well, I have some gardening club activities but nothing major. Why?"

"Mrs. Simmons is having another test!" he moaned. "We had one just last week!"

"Well, shouldn't that be a good thing? It'll all be new material that's fresh in your mind."

"But it's Biology! All those eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and multi-something-er-others... I can't keep them straight!" he exclaimed with a pout.

I had to stifle a giggle at the big guy's distress. I couldn't help but marvel at the fact that more than half of the basketball team boys were all over 6'3". I was pretty sure that was a statistical anomaly.

"I'll help you out, Brandon. It sounds like you need a new studying strategy. Are any of the other boys in the class?"

"Yah. Jason, Mark, and Troy all have it with me." I nodded, picturing the boys as he said them. It had taken me a while to match the faces to the names but I was pleased with how fast I had picked them up.

"Put me down on the list too." I looked up at Dajan in surprise. He rested his arm on my head which he seemed quite fond of doing. "Like you said, you'll be teaching them study strategy, not just biology. I could stand for a new strategy myself. Being the captain I want to set the example for my boys."

Brandon shoved Dajan off me and I straightened my headband as the two roughhoused for a bit. Shaking my head, I couldn't help but smile. It felt good to be helpful to people like this. I had no idea being smart could be such a useful tool to help people be happy.

"Opal!"

Out of the blue something tackled me. Without thinking, I ripped away whoever it was, spun them around, and set myself into a defensive karate position. A huge pair of green eyes that were streaming tears stared at me. Recognition brought a wave of guilt and I quickly stood up straight and went over to Kentin.

"Kentin, I'm so sorry! You scared me. I didn't mean to... it's not that... What's wrong, Kentin?" I asked after stumbling over my inability to make up an excuse for my reaction. Kentin's lip trembled and tears continued to stream down from his glasses onto his cheeks.

"Opal... My dad... he..." Kentin paused and I gasped in shock, pressing a hand over my mouth.

"Oh my goodness, did he die?! Oh, Kentin, I'm so..."

"No! He's fine, he... he heard about Amber..." Kentin's voice cracked and his crying intensified.

I looked back at Dajan and the boys who were watching with obvious discomfort. I motioned them to go on ahead, which they did.

When they left I looked at Kentin. Taking a deep breath, I hesitantly stepped closer to him and pulled him into a loose embrace. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and I grit my teeth. Pretending it was Auntie's arms, I blew out a breath and leaned Kentin's head against my shoulder. I don't know how long we stood there with him crying on my shoulder, but Kentin stopped crying eventually and pulled back to look at me.

"Opal, my father is sending me to military school. Today," Kentin announced with a quiver in his voice. I blinked, trying to absorb this new information.

"W-what? Today? As in... now?" I asked incredulously. He nodded his head and wiped at his eyes underneath his glasses.

"I have to go. I just handed in all my transfer paperwork. I'll.... I'll never forget you, Opal," he said, his voice breaking once again. He pulled a little white teddy bear out of his backpack and thrust it in my arms before he turned and ran away.

"Kentin!" I called after him, watching him sprint away. He didn't turn back and I watched the frail boy until he was out of sight.

The bell rang, signaling the start of the day. I walked towards the school in a daze, looking down at the bear in my hands. Kentin with his overly magnified eyes, bad timing, and childish haircut had always made me feel just a little awkward; but he was sweet, a really good kid, and he had seemed so lost. I felt sad thinking that I would never see the little guy again.

I went through my day in a foul mood. Castiel, who usually made some sarcastic comment nowadays as I walked into World History, left me alone for once. Honestly, I was glad since I didn't feel like talking to anyone right then.

After school let out, I escaped to the greenhouse without Nathaniel noticing me in the hallway. I stood among the flowers and imagined Kentin watering each one with care. Immediately I shook my head and closed my eyes. I had gotten used to the overpowering scents of all the flowers but slowly I began to pick out scents amidst all the others and felt myself drift towards a begonia. Silently I weeded, watered, and stood back to admire the little flower. I moved on like this, giving each and every plant my undivided attention.

I finally sat back and let out a long, satisfied sigh. My legs and fingers were stiffer than I could ever remember them being and my back ached, but each and every plant looked better than ever and I smiled. Then I blinked and looked around with confusion, noticing that the lighting in the greenhouse was weird. I looked through the transparent walls of the greenhouse and saw the sun begin to set over the city. Brandon and Dajan's faces flashed through my mind and I scrambled to my feet, my body moaning and protesting at the sudden change in position.

I made my way as quickly as my wobbly legs would carry me to the school. Peering into the library I groaned. The basketball boys were all sitting in our study corner, looking angry and pointing fingers at Dajan, who seemed annoyed. I sped-walked to the corner, wishing I could run without getting in trouble with the librarians.

"I'm so sorry, boys!" I gasped, collapsing into a chair and expecting them all to fix their angry glares on me. Instead, they all brightened up and a chorus of "Sato!" came from all the boys present. I blinked, unsure of what was going on.

"Aren't you mad at me?" I asked bluntly and the boys mirrored my confused look.

"Why would we be mad at you, Sato? You said you had club duties, we figured you'd come after you were done. But you know, you could have washed your hands. The librarian is going to flip!" Brandon said while pointing at my hands.

I looked down and gasped when I realized my hands looked like they had been dyed a dark brown color. I hadn't even thought to put gloves on when I had been weeding!

I stood up quickly, assuring the boys I'd only be a minute and washed my hands in the girl's bathroom. As I toweled off my now clean hands I wondered what they had been arguing about. I had just assumed they were all upset that I had taken so long, but that didn't seem to be the case. What could have gotten them all riled up like that? After making a quick trip to my locker I re-entered the library.

"So, Sato, what are we learning tonight?" Dajan asked casually as I made my way back to the group of boys. I noticed Brandon gave him a glare but I decided to ignore it.

"Well, boys, I'm going to teach you how to use flashcards," I announced, holding up a package of index cards. Some of the boys groaned and others looked dubious, but by the end of my tutorial they all promised to give flashcards a try. One by one, the boys began to file out until it was just me, Dajan, and Brandon.

"Excuse me. Usually, I lock up the library when I leave for the night, but since the student council president is still here could you just tell him to lock up when you're through?" the librarian asked the three of us and I smiled.

"Sure thing, Mrs. Torrano," I agreed, giving the older woman a smile. She smiled down at me and left the library.

"Well, I guess that's our cue to head home too," Dajan said while stretching. "Who knew I'd spend so much time in the library this semester?"

"Hey Dajan, I'll walk Opal home, so you can go now," Brandon said, placing an arm on the back of my chair. Dajan chuckled darkly and I looked up at him in surprise.

"You're pretty funny there Brandon. I told you to head home after the study session was done. Well, it's done."

"Dude, you may be the captain but you can't tell me what to do off-court," Brandon almost growled.

I looked in between the two friends and cleared my throat. They both looked at me and I tried to force a smile.

"I'm actually going to stick around for a while to get some reading and homework done. You two can head home first. I'll tell Nathaniel to lock up," I said quietly and Brandon frowned.

"You're going to stay here? It's dark though, Opal. Don't you want me to walk you home?"

Dajan bristled and I shook my head vigorously.

"Thank you for the thought, but I don't want to keep you any longer. You go ahead. I can take care of myself."

Brandon looked at me with sad eyes, but he eventually stood up and left the library. I turned my attention to Dajan who was still sitting there watching me.

"You too, Dajan. I don't need a bodyguard. I'm quite capable of walking home by myself."

"I saw that earlier," he said, narrowing his eyes to scrutinize me.

Knowing he was referring to how I had reacted to Kentin's unexpected hug that morning, I quickly looked away. I then opened up my calculus textbook so I could start working out a problem in the hope that Dajan would take the hint and head home.

"You are so like her."

I looked up from my textbook to see a flash of pain cross Dajan's face. Slowly I placed my pencil down.

"Who is 'her'?" I asked cautiously. Dajan looked at me like he was looking straight through me.

"Her name was Sophie. Her hair was blonde, not the white kind like yours but yellow like sunshine. She was my younger cousin. She was a beautiful little girl, but she... she was kinda weird. Other kids picked on her. Called her names. I was three years older than her, but I knew what was going on. Back then I hadn't made a name for myself yet. I wanted so badly to be cool and I was worried that if I stuck up for her that..." Dajan looked away, clearly trying to banish bad memories. A small smile pulled at a corner of his mouth and he looked up at me. "She would do the same thing. If I asked her about school when we visited her place for family stuff she'd just open a book and start working. She was crazy smart."

Dajan trailed off and I watched him wage a silent battle in his own mind. Finally, he met my eyes once again and his eyes appeared to be glistening with unshed tears.

"She's gone now...... left a note saying that since nobody cared if she was alive she'd just stop being a burden. If I had stood up for her... if I had protected her..." Dajan looked away and blinked quickly.

My breath had caught in my throat. I pictured this poor girl, surrounded by people but being shunned and left alone. I thought back to my last school and how everyone had treated me. In my case, I knew that it wouldn't have done any good to make friends because it would have made Father upset; so their whispered conversations and obvious snubs hadn't affected me... I couldn't even imagine the pain Sophie must have felt if she was seeking others' acceptance and that had happened to her.

Finally, Dajan stood up and looked down directly into my eyes. "If you ever need me, any time at all, you just let me know, okay?"

I nodded slowly and he walked out of the library without another word. I sat there in stunned silence for several minutes. There are so many people in this world hurting, I thought to myself, sadly.

Slowly I got back into my calculus equation. I finished my assignment, even though I had only been planning on doing a few questions that night, and I stretched my arms up above my head. Dajan had given me a lot to think about, but I knew that Auntie was expecting me to call soon. I gathered up my things and turned the lights out as I left the library.

Absorbed in my own thoughts I made my way to my locker, but suddenly my thoughts were interrupted as I realized that I could hear something out of the ordinary. I stopped, standing in the empty corridor, and listened. A faint sound seemed to be coming up from the ground.

Glancing around nervously, I slowly dropped to my knees, placing my books near me on the floor, and then pulled my hair back and over my left shoulder. Hesitantly, I lowered my right ear down to the ground and listened again.

I'm not crazy! I can definitely hear a humming or something similar.

"Opal?"

I leaped to my feet with a yelp and spun around, brandishing my calculus textbook as a weapon.

"Woah, woah! Calm down, Opal, it's me!"

Slowly my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and I realized that the person I was threatening with my calculus book was none other than Nathaniel. I lowered my book sheepishly and tried to laugh.

"You must REALLY like to scare me, Nathaniel."

He smiled gently although he seemed to be eyeing my textbook warily. "I was heading out when I saw someone leave the library. I couldn't make out who it was so I followed just to make sure they weren't planning on doing something juvenile. Why were you on the floor?"

"Oh, I thought I heard something so I... was... trying to get closer to the source," I finished weakly, grateful that in the dark Nathaniel wouldn't see my blush.

Nathaniel cocked his head as if he were listening and then said, "Ah!" With a grin, he reached out and took hold of my wrist.

"Come with me; I think you'll like this."

Nathaniel then led me the rest of the way down the hallway to the staircase near my locker. He went behind the staircase and opened what appeared to be a large trap door, releasing my wrist in the process. Music poured out of the door he had just opened and he smiled at me before beginning down the steps. I followed him hesitantly, barely keeping myself from holding onto his shirt to keep from losing him. The stairway was pitch black and it ended sooner than I was expecting. Nathaniel opened another door and the music grew even louder.

I walked past Nathaniel in awe. The room was HUGE. It looked like it stretched under the whole school, like a forgotten basement that had never been put to use. Boxes, ladders, and all kinds of other things littered the whole room, but in the middle of all the chaos Castiel was playing an electric guitar and... I blinked and rubbed my eyes before convincing myself that I wasn't seeing things. Lysander! Lysander was singing as Castiel played on his guitar.

Neither of the boys had realized that Nathaniel and I had come in. I sank to the ground cross-legged and listened with pleasure. Lysander's voice was well suited to the music. In fact, it sounded like the entire reason he had been born was to sing. He brought the lyrics to life and I could vividly see the pictures he was painting with his voice. Castiel's playing had a hint of sweetness to go along with the song lyrics, but his bold style seemed to be an extension of his personality.

Nathaniel sat next to me. I flashed a smile at him and mouthed "Thank you" before turning back to watch Lysander and Castiel. We watched in silence until the song ended and the two remained motionless for a minute. I clapped vigorously and they both jumped a little, turning to me and Nathaniel on the floor.

"Opal? What are you doing here?" Castiel asked, astonishment plain in his voice and expression. Then he looked at Nathaniel next to me and his eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here, Prez?"

"You two are WONDERFUL!" I gushed in excitement, trying to take attention away from Nathaniel by standing and taking a step toward them. Lysander turned his attention to me, staring at me with one hand holding his chin. I stood still, not sure what he was doing. His multi-colored eyes widened slightly and he pointed at me.

"Kate?" he asked.

Heat raced through my cheeks and I gulped while begging my mind to function normally.

"Uh, yah. Well, no. I mean, I read Kate in class, but... b-but my name is actually Opal." I groaned inwardly and wished I could kick myself. What on earth was wrong with me? Why do I always end up stuttering around this guy?

"You know Opal, Lysander?" Castiel asked, and he nodded slowly.

"Yes, she is in my Shakespeare class. Did you recognize me as well?" Lysander asked and I felt like he was staring straight into my soul. I fought back chills as I forced myself to answer,

"Yes, of course. You're Petruchio. Well, I mean, you READ Petruchio, you're not actually... uh... you know, Petruchio," I mumbled miserably and took a step back, wanting nothing more than to fade into the shadows and disappear.

"Opal heard you guys playing. I thought I'd show her your practice so she didn't get any wild ideas about ghosts or anything," Nathaniel interjected, taking a step closer to me and facing Castiel with steel in his voice. Castiel sneered at Nathaniel.

"Opal isn't the kind of girl to believe in ghosts, you idiot."

Nathaniel's jaw clenched and I looked back and forth between the two, worried another fight might be imminent.

"Well... uh... you guys are great, again! Thanks for letting me listen. Are you performing that, sometime?" I asked while looking between Lysander and Castiel. Castiel was still glaring daggers at Nathaniel but a shadow of a smile brushed Lysander's lips.

"No. I have performed on stage before, but Castiel and I make music because it's what we love to do. Not for recognition."

I felt a small smile spread across my face. Lysander and I looked at each other and it seemed like our minds were connected for one split second. I nodded in understanding and a real smile twitched at the corner of his mouth.

"What are you doing here so late anyway, Opal? I thought you usually left right after your girly club duties." Castiel's voice lashed out as if he was trying to strike something but I just smiled at him. He looked away quickly and I wondered if he was upset I had listened to their practice.

"It took longer than usual today, plus I helped some friends with study tips. I'll head out now."

"Now? But it's dark out. How far away do you live?" Nathaniel asked, worry evident in his voice and eyes. I blinked, surprised that he would care about something so insignificant.

"It's not a big deal. I can take care of myself, and it's only a fifteen minute walk."

"I'll walk you home," Castiel stated abruptly as he put his guitar back into its case.

"No really, I-"

"Don't bother. I'll walk her home," Nathaniel said coldly. Castiel's grey eyes were dark as shadows as he glared intently at Nathaniel and I felt a shiver go down my back.

"Really, guys. I'm just fine on my own," I tried to say again but neither of them was listening to me

"Since you both are so worried about her, why don't you both escort her home?" Lysander asked calmly, inspecting his nails as if he couldn't feel the tension in the air at all. Both boys spluttered with indignation and I sighed.

Why don't they believe I can take care of myself? I wondered to myself. Resigned, I smiled at them both.

"I'll just grab my backpack. If you guys want to join me I'll wait at my locker," I said and then dashed out of the room, letting them be alone. I figured that as long as Lysander was there a fight wouldn't break out and I felt extremely uncomfortable being in the middle of their glare war.

As I packed my backpack with my chemistry textbook, my copy of The Taming of the Shrew, a few notebooks, and my wallet, I heard footsteps coming up from the basement. Holding my breath as I zipped up my backpack, I closed my locker door before turning to see who it was. I was shocked to see Nathaniel and Castiel both standing behind me. Castiel took my backpack from me and slung it over his shoulder.

"I don't trust this guy to stand up for you if a stalker attacks you, but he won't leave so I guess I'll have to deal with him for a while," Castiel growled and turned sharply on his heels towards the entrance.

I glanced over at Nathaniel who was clenching his teeth. He noticed my glance though, and a smile quickly replaced his angry features.

"Come on, we better catch up to him or he'll end up going the wrong way. Will you be okay? You didn't bring a jacket today," Nathaniel observed kindly and I smiled up at him.

"I'll be fine," I assured him. Nathaniel nodded and we caught up to Castiel.

I led the two boys towards the apartment that Auntie and I called home, wondering how this had even happened. Talking to the two of them was awkward at first since it was obvious they wanted to rip each other's heads off. When I brought up the topic of music things calmed down a bit though, and we had a good conversation about different genres of music.

"Ah, it's right up there; the apartment building with the black balconies," I said, pointing up ahead. I tried to take my backpack from Castiel but he shrugged me off.

"We still have a little ways to go. I can't believe you wanted to walk all the way here by yourself," Castiel said with a look that made me feel guilty for a second. I shook my head and frowned at him.

"I don't know why you think I'm some delicate flower that can't take care of herself," I huffed, trying to keep the pout out of my voice. Castiel smirked at me but chuckled softly.

"Even if you can defend yourself, Opal, it's always better to be safe than sorry."

I looked up at Nathaniel. He was always so calm and mature, I had really never met anyone like him.

"The building looks pretty dark. Did your parents go to bed already?" Castiel asked.

Without thinking I snorted in derision before clapping a hand to my mouth, mortified. Castiel and Nathaniel both looked at me with surprise and I cleared my throat quickly, trying to pretend nothing had happened.

"I live with my aunt, actually. She's out of town on a business trip to Japan. She should be coming back next week. And I haven't met any of our neighbors; they're probably like Auntie and do a lot of on location work," I said while trying again to take my backpack from Castiel. He let me slip it off his shoulder and I took a step towards the complex before I felt a tug on my arm. I turned to see both Nathaniel and Castiel giving me a questioning look. Nathaniel was holding my elbow loosely and I found myself doing my best to avoid eye contact.

"How long has your aunt been out of town?"

"Since the day before school started. But I call her twice a day. It's not like I'm alone or anything," I said while slipping away from Nathaniel's hold. "Well, goodnight, you two! I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, I walked purposefully towards the apartment. At the staircase I turned back and waved at the two boys who hadn't moved an inch. Shaking my head I climbed the stairs up to Auntie's apartment, unlocked the door, and sank onto the couch without turning on the lights.

My phone rang out and my eyes flew open. I hadn't realized that I had dozed off and I reached blindly for my backpack. My fingers made contact and I rummaged around before finally producing the phone.

"Hey, Auntie," I mumbled, rubbing sleep out of the corner of my eyes.

"Opal, were you already asleep? You promised you would call me before you went to bed!" I could hear Auntie's pout and I chuckled.

"Sorry Auntie, I fell asleep on the couch. I had a long day."

"Aw, sweetheart, I'm sorry. Have you eaten yet?"

"Now that you mention it, no. I haven't eaten since lunchtime." As I said this my stomach growled petulantly and I giggled at the irony.

"Well get up and make something! You are absolutely NOT allowed to pass out from malnutrition under my roof!" I laughed and got up, fumbling around until I found the light switch. I rummaged through the pantry while Auntie grilled me about my day.

She consoled me about losing Kentin, telling me that no matter what happened to him I had helped him and been the best friend I could be. I explained to her about Dajan's story and she seemed subdued for a time, as we talked about treating other people with respect no matter who they were. She lectured me on not getting home at a proper hour but seemed very impressed with Castiel and Nathaniel's "chivalry" as she called it. By the time we had finished talking, I had finished off the clam chowder I had warmed up and had gone through two cups of peppermint tea.

"Well, you did have a long day. Are your classes still going well?" Auntie asked and I smiled. School was very important to Auntie, which I found a wonderful change from my own parent's lack of interest.

"Yes, all my classes are going well. It seems weird to think I only have a month before summer break. Year-round school is a little weird. I mean, usually my semesters are three and half months each, but year-round you have a month and a half of classes and then a short break. But summer break is almost a month shorter too, so I guess it makes sense."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm glad switching over didn't affect your grades. Not that I thought they would; you've always been brilliant." I blushed at the pride I could hear in Auntie's voice. "Opal, I wish I could talk to you all day, but I actually have to put some finishing touches on a presentation I have to give this afternoon."

"I understand, Auntie," I said, taking another sip of tea and smiling as the warmth spread throughout my body. A thought came to my mind that I would usually never voice but after a short hesitation I said, "Auntie..."

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"I'm really excited for you to come home." I heard Auntie gasp a little and she didn't respond for a minute.

"Auntie, are you okay?" I asked, worried that I had said something wrong.

"I'm wonderful, Opal. I'm just... glad you want me back. And I'm glad you called it 'home'." I could hear a quiver in her voice and I smiled happily, cradling the phone in my hands gently. "I've got to go, Opal, but I'll be home before you know it. I love you."

"I love you too, Auntie. Good luck!" I clicked the end call button and smiled up at the ceiling.

Yes. This is definitely my home.

A/N Yuki is coming home soon! Auntie Yuki is one of my favorite characters in this story