"Good morning, Iris!" I greeted brightly as I walked up to my locker Friday morning. Iris spun to face me with huge eyes.

"Opal? You're not angry with me anymore?" she asked, and I stared at her in shock.

"Angry with you? Why on earth would I be angry with you?"

"Well, you haven't spoken a word to me since the Orienteering race; I thought you were offended that your ankle made me queasy," Iris muttered. I winced, feeling guilt wash over me.

"That's not why, Iris. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you. Really. I just... Was having trouble the last few weeks. You're always so cheerful that I was afraid I would make you sad if I were around you too much. I'm really, really sorry, Iris," I explained, and she grinned broadly at me.

"Oh, thank goodness! But you're better now, right?"

"Completely," I assured her happily, and she grinned before turning back to her locker.

"That's a relief. So, did you have the new student in any of your classes?"

"New student?" I asked, collecting the books for my morning classes in my arms.

"Yah, he's super cute! I think his name was Keith, or Clark," Iris said distractedly, and I looked over at her with surprise.

"I thought you liked Brandon."

"Well, I do. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that," Iris said while meeting my gaze. "What do you think of Brandon?"

"He..." I searched my mind, trying to find a good way to describe him. "He is a very passionate person who has absolutely no aptitude for biology." 

Iris giggled at my description. "True. Do you like him?"

The memory of his explosive anger popped into my mind, and I bit my lip. "I suppose..." I muttered hesitantly.

He is a good guy after all, as long as he isn't angry, I thought with an inward shudder. When I looked at Iris, though, I was surprised by the intensity behind her gaze.

"But do you like like him?"

I furrowed my brow, not understanding at first. When the meaning of her question clicked, I gasped.

"Oh! No, of course not!" I exclaimed, and a look of absolute relief washed over Iris's face.

"Thank goodness! I thought that you two might like each other, and I didn't want to get in the middle of that. But now that I know he's not your type, I think I might tell him how I feel." Iris closed her locker and smiled up at me. "Thanks, Opal."

I smiled uneasily as I closed my own locker. We walked upstairs together, and as I listened to her excited plans, I did my best to encourage her. I really did think Brandon was a good guy inside, and I was pretty sure Iris could handle his temper. I waved to her as she left for her calculus class, and I walked into Government. Nathaniel and Lysander were already in their seats, and I walked over happily.

"Good morning, Nathaniel and Lysander," I greeted while taking a seat.

They both looked up and gave me their versions of a smile. Nathaniel's was bright and happy, while Lysander's was calm and sincere.

"I'm glad you are smiling today, Kate," Lysander commented, and I blushed.

"Me too!" Nathaniel chimed in.

The bell rang just as Alexy and Armin screeched into the room, breathing hard. Armin looked disheveled while Alexy looked annoyed as they walked towards their seats.

Alexy met my eyes, and I mouthed, "Did he sleep in?"

He nodded and mouthed back, "Sorry."

I shook my head, knowing he was referring to not meeting me to walk to school in the morning. He walked past me, and I cocked an eyebrow at Armin, who shrugged, but I could see a twinkle in his eye. Whatever game he had stayed up to play had obviously gone well.

Class started, and I couldn't help but watch the door, waiting for a familiar smirk and red hair. But soon the period was over, yet there was no sign of Castiel. I left the room with Nathaniel and Lysander, but wondered if Castiel decided to play hooky or if he was really sick.

"Lysander, do you know where Castiel is?" I asked. I saw Nathaniel's eyes narrow in annoyance, but I ignored him for now.

"No," Lysander replied simply. "I'll see you in Economics, Kate."

I nodded and waved as the two boys headed downstairs. Sighing, I scolded myself for worrying. Castiel didn't need me to watch over him; in fact, he'd probably resent it.

Morning classes went by quickly, and soon I was in the cafeteria sitting between Dajan and Rosalya. My mind had wandered from Castiel's absence to Kentin's reappearance. I poked at my food half-heartedly as I wondered if we would have any classes together.

"Oh, Karlton!" Iris, who was sitting between Brandon and Troy, exclaimed while looking at something behind me. I turned and looked up to see Kentin standing behind me.

"It's Kentin, actually. Opal, can I talk to you?"

"Ke..."

"No way. Dude, what happened to you?" Dajan asked suddenly, cutting me off. 

Kentin looked over at Dajan and shrugged. "Military school and a private trainer from my dad."

"Wait, you and Opal know him?" Iris asked in surprise, and Kentin rolled his eyes.

"You know me, too, Iris. I used to eat lunch with you and Opal."

Iris's mouth dropped open, and she stared dumbfounded at him. "KEN?!" she cried in surprise, and Kentin frowned.

"I go by Kentin now. Please, Opal?" he asked, smiling down at me. I returned his smile and stood up.

"Of course. Does anyone want my lunch?"

"You're not eating, Sato?" Troy asked, and I shook my head while pushing my tray over to him.

"It's all yours, Troy. I'll see you guys later," I said with a wave and followed Kentin out of the cafeteria.

We walked into the hallway in silence, and I was surprised when Kentin's expression seemed more serious than I was expecting. He led me through the English hallway and opened the door of an empty room, gesturing for me to go in. I cocked my eyebrow, but slipped through the door and walked over to a desk, turning and leaning against it so I could face Kentin as he closed the door behind him. We stood there looking at each other for several long seconds, and I wasn't sure if I should start or let him speak.

"Opal..." Kentin finally began, but then bit his lip, looking off to the side while plunging his hands into the large pockets of his cargo pants.

"How are you, Kentin?" I asked. He looked up at me, seeming surprised by the question. Slowly, he shrugged, not taking his hands out of his pockets.

"It's weird being back," he stated, and I nodded sympathetically. "Everyone smiles at me and wants to know what my name is. It makes me sick how hypocritical people can be," he scoffed fervently.

My eyes widened at how bitter he sounded, and my shoulders sagged sadly. I'd hoped that letting out his frustrations with Amber would have cooled his head, but it seemed like his feelings of resentment stretched even further than that. He looked at me with a worried glance and then looked down at the ground.

"You are still angry with me, aren't you?" he asked with obvious disappointment. "You really weren't supposed to see that."

I blinked in surprise and cocked my head, chewing the inside of my cheek for a moment so I could gather my thoughts.

"I'm not angry with you, Kentin..." I denied slowly, and he blinked up at me with shock in his expression. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. The whole 'eye for an eye' mentality is not exactly something I wish to live by, and it makes me sad to see how upset you are about everything. Yet I don't want to discount the pain you have gone through either... It's very confusing," I admitted with a sigh, reaching up and rubbing my hand under my bangs.

When I looked up, I blinked in surprise when I saw that Kentin's cheeks were rosy and his green eyes held an intensity I hadn't seen before. He held my gaze for a few seconds before he looked away and grinned sheepishly.

"It kind of makes me happy that you're so worried about me," Kentin mumbled. I blinked quickly, but then I could feel my face soften into a smile.

"Obviously, I'm worried about you. You're my friend. I'm sorry that no one recognizes you, though. Does that make you feel sad?" I asked with a sympathetic frown.

Kentin blinked and blushed again, still digging his hands into his cargo pants pockets.

"It's not that big of a deal. There are just a lot of girls who used to not give me the time of day, and now they're practically falling over themselves to get close to me. It's kind of ridiculous," Kentin huffed with a shake of his head, but his cheeks were still rosy.

"Hmmm," I responded, feeling a spark of an unusual mischievous feeling go through me that was usually reserved for when Alexy was teasing me. "I bet if the girls knew how hard you worked to become like this, they would be even more impressed. Although I honestly prefer your old look."

Kentin blushed even more, but then scowled at me. "Don't tease me, Opal. It's obvious I look better like this," he huffed while looking down at himself.

I frowned at this, though, and stood up to my full height. I walked over until I was standing near him, holding a hand up to my head and then bringing it over so that it was hovering near his collarbone.

"It's so much harder to look at you when you're taller than me, though," I pointed out with a sigh, and Kentin let out a surprised laugh. I smiled up at him and folded my arms. "People should like you for who you are, Kentin. What you look like doesn't matter."

Kentin glanced down to face me and smiled sadly. "Yah, well, unless it's you, then appearances definitely matter. But... I'm glad you're treating me the same," Kentin said quietly, and I smiled up at him.

"A friend is a friend no matter what," I responded happily.

Kentin's expression turned a little awkward, and I wondered if maybe this conversation was making him remember bad things. Suddenly, an idea flitted through my mind, and I grinned widely.

"Follow me," I said and walked past him out of the classroom.

I led him to my locker, where I picked up my purse, then guided him to the vending machines. After quickly scanning the selections, I sighed with relief when I found what I was looking for.

"Opal, what are you doing?" Kentin asked.

I fed a few dollars into the machine without answering him. Purposefully, I pressed a couple of buttons and watched as a blue package dropped down to the bottom of the machine. I reached in and brought out the blue package, handing it to Kentin. He took it and he laughed as he read "Levi's Chocolate Cookies" on the label.

"You remembered?" he asked, and I scoffed.

"Of course, I remember. You were always eating these things. No matter how others treat you, I really do want to stay your friend. Is that okay?" I asked sincerely.

I thought I saw him wince slightly, and I frowned, but he quickly smiled down at me while opening the package.

"Obviously, we'll still be friends, Opal. I convinced Dad to let me come back because I wanted to see you again," he admitted before biting into a cookie happily. I was a little surprised but secretly pleased that our friendship meant so much to him.

"Are you going to help me in the gardening club still?" I asked with a grin, but it slowly fell when Kentin chewed his cookie with an uneasy look.

"Umm. Well, most guys don't really go for the whole gardening thing..." he mumbled awkwardly, and I cocked my head to the side

"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked in confusion as Kentin took another bite of his cookie. He took his sweet time to swallow and then glanced around.

"I know it's dumb, but I'm a little worried that people will start teasing me again if they figure out what I used to be like," he admitted with his head bowed. My heart ached to see him so vulnerable, but then he shrugged and smiled at me. "I'd like to make some new memories like you suggested, so I'm going to try to just fit in for now. Do you think that's cowardly?"

I blinked when he turned his forlorn expression on me, and I was suddenly reminded of Kentin after Amber and her friends had stolen money from him. Slowly, I shook my head and smiled up at him encouragingly.

"I think you should do whatever you need to do to be happy. I'll miss you in the greenhouse, but I'm sure we'll have other chances to hang out," I said with a happy smile.

Kentin's cheeks once again turned rosy, and he gave me a broad grin as he bit another cookie completely in half. I chuckled at how much he seemed to be enjoying the cookies and then glanced outside. It was a beautiful day outside, and after all the ups and downs of emotions I just experienced, I kind of needed a second to relax by myself.

"I'm going to go outside for the rest of the lunch hour," I told Kentin, already turning towards the front doors.

"I can come with you," Kentin offered eagerly. I smiled up at him, still not used to having to look up when addressing him.

"Thanks, but I just need some quiet time. I'm sorry," I explained apologetically, and Kentin blinked but then chuckled.

"Sure, I'll talk to you later then."

I nodded, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. In a rare feeling of camaraderie, I reached out and very gently squeezed his elbow in farewell before turning to the door. 

"Hey, Opal?" I turned to see Kentin smiling happily and lifting his half-eaten package of cookies. "Thanks for the cookies."

I nodded with a chuckle and waved. "See you later, Kentin."

As I walked out of the doors, a gentle warmth greeted me. Halfway down the stairs, the serenity of the moment got to me. I slowly closed my eyes and tilted my head up to the sun, absentmindedly thinking that if I were a flower, I would definitely be a sunflower and follow the warm rays of the sun throughout the day.

"What're you spacing out for?"

I blinked open my eyes and looked down the last few steps to meet a pair of familiar grey eyes.

"Castiel?" I asked in confusion. He blinked and then smirked slightly.

"Yup, that's my name."

"Where were you this morning? Are you sick?" I asked worriedly, walking down the stairs and standing just a foot away to examine him. His cheeks were red, his face was unnaturally pale, and he was breathing shallowly. I frowned and asked, "Do you have a cold?"

Castiel leaned down and placed his forehead against my own, staring into my eyes. I gasped and was about to pull back when I realized that Castiel really was warm to the touch. I brought my hands up and placed them on his cheeks, and was surprised at the heat radiating from them.

"You really are sick!" I yelped, pulling back slightly and pressing the back of my hand against his forehead while keeping the other hand on his too-warm cheek. "What are you doing at school?"

Castiel shrugged without moving away from my touch. "Home was boring."

"Castiel!" I exclaimed in dismay, and he smirked, pulling back gently while lightly patting my head.

"Don't worry about me, Ms. Goody-Two-Shoes. I'm a tough guy, remember?" he said with a grin, but I frowned sternly.

"I don't care if you think you're tough; you shouldn't walk around when you're sick!"

"Says the girl who came to school after nearly breaking her ankle," Castiel grinned, and I blushed.

"I wasn't sick; I was just injured," I mumbled.

Castiel chuckled and then wobbled slightly, prompting me to reach out a hand to steady him. He waved me away sharply.

"I'm fine," he growled, and I placed a hand on my hip.

"No, you're not. You need to go home!"

"I don't want to. It's just a fever; it'll go away soon," Castiel retorted.

"How did you get it, anyway?" I asked as he coughed.

"I went cliff diving last night with some buddies and fell asleep without changing clothes," he admitted, and I stared at him in shock.

"Cliff diving? As in, voluntarily throwing yourself off of a tall cliff into a pool of water several stories below you?" I asked, and Castiel smirked at me.

"Doesn't that sound fun?"

I gulped and shook my head. "I can't swim, remember? But that's not the point! You're sick and you need to rest. You play hooky all the time. Why did you come to school when you have a legitimate excuse to stay away?"

"I'm a rebel," Castiel replied sarcastically, "I do everything I can to break the rules."

Suddenly, he clenched his head and groaned as he stumbled. I dashed forward to hold onto his arm and steady him.

"Please, Castiel. You need to go home and sleep," I pleaded as he breathed heavily and leaned against me.

"I don't want to," he hissed, placing a hand on my shoulder and pushing himself back up.

"Why not?" I asked as the bell rang.

"Come on, nerd. We're going to be late for class," he mumbled.

I reached out, placing a hand lightly on his arm. He stopped and turned back to look at me.

"I'm not leaving here until you go home," I stated gently.

Castiel's eyes widened. I stared into his grey eyes and felt my worry deepen, but Castiel sighed loudly and looked away from me.

"Why do you care if I'm sick or not? You've got the Prez and Lysander to worry about; don't waste your sympathy on me," he snarled, jerking his hand away from me and walking unsteadily towards the school building.

I stood there, stunned and confused as I watched him go into the school. Why is he being stubborn and coming to school (a place he seems to hate) when he can barely walk? And what did he mean about me worrying about Nathaniel and Lysander? How do they fit into this conversation? I wondered with a heavy frown.

Shifting my purse strap on my shoulder, I jogged up the stairs after Castiel. As I opened the door, the late bell rang, signaling the beginning of class. I felt a bolt of panic go through my stomach. I had never purposely missed a class before, and I wondered what the teacher would say. Before I could run to my locker, though, my eyes fell on Castiel's slouched form leaning heavily against the wall of the hallway. Quickly, I ran over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He shoved me off, and I took a step back but remained by his side.

"Just leave me alone, Opal," Castiel growled weakly, but I placed myself in front of him so he could see me.

"I will not. You need help. Let me take you to the nurse's office at least."

Castiel's breath was coming out sharply now, and his legs were shaking. "I don't need your help," he growled as he tried to push himself off the wall without success.

"How did you even get here?" I asked in disbelief.

"I drove, genius," he hissed.

"This is ridiculous, Castiel. You can't even walk!"

Castiel groaned and began to topple forward. I caught him with a grunt. He was heavier than I had expected, and my arms shook from the effort of keeping him off the floor.

"Fine. Take me home."

A shiver went down my spine as Castiel breathed directly into my ear, and my mind spun in a panic.

"I... I can't," I stuttered.

Castiel dug into his pocket, taking out his car keys and shoving them into my own jeans pocket. I could feel myself blushing brilliantly, but I didn't have time to think about it when Castiel started speaking into my ear again.

"I parked close; I drive a red convertible. I feel like I'm going to pass out," he moaned, and I gulped.

"B-but Castiel, you don't understand..."

"I'm sorry, Opal. I hate that you are seeing me like this. Just set me down and I'll leave when I catch my breath," he mumbled huskily, and my heart sank.

"I won't leave you, Castiel," I whispered.

Carefully, I moved him so that his arm went around my shoulders and began walking out of the school. Castiel was much taller than I, but with how hunched over he was, I was able to take most of his weight. Nervously, I tightened my grip on his waist when we got to the stairs, afraid that he would trip and fall, but he managed to walk down without passing out. Slowly, we made our way to the parking lot, where my eyes found a shiny red convertible parked in the second row back. I helped Castiel into the passenger side and then took my expected spot in the driver's seat.

"Go out of the parking lot and turn left," Castiel directed huskily, but I made no move. He rolled his head to the side so he could look at me. "Are we going or not?"

I swallowed hard and looked over at him.

"Castiel... I can't drive."

A/N Kehehe I love that last line ^.^