It had taken Ryan a couple days to speak to Blaze again, but he did come around in time. He also grudgingly agreed to keep Ruby's presence a secret until the three decided otherwise.

Meanwhile, Vincent was becoming increasingly suspicious due to the sudden change of topic whenever he approached his friends. He asked if there was something he wasn't supposed to know about, but to his annoyance and expectation, his friends denied it.

Ricky was unfortunate enough to encounter him alone on his way home one day after his last class.
"Ricky, stop."
Vincent demanded. The Lucario stopped dead in his tracks. There wasn't a way out of this one. Once the dark type caught up, his tone made it obvious he wasn't in the best mood.
"You've been avoiding me."
The statement caught Ricky off guard, and it was only half true. Ricky tried to brush it off.
"Now that's not true..."
Ricky was abruptly cut off by his best friend.
"Really? If that's right, then why did you head the opposite direction after plainly seeing me wave you over earlier? What else would keep you from coming over without giving me a reason? I feel like I'm losing touch with you..."
Vincent looked Ricky dead in the eye.
"Did I do something to you?"
Ricky shook his head quickly.
"No, of course not! Vincent, think about what you're saying!"
The Zoroark didn't look reassured.
"Then why are you keeping your distance?"
Ricky was stuck. He had to make up something quick. He felt his friend's sapphire eyes looking into his, trying to find a reason. Ricky tried to produce a sound other than the indistinguishable nonsense he was currently, until it finally hit him.
"It's because..."
Vincent's inquiring gaze hadn't lightened up, but he looked like he was expecting something good.
"I've got something big planned for you!"
Vincent was shocked for a moment.
"Really?"
He asked bluntly. Ricky nodded.
"And I just worry that if I stay around you for too long, I'll let something slip."
Vincent shook his head, closing his eyes. When he looked at his friend again, his expression was more gentle. He put a paw on Ricky's shoulder.
"I don't know if Blaze has told you this, but you're a terrible liar."
Ricky looked down in shame.
"Yeah, she has."
When Ricky looked back up, Vincent looked a little hurt.
"I don't understand. You've been leaving me out, and when I ask why, you try to lie to me."
Vincent took a moment to collect himself.
"Why, Ricky? I told you I needed you all that time ago, and I still do."
He sighed.
"Can't you just tell me what's going on?"
His voice was so calm and soothing, but it wasn't as important as the secret.
Ricky slowly removed Vincent's paw from his shoulder.
"Sorry, but no. I wish I could, but... it's just not the right time."
With that, Ricky continued walking home, leaving Vincent to watch him go and continue to wonder why his friend was mistreating him.

There was visibly tension between the two friends the next day in the cafeteria. Ryan and Blaze were quick to notice.
"Are you two okay?"
Blaze asked, getting a solemn nod from
Ricky and no sign of acknowledgement from Vincent. Neither had really eaten anything in front of them.
"I can see why. You know, having to keep Ruby's presence a secret might be difficult."
Ryan commented, not realising what he did at first. The glare Blaze shot at Ryan was nothing short of deadly. Vincent's gaze shot up from the table to Ryan.
"What?!"
He practically bellowed, then looking at Ricky in surprise and anger. He then stood up, pulling Ricky aside by dragging him out of his chair by his ear.
Ricky managed to free himself from the dark type's grip a small distance from the cafeteria's entrance, his ear still hurting.
"Vincent, wait!"
Ricky's voice made it evident that he was in pain. Vincent hardly cared.
"Is it true? Is this what you wouldn't tell me?"
Vincent's tone was harsh, like he wouldn't hesitate to do something rash.
"We don't know if it's actually her yet! But yes, there is a Zoroark named Ruby that we're aware of."
Vincent took a moment to process that.
"I feel so betrayed. How could you not tell me, after everything I said to you! Nobody else knows about that. You were the only one I trusted. I can't believe you kept this from me."
Vincent paced quickly toward the door. He wasn't too welcoming of Ricky's attempt to follow.
"Follow me and I'll break your leg."
The dark type threatened. Ricky was pretty badly hurt by the statement, and he feared that he had done irreparable damage to his friend's opinion of him at the same time. He had a lot to think about, but also understood that it would probably be some time before he and Vincent spoke to each other again.

Back at the cafeteria, Ryan had been practically chased out by Blaze. The never ending rain of unpleasant language didn't stop until he was out of her sight. She could hardly believe him sometimes. This was by far his worst mistake. When she saw Ricky return, her expression became more gentle and careful.
"Are you okay?"
She asked, pulling him into a soft embrace.
"Vincent hates me. He thinks me keeping that from him was a betrayal."
Blaze tried to soothe him.
"He's going through a tough time as well. Give him time and he'll come around."
She gave him a kiss before releasing him.
"Come over at the end of the day, okay? Maybe I can cheer you up a little."
Blaze then left as to not be late for her next class. Ricky couldn't move on so easily. He sat next to Vincent during his last class of the day, and he could only imagine the torment of his friend's glare all the way through it. He debated the consequences of the sudden revelation, and if Vincent would ever forgive him. All he wanted at this point in time was his best friend's forgiveness. Nothing much else mattered. As Ricky collected his things, his thoughts continued racing. There was plenty of things to ponder as he made his way down the corridor. He had to think of a way to fix this; For Vincent, himself and their friendship. Vincent was such a good friend to him, and the thought of losing him really worried the Lucario. He would do anything to ensure that didn't happen. Vincent simply meant too much to him.

That's all this time, faithful readers! Thanks for reading as usual, and don't forget to vote let me know you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave a comment; I always love hearing what you all have to say. I hope you're excited for the next part, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!