"Did you get bad news on Sunny's condition?" Hero inquires, hoping he can reassure her to ease her stress.

Mari explains, "The doctors said they have no idea what will happen but he's suffered a severe mental break and could recover at earliest in a week. Latest... never."

"Mari..." Hero reaches out to her, and Mari relents, accepting the embrace with self loathing in her heart. "I'm sure he'll recover, Sunny is stronger than he looks. He will find a way."

"But even if he does what I've done to him-" Mari protests.

"Your parents deserve at least some of the blame, Mari." Hero retorts, "You did mentioned they pushed him too right?"

"But I-"

"We can play the blame game all we want but you're still here, for now focus on those you have and give Sunny time. We will find a way to fix this. All of it."

Mari finally breaks, crying in Hero's warm, soothing emrbace. She feels safe, at peace, like it's OK to cry.

Hero breaks down too, crying as well as he pulls Mari closer. Crying in the embrace of the other, crying out their anguish in the warm embrace of their love, that soothing grasp, they eventally doze off.

One week has since passed.

Mari's parents are nowhere to be seen.

Mari hasn't been home since the incident. She tries to maintain composure for the most part, but by now Hero has somewhat broken through and she accepts at least a hug from him. However the trio feel lost, Hero's parents offering to let her stay until her parents return, but they have yet to show their faces.

Kel has seen everything thus far and leaves early that morning, knowing that everyone is stressed and saddened by the recent events he decides it best to try to correct things, to make sure everything is OK...

And that starts with Aubrey and Basil.

Aubrey and Basil have farred a bit better than the rest of their friends in some regards but worse than others. Every day Basil looks at that flower, that flower for Mari, and every day he wonders if he should kill it, trim it and with it cut Mari out of his life, but he can never bring himself to decide, so he leaves it neglected, kept alive only via the rain, but slowly wilting due to his inaction.

It is a choice that weighs heavy on his mind, not one he can make lightly, but one he knows he must make soon, as like the life of the flower, if neglected to long, time will make the choice for him.

Aubrey, however, does not ponder this choice at the moment, having stayed with Basil for the time being and been far better off for it. She leads Basil to meet her friends explaining, "You'll love them they're great. Come on!"

Basil anxiously retorts, his face red as Aubrey leads him by the hand, "I... I don't know Aubrey. I get anxious around new people..."

"I promise you they're fun," Aubrey smiles, "Besides..."

Aubrey looks down at her feet, trying not to think about what Kel said, "I don't wanna talk to the others right now."

"Aubrey there you are!" A voice exclaims happily, a girl in glasses rushes over to hug Aubrey, "How have you been?"

"It's been one of those days," Basil replies half jokingly, "Where's everyone else?"

"Vance was getting pizza for everyone I was just catching up," Kim explains, "Who's the boy with the flower?"

"I'm Basil," Basil greets anxiously, "Hi..."

"Cool," Kim responds with a kind fist bump. Basil hesitates but returns it. Kim smiles and continues, "Name's Kim. You wanna tag along?"

Basil nods, "Yeah... sounds fun."

The trio begin to walk down the street, Basil to anxious to speak, unsure what to say until Aubrey nudges him and explains, "Yeah this guy is quite the botanist."

"Oh you have flowers?" Kim inquires, "I've always liked flowers. Do you have any favorites?"

"I like sunflowers a lot," Basil explains happily, "They're quite fascinating. In fact over in Japan they're using them to absorb radiation and it's very effective. It's amazing how nature can heal like that and-"

The trio carried on in joyous conversation until a voice froze the trio dead in their tracks. Aubrey's face morphs into one of rage, a burning pain in both heart and her left arm remind her of Kel's harsh words.

"Leave us alone Kel," she states sternly.

"Basil we should go," Kim suggests, knowing this is going to get ugly fast.

Basil silently refuses for the same reason.

Kim slowly backs away, going to get the others, hoping to break this up before things get to heated.

"Aubrey we need to talk," Kel explains, "I-"

"I have nothing to say to you," Aubrey growls, "Leave."

"Aubrey I'm sorry I didn't know," Kel explains.

"Get fucked!" Aubrey snaps back, "None of you ever cared enough to notice except for Mari and then after what she did to Sunny not like she can be trusted with important shit!"

"Aubrey please we can't help you if-" Kel elabroates.

And Aubrey decks him, enraged. Her eyes hold a genuine hatred. She growls, "I don't need your help. I don't want your help."

"But we want to help you," Kel pleads collecting himself, maintaining his composure, not wanting to hurt Aubrey again as he did before, "Aubrey you can't just keep running forever eventually she's going to-"

"Shut up!" Aubrey screams, that old wound searing up in agony once more, "Just leave Kel."

"Look me in the eye and promise me you'll be OK," Kel demands, "And fine. I'm gone."

Aubrey freezes, unable to answer. She knows that this problem will catch up with her and is unable to assure Kel, who offers a pained but compassionate smile, that she will be OK. Aubrey, however, refuses to accept help after their argument at the hospital, to hurt by Kel's words to accept help. The lack of an apology doesn't help matters either, which Kel would realize and offer with enough time.

But there's not enough time.

For Aubrey tries to kick Kel in the stomach, but her eyes go wide with shock and worry as Basil takes the blow for Kel, crying, "Stop it! Stop it!"

Aubrey tries to comfort Basil, overwhelmed by guilt but Basil steps back, sobbing, "Please... stop. We're friends. What happened to us? What happened to you two?"

Both fell silent, before Kel spoke with a sigh, "I'm the one who messed up here Basil. After all, I compared Aubrey to a child abuser..."