"Come on Penny... You can't still be mad about yesterday, right?" Jessie's red pigtails danced in the wind as she walked beside the rest of her friends. Emz was absently checking her phone while Nita rode on Penny's back.

"I can and I am. What you did was mutiny!" Penny's rage had subsided with time. Currently, she didn't want to throw Jessie overboard but a few days in the brig would do her some good.

"How was I supposed to know you wanted to team with Leon yesterday?"

"I want to team with Leon everyday... I just decided to do it today." Penny and Jessie were like the north and south poles. While both might be known for housing cute penguins and sweet seals. They are also known for housing vicious polar bears and gigantic orcas. Then once you think you understood all the secrets hidden within them you'll find more interesting creatures hidden deep below the surface.

Currently, the beasts residing in Penny were attacking the cute creatures Jessie housed on her surface. The girls continued their back and forth. Jessie saying that she wouldn't have teamed with him if she knew. Penny saying that she shouldn't have teamed with him at all. "I wouldn't have to team with him if Nita didn't abandon me," Jessie attempted to save herself.

The three girls turned to the tiny terror atop Penny's shoulders, "You're just mad I got to team with Mr. Primo." They would have questioned her more but the sound of a low grumble behind Penny's head took their attention.

Penny turned to Jessie, "You're lucky Nita's insatiable hunger saved you."

Emz spoke up next, "Well we got some time before our next classes. Barley's?"

"NO! Barley's food's weak. I want a juicy burger!" The girls entertained Nita's outburst by listing off nearby burger joints. As they continued to walk, Penny felt a cool liquid on her cap, Nita's drool flowing like thick water on her head.

"Ye scurvy dog keep it in ye mouth," Nita pointed to Penny's right. The girls saw Shelly, Max, and Piper with giant burgers in their hands. Nita jumped off Penny's shoulders rushing to the Hispanic girl.

"Where you get that?" Nita jumped into Shelly's face. Her head just barely reaching the taller girl's yellow neck bandana. Shelly smiled down at the girl before pointing towards a nearby food truck. The girls noticed a line leading into the courtyard.

Jessie saw that most people walking away were sitting at the picnic tables awaiting their orders. "Okay Nita, you wanna wait for-" she looked to Shelly but Nita was gone, "Nita?"

"What are you waiting for!" They saw Nita at the back of the line waving them down, "Get in line!"

While in the line Penny observed their target. The truck was a black hole sucking in all the light around it. Atop the truck was a metallic sign, colored in red and blue neon. "Buck's Burger Cart?" she turned to the others, "You ever heard of this place?"

"Who cares," Nita jumped in, "I want meat!" Her mouth was oozing saliva as she watched another group walk away with burgers in hand. When they got within range of the front stand, they noticed a short man with a black, skull-patterned bandana across his head.

When he turned around, they saw his large black beak. A big slash mark across the top forming an 'X' on his mouth. He didn't look happy to take the orders, but they could hear him thanking all the people that came. "NEXT!" he bellowed in a deep voice. Penny and Nita were the first to walk up, Penny standing on her right with Nita jumping up to hang off the counter. Emz stood beside Nita with Jessie on her left. The birdman smiled when he saw them, "Well look who we have here, The Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse." He looked at each girl from left to right, "Conquest... Famine... Plague... and War." His voice was low and brooding, but his tone was joyful and intrigued, "How y'all girl's doing?"

"What's up Crow," Emz cooed as she high-fived the dark bird. Crow patted Nita on the head as Penny leaned over the counter.

"It be unwise to go around working for other companies. What if Bull were to find out?"

Crow chuckled at the comment. "This whole place was Bull's idea. Extra business means extra money. Besides, it gives him something to do." He waved them forward to look within the truck. Inside they saw a large white arcade machine. It was standing over the stove with a little water forming on its blue L.E.D screen. They watched as it pulled out a spatula and flipped all the burgers on the stove with an assassin's speed.

Jessie spoke up, "Since when did 8-Bit know how to cook."

"Some kid dropped his ZS Cooking Papa cartridge in his coin slot a few days ago. He's been cooking behind the scenes for the past three nights." The girls kept watching as the backdoor opened showing Brock with a bright white apron on.

The young black boy called to 8-Bit for some orders before rushing out with his hands full of plates. The girls giggled as he rushed from table to table delivering orders. Emz turned to Crow, "Does Bibi know you're here?

"Don't tell her. Bull put that Buck sign up to throw her off our scent. I'm making money while I'm here, but my main goal is to keep an eye on her."

Penny scoffed at the concept, "You protecting Bibi, I'm sure she doesn't need any protection."

Crow snickered, "My job ain't to protect her from a fight. I'm supposed to knock the skull of any douche that tries to get close to her." The girls were confused, that sounded like a job for Bull. "Considering the fact that Bull is a near 7-foot giant with a shining gold nose ring. We figured I was a better choice for the job."

Jessie was perplexed, "But aren't you an anthropomorphic bird person?"

The group fell silent as they all looked to Crow. 8-Bit stopped grilling as he awaited his response. Even the people in line were intrigued by his logic. Crow sniffed the air in frustration, "I don't have all day, either order or get out of line."

The girls placed their orders for four burgers. Emz's without cheese and Nita's with everything on it. When they made it to their seats they began to converse about the sciences behind 8-Bit's new abilities. Jessie arguing that merely intaking a game cartridge couldn't be enough to give him cooking abilities. Emz stating that he wasn't programmed to be a sentient robot, he gained sentience after a freak accident.

Their conversation shifted with time, evolving into their usual subject. Classes. Penny groaning at the mention. "It's not fair."

Emz scoffed, "Like, what are you upset about now?"

"You get so many classes with all your friends. What are the chances that you would be in Nita's class again for music?" Jessie tuned them out while she checked for Brock bringing their food.

"Really? Is that the problem?" Emz turned her nose up to mock her friend, "I think you're just jealous that I get to be in class with Leon." Jessie snapped back towards her friends.

"Ugh it's not fair," Penny's head was resting against the table. Her cheeks smooshing against the wooden top and her pink hair pooling on the sides, "Why are the luck gods on your side."

Jessie could feel her smile getting brighter, her face felt warmer. She cleared her throat before speaking up, "I'm sure Emz doesn't care about Leon. She's more interested in TA Poco."

Emz stared off into the sky, her mind imagining the wonderful day she was going to have. She absentmindedly played with one of her bandages while Brock arrived with their food. Nita screeched in glee at the size of her meal. The tiny girl practically unlatching her jaw just to fit the monstrous burger in her mouth. Penny and Emz found solace in their conversation now in their own world.

Jessie's mind was running a million miles an hour. She turned to Nita, her voice a low whisper only she could hear, "How old is your music teacher?"

Nita answered through a stuffed mouth, "I dunno, super old though. Her glasses make her eyes huge." She giggled with the last statement.

"Interesting. I don't have any classes today... think you could sneak me in?"

"Yeah sure... there's a door in the back that a lot of people stand near. You can sneak in through there."

Jessie thanked her as she finally began her meal. When the group finished they started for their next classes. Penny making her way to Chemistry while Emz and Nita went to Music for Dummies, Jessie following close behind.

"Umm... like what are you doing?" Emz stared inquisitively at Jessie.

She thought up an excuse on her feet, "I was just heading for the library." She lied through her teeth. Emz looked at their path. It was believable.

Nita didn't understand, "But you said-"

Jessie covered her mouth, a bright smile on her face, "Just wanted to walk halfway with you." She dipped down to Nita's ear, "Remember to leave the door unlocked." She patted Nita on the head twice, a sign they made to say, 'Keep it a secret.'

As Jessie walked ahead Emz leaned into Nita, "What did she say?"

Nita thought of this as a game. "She just wants to know how you'll act around Poco today?" All of Emz's thoughts were turned to mush at the thought of getting to spend an hour with Poco. She didn't even notice when Jessie started following just a few feet behind them.

~--~

Peterson's School of Arts. The eccentric home of the more artistically inclined students. An older looking building but still functional and updated to function seamlessly with the rest of the campus. The halls were paved with fine wooden flooring, older white painted brick walls, and cozy smaller classrooms for that personal touch.

"Come on! Let's go! Move, move!" Max was rushing down the halls. Running back and forth from one side to the other like a red and yellow blur. Behind her moving like an energetic sloth was a young brown skin boy. His body was wrapped in pink and purple cloths.

"I'm coming... I'm coming," the boy said between yawns. His voice was soft like he just woke up. Max rushed back to his side. Her eyes seeming to vibrate as she moved.

"We're gonna be late! If we don't go now, we're gonna miss the first assignment."

"That doesn't sound so bad." The boy smiled as he took a seat on a nearby bench. Max sat beside him, her feet bouncing on the ground as she waited for him to move.

Her patience was running thin but she knew how to get him going. She pulled out one of her signature drinks, a red container with a yellow top and bottom. The sign of a lightning bolt on the outside showing its purpose. She offered the drink to him the boy kindly declining as he started to close his eyes. "Come on... I know you're thirsty from all that walking!"

"I know your game, Max. I'm not drinking that."

"Come on Sandy, I promised to help you get to class. We're almost there!" she looked down the hall. At the end was a cracked open door, the light leaking from it like a ray of sunshine.

Sandy continued to refuse the drink enjoying his rest on the surprisingly comfortable bench. Max looked down at her drink, she didn't know how to get the sleepy boy moving. Then the sound of a huge baritone blasted through the hallways. The body-shaking sound startling Max and only slightly jostling Sandy.

Max lost her grip on her can. Time slowed down as she watched it crash against the floor the liquids inside spraying out in all directions. Sandy put a lazy hand up to block the liquid, but it sprayed out all over him. The walls were splattered as well turning the vicinity green.

The two sat there in the green liquid registering what just happened. Then as soon as the liquid appeared, it evaporated. Seeping into their skin and the walls around them. Their molecules started to vibrate faster, Max's smile getting wider. She turned to Sandy his eyes seeming to finally come to life. Max jumped up to her feet, "I'll race ya there!"

She dashed forward slicing the wind along her path. She flew down the hall in a blink of an eye touching the door to their class. "FIRST!" she cheered. She turned around expecting Sandy to be rushing behind her, but he was nowhere to be seen. Running back down the hall she saw Sandy fast asleep on the bench. Beside him was a piece of folded paper with a pencil sitting beside it. 'When'd he have the time?' she thought to herself.

She gawked at the contents within. It read, 'All you did was make me lazy faster.' A little smiley face was drawn in the corner.

~--~

Inside the band room were forty oddball kids all making noise but little music. Within the baritone section were several larger boys and one tiny girl with a bear pelt headdress. Nita sat in the middle of these boys attempting to match the notes of her section members.

At the front of the room was Emz. Her cold, dead lips blowing a cool breeze into her flute as she warmed up for the day. Her eyes were distracted from the book in front of her and drawn to the bright smile of Poco floating from person to person. She could hear his sweet voice as he encouraged the struggling students. Showing proper positioning for their hands and demonstrating (to the best of his abilities) how to play certain notes.

In the back behind the deeper instruments, sitting against the farthest wall from the front door was the percussion section. The sound of their rattling drums filling the room as they warmed up their sticks. Sitting at the front with a snare drum around his neck was Leon. He was the leader of his section and it showed with how he seemed more confident amongst the crowd.

At the back of the room, a bunch of cases sat against the backdoor. The sound of them shifting muffled by the chaos of the pre-class warmups.

Poco's phone rang through the noise, the yellow skeleton excusing himself as he left the room for a second. Emz followed him the entire way out the door, a blue blush across her cheeks the entire time. As she followed Poco's yellow frame she noticed a pair of red pigtails hugging the wall. She walked over to Nita, the miniature monster getting progressively angrier with her instrument by the second.

"*pst* Nita..." she didn't turn around but acknowledge her presence. "What's Jessie doing here?"

"I dunno... something about being bored. Guess she thought this would be fun, but this sucks!" Nita was starting to physically fight her brass instrument at this point.

She was initially confused, when she asked her earlier Jessie lied saying she was heading for the library. There was no reason for her to withhold information like that. As her mind continued to process Jessie's reasoning, she blew it off as just being nervous. She found it funny. To think the goody-two-shoes Jessie would break the rules like this. They must have been rubbing off on her.

From the main door came a sheepish Poco, his movements hesitant as he seemed to look for the proper words to say. Emz thought about asking him what was wrong but was too shy to approach. She didn't want to ruin his thought process with her presence.

He cleared his throat before speaking, "Everyone! I have some bad news." The students waited on baited breaths as he continued, "Mrs. Boscovich can't make it to class today." The students' mood was lifted by the news. Many shouting 'free day' and 'no class' as they celebrated. Poco felt bad about what he would say next, "Which is why... I will be teaching class today."

The class fell silent. The students looking at one another for a moment before cheering even louder. Poco was taken aback at the response. One of the more muscular tuba players standing up to say, "I see this as an absolute win."

Poco slowly walked to the front of the room. The cheers of his classmates were flattering. Emz wanted to go to his side so he could physically see her cheering as well but felt her heart begin to palpitate at the thought of being the center of his attention. Poco walked into the teacher's office, the sounds of the student's excitement fueling his actions.

When he returned, he had a giant stack of sheet music in his hands, passing them out to each section. "Now this should be secret between us. Mrs. Boscovich wasn't going to show you this song until next week, but I think the best practice is experience." The students graciously accepted the music, breaking off into separate groups as they practiced the new piece.

Emz's eyes were focused on Poco at the front of the room. Her section mates (a group of teenage girls) teased her as they grabbed her attention to focus on practicing. While she tried the new piece (a slower song with many half and quarter notes of varying pitches) she noticed the other classmates working in their sections. More specifically, she noticed her friends.

Nita was currently growling at her paper as she tried to play the notes presented to her. Her section mates tried to assist her the best they could, but she was starting to let her rage absorb her thoughts. However, she didn't take notice of Leon in the back. The hooded boy leading the percussion section as they seamlessly played the beat for the beginning of the song. A simple beat like a person's rapid steps or a horse trotting. Behind them stood Jessie, the girl rocking along as her pigtails swayed with her movements.

The drumline finished their first attempt, Leon putting his sticks to the side as he stretched his arms. He started conversating with a nearby member until he noticed them staring off to his side. "What's wrong?"

"Great Job!"

Leon's hair stood on end at the high-pitched voice. Turning to see Jessie was a relief, the smaller girl smiling fondly up to him. When he heard the sudden voice, he thought Penny had found his class. "Umm... Thanks, Jessie," he looked around the room checking for any pink hair. Satisfied to see her not here, he continued talking to Jessie, "Why are you here?"

"Oh... you know... just bored, thought it would be fun to hear Nita play the baritone" she lied through her teeth. The two looked to Nita as she continued to fight the music.

"Well, I'm sure it's more fun with Nita. Why aren't you with her?"

Jessie threw her hands behind her back, her smile sincere but her fingers twitching. She could see under his hood with her lack of height. His left eye seeming to shine under his chameleon hoodie's felt tongue. It was mesmerizing, "O-Oh... yeah... I just... umm... Really like percussion?"

Leon stood still as he watched her. She could feel her smile start to wobble, her feet fidgeting under her stance. She couldn't fully see his eyes or the top of his face, but she could feel his intense stare. A feeling she wanted to keep forever. "Well if you like the drums so much," Leon passed his sticks to her, "Wanna give it a try."

Jessie pointed to herself to be sure he was serious. Leon and the other drummers nearby laughed as they goaded her to try playing the snare. He set up his stand to make it easier for her to play. Jessie nervously took the stick, the percussionists around her watching intently for her to drop a beat.

When she first hit the rim, the feeling of the sharp kevlar snapping beneath the wooden stick was surprising. It didn't scare her, just the feeling of the material popping was strange. The other members pressed her to keep going. The beat she made was simple. Something a middle schooler could make with just a pencil on their desk.

One of the other snare drummers started rocking to the beat, picking up her drum to add some complexity to the tune. Next came the cymbal players. The sound of their light crashes and half notes giving the tune a bit of airy wonder. As Jessie continued, she watched in awe as the entire percussion section joined into the song. Rocking the room with their beats and waves. When they finished some of the deeper brass instrument players cheered before continuing their practice.

Leon stepped up behind her, "Not bad... Hope you don't mind if I take over?" Jessie passed the sticks back to him, standing a little to the side out of their way. "You don't have to hide on the walls... Poco's teaching today." Jessie looked around as she noticed Poco floating from person to person assisting with the current song.

When she looked back to Leon, he was patting the left side of his leg. Jessie took it as a signal to stand beside him sheepishly joining him at his side. Some of the other percussionists took notice of her blushing face and nervous demeanor, snickering silently to themselves. They straightened up when Leon called their attention, "Alright let's finish this song from the top!"

As the percussion section continued to play behind them, the flute section focused on getting a grasp of their parts. Emz was sitting in the middle focused on her flute. She wanted to show Poco that she wasn't just another face in the class. She wanted to find something to connect with him. If music was the way to his heart, then she was going to pierce his soul with her performance.

When they finished their section, the other players complimented each other while critiquing their mistakes. Just as Emz was able to fully focus on her group another voice joins in behind them, "That was really well done Emz."

Her body locked up at the sound. She could feel the cold blood rushing through her decayed veins as she slowly turned around. Behind her, his smile as white snow was Poco. Her cold heart grew warmer with his presence, "I didn't know you had such passion for the flute."

"She has a passion for something..." one of her section mates snickered.

Emz turned to scold the girls but Poco drew closer to her face, "Tell me... What did you find so fascinating about the flute?" Emz stumbled over herself trying to find words but Poco pushed the advantage. "Was it the subtle sounds that escape the tiny instrument?" He got a little closer, "Maybe it was the high-pitched squeals that can lead any song." She could feel his cool breath on her face, the faint smell of peppermints escaping between his teeth.

Emz's cold blue blood was rushing to her head. Her words fumbling over themselves. She tried her best to respond to his question, the first answer being that she wanted to get closer to him. She threw the idea away realizing how ridiculous it sounded. Her mind rushing to find a correct answer to his sudden questioning.

As her mind overloaded her body shut down around her. She was a mental puddle of goo while she swayed back and forth with a goofy smile. Her section mates (feeling sorry for their friend) saved her from the interaction. They pulled her to the side away from him, explaining that she's just tired from working so hard.

Poco shrugs his shoulders as he encourages her to keep up the great work. "You're doing amazing, Emz!" he said with a thumbs up before being called over by another student.

When he left their section, the girls fanned her face while snapping their fingers to gain her attention. Her eyes refocused as he walked away, "I just like how small the flute is..." she blurted out.

The girls all patted her on the back, "So close..." one spoke up. "You were so close..."

Emz felt mildly frustrated by her failed interaction. She didn't know why she froze like that whenever he got close. Fawning over him from a distance was so easy but whenever he got close all her logic seemed to evaporate into the air. She slowly took a peek at Poco's new location. He was talking to someone in the alto saxophone section.

Upon closer inspection, she noticed the black pompadour atop her head. The dark purple jacket covering her signature light pink undershirt. The distinct sound of gum popping coming from her mouth. Emz watched with intrigue as Poco assisted Bibi on the saxophone.

She knew the two were friends but something about their interactions made her nervous. Her and Leon could always be found somewhere near Poco, but recently she seemed to be interacting with him more personally.

She watched with envious eyes as she calmly talked with him about her issue. Poco gladly taking the time to explain everything necessary with ease. She wished she had that kind of self-control when talking to him. She looked away at her flute, her face barely visible in the reflection. 'Why am I like this?'

She let out an exasperated breath before looking back at the duo. Her heart dropping at the scene. Poco had Bibi wrapped in his grip from behind, his yellow skeletal palms guiding her rough knuckles to the proper positions. Emz could feel a green pigment fill her pupils as she watched the two interact.

Emz could feel her teeth lightly grind as she watched Bibi smile up to him. The skeleton seeming to stare a second too long down at her. Emz was ready to jump out of her seat. She didn't know why she felt this way. When they worked together during Combat Training, she was just jealous, now she felt an otherworldly rage.

Her bandmates grabbed her attention, beckoning for her to perform the piece with them once again. Against her better judgment, Emz turned away from the pair. As she continued to play her part, she kept an ear out for any strange noises amongst the chaos within the room.

She heard a soft giggle through the swarm of noise. She moved her flute from her mouth snapping in the direction of Bibi and Poco. She felt her blood boil when she saw Poco with his hat off. He was trying to cover his face from Bibi while she laughed up at him. Emz could see a goofy grin across his face. What looked like sweat forming across his head.

Emz clenched her flute, the sound of the smaller metal bars bending under her grip. Her other classmates calming her down as they pulled her flute from her claws. As Emz started to regain control, she was led to the storage closet so they could inspect any damage done to her instrument.

While her classmate attended to her instrument, Emz's mind went into overdrive. Denial was the only thing that felt safe. There was no way she saw what she thought. Her eyes must have been tricking her. 'Poco wasn't blushing, he was just sneezing. Yeah, just a harmless sneeze. It's probably dusty near the back of the room.' Emz started to lightly chuckle behind her friend. A contorted smile across her face.

Her classmate decided it best to ignore her estranged actions. She didn't pay attention to how strange she looked; she was still deep in thought. 'I bet if I turn around, Poco won't even be anywhere near her.'

Emz took a deep breath, putting on her best happy face before turning around. She saw Bibi on the far left playing her saxophone alongside her section mates. She scanned the crowd for Poco's yellow skin, finding him attempting to calm down an enraged Nita.

Emz watched as she stood atop her chair with her baritone raised above her head. Her fangs showing as she growled at the boys trying to reign her in. Emz's mood grew warmer at the sight. Her mind calming down as she watched her friend terrorize her crush. It was nice to see something normal after such a weird situation.

She laughed to herself at the idea of something like that being normal. As she made her way back to her section, her eyes wandered to the percussion section. She was interested in the beat they were making, the sound coming from their section far more complex than any piece they had been given in class. Directly beside Leon, hovering close to his side was Jessie, rocking along to the beat.

Jessie talking to Leon wasn't that strange, but her movements and demeanor seemed off. Emz thought to herself, 'She better be careful. Penny might get jealous.' As she sat down again, she saw his section finish their piece. Jessie slinking out from beside him to stand in front of his face. She would have kept watching but was pulled away by her section members starting to play again.

Meanwhile, Leon was deep in conversation with Jessie, "So what do ya think of our personal project?"

"You came up with that yourself?"

Leon motioned to the other members, "We... came up with that ourselves. Most of us used to play in my home village. We figured it would be fun to take the class when we came to Rantō."

Jessie's eyes sparkled like stars, "You're outstanding. You could be professionals."

Leon threw his hands in his hoodie pockets, "Stop. You're embarrassing us." The two laughed together as his section mates looked on from the sidelines. Leon couldn't hear their snickers; he was thinking about Jessie.

'This is nice. Having a girl besides my family that I can just talk to. No fear of being attacked, no intimidation from their size, just a good friend. It's nice to have a friend that is a female I can casually talk to.'

Leon coughed lightly, an itchy feeling filling his throat. Jessie reacted instinctually, turning her backpack to her front and rummaging around for an item. She swiftly pulled out a water bottle, the cap's seal untampered. She presented it to Leon, the boy smiling at her kind gesture, "Do you just keep water bottles everywhere you go?"

Jessie shrugged her shoulders, "Gotta stay hydrated, right?"

Leon ruffled her hat-covered hair as he took the bottle. Beneath his hood, his eyes were closed while he partook in the drink. While he wasn't looking, Jessie held her head softly. A faint blush appearing across her cheeks as she could still feel his touch. She wanted him to touch her again.

Leon blew a satisfied breath, "Thanks, Jess." He passed the capped bottle back to her, the redhead staring at the bottle's top for a second before focusing on him. "So..." he pointed his sticks to her, "wanna try again?"

Jessie threw her hands up, "Oh no... I-I'm fine. I like listening to you more." Jessie froze with her eyes wide open at her statement, "I mean you all! Y'all! I like listening to y'all!" She nervously chuckled at the rough save.

Leon just laughed warmly at her mistake, "No problem. Hope we can entertain ya."

Within the flute section, Emz finished her part and decided to search for Poco again. She found him making his way past the other percussionists stopping beside Leon as the two conversed. She always found their dynamic entertaining. The very open and outgoing Poco that felt no social anxieties seeming to take the introverted Leon under his wing. With time she and Penny noticed Leon evolve from staying under his hood to openly talking to people every day. At least, openly talking to anyone but Penny.

Emz's couldn't wait for the day the two finally got together. In her eyes, they were the perfect match. The bold and brash Penny with not a single fear in the world would be able to get Leon out of his shell. On the other hand, Leon would be able to show Penny the value of staying quiet about your opinions and the benefits of a more reserved personality.

"They're gonna be so totes cute together," she said aloud.

One of her section mates responded, "I agree."

Emz turned around, surprised by the response, "You know about Penny and Leon?"

"Is that her name? She doesn't look like a Penny."

"What do you mean?"

"Well it's just... the red-hair you know?"

"Red hair?"

Her classmates pointed to the percussion section. "Your talking about the red-head that's been hugging Leon all class, right?"

Emz looked back at Leon and Jessie. The mechanic standing beside him while he talked to Poco. Her hands tightly wrapped around a water bottle. Emz burst into laughter at the statement, "You must be confused. She doesn't like him, they're just friends." The other girls in the section turned to each other. Their faces showing their disagreement.

"Maybe he sees her as a friend, but she defiantly is thinking otherwise."

Emz snapped back to Jessie then her group, "Your, like, literally not making any sense."

The girls all slyly pointed in the percussion section's direction, "Take a good look at her." Emz watched Jessie carefully, "Do you see the way she's holding that bottle?"

Emz nodded her head as another girl continued, "You didn't see it, but while we were playing, she offered him that bottle of water. She hasn't loosened her grip since he gave it back."

Emz thought about the statement, "That's not much. She might just be nervous about being in a different class. She's a total goody-two-shoes."

The girls snickered at her statement, "Okay sure let's say that she's just nervous. Then explain how she's acting." Emz cocked her head as they refocused on Jessie, "Look at what she's staring at." Emz saw Jessie's face pointed upwards to Poco and Leon, but her eyes were staring intently at the bottle, "Now look at her chest. You see how it's heaving up and down. Can you see her smile?"

Emz was confused by the question. She looked normal from their distance, "Look closer. I think you've seen that smile before. I think you've even made that same face a lot."

As Emz inspected her closely, she noticed the edges of her mouth curved higher than the rest. Her fingers circling the rim of the top. Emz saw in her eyes an image she only saw when Penny stared at Leon. The image of their faces appearing beside one another.

The image of love. The image of lust.

Emz started to feel worried as she watched the girl continue to stare longingly at the bottle. Jessie slowly wrapping her hand around the top as she screwed it loose. The top of the bottle seeming to give off a faint glint while Jessie's breaths became heavier. Emz could see the condensation from her mouth forming on the bottle. Her mouth opening wider as she slowly brought the bottle to her lips.

Then just when she would have taken a sip the sound of a nearby bass drum bellowing through the room startled her out of her trance. She quickly screwed the top back on before putting the water away. Her hands patting her face as she threw back on her usual fun-loving face.

One of Emz's section mates cooed, "She almost broke for a second there."

"Yeah, it was looking pretty sketch for a minute. She's got it under control though," another chimed in.

"Either way... to answer your question Emz. Yes, they are gonna be cute together."

Emz didn't respond. She just stood there, staring at Jessie. Her mind remembering how she grabbed Leon as her partner yesterday. The scared expression across her face when Penny confronted her. The apologetic voice she used when she asked for forgiveness.

'Was it all a lie? Was Penny, right? Is Jessie trying to steal Leon?' These questions flooded her mind as she tried to understand the events that transpired. She couldn't begin to comprehend such a situation. The only thing she could think of doing was doubting. 'I didn't see any of that. It's just like with Bibi. I'm just seeing things. I'll turn back around, and Jessie will be hanging out with Nita.' She peeked over her shoulder, praying that she would be right again. Instead, she saw Jessie, glued to Leon's side, and him just accepting her company. 'OMG, it's real!'

Emz tried her best to calm her shocked nerves. The rest of the class was a blur. She went through the motions of practice and rehearsing their song. Her eyes wandering between more locations than she could handle. Her mind trying its best to come to a conclusion about the events that happened within the room.

As the class ended, she found herself running on autopilot. Her body seeming to shamble towards Nita without her guidance. As the tiny girl placed her baritone in its large case, Emz surveyed the room.

She found Poco at the front door, her mind finally giving her body a pinch of dopamine to relieve the stress. As soon as she relaxed, she tensed back up at the sight of Bibi wrapping Poco's head in a hug. Squishing him against her chest. Poco tried to pull away but her grip was too strong. He eventually accepted his fate and walked out the door with his head in her vice-like arms.

Emz's mind seemed to turn off at the sight. She turned away from the door only to get an eye full of green and red. Hugging onto Leon's side was Jessie. The older boy had a small smile on his face while he patted her head. She was starting to recognize it now. Leon was just being friendly and accepting of the younger girl. Jessie was acting like a lovesick puppy.

Leon coughed again, causing Jessie to whip out the same bottle she had given him during class. Emz watched on in horror as Leon thanked her for the drink, not finishing it but slurping as much as he pleased. When he went to put the drink down Jessie reached out to tell him she would throw it away.

Leon was visually thankful for her kindness tossing the drink to her. As he picked up his drum's case, he made his way towards Nita and Emz, "Yo Nita... you looked like you were having fun." Leon and Nita conversed about her little outrage but Emz blocked the two out. She watched in awe as Jessie skipped out the front door. An aloof grin on her face while her pigtails bounced like springs in the air. "Yo Emz... you good?"

Emz focused on him, shaking the disbelief from her face, "Yeah just, like, tired."

Leon looked around the room before leaning in close, "Hey, Penny isn't gonna jump me when I leave the room, right?"

Emz was amused, "Don't worry. She doesn't have any plans to get you today."

"Cool," he said with a relieved voice, "Nita. Wanna grab a bite to eat before we head back to the dorms?"

"I want another cheeseburger!"

"Another? Where'd you get the first?" Leon and Nita walked out of the room talking about their meals for the afternoon. Emz stood in the middle of the room. All the other students had cleared out. She was alone with her thoughts.

"WTF just happened?"