"Gussie... is not as bad as we think he is," Perfida reluctantly admitted to her friends the next day in their room now that they got their rooms with bunk beds and one single bed. "Aside that he did saved me last night from being... I don't want to say it."

"You know, it could've all been avoided if he wasn't such an ass in the first place," Leyo said.

"Perhaps but we're past that, what's done is done, let's just give him a break for now on," Vance said back. "Now that we know the truth, let's just take a step back and be patient and understanding about it."

"You're right," Perfida agreed. "Well, I talked to his girlfriend's ghost last night, she wants us to help him."

"How?" March asked, he felt just as hesitant as the others. "I get that he's not having it easy but I don't know, I think Gussie is used to being a jerk as a defense mechanism, it'll be hard to break into it to gain his trust."

"True but we have time and let's give it time."

"It's not the Wagans but it'll do," Vance blurted.

Meanwhile, Ram and Torrey were in their office working then Gussie came in. "Mom, Dad," he said to them, Ram just acknowledge his presense and just focused on working, he did not know how to face him after the previous night.

"Honey, are you okay? do you need anything?" Torrey asked.

"I'm fine, I just need to talk with you guys."

"Oh, okay, what is it?" Torrey put down her laptop to listen to her son even Ram paused at what he was doing, there was this suspense in the atmosphere because they could feel that it was importand and serious.

"I've thought about this long and hard, I want to go back to school and get my degree."

"That's great, Sweetie."

"But I want it in a different in a different school and abroad if possible."

His parents were stunned for few seconds. "Abroad?" Ram exclaimed, Gussie expected that his father will react that way.

"Honey, let's... hear him out," Torrey told him.

"Why not continue your studies in Thoto College?"

"I would but I ran into people that are still studying there two days ago and they still hate me," Gussie answered his father, Ram shut his mouth as he felt that he was shunned by other people other than him. "Also more than half of the island sees my as the worst boyfriend ever so I guess, they'll be happy if I'm gone for few years, I think."

"Oh my God," Torrey moaned. "Wait. I love that you want to get your degree but why...?"

"You know I always wanted to open a business and I found this restaurant that I want to own but to do that, I need to get my degree."

"That's great! so where do you want to study then?"

"I don't know yet but anywhere is good as long as it's not here."

"That's right, a new place will do you good and it'll be nice to have a fresh start somewhere," Torrey agreed but Ram thought otherwise though decided not to say anything. "I know some good business schools you can go to, let's talk about it tonight."

"Sure, thanks, mom... dad," Gussie then walked out of their office and the two resumed working.

Ram then looked at his wife while typing. "I don't think it's a good idea for him to go to school outside of Thoto Island."

"Then why didn't you say anything?" Torrey asked. "You usually have a lot to say especially to our son and there's nothing wrong with him wanting to study anywhere that's not here."

"I just don't think it's practical."

"Did you not hear what he just said? I think it's reasonable and besides, it'll be good for him to be away from the island, I mean wouldn't you want to leave a place if everyone you know isolated you from the.... what you say 'foolish mistake'?" Torrey pointed out, Ram couldn't respond to that. "I would and if you're not going to support Gussie's decision then I advice that you to SHUT YOUR MOUTH!". Ram was wide-eyed at her speech. "You see him as a stranger for two years even when you're in the same place, might as well be in two different countries". Torrey then returned to focus on her work and shook her head at her husband.

Not long after. "Let's get our skir on again," March said excitedly.

"Seriously? You don't mind skirring even after you found out that Koru has a girlfriend?" Vance quipped at him.

"That? I'm over it and besides, I only know the guy for less than a day."

"Right, well from what it's worth, I told you he's not that good-looking anyway, you can do so much better."

March blushed at that while the Sweeney twins and Leyo were grinning behind Vance. "You think so?"

"Yeah, I mean you're tall, handsome, fun, easy-going and you have great tastes in music, you'll find someone and they'll be so lucky to have you."

"Thanks, Vance. Well, at least now I know that skirring dude is not my type."

"Hmm... so you have a type?" Vance gave out a sly grin then poked him on the waist. "Tell me. What's your type?"

"Stop. I haven't actually figured that out yet," March giggled.

"Okay you two, cut it out, Koru must be waiting for us in the beach," Perfida interrupted what could possibly be their moment.

"She's right," Vance said. "Let's go."

Gussie was outside their hallway once the gang as they exited the room. "Oh! hey, you," Perfida nervously greeted.

"Hey," he greeted back abruptly and was about to walk away.

"Thanks again... about last night."

"Don't mention it," he was about to leave again.

"Uhm... we're going to the beach to skir," she tried to be nice to him to gain his trust for Lexi. "Do you want to come with us?"

"And talk about me right in front of me?" he scoffed while the soulpadres wasn't happy at his rude answer. "Hard pass."

"Hey, come on, we're..." March was about to call out his behavior but Perfida stopped him.

"Okay, listen, I admit my mouth needs to hit the brake and also I should not listen to rumors that are not credible," Perfida looked at Perdita's way as felt so bashful. "The point is, I'm sorry for talking about and saying that you're... sorry, nevermind what I said."

"We all are," Vance added.

"Okay, thanks," Gussie respond numbly which they found annoying that was all he had to say.

"Alright then, but if you change your mind just feel free to join us," Perfida told him then signalled her friends to just let him be.

"Just because I saved you last night, doesn't mean we have to be friends."

"Pfft... with that attitude, I wouldn't want to anyway," Perdita snickered.

Perfida shrugged. "I know," she replied then left with the boys.

"That went well," March mumbled.

"Meh... we expected it," Vance reminded.

In the beach, they continued to learn how to skir since they weren't going anywhere again, thirty minutes had gone by and they were still hadn't gotten used to it.

"This is so exhausting," March whined as he lied down the sands with the gliders on his arms and the let the waves splash on him.

"Agree," Leyo replied while he was faced down beside him.

Gussie stood afar behind them, he saw them having their skirring lesson, since the boys were taking a break his eyes focused on Perfida because she was about to go to the water to try again but then a woman going to skir too got her attention. Perfida noticed her form when she ran fast to the sea, how she straightened her arms, the wind just carry her to the air then saw and dropped herself down to the water then we back up again.

From that, Perfida felt it was so easy to do it so she copied the woman's technique and ran to the water, she finally got it. It was like she was flying like a Phorion on air then went in the water and flew back up again.

The boys and Perdita were impressed, so Gussie who was wide-eyed, that Perfida finally got the hang of it that they cheered her on. "She's good, for a newbie," he snickered.

Once Perfida got back to the sands, she felt so proud that she finally knows how to skir and that she gained a new skill. "You were great, Peachy," Perdita said to her twin.

"That was wicked," Koru praised.

"Really? you think so?" Perfida exclaimed in glee.

"Yeah, it's stellar," March said.

"How'd you do it?" Leyo asked.

"I just do what that woman did over there," Perfida pointed. "And the rest was... kinda easy."

"That's a good way to learn," Koru shrugged. "Great job though, you nailed it... faster than me."

"Aww, thanks."

Koru saw Gussie and waved at him. "GUSSIE, hey! come!" he shouted his name then gestured at him to come over, the Soulpadres turned their heads at him with a strange look on their faces wondering why he was watching them after their conversation.

"Hard pass, huh?" Vance smirked.

Gussie just walked away, Koru got confused at his cold demeaner. "I think he's in one of his moods again," he claimed.

"When is he not in his moods?" Perfida asked.

"Meh... maybe we'll talk next time, when he's in his good days."

"Sorry, it's kinda my fault that he's in his... moods."

"Why? what'd you do?"

"Very bad thing. Since you know him better, can I ask you something?" Perfida asked Koru, she dropped herself to sit on the sand. "What was Gussie like before losing Lexi?"

"Oh, he was a really happy guy and a goofball, he likes to make people smile and laugh," Koru answered.

"What about Lexi? what she like?"

"Lexi... she's a lot more serious than Gussie but she's sweet and kinda popular. She and her dad, Mr. Cruz, would do a lot of charity events and give out donations for the needy here in the island, she volunteers in the hospital and teach kids there too who were missing out on school but what loves to do is cooking and opening her restaurant."

"Wow, that's... awesome and she sounds like someone I want to be friends with."

"Yeah, she's great, everyone loved her, losing her was like everyone's worst day ever. After that, everyone hated Gussie."

"Do you believe that it's his fault that he lost his girlfriend?"

"Absolutely not, I don't believe that one bit of it."

"Why do other people think that it is?"

"Gussie can be... childish and immature so people wonder what Lexi sees in him."

"I wonder that myself too," Perdita voiced, her sister signalled her to stop.

"Sure, it's weird but whatever it is, they just clicked."

"You have a lot of good thing to say about Gusssie, were you two friends?" Vance quipped.

"Yeah, we kinda are," Koru shrugged. "Though we don't hang with the same sets of friends."

"How's that?"

"Gussie likes to party and he used to go to college, so his friends are mostly from school. Me, I'm not into party and drinking, I'm not interested in going to college so yeah... we're very different. We were very close friends before but then we grew apart, we still talk only if... he doesn't have anyone to talk to that is."

"Oh, that kind of friendship," March muttered.

"It's cool, I still see him as friend of mine and he needs one now because his buddies from college blamed him for Lexi's death and so does her father."

"That's so dumb, it's not his fault," Perfida defended, Koru looked at her in a weird way at how she reacted. "I mean if you believe... it's not... then... I don't too."

"Okay... you know, I tried to help him but he just pushed me away, all I can do now is just be there for him."

"You're a good friend to him," Vance said. "Someday, he'll realize that."

"Thanks," Koru gave a small smile. "Anyway, he'll come around... soon... hopefully, let's continue skirring."