My world spins. And I want to go with my first reaction, kiss him back.

Even if he is stealing some of my pretzel, kiss the damned guy back because it's Zuko.

My brain stops working. Just like that. He smirks and pulls back,

"Great pretzel, thanks!" I imagine my face is redder than hell as I sit back up and cover it with my hands. Iris and Zuri are fangirling and paying the guy to stay longer. I pull the hood on my jacket up and stand.

He ate my pretzel. He could have bought his own dammit!!

I turn and face him furiously,

"You couldn't have bought your own?" Zu- LUST looks up at me innocently,

"My apologies, I didn't realize you loved your pretzels so much. Do I need to get you another one?" Zuri pats his arm reassuringly,

"No. She's more mad that you snuck up on her than her pretzel. She's always wanted to meet Zuko." He smiles as he looks at me and it sends shivers down my spine,

"Oh? She has? Is that why you two motioned me over?" I blink. We all stare at him in confusion for a little bit before Iris and Zuri suddenly nod. Iris says,

"Yes....?" Lust smirks,

"And it wouldn't bother you two if I stayed around." Realization dawns on me as they glance at me. Both of their eyes are glazed over.

He's controlling them? Makes sense.

I speak up,

"No! That is most certainly not okay." Zuri giggles,

"That'd be fine!"

Wait, Zuri has the capacity to giggle? SHE CAN GIGGLE?!!

Lust smiles,

"Why thank you! You are all so nice!" His gaze falls on me and I have the urge to hug him. And kiss him. And then slap him. My hands clench into fists,

"Shame. We were just leaving." Iris nods,

"Yeah, leaving to go home." The most over her eyes is suddenly gone when she blinks and she looks at Lust in alarm. Then grabs Zuri's elbow and starts to lead her away. I follow.

"That's sad. And I can't come with?" Iris replies gently,

"We aren't taking a creep home with us. Have a good day." We make a hasty exit of the mall and are almost to the street whenever I can see Zuri come back to her senses. She looks around,

"What just happened?" I shake my head,

"Nothing. You're just tired." Iris glances at me, as if she is sensing I'm hiding something.

I'm sorry you guys. But you won't believe me.

~~~~~~~~~~^*•*^*•*^~~~~~~~~~~

We all disperse at our houses until I'm the last one walking home. No doubt my father will still be at work, Mum might be home though.

I unlock the door and find the lights on.

Alright, so they forgot to turn off the lights. It happens.

I make my way down the long hallway and to my bedroom, then flip on the light. And promptly open my mouth to scream.

Anxiety is right in front of me. Like, three centimeters from my face. It puts it's hand over my mouth.

I can feel the long claws that reach around my face and end near my ear, lightly pricking my skin. It's little white orbs stare into my soul. I take a deep breath and calm down as it waits patiently.

A glow comes from the vial as the seed furiously lights up in priest to Anxiety being this close. I close a fist over it and take a step back, removing the hand from my mouth.

"My apologies, it wasn't my intention to scare you." I eye it warily as I slide past and sit on my bed,

"Ok. What are you doing here?"

And is it my imagination, or do you seem nicer?

It floats circles nervously around my room,

"Well, uh, I'm in a sort of conflict with Fear...." I blink a few times,

"Lust mentioned Fear as well, is it like the leader or something?" Anxiety stops flying and looks at me,

"You really know nothing about him?" I decide it's safe and walk over to my closet,

"I know that there are a bunch of you that all represent feelings that turn away from God. I know you all love to mess up religious things." At the name of God, the seed lights up again. A faint soft light.

"Yes. That is true. But there is something you don't know... something I'm not supposed to tell you..." it sounds nervous.

Well, I guess even Anxiety can have anxiety.

I turn around to see him chewing on a pencil.

"Ok... what will happen to you if you tell me?" I ask as I snatch my pencil from him and place it back on the desk. He flies circles again,

"I'll be kicked from the F.E.T." I lay my pjs on the bed and look up at him,

"What is the fet?" He replies as his circles get smaller and faster,

"Not 'fet'. F-E-T. Feelings and Emotions Team." I grab the end of his swirly tail,

"If you get... kicked out. What happens to you? Will you be able to stay?" It swallows and curls up in my bed, the bright white orbs flickering around the room,

"After the beating from Fear... I will be killed." My eyes widen.

Despite me barely even knowing this creature. Despite me not even knowing if I can trust it. Despite the fact that it broke into my bedroom...

... I feel the urge to save it.

"Then don't tell me." As if that
is the end of the conversation, I close myself in my closet and start changing. It's voice sounds far away,

"But if I don't tell you, you could end up being seriously hurt if you make a mistake..." I slip the comfy top over my head and pull my hair out of the back, taking all of the things out of it. But I keep the choker.

"I can learn from it. If it involves you dying then there is no way in hell I'm listening to it." This time, the voice is barely above a whisper, and yet somehow I can hear it still,

"Fear plans to use your friends against you. Fear thinks you will bow under Pressure's ability and then he can control you. But you weren't effected much by me once you saw me, and Lust didn't get very far either. Even if it was closer than I got." My cheeks flush at the memory and I curse myself. Sliding on my log silk bottoms, I step out of the closet,

"Anxiety, I said I didn't want to hear it if it involves you dying. Please stop." It is sitting on my bed like a dog without hind legs,

"You can get Team members onto your side by revealing to them their once human identities." There is a loud bang from my living room and the hair on the back of my neck rises. A dark noise gurgles down the hallway,

"Anxiety!!!!!!!"

Oh shit. What the hell was that?!!