I hummed as I ate some cookies that I had made in cooking class. Master Elliot was subbing for our real teacher, who was on maternity leave. Had no idea that someone that young could have a teaching license. Thought he barely graduated high school. Nat said it was probably because subs could have some of the requirements waived as long as they showed ample skills.

 "Huh? Carter?" Huo said as soon as I walked into my ninth-period class.

 "W-what are you doing here?" I asked, blushing. I had not expected one of my classmates to be here... Especially not one of the boys!

He turned away. "I should be asking you that. Didn't think that a brute like you would do something like dancing." He gasped. "Wait, this is a ploy to get girls, isn't it?"

I shook my head and waved my hands. "No, it's not! Just what do you take me for?"

"An uncultured guy who sucks at talking to girls." He chuckled. "What else?"

I gritted my teeth. To think I started to see him as a good guy!

"Wait, you're oddly chatty right now," I said, smiling. "Why is that?"

He rubbed his arms and stared at the small class. "Well, I figured this was going to be a course with few people, and thus far, it is."

I tilted my head. "Is that really it? Well, you were chatty the night before yesterday too."

He scoffed. "How was that chatty? I do not have a motor mouth, unlike a certain blondie with bandages on his arms."

I blinked. "I have a motor mouth?"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You probably have heard of it before, right?"

I chuckled. "I don't recall."

Huo sighed and walked away.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Getting away from you. I do not want to be associated with someone like you any more than I already am."

"Meanie! If you want people to think well of you, you could start by being nicer. You'll make more friends with honey than with vinegar."

Hou scoffed. "I don't need to make friends. Lidia and the other orphans are enough for me."

"You say that, but I doubt it's true."

He grumbled. "So annoying." His blue eyes turned to look at me. "Honestly, I don't get you. Wasn't what I said insulting? You did call me 'meanie'."

"Yeah, so?"

He shook his head. "That means you dislike me, no?"

"I dislike your attitude at the moment, but not you."

He turned away again. "Honestly, I think you're more confusing than the neurotypicals and my sister." A chuckle escaped his lips. "Though, I guess I would be more confused if you were a neurotypical. Their egos can be rather fragile."

I blinked. "Are you one to talk?"

Huo blushed. "Are you saying that I have a fragile ego?"

I smirked. This was my chance to get back at him. "What else could I possibly mean? You're a guy who thinks highly of himself, but as soon as someone points out your flaws, you get mad."

He gritted his teeth.

"Like now!"

"S-shut up!"

"See?"

He turned around and pushed me to the floor. His breathing was heavy. The rest of the class just watched and a couple of girls even chuckled as Huo ran off. Were they laughing at him, me, or both of us? Ugh, that didn't matter. I messed things up with Huo!

"Huo, wait up!"

He closed his eyes and ran faster.

"Huo!" I yelled, speeding up. Ugh, the guy sure was fast for a nerd!

"Agh!" a girl yelled.

I gasped as Huo crashed into someone.

"S-sorry," the girl said as she dusted off her tutu. She looked familiar...

Huo's eyes widened. "Lidi?"

The girl smiled. "Oh, it was you, Huo. Didn't expect to bump into you of all people. Not that I expected to bump into anyone in the first place." She press her hands together and giggled. "I see that you decided to join me in ballet class after all."

His cheeks flushed a little. "I-I did, but I shouldn't have." He got up and started to run off.

"Wait, Huo!" Lidia yelled. She pushed herself up and chased after him.

"Did something happen to Huo?" Kanja asked, stepping out of the girls' changing room.

My face reddened. "K-Kanja! Y-you're in the same class too?" Great, first Huo, then Lidia, and now Kanja!

"Yeah, but that doesn't matter. What happened?"

I lowered my head. "I think I broke Huo."

She blinked. "You broke him?"

I nodded. "I made him mad by saying he had a fragile ego, then I rubbed it in after he grumbled."

She sighed and held out her hand. Three large iron orbs emerged from her palm. On them appeared to be an engraving resembling an eye.

"What are you going to do with that?" I gulped and backed away. "H-hey, you don't plan to beat me up, right?"

She chuckled as the orbs flew off in the direction Huoyin and Lidia had gone off in. "No. These will make finding Huo easier."

I tilted my head. "How?"

"This is a recognizance spell. I can see what the orbs can."

"Woah!"

She giggled. "I used it on the train. It's how I was aware of you and the others. Not that it did me much good." She sighed. "But it all turned out for the better."

"W-wait, I didn't see any orbs back on the train."

Kanja smirked. "That's because I kept them tiny. Only reason I made them big this time is to help guide Lidia toward Huoyin."

I swung my hands behind my head. "You sure are smart!"

Her cheeks flushed. She closed her eyes. "It's probably the reason I managed to make it here."

I grabbed her hand. "At least you're here."

She turned away. "T-thanks."

My eyes moved to my hand. I pulled it away quickly. "S-sorry."

She giggled. "It's okay." Her eyes widened.

"W-what's wrong?"

"Got Huo in my sights. Lidia is talking to him now." She put a hand on my back and closed her eyes.

I gasped as I could see Lidia sitting next to Huo in what looked to be the stairs leading to the first floor.

"Are you feeling better now?" Lidia asked, rubbing her foster brother's arm.

Huo leaned on her shoulder. "Not completely. I-I still feel disgusted by myself."

"Huh? Why do you feel that way in the first place?"

"Carter said that I have a frail ego. I denied it, but I know that he is right. That's why I ran off. I couldn't counter what he said. I-I'd always seen myself as more humble than Let, but it seems I am as bad as her. Or perhaps, I'm worse."

She squeezed him. "You can get on your high horse from time to time, but I know that you mean well. You just have to open yourself up to criticism. It is one thing to give it, and another thing to take it."

He sighed. "So what you're saying is that a hypocrite..."

Lidia winced. "Well, yeah..."

He smiled at her a bit. "Thanks for being honest with me, Lidi."

She ruffled his hair. "No need to thank me. I have to keep an eye out for Sarah and you."

He pouted. "I might be younger than you by a year, but I am not a kid."

Lidia giggled as she stood up. "Sometimes, you make me feel like the kid," she said, holding her hand out.

He looked up at her and took her hand. "W-what do you mean?"

She smiled. "I mean that you're smarter than me and most of the time, more mature."

Huo blushed. "I am? I-I don't feel very mature right now."

I gasped as I found myself alone in the hall with Kanja again. "W-what happened?"

"I cut the feed. I feel bad for eavesdropping on a wholesome moment," Kanja said, turning around. "Plus, the bell rang. Good thing we're given fifteen minutes between periods."

"Wait, t-that means we're late!"

Kanja put her hands on her hips and chuckled. "Since when have you cared about being late?"

I huffed. "I do care! Why do you think that I went to the test site early?"

"Thought that was the exception to the norm. Anyway, seems they're pretty lenient due to it being the first week."

"You sure that wasn't just Ms. Key and Ms. Zettai?"

"Hmm, could be. Mr. Obi did seem to care somewhat."

"See?"

Kanja smiled as we ran back to class. "You know, you look pretty nice in that spandex."

My face flushed. Was she hitting me again?

"Y-you look nice in that tutu too."

Kanja turned away but seemed to smile. "Thanks."

I gasped. "So, why did you decide to take dance?" I asked as we entered the class. Strangely, the teacher appeared to be nowhere in sight. Despite that, some kids had sat down on the blue mat-covered floor. They all stretched their legs. Those who still stood performed arm stretches.

Kanja sat down and copied the others, reaching for her feet. "My mom used to be a ballet dancer. She taught me when I was very little," she said. She smiled, but sadness hung over it. One reminiscent of mine whenever I spoke about my own deceased mother.

I smiled as I sat down beside her. "That explains why you're so limber."

She chuckled. "Is it the same with you? You do have moves that are similar to one who has danced all of his life."

My cheeks warmed. "I-I'm n-not really that good. I-I taught myself. As for when I became interested in it... it was when I went to the opera house with my mom. At first, I was bummed out at having to go, as any five-year-old boy would be. Especially given it was a romantic ballet and not an adventure play."

"I bet. Especially for a hyper guy like you."

I coughed. "H-how do you figure?"

She let out a guffaw. "I was right on the money, wasn't I?"

"Okay, you were, but it still bothers me..."

"Come on, stop moping and continue."

"Please do. I would like the hear it myself," Lidia said, smiling.

Huo sat down and avoided making eye contact with me. He was still mad at me, wasn't he?

I cleared my throat. "O-okay, but because you a-asked nicely. U-unlike a certain bossy pants."

"Rude," Kanja mumbled.

I smirked. "Anyway, as you would expect, I was bored out of my mind. I would move my feet back and forth to distract myself. Chun-Hua, my big sis, would tell me to stop that as she couldn't focus on the play. Despite that, I continued to flail around. At least until it got to the climax. Watching the male lead and his rival dance around, glaring at one another, made me realize just how intense ballet could be! The main female dancer was pretty amazing too. Despite being pulled back and forth by the male leads, she didn't seem to get dizzy at all!"

Kanja held her forehead. "I feel dizzy just hearing you recount it."

I laughed. "H-hope to do it myself one day."

"Feel bad for whoever is the girl."

"I don't know, it sounds like fun," Lidia said.

My eyes glistened. "T-thanks, Lidi!"

Huo glared at me. "Only I can call her that, Carter."

"Okay, okay."

A woman with short black hair and orange eyes stepped into the class and clapped her hands. A familiar-looking boy accompanied her.

"Enkai?" Kanja asked.

Huo gasped.

"Oh, hey, Kanja!" Enkai said, waving and smiling at her.

I narrowed my eyes at him. Why was he here? If the teacher was with him, did he have to be dragged to class?

"Sorry, class. I had to gather some material that hadn't come in ahead of time. Thankfully, I ran into Sir Enkai here who was so kind to assist me."

Enkai crossed his arms and smirked. "Don't think too highly of me. I was just doing what any other gentleman would do."

"Hmph, big ego," Huo mumbled.

I nodded. At least we could agree on something today.

"Where's the stuff that you helped with?" Lidia asked.

Enkai chuckled and snapped his fingers, causing a piano to appear in the middle of the room along with a crate of batons.

The teacher smiled. "Hyperspace rings sure are useful."

Oh, so it was a ring! Thought it was a spell!

Enkai stepped forward and pushed the piano relatively easily despite it having no wheels.

"Hmph, show off," Huo whispered.

"Yeah," I said, nodding again.

"You two are getting along finally," Lidia said, giggling.

Huo grumbled. "We're not."

"Y-yeah." But hopefully, we would one day. I wanted to be friends with all of my classmates. Even with that showoff.

**Solar Note: Published 71 early to make up for the long wait for some of the other recent chapters. Hope that you enjoyed it ^^. Thoughts? Theories? Predictions?**