Narrator POV

Brooklyn stood in the cold, her cheeks turning rosy red, almost matching her hair. She turned her head to see cars going by, soon, she saw the light turn green and she headed across the street.

As she walked, she found herself thinking of all the hidden things about her, as she kept thinking, she realized that now she was at school and just about to head inside.

Brooklyn put a smile on her face, the same one she had every day, she saw her friends inside. She set her bag down and smiled as the others around her, she smiled as a few other friends came in.

"Hey Brook, come on," A friend of hers said as she kept walking.

"I'm coming, Camila." She said as she rushed after her.

They headed to her locker and chatted there, until a boy came walking past. Brooklyn hushed and Camila smiled. She shook her head and pushed Brook's shoulder.

"Go on, you were saying?" Camila asked, watching Brooklyn staring blankly at the boy who was still going past. "Brook?"

Camila waved a hand and snapped her back to reality, tried at least. She stared at the boy, then back to Brook. She laughed and turned her around.

"Brook?" She shook her slightly.

"Sorry, yeah, I just don't like to talk when others are around, you know that." She replied, fingering her skirt.

"I know, so, how are things going?" She said, putting textbooks up in her locker.

"It's fine, oh, I got to go, Xander asked me a favor and I can't say no, you know?" Brooklyn walked over to a boy and started to talk.

Camila smiled as she watched her interact with the boy, soon walking away into the hallway.

~*~

Xander POV

I watched as Brooklyn walked in front of me, bringing her bags with her. She turned around and smiled at me.

"Why are you taking such a long time?" She laughed and I caught up to her.

"You are way over excited to see her aren't you?" I asked as I started to walk faster.

"Well duh, it's a hedgehog for goodness sakes, it's adorable, plus, you said you wanted to roll it? Well, she does it on her own too, so if you wanna see it, hurry up." She turned back around and walked towards a classroom.

I had been asked to take care of one of my teacher's class pets, and I decided I'd bring Brooklyn with me, she wasn't afraid of it, she loved it, unlike me, who was afraid to touch its quills.

"Alright, alright, let's go see Sage," I said as we kept going.

We walked in and I watched as she started to open the cage and take her out. She smiled at Sage and set her down on a blanket.

"You wanna hold her Xander?" She asked as she patted the ground beside her, for me to sit down.

"Um..." I shrugged and sat down, watching the teacher.

"It won't hurt," The teacher said, reassuring me.

"Yeah, you can have the blanket underneath if you must, unless you'd like to clean her cage," Brooklyn said as she lifted Sage.

I nodded and held my hands out, for her to place Sage in my hands. She did and soon she got on her knees, taking the water bowl and getting up to refill it.

I smiled as I watched her walk past, soon, I was facing the teacher, with Sage in my hands. I watched as the teacher smiled and stared at me, I couldn't quite figure out why, but it didn't matter.

"Hey, you wanna put her in the water?" Brooklyn said as she came in, with a bowl of water in one hand, and a bucket of warm water.

I nodded and handed Sage to her, I watched as she took her bare hand and placed her in the water, gently, watching as Sage relaxed and walked around. Soon, she picked her up, again with no gloves or blanket, placing her in a pouch so she could dry.

I held my hands out and I felt Brooklyn setting Sage down in mine, this time I was bare hand. I saw her shake her hand and stare at her finger.

"Something wrong?" I asked as I felt Sage walking around my hands.

"Oh, no, not at all," She said, clearly hiding something.

I sighed and watched the clock, just another 20 minutes of us, Sage and the teacher. I stared at Sage who was now settling into my hands, and I watched as the teacher looked over his computer to see her.

"Good job guys, well, I'll go, you guys should clean up in about 15 minutes.

I nodded and watched as Brooklyn started to clean up. I then watched as she sat down and looked at me and Sage. She put her hands out and I placed sage in her hands, she set her down in the cage and closed it. Standing up as she put the blanket away in the basket.

"So, where to?" I asked as I stood.

"Class, where else?" She said as she put her backpack on.

I did the same and we both walked out of that classroom to our class. I sighed as I watched her go to her desk and come back. She smiled as she headed towards me, and I couldn't help but smile back.

We chatted until the bell rang for us to get in our seats and start Devotions, the 15 minutes before school really did start.

I turned my head just so I could watch Brooklyn, who was at the front of the class, I was behind her. I knew how much she loved School, often times, I'd be reading her thankfulness slides, and I always saw similar things.

But I always saw the one thing that stood out to me, many times, she would write that she was happy to have such a good education, even though she felt like she didn't deserve it. I personally thought she did, how could she not?

I sighed as I watched the teacher, what next could happen? I wouldn't know, I started to stare at her thankfulness again.

Even though I hide everything that happens to me, I'm thankful for those who care. It said. I wondered what that meant.

What was she hiding?