"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

~ Anais Nin (The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 1)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, there isn't anything much to explain," Miracle said, leaning against the side of her bed and chewing on the rice and curry her Ma had prepared. "And this is really awesome by the way! I don't remember eating rice for a long time. It's always been pizzas and burgers and all sorts of junk food."

"Good for you," Blue said sullenly picking on her food. In her house, it was always rice, rice and rice. But she was glad that at least someone was enjoying it. It had been a little weird to explain to Ma about the two plates. Hopefully, her act of starving to death was believable enough.

"So, what about you?" Miracle asked. "Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

Blue shrugged. "What about me? I'm just...me, Blue Jennings. Boring twelve-year-old school girl." Which was true. Blue, personally, thought she was pretty boring. With her boring black hair and boring black eyes, how could she be anything else? Why, oh why, couldn't she have shiny blonde hair? And sparkling azure eyes? But, then again, at least, she didn't have red hair. One of her red-headed friend claimed that having red-hair was her life's biggest woe. 

"My Ma is Rita Jennings," Blue continued, realising Miracle was looking at her expectantly, unaware of her inner dilemma. "She's Indian. My Papa was American. So, I guess, I'm half Asian and half American. But I tend to feel more American than Asian. But I wish I felt more Asian than American--" Blue paused. "I'm blabbering, aren't I?"

"A little bit, yes," Miracle said, smirking. But then his smile dipped. "What happened to your father?"

Blue mashed her face in Timmy's soft fur, while scratching his ear and shrugged. Softly, she said, "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean that I don't know!" Blue snapped, her temper flaring as it did every time someone asked her of her father. But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. 

Sighing, she spoke a little more quietly, "I don't know where he is. He was in the Navy. Three years ago, his ship went missing. Along with the crew and all officers aboard. One day, these really tall men wearing white uniform and all these shiny badges stopped by and personally thanked Ma for Papa's services. They said his ship...drowned in some sort of freak storm."

Blue sighed again. "I think...I think Ma still hopes that he will come back, one day. But, I know, it's not true. He isn't coming back. He's dead." 

"Oh, I-I'm sorry--" Miracle began but Blue waved it off.

"Doesn't matter," Blue dismissed, a little too quickly. "What about your parents?"

Miracle's face was unreadable when he said, "Blue, my Blue, my life is different than yours. I don't have a family. I wish I did...but I don't."

Blue frowned. "But everyone should have a family. Everyone deserves a family."

Miracle laughed hollowly. "Forget family, Blue. I barely have any friends."

Blue's brow puckered. She said, "No friends, no family....you must have a very sad life."

Of course, twelve-year-old Blue didn't realise that she was hitting a sore spot. Maybe if she were older, she would've had more...tact. But then again, wasn't it a wonder the way children saw things? It seemed so simple to them. Miracle might have appeared to her in a child's body but he had been around for a long time. And even though Blue's straightforwardness made him wince, he was strangely appeased by her innocent charm.

Ah, childhood, what a beautiful thing.

Miracle shook his head, a little too quickly. "No, Blue, my Blue. I make people happy. My very existence is dedicated to making people smile, to giving them the one thing they think they don't deserve or won't ever get. You should see their faces. It would brighten up in a way that would put the sun to shame. The way their faces would stretch into that one wide, genuine smile. The way their eyes would twinkle like stars. Someone would even cry in joy. I'm not sad, Blue, my Blue. How can I be? There's a strange sort of happiness in helping others. One kind act is all it takes to feel a happiness so profound, so large that it sometimes feels like...sadness."

Miracle smiled. Blue thought it was a smile like the one he just described – so happy that it felt sad.

But young Blue still did not understand. Miracle's words were perhaps too large for her to comprehend just yet. So she argued, "My Ma says so too. That helping others makes you feel really good and happy. But people need friends and family too. Then they can be..." Blue paused, searching for the right word, "double happy!"

Miracle smiled again and this time it was definitely sad.

"For someone who makes others happy, you're very sad," Blue observed. "But worry not! Because you have a new friend. Actually, two!"

"Who?"

Blue pointed at herself excitedly and then at Timmy who barked cheerfully, finally having decided that Miracle was deserving of his attention. He licked Miracle's face, leaving a trail of doggy drool.

Miracle stared at Blue, rubbing his now wet cheek. "Really?"

Blue nodded vigorously and then extended her hand. Miracle took it tentatively.

"Friends!" Blue exclaimed, shaking his hand eagerly.

"Friends," Miracle agreed, smiling till his cheeks hurt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You ready?" Miracle asked Blue as the both of them stared up at her school, a giant, ugly building inhabited by wild dangerous creatures also known as teachers and students.

Yesterday, Blue had convinced Miracle that he needed to come with her to school, mostly because she knew Warren and Sherry were going to be here too and she couldn't face them alone, especially now that she knew Warren was more than just a mean kid. He was Wrath itself. Miracle had explained that Warren was in a way his counterpart. Just like Miracle brought happiness in others life, Warren did the complete opposite – he brought wrath, disaster etc. It was a game of balance apparently.

"You never said what Sherry is," Blue said as they walked through the school compound towards the entrance doors with a row of other kids.

"Well, she could be a normal girl for all you know," Miracle teased.

"Oh, c'mon! She hangs out with Warren, she can't be normal!"

"You're right. She isn't," Miracle admitted. "She's Bad Luck."

"Oh! Her surname is Luck!"

"Yeah. Sherry is just a pseudonym. She has a counterpart as well. Good Luck, her twin sister."

"I never knew she had a sister. I don't think I've ever met her."

Miracle frowned. "Yeah, that's weird. They used to be inseparable. Now that you tell me, I don't think I've seen her as well."

"Oh, look who's graced us with his presence," a voice sneered from behind them. Blue and Miracle turned around to face Sherry, her hands on her hips and her hair tied in three pigtails. Blue controlled herself from bursting into laughter with sheer willpower.

"Sherry," Miracle greeted pleasantly, none of the anger in his voice like yesterday. "I must say, you look absolutely gorgeous."

Blue clamped down her lips but a few giggles escaped. Sherry narrowed her eyes at Blue but before she could say anything, Miracle jumped in, "So, where's your sister, Sherry? I haven't seen her around."

The colour from Sherry's face drained and something flashed in her eyes. Blue and Miracle exchanged a quick look.

"What do you mean?" she said nonchalantly. "My sister's good. A little...sick, that's all."

"Is that so?" Miracle said smoothly. "And why have you decided to suddenly attend school, Sherry?"

Sherry sucked in a breath. "Uh...because I wanted to?"

"Oh c'mon, we both have been around for a long time. We don't attend school."

Sherry glared at him. "Fine, because Warren insisted we do. To keep an eye on her."

"Me?" Blue asked bewildered. "Whatever for?"

Suddenly a voice shouted, the sound carrying through the chatter of the students all around, "Sherry, where are you?"

Sherry stiffened. "It's Warren. He's looking for me. I must go!"

Miracle grabbed her arm suddenly. "You need not, Sherry. Whatever he's making you do--"

Sherry hissed at him. "He isn't making me do anything! You don't understand! I must go."

Then she hesitated. Lowering her head to lean towards Blue and Miracle, she reluctantly whispered, "Meet me tonight at the Old Lighthouse Cabin, okay? There's something you need to know."