"He's manipulating you," the ghost girl whispered in her ears.

"Why would he do that?" Cassandra asked suddenly.

Varian gave her a confused look.  "Who are you talking to?"

Cassandra ignored him.  "No, why would he have reason to?  What would he gain from me that way?"

"Cassie?"  Varian prompted.

"Ugh, you're hopeless!"  Cassandra hissed.

"I'm... sorry?"  Varian began slowly, raising a brow.

"He's not manipulating, he's wearing his heart on his sleeve as always..."

"Cassie, what are you-"

"Oh, just shut up!"

Varian winced, backing away.

"I choose my destiny.  It was nice having your advice.  I've listened to it, but I get to choose if I follow it, so just give up."

Varian looked sadly at Cassandra, biting his lower lip.  He thought he'd gotten through to her.  He thought that-never mind what he thought.  It didn't work apparently.  Cassandra was still lost to him, and she refused to heed his warnings.  At least she listened, so it will be rooted in her somewhere.

"Cassie?"

The girl suddenly snapped her luminous eyes to his direction.  She looked confused as she noticed how uneasy he looked.  Then it dawned on her.  "Oh!  No!  Varian, I wasn't talking to you!"

"Then what were you talking to?"  Varian looked a little panicked.

"Uh..." Cassandra glanced at the ghost girl next to her.  The ghost sighed, shaking her head.  "What exactly are you?"  Cassandra asked.

"A spirit," she stated.

"She says she's a spirit," Cassandra finished.  "I guess she only let who she wants to see her.  She probably didn't want to freak you out when she came in."

"R-right..."  Varian said unsurely.  "Can... can you trust her?"

"I think I'm capable of figuring that out myself, Varian," Cassandra huffed.

"I-I know... it's just..."

Cassandra thought for a moment and then nodded with consideration.  "I.. I get it what you meant.  You're wondering if you can trust her.  After everything you've been through, you're not going into blind trust."

"Cassie, does she even have a name?"

"Of course she..."  Cassandra froze.  Realization hit her hard.  She never even bothered to ask her friend for her name.  "What is your name?"

The girl grinned.  "You know my name."

Cassandra's face twisted in confusion.  "I'm sorry, I don't remember it."

The girl shrugged, smoothing out her dress.  "I suppose that I can't blame you, for I never told you."

"Then how do I know your name?"

"Cass?"  Varian's voice enter her ears again.

She sighed and looked at him.  "I actually don't know her name."

Varian pinched the bridge of his nose.  He gave Cassandra a frustrated, yet sorrowful look with his round, blue eyes.  Was she that desperate?  That agonized by her inner turmoil to throw everything away?  And with the help of whatever that spirit was that she didn't even know the name to?  What was he missing.

Cassandra's cheeks grew red as she realized what he was thinking.  Varian had always been an open book.  She crossed her arms.  "Don't you look at me like that.  This is the issue with you people.  You doubt my capabilities at every turn!" She snapped.

"Doubt isn't the word I would use," Varian snapped back.  "Concerned, yeah.  Because we care.  Any good friend would!  And we do!  I do! Rapunzel cares-"

"Don't you dare bring up her name in this!"

"But this is about you fight with her, isn't it?  What am I missing?"

Cassandra snarled.

Eugene and Rapunzel were still listening from the other side of the wall.  Rapunzel grabbed her boyfriend's arm as he moved to go in.  She shook her head and signaled that they should stay hidden a little longer.  Eugene wasn't certain how Cassandra and Varian went from kissing to a shouting match in a matter of a minute or how waiting was going to do anyone any good, but he decided that he trusted Rapunzel's judgement.

"No answer, huh?"  Varian ran a hand down his face.  "See, this is you issue, Cass!  You fail to communicate, you fail to give your side of the story!  I can't help you if you don't give me anything to go on!"

"This is my destiny, and I decide that!  I don't need your help or your pathetic pity!"

"I don't pity you! If anything I admire you, but you lack in the means of communication so this situation can't be resolved until you speak.  What is that you want?  Do you even know what you want or are you just as confused as we are!"

"Just shut up!" Cassandra snapped, her luminous eyes beginning to glow as rocks suddenly sprouted.

Varian quickly dodged the rocks but lost his footing.  He landed on his side and hissed out of surprise rather than pain.

"I don't like the sound of that," Eugene whispered.

"Maybe waiting was a bad idea..." Rapunzel bit her lower lip.

Varian slowly pushed himself up and got up, making his moves careful.  Cassandra was standing there with clenched fists.  He could tell that rocks weren't meant to actually hit him by a small hint of quilt in her eyes.  It was quickly replaced by anger once again.

Varian brushed himself off.  "Fine.  I know the answer now anyways," he muttered.  He looked the side, feeling his own temper still flickering in his stomach.  Taking in deep breaths, he tried to compose himself.  He wasn't going to be able to help her if he too was blinded by his own anger.  It was only making things worse and not just for him.

He ran his fingers through his hair.  Gosh, he thought.  She is the most stubborn person I ever met!  Well... I guess that's one thing we have in common.  He would have even grinned at the thought, had her rocks not almost harmed.  He suddenly realized how shakey he was.  The adrenaline was suddenly wearing off.

"...Cassie..."  he spoke meekly, making her turn her head to look at him.  Her face slightly surprised by how his voice was suddenly quivering after it had been so strong and even powerful despite his situation just moments before.

A sharp pain was staring to throb in Varian's side.  He began to fear to look down.  Maybe he hadn't dodged on time and he was hit.  Maybe he had been in shock this whole time that he hadn't felt any pain?  Perhaps that was the reason he actually lost his footing.

She raised a brow.

"I think... I think you hit me..."  he clutched his side and stomach and grimaced.