Emeral swirled the water with her finger. It was quiet now. The otter-family and friends had left a few minutes ago, and it was just her and Ket now. She was sort of surprised at his uncharacteristic action, getting them into the little game of water-volleyball. He was very good, she discovered. For almost a whole minute they ping-ponged back and forth while the others watched and waited, until at last she spiked it. But he was a good sport, and they both sort of receded to the backs.
	She watched Ket's foot wiggle in a beat. He was lying down, footpad facing her, and his right leg was in the water. "Sorry," she muttered. "Pool's rules." And this time it was true: no kids allowed in if no adults were around. She smiled wryly. "You know, I think that little guy liked me."
	"I'm sure everybody likes you," he replied, but it didn't have a scent of what she was looking for.
	She giggled, "No I mean I think he [i]real-ly[/i] liked me." She scooted over until she was sitting at his foot. "He had some pretty smooth moves too. You could learn a thing or two from him." She started tracing his pads.
	"I'm still getting the hang of being a friend--[i]stop that[/i], it tickles."
	"Oh really?" She snared his foot in her grasp and began feathering her fingers across his sole.
	"No wai-st-st--!"
	She giggled as he was forced to laugh, feebly trying to ward her away. Until at last he sucked in a breath of air and sat up, clasping his paw around her shoulder and pushed her over.
	[i]Splash![/i]
	Emeral surfaced, spitting water up at Ket.
	He blocked with his arm, and then set his guard down. "You're breaking the rules." He said with a grin.
	"Oh yeah?" She lashed up, dragging him into the pool as he shouted and fought, but ultimately lost. When he surfaced they were almost nose-to-nose. "Now you're breaking the rules too, you [i]bad boy[/i]." She giggled, then stopped. He was staring at her blankly. "Ket...what's wro--"
	His lips uncurled, and a stream of water shot out at her face. He laughed as she squealed, a perfect stealth-shot.
	"Oh I get it!" She huffed. "I'll teach you to mess with me!"
	They struggled for a hold on each other, a no-rules-brawl. He was bigger, sure, but she was faster and more nimble. Plus she had [i]Jiu-Jitsu[/i] on her side, and of course he tried to restrain her by the wrists. Although water made it a little different. Even as she tried to subdue him he managed to slip away. He pushed her, but she stuck her foot downward and caught onto the shallow floor. With a huff she darted forward, and her knee rose to hit him in the gut--or at least she intended it that way.
	She knew exactly what she'd done from the sudden expression on his face. So many times had she seen TV and other kids make it as a joke, highly exaggerated and comical. Although, it wasn't far from the real thing.
	His eyes bulged, and his lips framed a rack of gritted teeth. He curled, his hands reflexively blocking his groin. A grunt escaped his throat and he floated feebly in the water, quickly falling as he expelled his breath into a barrage of bubbles. He rose, panting, and turned away, hands still blocking.
	"Oh jeez..." Emeral hesitantly drifted to him, "Are you...gonna be okay?"
	He nodded fighting a cringe. "Yeah," he muttered, "It hurts for a bit, then goes away," he said quickly, cringing; "Hasn't gone away yet give it a sec..." A moment passed where he breathed heavily, soothingly, and then at last he relaxed. "Okay," he turned with a huff, "I think I'm good."
	She blushed, "...I'm sorry."
	"I'm okay, really. It...happens."
	She spread her arms, "Hug and forgive me?"
	Just as he was about to, a voice shouted from the doorway. "Hey!" Their eyes darted toward the entrance to the pools. Emeral's mom was pacing over to them. "Emeral what do you think you're doing? Get out of there! You want to get us expelled from here?"
	The kids very quickly darted toward the closest set of steps and emerged, rushing to get their towels.
	"Sorry mom," Emeral said, "But really it's Ket's fault! He pushed me--"
	"My fault?"
	"Hush you two," Mrs. Garne snapped, shaking her head. It was obvious she was a little irritated. "I don't care who's fault it is. But Emeral, you're supposed to be the responsible one anyway, after all Ket is our guest."
	The little tigress bit her cheek. "Fine," she huffed, and began drying her hair. "Still Ket's fault," she pouted to herself.
	"How did your match go, Mrs. Garne?" Ket asked.
	The mom sighed. "Not too well. Not well at all." She sighed again. "I need to go sit down. I'll be waiting in the lobby, okay?"
	"Kay mom," her daughter replied and watched as she left. She looked back to Ket, who was already negotiating his shirt back on.
	He returned her gaze, then his eyes slanted apologetically. "Did I get you in real big trouble?" He asked.
	"Nah," she said, wrapping the towel around her shoulders. "Mom's just in a bad mood cuz she lost her tennis game."
	"Oh," he replied, and scratched the top of his left foot with his right. They stared in silence for a second longer, and then he decided to retake a missed opportunity. He held his arms out, "Hug and forgive?"
	She responded with a smile.
	The towel fell in a damp heap about their ankles. And it was really weird because, for the first time, Ket didn't feel so nervous about the hug.

	Mrs. Garne had the radio turned on very loudly. Thankfully the kids were quietly muttering to themselves. But it was only a matter of time until...
	"Hey!" Emeral shouted, "Hey, mom!"
	She reached over and turned the radio down. "What-what?" She asked rhetorically.
	"So...did you decide how many people I can invite to the party?"
	"Oh gosh...I dunno. How many were you planning on?"
	Emeral started listing names off onto her fingers, "...And then Rini, but she'll only come if I invite Goren, and [i]he'll[/i] only come if I invite Ritzer...and then Ket, of course."
	At the sound of his name, he snapped to attention. "What?"
	She giggled. "You're coming to Lyza's party, right?"
	"Birthday party?"
	Emeral nodded, "Yeah. Her birthday is coming up, it's like a week before Halloween. I promised I'd throw her a big party, so I'm inviting everyone to the Pizza-Arcade." The music got louder again.
	"But Emeral," Ket whispered, "If I go people might figure out we're friends."
	She giggled again, "Don't worry about that. I want you to come so that you can be friends with Lyza." She smiled, "She's real nice, and it'll be a good ice-breaker. Plus you can show off your mad gaming skills. Besides, Ritzer's coming. You wanna protect us from him don't you?" She nodded, utilizing her newly found knowledge.
	His ears twitched. With a sigh, he accepted, "All right. But," he said loudly in a normal voice, "I dunno where the Pizza-Arcade's at and I dunno if I can walk there."
	"No sweat, kiddo," Mrs. Garne spoke from the front seat, "I can swing by and pick you up. You live close to the library right? It's practically on the way."
	"Oh...thank you ma'am, I'll see if it's okay with mom when she comes home from work."
	"All righty--and remember what I said about calling me ma'am?" The car stopped, "Now you guys gotta get out, I have to get to work, unfortunately. You have your key, right Emmy?"

	*	*	*

	The third week of October, fifth week of the second-six-weeks period. By now, time was sludge. Days were predictable, long, and agonizing. Recess and lunch were just bittersweet respites that really made sitting in the desks that much more intolerable. The kids would rather skip all that and just go home earlier--that made more sense.
	The weather was getting colder, and nights were beginning to dominate the circadian cycle. The trees began turning the color of fire, and letting embers drop to the ground. Soon they would stand bare and naked, their branches like witches' fingers scraping at the air, whistling and longing for the birds to perch and sing and make them beautiful again.
	It was the twilight of the seasons; an ambient crepuscular radiance that befell the earth. A warning to those dreadful of winter coming; or caroling to those wishful of snow falling. A time of approaching end, of drowsiness, changing clocks and dimming lights. And yet it happened so slowly that [i]during[/i], it went unnoticed. In particular to those who were learning negative numbers for the first, or second, and especially third time.
	But at last, the bell was to ring on this brisk Friday afternoon. And with all their pent-up energy the children rushed out to greet their vessels home, or confront the long journey by themselves. Some such children would soon gather once again, a day hence, to take part in celebration. Or to take advantage of free pizza and games, at least.
	One such individual had mixed feelings. And yet, as he walked alone down the sidewalks, he set those feelings aside as he had for almost the whole day. There was a certain...emptiness. Both physical and emotional. The desk he had stared at all day, unoccupied by the cheerful girl. He'd felt it as soon as the bell rang and the class had quieted down. That terrible feeling of guess-and-worry, even if there wasn't much to be worried about.
	He missed her.
	Absent. Kids were absent at some point in time, it was inevitable. No one went through the whole year without one, excused or not. But it felt so different without her. Like the natural order had been spilled and neglected, and not even the quilted quicker-picker-upper could help. What evil deed had she done that some ill thing might befall her? She planned, for weeks, tomorrow's event and yet, he felt, she may very well be the only one who would not attend.
	Would she be surprised, he thought, as he punched the combination to the gate with stiff fingers. Was this a friendly gesture, or a [i]boy[/i]-friendly gesture? Did he feel sad because she missed a day, when she was having such trouble in math as it is that it might take her a while to get back in gear; or because he felt alone?
	Both, really. 
	He knocked. As he suspected, her mom opened the door. It was a face he'd gotten used to seeing now.
	"Hello, Ket."
	"Hi Mrs. Garne."
	"I bet you're here to see Emeral, but you know, she's caught a bug."
	"I figured. I came by to drop off some homework."
	"Mm...mom, who's at the door?" She shuffled into view. She was dressed in a dark-blue nightgown that almost hit the floor, and white socks, rubbing her eye as if just aroused from sleep. She smiled. "Why's he standing out in the cold mom?"
	"I dunno," Mrs. Garne said with a shrug. "How bout it Ket-o. You wanna risk it?"
	A step past the threshold, and the door was shut behind him. He slipped off his shoes without undoing the laces, and Mrs. Garne helped him out of his jacket, and slung it on a branch of the coat-tree.
	"Okie-dokie, well...Emeral I take it you're still not hungry," a nod from her daughter as confirmation; "Ket, I guess that's also a 'no' on something to eat or drink?"
	He nodded quietly.
	"Then I guess my work here is done," she dusted her hands, "Back to that stupid CE stuff. Holler if you need."
	A moment of silence passed; the clock on the kitchen wall [i]tick-tocked, tick-tocked[/i], and the heater snapped on. 
	"I must look like a mess..." Emeral said somewhat nasally, trying to make decent her unruly hair.
	"You just woke up huh?"
	"Yeah. You get pretty tired when you puke your guts out all morning." She giggled. "Sorry, I guess that was a little much..."
	He shrugged. "I don't care. That stuff doesn't bother me." With an idle hand he reached for his backpack and undid the zipper. "I came by to bring you some homework."
	"Oh joy!" She said sarcastically, and then began to cough. "S--s--sorry," she said between fits, "I guess I should be more grateful." With a gentle hand she took the papers and led him into the kitchen, where she threw them on a chair. "I promise I'll get to it."
	"You're going to make it to the party, right?"
	That was obviously the question she was dreading. "I...I don't think so." She rose onto her tip-toes and fell back again. "Don't punk out though," she pleaded, "Lyza's brother is going to pick you up at the library. Mom called and arranged it and everything."
	"Don't worry," he said calmly, "I'll still go. I can't let Ritzer pick on Lyza now, can I?"
	"You'll be okay won't you? I mean like, you won't be nervous?" She stepped forward, then halted, "Oh wait...I don't wanna hug you...I mean I do--"
	"I'll be all right," he reassured, as his arms wrapped around her.
	And there they stood for a full moment... and then another.
	"Careful Ket, mom might see," Emeral teased.
	He let go at last. [i]I missed you[/i], he wanted to say, but his tongue was paralyzed. "Get better, okay?" He finally managed.
	She smiled, following him to the den. "I will. Mom thinks it's just a bug, so lucky-me will be back in action on Monday." She held his jacket up and helped him into it after he slipped his shoes back on. The door opened, and the cold bit her. "Thanks for stopping by. I missed you today."
	He smiled, "No problem." A step across the threshold. "Don't forget your homework." A tongue met him as his final glimpse of her disappeared behind the door. He walked down the sidewalk, and paused for a moment to look at a fish popping out of the pond. A puff of steam escaped his frowning lips and spoke to the bitter nothing in the air.
	"I missed you, too."