As she walked out of the classroom, Farrah chanted, "Pets! Pets! Pets! Pets!" She jerked back as Shae pulled her arm.

"Wait, Fare. You don't even know where we're going."

Farrah looked over her shoulder. "Yeah, but we're taking the car, right?" Shae nodded. "So, I know for now." Farrah ruffled his hair, but upon hearing Charli's excited voice, she paused to turn around.

"Adelah!" Charli cried, rushing over to her. Adelah looked up from the ground in shock. "I missed you." A small smile graced her lips at the sparkle in Charli's eye.

"Hi, Charli. I missed you, too," Adelah told her from within her arms. Charli squeezed. Mmm, it's warm, Adelah thought, snuggling further into the firm grasp.

"Adelah?" Adelah gazed into the gray pools looking down at her. She took one last moment to relish in the warmth before pulling apart.

"Sorry," Adelah mumbled.

"You don't need to apologize! I'll take a hug from you any day. I was just surprised since you never hug me back." The places Adelah touched Charli tingled.

"Hey, lovebirds, are we going?" Farrah asked. Adelah whipped around, her cheeks reddening a little. Shae smiled at the new side of Adelah he was seeing.

"Come on, Fare. Stop teasing them."

Farrah chuckled, "But, it's fun." Shae nudged her. Farrah's lips quickly turned upside down. "And, I want to go see the hamsters..."

Seeing Farrah's stormy aura, Adelah sauntered up to her and took her hand. She stared into the eyes that refused to meet hers.

"I'm sorry, Farrah. Let's go. Okay?" Farrah's brown eyes slipped over to Adelah's.

"Okay," she said in a quiet voice. Her gaze looked over to Charli, who nodded in agreement, and past her. Farrah furrowed her brow. "What are you doing here?"

Rain stepped from behind Charli. "Charli invited me."

Charli showed Farrah a meek smile. "I hope that's okay."

Turning on her heels, Farrah said, "I guess. It's not like I'm mad at him or anything. Come if you want." Shae glanced at Rain before following after his friend.

"You didn't need to say it like that," he whispered to her.

"Hmph, like what?" Shae sighed at her attitude. He wasn't going to get anywhere with Farrah in such a mood.

Though Shae knew it was pointless, he had to ask, "Are you still mad at him?"

"No." Shae flinched at her voice that threatened to cut him with razor blades.

Though Farrah denied it, Shae knew something was off.

~

The gang filed into the pet store like decent human beings before fleeing in opposite directions like maniacs. Adelah pulled Charli towards the rabbits while Shae fled towards the puppies. Farrah ran to the hamsters.

"Awww, aren't you cute?" Farrah cooed, watching one run on the hamster wheel. The three other hamsters fled under their dome, but this one refused to budge. It stared up at her, as if challenging her. "We got a little troublemaker," Farrah chuckled at its spirit, "I like that." She reached into the glass cage with no ceiling and tried to pet its furry, little head. It moved to bite her.

"Reminds me of you," Farrah heard from behind her as she pulled her hand back. Turning to look, Farrah saw Rain with a weak, nervous smile. He stepped beside her.

Jerking back around, Farrah groaned, "Why aren't you with Charli? Or, Adelah? Aren't they your friends, not me?" Rain watched as a hamster peeked its head out from the opening of the hut. It's timidness reminded him of Adelah when they first met.

"Yeah, but they're in their own, little world right now. I don't want to bother them." Farrah glanced at the cage next to them.

Charli had got a hold of a rabbit and was stroking its cheeks as it lay comfortably in her arms. From beside her, Adelah stared up at Charli with such a look of tenderness that Farrah's own heart warmed at the sight. Adelah reached up and clung to the sleeve of Charli's jacket.

Have I ever seen a look like that from her? Farrah wondered as Charli glanced at Adelah in shock, her gaze softening not long after.

"You've noticed it, too, right? Adelah has been different--softer than usual when she's around Charli."

"Yeah," Farrah mumbled, staring at them. I want something like that.

"I couldn't intrude on them."

Farrah tore her gaze away and peered up at Rain, who stood a few inches taller than her. "What about Shae? You could've hung out with him."

Rain pointed towards the puppies. "Did you really want me to interrupt those two?" Farrah followed his finger across the store to see Shae giggling like a child at the amusement park at something Kylian said. Her stomach fluttered at the bright smile on Shae's lips, at his bubbly atmosphere.

Finally, Farrah thought, he's happy.

Rain fought the urge to grab Farrah's hand. He wanted to draw her attention away, yet he loved the gentle look Shae gave her. The look of contentment, like a parent seeing a child off to school, sent a thrill through him.

"You really love him," Rain found himself mumbling. He gasped, covering his mouth as he realized he had spoken aloud. Farrah looked at him.

The corners of her lips met her eyes as she said, "Very much. He's like a brother to me, a brother I've never had. That's why I want to see him happy. Shae deserves to be happy more than anyone." There was a hint of sadness in her soft tone. Rain wondered if something had happened between the two, to Shae. He wanted to comfort her, to remove all the pain hidden in the crevices she's tried to cover up.

"I understand. Charli and my parents' have known each other since high school, so we grew up together. I've seen her get her diapers changed. We've even bathed together as kids." Rain glanced at his best friend as she gazed at her crush with a sparkle in her eye. A fuzzy feeling formed in his chest. "She's my little sister. I've seen her cry. I've given her advice. Watched Charli fight her hardest to be near the one she loves. To me, Charli deserves the world, and I'll do anything to help her get it." Farrah gazed at his profile.

Adelah's not the only one who's soft around Charli, she thought. A tiny skip of her chest went almost unnoticed. I guess I'll give him a chance.