BZZT BZZT

Sai rolled over and continued to sleep.

BZZT BZZT

"Sai wake up!" Tori stood next to her, fully dressed for school. She groaned a little but didn't get up. "SAI!" he tore off her blanket and lifted her off the bed.

"Ah!" she instinctively grabbed onto him. Her hair was a tangled mess. "Put me down, Tori." she grumbled, still half asleep.

"We're going to be late." he gave her a stern look. She always overslept. He was used to it by now, but they actually had a reason to be at school early given the recent events. "Zeka already left."

"Fine, fine!" she caved, and he finally put her down. They lived with their aunt and cousin after their parents abandoned them; Sai 9 years ago then Tori 2 years later. She originally only stayed for school but when Tori got dropped off, there was no going back. Their aunt wasn't particularly nice, but Sai kept to herself and never really noticed. Tori however, took everything hard. It didn't help that their cousin, Zeka, bullied him. They arrived at the school with just a few minutes before class. The group wasn't in their usual spot. The siblings looked around and something strange caught their attention. Syrus sat with his head down surrounded by their friends, the twins harassed him while Skai Anya and Kid watched. A grin came to Sai's face as she snickered. The pair walked over.

"Leave me alone!" Syrus whined. The twins squirmed around him making obnoxious noises. Skai wore a serious look as he adjusted his glasses. Kid smiled and urged along with them. Anya just laughed at her friends’ antics. Mini looked up to Sai and Tori and waved with a coy smile. Syrus raised his head just enough to see through his bangs, his crimson eyes followed Sai. She waved back with an aloof expression. "I don't want to be friends with you!" he growled with aggravation. "Go away!"

"It would be more efficient if we work together, Kanamura san." Skai adjusted his glasses and remarked blankly. Kid nodded.

"Yeah!" he jumped up and extended his arms exuberantly. "...It's our fault Akseli yelled at you." he sank back into his seat. Syrus rolled his eyes remorsefully.

"No...no, I deserved that." he sighed. Kid pouted.

"Oh?" Mini poked at Syrus's ponytail. He pulled away.

"Forget it." he turned his face down and stood up. "We better get to class." he said coldly and walked off. Most of the courtyard had cleared out.

Between classes various members in Syrus's class would harass him to join. First the twins, then Kid and Skai, who Kid dragged up with him, and Tori who said nothing and just stood there staring until the next class started.

Sai sat in class eyeing Mira, trying to concoct some scheme to entice her to come to their group. Lunch came. Syrus hurried out of the room before the rest, hoping to avoid them only to run into Sai in the hallway.

"Leave me alone!" he huffed. Sai chuckled to herself as Syrus hastily stomped off. In the dining hall, the group gathered around the lone, brooding Syrus. "What is your deal, seriously?" he snapped. Anya was about to go off on him when Sai spoke up.

"Do you really think you can handle this on your own?" the group stared at her in shock at her bitter question. "If you forgot what happened Saturday, you only succeeded due to a misunderstanding on Akseli kun's part." Everyone thought back to what occurred. Arlin thought Syrus was with them and told him where to go. The words Sai spoke stung. Syrus lowered his head and averted his gaze. "Even then you couldn't do it alone." She pointed to Skai. He was the one who retrieved Kid, Syrus was only a distraction. Syrus let out a deep breath.

"Fine..." he turned to her, scanning the rest of the group along the way. "But this doesn't make us friends!" he shrugged in defeat, his face slightly flushed. Jem and Mini raised their hands in celebration. Kid scratched at his cheek.

"What did Akseli san want with me in the first place?" he asked as if thinking out loud. Skai choked on his food in shock. "I don't get it." he paused. "He said he needed to talk and the next thing I remember was that office building." Anya glanced over to Skai. He shook his head frantically then adjusted his glasses. At this, Syrus started to speak again.

"He thought I was trying to replace him with you." he cocked his head to the side. "He was jealous."

"That doesn't excuse it!" Jem pounded a fist on the table.

"I know that! I don't know what's gotten into him lately...he was never like this." Syrus sighed. No point in playing hard to get when his personal connections affected everyone.

"Murasa!" Mini growled. Everyone eyed her silently. "He's been filling his head with bullshit, I just know it!" The somber mood lasted the rest of the day. On the way back to their classes, the twins distracted Kid as Sai and Syrus shared what they knew.

"Hiroko, huh?" Syrus scratched his head. "Us plus her and Dunley make eight." he paused. "Four left?"

"Dunley?" Anya glanced at him skeptically.

"Uh, yeah." he buried his face in his hands as the memories of the previous days replayed in his head. "I ran into her before I found Noriko, there's no denying it." he shrugged and crossed his arms.

"Sounds like that went well." Sai interjected sarcastically.

"Right?" he sniggered back. "She refused to hear a thing I had to say."

"Fun." Tori scoffed. Skai grinned satirically and adjusted his glasses.

"There are others in our class, but I can't get close enough to tell who." Syrus admitted apologetically.

"Hmm..." Sai looked to the group before them. "Them?" she gestured. Syrus nodded.

"Fantastic." Skai groaned. It was the popular crowd.

"I may have an idea..." Sai eyed Syrus. "Meet me after class." he rolled his eyes in response and they split there. Arlin exuded an aura of malice as he glared at Syrus. Classes flew by. As everyone was leaving the gym, Syrus followed Sai to her locker. She dug around and pulled out a neat stack of folded fabric.

"That's?" Syrus inspected the cloth.

"You, yourself said we can't get close to them as we are now." a sly grin stretched across her face. She pushed the pile to Syrus. "With this they won't be able to resist you!"

"Wha...?" he looked to the pile. "NO!" his face burned bright red.

"There's no way for me to..." she giggled. "It has to be you!" he sighed then reluctantly stuffed the uniform into his bag.

"You owe me, big time!" he bared his teeth in embarrassment revealing thin fangs. Sai laughed at his over the top reaction. Brooding, Syrus walked off.