"Good job guys!" Jaja clapped as she praised them for their collective efforts. Loi looked around. "Uh, guys? Where's Maya?" Kenta and Bridget began to search as well. "Not with me..." Kenta mumbled. "Me neither," Bridget added, succinctly. Loi's eyes grew large. "You mean to tell me she's...STILL INSIDE!" A foreboding crimson sheet covered the entrance to the haunted house, a subtle welcome mat laid out at the start. Upon this sheet, a signifying ghost was painted. Eerie blackness lie just beyond.

"Guys? Where are you?" Maya called out desperately, the encroaching anxiety battering her mercilessly. A malevolent sounding voice responded. "MAYA..." She shuddered and forced herself to speak. "W-who's there?" Bel emerged from the far hall and stood in front of her. "Relax...it's only me." Maya squinted hard, her stinging tears making it difficult to make out anything in the blanket of black. "Your "friends" have already abandoned you, haven't they?"

Maya crossed her arms defiantly. "No, that's not true! They're my friends! Friends wouldn't do that to me. Not them..." she asserted confidently. "I trust them." Bel laughed lightly, raising her robed hand to her mouth. "I was only joking, don't take it seriously...hahahah." She sharpened her tone slightly. "A small piece of advice to you...don't get to attached to them, or else you'll end up getting hurt..." Maya paused. "You should at least tell me the exit is before you go!" she whined. Silence.

"It's so dark in here...I'm scared..." she whispered. 'Maybe they really did leave me here... No! I shouldn't think about my friends like that...' She began to resign herself to her despair and solitude when a shrill echo tore down the corridor towards her. "Maya!" She peered ahead. Loi's body materialized out of the abyss. "I'm so glad I was able to find you..."

"Loi?" Maya squeaked. "I know that you're afraid of the dark, so that's why I volunteered to come and bring you back. We were all worried about you when you didn't show up at the wrap event..." he steadily mentioned, easing toward her. Without warning, Maya thrust herself into his chest, encircling her arms firmly around his back. "You really came back for me...I was so scared..." she whispered, sniffling and trying to gather herself enough to speak.

Loi smiled and looked over to see the faint outline of the others, smirking at him and stalking up to them. Jaja beckoned him silence with a single raised finger to her lips. This was a moment too sweet to interrupt, even they knew it. Bridget was delighted by the display of affections and had both of her hands clutched to her chest while she exploded with giddiness.

---

In Maya's silken robed hand, a small paring knife hovered over the top of a single apple placed on a cutting board. CHOP. She sliced through it with ease, carefully dividing it into pieces. CHOP. CHOP. CHOP. A calm expression of ease drifted across her mouth from end to end. All of sudden, Maya felt the sensation she was being observed. She craned her neck to side to find Loi standing there. Their eyes met in a prolonged gaze. It persisted, neither breaking the look.

Loi pulled down one of his eyelids in a jejune fashion. "BLEH..." he croaked, spinning around and waltzing away as quietly as he arrived. Maya frowned. 'What's his problem?' As she pondered Loi's actions, Maya snacked on the apple she had prepared. Nom, Nom, Nom, Nom. "An apple is heaven..." Maya sighed, heading for the washing out on the patio.

Pat, pat, pat. She flattened out the comforter as it was hanging, freeing the dust and wrinkles. Once again, she felt that sensation. Maya noticed Loi at the sliding glass partition. Tok, tok. He knocked on it and locked eyes with her again, repeating his immature taunt from earlier, rushing away afterwards. 'What IS his problem?' she wondered, growing more confused.

---

Maya confronted Kenta for advice, the two had been friends for the last six years. 'Maybe he'll have some insight into his strange behavior.' she mused. Maya reenacted Loi's odd actions in front of Kenta. "He's being strange!" she exclaimed, gesticulating this way and that, feigning escape and pulling faces. "He's been doing all of this now, staring at me and...what's with him?!" Kenta grinned and raised a reassuring hand.

"There's definitely a reason that he's acting like that!" he laughed, knowingly. "Reason?" Maya peeped. Jaja looked her now, having overheard their conversation and stepping in. "He's just too shy to tell you..." she trailed off to be suspenseful. "Tell me what?" Maya wore a deeply confused look. Kenta and Jaja raised their arms up high and then made jazz hands. "Today...is Loi's birthday!" Maya was taken aback.

"Eh? Wait...do you already have a gift for Loi?"

The idiotic pair danced around. "True friends never give gifts!" Kenta yelled out playfully. "Gifts are for noobs!" Jaja laughed. Maya crossed her arms and pouted. "You're not helping. Hm....what should get for Loi?" she wondered aloud. Kenta simply scratched his face. "Can you afford to buy a gift?" Jaja prodded. Maya crumpled into a depressed heap. "I don't have any money..." she moaned, crestfallen. 

"That's expected, since you're a ghost..." Jaja added. "I know!" Maya jumped up, resolute. "I'll apply for a part-time job!" Kenta grinned mischievously. "You don't have to do that..." Maya threw her arms up. "I forgot, you're rich!" Kenta shook his head. "No...it'd not like that..." Jaja flashed a sweet and snarky smile. "We're going to surprise Loi..." Her light charcoal pullover was contrasting delicately with her hair.

"Oh! I'm good at surprising!" Maya shouted. "No...not like that, you silly!" the pair answered in unison. Kenta thumped a fist across his chest and gave Maya a wink. "Just leave it to us, okay?" Maya leaned back in surprise. "You may be trash, but you're reliable trash..." she murmured slowly. Kenta twitched. "I don't know if I should be grateful or not..." he sighed. 

---

The cabal was gathered behind the couch waiting for Loi, who they'd sent on an errand (as a obvious diversion) to return. Click-Click, the lock released and the door opened. "Surprise! Happy Birthday, Loi!" they cheered, holding a large gift-wrapped box, topped by a fancy bow. Bridget popped up from the side of the table where a magnificent cake was placed. "Ta-da! I got you an expensive cake!" Everyone congratulated her. Loi stared that them. "Ah, yeah...thank you."

"Is that it?!" they yelled back incredulously. Loi chuckled. "Just kidding, thank you guys! Seriously!" Maya dropped her head slightly and looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry I don't have a personal gift for you..." He met her sad eyes, pupils dilating. "What do you mean? You're the greatest gift I've ever had..." he said, sending her a sultry look. 

Maya fizzled. "Oh, well that's nice, I'm glad that me being here is a gift... Phew! What a relief... I didn't know that I could be a gift... At least I have a gift! Hehe..." The group was stunned. "She's absolutely clueless..." They whispered amongst themselves.

---

Loi trudged down the hallways of the school building, backpack slung over his shoulders. Alongside him, boys and girls chatted and gathered happily. He turned into his classroom, ignoring the din. "Hey, have you heard the news? I sure hope it's a cutie..." Gossip about a new student. Loi sighed and sat down at his desk, resting a hand on his cheek. The instructor marshaled everyone's attention for the announcement. 

"Class, we will have two new students joining us today." He motioned toward the door. "You two may enter the room now." The door slid open abruptly. Loi blinked, then became transfixed by the pair he saw. Maya and Bridget were clad in school uniforms, standing steadily. 'What is Maya doing here?!' The class clamored. "Wow! They're both cute!" one classmember exclaimed. "They're pretty!" another one added excitedly. "Oh yeah!" another group cheered.

Bridget introduced herself first, giving a slight curtsy. "My name is Bridget Kavock...it's nice to meet you!" A curious classmember raised their hand in anticipation. "Yes?" Bridget asked softly. "My question is this. Are you the Kavock bank owner's daughter?" Bridget smiled. "Why yes, yes I am, Hehe..." The class began to speculate about her wealth. 

"Hello, name is Maya Labo...it's nice to meet you all..." she said calmly and quietly, bringing the class to a serene stillness, a gentle calm pervading the aisles before another hand flew up. "Maya, why do you have a bandana on your head?" Loi began to sweat. 'Please don't mess up...' he chanted rapidly. "Ah, this?" Maya gestured to her head absently, "it's just for fashion...ehehe..." Another question. "Where do you live, Maya?" Loi began chanting even harder under his breath, sincerely hoping no one caught on.

"I live at "###" and I live together with Loi..." Maya uttered and then she smiled sweetly as the class erupted into a frenzy of surprise and envy. 'SHE REALLY MESSED UP!' Loi began to panic in his seat, hearing curses and backhanded compliments creep through the air like vines of ensnarement. Maya tilted her head and shot Loi an impressive wink. She was where she wanted to be...with who she wanted to be with. Why not tell them? It would've been harder to keep a secret.

At break time, Loi had questions of his own. "By the way, Bridget...how was Maya enrolled without any records? That's against the school policy..." Bridget coughed. "Ah...you see...that's exactly what the chairman said...but then I dropped a pile of money on his desk. After that, the rule changed for Maya!" she declared, proud of herself. "You bribed them?!" Loi choked on his saliva. "He said it was okay!"

Maya clenched her fist nervously and looked at him. "I'm sorry, Loi... I just wanted to know what going to school was like, so I asked Bridget if I could come here..." she sighed. "I know I'm being selfish again, but I can't help wanting to go where you guys are, since you're my friends..." Loi cracked a sparkling grin. "I'm actually very happy you're here. Let's enjoy school life as classmates from now on, okay?" Maya returned his smile and then some.

Out in the hallway, Kenta and Jaja were defeated, each holding a pail of water in both hands. "We're late AGAIN!" they howled miserably. As for Maya, life as a ghost wasn't going to be easy, but Maya was getting better at living.