I scanned the bus seats for Amara as I waited on the steps. Zeta stood in front of me as one of our teachers, Mrs. Junea, grilled her about handing out cards for the prom shopping event we were headed to.

"Did you hand out all the cards?" Junea asked.

Zeta fidgeted with her shirt, head low. "I sure did..."

"See, that sounds like someone not telling me the whole truth," Junea said.

"I...I really did! I think, anyway," Zeta said.

The faculty chaperones were in the front rows. Kalei's mom Mahina was there and leaned forward. "Oh, leave her alone, she's an honest kid! You're holding up the line, too."

Mahina's incredible confidence actually got Junea to back off.

"Thanks," Zeta said as we passed by Mahina.

"Twas nothing," Mahina said. "If you're looking for my daughter, she and and Marmalade are on the other bus."

My nose twitched. Not that Kalei would have told us anything, but maybe we could have gotten something out of her while stuck on a bus together.

"Shame, I wanted to tease those two," Mahina said. "Ah well, there will be plenty to goof on when we get to the event."

The love trio was toward the back of the bus, so at least I could follow this lead.

"I would've told Junea off if Mahina didn't first, by the way," Oka said when we were out of hearing range for the teachers and staff.

"I'm glad you didn't," Zeta said. "I told Oka not to worry when Junea's being all...the way she is. Because the last time she was and Oka stepped in, Oka almost got in huge trouble."

"Junea was saying how bad Zeta's running form was, and I maybe conjured up some bark that looked like I'd sharpened a weapon," Oka said. "Totally subconscious, I'd never on purpose threaten a teacher for being mean to my Zeta. OK, I would, but...!" She waved her hands around, accidentally hitting the seats on either side of the aisle, as though she could gesture her way into making that sound less troublesome. Junea inspired violent thoughts in me regularly, so I had no judgment for this.

"But you'd get expelled or something, so it's for the best to just grin and bear it," Zeta said.

Two sets of seats with multicolored fabric were on each side. KJ and Rain were on our right, with Amara by herself in the row behind them. This was a perfect opportunity to get some answers. Amara spoke to Tik about something, and Tik thought it might be connected to Kalei's strange behaviors as of late. A strange rush of excitement hit me, as though truth were close by, mysteries soon to be resolved.

"Excuse me, would you mind if I take this seat?" I asked.

"I...don't see why not," Amara said, strangely looking past me.

"Oh," Michi said.

"Hm?"

Michi was behind me, scratching the back of their head, looking away.

"Eh, it's nothing," Michi said.

"Did you want that spot?" I asked.

Amara played with her hair, twirling it around in her hands, making an oddly similar expression to Michi. While I really wanted to know what she was talking with Tik about, it was clear what I had to do.

"Apologies, I'll let Michi take it," I said.

Michi shuffled by me, face red as they sat by Amara. "I owe you one..."

"It's nothing," I said. "Amara, if you have a minute at some point today though, I do have something to ask you."

Amara nodded, but I don't know if she heard me, as she was already intently looking towards Michi's sketchbook.

With the seats behind them all taken, Oka, Zeta, and I had to awkwardly shuffle a few rows back.

"Well, that was a bust," I said with a huff as I sat down. Oka and Zeta were in the row in front of me, and turned around so we could keep talking.

"Right? I wanted the back row seats," Iris said. "Me and MaiMai can't stretch our legs out in these." The two were at my left, and I wasn't sure I wanted to respond, lest I get pulled into their bubble and my conversation would drift even further away from where I wanted it to go.

"We tried our best," Oka said. "It's like the universe doesn't want us figuring this one out."

"Figuring out why we never get the good seats on the bus?" Iris asked.

"Iris, they clearly have something else going on, quit butting in," Maia said.

I was not at all confident that Iris could keep anything a secret, so telling her about our Kalei investigations may put the whole operation up in flames. With that in mind, I realized that letting the conversation drift to something else, at least for this bus ride, may actually be ideal.

"It's nothing," I said. Now I was on a bus to an event for a shopping spree for prom dresses and tuxedos for a prom I had no excitement about, one I wasn't even sure I'd go to after Ko and I broke up. I sighed, and Oka could tell by just that what I was thinking.

"Dang," Oka said. "I'm sorry. We haven't left yet, so if you want to bail we'd get it."

"Why would you bail on this? Free dresses, c'mon!" Iris said.

"She's still upset about...you know," Maia said.

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking," Iris said.

"You really lack tact, Iris," Oka said. "Maybe just stay out of this one."

"Sorry about her," Maia said. She leaned over to whisper to Iris.

"Ohhhh," Iris said. "I totally forgot about all that."

I had been apart from Ko for a while now. Why did it still sting so much? Maybe the romantic nature of the prom was bringing the wounded emotions back to the forefront of my heart.

"Maybe we can get something fun out of this?" Oka said. "Not sure what, but..."

"We can get free dresses out of it like Iris said," Zeta said.

"How about we be your wingmen?" Iris suggested.

"Wingmen for what?" I asked.

"The dance! Think about it," Iris said. "There's still people getting onto this bus, maybe one of them is your dream girl? Or at least someone you can go with to this stupid dance."

I had my doubts I could even find a dance partner here, and wasn't sure I even wanted to.

"We would be much better wingmen, no offense," Oka said. "I even have experience wingman-ing for you, so!"

"Alright, it's on," Iris said. "Me and Maia versus Zeta and Oka, to see who gets the best match for Lillia!"

"I'd really rather—" I started.

"Three two one go! First round, who gets to sit next to our dear Lillia?" Iris said.

I didn't have enough willpower to counter it. Oka and Zeta shrugged at me, both making sure I would be OK. I shrugged back, not really sure if I would, but admittedly a bit curious to see how the two duos would handle this.