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Ace dribbled the basketball, cherry eyes locking with mismatched olive and gold, the other’s gaze boring into her with an intimidating intensity. She gulped as she gripped the ball, putting the strength of a million men into her shot, and passed it to Floyd.

It clocked the moray straight in the nose, a sickening snap resounding in her head and causing blinding agony to course through her body. 

She crumpled to the ground, and Ace immediately ran over, a panicked look in her eyes. Floyd quickly flashed her fearful underclassman a grin, though it looked more like a grimace amidst the gushing blood and searing pain, before returning to loudly whining about her bleeding nose. Their teammates and coach all began gathering around them as well, and Ace’s attention went to a specific Scarabia student.

“Ugh, this hurts like a bitch,” Floyd groaned, holding her nose as blood dripped from it down her arm. Her heterochromatic eyes went to Jamil, eyelashes fluttering as tears pricked at the corner of her eyes. 

“Damn, I’m really sorry!” Ace hoped she sounded natural. “You should go to the infirmary for that…”

Floyd stood, wobbling on her feet. “Fuck, ‘m all dizzy…” That much was not a farce. 

“Trappola, help her to the infirmary.” the coach instructed. “You did this, after all.”

“Hell no,” Floyd protested, “I don’t want her fuckin’ touching me after that.” She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stave away the nausea swimming in her brain. 

Jamil let out a weary sigh, and, just as Floyd and Ace had expected, cleared her throat. “I’ll help her.”

“Thanks, Sea Snake!” Floyd said all too chipperly before blinking and returning to her woozy, disoriented manner. 

With an eye roll, she guided Floyd to sling an arm around her shoulder while the team dispersed. If she were to look back at Ace, she would’ve seen her gazing after them in fear—despite this whole incident being orchestrated, Floyd still put the fear of god in her before practice, threatening to squeeze the lights out of her if she messed things up. 

Once they were out of the gym and heading back to the main building, Jamil flicked her eyes to Floyd. “You could have dodged that.”

Floyd furrowed her eyebrows. "Obviously, I couldn’t’ve. D’ya think I’d get hit by the ball on purpose? Shit hurts.”

“You and I both know how good your reflexes are. Don’t lie to me.” She stopped walking, shrugging Floyd off of her shoulders and crossing her arms. “Why did you let yourself get hit by that ball?”

“I told you, Sea Snake, I didn’t. Do it. On purpose.”

“Ace was the one who threw it, of all people. You can dodge a ball from Ace.”

“My nose is fuckin’ bleeding! Maybe I’m in a bad mood today. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention.”

“You were clearly on your game—you know what?” Jamil pinched the bridge of her nose before slinging Floyd’s arm over her shoulder once more. “This isn’t worth the trouble. Let’s just get you to the infirmary.”

The rest of the trek to the infirmary was silent. When they entered, it was empty, a note on the door reading, ‘Out for the day. In case of an emergency, please dial the emergency number.’

Exasperatedly, Jamil clicked her tongue before guiding Floyd to one of the beds. “I’m going to take a guess and assume you’re going to act like a baby and throw a tantrum if I leave you to treat your nose on your own?”

“Aw, Sea Snakey knows me so well,” Floyd crooned, batting her eyelashes in a way that made the other girl’s nose crinkle with disgust. She watched as Jamil handed her a cloth to stop the bleeding, then picked the lock on the potions cabinet to try and find an applicable healing salve. “Aren’t’cha worried about Sea Otter?”

Jamil hesitated for a moment, hands hovering in front of a vial before taking it out and returning to the taller girl. “She’s not a child; she’ll be fine. Now, show me your nose.” Floyd hissed as she applied the salve, but the injury instantly started hurting and bleeding significantly less after a few moments. 

“Thanks, Sea Snakey,” Floyd said, blotting her face with the cloth to try and clean off the excess blood. Jamil clicked her tongue again before snatching it from Floyd, and when she tilted her chin up, Floyd’s heart leaped into her throat and she swore she could feel her pupils dilating. A bit of water was summoned by the other girl to moisten the cloth before delicately dabbing at Floyd’s skin, cleaning up the blood much more effectively.

“I’m not an idiot,” Jamil spoke, drying her face with a clean part of the cloth before handing her an ice pack. “I’ve noticed what you and Ace have been up to.”

“Haven’t been up to anything,” Floyd replied, her voice nasally as she pinched her nose. She was silent for a moment before adding, “But if we were up to somethin’, whaddya think it is?”

Jamil’s eyes flitted to the ceiling with irritation. “I don’t know, and I wouldn’t care, except it clearly is revolving around me and is interrupting my day-to-day life. So tell me.” She leaned in, wearing an expression that would have intimidated anyone else but only induced a blush to Floyd’s cheeks. “Or I’ll do much worse than break your nose.”

“...S’nothing,” Floyd mumbled softly, eyes flitting away. She loved messing with Jamil and getting her attention, and this whole ploy had been to try and set up a situation where she could confess her feelings, but it was clear Jamil didn’t return her affections.

The shorter girl studied her expression intently. “Clearly, you want my attention, and you now have it. Spit it out, Floyd.”

“‘m not in the mood,” Floyd growled, equipping her usual menacing glare that told people she was experiencing one of her snits. Jamil was not amused by it. “So drop it, Sea Snake.”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll drop it after having to put up with you following me around for the last few weeks,” she hissed. “You’ve dragged Ace into it, too, but I know whatever you two are doing is for your sake.”

“You’re smart. You can figure it out.”

Jamil was surprised by how dejected the girl seated in front of her sounded. “Floyd, I can’t know if you don’t tell me.”

“It’s not important,” she insisted. “Go away, Sea Snake. I don’t wanna see you right now.”

For some reason, Floyd’s words stung Jamil. As per usual, however, she kept her emotions concealed. It was the one ability of hers she had complete confidence in.

“Fine. Do you want me to let your sister know where you are? You’re working tonight, right?”

She waved her hand dismissively, aggression behind the motion. “Yeah, yeah. Do whatever you want.” 

“A ‘thank you’ would be nice.”

“Fuck off.”

Jamil stalked off, wondering why she ever bothered entertaining the eel’s whims. It would only be later that Floyd would blush at the realization that Jamil paid enough attention to her to be aware of her work schedule. For the time being, though, both were left to independently stew in their anger. 

Jamil was distracted throughout the rest of the club practice. Most others wouldn’t be able to tell, but she realized just how off she felt when she missed what should have been an easy shot. The rest of her teammates clapped her on the back, reassuring her that everyone has their bad days before getting back to it. But being made aware of the fact that she was distracted made it worse, and she benched herself for the rest of practice. 

Her eyes followed a specific redhead on the court, watching her nervously glance at her every once in a while before quickly pretending she wasn’t when he realized Jamil was staring at her as well.

“Ace.” Jamil managed to catch her before she could worm away after practice. “I need to talk to you about something.”

She brought a hand to the back of her neck, eyes darting everywhere except for her face. Sevens, this kid was terrible at lying—or keeping a secret. Whichever it was. “Is it important? I kinda have somewhere to be…”

“Yes. Come with me.” She guided her to the back of the gym, where they were sure to be alone.

Ace let out an awkward laugh, attempting to alleviate some of the tension between them. “You’re not gonna beat me up, are you?”

“I might, if I don’t like your answer,” Jamil replied casually, crossing her arms. “Why have you and Floyd been targeting me lately?”

“Huh? What are you talking—”

“—Ace.” She gave Ace the same intimidating look that Floyd was immune to, and it worked as intended on the freshman, causing her to fearfully gulp. “Tell the truth.” 

True to her nature, Ace quickly caved, sighing deeply. “She paid me to help her get your attention.”

Jamil’s brows furrowed. “Why?”

Ace’s eyes widened incredulously before narrowing at the other girl. “For someone as smart as you are, Jamil, you’ve gotta be dense if you can’t figure it out.” She glanced at the imaginary watch on her bare wrist before equipping a cheeky smile that only Ace Trappola would have the gall to wear after insulting an upperclassman, and slinked away. “Gotta blast! Catch ya later!” 

Jamil sighed with deep frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose. Why did Floyd need her attention so badly he was willing to pay off Ace to help her get it, and why wouldn’t she just tell her?

“Ace Trappola. What are you doing back so late?”

Ace froze in her steps, turning to her housewarden with wide eyes, like a deer in the headlights. She attempted a casual smile, though it was weak. “Heya, Housewarden…”

“That doesn’t answer my question.” She tapped her watch. “Typically, you return at five o’clock. You’re two hours late.”

“It’s not past curfew. I can be out if I want to,” Ace argued.

“Normally, I would agree, but it appears you have forgotten that today was to be spent preparing for tomorrow’s unbirthday party.” 

The ginger tensed upon the stern glare of her housewarden; she had forgotten, but admitting that would surely earn her a beheading. “Sorry, I…” The one time she desperately needed it, she didn’t have any excuses ready. Fabulous.

Riddle sighed, closing her eyes for a few moments before opening them again. “I will not be upset if you tell me what you were doing and join your fellow dormmates in their preparations immediately after that.”

Ace blinked. “Really?”

“Well, I will still be upset, but at the very least, I will not punish you. Unless you were engaging in illicit activities.” Her cool blue-gray eyes narrowed at her underclassman. “I do hope that’s not what you were doing.”

“I wasn’t!” Ace quickly responded. “I was with Floyd in the infirmary. I accidentally broke her nose during practice, so I thought it would be responsible to visit her and make sure she was okay.” Riddle didn’t need to know about the deal between the two of them, or the fat stack of cash in her pocket that Floyd had given her after telling her she didn’t need her help anymore. “She didn’t let me go for a bit, but at least she didn’t squeeze me!”

Riddle immediately reeled at the mention of Floyd, expression crinkling with revulsion, and she nodded. “Very well, then. You may be dismissed.” She never wanted to be on the topic of the moray for longer than necessary. “Be sure to apologize to those on the team you were assigned to for your tardiness and work hard to make up for your absence.”

“Will do, Housewarden!” Ace quickly dashed off for fear that if she lingered any longer, Riddle would somehow clue in on her lying by omission. Deuce punched her shoulder when she joined their group, whining about how she always skipped out on the hard work, but Ace was just happy to not have a collar around her neck. 

“My, what a pathetic sight,” Jade mused as she entered her and her twin’s shared dorm room, being sure to shut and lock the door behind her as always. “So infatuated that you would make yourself vulnerable to injury? I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Shut the fuck up, Jade,” Floyd grumbled, icing her nose. “I’m giving up. She doesn’t like me like that, and she prolly never will.”

“Of course she won’t, if you keep pursuing things in this manner.” Jade shrugged off her uniform coat, winding down from her shift at the Mostro Lounge, made particularly rough in Floyd’s absence. “Have you tried actually flirting with her?”

“Whaddya think I’ve been doing this whole time?” 

“From the looks of it, annoying her, getting her in trouble along with you, and forcing her to look after her.” A grin curled at her lips. “Much like what she does with Kalim.”

Floyd froze, the hand around the ice pack tightening. “Sea Snake hates Sea Otter.”

“You’re quite daft at times,” Jade hummed as she changed into her sleeping clothes. “I would encourage you to attempt a different flirting method than emulating the person she despises most.”

“It wasn’t on purpose!” Floyd protested. “I was just… I wanted to be around her more, and…” Her teeth clenched. “...Yeah, you’re right.” 

“Of course I am. When am I not?”

“When you said you would be able to get Goldfishie to fall in love with you in less than a month during freshman year.”

“...Touché.”

“Sea Snakey!”

Jamil raised a brow as the eel jogged toward her, grinning as she plopped down next to her on the bleachers. “You’re in a better mood,” she commented.

“Hm? Oh, yeah. Guess I am, ‘specially since my nose is feelin’ better!” Floyd curled her knees to her chest, resting her head on top of them sideways as she smiled at the other girl. “All because of you.”

She blinked. Then she blinked again. “You’re welcome..?” 

The seriousness with which the moray said the last sentence caught her off guard, and even more so than the seriousness was the genuineness. She was used to teasing, or slippery deception, from her lips—not this.

Floyd giggled, resting her chin on Jamil’s shoulder. “So, we just watchin’?” she spoke quietly, her soft breath tickling Jamil’s neck and making the hairs on the back of it raise.

“I’ll rejoin in a bit. I’m just taking a break.” Jamil took a sip from her water bottle, not missing how Floyd’s eyes followed the motion, never seeming to leave her for even a second. “Are you feeling alright..?”

“I just wanna hang out with my Sea Snakey…” Floyd pouted, wrapping her arms around Jamil’s right arm. “Unless you want me to go…”

Jamil sighed. “I can’t tell you what you can or can’t do. You whine like a child.”

“Like Sea Otter, y’mean.”

Jamil quickly snapped her head to Floyd, who retracted from her position wrapped around her arm, and folded in on herself. Her expression softened at the peculiar uncertainty on the eel’s face, and she decided to stay quiet until Floyd took the initiative to break the silence. 

“Do you… think I’m annoying, Sea Snake?” 

“What?” In what universe would Floyd Leech care about that? Yet, here she was, wearing a hesitant expression as she awaited Jamil’s response. “…You can be.” 

Floyd’s expression immediately fell, like a kicked puppy. “You really think that?”

“At times.” Her brows knitted together at her expression. She looked… dejected. “Why do you look so upset?”

“S’nothing,” Floyd murmured, popping to her feet all too quickly. She stepped down a few stairs, then turned to toss Jamil an unreadable look before proceeding once more.

When Floyd returned to the court, Jamil couldn’t find it in herself to tear her eyes away from her. She noted how much more of a foul mood she seemed to be in, missing shots and threatening teammates.

‘How peculiar.’

The second Jamil spotted a familiar octopus entering the classroom, she tore her eyes away and pretended to look busy. The second said octopus spotted her, she made her way over. It was a familiar song and dance, one she had long since grown tired of, yearning for the day that Azul Ashengrotto would stop badgering her.

No such day seemed to be in sight, however, and Azul sat down next to her. “Good morning, Jamil,” she greeted, voice full of bright, fake charisma, and Jamil grunted back a response. 

They fell into silence as the professor began lecturing, yet Jamil’s mind was distant, occupied with thoughts of a certain girl. Azul seemed to notice, because after the lecture, she cleared her throat. “Is there something on your mind?” she asked, polite façade faker than ever.

“Nothing that’s any of your business,” Jamil responded gruffly, weaving around her. Azul simply followed behind her wordlessly, her mere presence getting under her skin.

After a few moments, she cleared her throat. “Something on your mind, perhaps, about a certain mermaid?”

Jamil whipped her head around so fast her long ponytail whacked a passerby, who flipped her off when she attempted to apologize. Azul allowed a snicker to escape her, though she quickly composed herself as Jamil glared at her. She had forgotten how close Floyd and this irritating octopunk, as Leona had so aptly dubbed her, were. 

And because of that, Azul likely knew what was going on with Floyd. 

She swallowed her pride, something she was more than used to doing. “What do you know?”

“Why should I tell you?” Azul questioned with a saccharine smile that made Jamil want to punch her lights out. “What will you give me in return?”

“Never mind. I don’t need your help.”

“Ah, but you do,” Azul insisted. “It’s been well over a year, yet you have yet to figure out what Floyd’s fascination with you is about. It’s quite shocking for someone as astute as you, really.”

Jamil halted in her tracks. “What do you mean, ‘over a year’?”

Azul delicately put a hand over her mouth. “My, I’ve given away a valuable tidbit of information. How careless of me.” She put a hand on Jamil’s shoulder, which she was quick to shrug off, as always. “You can’t tell me you’re not curious, at the very least!”

“I’m not curious enough to go to you for assistance,” Jamil responded. “Now, leave me be.”

“Suit yourself,” Azul shrugged, finally stepping away to leave Jamil alone.

Any other day, Jamil would have been happy by this resolution, but today, her inquisitiveness only burned stronger than ever.

A knock at the door resounded, the pattern and weight reminiscent of only one person. Jamil opened the door to reveal Kalim, who was clutching several papers in her hands.

“Hey, Jamil!” she greeted in her usual peppy fashion, though, as had become the norm since her overblot, her eyes held more weight during their interactions. “If it’s not too much trouble, do you think you could take care of some of this paperwork? I totally get it if you’re busy, though! Actually, never mind. Sorry for bothering you, I can take care of it myself, haha!”

“Hand them over,” Jamil said dully, snatching the papers out of her hands. “I’m your vice-housewarden. My role is to lighten your workload.”

“Right… Thanks, Jamil!” Kalim turned to leave, but Jamil caught her wrist before she could even think about the action. “…Eh? Did you need something, Jamil?”

“I can’t tell you what you can or can’t do. You whine like a child…”

“Like Sea Otter, y’mean.”

Their conversation rang through her head. Admittedly, it had been weighing on her. For her usual thoughtlessness, Floyd seemed suddenly introspective. 

“Do you… think I’m annoying?”

No. No, she didn’t. Not like Kalim, with her curly, cascading white hair that always smelled like coconuts and wealth; like saffron and riches built upon forced servitude. With her sunny attitude born out of ignorance of the suffering of others that brought her joy. Even if Kalim was trying to be better, it wouldn’t be so easy to undo years of building hatred.

Floyd wasn’t like that.

While annoying at times, Floyd was generally fine to be around. When in the right mood, she was a force to be reckoned with in basketball and often made the game, Jamil would dare say, fun.

She released Kalim’s wrist. “It’s nothing. I’ll take care of these.” 

“Jamil, what was that about?” Kalim asked, and Jamil had to give her kudos for not cowering and accepting Jamil’s lack of explanation, as she had been doing the past few months after her overblot. It appeared she was learning how to be firmer.

That didn’t mean she was going to confide in Kalim about anything. That would be silly. She hated Kalim.

Kalim wouldn’t be able to provide any valuable insight. 

Right?

It couldn’t hurt to ask. Just one question.

“What do you think about Floyd?”

The Asim heir tilted her head curiously. “Floyd? Why do you…” Something seemed to click behind her eyes, and a mischievous smile grew on her face. “Ohhh.”

“What? Why are you making that face?”

“Really?”

“Really, what?”

“Well, I dunno if I should tell you if you don’t know.”

Jamil’s jaw clenched at the prospect of oblivious, vacuous Kalim being privy to something she was not. Not just Kalim, but Azul, too. And Ace. She didn’t miss how the other girls on the team would occasionally whisper when Floyd would cling to her. It felt as though Floyd had orchestrated some massive inside joke that everyone was let in on aside from her.

“What is so obvious that I am the only one who doesn’t know what it is?” The question came out as a hiss.

To her chagrin, Kalim let out a slight laugh, though it was mostly stifled since she didn’t want to incur Jamil’s wrath. “I don’t think I should tell you.”

“Why not?” 

“‘Cause you’ll feel silly once you realize how obvious it is.” 

Jamil’s eyes narrowed. “Are you… enjoying my ignorance?” 

Kalim let out another impish laugh that grated her nerves as she admitted, “Kinda…” She cleared her throat, covering her mouth until her smile died down. “Don’t stress over it, though! Floyd will tell you when she’s ready. I promise you, it’s nothing bad. In fact, I think it’s good!”

“You thinking it’s good means nothing to me,” Jamil grumbled. She tended to find it amusing witnessing Kalim’s evolution into a more mindful person, but just for this moment, she wished that they were back at that point in time when Kalim trusted her with her life. “You really won’t tell me?”

“Nope! You’ll figure it out on your own,” she giggled, and Jamil let out an annoyed grunt before slamming the door shut in her face. She turned her back on it, sliding until she hit the floor, and tapped her head against it. 

She ought to have a talk with Floyd.

Floyd didn’t show up to practice for the rest of the week.

Of course, the one time Jamil needed her, she was nowhere to be found, and she wasn’t answering any of the messages she sent on Magicam (which was frankly exasperating; Jamil had worked up a lot of courage to send them, only to be ignored). So, when Friday hit, she begrudgingly made her way to the one place she knew she would be: Octavinelle.

“My, if it isn’t Jamil Viper,” a smooth voice spoke once she reached the hall of mirrors, and Jamil rolled her eyes at the sight of Jade Leech. “What brings you outside the mirror to Octavinelle?”

“I’m…” Her brows crinkled slightly as she spat, “I’m looking for your sister.”

Jade let out a knowing chuckle, as though she had been expecting her. “Of course. I’ll show you to our dorm room.” 

Octavinelle would never cease to intrigue her. It was underwater, yet the entire dorm was breathable. Indoors were dry, and opening doors did not cause it to flood. Jade’s long hair billowed in the water in front of her, yet when they stepped into the dorm building itself, it returned to its usual silky, straight appearance. 

“Floyd, you have a visitor,” Jade said as she opened the door, and Jamil stepped in after her to the sight of Floyd curled up in her bed around a pillow, looking like death itself. What was more shocking to her, however, was the sight of none other than Riddle Rosehearts in Jade’s bed, dressed in an oversized shirt that definitely was not hers.

Riddle immediately collared Jade, face flushed bright red the second she laid eyes on Jamil. “What part of secret eludes you!?” she whisper-yelled.

Jamil’s brows raised with amused surprise, taking in the sight of a very mortified Riddle who was hastily attempting to fix the messy twin braids in her hair and make herself appear somewhat presentable.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” Jamil reassured, silently filing away the sight for potential blackmail purposes (only if need be; she wasn’t Azul).

“Oh, we know you won’t,” Jade responded with a threatening smile, showing off her glinting teeth.

Riddle snapped her fingers, undoing the collar with a sigh before sternly glaring at her girlfriend. “It’s about trust, Jade. Which you have broken.”

“Oh, no,” Jade sighed, feigning sadness as she took Riddle’s tiny frame in her arms and peppered the side of her face and neck with kisses. “Whatever am I meant to do to gain it back?”

“Jade!” Riddle hissed, smacking her girlfriend, which only earned more affection. 

‘What an odd sight.’

Jamil finally turned her attention to Floyd, and she could tell by the look in her mismatched eyes that despite her silence, she had been watching her since the moment she walked through the door.

She stepped forward until she was standing in front of the haggard eel. “Hello, Floyd.”

“Whaddya want, Sea Snake?” she growled, squeezing the pillow tighter. 

“You haven’t been to practice all week.”

“Here to yell at me? Wasn’t feelin’ like it. Now, scram, before I squeeze ya.” Her words didn’t hold their usual menacing quality, mostly just sounding blue.

“No. I’m here because I want to talk.” She squatted down to be at equal levels with Floyd, though her position on the bed was slightly higher. “Will you come with me? It’s…” She glanced over at Jade and Riddle, who were still bickering like an old married couple. “…Private.”

“Depends. Where’re we goin’?”

“I recall you mentioning you wanted to try that pizza place in town.” 

Floyd’s mouth stretched into a lazy grin, and Jamil felt herself smile. It was good to see Floyd was beginning to feel better. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, standing and stretching, bones audibly cracking and popping. “Sounds good. Gimme a sec to change, okay?”

She shuffled through her wardrobe before pulling out a pair of baggy jeans and a baby tee with text about keeping plastic out of the ocean. In the process of shrugging out of her current shirt, however, she paused, a sly grin stretching her cheeks. “Might wanna turn around, Sea Snakey. I’m not wearing a bra.”

“Floyd,” Jade interrupted tersely before Jamil could react, “Might I remind you that my girlfriend is present, and I would very much prefer if she didn’t see you topless?”

She stuck out her tongue. “Why do you care? We look the same.”

“Would you like it if I showed my body to…” Jade’s eyes flicked over to Jamil, and Floyd’s gaze followed, expression quickly wrinkling. “That’s what I thought.”

The mercurial moray rolled her eyes before flicking her wrist, hovering her blanket so it acted like a curtain while she changed, shielding her from the rest of the room—or rather, shielding the rest of the room from her.

Jamil stared at the blanket, processing what Jade had said. Why would Floyd care if she saw Jade…

Oh.

Oh.

Jamil, though perfect at concealing her expressions, could not conceal this one. She clasped a hand over her mouth, eyes widening slightly as a blush rose to her cheeks. 

‘Floyd likes me.’

A chuckle escaped Jade and Jamil’s eyes darted over to her, gaze sharpening at the significant look she sent her way. Riddle was burrowed between her limbs, still glaring up at her girlfriend and attempting to escape her hold, but the sight was no longer as jarring to Jamil as this newfound information was. 

‘Impossible. In what world..?’

The blanket came down, and Jamil quickly lowered her hand, replacing her shocked expression with a neutral one. Still, she couldn’t help the way her eyes scanned over Floyd’s body, taking in how the baggy jeans complimented her lanky figure, and how the tight shirt clung to her body, the cut normally looking best on girls with larger chests, yet being just as, if not more flattering on Floyd. She had tugged her varsity jacket over her shoulders as well, and Jamil was reminded of all the times Floyd had tried to get her to wear the garment that would most certainly make her smaller frame look as though she was drowning in fabric.

Good sevens, Jamil was floored. Floyd liked her? Really? Was that why she was in such a bad mood from Jamil calling her annoying?

“Let’s go, Sea Snake!” Floyd exclaimed, grabbing her arm and practically dragging her out the door. She was in a much better mood all of a sudden, but Jamil was tremendously shaken. Never had she been so blindsided before. 

Floyd slowed her joyous pace to a brisk walk, turning to look at Jamil with an unreadable question. “Sea Snakey’s the one who asked me out, but she’s bein’ so quiet.”

“Asked you—this isn’t a date!” Jamil hissed in protest, and Floyd cackled. “I just wanted to… clear some things up without prying eyes and ears.”

“Ya didn’t hafta invite me out for pizza to do that.”

Jamil hated that she was right. She hated even more that she made the offer before becoming privy to Floyd’s feelings. Why did she? It wasn’t logical. It wasn’t like her.

The eel laughed at her silence. “Issokay, Sea Snake. I know it’s not a date. What didja wanna talk about, though?” Floyd asked, squeezing her hand. “We can talk about it now so we can enjoy our date!”

She hated how clammy her palms were becoming. She hated the way she didn’t protest Floyd referring to it as a date. She didn’t like Floyd like that. She wouldn’t like someone just because they liked her. She wasn’t that easy.

Jamil took a deep breath to compose herself before starting, “I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier.” At Floyd’s blank stare, she elaborated, “In response to your question about you being annoying. I should have…” Sevens, this was harder than she thought it would be. “...The way I see you is nothing like how I see Kalim.” She swallowed the thickening saliva in her mouth, and she swore Floyd could hear the thrumming of her heart with how raptly she stared at her as she spoke. “...You do annoying things at times—like breaking your nose for my attention and not telling me why you want my attention—but generally, you’re tolerable. When you’re in a good mood.” 

Floyd immediately lit up, her expression like that of a happy puppy. “Sea Snakey thinks I’m tolerable?”

She flicked her forehead, allowing a small smile to form on her lips as Floyd giggled. “Only when you’re not annoying.”

“You’re tolerable, too,” Floyd giggled. “And good at basketball. And pretty.”

Jamil felt her heart stutter at the compliment. If learning how to control her emotions hadn’t been beaten into her at such a young age, she would probably be blushing. “What brought this on..?”

“Nuthin’!” Floyd said cheerily, guiding Jamil up the stairs onto the bus into town with a charming smile.

Despite Jamil’s newfound knowledge about Floyd’s feelings, she was afraid to confront them. And she realized she didn’t need to. So she opted to simply enjoy this date with Floyd. 

‘Not a date,’ she corrected herself. 

The two of them chatted on the bus, reminding Jamil of how pleasant Floyd was when she was in a good mood. She truly did enjoy their conversations. 

Just as she had when they boarded the bus, Floyd helped her off the bus, and they walked to the pizza parlor with their fingers still interlaced. It seemed they came at a good time because despite being a popular spot, it was relatively empty. Perhaps the hype had died down and it was no longer trending on Magicam.

After putting in their order and grabbing their drinks, the two took a seat at a small window side table. Jamil rested her palm in her hand as she watched Floyd pick up one of the complimentary pepper flake packets and rapidly shake it, and a small puff of laughter escaped her nose.

“Sea Snakey looks cute in that outfit,” Floyd commented, eyes never leaving the packet. Jamil stared down at herself. She was dressed in a baggy hoodie as she was most afternoons since she wasn’t anticipating going anywhere.

She voiced her thoughts. “I’m not wearing anything special.”

“Well…” Floyd’s voice lowered, leaning in with a toothy smile, “…Maybe Sea Snakey always looks cute.”

“Are you flirting with me?” Jamil asked, lip quirked in amusement.

“Only if you want me to be,” Floyd returned with a wink. 

Jamil rolled her eyes playfully, leaning in as well. “And what if I do?”

“Do you?” It didn’t escape Jamil how Floyd kept wearing her typical lazy grin, yet her cheeks were ever so slightly tinted pink.

She took a few moments to respond, allowing the question to hang in the air. “Perhaps. Perhaps not.” She took a long sip of her water. “Perhaps I’m unsure.”

Perfectly timed, the server placed their pizza in the center of the table. Floyd had wanted to try a deep-dish style pizza, claiming she had never heard of it before and it sounded good, and Jamil followed her whims. They had also ordered a side of onion rings.

“This’s like a quiche,” Floyd commented as she eased a slice of pizza onto her plate. “Not a pizza.”

“It’s just a different type of pizza. It doesn’t have the ingredients a quiche has.”

“I know, but it looks like a quiche.” She blew on her piece repeatedly before messily forking off a piece. As though the most brilliant idea in the world came to her, she grinned as she stretched across the table, hovering the fork in front of Jamil. “Here comes the airplane!”

Jamil froze, eyes flitting up to watch as Floyd’s impish smirk morphed into flusteredness as she held the other girl’s wrist still, slowly closing her lips over the piece and pulling her mouth off of the fork. 

“What?” she simpered as Floyd continued to stare at her, lips parted and eyes widened. “You offered.” She broke off a piece from her slice and mirrored Floyd’s earlier motions, holding it up to the moray’s lips and saying, “Eat up.”

Floyd quickly shook her head, as though shaking her blush away before chomping down on the fork hard and pulling back quickly.

“What are you so flustered about?” Jamil teased, a knowing lilt in her tone. “It’s not like you like me, is it?”

“‘Course I like you,” Floyd replied, practically inhaling the rest of her slice. Jamil gaped at her, stunned by how quickly she had consumed it. “You’re cool.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.” She leaned over the table, wiping off a smudge of tomato sauce from her cheek with a tissue. 

Floyd smacked her hand away in a sudden mood swing, all too characteristic of her typical temperament. Jamil sighed; she should have expected as much to happen. Still, she hoped they could have a nice time together without any funny mood swings. 

What Floyd said next surprised her, though. “I don’t want you treatin’ me like a kid.” She wiped at her mouth with the back of her mouth. “Like how you treat Sea Otter.”

Jamil’s brows raised. “This isn’t the first time you’ve mentioned Kalim in the context of our relationship.”

Floyd crossed her arms, slouching in her seat and pouting. Jamil rolled her eyes. “Now you’re really acting like a child.” 

The capricious eel remained silent, and Jamil sighed exaggeratedly. “Are you really thinking about other girls when I’m right here?”

That snapped Floyd out of her pouty mood, and a wide grin graced her features, showing off almost all of her serrated teeth. “Sorry, Sea Snakey,” she giggled. “You’re the only girl I’ll think about for the rest of the date, I promise.”

Jamil’s eyes flitted to the ceiling, and Floyd’s sharp grin widened. “Ya haven’t refuted me callin’ it a date after the first time. That mean I’m growing on you?”

She poked Floyd’s forehead. “You’ll undo all of your progress if you keep acting like a brat.”

“So I am making progress?” The smile on Floyd’s face was downright joyous, and Jamil couldn’t help but smile as well. “Good enough for me!” She grabbed another slice from the center of the table, holding it up to Jamil’s face. “Can I keep feedin’ ya?”

“Don’t push it. Eat your food.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Floyd hummed happily, once again cramming it all into her mouth. Jamil observed the action closely this time, watching as she unhinged her jaw and chomped obnoxiously, and she could have sworn something snapped out from Floyd’s throat. But it was probably a trick of the light. Either way, how Floyd consumed food was fascinating.

From Floyd’s perspective, the rest of the date was wonderful. A year spent pining after Jamil, and she seemed like she was finally seeing her as more than an obnoxious classmate! 

From Jamil’s perspective, however, she was feeling incredibly conflicted. Sure, she enjoyed playing basketball with and messing around with Floyd before this, but the not-date went too well. Jamil didn’t like her like that, so why did she have so much fun?

‘I can have fun going out with a friend. I mean, we’re not friends. But still, having fun with her doesn’t automatically make it romantic.

…Even if we were blatantly flirting the entire time.’

That was what she told herself as she tossed and turned in her bed at night, Floyd’s blushing face burned into her retinas and played in her mind every time she shut her eyes. 

Though she could try to convince herself, there was no fooling the irregular pitter-patter of her heart.

‘I don’t like Floyd Leech.’

That was what Jamil told herself as the moray latched onto her during practice, insisting they play on the same team and making incredible combo plays. Floyd would beam and high-five her, and she would return her wide grin with the exhilarating rush of victory.

‘I don’t like Floyd Leech.’

During lunch, Floyd would come over to her table, and Kalim would conveniently excuse herself to join Cater or Lilia or Silver or one of her other friends. Sometimes Floyd would bring homemade meals, other times just her company, and every time, they would enjoy pleasant conversation (mostly consisting of poking fun at and/or bullying others). 

‘I don’t like Floyd Leech.’

It had become a mantra that Jamil chanted in her mind every time she looked at the other girl, with the ugly scars that marred her body, with her messy hair that perfectly encapsulated her personality, with her dumb toothy smile that widened every time she laid eyes on her.

‘I don’t like Floyd Leech, but being around her is alright, sometimes.’ 

Their classes had a joint lesson together. To Jamil’s surprise, instead of joining Azul, Floyd made a beeline for her. She suppressed the redness threatening to rise to her cheeks at Azul’s smirk, and accepted Floyd as her partner, pretending to be annoyed when she wrapped her spidery limbs around her and squeezed.

She wouldn’t admit it, but she really liked how Floyd hugged her.

‘I don’t like Floyd Leech, but being with her makes me feel nice.’

Progressively, Jamil began to lower her guard around Floyd. She allowed her cheeks to redden when Floyd’s arms snaked around her waist, propping her chin on Jamil’s shoulder with an impish grin. She would stick out her tongue flirtatiously, and Floyd would turn a million shades darker as a crimson flush betrayed her playful demeanor.

This was only allowed when they were alone together, though. The moment someone else was in the room, even if it was only Azul, or Jade, or Kalim, Jamil’s guard would be back up again.

“Sea Snake,” Floyd crooned softly after practice, her arms hanging through the shirt she was in the process of removing. “Thanks for playin’ with me.”

The two of them had hung back after practice until they were the only ones left. Being well known for her reliability, the coach trusted Jamil to lock up, so they were truly alone. 

Floyd had addressed her in such a gentle manner that it caught Jamil off guard. “…No need to thank me. I enjoyed myself.”

Her eyes went to the eel after a bit, raising a brow at the lack of response. She was seated on a bench, staring blankly ahead with her arms still dangling limply through the shirt. 

Jamil stepped toward her, undoing the bun in her hair that she wore during practice. “Floyd?”

Floyd’s eyes snapped into focus, gaze landing on Jamil and pupils dilating. She all but tore her jersey off and wordlessly tugged on her shirt before speed-walking past Jamil to the exit. 

“Hey,” Jamil said, quickly changing her clothes before sprinting after her and catching her arm. “Hey! Floyd, what—”

“—I love you,” she blurted, pupils still blown wide. 

Jamil stared up blankly. “...Okay.” 

“You love me, too.”

She hesitated. “...I don’t know about that.”

“You do,” Floyd insisted, staring at her pleadingly. “Or else ya wouldn’t let me hang around you all the time, or—or make ya food, or hug you.” She stepped forward, towering over Jamil. “You love me back.”

As Floyd reached forward to twine their fingers, Jamil remained silent. Love. Love was a strong word, one reserved for fewer people than she could count on one hand. 

But maybe, just maybe, that hand had space for one more. 

“...I like you,” Jamil admitted, hardly above a whisper. She stared into Floyd’s eyes despite the redness exploding on her cheeks, taking in the expression of captivation gracing the moray’s features. “And I might be able to love you. But not yet.” She squeezed Floyd’s hand, stepping forward until they were mere inches apart. “Is that okay?”

Floyd, entranced as always by the beautiful girl before her, nodded. “Yeah.” She wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled Jamil closer yet, eyes falling half-lidded. “Yeah, whatever Sea Snakey says.”

Jamil was the one to make the first move, rising on her toes and disentangling their fingers to gently caress Floyd’s cheek. The other leaned in, both of their eyes falling shut as their lips joined together in a sweet kiss. 

The kiss was far from perfect, just like their relationship. But somehow, both of them had the feeling that everything would be alright.