chapter 15

"So how was school? "Emma jumps into Lily's arms excitedly after giving her sister a hug. "Got any new friends?"

"Many!" the bear relies matching her enthusiasm as the latter holds her hand and starts walking. Noticing her sister's quietness, Emma quickly pulls out her other free hand to hold hers.

Lily being the Lily she is saw them and immediately shifts her place, releasing emma's hand to stand next to Jennifer and holds her free hand, making Jennifer stand in the middle of the babies.

Jennifer looks up from their interwined pinkies to the bear's toothy grin.

Knots.

But she didn't say anything.

it's contagious, she couldn't help but to crack up a small smile despite her eventful day as they continued their way.

From scene went from parents holding their daughter's hands to a mother holding her daughters' hand real quick.

Down to a comfortable silence accompanied by emma's singing to a children song, Lily's grin never left her face.

If spending a day at school struggling your way throughout all the attentions gained, rejecting people's offer to walk home (she told them that she'll be staying at Jennifer's because she's close to Isabella) but ending with being able to experience this, maybe going to school is not bad idea after all.

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Or was it?

Because it's the same as yesterday and the day before as Jennifer once again spent the rest of her night finishing her 'task', ignoring the fact that she once again denied Lily and her work.

Adding another page to Lily's pile.

"It's okay!" she said to herself, smiling, because Jennifer did too all the time when they went home and how she did at school. As long as Jennifer is happy.

Little that the bear know she was on cloud nine because of another bear she received as a 'present' for being 'helpful'.

When Lily had found out about the other bear, deep inside she wants to throw it away like Jennifer's umbrella but her master seems to really like the key chain that she refrained herself from doing so. The only thing she can do is have a staring contest with it, hoping that it'll disappear if she won, which she never did because key chains don't blink.

Bears should be friends.

William is another topic, Lily also doesn't get why her master likes him so much. To everyone's eyes he is the (typical) nice and responsible upper levelled student, being extra handsome(?) is definitely a bonus, at least that's what she heard from some students including Isla herself.

However, her chest burns in fury whenever her eyes meet hers in the hallway, the guts that he has to give her a wink when the person who has a crush on him is just literally walking beside him, the bear wants to go violent against him , but she had learned from a certain cartoon that violence is never the answer to any problem, full stop.

That's just some of the part, what really gets her is whenever Jennifer speaks his name before dashing to her room.

She should be happy, she said to herself once again, because the next few days, all attentions are on her. Lily had shown a lot of skilled performance and her ability, very impressive to everyone indeed as she kept receiving compliments, fans, love confessions, even Choco milk.

Of course she only took the Choco milk.

Isla also has been a great company in the dance class. She enjoyed having her and Scarlett around as well, though the other one rarely talks to her. They did had a decent conversation before about how's your day and stuff, but that's it, it never got more than 5 minutes.Lily just thought that Scarlett was the quiet type so she shrugs it off. The bear didn't quite get why the trio would dislike them.

However, the pleasure she's receiving somehow bothers her and she always seems to space out whenever she thinks about Jennifer.

Especially when the gummy boy is linked along.

Lily yearns for her attention, but to say that it's just attention is a little out of context. Sure, her master did give her some during class, for example, a glare or a mouthing when Lily keeps eyeing her while resting her cheek on her palm. Paying attention in class is something to be worry not for the exchange student.

"LILY ARE YOU SERIOUS-" It took almost the whole period that hannah too got annoyed because she was sitting between Jennifer's seat and Lily's sight.

Yeah, the yearning is real.

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"Where are you going?" isla asks as soon as Lily grabs her blazer and holds the doorknob with her bandaged hand, slightly sweaty.

"To Jennifer, I need to confirm if we're going home together."

"Wait no!" Lily turns to look at her, tilting her head upon the sudden protest.

"Why not?"

"I-...Scarlett here said she wants to talk to you!"

"Eh?" the said girl who's sitting on the floor shots her eyes up to her friend. "Me?" the latter nods signally, taking out her phone.

"No, I don't." she frowns but shrinks when Isla gave her a look.

"I- Yes, I do!" she quickly changed her answer.

Lily stares at her for a moment before turning the knob, "Sorry friend, let's talk about it later I really have to go!" the bear waves childishly before disappearing.

"Jen!" Lily runs to her when she saw her but stops a few steps before reaching her. ".and boy." There it is again, the bear's dead- assed cold look spawning a raging bear-like aura around her when she notices who her master is walking with.

"Hm?" Jennifer didn't hear the last part though, "you're sweating again..." she pulls out a tissue and daps it on Lily's face, already used to the situation, but Lily's eyes remain still at the boy. "Li?"

"Your girlfriend here is really cold, did I do something wrong?" William laughs mischievously, earning a slap on the shoulder by her.

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Maybe you did." Lily replies sternly, trying hard not to grit her teeth because Jennifer once told her not to because it's rude to do it when talking to someone.

Just then william's phone vibrates and Jennifer just signals him to answer, and so he did making a distant.

"Don't be like that!" she looks over Lily and notices her hand, "Whoa what happened?" she lifts Lily's bandaged hand, her flinch went unnoticed.

"Oh this?" the bear finally snaps out of it, she was still glaring at william. "I saw someone did this on tv and it looks cool." She lied.

"But there's so many bandages."

"The more you put, the cooler it will be!" she laughs and the latter decided not to pry further. Lily is dense, expect the unexpected, she thought.

"Anyway, have you seen my keychain? I've been looking everywhere this morning and I can't seem to find it." Jennifer whispers not wanting her crush to hear though he's busy on the phone. "You didn't take it, didn't you?"

"No? Why would I?" and it only made her frown deeper, scratching her nape trying to figure out where else did she put it before.

"Jennifer?"

"Hm?"

"Are we going home together today?"

"Sorry Ms.Mateo, Jennifer will be staying back to study with me." A hand lands on Jennifer's shoulder, william ended his phone call, smiling at her.

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"What?" Lily turns her head to her raising her brows.

"Yeah.. I'm sorry, Lily. William said he needs my help and-" the bear stops her before she could finish, surprising her.

"It's okay.. I'll just pick Emma up by myself later." Lily nods to herself before glancing at william.

"I'll go now." she smiles at her master and turns on her heels.

"Wait, where are you going?" Lily is being unusually unusual, the bear isn't the type to not cling at all, making Jennifer curious. She turns

"Dance class"

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It's not revenge, nor jealousy (maybe), but Lily came to learn that if you go against the assistant, bad this might happen to you. She wasn't actually worried about that, but Jennifer is included in the scene.

"Where's Isla?" Lily asks while closing the door behind her when the girl is not in her sight when she entered.

"She said she went somewhere... I don't know where.." Scarlett stretches her leg still in her sitting position before closing her eyes.

"you're back so soon, have you found Jennifer?"

"Uh, yeah." The latter settles herself next to her.

"Oh by the way, what was the thing you wanted to say to me?" Scarlett opens her eyes and stares at their reflection on the mirror for a few seconds. She realizes that Lily isn't in her usual state as her body is about to give up and just sleep.

"Lily," she starts.

"Yeah?"

scarlett didn't respond immediately making Lily raise her slumped head.

"What is it?"

"Lily you," she breathes, checking the door,

"you need to be careful."

"What do you mean?"

"isla is kinda.." she bit her lips unsurely, "she's kinda greedy."

"Greedy?"

"Oh Lily! You're back!" the door suddenly opens revealing the girl in topic with a couple of water bottles in her hand, the two jumps in shock.

"You look parched." She threw Lily a bottle which she easily catches. Two bottle?

"How do you know?" the bear smiles thankfully, twisting the cap before chugging down.

"Just have the feeling." isla grins, Scarlett pinches the bridge of her nose mentally. Lily only chuckles. Noticing her tired state, isla settles herself next to Lily this time.

"You know Li, sometimes things didn't happen the way you wanted them to it's because you're on the wrong lane." Lily sits up, looking at isla's reflection tilting.

"I know that look Lily, you don't have to worry." The latter makes an eye contact with her. "You're depressed over something am I right?" Lily isn't sure whether to nod or not, and so she remains. "I won't ask you why though, it's your privacy and I respect that."

"The thing is, if it's not working, maybe you should change direction."

What does she mean? Lily crunches her nose. It's almost the same as how Isabella said to her when she sleeps over at hers.

"Shall we dance, damsel in distress?" the blonde haired girl stands up, offering the bear a hand.

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"Baby bear?"

"Lily?"

"Baby bear, helloooo?"

Lily finally snaps when Emma cups her cheeks, "Oh sorry, hehehehe. Just got out?"

"I've been here for almost 10 minutes ago." Emma frowns and looks around. "Where's jen?"

"Oh, she, uh, she's staying back to study." the bear smiles apologetically.

"Studying?" Lily nods. "Okay... Hey, wanna go and get some ice cream? " knowing all too well and only food is the answer to everything, Emma suggests making the latter shots in excitement.

"Let's go!"

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"Is Lily related to you?"

Jennifer sighs for the nth time that afternoon as William kept throwing her questions related to the bear.

"No... "

"Then why is she staying with you when she's clearly related to isa..bella?"

"It's Isabella and I don't know."

"Does she really live in Alaska?"

To think of it it's been almost 2 hours being in library yet they've only reached the 2nd page of their paperwork, Jennifer began to feel frustrated. She doesn't know if she feels uncomfortable for herself or Lily.

"William..."

"Wait! One more, how is the present? I didn't see you hanging it anywhere as an accessories." He leans forward, pouting while checking her bag placed on the chair beside her seat.

"Oh it-it's at home! I hang it in,uh, my room!" Jennifer stammers. Luckily the guy only nods before her phone vibrates once more.

"Oh I got to go, thanks for the help! You're really nice, I like you!" William swings his bag around his shoulder and waves at the latter, making his way out leaving her blinking.

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"I NEED TO FIND THAT KEYCHAIN."

"EMMA HAVE YOU SEEN MY KEYCHAIN?!"

Emma almost throw a cup of cooked instant noodle when her sister suddenly burst in the kitchen, slamming the table.

"JEN! You scared m-"

"HAVE YOU SEEN MY KEYCHAIN???" she repeats ignoring the gap between her dongsaeng's lips formed.

"No." emma groans, peeking on her noodle to see if it was messed.

Noticing the lack of Lily's presence, Jennifer couldn't help but to ask, "Where's Lily?"

"In your room." Her sister then dismisses her and went to her room, slowly opening the door to peek if she was really there.

She is, asleep, back facing the ceiling as how Jennifer sees from the small gap. She enters the room fully to have a closer look. She notices that Lily is holding her pencil in her bandaged hand and is actually using her sketchpad as a pillow, she couldn't make out what she was sketching. "Are you this tired?" the latter breathes.

Lily's hair is all over her face except for her button nose, revealing the fading mark -or her identity- on her almost covered nape. It's a cute sight indeed, Jennifer wonders how long has it been since she looks at her this close and careful. Her position doesn't look that comfortable and so she tugs the bear a little to wake her up.

"Lily" she pokes her waist, from the way her nose twitch, she's probably grimacing. "Lily!" she whispers a little louder this time and the bear moves slowly, pushing herself up with her arms and still facing the bed, shooking her head and groaning before turning to whoever just disturbed her hibernation.

"Ah Jennifer." her face turns soft, there's a pinch of drowsiness in her voice.

"I got it." She gets up and packs her stuff to drag her legs to the door.

"Where are you going?" the latter tilts confusedly, frowning a bit.

"I've grown accustomed to this, jen. You need to be alone so you can do your work and study diligently.." Lily replies with her eyes closed, she is that tired.

Jennifer would like to think Lily is just sleepy, which she is, and hungry, that Lily isn't being clingy as always. It somehow upsets her.

But then, about 2 hours later, Lily came knocking on her door with a cup of instant noodle in her hand.

"You still haven't eaten'

Jennifer doesn't even realize that.

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It was the first day of exam week and Lily was told that for 'exchange students' they won't be taking any and was given the chance to either just stay in class minding their own business or wander aro out only inside the school ground. She chose the second option. Jennifer's eyes followed her figure as she excuse herself out, it worries her.

Lily actually has 2 reasons why she chose the latter option , one, so she won't be disturbing her master, as how Jennifer told her she always did whenever the staring game starts, two, she received a letter from Scarlett.

"Someone asked me to give this to you." What she informed her.

The letter doesn't speak from whoever it was, but it does tell her about Jennifer's keychain was found. She doesn't think twice, so there she is now, making her way to the dance class.

Dance Class? Was it isla? Which explains her

absent today? When Lily reaches the location, she sees no one. Not a single figure, no t a single silhouette.

She begins to think that she was pranked until someone locks the door after 15 minutes of looking around the room, making the bear jumps from her mini tour.

"Y-you!"

"Woah there, there's no need to point fingers, Ms.Mateo" William raise his hands with a smirk as he steps away from the locked door.

"Why are you- what about the keychain?!"

"I said there's no need to point fingers, that's rude." he laugh mockingly, "Oh the keychain? was a bait to get you here. I already know that nerd had lost it." he scoffs.

"What did you just say?!" If eyes were to burn holes, Lily's would have burn half of the room already.

"No need to worry, the stuff isn't important anyway" he walks toward Lily.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class." She steps back as an alert, holding back the urge to throw a tantrum as it'll might disturb everyone, disturb Jennifer.

"Are you an idiot or something? I'm the 'Student Council' assistant, I have the option to take my exam earlier as to arrange other important stuff for the school." It was a full insult accompanied by a smirk.

"Wait.."

"That's right, baby. Thanks to your best friend for her help."

It only takes that for Lily to yank him hard by his blazer. "HOW DARE YOU?! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH TIME YOU TOOK FROM HER?!" Lily is furious, to think that Jennifer had wasted her time for someone who was just using her. She doesn't care about getting into a huge mess anymore.

"I'm reporting you." She yanks him once more to the side to walk away only to be pulled by the wrist and pinned against the wall, hissing in pain.

"Wow, you really are an idiot!" tightening his hold while laughing, "No one will believe no matter how hard you do, there's no proof, everyone is in class" he nears her face. "Plus, I have a very high reputation here, you'll kill to have a couple of students to back you up.." his breathe ghosting her lips.

"What exactly... is your intention." Lily can only whisper, her hands in pain.

"You should be lucky that you're pretty and caught my attention... Why don't you just play along with me for a while yes? Being hard to get won't get you anywhere, unlike those girls who are easy to please.including Jennifer."

William didn't know how Lily recovered her energy as she throw a fist across his cheek, hard, which she had been holding since the first day of school. The impact was too strong that the assistant stumbled flat on the floor, cursing while holding his most probably bruised face. Lily didn't hold back a kick either.

Noticing that he had passed out, Lily quickly runs out of th room and head to her class, not before turning the fire alarm making most student screams because of the loud siren, Lily thank the knowledge she gain about it.

Everyone was already panicking when Lily reaches her class, Jennifer gaze fall on her, face full of panic. The bear immediately pulls her and her bag out of the class.

"Lily! What is going on?!" Jennifer shouts as she is dragged between running students. Lily had been called countless of times to explain, yes if the alarm rings, you have time get out of the class to a specified are, but not until you reach back home.

"Lily, my wrist hurts!"

"S-sorry!" the bear realizes and lets her hand go.

"Lily we're the in the midst of exam and you came as soon as the fire alarm rings! I need explanation! And why did you pull me till home?!" Jennifer starts spitting, looking up furiously to the latter.

Before Lily could open utter a word, Jennifer's phone vibrates. Talk about timing.

Jennifer frown turns into a unreadable expression when she witnesses what was sent into her inbox under an anonymous number, "Lily... what is this?."

Her hands were shaking when she turns the phone for Lily to see and Lily can't believe what she sees.

It was a recorded video of William pinning her on the wall in the dance room back then. From the angle, it looks like he's kissing her. That's impossible, they were only ones there! Lily's tongue got twisted for some reason and she can't seem to voice out anything.

"Say something!" the latter shouts.

"I have my reasons." the bear tries to talk calmly hoping for Jennifer to hear her out but she didn't.

"What reasons?! For you to flirt with someone l like? Is that why you choose to wander outside the class today?!"

"Jennifer I didn't-"

"You knew I like William, why are you doing this, Lily?! What has Hirai taught you?!" Jennifer's tantrum kept going and Lily knows she's in the verge of tears.

"I was trying to protect you! That video isn't how it looks like!" for the first time ever, Lily had raise her voice against her master.

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"Protect me? PROTECT ME?!" a tear fell down ash she repeats. Jennifer is actually very confused about why she's so worked up and furious about but she just couldn't stop spiting whatever she has on the tip of her tongue without even thinking.

"You have done nothing to protect me!"

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"Your presence in my school has always been a bother!"

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"Master.." Lily tries to calm her down once more by holding her shoulders but the latter rejects her.

"Master?! If I was your master, you should have made my life easier!

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"It has been nothing but more expenses and trouble! I've missed a paper, you shouldn't have dragged me all the way here! And now this?!"

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"Is this what chivalry is to you?!"

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Something inside Lily's chest twitches to the veins in her palm, like a jolt of electricity, starting from its source then spreading though every circuit linked. She unconsciously clench her hands, it hurts, and it wasn't anger.

"From the beginning of your transformation, everything had been upside down.." her tantrums turn into sobs as more tears fell, she runs to her room.

"Wait , Jen-"

" If I knew it sooner I wouldn't have picked you up in the first place"

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It's almost 6 p.m and Jennifer haven't even stepped outside her room. Lily didn't barge in, however she simply sits, leaning on the outer side of the door, listening to Jennifer's cry till it dies down, till she had fallen asleep.

Lily had picked up emma alone and told her that her sister is stressed that she needs not to be bother as of the moment. When Emma had entered her room,

Lily went back to lean on the door this time with her pencil and a piece of paper. And a box wrapped in pink. Lily didn't cry or at least that's how she sees herself in, not when a lot is going through her mind.

"Have I failed...?" she wonders. Clutching to her ears, she lets herself shrink, she doesn't like this feeling at all.

"stupid stupid stupid stupid useless stupid." she curses herself repeatedly. Stupid. It's really stupid how the bear blames herself for everything, for things not going as well as they're supposed to when it's clearly Jennifer's fault for deafening her ears and ego.

Suddenly, everything Isabella and Isla have told her came flashing back. For the first time ever, Lily breaks down which she keeps by herself.

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2 hours passed midnight, Lily finally stands up, twisting the door knob behind her as not to wake up the sleeping girl on the bed.

She leaves the paper and box on Jennifer's table before walking to the girl, kneeling to match her level with the girl. Lily pulls up the blanket to her shoulder since she didn't and fixed her position a bit.

When the latter looks comfortable already, she swipes some of the hair from her faces and caresses her cheek. Lily takes a deep breathe before leaning to place her forehead on hers.

"Don't worry, I won't bother you anymore." She whispered.

She stayed in the same position for 10 minutes whispering inaudible I'm sorry's but it feels like a second, it wasn't enough to collect her thoughts and she can still feel the jolt in her palms. Planting a kiss on Jennifer's forehead, Lily walks out but not after glancing at her once more.

She walks into Emma's room and did the same only this time it was 'It's been great with you' instead of words of apology.

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Standing under in the middle of the basketball court she used to play with the kids, Lily stares straight into the net she used to call a ring with a dress.

She clutches her hands together and rests her forehead on them. She kneels down. She can't feel her palms anymore as pinch of light starts spawning inside her hold.

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Lily had learn that nightmare often happens to someone who fell asleep right after they have witnessed or experienced something that is very bothering and highly terrifying, but it's just a bad dream that happens when you're asleep, because after waking up, it 'll only be a nightmare and nightmares aren't real.

Everything that happens in those bad dreams doesn't occur in realities.

That's what Lily hoped for Jennifer .

"Let this all be just a nightmare for Jennifer..."

She cries, hard, because she knows it'll be the last. The last thing she's gonna do, before transforming back to being a lifeless stuffed animal.

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