AJ stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought. It wasn’t so much that he’d been surprised that Emily knew his feelings for Ophelia, but rather, he was astonished to hear that Ophelia had apparently found someone-- when did that happen?-- who was undoubtedly a far better person than he himself was.


Not that it’s hard to be a better person than I am, AJ admitted to himself. I haven’t exactly been the best person, especially in the last few years. Cheating on tests, slacking off on my responsibilities, lying to others, cheating on girlfriends, breaking hearts, breaking a few laws… it’s really a miracle I’m not dead or in jail. The bulk of my life has been the pursuit of the next good time, and that’s because the things I enjoyed came so easily to me. Even Tiffani was an easy one to catch. I never had to work to get the girl I wanted.


Until now. Maybe that’s what I’m drawn to, the challenge of the whole thing. Maybe, it’s not even that. Perhaps it was realizing there was a girl who could shake my way of thinking. Ophelia… so unafraid to be different, willing to stand up for what she believed in, to stand up for her friends, even when she was physically outnumbered… she was different from most of the student population. That day when Ophelia stood up to those cheerleaders… that was when I realized that she wasn’t simply the “weirdo” some people see her as. The fact that she didn’t go for me, even after I tried repeatedly to win her over, just made me more aware that she wasn’t like the other girls at this school. It’s not surprising that since I’ve gotten to meet her, I’ve really changed for the better. That’s the first time anything or anyone has ever made me reconsider how I’ve led my life.

AJ sighed and closed his eyes. “I just hope whoever’s got her treats her with the kindness and respect that she deserves,” he muttered.


“…Said woman take it slow
It’ll work itself out fine.
All we need is just a little patience,
Said sugar, make it slow
And we’ll come together fine.
All we need it just a little patience--”

“--Try it again,” Graham said, interrupting Ophelia, who set down her guitar to listen to his suggestions.. “This time, try to actually breathe while singing. You’re doing good with the playing, but you’re not breathing properly. Do you want to pass out while performing?” Ophelia shook her head. “Let’s take it again from the beginning.”

A loud knocking at the door made them both jump. “Were you expecting anyone?” Ophelia asked. Graham shook his head and responded, “No.”

With a shrug, Graham walked to the door and peeked out through the small window. “It’s Jade!” he gasped.

“Well, let her in,” Ophelia replied. “I’m going to go for a walk. That way you two can talk privately.”

“Don’t leave me alone with her!”

“Why? She’s not going to bite.”

“She’s intimidating!” Graham admitted.

“And you think you’re trash?” Ophelia replied. “Listen, if you were a good bit younger and I were single, I’d be seriously interested. You’re a good guy. If she doesn’t want to give you a chance, it’s her loss.” She grinned and squeezed his shoulder. “Now, be the nice guy I know you are and let the woman in. She wouldn’t be here if she didn’t have something to say to you.”


“Yeah, I guess,” Graham admitted. He opened the door slowly, and greeted Jade. “Hey, it’s a surprise to see you here. I was just working with Ophelia on her music. Come on in.”

“I didn’t know I was interrupting anything. If you want, I’ll come back later,” Jade said apologetically.

“No, you’re not interrupting,” Ophelia spoke up. “I’m going to run to the store to get some tea bags. Graham’s tea supply is severely lacking.” She grinned at the duo. “I’ll be back in about twenty minutes.” With that, she scampered out, leaving Jade and Graham awkwardly staring at each other.

“So…” Graham said slowly. “What are you doing here? How did you find out where I live?”

Jade shrugged and replied, “Valo gave me the address.”

“Who?”

“A friend of me and Ophelia. Ophelia told her to pass the address along to me.”

“Ophelia did that?” Graham exclaimed. “I’m really sorry she did. I didn’t tell her to do anything like that.”

“It’s okay,” Jade responded. “Besides, I wanted to talk to you, one on one.”

“About what?”