The dorm was peaceful for the two roommates as rexing cssical music pyed over their speaker. Baron sat at his desk, focused on getting through his stack of homework. He had begun to think he should have picked an easier degree. Bancing his life was beginning to feel nearly impossible.

  Behind Baron, Abel comfortably id out on the bottom bunk with his acoustic guitar. He pyed to the tune of the ambient music pyed over the speaker, seamlessly he joined the composer’s vision. These live performances were not only delightful, but always seemed to help Baron study. The vibes were serene and peaceful for the two of them, and nothing could possibly ruin it!

  The door swung open with a crash into the wall. Neither roommate acknowledged the disturbance, each continuing with what they were preoccupied by.

  “Good! The two of you are free.” Dawn walked in with a smirk on her face and her vibrant ginger hair in tow. Dawn closed the door behind her as she let herself in.

  “Hey, Dawn.” Baron greeted her with an innocent smile as he finished writing down the st of the notes he had been working on. Abel greeted her with a silent nod without breaking his focus on the music.

  “So, boys. I need your help.” Dawn stood confidently in the center of the room, looking between the two of them with a smirk “My roommate, Jen, is throwing a big party tonight.” A familiar irritation slipped into her voice. “And since she’s such a bitch, I’m not invited unless I can get this dork to come.” She looked toward the quiet Abel.

  “I’m not going.” Abel said directly to the point as he continued to py his instrument on his own. Baron sat silently looking between the two of them.

  “Don't be that way, Abel! Baron will come too!” She grabbed Baron’s shoulder, squeezing on it to put a little pressure on him. Despite her boney build, Dawn had an extraordinary amount of strength due to their cognizant nature. “Right Baron?”

  “I will?” Baron wasn’t expecting to be involved in this discussion. He could feel himself getting warm and anxious just thinking about going to something with so many people. “I-I’ve never been to a party though.”

  “It doesn’t seem like he wants to go either.” Abel responded with little emotion or enthusiasm as he tended to do.

  Dawn drove her thumb uncomfortably into his back, as her grip tightened. “Come on Abel, you dont wanna rob Baron of that experience do you?” She smiled connivingly. “You don't wanna miss out on your first party, do you Baron?”“I guess it does sound fun.” Baron said, almost a little nervous. He didn’t need to use his Manifest to read her aura. He knew that Dawn would harm him if he interfered with this pn.

  “Listen, I don't want to ruin you guys’ fun…” Abel stopped pying his guitar, ying it beside himself on the bed instinctively, he pyed with a strand of his brown springy hair as Abel’s pretty hazel eyes looked between him and Dawn.

  “But Jen is using this as a chance to get with me. She’s going to harass me the whole time.” They both knew that was true. Dawn’s roommate did have the weirdest obsession with him, and she didn’t even try to hide it.

  They each felt silent as the cssical music continued in the background. Baron looked up toward Dawn as Abel met Baron’s own eyes. While he’d never say it out loud, both of his friends made Baron a little envious of his round face and dull features.

  “I really don't want to rob either of you of this experience.” Abel broke the silence with his quiet voice. “No, I get it. You have a point…” Dawn spoke with a begrudging tone as she finally eased up on Baron’s shoulder.

  “It did sound like a fun idea.” Baron said reassuringly as he smiled between the two. “And there’ll definitely be another party for us to go to!” At least, he hoped so - were there really many more chances for someone like him to get invited to a party like this… That wasn’t important though, and Baron did his best to hide that doubt.

  “Yeah, always next time.” Dawn evidently had a much harder time hiding the disappointment on her pale gaunt face. She patted Baron’s shoulder lightly before fully releasing him. “We can go hit up Five Guys, maybe head into the Haven after? Always something goin’ on there.” While she talked, Baron could feel the enthusiasm and energy draining from her voice.

  “That sounds fun too. Maybe you guys could finally meet The Lady and Hugo!” Baron looked to Abel who had been sitting there silently. While they’d never admit it, Baron knew that they were underestimating just how cool his adopted parents were. “What do you think?”

  His silence was broken with a long sigh as Abel pnted his face into his hands. “I can’t believe I’m saying this…” Abel whispered into his palms, before he stood up from the bed. “Let’s go to this party. But! Baron, you gotta stick with me.” Abel made sure that stipution was clear.

  Dawn bounced with excitement, and a smile spread over her face. The two of them couldn’t help but smile with her. “Thank you Abel! You’re the best, man!” She firmly spped his back, before lovingly grabbing his shoulder as she did Baron’s before. Able squirmed and writhed under her touch until he managed to escape her tight hold.

  “I didn’t really pn on wandering from you two, so that’s perfect!” Baron felt excited as he rose from his seat.

  “Should be fine then.” Abel grabbed his jacket as Dawn ushered them out the door, eager for them to get a move on.

  “You got nothing to worry about, Abel. You’ve got the best hoe-repellent money can afford!” Dawn smirked mischievously at Baron before leading them out of the dorm. Abel followed her out, chuckling under his breath as he waited for Baron in the doorway.

  “W-wait what! Hoe-repellent? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Baron followed after his friends with an embarrassed smile.

  …

  The trio stood awed at the expensive house that Jen’s parents owned. It was more like a manor with its massive size, supported by rge columns on each side of the entrance. It was enough to make him nervous as the taxi pulled into the wide looping driveway. Baron had never been to such a luxurious house. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was going to be like in there, but he did know that he couldn’t wait to get out of the back of this crammed taxi.

  Dawn jumped out eagerly as the vehicle came to a stop, and Abel slid out of the cab after her. Baron waited behind as the other two stood outside of the cab. He tore open his velcro wallet to pay for the trip, and tipped their driver, who he had enjoyed talking to during the ride.

  “Thank you ma’am. I hope that everything with your father’s treatment goes well.” Baron waved the driver off with a smile. She peeled out of the driveway with a smile and a wave.

  He stood next to his two friends, looking up at the house that made his stomach sink. Even from here he could feel the boosted bass from the speakers, and see the strobing lights that slipped through the windows. An anxiety washed over his mind, making his face feel hot and flushed. The thought of getting lost and failing Abel raced through his mind. How could he be ‘hoe-repellent’ in such a pce? He was going to be eaten alive in there trying to defend Abel’s virtue.

  That feeling sat like a boulder in his belly, weighing him down, and making him wish he'd never climbed out of the cab, or even agreed to come in the first pce. It's not like he was the one that needed to be invited.

  In times like these Baron wished he was more like Spriggan, his viginte alter ego. Yeah, he knew that Spriggan was just an illusion spell that corrected the faults of his face, but he was also everything that Baron wished he could be. He was bold, confident, secure in himself, and unlike Baron, Spriggan was strong. If Baron could muster Spriggan’s confidence then he would have been invited to a party like this before. If he was more charming like Spriggan, he wouldn’t be referred to as ‘hoe-repellent’. He couldn't help but wish that he was less like Baron, and more like Spriggan at times like this.

  Dawn jabbed her elbow into Abel’s rib with a smug smirk. ”I knew that neither of you would let me down.” Baron wasn’t listening, nor was he spared. Her elbow drove into him with a dull pain that snapped him back to reality. He rubbed his side lightly as his friends recimed his attention.

  Dawn led the three of them over the fancy marble pathing to the double doors, before pausing with a dramatic pause. “You boys ready?” Dawn didn’t wait for a response. She pulled the pair of doors free, and the floodgates were opened! A tidal wave of smoke engulfed the three as the doorway was opened.

  Baron coughed into his sleeves, eyes watering from the smoke as he looked up to his two friends, Dawn seemed to take a deep breath in and smiled with anticipation. Abel was unreactive to it all - the smoke, the noise, and the people. This looked so easy for Abel and Dawn, but everything always was for them

  “I knew this would be good. I'm gonna go find some sorry simp that's willing to share some Bud with a pretty girl like myself.” Dawn slipped through the crowded hall of rowdy drunk college students that stank of booze and earthy smoke.

  Baron watched her leave the two of them behind, until he couldn’t make her out in the mass of moving bodies. The heat generated from the mob lingering in the stagnant air made Baron feel stuffy and hot. While he was used to crowded cities and busy campuses crammed with students, but this type of party was not something he’d experienced before, and he realized he wasn’t quite sure what to do at an event like this.

  “So uh, what are we supposed to do now?” Baron looked toward Abel for security, unsure what to do with his hands.

  “Wanna grab a drink?” Abel asked nonchantly as he passed seamlessly through the cracks of the disorderly party. Baron thought about it as he followed the navigator. He’d never drank before, or done any drugs in his life, and would be lying if he said he wasn’t curious. Dawn had told him many times about her own fun experiences, and even called him a dork sometimes for not trying them. Baron really did consider participating tonight for his first time, but he couldn’t seem to commit.

  “Nah, I’d rather not.” Call it fear, anxiety, or a wise decision. Baron couldn’t help but feel like he’d be a hypocrite for drinking before the legal age. Spriggan was meant to fight crime, not enforce it for others but turn around and break the rules when it was convenient.

  “Is that alright?” He asked, unsure in his own conviction.

  “Of course it is. I won't drink either then.” Abel continued guiding them to a secluded corner through the mix of strangers with a silent confidence.

  “You seem experienced in this environment. Did you party a lot before moving here?” Baron continued to follow after Abel, who made his way for a lonely loveseat for two that had been left uncimed.Abel shrugged before taking a rexed seat. “Got invited to a few parties back in L.A.” He gestured toward the spot next to him for Baron to take a seat. “Let’s rex. We may be here for a while.” Abel sounded a little annoyed as he scanned the room. Baron, despite his anxieties, knew that it was time! It was time to keep his friend safe. It was time to embody what it means to be ‘hoe-repellent’, this was where he made his stand!

  The two of them sat silently and undisturbed for some time. While Abel pyed games on his phone, uninterested in the world around him, Baron was watching the ongoing party. It was all so new to him, he couldn't help but take it all in, but he did stay alert for approaching ‘threats’ like Jen, or people that would potentially try and make a move on his Abel.

  Even though they had found a quieter corner of the house, it was just as difficult and overwhelming as he feared it was going to be. It felt almost impossible to keep track of what was happening, or who was around them with the overstimuting nature of these things. He at least hoped that Abel’s disinterest would drive people away.

  “You enjoying the party, Abel?” He had hoped wrong. The two of them looked up to see the girl they heard. It was Jen with her long brown hair, red face, and dress revealing more than enough skin to make Baron blush. Baron had always thought that Jen was really attractive, but something about her rude attitude diminished those attributes.

  “I think he’s enjoying it” Baron answered for Abel, who was deciding that the best response was silence. Jen in her inebriated state snapped her head with an annoyed look toward Baron.

  “I wasn’t talking to you, Baron.” Her breath had the lingering smell of alcohol, and her eyes were struggling to fully part. Worst of all, it seemed to make her meaner, and she already didn’t have an issue with being nasty to him and Dawn.

  Baron gnced at his friend, who he noticed staring off into space. Abel had a habit of getting distracted by things unseen by others, or at least Baron assumed that was what was happening.

  “I uh, I think he’d rather not.” Baron said hesitantly. He must have not spoken with enough confidence, because he clearly watched her take two steps closer to Abel as he spoke.

  “You're no fun. Can’t you let Abel speak for himself?” She pushed back on Baron in her blissfully drunk state. He wasn’t expecting her to resist their boundaries so hard, what was his next py? His mind raced - surely even Baron could outsmart someone who was this drunk.

  “I’m sorry, but he uh, he isn’t feeling the best.” Baron tried to speak with a smile and soft tone, hoping to de-escate. He wasn’t a very good liar, nor did he enjoy it, but what other options were there to stop her advances?

  “Will you stop talking for him and go somewhere else?” She asked with a condescending tone that got more frustrated by his continued blocking of her advances.

  “I’m sorry Jen… He just hasn't been super talkative tonight.” Baron winced as he spoke - this wasn’t going well at all. It was getting more confrontational than he tended to enjoy, but he couldn’t allow himself to fail. In times like this, Baron wished he could channel that steadfastness he found as Spriggan.

  “Ugh.” Jen groaned dramatically, evidently frustrated. “Honestly, you’re so fucking annoying, Baron.” She said with venomous ire. Those words cut into Baron deeper than he’d liked to admit.

  “O-oh. I’m sorry…” He lowered his head in apology, unable to meet her challenging gaze. She was noncognizant and her frame was smaller than Baron's, but she imposed herself over him all the same, making him feel smaller than he already did.

  “Whatever. I’ll just be back when he decides to stop babysitting you.” Jen stormed off in a huff, leaving Baron with his head hung lower than it had been when they entered.

  Abel held his hand out to dap up Baron, just as he taught him when they first started to become friends. “You’re doing great.” The encouragement lifted his spirits enough to try and forget about Jen’s words. It’s not like he didn’t expect these sorts of things from her.

  “What had you so preoccupied during my verbal beating there? ” Baron asked, sure that he already knew the answer.

  Abel nodded toward an open area over the party. “There’s a spirit of gluttony.” Baron followed his gaze, where he imagined the specter that remained unseen to him. While he could read the auras of people when he activated the magical ability in his eyes, it didn’t let him see the paranormal like Abel’s Manifest. It never stopped being interesting to Baron how unique the magical effects and abilities were for each Cognizant’s Manifest or Mutation. Luckily, Abel tended to sketch them out into his artbook for others to see, and they almost always exceed the expectations of Baron’s own imagination.

  “Think it’s a friend of Jen’s?” Baron tried to cheer himself up with a joke, but it didn’t make him feel good taking a shot at Jen behind her back.

  He shook his head without pulling his attention away from the spirit. “It nested here a while ago.” Abel tended to be correct on these matters, and who was Baron to question the guy who’d been able to see dead people since before he could walk?

  “Should uh, should we be worried about that?” Baron began to feel concern for the room of Noncognzants, those ignorant to the supernatural world that were both vulnerable to and guarded from magic.

  “Nah, it's mostly harmless.” Abel seemed to shrug Baron’s concern off with his calm unchanging demeanor, but that wasn’t very relieving. Baron knew he reacted that way to almost everything, even the one time they almost crashed his car.

  “It doesn’t, like, make people in the area greedier or more selfish?” Baron asked, unsatisfied with his original response.

  “Not likely,” he shook his head. “It’s only drawn to those emotions, it's really no threat.” Baron chose to believe him this time, and maybe even to try and rex. It wasn’t like there was much he could do about it anyways.

  “Well, I guess that’s a relief…” Baron trailed off as he spoke. His attention was stolen by someone approaching them, who was well dressed with long brown hair that was swept back. The pair fell silent, careful to not let their conversation of Cognizant affairs be overheard as they approached.

  “So, I hope this isn’t a rude or weird question, but are you two together?” He asked, his eyes drawn to Abel’s bouncy curls.

  “Oh no, that’s not rude at all. We aren’-” Baron wasn’t able to finish his sentence before Abel intimately slung his arm around his neck. Traditionally that sort of contact would had made Baron wildly uncomfortable, but luckily over the school year he had grown really comfortable with Abel and Dawn.

  “Yeah. We’re together.” Abel cut him off with his calm tone. Baron knew that he wasn’t the best actor, so he decided it was best to sit silently with a smile and let Abel handle this.

  “Oh. I’m sorry, not at all the vibe I got…” He seemed a little offended by their refusal, before he quickly took the chance to step away from the two.

  Baron really couldn’t help but feel bad for how that pyed out. It’s not like he had been rude or overly pushy like Jen. Baron didn’t find it hard to put himself in his shoes, that sort of rejection was something he was also familiar with.

  Abel took his arm off of Baron without much of a reaction to what had happened. It was always odd to Baron how anyone could get so used to receiving attention from people they didn't know, but also get used to shooting down their feelings so callously. Baron shook his head, to distract himself before he got stuck thinking too much again.

  “So, We’ve only been here fooor…” Baron pulled out his phone to check the time, “...30 minutes, and we’re two for two actually!” He said with a thumbs up, shocked that the ‘hoe-repellent’ initiative was succeeding as well as it was.

  “Good work.” Abel sank into his seat, unworried as he began to py on his phone again. Baron could not afford the same liberty, he needed to be on high alert to keep Abel protected.

  Unsurprisingly, Baron caught a group of girls pointing out Abel within their circle as he surveyed the floor. Baron was pretty sure, he knew what was going to happen next.

  “Heyy, how’re you two doing?” One of those girls that talked about them had approached. She had been drinking, which was evident from the red cup and emboldened tone, but it was clearly more casual compared to the state Jen had been in.

  “Oh, we’ve been having fun, how about you?” Baron said with a welcoming smile. He didn’t want to start driving her away, until he was sure of her intentions. That would just make him an asshole if she hadn’t actually come for those reasons.

  “Yeah, it’s been a dope ass party hasn't it?” She seemed cool, maybe she really hadn’t come with ulterior motives.

  Abel again was distracted by the paranormal world - at least that’s what Baron always assumed when he seemed to be in one of his dissociative states.

  “So…” She said something to break the silence. “My friend thinks that he’s super cute. Would it be alright if she got his number?” Oh, she really did come for those exact reasons. It was a bit disappointing, but he should have expected that. Why else would anyone try to talk with them?

  Baron shook his head without looking at the stranger. “He doesn’t speak english.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. Abel was bilingual, but it still made Baron feel like a shitty person to alter the truth like that.

  “Really?” She stared at him with a slow blink. “I thought we saw him talking to that other guy?” She said, looking between the two of them with a suspicious gnce.

  “Oh yeah!” He was a terrible liar. “It was in spanish! I’m not sure what they were talking about either!” Baron poorly faked a ugh as he tried his best to act natural. He felt embarrassed, maybe it was because of the obvious dishonesty, or it was the judgmental look she was currently giving him.

  “Oh, yeah… Okay…” It was clear that she wasn't buying it, and instead of pushing further on the matter, she decided to return to her friends with a disappointed look. Before Baron could reflect on what happened, Abel stood and offered him a hand to help him rise.

  “Come on, let's go find a new spot” Abel pulled Baron up to his find somewhere new that was hopefully more private. When they started to navigate through the crowd again, Baron was sure that if separated from Abel, he’d be swallowed alive by the dancing crowd.

  Baron - while he had been having fun in this new environment, was starting to not feel the best about himself. How could he? He’d never say he was envious or jealous of his friends, but Baron would be lying to himself, if he said he didn’t think some of that attention would feel nice.

  “Man, what the hell’s your secret?” Baron spoke loudly to not be drowned out by the loud music. They found a nice area without many people, where Abel leaned against the wall behind them as Baron stood there rigid.

  “My secret?” Abel asked, sounding confused by the question as he gnced over to Baron appearing worried.

  “How do you get so much attention from everyone?” Baron cut himself off before Abel could respond. “It sounds kinda gross when I say it out loud, and I’m not saying I want to be some sort of sex icon… It just hasn’t been a confidence booster, not only watching you get hit on all night long, but being referred to as your ‘hoe-repellent.”

  Abel quietly listened with a shrug as he tended to do over their time as roommates for the past half year.

  “What am I saying? We both know why.” Baron knew Abel was both cooler and more attractive than him. It was obvious why anyone would pick Abel over him, in fact if given the choice, Baron would also pick Abel over himself.

  “You’re too hard on yourself.” Abel spoke with xed arms. “You're a good dude. Besides, being hoe-repellent isn’t a bad thi...”

  “Hey, you’re Baron right?” Surprisingly, Abel was interrupted by a short blonde girl with round rose gold trimmed gsses and cute bubbly cheeks; that neither of them had noticed approach. She spoke confidently, but Baron was figuring out that alcohol had that effect on people.

  Baron gnced toward Abel, who looked at him with raised eyebrows and a subtle smile that made him feel encouraged. He acknowledged his friend’s push forward with an unsure smile, before he looked back toward the stranger, who had only been left waiting for a brief few seconds.

  “Uh yeah, why?” He asked awkwardly, this was the first time someone approached him and not Abel tonight. Baron knew that there was no chance a girl would hit on him, but he couldn’t help as his hands grew cmmy, his face darkened into a deep red, and the weight in his stomach threatened to pull him through the floor.

  It was embarrassing to Baron, and made him feel shame. As Spriggan, he fought dangerous criminals in the magical underworld of York, while Baron currently struggled to talk to a pretty girl.

  “You’re cute.” The world stood still as this unnamed girl spoke those alien words. This was crazy, too crazy. Baron knew he wasn’t cute, at least he was pretty sure.

  “Oh uh. T-thank you! I actually really appreciate that!” Baron awkwardly replied, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

  “Maybe we could go find somewhere quiet to talk?” Holy shit?! This was happening right now? Baron looked to Abel for guidance, unsure how to respond himself. While he wanted to take this chance. His objective was to guard his friends’ chastity! He couldn’t just abandon him. No matter how much he wanted to take this opportunity, that’s just not what a good friend would do in this situation!

  “He’d love to.” Abel cut him off, and the excuses he’d started preparing, before disappearing into the crowd without a farewell.

  “Oh uh. Yeah, I guess, I’d enjoy that.” Baron tried to sound confident as he talked. He heard that people found it attractive after all, but he knew it was impossible to cover up his gring awkwardness.

  She started off for a set of stairs across the hall with Baron in toe.

  “I'm Rose by the way.” She called back to him as she led him to the second story, where a terrace oversaw the party below. Rose leaned against the railing that secured them, and Baron awkwardly took his spot beside her.

  “Nice meeting you Rose, I’d uh introduce myself, but you already knew of me somehow. Which, I’m not sure is a bad thing or not” Baron said with a nervous ugh. While he wouldn’t ask directly, he was curious how such a cute girl knew him, and decided to talk to him out of everyone.

  “It’s not like I heard anything bad!” She paused to think, before looking back at him. “We just have a mutual friend that happened to point you out.” Rose said with a captivating smile that seemed unsure of something.

  Baron did his best to think of who they could both know, but he didn’t have nearly enough to go off, and he was too nervous to ask further. It's not like he knew many people in New York yet, so it couldn’t be that hard to figure out.

  Between them a quietness lingered that cut through the loudness of the music. He did his best to think of something to bring up or say, but his mind was being overrun by thoughts of this girl, named Rose.

  “You haven't been drinking have you. Why is that?” Thankfully, Rose was the one that broke the reticence with her delicate voice that Baron found so very adorable.

  “No, I’m not of age yet.” Baron stiffly leaned against the railing as he talked with an unintentionally innocent tone. She began to giggle at him, and Baron couldn’t help but think that she must have the cutest ugh he'd ever heard.

  “You sound like a weenie.” Rose said pyfully, before she continued to adorably ugh at him. She stood close enough for her shoulder to rub against his own. The contact was alluring and enchanting to him, but it also made him feel nervous and even a little sweaty.

  “A weenie?! What? I’m not a weenie.” Baron jokingly protested against her. He knew he was a weenie, but he felt the need to himself. What was happening to him right now? What was this overwhelming feeling that drowned out his senses?

  “Hey, there's nothing wrong with being a weenie. I haven't been drinking tonight either.” Now that she mentioned it, he noticed that she didn't have a drink with her, and she certainly didn't seem under the influence now that he was talking to her.“Then that makes you just as much of a weenie as me!” Baron pointed out as he did a pass over of her face to gauge her reaction, and subtly admire her without her noticing hopefully. Their eyes locked with the passing gnce, and Baron couldn’t help but feel his stomach drop with anxiety. He couldn’t maintain that eye contact with her, his brain threatened to explode if he tried.

  “Guess that makes us a pair of weenies, huh?” Rose’s words sent a warm fsh through his system.

  “I uh, I guess we are.” Baron said through a goofy grin that he tried to hide by looking away. “Just a pair of weenies.” That made him feel a deep heat in his belly. There was nothing Baron wanted more in that moment, then for his time as a pair of weenies to never end. He realized how crazy that was, he only knew this girl for a few moments now, but he couldn’t help himself in this moment.

  “So, what does a weenie like you do outside of a loud party like this?” Rose asked, with what Baron hoped was a flirtatious tone.

  “I’ve uh..” He had to think about his next words, he needed to be careful to not mention himself as spriggan or reference the cognizant world she was surely unaware of. “Mostly been studying at NYU for my Biotechnology major, and… I try to volunteer at a friend’s soup kitchen when I have time.” He tended to do it as Spriggan, but surely it was okay to take some of the credit for his work.

  “That’s really cool!” She sounded genuinely interested as they spoke. The thought of that made Baron really happy. “I’m also going to NYU. Though, I’m certainly a lot less interesting than you.”“Oh really?” Baron did his best to hide his excitement. If they went to the same school, it meant maybe, just maybe they could run into each other in the future. “What are you going for?” Baron tried his best to py it cool, but it was impossible to mask his interest in her.

  “I’m hoping to become a teacher, specifically a special educational teacher.” Rose sounded unsure of herself. “Dont got much more going on other than that.”

  “What are you talking about? That’s super interesting.” Even if he was used to a more magical world than many could imagine. Baron found the beauty in how much good a mundane job like that could do.

  “You really think so?” She tilted her head to get a good look at his face, it made his face hot with blush.

  “Yeah, it’s really cool.” Everything was going so well, he just had to hope his habit of being Baron didn’t ruin it all. “If you don't mind me asking, what made you want to pursue that in particur?”

  “Well…” She turned against the railing to support her back. “It’s a pretty long story” She seemed to go back and forth on whether or not she’d open up to him. “But the short version is that back in Middle School and High School, the other kids would pick on some of the less fortunate and misunderstood.” The thought seemed to bring her mood down. “It always did make me sad, but I never once did anything to help them…” She paused, evidently saddened by a thought. “So, I guess you can call it a bit of a guilty conscience.” Rose said it semi-jokingly, but there was a lot of truth to it.

  “It sounds like you're a good person.” Her story left an impression on Baron that made his infatuation with her grow, to the point he could think of nothing but her.

  A smile broke the sembnce of sadness on her face. “I really appreciate that.” Rose said with her shoulder brushing against his arm once more. Accident or not, he hoped it would happen at least one more time.

  What if he asked for her number? The thought suddenly appeared in his mind, and made his stomach toss into tight knots. He wasn’t sure if he could possibly ask someone so beautiful that question, it was surely going to be a no. But could he let the doubt stop him? He had really been enjoying their time together, but could he really do this?

  It was silent between the two of them, and it didn’t feel as if Baron was able to say exactly what he wanted. The what if’s ran through his mind, while Rose waited as he stared longingly between each part of her face, each as fwless as the st.

  The idea of using his advantage as a Cognizant ran through his mind at this stressful moment. He knew that he could just activate his Manifest at any point to see where her mind was at, but the thought alone left a sour taste in his mouth. Even if it would make this easier, Baron knew it was wrong to use his Manifest for such selfish reasons.

  Regardless, the silent stillness between them had persisted as neither of them made a move. Even if he was petrified of the thought of her rejection, Baron knew that he needed to say, or do something before he missed this opportunity, because he wasn’t entirely sure he’d forgive himself if he did.

  Baron took in a deep, nauseating breath through his nose. It was now or never! “I’m not sure if this is a bit weird. Would it…” He choked on his words, but Baron for once in his life didn't want to let the burden of anxiety stop him. “Would it be alright if I got your phone number, or maybe your snap if that's alright? But it’s also okay if you don't want to!” Baron cut himself off, he had a feeling he was beginning to ramble.

  Rose remained silent, and those moments of uncertainty felt like they were going to tear Baron’s mind apart.

  “I’m sorry, but I need to be honest with you…” She paused as a guilt expression formed on her pretty face. His heart sank through the floor. He knew it had been too good to be true.

  “That friend I mentioned was Jen, and originally she pushed me to talk to you tonight, so she could talk to Abel alone.” Rose sounded remorseful, but it didn’t change the feeling of himself defting. “I really do think you’re cute, and you seem really sweet.” She said still unable to face him.

  He hadn’t known her for more than this short time, but he had really enjoyed their conversation, and felt a little betrayed by her, but could he really bme her. Maybe it was because he thought they were enjoying the time they spent together, but that wasn’t her fault. “I’m sorry…” She cut him off, she must have seen the pained look on Baron’s face.

  “No, please Baron, I’m the one who’s sorry! I’m not telling you to reject you or hurt you. I probably shouldn't even have said anything, but you are so sweet, and you asked for my number, a-and that does make me happy!” Rose peeled her gaze from the floor to fully meet his drab brown eyes. “I just don't want to build something between us based on lies, and you seem like a really really good guy, so I don't want to see you get hurt because of this or me.”

  Baron’s heart raced, and he wasn’t sure what to say. Nothing that rushed through his mind felt right, nor could he find the confidence to speak. So, he stood there without a word as he stared into her lovely blue eyes and kissable pink lips. Despite the confusion Baron felt, the thought of her being the prettiest girl in the world sat at the forefront of his mind.

  While awkward, Baron hoped these feelings would never end. They were daunting and made him feel foolish, but he couldn’t seem to desire anything other than to be engulfed by them.

  “That doesn’t change your mind does it?” Rose cut through his silent admiration of her.

  “Is that what you want?” Baron asked, too scared to say what he wanted.

  “No! I really do want to get to know you better.” Rose answered with an infectious smile that formed at the edges of her lips.

  “Then…” Baron slipped his phone out from his pocket to hand to Rose. “Maybe we can get lunch after css sometime?” It made him nervous asking, even if he almost felt confident in her answer, you could never tell what could go wrong.

  “I’d really like that a lot.” She said, typing in her contact information with a cute smile that made his heart skip a beat. “How about I make this all up to you…” She paused with a guilty look as she shifted her gaze away from him. “First let me apologize for Jen. Please understand she’s really not a bad person. She’s just been a little out of control.” Rose said with an embarrassed look on her face. “I’ll make sure to keep her distracted tonight, so that you guys can enjoy yourselves.” He put his phone back into his pocket, before she started off.

  Before Baron could process what happened, he was led back to the first floor by Rose, where it would have taken a long time to find them in the crowded room. Except for the activation of Baron’s Manifest that was impossible to notice. This allowed him to track down his friends' presence, where he found not only Abel, but also Jen.

  She was forcing herself into his personal space as she talked about something unheard by them. Abel didn’t react, or at least that’s what it looked like to others. Baron could not only see the discomfort and panic in his eyes, but could visualize their emotions with his Manifest. It allowed him to see his distress as a yellow aura of unease that was being overtaken by Jen’s own aggressive overbearing hot red presence.

  The two of them increased their pace to get there, but he wasn’t good at pushing through the crowd like Dawn, and he couldn’t slip through the spaces like Abel. It slowed the two, and threatened to separate them until Rose suddenly took hold of Baron’s hand. Her hand gripped tightly with her soft skin that pressed against his own. The warmness of her touch made his hands cmmy, and his mind raced with thoughts of her.

  While Baron couldn’t do the things Abel or Dawn were able to do, he could do one thing. Baron focused his magical ability on the crowd, to read the spiraling cloud of emotions that mixed together to form new colors that swirled together like twisted towers of smoke. It would have been overwhelming, if not for the strength he found from her hands embrace.

  Not only did this allow him to read the general vibe of the mob, it made it possible to predict the ebb of the room for Baron to flow through. He gripped tightly on Rose’s hand, nervous that she’d notice how sweaty his hands had gotten as he led her forward.

  After a short struggle, Baron with Rose in hand got through the crowd to Abel and Jen, where Rose stepped forward toward her friend, taking her hand from Baron’s own to pce it gently on her shoulder. “Hey Jen, Baron said they have to get going.” The warmth that lingered on his moist hands, made Baron wish she’d never had let go.

  Jen clumsily turned her body to face Rose. “Rose! I’ve got so much T for you!” She spoke with a euphoric smile, before throwing her arms around her for a hug. He watched as Abel took this chance to pivot through her blindspot to his side, where Baron greeted him with a crisp dap.

  “Let’s go to your room then. Much more private there.” She began leading Jen, who was struggling to walk, and stumbled against Rose’s aid, to what he assumed was a more private area of the house.

  At the same time, Dawn appeared from the crowd throwing her arm around Abel. She had a zy smile with eyes that struggled to part open. “Havin fun, gang?” Her breath reeked of shots mixed with weed, but she didn’t seem to be a liability yet.

  The world around him faded as his attention was captured by Rose, who slowly walked away from him. He felt as though the chances of ever seeing her again were less, and less likely with each step that increased the distance between the two.

  His two friends tried to get his attention, but he couldn’t hear them. All he could think about was how sad he’d be, when she didn’t end up contacting him. He didn’t bme her, nor did he think she would be a bad person because of it. He just couldn’t help, but feel this warm affection for her, and that wasn’t Rose’s fault. She was a stranger, and he knew he was the crazy one for catching feelings for someone he just met. Even if he told himself it wasn’t rational, he couldn’t help but feel sad.

  “Baron.” Rose called out with her lovely smile that he couldn't ever get enough of. Just like that, his disappointment fluttered into an anticipation. “I’ll call you tomorrow!” She waved to him, before turning the corner to exit his line of sight.

  Rose left him standing there in a trance, smiling from ear to ear with a starry look in his eyes. Baron ran her words through his head again, already excited about when he’d get to call her. He could swear this was the best day of his life.

  It took a moment, but he began to break free from her hypnotic charm, even if he never wanted to. Baron finally turned toward his friends, unknowingly beaming like an idiot. Dawn stood there processing what happened with Abel, who had a proud smile.

  “Waaait what just happened!” The shock of the situation parted Dawn’s eyes from their slothish state. “Baron? My boy? Did that just happen?” She spoke excitedly with a slur that was starting to form. “Stop standing there cheesing and give us some details!” The both of them took turns dapping him up, before finding a spot to sit as a group.

  “Well…” Baron struggled, how could he articute what had just happened to him? That was maybe the most fantastic thing to ever happen to him! “I think I found a girl that may like me!” Saying it out loud made him smile like an idiot again, before he began to tell the details of his incredible time.