I felt awkward as I stood in front of Ivor's room. I fumbled with my hands as nervous thoughts ran through my mind.

Maybe he isn't here. Or maybe he would answer the door, angry. Maybe he wouldn't answer the door at all.

I shook my head; I had to stop worrying about his reaction and just do it.

After my tarot card reading, I decided on trying to at least be neutral, if not friends, with the half werewolf. I kind of felt like I was giving up the stubbornness in me, but I also realized that it was necessary.

I lifted my hand to knock on the door, but stopped as I heard Ivor's voice from the other side.

"It has something to do with him, Victor. I know it. He's the only Shadow Goer related to this school."

I leaned my hands and ear lightly onto the door and listened. "You have to remember that it's in your blood, too. Maybe it just has to do with you. Maybe it meant you have a battle to fight inside yourself." What were they talking about? Ivor's blood; was he a Shadow Goer? I tried to hear more, but they had returned to whispering. I let go of the door and held my chin in my hand.

"Well well well…what do we have here?" I jumped as I heard the voice from behind me, and turned to see Cindy. "Ease dropping, are we?"

"N-no, I—"

"Cindy is that you? Who are you talking to—" Ivor asked as he opened the door. He stopped as he saw me.

"Fatima? What are you doing here?"

"I…it's nothing." I lowered my head under his gaze (and their glares) before walking around Cindy quickly.

She grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back and I shook my head warningly towards her. She narrowed her glistening eyes at me as she grinned.

"She was listening to your conversation!" Cindy chimed. I swatted at her hand as she grinned victoriously.

"What did you hear?" He asked, jumping in front of me. It was then, as I looked at his embarrassed face, that I realized he didn't want me to know. The connection he had with these Shadow Goers was a personal part of him that few seemed to know in the first place; perhaps it would be better for the both of us if I didn't.

"N…nothing…I was just listening to see if anyone was there. I-I mean, didn't hear anything, it's just that no one answered when I knocked."

I was such a bad lair. "But, I can see that you're busy right now so, I'll just…"

Victor stood beside Ivor, glaring at me. "…I'll just see you later."

I turned, stopping to glare at Cindy who stared back at me with a triumphant look, before I ran down the hall.

Cindy smiled lightly at Ivor as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "She didn't knock, you know."

Victor narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "How is it that you feel the need to protect this trash? She's lied to you, and even told you that she didn't care if you died—"

Ivor looked at the two, his eyes flashing green as he growled. They both backed away from him.

"And do you think she would have run away if you hadn't been so foul? She has a reason to be defensive, because you guys and everyone else here think you're too good for a human. What are your excuses to be suck assholes?"

Cindy waved her hands. "I-I wasn't trying to be mean—"

"See? You lie too." He snapped.

Ivor turned to Victor, who lowered his head. "And so do you. I thought that you were on a field trip two nights ago, but that's not what Fatima said yesterday while at Tora's office."

Victor jumped as he was caught. "I…I didn't want you to be worried about her…for at least one night."

"But if you had told me, I could have prevented her from getting cursed, and caught the shadow instead of having to worry even more now!" He growled, rustling his hair.

"You know, she is frustrating. And yes, I will admit that most of my stress because of her. But these little things that you do makes it hard for our relationship to move on. You say you do it for my sake, but you know you're just being selfishness!"

"Ivor," Cindy said, taking a step towards him, "you know that's not what we meant. Maybe we were being selfish, but we really were trying to help, too."

He sighed, rubbing his temples."I'm going to go talk to her and try to fix the mess you've made. Don't try to find me until I find you."

Ivor grabbed a jacket and scarf from his room and walked past them. Cindy began to cry, and Victor quickly tried drying her tears. "H-hey! Don't forget that you're a mermaid, Cindy! Even tears will turn you back—"

"I don't care!" She screamed, "Ivor is mad at me and it's all your fault!"

Victor pulled back, insulted."My fault?!"

Ivor rubbed his forehead as he walked down the hall, Cindy's cry echoing as Victor yelled at her.

He really, really, needed a break from them.

~……………..~

I sighed, looking around the white campus as I walked from the library; winter wasn't even half way over, and it seemed that the snow was going to stick until spring.

I guess I'll have to read inside today.

I looked at the book I had picked up; it was a different book on Shadow Goers (I was terrified of the other one). I opened the cover of the book, sliding my finger down the crease. As I began to read, someone called out to me.

I turned, shocked to see Ivor, but faced him regardless.

"Ivor?" He stopped in front of me, his nose red from the cold, his scarf wrapped around his chin.

"I'm sorry Fatima; you had come to talk to me, and I completely ignored that fact."

I shook my head, avoiding eye contact as I hid the book behind my back quickly. He looked down to my hands, but I quickly caught his attention.

"I…I'm sorry too!"

He looked at me, blinking. I glanced at him for a moment before looking at my feet again. "I was cruel, refusing to go to Tora with you. I let my anger get the best of me…but I'm trying to subdue it, now." I felt my face begin to heat up. "Perhaps…perhaps it isn't too late to start over? I think, for both of our sake, it'd be better if we were…you know…"

"Friends?" I shook my head quickly, glaring up at him.

"Not by a long shot!"

So all of my stubbornness wasn't gone.

"I-I mean, I don't think I'm willing to trust you that much…but if we could be alliances, for now, I think that that would be ideal."

Ivor shrugged with a smile. "Sounds good to me." He stuck his hand out for me to shake. "Nice to meet you, Fatima."

I buried my chin under my jacket's collar as I shook my hand in his. "N-nice to meet you, Ivor." He smiled widely at me like an excited child.

"You didn't have to say it."

"Oh shut up."

He chuckled before his smile slowly faded. He looked down at me with an unreadable expression. "Fatima…I—"

"Fatima!"

Ivor dropped my hand quickly as we turned to see Sammy running towards us.

I remembered how child like he was when I saw snot coming out of his nose.

"Sammy, what is it?" I asked with a smiling sigh as I wiped his nose with a tissue. He sniffled before answering.

"Sammy invite everyone to big snow fight!"

Ivor suddenly seemed pumped. "For real?! We're having one already? How many people did you get so far?" He asked, his fists at his waste, his legs bent.

"Sammy got thirty and Anna get more with Aakash!"

"What is this snow fight?" I asked. Neither of them seemed to notice.

"This is going to be so sweet!"

"Uh…you guys?"

"Sammy think so too! Ivor should go get more people!"

"Hey!"

"Yeah, we'll grab them on our way!"

"Hello?" I asked again, putting my book in my bag while Ivor was distracted.

"Okay, let's go!"

Both Sammy and Ivor turned to sprint off, but they didn't get far when I tugged their scarves, instantly choking them (though it simply startled Sammy, since he didn't breathe in the first place).

"I said hey!" I growled. "What is it with guys and games? It's like they lose what little brains they have left…"

Ivor rubbed the back of his head, grinning. "Sorry about that, Fatima! It's just that here at Edgar's Boarding High, we have seasonal games, and the winter snow fights are the bomb! Everyone divides into their schools and attacks the other schools until there is a winner! It's so intense!"

I sighed, rubbing my head. "So basically it's a 'who's more macho' battle…"

"Nonsense!" Ivor said, pulling my hand. "Plenty of girls participate! You will, too! Come on, let's go!"

I tugged my hat lower on my head as Ivor pulled me along side Sammy. I had never seen him so excited; it was like he was a kid again.

We came upon a large hill, and stood at the top. I gapped at the amount of students down below. Ivor began to hoot and howl in excitement. "Sweet! There are a bunch of kids here! More than a hundred this year!"

Ivor tore off his jacket and put it on the ground. I stared in confusion when he pulled me down onto it. He sat behind me quickly. I opened my mouth to protest, but it was too late.

"AUUUGGGGHHH!" I screamed as we went sliding down the hill on his small jacket. My butt was numb, only to be woken up by the bumps in the ground. "IVOR, YOU'RE SO DEAD!"

He laughed from behind, his arms around my waist. "Use this as motivation!"

We reached the bottom of the hill, spinning on his jacket until it came to a stop. Almost falling multiple times, I staggered out of his grip before glaring at him. "This…this is more than enough motivation!"

Anna brought more people, as did Aakash, and soon the games began. The water school, led by a ticked Cindy, quickly built an ice fortress the size of a castle. The fire school, led by Torch, a boy made of, literally, fire, was having everyone melt the snow around them and burning a fire wall.

The school of Earth, led by the cat guy that had attacked me, brought tall was around them, only allowing small holes for vision and attack. The wind school, of course, floated high in the air and only dropped down to get snow for aerial attacks.

The death school, led by Victor, simply stood there. I questioned them but Sammy only snickered in excitement. The school of life didn't have many people, so they joined with the death school, who surprisingly agreed.

My school, the Psychic school, was standing in a circle. An apathetic girl who went by the name of Judy was kind enough to step aside and let me in, as well as explain why. She said that we were good at casting spells, but had many blind spots. So, to protect the blind spots, we stood in a circle.

"What about the middle?" I asked quietly to avoid extra glares.

Judy looked at me from the corner of her eye. For the first time, I saw a grin on her face. "I feel sorry for the fool who dares to step in there."

I left it at that. And as soon as I turned my head, the first snow ball flew—from Ivor's hand—towards my face.

I ducked quickly as my school began multiple chants. Among them, I heard a similar chant to the one spell I knew, and so began to chant myself. I grinned at Ivor, who was running towards me with an equally silly face.

"Iced snow turned to joy hit this silly little boy!"

And down went the snow balls, crashing towards Ivor, who was ducking in surprise. "Gah!" But he uncovered his face when the attack ended and revealed a devilish grin.

"Get 'em boys!"

Boulders and pillars of rock and stone rose from the ground to provide advantages for the Earth school. It would have been helpful if they weren't knocked out by flyers above.

"Get them!" One called, dropping tons of snowballs over the earth students.

I pointed and laughed at Ivor's group, which quickly retreated back to their larger group, until I felt a sting on my stomach. I looked at Judy, who was pulling her elbow out of my gut.

"Gloat after the war has been won, not every battle." She said simply, focusing on smashing down the fire balls being launched towards us.

I nodded, and continued to chant simple rhymes towards the seemingly harmless students that I thought I could handle on my own. When I couldn't, Judy graciously lent me a hand. Though with some, it required more than just the two of us. For example, angry Cindy and Victor.

Both of them came after me with a fiery passion, and I avoided getting hit by them at all costs; something told me that there was more than just snow in the snowballs they threw.

"Watch out!" Judy grunted, shoving me out of the path of an icy ball. I stared at it, which had dug into the ground a good foot, before looking up to see Cindy lightly cursing in my direction, the twins at her side.

I gulped. It was going to be a long battle.

"Fatima, stand up quickly!" Judy commanded. I followed her order as she quickly waved her hands. "Ground Pound!"

She slammed her hands down on the ground and it shook, everyone stopping for a moment to keep ground and ensure that their barriers didn't take damage.

Then, suddenly, Sammy's head spouted from out of the dirt in front of me, his face twisted in confusion and shock. I stared at him until I noticed that all of the dead students were in the same predicament. Including Victor.

"Damn it!" Victor growled. "How did you know we were going underground?!"

Judy, for the second time, grinned. "Because that's all you guys do…sneak around. Besides, you suck at hiding your aura when you team with the life school."

She cracked her knuckles, her grin gone, as she continued to fight other schools. It seemed that the death and life schools were out of commission.

The fire school, easily out of its element, was defeated next. Then we lost to the Earth school, then the Earth school lost to the air school, and the air school lost to the water school.

Cindy glowered at me with an evil smile as she paraded her victory. "The water school is the best!"

I chuckled, amused that she took such pride in a game, and congratulated her simply before walking towards Anna and Sammy, who were still being dug out of the ground. I petted Anna's head jokingly as she turned red.

"The one time I decided to join this stupid game…I got grounded…literally!"

I laughed as she managed to wiggle her arm out, and helped her up. "It was fun though. I really enjoyed it!"

Anna pulled me to her side as she watched an ice ball land beside me. We looked up to Cindy, who glared at me for not being scared by her threats. "Well…except for the almost-concussions."