The next week at school, Midna had finally returned from her long absence. As expected, Zelda frantically asked her what was wrong, freaking out over what had happened to Midna that caused her to stay home for almost an entire week. Turns out, Midna just had the flu and laid in bed all day, watching her favorite TV shows and eating junk food, with the occasional complaints of how she suffered during that time as well.

After going over that subject, Zelda began to tell Midna all about the week she had been gone. She told her about Groose and his sudden ability to speak sign language, Link suddenly sitting with Lana that one day, and her bubbling hatred for Lana.

"Sounds like Groose likes you!" Midna signed, grinning smugly and causing her best friend's entire body go pale.

"No! No! This is a nightmare! I can't have that pompadour like me!" Zelda signed back, covering her face with her hands and choosing not to speak anymore.

Midna just chuckled heartily at her best friend's reaction. She didn't even know if Groose did like her, but Midna was a good observer. She had always seen Groose eyeing Zelda, or speaking rather loudly to his buddies about his undying love for her.

Seconds later, the school bell rung, and Midna snapped Zelda back into reality. Zelda seemed the least bit fazed, but the evident fear of Groose loving her was still in her eyes.

"Class," Midna simply signed, waving goodbye to Zelda before running off towards her own classroom.

Watching everyone pile into their classes made Zelda wish she could be like them. She didn't mind the "special-ed" classes she had to attend, but it would be cool to see what a normal high school classroom was like. It was probably fun, minus the mental pain of sitting through the class and learning pointless material. Even in her own class, Zelda knew she wasn't learning many things that would benefit her in her adult life. Yes, knowing how a mushroom consumed food would get her far in life. No it fucking won't; unless I become a mushroom scientist...but that's probably not even a thing! she thought.

During her class, she sat in the back of the room, and everyone in her class was here today. Not a single absence. That was rare.

Slowly but surely, class passed by quickly for her and she was now eating lunch again. As she awaited Midna, she began to think.

Her life was just a constant replay of the same day, but different things occurred in that day. Aside from that, she walked down the same hallways, entered the same rooms, rounded the same corners, and sat in this very lunchroom everyday, consuming the cafeteria's sad excuse of food and occasionally her packed lunch. She was absolutely positive that school was just a mind controlling prison for the youth. No exceptions.

Midna finally arrived, and the two girls shared only small talk during this lunch period. Neither of them had much to say, and whenever this did happen, neither minded. It was always a comfortable silence they sat through and Zelda was thankful it was that of all things it could be.

Zelda began to wonder where Link was at today. It only took her precisely sixteen seconds to spot him out, sitting with Lana once again, much to her bemusement.

"Lana is really annoying!" Zelda angrily signed to Midna, to which the orange haired girl just nodded in agreement.

"I agree," Midna signed back. "Has she been hanging out with Link a lot more than usual?"

"Yeah, and... I don't know why it annoys me so much. I do like him, yes, but I shouldn't let jealousy consume me like this," Zelda signed again, putting her hands down and extending her neck at the slightest to get a better glimpse at the two.

It's not like he looks comfortable there, she thought, mostly to reassure herself. He looks like he wants to leave. Yeah, I'll just go with that.

Zelda didn't want to bother confronting the two this time, so she just let them be.

That was her biggest mistake of all, though, because "Big Red Pompadour Guy" plopped down in the chair right beside Zelda, wearing a huge grin on his face.

Midna placed her fingertips on her forehead and widened her eyes, giving Zelda a look that was screaming, "Seriously? This dude?"

Zelda didn't want to even talk about it; Midna already knew what had happened last week.

"Good afternoon!" Groose signed to Zelda.

The brunette mustered the most polite smile she had, propping her elbow up on the lunch table and quickly waving to Groose. She sat her hand down and stared at the ceiling, hoping he'd go away. Please Hylia, have mercy on me today.

While it was true that she and Midna could just take their things and leave, there was one problem with that—Groose would most likely just keep following them until the two girls gave up. At least, that's exactly what both Midna and Zelda pictured happening.

So, since Zelda was too nice to hurt someone's feelings (despite how much she disliked Groose), she reluctantly began to converse with him about ridiculous things. They mostly talked about Groose's favorite burgers, a topic Zelda didn't care about at all. Behind her faked and happy eyes, Midna could see the suffering laid behind that protective shield of joy.

Meanwhile, Link was sitting with Lana, as aforementioned. She was ranting about incoherent things, words that Link had zoned out on and wasn't even paying attention to anymore. He knew good and well that once Lana caught him not listening, she'd get angry for no reason, but whatever.

Beside Link sat Cia, who wished she could help Link without making her bratty sister go nuts. It was unbearable to watch whatever was going on with Lana and Link.

"Lana, I don't think Link's listening—" Cia started, but was cut off when Lana jumped out of her seat, wearing a silly grin.

"I'll be right back!" she cheered, beginning to skip away from the lunch table.

"Lana! Where're you going?" Cia called out, her voice dying down once she saw Lana enter the women's restroom in the hallways just outside of the cafeteria.

Cia placed her hand on Link's shoulder and narrowed her eyes at him, which frightened him at first.

"Now's your chance to escape," she whispered, and the moment Link processed her words into his brain, he grabbed his lunch tray and moved to a random table.

He was going to go sit with Zelda, but something was preventing him from doing so. That "something" was Groose.

Zelda was talking with Groose while Link stared, both oblivious to his presence. Not that he minded. A strange feeling entered his mind, causing him to just look away and continue to eat his food.

Hopefully Lana doesn't see me over here, he mentally prayed to Hylia.

Thinking of the image of Zelda and Groose talking made him feel—well, Link didn't want to call it this, but, he felt jealous. Groose had learned sign language and was now fluent in it, apparently. Something Link hadn't dedicated as much time to doing. He knew exactly why Groose even bothered to learn sign language, and that was because of Zelda. Since middle school, Link had always seen Groose daydreaming almost all the time. Link did eventually ask what he was daydreaming about, to which Groose just replied, "a girl."

"Which girl?" Link had asked, raising one eyebrow in confusion at his red haired friend.

"Oh, you wouldn't care," Groose had said with a dreamy sigh. "You don't like her, anyways."

It took Link awhile to figure out who Groose was talking about, and once eighth grade started, he realized he was talking about Zelda.

Link didn't care, he didn't even like her anyway.

Gradually, his friends began to distance themselves from Link, causing the boy to go crazy. Constantly overthinking the real reason why they were doing this to him—were they bored of him all of a sudden? Did they hate him? Were they faking their friendships with him this entire time? Such thoughts brought about even more bad thoughts, thus worsening into the person he was today.

He hated that, getting so paranoid over every little action he makes, every single word that escapes his lips—anything he did, it made him feel terrible.

And that is the very reason why he even approached Zelda in the first place, that one day in their freshmen years of high school.

He wanted to find someone who legitimately cared about his wellbeing. There was never anybody Link could trust with this problem of his. He feared telling someone, because they may brush it off as nothing. Everyone had left him, or ignored his existence, thus leading to the mindset that everyone faked their kindness towards him. Such a manipulative thing to do to someone, but that's the only thing his brain could think of his past friends. He remembered Zelda one day, and thought it would be alright to talk with her after so many years. Even if she might've hated him.

Link didn't want to take that day for granted, for he had fallen head over heels for this girl, despite his hatred for her in the past.

Still, he hadn't felt any better. Why? He would always wonder that over and over—he was positive that Zelda would be able to help him overcome this silly phenomenon.

Then again, why would anybody be proud of something like this? It only chained him down as a person, and who wants to befriend someone who isn't even comfortable in their own body?

Nobody, apparently. Link was accepting of that fact, he wouldn't want to be friends with himself either. That didn't change his will to try and turn his life around.

He was just stuck, that's all. Hopefully, he would escape soon.

Watching Zelda converse with that red haired idiot made Link feel like he was losing her already.

I'm overreacting, that's all. That's all, he tried to reassure himself, looking to his side and spotting Lana racing over to him, blue hair bouncing around her with every step she took.

Glancing at Zelda again, he realized just how much this girl meant to him.

She was the last thing he could lose.

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