Cassandra and I are walking along the beaches of Heavenly after a long day of training together. That dream I had--that dream we had. Her and I can’t stop thinking about it. We’ve hardly spoken a word to each other, and this silence is still so bittersweet.

I really… I really want to hold Cassandra’s hand…

I really… I really want Belly to kiss me again…

As Cassandra and I walk close to one another, our hearts slowly beat in unison. My face is red, and I can’t stop thinking about Cassandra. I can’t stop thinking about how much I’ve really fallen for her.

What should I say to her?...

“H-Hey, Cassandra?”

“Y-Yeah, what’s up?”

“Um… Uh… Th-Thanks for training with me again.”

“Um… Mhm…”

“So… Um… How about this view?!”

She giggles at my awkward self, trying so hard to say something. And as she laughs, I can’t help but notice how beautiful she looks with the ocean and sky behind her. This girl is from another planet. One I can never reach.

I ask her, “So… Um… You-You want to sit down for a bit?”

“Yeah, okay! Sure!”

“Um… Cool, Cool.”

Her and I sit down on the sand. I turn my head towards the town of Heavenly for a second, and I realize how gorgeous it looks. And as I look farther out into the distance, I can see Arpie High sitting atop the steep cliff beside Heavenly. It looks like a castle, and it’s honestly the jewel of Heavenly. Even though this town is pretty small, and mostly uninteresting, I can’t imagine myself anywhere else but here.

Arpie High’s entrance exams are a little less than a month away. Hmmm… And my magic still hasn’t awakened… I can’t… I just can’t let Cassandra down… but… I don’t know what to do.

As we sit on the sand, I admire the sea, and listen to the peaceful sounds of the seagulls chirping and the calm ocean waves. It’s gotten noticeably warmer lately, and I heard that Arpie High has even begun building a new, giant stadium for its students this year.

Geez, such a pain. Building an even bigger stadium means that a butt-load of tourists from the capital will probably eventually come visit Heavenly. I hate busy places. “Sigh…” Haha… oh, well.

I lie down, and close my eyes. I’ve never been so comfortable and uncomfortable in my entire life. The sand feels so soft and toasty in my hands. I wonder why I can’t stop feeling so giddy, too.

Nothing really new has happened in my life recently. Besides Lucas and Emily. Those two seem… interesting. Joshua’s also been kinda distancing himself from me lately. I’m kinda starting to miss the jerk--not. And not only that, but Cassandra has been acting kinda… weird lately. She’s more quiet and shy. She didn’t even hit me after catching me checking out those ladies playing beach volleyball earlier--she just shot me an angry stare then quickly looked away. Hmmmm… Weird…

As I lie there on the sand, it’s nothing but me and my thoughts. However, as I open my eyes, and turn over to my left, I find Cassandra to be lying down next to me, asleep. Her face is red, and yet she looks so calm. Her body is so close to mine that I can feel her warmth. My heart can’t take this. And I remember the silent promise I made to myself for Cassandra.

… But can I really… fulfil it?... I’ve never impressed anyone. Can I really become a knight that Cassandra can be proud of?...

My negative emotions all of a sudden start rushing into me. I start overthinking like always, worrying about a tomorrow where I fail like always.

I sit up. My breathing starts getting heavy. My mind spins out of control. All of these thoughts of Cassandra leaving me, looking at me with such disappointment after hearing that I failed Arpie High’s entrance exams, they start to flood my mind.

What should I do? What should I do? What should I do???? Somebody, anybody, please, help me! I don't… I don't want to be all alone again!!

I start to quietly hyperventilate, trying my best to not wake up Cassandra. And even though she’s right next to me, I can’t help but feel so lost and scared. I don’t know how I can expect to pass, when no other dream of mine has ever come true, not even once. But as I meltdown, I can feel a light, warm touch on my back that instantly takes away all of my stress.

Cassandra whispers to me, “Hey, Belly?...”

I respond, “Y-Yeah?”

“... Sleep.”

She taps the warm sand beside to her. Wanting me to sleep next to her. My face becomes instantly red because of course something like this will get a teenage boy like me excited.

“Ah… Um… Are-Are-Are you sure it’s okay for me to lie there?!”

She smiles and slowly nods her head, and whispers one more time, “Of course it is, why wouldn't it be, Belly?...”

I lie down, and I slowly but surely drift off to sleep as if it were magic. Cassandra’s amazing, she can take away all of my worries and make me feel so much better with just the sound of her voice. And as her and I fall asleep together, the sun is almost finished setting, and another day ends for Cassandra and me.

This is really strange. I’ve never slept next to a girl before. This is really, really strange! But don't get any word ideas, Belly! You to you little bastard.

Mhmmm ~♪

But then I hear it, the sound of Cassandra’s voice once more, “Don’t you even think about doing anything dirty to me while I'm sleeping, Belly, okay??”

“H-Huh?? What?!” Did she read my mind???

She giggles at my expense, “I’m sorry, Belly, I’m only kidding.”

As I watch her laugh at my miserable self, I can't help but laugh, too.

Cassandra is the first friend I’ve ever truly made. I really don’t want to disappoint her… I really don't want her to leave me all alone again, too.

I lie down next to her, and slowly drift off to sleep.

Don’t worry, Cassandra, I’ll get stronger and stronger, and I’ll become a knight you can be proud of. A knight you can look at and feel safe. Just like me whenever I see you, Cassandra… And someday--someday I’ll gather up the courage to tell you this… someday… I promise…

Cassandra and I fall asleep ever so peacefully. And for the first time in a while, I don’t cry myself to bed. And just like clockwork, I wake up in the middle of an imaginary beach. It's nighttime again, the stars shine bright, and as I stand, I can see Cassandra up ahead near the ocean waves, waiting for my arrival. I walk up to her, and my heart starts to beat faster and faster as I remember the last time her and I were together--as I remember the kiss her and I shared. But as I approach her, I notice that something’s different.

This… isn’t Cassandra… but… she looks so familiar, too.

This girl has long, silky, black hair. Her body's petite, and unlike Cassandra, she’s even a tiny bit shorter than me. Her skin is dark but still a little light. And I pick up a sweet scent of a rose-like perfume--the kind that you just can’t get enough of. The girly trait of her make me blush and feel so nervous. But I was never that good at talking with girls to begin with. But somehow I’m girl-crazy?

I can hear my timid voice crack a little, “Ah… Um… Ex-Excuse me?...”

She flinches to the sound of my voice, and hastily turns around to look at me, as if my voice reminded her of something--someone. Her eyes are so dark, and yet they contain a hint of blue. She looks at me with such a surprised look on her kitten-like face, and her eyes, begin to shake at the sight of me.

And with an adorable, kitten-like voice, she asks, “B-Belly??...”

I instantly freeze at the sound of that name. No one has ever called me by that name with so much emotion before. My heart sinks, I’m not sure how I feel about this. I’m not sure who this girl is, nor if she even exists. Is she just another fantasy my hormones-filled brain made up to satisfy my primal urges as a fourteen-year-old kid without a girlfriend?

“If-If you don’t mind me asking… who… who are you?...”

She remains silent for a second. Still trying to grasp the situation. It’s as if she’s seen a ghost or something. I can feel my heart beat a mile a minute. But then, after obviously think quite a lot about what to respond, she smiles a sad smile, and answers my question.

“I’m just an old-childhood friend of yours… yeah… you can just call me Nia!”

“... Nia…”

I’m not sure why, but that name is so bittersweet. Nia… I feel like I’m going to remember that name forever…

Nia and I start talking more and more. For a dainty girl, she sure has an appetite. Not to mention she’s a big fan of sweets, even more than me. And as her and I continue talking, we learn alot about each other. I tell her about the past year, how I’m training for Arpie High’s entrance exams so that I can one day become a knight, because maybe then… maybe then, I’ll finally be able to make a bunch of new friends, and maybe get a girlfriend, like I always wanted… However, I tell her that there’s still a small problem. My boost still hasn’t activated, and I don’t have a single bit of magic within me.

“I’m sacred, Nia. I really want to stay positive, but I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to be left behind. I don’t want to be forgotten. What do should I do? Sniff.”

I start to tear up a bit, and she looks at me with a sympathetic look on her face. But then, she all of a sudden asks me a question.

“Hey, Belly, what’s your favorite thing to do?”

“My favorite thing to do? Hmmm… that’s a tough one.”

“Too many choices?”

“No, too many embarrassing choices.”

“Well, unless you’re not a little pervert like you used to be when you were a kid, I’m guessing you’re favorite thing to do is checking out a bunch of pretty girls, huh?”

“Whaaaaat??? No it is not! How rude!”

“Oh, yeah? I clearly remember you one day checking out our hot preschool teacher and yelling, AAAAHH!! THERE’S SOMETHING IN MY PANTS?!?!” She starts laughing hysterically at my own expense, “Hahaha! I swear, Belly, you were so cringey as a kid!!”

“Hmmmm. S-Stop laughingggg!!”

“Neverrr!! Hahaha!”

My face instantly turns red from the embarrassment of that repressed memory, and so without thinking, I retort, “Well, t-too bad you have nothing to check out! Especially here!”

I point at her flat chest, and her face instantly becomes red, too. I say mission accomplished.

“You-You stupid pervert! Shut up!!”

In a huff, she throws her ice cream at me, but I skillfully dodge it.

“No, you shut up!!”

A food fight breaks out, snacks are flying all over the place, and neither of us are showing the least bit of mercy. It’s an all out war. But then she activates her boost and her eyes glint a bright blue color with heart-shapes in the middle.

“H-Hey, that’s not fair! I don’t have any magic!”

“Haha! Too bad! Now prepare yourself because I’m going to frickin’ destroy you!”

Crap. I need to do something--quick!

I hastily look around and notice a big bottle of Fiji Water in the sand. Y'all can probably tell what my dumb ass is about to do.

That’s it!!!

And so, without hesitation, I grab the big bottle of Fiji Water, open it up ever so dramatically, and pour all the water that’s inside on her.

SSS-Splash!

She gasps and I could feel her magic deactivate. But then…

“Hahaha! Take that, you... you…”

From top to bottom, Nia is drenched in water. Her thin blouse is so see-through that the lingerie she’s wearing underneath is visible. And her skin gets so glossy and smooth-looking as drops of water run down her bright red face and body. I could feel my nose bleed at the sight of this, and the few seconds I have left to live.

In a very angry, yet cute tone, she says, “Tsk… Tsk… Hmmmm…. Beeellyyyy!!!!”

I fall backwards, and think to myself, O-Oh, no. I guess this is it. What should my last words be? Something wise that will be rememebered across the ages.

“Nia, I… I regret nothing.”

Her eyes get teary, “I’ll… I’ll kill you! You freaking pervert!!”

She raises her fist, and I flinch, Eeeeeek!!!

But then, a few seconds pass, and nothing happens.

Huh?

I open my eyes, and find Nia all shy while attempting to cover herself. She moans a bit, and sits down in front of me. Her drenched body is only a few inches away from mine. Both my heart and mind are going out of control. All of the food around us disappear, and in a very timid voice, she asks.

“So… um… Belly?... Do you feel better?... Are you still sad?”

“... Huh?...”

My heart begins to beat, faster and faster. I couldn’t believe what I heard, what I was thinking.

Did Nia do all of this so she could distract me from feeling bad... No she couldn’t have… really?

I’m overwhelmed by Nia’s kindness. The only other person who’s ever shown me such a warm feeling is Cassandra. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to say. I’m completely frozen, and yet I feel so warm.

“... Belly?...”

“Y-Yeah?”

“... Whether you fail or not fail is completely up to you. Because a true knight in shining armor does the most with the least.”

And at this exact moment, the sun finally rises. The sky becomes a light hue of pink, and so do the clouds. Almost all the stars are gone, but a few are still left, sprinkled across the sky.

“And after everything you’ve told me, I really think you can make Cassandra proud.”

“Nia…”

And of course, after hearing all this, I start to cry.

“Ugh… Sniff… Nia… hiccup… Thank you, Nia. Sniff.”

She giggles, and gives me a warm smile that can only exist in my dreams.

“You know, Belly… you’ve always been such a crybaby.”

And so, I wake up. Not by my stupid alarm clock, but by Cassandra.

“H-Hey, Belly?”

I slowly open my eyes to the sond of her voice.

“C… Cassandra?”

I sit up, we’re still at the beach, and it’s morning already. I rub my eyes and look around, lost for a second. That girl who I met in my dreams, Nia, I wonder who she was. But whether she exists or not doesn’t matter to me. Because she reminded me about something important. The reason why I’m doing all of this is for Cassandra. For the Cassandra in real life--for the Cassandra in my dreams. For my friends that are waiting for me tomorrow. For the girlfriend I still so desperately want. And for the magic that’s love.

I got this, I got this!!... But first… I need to take a serious nap.

“Hey, Cassandra, what time and day is it?”

“Um… It-It’s four in the morning. And today’s a Sunday.”

“Oh… I see… Sigh… Thank God. I can sleep a little more… Ahhh.”

I close my eyes and fall back to quickly drift off to sleep again in the comfy sand. And as Cassandra watches me, she can’t help but blush at the sight of my lips.

Belly… why didn’t you dream of me last night?... My heart… it really hurts… I can’t believe that… I’ve fallen so hard for him… Belly… you clueless jerk.

She lies down next to me, watching me sleep. Her eyes get teary, and her heart aches for mine. I really am a clueless idiot. But ironically, I know for whom I’m fighting. And it’s none other than the clueless Cassandra who is lying down, right beside me.