I should probably get some lunch. Maybe something in my stomach will make me feel better.

"Hey, uh, Felix?" A familiar voice got my attention.

"Gabriel?" My eyes widened.

"How are you feeling?" He questioned, awkwardly.

"I'm good." I lied, not wanting to admit how scared I am. "Why do you ask?"

"You look queazy," The tennis player bluntly told me. "I didn't want to bother you if you didn't feel good. I know I wouldn't want to be bothered if I felt bad."

"Even if I don't feel my best, you talking with me doesn't bother me." I said. "It actually makes me feel better."

"Oh." Gabriel's eyes widened in surprise, his body freezing in place.

I waited for him to say more, but he didn't. He was mostly likely thinking of what to say or waiting for me; I'll never know since a loud grumble from my stomach did all the talking for the both of us.

"Do you want to get lunch with me?" I offered.

"Has anyone made lunch yet?" He asked me.

"I'll make something," I said.

"You... can cook?" Gabriel quietly gasped.

"Mhm!" I nodded. "I do all the cooking for Fawn and I back home."

"Can you teach me how?" He asked sheepishly. "...I need to learn for when we get out of this place."

...

Getting out? Does he really think we'll ever get out of here?

"Of course!" I agreed. "I'm not a master chef or anything, but I can make a meal decent enough to eat."

Gabriel and I went to the kitchen. I had no idea what to make, until he gave a suggestion.

"Can we make cheese quesadillas?" Gabriel proposed.

"Let me see," I extended my hand to open the refrigerator.

A looming anxiety fell over, my hand firmly gripping the fridge handle. The familiar feeling of fear pulsed through my veins, my arm growing heavy as I pulled at the door.

No... Not again...

There were two unopened packages of tortillas, along with a couple bags of shredded cheese. The refrigerator seemed to have been restocked recently.

Was I expecting to find something else in the fridge other than food?

"We can make some." I finally replied, taking out the necessary ingredients.

The tennis player's face lit up for a second or so. Though, he quickly returned to his resting frown.

I took out two plates for us and opened the tortillas. Gabriel watched with intrigue as I sat a tortilla on each of our plates.

"Okay, once you have a tortilla out, you just sprinkle cheese on enough you have enough." I dumped some of the shredded cheese in my hand and then evenly sprinkled into onto my tortilla. "You try."

I gave Gabriel the bag of cheese. I watched as he poured almost half of it on his tortilla before he handed the bag back to me.

"I like he cheese." He explained, calmly.

"I can see that," I chuckled, putting the tortillas up. "Now you just need to fold it over and microwave it."

We both folded our cheese coated tortillas, mine turning out much more even than his. He microwaved the food while I put the ingredients back in the fridge. However, opening the door took me much longer than it should have.

Gabriel took seats at the empty dinning table. I decided to start some small talk once we finished.

"Any particular reason you wanted to make quesadillas?" I curiously asked him.

"After my games, my parents would take me to a local restaurant. Everytime I would order plain cheese quesadillas, not matter how old I was." Explained the athlete. "I guess I just wanted something familiar that brought back good memories."

"Did it work?" I inquired.

"Yeah." He nodded. "I think I'm going to make another one."

Gabriel ended up making three more plain cheese quesadillas. I expected him to make another, but he ended up staying seated at the table.

"What do you think about this?" The male asked vaguely.

"I can't seem to wrap my head around you eating four quesadillas." I smiled.

"No. I meant about our situation." The brunette with the ends of his hair much lighter asked me. "The killing game."

...

"I feel like I'm not as scared as I should be." I admitted, not saying exactly what I wanted to. "I saw a corpse for the first time today and I then a couple hours later I watched someone die a gruesome death. ...I don't know how the fuck I'm supposed to feel when there's a possibility that someone could put an end to my life at any moment and has the incentive to do so."

"I feel the same way, more or less." Gabriel agreed. "I don't even care about getting my talent back. I didn't like it that much anyways and I don't give a shit about my parents approval, so there's no point in even playing this stupid killing game."

"...Yeah." I weakly added. "I'd rather leave this place and never be an Ultimate again than watch another one of those executions."

"Me too." He said.

Maybe I should change the topic? I don't like thinking about all this... bad stuff.

If I don't think about it then my brain will most likely forget about it, until it's brought back up.

"Can I ask you something about your talent?" I asked him.

Gabriel paused, thinking. After a minute or so he nodded.

"Yeah. I like you enough to talk about it with you." He confirmed.

"How did you become an Ex Ultimate?" I curiously asked him. "I understand if you aren't comfortable sharing."

"No, I think you should know," Gabriel simply said.

Why does he want me to know?

"Unlike most Ultimates who are athletes, I wasn't bested by someone else better." He started off.

"So you're still the best tennis player in the entire world?" I joked, lightly chuckling.

"Yeah." His face turned red at my semi compliment. "Anyways, I lost my talent after I got into a fight with my one of opponents on national television."

He's was very blunt about that.

"Please don't think any differently of me because of that, Felix." He pleaded, acting very out of character.

"Why would I think any differently of you because of that?" I asked him. "I shouldn't judge you for something that I don't even have a full explanation for."

"I started the fight." He added, almost to test how I would react. "I hit him with my racket because he was being a huge fucking asshole."

...

"He's fine, though." The tennis player added. "The most painful part was the conversation I had with my parents on the way home."

What am I supposed to say to this? I completely understand him getting frustrated at someone for being mean to him and getting fed up with that. But is violence taking things too far?

...

No. I'm just jealous I couldn't stand up for myself in a similar way.

"What made you want to tell me this?" I inquired. "I know I asked, but you could've left it at saying you got into a fight and I wouldn't have questioned you further."

"So far you've been really nice to me." Gabriel explained. "I wanted to see how you'd react to my story, to see if you would stick around after learning about the less pleasant parts of my life."

"Everybody has unpleasant parts of themself." I replied. "If I stopped talking to people once I learned they made a few mistakes, then there would be no point in genuinely trying to get to know anyone at that point."

"You always know what to say." He said, smiling briefly. "Well, since you heard that and didn't tell me I had anger issues or some shit, do you want to be my friend?"

Gabriel wants to be my friend? He must really like my company, since I don't think he's much of a people person.

"I'd love too!" I smiled, my red going red from excitement.

"You know, you're the first friend I've made by myself." The athlete admitted. "The other two people I could possibly call friends, were introduced to me by my sister."

"Are you close with those two and your sister?" I asked.

"Not really." Answered the brunette. "Anytime we would do stuff together, I feel like I'm just there because they felt bad, rather than them actually wanting me there. I'd much rather hang out with you than those two and my sister."

I couldn't help but grin at his words.

I've acted friendly with everyone here, but I'd definitely say Gabriel is one of the few people I consider a friend. Along with Fawn and maybe Tabitha and Zenith.

"My turn." I announced.

"Your turn to what?" He tilted his head, confused.

"You shared your story on how you became an Ex Ultimate." I refreshed. "We're friends, so I think you should know."

Am I ready to share this?

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

Do I?

"Yes." I confidently answered.

There's no turning back now. Talking about it will make me feel better about my choice.

"Since I was an Ultimate Lucky Student, being an Ultimate works much differently for me." I began to explain. "Multiple can exist at once so it's not like yours where you can get replaced by someone better or get denounced for your actions, like a sports suspension."

"How did you lose it then?" He genuinely asked. "If you didn't lose it because you were unlucky, what happened?"

"...It's kinda funny." I nervously laughed, continuing my explanation. "Instead of stop being lucky, I stopped being a student."

Keep going, Felix. You can say it aloud.

"I dropped out of high school, losing my talent and all the potential benefits that came with it." I finished up. "I made my life harder on myself for no reason..."

"It wasn't no reason, right?" Gabriel questioned. "What was your reason for dropping out?"

"Things got to the point where it was uncomfortable for me to go there. Most people were nice and didn't have a problem with me, but a certain group was... not so nice, to put in nicely." I told him.

"You dropped out because you were getting bullied really badly?" Concluded the tennis player.

"That's what started it. It became harder and harder for me to do well in my classes due to the ''bullying'' I was facing." I struggled to admit it, not just to Gabriel, but to myself. "After failing a grade, I tried to do virtual school. But I couldn't learn without a classroom environment, but a classroom environment was affecting me much more negativity than it would positively."

"That makes sense." He told me. "Plus, school is pretty stupid. Grades don't prove shit and they shouldn't determine what you can and can't do. At least not on their own."

"Thanks for saying that." I thanked him. "I've managed to get by, with a bit of Fawn's help. I'm just scared of what people would think when they hear that I dropped out of school."

"Well I couldn't care less if you finished school or not." He assured me. "You're still Felix, and I still like you no matter what."

Those words were the words I wish I had heard from the people close to me when I first dropped out. But that's asking too much from my parents, I guess...

I don't need my parents support. With people like Gabriel and my sister, I know I can feel a sort of acceptable here that I will never feel at my parents house.

Unfortunately, Gabriel and I parted ways. I figured I would spend the rest of the day exploring the new areas that Wolf the Cat said were unlocked after the class trial.

The class trial...

A chill went down my spine. I froze, thinking back to earlier this morning.

I'm so sorry, Vanessa. I'm so sorry I did that to yo—

"Bestie! I finally found you!" Tabitha rejoiced, by my side in an instant.

Tabitha! I need to apologize for accusing her during the trial.

"Oh Tabitha," I was reminded of what I needed to do. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you since the trial."

"There is?" The blonde blinked.

"I'm sorry for accusing you during the trial," I apologized to her. "I wanted to consider all the possibilities, but if I had thought before I spoke I wouldn't have drawn all that unnecessary attention to you."

"Oh yeah. I totally forgot that trial was a thing we did." She giggled, before remembering that she mad at me. "I can't believe you did that to me, Felix! You betrayed our friendship like it was nothing..."

"I'm deeply sorry and I'll never do it again." I apologized, again.

Actions speak louder than words. I need to do something to show that I'm sorry and make it up to her.

"Do you want to explore the news areas with me?" I asked her. "You can tell all about the Roxie lady you like so much."

"You wanna hear about Roxanne?!" Tabitha cheered, pushing on her cheeks from excitement. "OMG! I thought the day would never come when when you were interested enough to ask!"

We trekked the hallway to the where the trial room was. It was locked, but I wasn't in a hurry to go back in there. The first room we saw after the flower decorated one was a library.

"Eww. A library." Tabitha commented, once we were inside. "Who reads musty old books, anyways?"

"Ahem." Isaiah cleared his throat, making his presence known to us.

"Anything noteworthy in here?" I asked him.

"There are books of every genre here, unfortunately some of mine," He mumbled the latter half. "But there's a concerning amount involving horror, mystery, and overall gruesome imagery."

"I guess that makes, sense considering everything..." I sighed, fearfully looking at the books.

I've seen what happens when someone plays the killing game, yet I can't bring myself to fully admit that we're in one.

A part of me wants to deny the seriousness of this situation and.. That wouldn't be so bad, would it?

"On a lighter note," Isaiah glanced over to a few desks and a crate against the wall. "That crate over there is filled with board games."

"Bored games? Sounds boring." Tabitha retorted.

"Board as in they are played on a board," The blonde boy elaborated.

"I'd love to play some board games sometime." I told the two.

That's probably the only reason I'll every come to library. Reading isn't really my thing, but I won't admit that in front of Isaiah.

"There's also a couple card games," He added on.

"Card games?!" Tabitha excitedly perked up. "Felix, we have to play some card games!"

"I wouldn't mind playing some either," The male with glasses stated. "It's a great way to pass the time."

"How about we play tomorrow after lunch?" I suggested, avoiding doing any activities at night. "I'll see if Fawn wants to join us as well."

"I'd love that," Isaiah said.

"I'm so excited for tomorrow!" Tabitha enthused, before we left the library.

The next room was an art room. There were four tables, along with various supplies neatly organized against the back wall. The most concerning ones being the large pairs of scissors and the metal rulers. There was also a large whiteboard on the front wall with a vast collection expo markers to go with it. A magnetic eraser waited at the edge of the board.

"Break time!" Tabitha declared before we left. "I'm ready to talk about the beloved Roxie and her impact on the popular streaming platform, Itch."

I took a seat at the closest table, watching as Tabitha explained this Roxie person to me in full detail. The influencer seemed to know everything about this person, despite having never met her in real life.

Tabitha explained how Roxie started her career and quickly built her gaming brand within the span of a couple months.

"Roxie has held the title of Itch's most popular streamer for the last 4 years and she's only getting more and more popular everyday." The blonde girl informed me. "It's really inspiring."

"How so?" I asked her.

"Well, Roxie, or Roxanne, is just a girl playing video games. Yeah, she plays them for her job and streams about 10 or more hours everyday, but she's still doing what she loves and enjoys it." She said. "It's her dream job."

"Is being an influencer not your dream job?" I curiously asked her.

"Well yes, but also no." She frowned as she answered. "I do love it, but if I hadn't blown up in popularity so much, there's something else I wanted to do."

"What's that?" I questioned.

"A pet sitter." The blonde girl replied with a smile.

"Those are real?" I raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Mhm." She nodded. "And they're clearly in high demand because there are so few of them!"

I don't remember supply and demand working quite like that.

Then again, I probably slept through whatever class I was supposed learn that in, so what do I know?

"Do you like animals then?" I asked her.

"Yeah! I do." Tabitha said. "My parents never let me have any pets as a kid. But I've always wanted one and I'm planning to get one in secret someday!"

"Why do you need to get one in secret?" I curiously questioned.

"Oh, I'm not allowed to have a pet as long as I live with them." She explained for me.

"Couldn't you just move out?" I suggested.

Tabitha stopped, freezing much like an electronic with bad connection. She buffered, opening her mouth multiple times, but then closing it and not speaking.

"Anyways, we should probably get back to explaining." The blonde finally said.

Tabitha being the one to get us back on task? I must have said something wrong if she would rather explore than keep talking with me.

The next room was an infirmary. I'm not sure a mansion would have one, but it'll be helpful in our situation in case someone tries something.

There was a couple beds, cabinets filled with various medicines, bandages, and a couple tools that would most likely be in a surgery room. The last items would most likely be used for more harm than good in our current situation.

"It's like mini hospital." Tabitha said, glancing around. "But no one here is a doctor. How will we know what to do if someone gets hurts?"

"Maybe there's an instruction manual?" I guessed.

"Would you trust someone who read something in a book and has zero real world experience to perform surgery on you?" Amelia asked, seemingly appearing from nowhere.

"Where did you come from?!" Tabitha and I questioned simultaneously.

"I was behind the curtain investigating the life support systems." The pinkette explained herself. "To answer your question Felix, I believe if it came down to it Blane or I could treat an injury requiring stitches or an infection."

"How could you two do that?" Tabitha curiously asked.

"Blane has extensive knowledge of the human body, how it functions, and locations of vital organs." Amelia explained. "I have medical experience and could perform the necessary actions, if needed."

"Is that what a coroner does?" I questioned.

"All a coroner does is announce the death of an individual and investigate if they died suspiciously." Added the pink haired woman. "However, most coroners, like myself, have a background in forensics. Forensics deals with a lot of knowledge of anatomy and general medical procedures."

I suppose that explains why she seemed to know what she was during after we discovered a body.