"We do a lot of sneaking around in the dark nowadays." Cricket laughed as they crept down South Walnut Lane.

"I hear it's contagious." Sundew said with a smirk.

"Shh." Blue hushed. He pointed down the street at Sundew's house, the yard dimly lit by a street light.

"Willow's house is two doors down from mine." Sundew pointed out.

"Should we go up to the front door and knock?" Cricket asked.

"If we make a wide arc, we can stay out of view from my house." Sundew said. "This'll be easy."

They were almost past Sundew's house when they heard a voice behind them. "What are you doing up at this hour, Sundew?"

Cricket and Blue whirled around, and Blue impulsively grabbed Cricket's hand. They saw a tall girl with short brown hair with pink highlights. She was wearing a leather jacket over a green crop top.

"Cobra Lily!" Sundew seemed relieved, but neither Cricket nor Blue got any less tense. Cricket squeezed Blue's hand.

"You know her?" Cricket asked.

"I hope so." Cobra Lily smirked. "Who are you sweethearts?" She looked pointedly at Blue and Cricket's interlocked hands. Embarrassed, they let go.

"I'm Cricket and this is Blue." She said with a straight face. "We were-"

"Going on a walk." Sundew covered what Cricket was about to say, stepping on her foot. "What are you doing at this hour of the night?"

"Going on a walk." She shrugged.

"We should go." Cricket said. "Can't be late!" She walked quickly away before anyone could say anything. She heard Blue follow her, and Sundew give a forced farewell. Cricket looked over her shoulder and saw Cobra Lily raise her eyebrows, then turn around and walk away.

"That was poorly handled." Sundew said to Cricket.

"You have strange friends." Cricket said.

"I agree."

Cricket and Blue watched from the other side of the street as Sundew knocked on Willow's door. A pretty girl answered and gave Sundew a big hug before they both went into the house.

When they started walking back to Cricket's house, where Blue would continue on to his house.

"Um, Blue?" Cricket asked, feeling very self conscious. "When you held my hand earlier...."

"I'm sorry." Blue said hurriedly. "I shouldn't have done that, I wasn't thinking."

"No! No, no. It's alright. I, I liked it." Cricket said.

They walked in each other's quiet company until they were in front of Cricket's house.

"Thank you, Blue." She turned and gave him a hug around his neck. Blue hugged back, and Cricket wished that she could capture this moment in writing, and read it over and over again. Too soon, they let go of each other, and they went their separate ways, Cricket up the sidewalk to her front door, and Blue up the street, to his house.