The boys look back at me.

"What..." Luke manages.

"The..." Brandon adds.

"****..." Meanie trails off as well.

"Just..." Axel says.

"Happened..." Silas finishes.

They all look dumbfounded and in shock.

Again.

"When I sing, I can control and communicate with animals," I answer helpfully.

Corey collapses.

What?

No...

"I killed him!!" I wail.

I start to sob.

This is why I shouldn't have shown them!

I just killed one of them!

They will never want to be my friend again.

I guess I just lost my family...

I sob harder, snapping them into action.

Pug rushes to Corey and the others split to crowd around me and Corey.

They try to talk to me, but I am crying too hard to really say anything.

I think I am going to cry my eyes out and never stop crying...

I don't think I can handle being responsible for this.

Someone else's death? Probably.

Corey's? Never.

Then, the most horrible word cuts through my cries.

"Pookie!"

I stop abruptly.

My head whips around to look at Pug.

"You dare disgrace his dead body with that vile word?!" I roar, furious.

"Sang!" North Star shouts. "It was the only way to snap you out of it!"

I turn to look suspiciously at North Star.

I try to control my temper and force out, "What. Are. You. Talking. About."

"We tried to tell you! Corey isn't dead! He just fainted!" North Star bellows.

"North!" Kota barks. "Don't yell at her! She thought she just killed him."

I don't really listen to him, though.

I am too busy cracking up.

When I can breathe enough, I gasp out, "You mean, Corey fainted like some little princess in a cheesy cartoon?"

This sets me off again.

They all start to laugh with me, even Mr.Blackbourne and Corey who is still recovering from his dramatic faint.

I laugh so hard that I have tears streaming down my face.

I hold my gut and laugh and laugh.

I take deep breaths, but I just as up choking on the air and laughing at myself.

Eventually, I am able to breathe again. I wipe my tears and snot. I gasp for air and bite my lips closed to keep from laughing again.

Mr.Blackbourne smiles a real smile and says, "Now that that is over, would you like to explain further?"

"You promised no questions yet, so all I am going to say that this. I can control animals. They hear my voice and come towards the sound. When they find me, they normally bring friends and they all listen to me and follow my orders. When their jobs are complete, they sit and listen to my voice. When I stop singing, they normally head home. Sometimes they stick around, but not always."

I finish kinda sad. Now I miss Sprinkles.

They resume their shocked looks.

I roll my eyes and huff, "Would y'all stop looking so shocked?! Goodness! You guys must have RSF: Resting Shocked Face."

"You can't just drop a bomb like that and not expect us to be shocked!" Paprika defends.

"You truly are incredible, my perfect Coffee Bean. I love that you are able to do that and you have the most incredible voice ever," Marc marveled.

I blush deeply.

Is it just me or did he just get even more handsome?

He just showed the best quality a guy could offer.

The quality of worshipping the very ground you walk on.

I beam at him and say, "So now what are we gonna do?"

Meanie looks like he wants to say something, but, remarkably, doesn't say anything.

Mr.Blackbourne says, "Well, normally we would be cleaning, but I guess we don't need to now."

"Understatement!" Pug sings out.

I sorta get lost in thought and the next thing I know I am blurring out, "I wish I was rich."

Victor stiffens and says, "What?"

I nod.

"Rich people are called eccentric instead of weird. I wish people called me eccentric."

Victor relaxes looking relieved.

"Sarcasm is lost in kleptomaniacs. They take every thing literally. Did you know that the pizza people get to your house faster than the police? Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others cause happiness whenever they go. Velcro is such a rip off. There is a new broom out that is sweeping the nation," I spew the information.

I hope they are paying attention.

My thoughts are important to me.

"Police officers that pull over U-hauls are just trying to bust a move. The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. Famous people are only cool because of their many fans. When painters get cold, they just put on another coat," I finish.

I hope they appreciate my deep and meaningful wisdom.

I don't think they fully appreciate it, though.

They are laughing too much to thank me for the life help.

Meanie chortles, "Silas, I think Trouble has you beat!"

That perked my interest.

"Is Silas wise as well?" I ask curiously.

They start laughing harder.

Ugh.

These fourteen boys are pretty frustrating!

I decide to take matters into my own hands and shout, "Meanie! Pick out a game for us to play!"

They all stop laughing instantly.

Gabriel cheerfully announces, "We are going to play Never Have I Ever with our hands!"

The others look relieved.

What were they expecting?

I shrug. Oh, well.

"Meanie, how do we play that?"

"Oh, it is pretty simple. Everyone sticks their hands on and we go in a circle asking questions such as 'never have I ever jumped of a roof' if you have, you put a finger down. When you are out of fingers you lose and the game starts over," Meanie explains.

I nod my understanding and we all head to the game room again.

I flop down on the couch and Raven and Paprika sit down next to me with a smile.

I beam back at them.

I love having a family!

"I'll go first!" Gabriel declares. "Never have I ever set a kitchen on fire."

Pug and I both out a finger down.

"You burned a kitchen down?!" Pug and I ask at the same time.

Pug looks at me incredulously.

"Pumpkin, you are a great cook! How did that happen?"

I scrunch my noise and defend, "I was only five! How did you?"

"I am a bit of a bad cook..." Pug says sheepishly.

"No! You are plain ****ing awful!" Gabriel shouts.

"We banned him from the kitchen," North Star explains.

Wow.

Just wow.

"Never have I ever slapped a teacher," Axel went next.

I put another finger down as did Corey.

I look at Corey shocked.

"Explain," I demand.

"They kept putting down Gabriel and calling him snobbish and preppy for taking care of his appearance. So I slapped them. And then Brandon went over, again, the reasons why punching is more practical than slapping."

Aw, Corey is just the sweetest! He is like a Peep marshmallow! Corey is my Peep.

I smile at him and explain, "The teacher accused me of cheating and lying when I did nothing wrong. I had fun slapping them."

The boys nod their understanding.

North Star smirks, "Never have I ever chosen dessert over vegetables."

We all scowl at him and put a finger down.

Brandon declares, "Never have I ever worn high heels."

Surprisingly, Luke and Axel put a finger down with me.

I look at them curiously.

"Dare," A blushing Axel says simply.

"Top secret mission," Luke explains.

The others glare at him for some reason.

Maybe they are jealous of how funny he is...

Paprika quickly went next, "Never have I ever tried to marry a food."

I glare at him and put my finger down.

And I would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for those meddling kids!

"Never have I ever been a male," I say with a smirk.

I can play at that game too.

Luke sticks his tongue out and they all out a finger down grumpily.

Raven goes next saying, "Never have I ever lived in America my whole life."

Silas and North look especially smug as I put my finger down.

I am too busy glaring at them to see who else out down a finger.

Darn it.

That would've been helpful information.

Luke says, "Never have I ever forced vegetables on someone."

North Star glares at him and puts a finger down.

I sigh and put mine down as well.

"My pet was sick so I force fed them vegetables. It didn't help much..."

They laugh at this.

Corey declares, "Never have I ever jumped off of a roof."

Isn't that cheating? To use the example question?

I shrug.

I am a newbie to this game, anywho.

I put down yet another finger and state worryingly at my last two fingers.

"You jumped off of a roof?!" North Star bellows.

"Yup. I needed to escape and meet with my animals in the forest. The roof was the safest way out."

North Star is about to say something else, but Marc jumps in saying, "Never have I ever worn makeup."

Gabriel, Luke, Victor, Silas, and I put down fingers.

They all look at me and simultaneously say, "Dare."

Well that was freaky...

Mr.Blackbourne says, "Never have I made a mess for the fun of it."

We all out down a finger except him.

I glare at my fists.

"Well, I am out," I frown before giving a big yawn.

Mr.Blackbourne gives me a small smile and says, "I do believe it is time for bed."

I nod happily.

"Where is Aggele mou going to sleep?" Silas asks.

Victor speaks up, "She can take my bed. I'll take the couch."

I frown again and shake my head.

"No, I am not allowed to sleep in a bed."

They all look at me.

"Sang Baby, you are sleeping in his bed. End of discussion," North Star declares.

"But—"

"End. Of. Discussion. Just say 'thank you Victor' and let Gabriel get you pyjamas," North Star orders firmly.

The others nod their agreement.

I sigh, "Thank you Victor."