Once we got to Luca's house, I explained everything to Luca. She was fangirling, squealing and giggling like a love sick anime girl.

She really was the kind of person to enjoy romance, no matter what kind of love it is.

Luca is kind of a love sick puppy herself.

Hearing about the scenarios made her rethink so many things, treating my life as if it was a fairy tale come to reality. Which in some way, it kinda is..?

After mentioning the live stream me and Tom would be doing this Sunday, she ended up being super typed about the whole time.

"I am SO tuning in to watch it!" She exclaimed, acting bubbly.

"..Luca, I'm confused." Lily finally spoke up.

Through the entire time I was talking, explaining and ranting to Luca, Lily was sitting through it simply just listening.

Actually, I completely forgot she and Luca shared a room... I think that's why I didn't hold back any details and ended up getting lost in my own words and frame of mind...

"..Is this about a boy Y/N likes?" Lily asks Luca.

"Yes!" Luca smiled wide.

Boy-

I grumbled.

"Okay- enough. Luca, I need your help- help me pick.. cute clothes? I guess"

Luca stared at me questioningly for a moment, but then returns to her joyful demeanor.

"Asking for my advice again? Ah! I'm over the moon..!" She giggles, "Lemme see..."

With that, Luca stands up from her bed and walked over to her closet. She opens it up and walks in (it's a walk through closet btw), going to search for an outfit.

I raised an eyebrow.

"You're picking from your closet?"

"Well you are at my house right now..." She mutters, continuing to scan her closet.

A few moments of silence goes by until Luca lets out a small gasp, as if remembering something.

"Agh! Hold on..! I need to go look for something upstairs...!"

..and with that, she bolts out of the room.

"Kay..!?"

She's acting as if she left a tray of cookies in the oven...!

Well, whatever it could be... It probably is important.

..now I'm alone with Lily.

I noticed her eyeing me from the corner of my eye.

"Umm... Y/N?"

"...Yes Lily?" I responded.

"Is the boy you like still that loud streamer we were watching before?" She asks me.

"...uhh- yeah... that's-- uhh... him..."

I can't believe I'm admitting this to a literal child...

"I see..."

"Hey, if he ends up making you sad, let me come along with you to his house."

"..why?"

"So I can punch him."

"wha-"

"It's normal to want to hit people if they do bad things..."

"...Lily- don't go around hitting people because of bad things they do. Unless it's in self defense, never raise your fist at someone."

"Oh... okay... sorry..."

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Lily?"

"Hm?"

"..Your teacher told us that you don't play with the other kids."

Lily's expression seemed to soften a bit.

"...oh, Mister Gau told you?"

..Mister G-what?

"..I thought as much" is what Lily ended up muttering out.

"what?"

"Luca always picks me up at the same time everyday. At first, I though she was running a little late due to classes... but I saw her talking with Mister Gau."

She then lets out an sigh, leaning over and tightening her hold onto the plush of the Dream blob. She ends up bringing it close to her chest, burying her face into the head slightly.

Lily begins to mutter.

"I don't like the other kids. They're too loud... and annoying....... and loud..."

"You said loud twice."

"It's because they are..." She closes her eyes, "They're also boring... They're no fun to be around."

"Then.... what do you find fun then?" I asked her.

It was silence between the two of us for a while.

Oddly in situations like this, I'd feel at least some sort of tense aura. But I didn't feel any type of aura like that from the girl, or the situation.

After a while Lily opened her eyes up once more, she then sat up properly, turning to look my way with a small smile gracing her lips.

"...I always find it fun when I'm with Y/N and Luca."

When she said that, I was beyond speechless. I didn't know what to say to her at all. I really didn't expect for her to get along with me... But then again, she did seem friendly and talkative the first time I came over here with Luca and saw her.

"When I'm around Y/N and Luca, I never get bored. I always learn new things..." Lily confesses, "...and I'm always happy."

Lily was indeed a precious little angel that grew up in bad circumstances... And she seems more gifted and insightful than other kids her age...

"...As touching as that is, me and Luca would prefer you getting along with kids your age." I said.

...Kinda reminds me of... well-- me.

But- just a little bit...

I didn't care much about other people-- that and their opinions. In some ways, I still do think that way now. Though compared to before, I know when to let people into my life.

"...I'm sure you'd be able to learn new things and be happy with other people. You won't be able to stay around us forever, so creating other bonds would be healthy..."

It seems like the best thing for her.

Even though she's not my sister, even though she's the sister of Aiden... No one deserves to be lonely.

...hell, even Aiden doesn't deserve to be completely lonely.

With my thoughts clouding my mind, I only just noticed that Lily hasn't said anything.

"Lily?"

I wonder... does she not want to make friends that badly?

"...the other kids.... avoid me." Lily quietly said, her expression darkening once more.

.

.

.

"what..?"

I did hear that right--- right..?

She said the other kids... avoided her?

But that teacher-- her teacher literally said she chose not to spend time with the other kids...

"My first day there, everyone knew me as the girl who came from.. hmm... what did they call it..? a dead-beat family." Lily began explaining, "I would hear the other kids parents tell them not to talk to me... To stay away from me because they knew my dad... and what he did.... and also what brother did."

"...what did your dad do exactly?"

"I'm not sure." She shrugged, "Though... whenever I would come home with brother, he would always make sure I covered my eyes when walking through the hallways. We'd be very quiet- just in case any bad people showed up..."

Even though Lily's face wasn't as expressional than others, I still was able to see that she was somewhat enjoying these memories... she seemed slightly happy when reminiscing these... sad memories.

"I never knew what happen in the hallways, but I always heard loud voices in the other rooms. So- I assumed my parents were arguing... at times, I think things were being thrown around..." She told me, "Brother always managed to stop the noises though- that usually made me happy..."

The more she spoke, the more my heart would tighten.. Every word out of her mouth made me feel more and more sad.

It made me start wondering...

Did she live in fear? Did she cry in her room whenever she was alone? Did she ever thought about running away? Whenever Aiden wasn't there with her... what would happen?

The way Lily acts now is probably because of Aiden. There's no way someone with her maturity would be able to properly comprehend these kind of situations.

Most children her age wouldn't be so calm explaining such... horrible memories.

"But.. yes. I don't know much else other than that. Maybe the other kid's parents didn't like how loud my dad is. I never liked it either, so I don't blame them." Lily mutters, "...and brother? no one really likes people who get arrested."

Lily is... a troubled child.

The thing she needs most is love and compassion from those around her.

Without that, she'll never be able to function like a proper child.

"...If you really want me to make friends with the other kids, why don't you teach me?" Lily suggests, snapping me out of my thoughts once more.

"Me? Teach you?" I eyed her questionably, "..I'm probably not the best person to come to for stuff like that- you should ask Luca...between the two of us, she's more of the 'social butterfly'. I'm not always willing to talk to other people."

Lily nods.

"..I'll ask her later then."

.

.

.

"Heyy! I found it!!" Luca says, bursting into the room.

She then tosses me a small pile of clothes.

"Here, Y/N. Put these on!"

I sloppily caught the falling clothes.

"..wha-?"

"It's the best outfit I could pick out for you." Luca tells me, "...I think it's one of the best I have-- at least the best one I have for you."

Is it..?

"So... get changed! I wanna see!!" She ushers me.

Out of curiosity I look what I assumed was a a hoodie Luca had handed to me.

I stared pretty dumbfounded at the design of the piece of clothing..

Luca has some of the coolest shit-- wtf---

"Where.... Did you even get this...??" I asked her.

"My- uhmm... mum." She says, nervously laughing for a second, "I-.. I mentioned my love for the mcyt community- talking about a few youtubers and such... She apparently sewed a bunch of things for me whenever she got her free time."

"Ohh... neat." I murmur, "...but- are you sure this is fine? For me to wear it out?"

"I trust you with it! So, it's nothing to worry about." Luca smiles at me, "She's made a lot of things for me... From clothes to plushies... It's really the only thing she does now-- and it's the only thing we ever talk about whenever I go to visit her."

The more she spoke about her mum, she more she seemed to sadden.

Now to think of it, I don't think I've heard much about her mum-- or seen her for that fact.

Luca has always had her dad and usually only talks about him. I wonder what kind of terms Luca is on with her mum... oh gosh, how curious I am..

"Okay- enough being sappy! change!!" She begins pushing me into the closet.

"Alrightt..." I groaned, shutting the closet door behind me.

I started changing, remembering I still had Tom's hoodie with me.

..and I started getting a lot more warmer for some odd reason.

Ah- whatever. I closed myself off in Luca's closet, of course it'd be a little more warmer...

After I changed into the outfit selected, I stared at myself in the full body mirror that was on the closet door.

That hoodie paired with a beige pleated skirt and black tights-- It kinda just looks like I'm cosplaying as him... But, I like the look oddly enough..

I took my bundle of previously worn clothes and walked out of the closet.

As soon as they saw the closet door move, their attention shot to me. Luca's eyes seemed to sparkle upon seeing me.

"You look adorable...!" She said in total awe, "You're, like, a mini Tommy..!"

"Red's a nice color on you..." Lily admits, holding a thumbs up, "Very pretty..."

"Ohh!! Please let me do your makeup! I know just the right look for you...!" Luca walks over to me, interlocking our arms.

"How about--- no." I got out of her grasp, walking back over and sitting back down on the bed, "I'll be wearing a face mask the entire time anyways..."

"Y/N....!" Luca whines, "Don't wear one on stream...!"

"I'm going to wear one---"

I cut my own words off at a sudden tug on my sleeve. Looking over, I saw Lily with her usual solemn expression.

"...I want to see you without the mask on stream too, Y/N"

God damn it- she's being cute on purpose...!!

The longer I stared at her, the more harder I found it to resist.

I sighed.

"I give... I give.... I won't wear a mask..."

Luca lets out a dramatic gasp.

"So- you're giving in to the cuteness? I should've known...." Luca pouts, "But- I'm glad you're willing to step out of your comfort zone because of a child..."

iN mY cOmFoRT zOnE--

I nod.

"Yeah yeah..."

"Well, the outfit is yours! My work here is done..." Luca seems accomplished with herself, plopping herself down in a nearby chair, "You're free to leave whenever."

"I think... I'll stick around a bit longer..." I end up saying.

I was very thankful to Luca.

Having someone like her as my friend truly is a gift in itself...

And being here with her and someone as insightful as Lily... It somewhat makes me happier that I decided to be friends with Luca.

...I'm glad I met her when I did.

Without her, I wouldn't know what I end up becoming.