Ruu ran her small hands through her green, shaggy hair and sighed. The last two nights had been filled with nightmares, sleeplessness and suffice to say she was tired. There was never a face or voice in the dream, but an unending sense of dread and panic that never left, even after she woke up.

"What�s wrong with me?" she asked her reflection, noting the dark circles under her eyes with distaste. She�d been stressed ever since Ko had talked with her.

"You said� you�d be my friend, right?"

The girl sat down and began brushing her hair absently. She hadn�t said she�d be his friend. Not that she was saying she wouldn�t, but she hadn�t. Why- why would she tell him that, anyway? After all the leering and name-calling he�d given her, why would she?

The feeling of sincerity that had risen with him when he spoke the words, though, made her think. People couldn�t lie to her. She had a gift. She knew he was being honest� but maybe he was just honestly mistaken. He�d shown her an "Instant Replay" of a talk he�d had with someone who surely looked a lot like her, but� Perhaps it was Quine or Laraby, she thought. One of the shape-shifters could have been playing a trick on her. But why her? She hadn�t done anything to them? Was she that unlucky to always just get the new ones picking on her?

"After that guy... you were all hurt..."

Ruu shuddered. Who would be that cruel to make Ko pity her that much? Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she tried to stop thinking. Letting her hands move over her face, she realized that it didn�t work.

Moving her eyes from the floor to a single blue rose on the windowsill, a heavy sigh escaped her lips. She�d guessed that Ko had been responsible for that. He wanted to be her friend. She would agree, too, if the bundle of emotions that came from him when he was around her didn�t scare her to death. It was as if there was something she should know but didn�t and that bugged her to no end.

Carefully picking up the frail flower, she held it to her nose and inhaled its fresh scent. If Ko had given her this, he had likely given her the chocolate ones, too, meaning that Harlequin hadn�t thought of her after all. (�Twas before I got Jacki�s card in the mail. ^^;;;; ) Ruu knew that that was a selfish thought. What had she given him? Nothing, Absolutely nothing, she confirmed.

It just seemed to her that there was nothing between them at times. She knew he cared, but he never came to see her, never went out of his way to visit� (*sobs* He did TOO. ;_;) she wondered if they were still �dating� or were just friends now. She loved him so much, and would do anything for him, but couldn�t help thinking that perhaps she was holding him back from something- someone better. She wanted to go talk to him but almost feared it for appearing too clingy. She hated clingy people. Girls that couldn�t think for themselves- girls that needed a man to survive- they made her sick. A small wave of resentment toward Bella rose in her. No, Ruu never wanted to be one of �those� girls. She didn�t need Harlequin. But you want him, her mind argued.

Love and logic- two concepts constantly clashing in her mind. Ruu was never sure what to do in those situations, hence, avoiding them. Hence never getting involved and hence never getting attached.

The problem was she was attached. Not just to Harlequin, but already, the hotel and the people in it, had grown on her. She no longer wanted to leave, even amidst all the bad things going on. She had friends here.

Ko�

Shutting her eyes and laying down in bed, Ruu thought of him again. "I�ll talk to him later," she yawned as she prepared herself for another troubled sleep.

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