the road to hell is paved with good intentions

He threw the final present up into the air, catching the gift easily. "Oh, Rousseau," he muttered to himself, unable to wipe the grin from his face. "You really have outdone yourself, haven't you?"

He needed to do this more often. Well, maybe not make people run away, but definitely apologize by buying presents. After all, everyone liked presents, didn't they? And if they still somehow managed to continue being angry with him, well then he'd take them all away to people who deserved them more.

Tossing Drea's birthday present into the air one last time, he caught the present wrapped in purple, using his momentum to propel himself around, coming to a stop against the dining hall dorms.

They'd be looking for him, he was sure of it. It was just a matter of when they'd arrive, and who it'd be first.

"Julian," Ondrea addressed the boy as she approached. She had gotten all his gifts - as had the others in her dorm. The fact that she knew full well the boy was trying to buy her off made them rather hard to appreciate.

"Y'know," she said as she drew nearer. "I had really hoped you weren't the one who had told Zander everyone would be happier if he was gone, or that it had been some sort of misunderstanding. And then, I found myself half-buried in presents..."

Ondrea sighed wearily, coming to a stop right in front of the boy. Her gaze settled on his, not condemning, but almost... sad. She just wanted the answer to one question. "Why?"

"Ondrea," he called, grinning up at her when he heard the sound of her voice. He took a small step towards her, the present in his hands disappearing behind his back. "Had a nice break?"

The Prideux raised an eyebrow, still managing to keep a pleasant expression on his face. Zander had just had to mention him, hadn't he? "I can't just get some of my best friends presents because I care? That almost feels like an accusation."

Julian met her gaze, and there was something in hers that made him stop, all the words of denial dying in his throat. Why did she have to look so sad? He glanced down at his feet for a moment, the lapse in eye contact all he really needed. "Why what?"

"I spent most of it searching for Zander because I was worried sick that something awful might have happened to him," Ondrea answered honestly. And then there was the rest of it, during which she had ran when Yvette said she was in love with her and then visited Ty and Laura.

"Jully, you've never showered me with gifts before. As much as I wish you just got me those things because I'm your friend, considering the circumstances, it feels a lot more like you're trying to buy my friendship so you won't lose it."

Ondrea gave a faint grimace, weighing her words a bit before speaking. "You know what bullying Zander is like, don't you?" she questioned slowly, allowing a moment for the implication to sink in. "You're not that different from each other. In fact, the only real difference is that he just might have a lower sense of self-worth than you do. He's like a little lost puppy who'll keep going back to the people who kick him. You are better than that.

"I get that you don't want to lose your friends, but - Zander wants to be your friend. He thinks you are his friend. It doesn't have to be either/or," Ondrea persuaded, moving forward to take one of his hands in her own. "If Zander is your friend, too, it doesn't matter if he's friends with everyone else - they will still be your friends. You wouldn't be losing anything. You'd be gaining more. Can't you see that?"

"At least he's fine, though, right?" It was almost amusing; he'd heard the boy was back, but he hadn't seen him. People were probably under the impression that he was going to murder the boy when he saw him.

"I can't buy your friendship," he frowned, suddenly feeling the need to nitpick at every thing she said. "I can't buy something I already have. Well," he added, tilting his head. "I could, but that's just a waste of money." The boy shrugged before he glanced back up at her. "You do like them, right? I can exchange them for something else, if you want."

He gave a non-committal shrug, "Going back to the people who hurt you is just going to get you hurt again. But then again, better the devil you know than the one you don't, right? Good ol' lose-lose solutions." A tiny smile danced across his lips for a moment before it was replaced with a frown. "Who says I'm better than that? If I really did do it, than obviously I'm not. Simple as that."

Julian glanced down at their hands, absentmindedly squeezing it before pulling away. "Zander is my friend," the prefect shrugged, biting at his lip. "At least, I considered him one. Then it all sort of went downhill. All his fault." It wasn't his fault. None of it was. If Zander hadn't decided to talk to him, none of this would've happened.

"In a nice little idealist world full of sunshine and butterflies, yes. That'd totally happen. We'd all be happy together, we'd sing nice happy little songs, it'd be perfect. But this is the real world. And that doesn't happen here."

Julian sighed softly, pushing his hair back, "I can tell. It's the way everyone looks at him. They like him better. If you're all happy with someone who literally is perfect, what's the point of having me in your life when I'm pretty much the opposite of perfect?"

Ondrea gaped at him incredulously for a moment. "You don't even feel bad, do you?" she asked. "You don't consider him a friend - you consider him competition."

Her teeth ground together audibly. Why did she even bother? It wasn't like talking to the boy would do any good. He was just too damn stubborn!

"Right, because we get along so well, now. Not sure if you noticed, but Josse and I can scarcely stand each other. Ninette, love that girl, but she is pretty much a bitch to everyone every day of the week. And Harmonie isn't exactly perfect, either," Ondrea stated bluntly. "There's hardly any sunshine, no butterflies, and I sure as well would notice if there were any singing. It's not perfect, but we're friends anyway."

The werewolf waved her hands agitatedly in the air. "If that's true, then how come they haven't all left, already? They've known him long enough. If he's so perfect and you're so pointless in comparison, why haven't they picked him, yet?

"People can value more than one person, at a time, Julian," Ondrea said softly.

"Why should I feel bad?" Julian raised an eyebrow, shrugging his shoulders. "Zander's perfectly fine. If he wasn't, then of course I'd feel bad. But he's not, so no harm, no foul, right?" He didn't even try to deny that he didn't think of Zander as competition; he did.

He rolled his eyes, "Sooner or later, you and Lisette are going to get over your little fight. And that's just Nine for you. She'll be like that until the day she dies. No shocker there. Harmy lost her parents, you can't expect her to be happy." He shrugged, "For now.

"Because! Everyone still things I'm this fragile little thing about to fall apart at any moment. They don't want me to fall apart, so obviously, everyone's going to make sure that I'm perfectly fine, and then choose him over me." Julian nodded, sighing softly. Nothing but a matter of time.

"I know. I value all of you guys, don't I?"

"And what if he wasn't 'perfectly fine'? Or what if I had gotten hurt or lost wandering around every night trying to find him?" Ondrea demanded, tone pitched to make him think rather than to condemn. "What you did didn't affect only Zander. My grades dropped last term."

She frowned at his eye-rolling, then scoffed at his words. "Josse told me to kiss her, then decided she was homophobic and accused me of spreading rumors. Trust me, she and I can't be friends. Ever. It's not something little that can be gotten over.

"Julian, honestly. You're far more likely to leave people than they are to leave you." Ondrea sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You really think you're the only one capable of that? Because I'm telling you right now, that I am perfectly capable of valuing both you and Zander at the same time without feeling the urge to choose either of you over the other. I want to shake both of you until your teeth rattle, sometimes - kinda like right now - but that's about the extent of it."

"Then of course I'd care," Julian raised an eyebrow, a frown tugging on his lips. "Why? You thought I didn't? There is a conscience in here, you know." Tapping the side of his head with two fingers, he shrugged his shoulders. Letting out a small sigh, he leaned forward, placing his free hand on her shoulder. "You're the smartest person in our year. One term won't ruin that."

God, girls were impossible. "Just - I don't know, forgive her? Sure, what she did wasn't great, but Lisette's human. She makes mistakes. I'll talk to her, if you want." How hard of a thing could it be? And if neither of them were going to be adults about this, he'd lock them in a room until they worked it out.

"If you say so," the Prideux shrugged. He didn't see the point of leaving people who were perfectly good. He'd just have to go out there and find other people. And honestly, as far as he was concerned, he had the best friends anyone could ask for. "Just because you don't feel the need to now doesn't mean you won't. What if you had to?" He knew who'd he'd pick if he had to. "If it was the choice of one of us dying and the other surviving? Who'd it be?" Julian tilted his head to the side, moving towards her until their faces were millimeters apart. "Well?"

"If she ever apologized, I might consider it," Ondrea responded flippantly. Her teeth ground together, eye color shifting a bit towards amber. "Keep out of it, boy." She had no desire to have anyone mediate her affairs for her, never mind the fact that was precisely what she was trying to do with Julian and Zander. That was different. Julian and Zander could be good friends to each other.

She breathed in his air as he leaned close, gaze meeting his unflinchingly.

"You." The answer had parted her lips almost before he had finished asking the question, the brief flicker of surprise at the promptness of her response serving to reinforce the conviction her tone. Ordinarily, Ondrea would have considered the question and given a thoughtful response.

There hadn't been enough time for consideration. Ondrea's automatic knee-jerk reaction would have her save Julian before she would save Zander - and she couldn't even say why that was.

"Please do," he said softly, leaning back against the doors, his hands still behind his back. "I like it better when all my friends get along." The Prideux shrugged his shoulders, as if this entire ordeal wasn't annoying him. "Fine then, girl." He raised an eyebrow, his tone more amused than mocking.

Julian blinked. Once, then twice, then a third time. Staring blankly at the girl in front of him, his mouth flapped open and closed uselessly, his mind eerily blank. She'd choose him.

Removing his hands from behind his back, he held out her present, "Con - Congratulations. You get a present." Julian hated how weak his voice sounded, how it quivered and wavered.

Dropping his gaze, his eyes obscured by his blonde hair, he stared down at his feet. "Why?" he asked, his voice so quiet that he himself could hardly hear it. "Why me?"

Ondrea gazed back at the boy, not quite able to look away, though the eye contact was starting to feel a bit awkward. She was grateful for an excuse to redirect her gaze.

It was her turn to blink. "It this - is this a birthday present?" she asked, genuinely surprised. That single gift meant more than the entire pile back in her dorm. Picking open the end of the wrapping paper, Ondrea pulled out the rectangular box, hesitating only a moment before lifting the lid.

She withdrew the gold chain, holding it up so that the pendant would dangle freely. It was howling wolf, circled in a crescent of white gold. Ondrea smiled warmly. "It's beautiful," she murmured.

Ondrea had no difficultly hearing the boy, not with her senses. Why? She wasn't even certain of that herself, how could she possibly have an answer to give to him? Brown eyes studied the boy for a moment before the girl responded on impulse. Closing the distance short distance between them, Ondrea tilted her head at just the right angle to press her lips to his. She kissed him softly for a moment, then pulled away, gaze fixing on his own.

"Because you're Julian," she finally answered for both of them, "and regardless of all of Zander's admirable qualities, you're my best friend. I wouldn't change that. Not ever."

Julian bit at his bottom lip, his mind still reeling from her words. Him. She'd choose him. But hadn't that been what he'd wanted to hear? Sure, it hadn't been what he'd expected, and it was probably that that had managed to trip him up, but if this was what he wanted, why was he so surprised?

He shook the thoughts away, focusing on the girl in front of him as she opened his present.

He shrugged modestly, though the effect was ruined by the satisfied smile dancing across his face. "Well, I heard it was your birthday over the break, and I didn't see you then - I actually didn't even know when your birthday was - but I saw that and I thought of you."

The Prideux nodded affirmatively, his smile quickly becoming a grin at her smile. Ignoring the words on the tip of his tongue, he said, "Glad you like it."

He was beginning to really hate silence. It was making him begin to wonder if maybe, she hadn't really meant what she'd said. She could have easily just said it to make him feel better, and really, it wasn't as if he'd really be surprised. He looked up at her then, searching her brown eyes, hardly noticing that she was approaching until -

Her lips were on his.

Blinking rapidly at the sudden kiss, he kissed her back, his eyes sliding closed. Pulling away, he blinked his blue eyes down at her. Just Julian. When had that stopped being enough for him? When he'd been younger (who was he kidding? It'd only been a few months ago) it'd been entirely enough. He'd been a thousand times more Julian than he was now.

It was as if he'd gotten it beaten out of him.

But someone still seemed to think that he was worthy.

"Not ever," he repeated, a slow smile spreading across his lips. "You know, that's a long time you're going to have put up with me for." He leaned back against the dining hall doors, humming softly. "You might not make it."

Ondrea grinned at the boy. "I think I'll take my chances," she quipped, adding more softly, "It's better than the alternative."

She watched him. For the moment, it seemed he had regained a bit more of himself, though that could easily have been her imagination. In any case, even if it were true, it'd hardly have anything to do with herself. Perhaps, the boy had just gotten under her skin. It seemed that Julian had a way of doing that.

"You should apologize," Ondrea repeated softly. "Give him a chance to be your friend, Jully--really be your friend. It would be good for both of you."

Hesitating a moment, she reached out a hand to caress the boy's cheek (though, she couldn't have said what possessed her to do so). Then, she turned to go, returning to her dorm to get her class supplies.

"Good," his lips curved upwards into a grin, his eyes sparkling. "I like having you around." He ducked his head slightly, his eyes rooted to his feet. He needed her. He didn't just like having her around. He was fairly certain that he needed Ondrea just as much as he needed his Angels.

He blinked at the sudden idea, glancing up at her sharply, his head tilted in curiousity. But he didn't voice the idea, instead deciding to mull it over.

"Fine," Julian sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I'll apologize." Sooner or later, he would have to, wouldn't he? Though a part of him still believed that he'd done nothing wrong, watching the people around him fret over the boy's disappearance had at least affected him.

And for nothing else, he didn't want people hating him.

His lips pulling upwards, he reached for her hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb for a moment before letting go, his hands falling to his sides. Julian watched her go, numerous times opening his mouth, wanting to say something to her. But each time, the right words failed him.