Behind the pillar, Edem pressed his eyes tightly together, clenching his fists and mocked how bad a spy he was. Gah! But he wasn't going to give himself away yet. No, no fun Lucille, what happened to all the competition? He remained as still as he could, breathing as slowly as possible, just so as not to be heard..

I can still turn this around!

A familiar whispering voice made Edem's eyelids leapt open. Gosh, Tammy Wood! He didn't need to be startled. As he raised his right hand and put it on his chest, he was sure that the whipping sound of his robe could be heard. But still..

Hide? SURE.

He pulled Tammy by the hand and tiptoed to an even darker spot behind the pillar, hoping Lucille would think that she was only imagining his presence.

"Rayrayrayrayrayrayrayray." Tammy whispered. "Who we hiding from? IS THAT?" Omi. She didn't have to see this. Warren and Lucille. EH. Sicky.

It was quite sickening. And she shouldn't have been spying. She had homework to do. Alot of homework. But she didnt have the time. SHE WAS BUSY SPYING .

"Why you hiding anyways Rayray?" Tammy sang softly, peeking over his shoulder, the other pair just in sight.

Edem turned to Tammy, frowning, "That's Lucille, my best friend," he whispered back--or at least, he was trying to. He was actually saying it in a low voice. Quickly calculating the distance between where he and Tammy was and where Lucille had stepped up to, he thought he had about ten meters. No, you're not caught yet. Stay stealthy.

"I.." he paused, following Tammy's gaze but quickly turned back. She must have thought he was spying on Lucille, "I didn't mean to spy," oh, he managed to whisper, "I was just walking around and I saw them and.. You know the guy?"

Lucille was in a dither. She would gladly march up to the pillar and pull Edem out by his ears if she wasn't to proud to want him to come out himself so she could see the embarasment. She would but there was the small matter of Tammy. Truth be told, she scared Lucille a little.

EH.

She glared at the pillar.

"ooooh.." Lucille was his best friend? WELL WELL WELL. Lucille needed to get her paws off of Warren. Because WARREN WAS TAMMYS FRIEND.

And Lucille, WAS NOT HIS GIRLFRIEND! It was just implausible. Not fair.
NO.

"That Warren. Her supposed boyyfriend. I'll ask though, how is she your best friend? Shes just a... silly child... WHO STEALS PEOPLES FRIENDS AS THEI BOYFRIENDS." Tammy hissed, quietly.

She liked Lucille. But she didn't like seeing her with Warrreennn.

Edem observed Tammy's expression as she seemed to have thoughts going in her head. Hmm.. Was she jealous? Edem wanted to steal another glance over the pillar and have a better look at the guy, but he held back.

"We've known each other since we were.. 3? 4?" he said, admitting in his mind that he'd forgotten when he first met Lucille. All he knew was that they have been friends ever since, and best friends since God-knows-when.

Now a frown appeared across Edem's face.

"Boy--boyfriend?" that sleepy-eyed guy? NO WAY. What was Lucille thinking? Goodness, no. He would've spoken it out loud if only they weren't in hiding, and if Tammy didn't seem to like him that much. "S-since when?" Seriously? Considering Tammy's personality, Edem stupidly half-hoped that she'd tell him she was only kidding.

Tammy shrugged. "Couple-o days I think. WHYYY? You jelouss RayRay?" Tammy chuckled softly, and peered again. EUGH. This wasn't fun to be watching. It was scary even. SCARRYYY!

And stupid of the 'share the love doofus'.

Edem had blushed immediately before he knew it. "Jealous? What?" okay. Obviously he was misunderstood. Of course he wasn't jealous! He was just.. What? He didn't know.

"Aren't you the jealous one, Tammy," he teased, trying to keep his voice down low. He leaned against the pillar when he started to feel rather dizzy--the pain in his stomach was throbbing. "You look.. Upset." he said, half-consciously, not really aware of what he was saying.

Warren sat up and looked at Edem. ''Hey Edem, Im Warren'' he smiled. Competition aye? i dont think so he thought. ''I've seen him around i think.'' He put his arm around Lucille.

"Hmm," said Lucille. What were they talking about? Now Warren had put his arms around her she seemed to have forgotten everything else. She snuggled closer to him.

Something about Edem? Oh yeah, that was it. Now it seemed kinda unimportant tho. She ignored the various hisses and whispers issuing from behind the pillar cocentrated on Warren.

But something was still bothering her.


"Tammy's back there too," she frowned, whispering. She was prety sure that Tammy did NOT like her.

Warren could see Lucille looked slightly upset that Tammy was around. Warren had over heard Tammy tell Edem about him going out with Lucille.
''She'll do no harm, shes cool really'' Warren and Tammy were good mates and he would miss her by the end of this term. ''Tammy, come on out, stop hiding you!'' He said. Waz kissed Lucilles head and looked back over to Edem and Tammy trying to hide away.

Lucille didn't quite believe that somehow.

"I dont think they're gonna come out anytime soon," she whispered, throwing a nervous glance at the pillar.

Anastasia actually flinched... she flinched with every shout coming from Tino's mouth. Bad. She was being admonished like the puppy that had pooed on the rug.

Bad Bunny, Bad.

"I'm not! I'M NOT!" she squeaked back up...er... wherever the boy had gone. The moving staircase came to a shuddering halt at the second floor and Anastasia practically leaped off it and into the corridor.

Second floor. What was on the second floor? HEADMASTER. Ohhhhno. She was not about to be chased out of Hogwarts by a pack of wolves.

Annie took off down the hallway, bare feet pounding the carpet as she raced to the stairs at the other end of the floor. Had to get out of here. Flee flee flee flee fleeeee!

Edem heard everything from behind the pillar. From Lucille and Warren's conversation to the sound of the kissing, urgh! The pain in his stomach was getting overwhelming. He felt hollow, and in his mind, an image of the gastric acid washing all over his empty stomach was playing over and over. It certainly didn't help. His head was spinning, his vision blurry, and he sank to the floor, unable to stay on his feet anymore.

The knocking of his knees against the marble floor made a little thudding sound. Soft, but it echoed in the quiet corridor. He tried to stay conscious, at the very least, but his body seemed to betray him by getting even weaker. The pain of his gastritis eventually became unbearable, and Edem thought he could hear his mother's voice.

"Remember to eat on time."

He was pretty sure it was already evening, and he hadn't had anything to eat since his quick dinner the other night. With all the complicated thoughts of his Ancient Runes readings, he hadn't really been able to eat properly. His appetite seemed to have vanished into thin air. Unable to open his eyes, Edem fell unconscious to the floor.

Warren saw Edem fall and ran over as fast as he could. ''EDEM! EDEM! Speak to me? Come on can you hear me? EDEM!'' Warren shouted as his heart pounded. He had no idea what to do. ''Lucille, Tammy! Go get help! Quick!'' Was his next words. Warren paniced even more, he didn't know Edem for long but he felt like he was a friend in which he had for ever. ''If you can hear me.. Im not leaving you mate, im gonna stay by your side!''

"I am not JELOUS." Tammy hissed in Rays direction, closing her eyes, pretending that she couldn't blatantly be seen.

NO.
Just NO.

OMGSHHH.
OHEMGEEEEE.

"OMI. Ray? RAY. RAAAAY!"

Freakout Time.

Tammy took a deep breath and peered out from their hiding place and looked at the smoochy smoochy pair. "Uh.. Nurse. Now.." Even though she wasn't much of a nurse. Someone was neeeded. "Warren nurse. Lucille, food. Grab some food. He might not have eaten. Go on, quick."

She ordered it, ordered the pair of them. Not meanly. She was just being protective. Crouching down beside Ray, Tammy sighed. OHGOD. This didn't look fun. "Ray.. Please. Right, sit up. Tell me its a joke. And I wont get upset and cry. RAY!" She squealed at the end, and gave his face a light slap. Okay. So he wasn't faking.


She WAS NOT running in heels. No matter what teh doofus thought. HE was going.

"NOW WARREN, LUCILLE. NOW."

''TAMMY, WHERE? WHO? WHATTT!!'' Warren was confused.. Why was he being controlled? he asked Tammy to go. ''I said i was going to stay with him, and thats what i intend to do! Now, as a prefect i suggest you go do something!'' This was the first time Warren has actually been short-tempered at hogwarts.. Though he didnt mean it, surely Tammy would understand.

OHGOSH.
"Yeah, he's my friend. And, I cant run in these socks, Its quicker for you to go. WARREN, just go now. Honestly, you don't want to not go. What if he doesn't wake up ey? GO!" And Tammy was staying, and if Warren didn't go, then there would be trouble. On his part. "The longer we argue, the more he could be hurt. JUST GO WARREN."

This was the first and only time Warren would listen.

''FINE!'' he ran off as faster as Usain Bolt could ever run.

Tino jumped the last four steps to the second floor, panting. He wasn't used to all this cardiovascular exercise! All Quidditch required was a good grip, flexibility, and the tolerance of being a human punching bag. The sound of his own breathing interfered with listening for Bunbury's footfalls, which had become muffled since she'd thrown her heeled boots, which were now obscured by. . . chaotic screaming?

There was a cluster of students in the middle of the corridor. Some were running, one of them nearly bowling Tino over in his panic, and there were more crouching on the ground. This was clearly another medical emergency requiring heroism, but Tino hadn't finished his first one, and besides he was still hecka mad.

"Look out!," he yelled. Tino leapt over the huddled students, came to a hard landing on the opposite side, and ran towards the shadow that had just disappeared around the corner. The Lone Ranger was starting to wish for a sidekick.

So what now? Once in every few seconds Edem saw flashes of light.. He thought maybe it happened when he managed to open his eyes. Maybe his body was still trying after all, but lifting his eyelids open was harder than it seemed. The pain! He couldn't recall ever hurting so much physically. Then in between his conscious and unconsciousness he began to felt queasy--Am I going to throw up? But there's nothing inside my stomach..

He heard screams. Panicked voices. There was Tammy and the guy's voice--what's he doing calling my name?

And he couldn't hear Lucille. Whether it's because of shock that she couldn't even react or because she was mad, maybe, for being spied on, he didn't care. He hoped to hear her voice. Breathing deeply, Edem struggled to regain consciousness.

Then someone slapped his cheek.

"Ughh," he grunted. It was a hard blow, but thankfully, it helped. Blinking a few times to get rid of the fireflies, he used all his strength to sit up. More arguments. He shifted and leaned his back against the pillar. Warren yelled, and there were heavy footsteps dying away--might be Warren's. Edem was glad that he might probably have gone by the time he was able to speak again.

"Tammeh," he whispered, "I don't like that guy."

Uh-oh. Random. But that wasn't for that Warren guy to hear anyway. Edem believed he was already gone, and those whispers were not for anyone else but Tammy to hear, and.. Despite the fact that he was half awake, he was being honest and sincere.

Lucille herd a dull thud and from the corner of her eye, thought that she saw Edem slump to the floor. Her eyes opened in shock as everyone crowed round him. She should go to him, she knew that she should, but she couldn't. He feet were glues to the floor and all kinds of horrible thoughts were running through her head. Edem was her best friend, he couldn't collaps! He wasn't allowed! He wasn't allowed to be ill, or hurt, or unconcious! What if he was - No, she wasn't allowing that thought into her head. No way.

She just stood there, hating herself and dumbstruck.


Food. Right. Food.
Lucille stared, blinking at Edem until Tammy's order pounded on the inside of her head. It was hard to remember how to function - she couldnt tear her eyes away from Ededm lying motionless on the floor.

FOODLUCILLEFOOD! Sort yourself out!

She grabbed Warrens bag and rumaged through it - good job he always had food on him. From the bottom she grapped the last of the packet of jelly beans and a big box of malteasers. She hardly noticed Warren running past her, and ran over to where Edem lay.

"Here," she said, throwing the food at Tammy. She bent over Edem and slid a hand under his head.

"You're going to be fine," she told him, more to convince herself, "Its's ok, oh COME ON RAY!!"



He was speaking! He was awake! OHTHANKGOODNESS!

Lucille breathed a sigh of relief. "Ededm, are you ok?" she shot, "What happened? Oh thankgod your ok, i was so - HEY! WHAT DO YO MEAN YOU DONT LIKE WARREN!"

Now he was ok, she felt free to be mad at him.

Warren walked back in when he heard that Ray didn't like him. He couldn't think why. This was the first time they had met before and surely Warren hadn't done anything? he was trying to help him as he fell unconsious. ''Oh.. Well er.. you ok?'' he muttered. He slowly walked back over to Lucille, huffing and puffing because of all that running around for help. ''Ray, i really think you should go to the hospital wing?'' he said politely.

Oh-oh-oh. Give me a breakkk.

Edem's head tilted to his left involuntarily. Was it some kind of joke that his neck didn't feel like it's strong enough to support his head? The pain was still throbbing, but Lucille, she was defending Warren. This couldn't happen. If it was within his powers to tackle Warren, he wouldn't think twice to do so. My stomach..!

"You," he grunted, addressing Lucille but without any gesture of pointing whatsoever, "weren't supposed to hear that.." breathing deeply as to keep his pain to a minimum, he felt helpless. In his torturing pain he was talking irrationally, and Lucille might hate him for saying that. And maybe it was partly Edem's fault.. They were best friends. They were supposed to support each other, right? However unpleasant it was..



Without even looking up to see the face of the guy he had unreasonably begun to hate, Edem replied to Warren half-heartedly, "I'm ok," then when Warren suggested that he should go to the hospital wing, he couldn't help but think that it was, more or less, a good idea. He suddenly recalled the smell of Nurse Melita's cookies in his Astronomy class with Lord Borr. The cookies that were allegedly capable to heal diseases? Or whatever, he couldn't think clearly. His stomach growled as he felt it wriggle uncomfortably. Now he was picturing worms inside it. Urgh.

Warren tried his hardest to win Ray over. ''Look, i no your not too fond of me, but please, let me just help you? ill carry you to the hospital wing'' he replied. Warren walked on over to Ray, he bent down smiled at him and put his hand on his shoulder. ''Please Ray, im only trying to help, i dont mean to cause no harm, whatever i've done im sorry..'' he looked down. What was it Warren had done?