Xoi's birthday is Tuesday and I still hadn't bought her socks.

The prices in the town were so inflated that I couldn't even afford a book after the socks and gum (which added up to something like twenty dollars. My allowance was 15 dollars a month.) I suppose it was done in the name of business, because, since most of the people who shopped there attended Lakewood or Saint Catherine's, they were mostly insanely wealthy.

I begged Edmund to pay for my tea at the coffee shop, and he did, reluctantly. Then he, Neil, Hans, Frans, and Taki went off somewhere, leaving me practically penniless and alone, which didn't actually bother me very much. I wandered the streets for a while before spying a piano through a music shop's window. I let myself in, and the door made a soft chime to announce my presence.

A boy came in from the back. "What can I do for you?" He asked. He wasn't hot. I noted with relish. (I had more hot guys than I could handle) But he was passably cute.

"Can I play your piano?" I asked slightly hesitantly. Would they just let me play, even if I wasn't considering buying it?

"Sure." He went around to behind the glass counter. "Are you any good?"

I shrugged modestly. Of course I was good, but I wasn't going to just go out and say it. I sat down on the bench, cracked my knuckles, and played some Phantom of the Opera from memory. Then I moved on to Mozart, my fingers dancing over the keys.

The boy watched from the counter. I didn't look at him much, preferring not to be distracted.

After a few songs, the door opened and Taki burst in. "There you are." He said to me. "I've been looking all over for you." He pulled me roughly from the piano bench. "Let's go back to Lakewood."

"Lakewood Academy?" The boy from the counter asked. "Wow." He looked at me apologetically. "I thought you were a girl."

Taki looked at me, still holding my arm at an odd angle. "Yeah." He said softly, like he was talking to himself. "He's a lot like a girl."

"Hey." I ripped my arm out of his grip. "Hey. I'm a dude, not a chick."

Taki still looked at me. I was unnerving. "You're like a chick, though." He said.

I brushed passed him and left, feigning my anger. Later, I would beat him up because of what he said, like all guys did, but for now, I was content to return to Lakewood and make preparations for Xoi's party that night.