Jiaqi left immediately.

Xueer didn't even got the chance to glance at her, let alone talk to her. The only thing she found when she entered the solitude of her room was a crinkled piece of paper on top of her pillow.

Had to go.

Jiaqi.

Nothing more. Nothing less. Enough to let the message seep through, insufficient to let Xueer in.

Again.

The redhead’s holding the fumbled sheet tightly to her chest, while she desperately tries to catch some sleep. Actually, that piece of paper pretty much became her object of obsession that day. She must've traced the badass’ name a million times, hoping that like a genie would pop out of his bottle, Jiaqi would suddenly appear in front of her if she just traced it long and carefully enough.

It didn't work.

She brings the note to her lips and softly kisses it, before laying it on her bedside table. It's close to midnight and even though it isn't a school night, she needs her sleep, so she attempts to forget the days' events and clear her mind from a certain dark haired mystery.

Eventually, sleep wins over and she slowly but surely drifts off.

…

Tick.

Xueer stirs lightly.

Tick.

She sluggishly opens her eyes, realizing that the sound isn't produced in her dreams but very much in her own room.

Tick.

She carefully swings her legs over the edge of the bed, and tries to anticipate from where the faint noise comes from.

Tick.

Brown eyes glance towards the opposite wall of her room. Her window, to be more exact.
She cautiously gets up and strolls towards the pane.

Tick.

Carefully opening the blinds she’s half-expecting a murderer with an axe ready to go all Hitchcock on her. The cheerleader peeks outside once the blinds are half-up and squints her hazy eyes to view through the obscurity of the night.

And surely there she is.

Pebbles in one hand and the other worriedly ruffling her short but tousled tresses. Brown eyes lock with dark ones for a moment, before the redhead hurriedly heads downstairs. She opens the front door and she’s faced with an inhibited Jiaqi, hands in pockets, shoulders slumping and staring downwards.

"I didn't want to go home." She lets out hesitantly, eyes still fixated on her shoes. "I didn't know where else to go." She continues as she brings up her gaze.

Xueer doesn't answer her but takes a hold of her wrist instead, griping it out of her pocket and eventually lacing her fingers with long and cold ones. She draws her inside and quietly closes the door behind them. In the silence of the night, the cheerleader leads the taller up the stairs and ultimately into her room. They let go of each other’s hands as they both soundlessly sit on the edge of the bed.

Minutes of deafening silence pass by before Jiaqi finally speaks up.

"I guess if I barge in here at 3 AM, I might as well explain why." She says, heaving a sigh.

"You don't have too." Xueer assures her as she briefly touches her hand.

"Yes, I do." She counters sternly.

The redhead knows that she can't change her mind and she’s not about to try either.

"My… I…" Jiaqi sighs, unable to find the right words to start the conversation.

"Look, why don't we just lay down for now and you can talk when you feel like it. No pressure." She comforts her instead.

The short haired girl nods and they both simultaneously get off the bed. Xueer undrapes the bed as Jiaqi gets in first, not bothering to change her attire. But she quickly walks over to the window and lowers the blinds, before entering the bed herself.

Once inside, Jiaqi faces Xueer and Xueer faces Jiaqi, looking intently into each o