"Hebe? Don't tell me you're falling asleep. We're supposed to be working, 'member?" Hebe could hear the faint sound of Jiro reprimanding her, but she groaned, closed, and shifted her head again in her arms.

"You're so uptight, Jiro. Let her sleep. Man, let me sleep, too..." Hebe muffled a laugh as Aaron complained childishly. At school, he seemed like a different person--irresponsible all the same, but much more mature and more flirtatious than now. Now, he acted like he was nine.

It was at this point Hebe decided to look up, peek over her forearms to see what was happening. They were draped over the living room coffee table--Hebe hadn't noticed this before when she'd stayed over that one time. Maybe they just bought it.

"Where's Selina?" Jiro dropped his act and looked around warily. Aaron grinned cheekily.

"Not telling, bully. Actually, I will if you go get me some juice..." He pursed his lips. The secret was his only. And then Selina came through the door. Hebe again stifled a laugh, and Mei let out a faint giggle. So much for having the upper hand. Aaron pouted.

"Aaron, don't be a tardface. Go make me some tea. And get yourself the juice." Selina took her socks off, completely aware that she had an audience. She threw her black socks (boring and without personality) beside the couch and came to stand over the trio.

"Greek? I did that in grade school." Apparently, Aaron got his pride from Selina, who looked pretty boastful at this moment.

"S-so did weeeee," Jiro smiled, lovestruck. Hebe rolled her eyes. Jiro had gone through this stage three times--the first, surprisingly, being Hebe, and the second a loud and boisterous girl named Ella. It was the stage whereupon Jiro couldn't speak or act properly when the object of his affection was standing in the same room as him.

Selina raised an eyebrow and stretched the side of . "Is he okay?" She turned to Mei and Hebe.

"He's fine. Don't worry about it." Hebe pinched Jiro's hand underneath the table, and he yelped and konked his legs on the bottom of the coffee table. She shot him a warning glance that said, 'Don't do anything stupid.' He obliged and stayed silent for the rest of the time that Selina hovered over them.

Aaron came back in the nick of time, as well. At this point, Selina was bragging about how she was often compared to Aphrodite, who was beautiful and great and loved by all men. He snorted and nudged her.

"Right. So if you're the love goddess, why is it that you haven't had a single date for four months?" Selina flushed red and flipped her long, curled hair, snatching the mug of steaming tea from Aaron's tanned hand and marching off into her bedroom up the stairs. As soon as she disappeared from sight, Jiro reverted to his normal self.

"Okay, fine. You two can sleep AFTER we're done. God, you're such babies," He mumbled crossly, picking his pencil back up.

"But I'M a cute baby," Hebe answered, shooting a teasing glance at Aaron. He puffed his cheeks.

"Hey! That's a shot against my outer appearance. And I'm a cuter baby than you. You have fat cheeks."

"B--babies are supposed to have fat cheeks!" Hebe retorted huffily, her (fat) cheeks turning a fair pink.

Amongst their arguing, Mei and Jiro worked quietly, rolling their eyes at each other.

"They're like siblings," Jiro complained under his breath. "Can't stop talking, can't stop fighting, both stupid and stubborn." Mei giggled as she coloured in a picture.

"I heard that!" Hebe and Aaron burst out in unison, both turning their head at the exact same time to face Jiro. Mei went into a laughing seizure. Selina came down from her bedroom, and Jiro shrieked--actually shrieked.

"WHAT! WHAT! WHAT IS THAT--" Before he could finish his dreadful exclamation, Aaron threw his hand over Jiro's mouth.

"Don't say anything," he hissed, "unless you want to die early."

"Hahahaha, it's just a facial mask, Jiro." Mei laughed, popping her lips. "Like you don't use one, what with your nice skin." Jiro shot lasers at her with his eyes.

This time, it was Hebe's and Aaron's turn to sigh. They looked at each other, grinning, and quietly left to through the backyard door.

--
 

[[ initiallywritten & added on april 25.