"You my friend
You're a lot like them
But I caught your lie
And you know I did
Now I'm lost in you
Like I always do
And I'd die to win
'Cause I'm born to lose"

Ace and Otto raced out of the house.

Laughing.

Laughing like maniacs.

Taver was screaming inside.

This made the two girls laugh harder.

"You were right!" Otto gasped.

Ace grinned evilly.

"I told you Taver can't handle spicy!"

The two girls laughed in the tuny yard.

Cricket collapsed on the kitchen floor.

He was cracking up.

Taver scrubbed his tongue with a towel.

Tears were welling up in his eyes.

Cricket shakily sat up.

He was still in hysterics.

"Your scream was higher than Silvers!"

Taver shot Cricket a glare.

He spit out a sling of curses and threats.

Then returned to nursing his poor tongue.

Cricket stood.

He made no effort to contain his snickers.

He walked to the front of the house and stuck his head out the front door.

"You two should lay low for a whie, Taver's furious. And while you're at it, can you go pick up some stuff for dinner?"

The two girls groaned.

But they didn't argue.

They knew better than too enter the house with a mad Taver in it.

So the pair headed towards the center of the City.

Otto bounced as she walked.

Still giggling at the Taver incident.

Ace counted the cars that passed.

18...

19...

20...

21...

22...

22...

Ace blinked.

She had turned 22 the month before.

She didn't feel any older.

She didn't act any older.

Was she getting older?

Was there actual proof that she had aged at all?

It bothered her a little bit.

She looked around.

She was in a park.

Otto had lead her to a park.

Ace frowned.

"Otto!"

The red head was running towards the playground.

Ace could feel herself grow pissed.

"We're supposed to be getting stuff for dinner!"

Otto jumped on a swing.

She looked at Ace.

"Don't tell me how to live my life!"

Then Otto stuck her tongue out.

Ace shook her head.

She let the anger go.

Otto was always like thhis.

19 years old and she still couldn't get enough of the playgrounds in the City.

Things like this always happened.

Ace decided to leave Otto and go get the groceries.

She'd get Otto on her way back.

Otto could take care of herself.

Otto swung happily.

She always like the swings the best.

Before she and Cricket met Yuri, it was just her and Cricket.

They had never stayed in the same spot.

Always moving around.

Cricket had called themselves 'nomads.'

Whenever they saw a park they would always stop to play.

Otto always thought about those times.

She missed them.

But she would never go back to them.

Otto swung higher.

Reached out her hand.

It was almost like she could touch the sky.

WHISH

Someone ran past her.

They had been dangerously close.

They had been whooping and laughing.

They had surprised her.

Otto almost fell off her swing.

The person who ran past was a guy.

He was now climbing the jungle gym.

Two more guys ran past and joined him.

Otto halted her swinging.

Curiosity filled her as she watch the guys climb like children.

One reached the top first.

He cheered and waved his arms.

"Winner!"

Another one tried to push him off.

"You jumped ahead, you cheater!"

The winnner fought back.

And the two boys tumbled off.

Landing in the dirt with a thud.

But they continued to wrestle each other.