Raina had decided to go out for a jog since she had the day off – no work, no classes. She wasn't into parties all that much and Tiffany and Mei were meeting up with their boyfriends, Lily was going to visit Xiumin and even Angel, whom she'd bumped into on the first day of semester, had plans she was unwilling to share – though it didn't take a genius to know they involved Suho, the way she was blushing – so that left her on her own.

Hence, she decided to go and jog a little bit, take the time to enjoy nature perhaps. It was better than heading towards the studio and dancing – she did that all the time anyway.

'You can also come along to the party, you know?' Tiffany had told her last night when they'd been discussing plans. 'Maybe you'll bump into someone nice – who knows, maybe you'll even end up with a boyfriend.'

'You're too optimistic.' Raina told her. 'Guys don't look at me like that off stage.'

Her dance class, composed mainly of boys, had been ecstatic when she'd been selected, obviously looking forward to spending time with her. But that had been because her audition dance had been a y number and she'd deliberately played up her charisma. Off stage, she was about as uny as one could get and that had been obvious, much to her class fellows' disappointment. They'd tried hitting on her the first week or so but had soon given up, treating her as one of the boys instead.

Not that she blamed anyone. Given her tendency to wear shapeless clothes and weird accessories which mainly included anything that happened to be lying nearby, utter inability to move without crashing into something or stumbling every other step and her absolute inability to pick when a guy was hitting on her – she always found it later, when someone else explained it to her – it wasn't surprising.

All of which made Tiffany and Mei more determined to put her into uncomfortable clothes and heels high enough to be stilts. Which she did to entertain the girls but no way was she going anywhere like that.

'Why?' Mei sounded aghast. 'What's wrong with that?'

'I'd totally go if it was a girl's night or something…' Raina told them sincerely. 'But not on my own.'

'But…' Tiffany opened to protest but Raina stalled her. 'I'd like you guys to cheer for me when I hit on a guy.'

The girls let out loud hoots at her statement, screaming stuff like 'feminism at its finest' and 'Raina the dominatrix' which made her blush and stuff their faces with pillows because the warden sharply hit her door in warning.

'I meant I need a confidence boost, you idiots.' She tried to explain to her hysterically laughing friends who were only too delighted to about her tastes.

'Of course.' Mei gave a naughty smile. 'Confidence boost, sure.'

'Why are you doing this to me?' Raina whined, making them giggle even more.

Thinking about it now, Raina smiled again. Kyra would've even worse than Mei and Tiffany. She'd talked to her the day before and she'd sounded a little exhausted but had assured her she was okay. 'Not running anywhere soon but I can move around the hospital now.'

That, she thought, was a good thing. Though she still thought Kyra was hiding something from her. Kyra wouldn’t have gone to so many lengths to try and hide that she was sick. Raina knew Kyra could see the future, even about herself and the more she thought about the situation, the more it seemed like Kyra had seen something worse than cancer.

Death.

Raina swallowed the lump in , slowing down in her jog. Kyra hadn't told her that but they both knew each other well enough that less was more with them. Kyra hadn't said she was going to die but she hadn't made any plans for when she got out either.

Riana slowed to a stop, blinking rapidly at the tears filling her eyes and she let out a quivering breath. I'll do something, she repeated her vow. Having dealt with Kyra's abilities before, Raina knew certain events were set in stone and couldn't be changed while others could be altered. Death usually came under the former category but she'd be damned if she didn’t try everything to change it.

She'd been reading up on the details of Kyra's disease and so far, things weren't looking too good – at least, medically speaking. That simply meant she had to look in the alternative directions – someone had to be able to do something, right?

Just then, her cellphone rang and she hurriedly cleared so she wouldn't sound teary when she answered. 'Hey mudstick!' She greeted cheerily.

'Airhead.' Kyra's voice was soft but she sounded like she was smiling. 'Where you at?'

'I'm outside, taking in the fresh air.' Raina told her, 'What about you? Tell me they let you out sometimes!'

'It's a hospital, Rain, not a dungeon. Of course they let me out. In fact, I'm outside right now.'

'Aw, were you thinking about me when you saw the sky? Did it remind you of my blue eyes?' She batted her lashes.

'Your eyes are brown, idiot.' Kyra giggled at her. 'But yeah, I did think about you when I looked at the birds.'

'Do I look that graceful?'

'When you're dancing, yes. And then, you land on the ground and you're clumsy, just like a bird.'

'Haha, very funny.' Raina retorted. 'Not.'

'Whatever.' Kyra replied, then coughed lightly. 'So, how's it going?'

'University's cool – they haven't still decided on our sections in the dance class, sometimes we're put in with the juniors, sometimes they insist on separate classes. But it's cool.'

'That's nice. How's Tiffany and the rest?'

'They're fine, out on dates, all of them. I'm so jealous.'

'Aw, don't worry.' Kyra's voice was teasing but there was a serious undertone to it. 'You'll meet your man soon.'

'Oh? I didn't know Hugh Jackman was visiting Oulphesden.' Raina cracked, making her laugh.

'Idiot.' Kyra finally sighed. 'I mean it, though.'

Raina's smile wavered a bit. Did she mean what she thought she meant? She glanced around as if expecting him to be right beside her. 'Who…?'

'You'll find out soon enough.' Kyra told her, then cleared . Raina smiled – that meant Kyra needed to ask her a favor, she always cleared when that was the case. 'So…'

'What can I do for ya, Ms. K?' she asked, faking an accent.

'You know me too well, don't you?' Kyra laughed softly. 'Okay, well… there's this guy…'

'OHMYGOD!' Raina squealed into the phone. 'Did you meet someone? Is he at the hospital??' she jumped in excitement. 'Oh, oh, it's that hot doctor, isn't it???'

'Calm down, Raina.' Kyra sighed, sounding like she was smiling. 'Really, I'm too sick to notice whether he's hot or not, okay.'

'Liar. No one's ever that sick.' Raina countered. 'Besides, you told me you thought he was hot.'

'It's not him, okay?' Kyra finally snapped, making Raina giggle. 'Okay, okay, so who is it?'

'I don't know, alright.' Kyra sounded like she was pouting, a tendency she had when she got irritated. 'Hear me out first.'

'I'm all ears.' Raina assured her, grinning.

'So there's this guy…' Raina snorted but she didn't need to see Kyra to know the look on her face. 'And?' She prodded.

'He might… um, seek you out and ask about me a little too… enthusiastically.'

Raina blinked. That had already happened at the funfair. 'You're telling me you know the psychopath?'

'You've met him?' Kyra sounded surprised.

'Uh yeah, last semester, at the funfair.'

'Oh.' She could feel Kyra thinking, probably prodding into whatever vision she'd had that had prompted this call. 'Alright. Well, I don't know him, so I can't say if he's a psychopath or not but you have to promise me, you won't tell him anything.'

'I won't, even if you didn't tell me to.' Raina told her. 'Why would I?'

Kyra didn't reply and it took a moment for the meaning to sink in. 'Wait, he's the one?'

'Yeah…' Kyra's reply was soft, then her voice rose. 'So, you must promise me. You won't tell him anything, not my name, not where I am or what's wrong with me, okay? No matter what.'

'But if he's your...' Raina protested.

'Promise me.' Kyra demanded.

'Kyra.'

'Raina.'

'I can't promise something that stupid.' Raina told her, ignoring her furious hiss. 'You need as much support as you can get, it'll increase your chances of survival and…

'Nothing's increasing my chances of survival!' Kyra snapped angrily. 'Nothing!'

A shocked silence followed her statement.

'You're lying.' Raina stated calmly, even though her heart had jumped into . She had been right after all.

'Do you think…,' Kyra swallowed, 'I'd joke about something like this?'

Raina bit her lips, not saying anything. Tears were threatening to spill but she pushed them back.

'Do your parents know?' She finally asked, her voice quivering a little.

'No, no one but you and you'll keep it that way.'

'The hell I will.' Raina snapped, getting angry. 'You think it's okay for you to just decide things on your own because you saw them first? They have a right to know. And so does that psychopath. So do I! You should've said something sooner.'

'Don’t you dare make it sound like I'm being selfish, okay? Do you think this is easy for me? Doing this on my own, knowing every day that this is all futile and nothing's gonna change? Do you think I like the thought of dying alone?' She was crying now. 'I'm scared, okay? less. But if there's one thing I can do in this godforsaken situation, its making sure the people I love don’t hurt.'

Raina was crying as well. 'What makes you think pushing us away is going to make it any less painful, idiot? You think your parents won't cry because you didn't tell them? You think I won't cry?'

'I don't know Raina…' Kyra whispered brokenly, 'I just… don’t know anymore. It's so damn painful, all I can think of is when it will end. And then, I think how much it would hurt you guys if I die and I feel horrible. But I just wish it would stop. I'm looking forward to it, y'know? I wish I'd just hurry up and die.'

'Don’t talk like that.' Raina whispered back. 'It'll get better, I promise.'

'It won't.'

'You don't know.' Raina finally gained control over her emotions, pushing her tears away. 'You don't know if it's one of those things that can't be changed.'

Kyra let out a bitter laugh. 'This is real life, Raina, not some computer game where we can use multiple lives. Once we die, we stay dead.'

'You could be wrong. Maybe…'

'I'm not wrong, okay.' Kyra told her, under control now. 'I've had months to prepare for this and I've accepted it. I'm sorry you had to hear it like this but I won't take it back. Maybe you're right and I should tell my parents as well. I'll think about it. But I want your word about him.'

'Kyra, honey…'

'I'm in enough pain already, okay? I'm not adding heartbreak to it.'

There really was nothing she could say to that. So, very reluctantly, Raina promised her not to tell him anything. She'd find a way to circumvent that promise because she still believed the guy had a right to know. He'd been crazy about Kyra; that much even Raina had noticed in the short encounter she had with him, obviously eager to find her.

Accepted it, my . Kyra was scared she'd start wanting to live if she met him, Raina knew her friend well enough to read between the lines. Since she had promised, she wouldn't tell him but she was definitely finding a way to get them together and hope her idiot of a friend would see life was worth fighting for, even with all the pain.

Tears filled her eyes again and as if in response to that, the skies opened up as well. Sliding her phone back in the pocket, she pulled up her hoodie and ran to the nearest shelter, a small ledge, just in time before it turned suddenly from drizzle to a torrent.  

And that's where she met the love of her life. Blue and lifeless.

She hadn't noticed when he'd stumbled beside her but she heard the thud when he fell to the ground.

At first she thought he was dead, and she was getting ready to call the ambulance but then, he let out a violent sneeze and started shivering uncontrollably and she let out a yelp, hurriedly taking off her hood so she could put it on him.

His skin was so cold, it felt frozen and his clothes were all wet. She pulled him up into a sitting position so he wouldn't get even wetter from the water gathering in puddles, then took off the scarf she'd randomly tied around her head – because it had been lying around and she'd picked it up on the way out – wiped him off the best she could. Thankfully, his skin was mostly dry, albeit cold and she shook his shoulder to ask his permission. His eyes were closed and he muttered deliriously when she asked him if it was okay to take off his shirt.

Figuring he'd develop pneumonia if he stayed in those clothes any longer, she pulled off the tank top that was sticking to his skin, and threw it away, somehow managing to stop him from sliding back to the ground as she struggled to put her dry hood on him. After who knew how long, she finally managed to slip it past his neck.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she gave him a hefty tug that nearly unbalanced her. His chin slipped onto her shoulder, the cold breath tickling her but she ignored it, sliding her hands up to grab the corner of the hood and pull it down, finally in place. He was beginning to shiver in her arms and she was having trouble holding him up now but it wasn't like she could drop him on the wet ground again.

Pushing him back against the wall and locking her thighs around his legs to keep him from sliding down, she pulled out her phone and dialed Lily's number – the shop was just around the corner from here and they needed to get him warm and dry ASAP. The ambulance would take at least another half hour, if it didn't get stuck in the rainstorm.

Thankfully, Lily answered on the first ring and Raina explained her situation, her thighs beginning to quiver from strain and she was shivering as the cold wind hit her bare arms and shoulders, arms aching as she kept her hand fisted in his shirt so he wouldn't fall down.

'Just hurry up.' She told her, teeth chattering. 'I don't think I'll be able to hold him up any longer.'

'Got it.' Lily, bless her heart, sounded unfazed at the sudden rescue mission.

The next five minutes had to be the toughest in her life, her muscles pushed past their limit, struggling to keep herself and the unconscious guy – whose face looked increasingly familiar though she had yet to place a name on it – upright. The water was pooling around them steadily, seeping into her running shoes and making her shiver even more.

She didn’t see anyone approaching but suddenly, someone dashed through the rain and slipped underneath the ledge. She blinked at the familiar face. 'Kai?'

'Hey Raina,' He smiled. 'Lily sent me over. Here let me…'

She sighed with relief when he wrapped his arms around the unconscious guy and pulled him back. 'Lay?' he exclaimed in surprise. 'How did he get here?'

Lay? Lay… she'd heard this name before… a pair of Mickey Mouse ears flashed through her head. Ah, so that's why he looked so familiar. Small world.

'I don’t know.' She answered Kai, wondering why Lily had sent him over. Wasn't he supposed to be with Tiffany? 'I just found him here.'

Kai nodded, grimacing when Lay's wet pants came in contact with his. 'I'll take him back and then come back for you. Okay?'

She nodded, then watched him dash out into the rain, immediately vanishing under the thick sheets of water. She leaned back and closed her eyes, trying to ignore her cold feet and…

'Let's go.'

She yelped, surprised at finding Kai right beside her. 'That was quick.'

He smiled, then grabbed her hand. 'We'll run on three. Lily is waiting with towels and dry clothes, so just bear with it. Okay?'

She nodded and tightened her grip, racing through the rain on three. They were thoroughly soaked by the time they ended up at the shop, gasping for breath and she'd never been so glad to see Lily than she was now.

'I love you.' She told her friend, snuggling into the warm towels wrapped around her. 'From the core of my heart.'

'Shut up and change.' Lily rolled her eyes and pushed her toward the rest room in the apartment above the shop. 'Take a warm shower first, then come out. I'll have a cup of coffee ready for you.'

'I really mean it.' She threw over her shoulder as she stepped inside. 'You're the best.'

'Whatever.' Lily muttered, going away and Raina sighed, locking the door and stripping to step underneath the hot water.

The day had been hectic so far and it was still before noon. She wondered what else it held for her.

………………………

A/N

Soo.. early update because I'm finally free of my exams and nothing but three months of vacations to look forward to :D So YAYYYY!!! Enjoy this update and I'll update again tommorow hopefully :) Also, happy Ramadan to those who're fasting :) its tough but I'm sure we can do it :) 

Also... I'm not really sure where I'm going with Raina okay?