Hope starts with you - a flowering heart fanfic

Chapter 6

Ari now sat across from me on the floor, her arms crossed and uncrossed, nervous. I moved my hands tentatively to her shoulders, she shrugged them off and I could see a tear trail down her cheek. Chess, or uh, Tubby was flying over us, scowling. 

"Why Ari? Give me one good reason." 

"I- I don't have any Chess. I was a fool." Ari shifted her position, curling her knees into her chest.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I wasn't good enough for you." Tubby laughed coldly, a hard expression on his very cute and squishy face. 

"Please leave." Ari's head jerked up towards him. 

"It's Yeeun's house! I'll leave when I want to!" Her eyes turned dark, daring him to challenge her. 

"I agree with Tubby, you need to go... for now." I forcibly pulled her to her feet and slightly pushed her towards the door. Suha and Min stared blankly at the scene that was playing out before them, Suha looked like she was close to losing it altogether. 

"I thought you were my friend." The words were spoken with such a venomous and bitter tone that I was taken aback. I couldn't find the right words to tell her that this wasn't my choice so I remained silent. As soon as the door latched, locking her out, Min brought her fist down on the table. 

"How could she?!" Suha flinched at the noise and rushed out of the room. 

"We still have to go to school, don't we?" All I received was nervous chuckling. Tubby waddled over to my backpack and plopped into the front pocket. Min motioned back to my bedroom, 

"Should we get her or just not go to school?" I shrugged 

"It's up to her." I moved across the room and knocked on the door.

"Suha? School? Or no?" I muffled sob came through the door. 

"I can't! What if we see her." I sighed loudly, I didn't want to go either. Would it be too suspicious if we all were absent at the same time? Min let out a shout with the meaning of 'yay we're not going to school'

"Let's just drop out, wouldn't that be easier?"  I scoffed slightly. 

"I mean... I'm not opposed to that idea." Min sat on the arm of the couch and flopped over, very dramatically, landing on her back. I used the tips of my fingers to pull Tubby's wings up and out of my backpack.

"Looks like we have the day off." I grimaced at the cute boy/cute hamster. I let my mind wander to what awkward moments could happen with this half human half beast thing. What would happen if he changed to his counter part in front of people? This is the kind of thing you can't just explain to the average human. 

"What are you thinking about?" I startled out of my trance and focused my attention on Tubby again. 

"You." A faint blush spread over his blue cheeks and I poked at his side. 

"Why'd your face turn all... weird." 

"Because you said you were thinking about me."

"Don't flatter yourself." I gave him my best glare and stood up, knocking over a cup while I was at it. I walked quickly to the bathroom and locked myself inside. I groaned as I looked in the mirror, my face was red and blotchy, my hair in knots all around and I could use a wardrobe change. I turned on the sink and held a cloth under the stream of water, wiping at my face as if I could erase the red. 

After working at my hair I slipped on a flowered button-down shirt and a black overall skirt, perfect for a "skipping school day." 

When I returned to the living room Min was holding a purse of some sort.

"How are we gonna collect hopeful energy without Ari?"

I've decided I need a refresher course on how magic works in flowering heart