Saturday afternoon, Winter Break 2016 — Week 1.

I woke up with a slight headache. White bedsheets covered me. Wait—was Yuka here too? I checked my right side and saw Yuka’s head on the bed; she held a book in her left hand.

“Oh, Yuki, you’re awake. What time is it?” Yuka asked.
“Twelve ten,” I said, checking my cellphone.
“I should be getting home. Do you need a ride, Yuki?” Yuka asked.
“I think Tess will drive me back. Thanks for the offer, though,” I said.
“Call me whenever you’re free, Yuki!” she said, departing.

I walked to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. The pounding in my head gradually lessened and I headed downstairs. The living room was empty and spotless—no remnants of food or any sign we'd been there. They were probably in the dining room.

“Good morning—rather, good afternoon, Yuki!” Felicity greeted. She seemed normal; I no longer detected the hostility or malice in her voice. She had a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her. I looked around but didn’t see Tess.

“Felicity, any idea where Tess is?” I asked.
“She’s probably finishing up cleaning the basement. She’ll be here soon. I would give you a ride home, but Memoria and I still have much to do,” Felicity said.

Ten minutes later, Tess walked in. She greeted me and sat down at the table. I finished the food Felicity had offered and watched her. Did she recall the events of the party? I couldn’t tell from her bright, uplifting smile. "Tomo, you ready to go?" Tess asked.
"Yeah, I'm ready," I replied.
"I hope you had fun, Yuki! Let's do it again soon," Felicity said as we left.

I turned to face the emotionless woman once we were in the car. She glanced at me as she placed her keys in the ignition.

"Tess, how much do you remember from the party?" I asked, looking her straight in the eyes.
"Everything. But you want to talk about Felicity, don't you?" Tess said, backing out of the parking lot.
"Yeah. How do you feel about it?" I asked, staring at the large house.
"There's not much to say. Felicity got pretty drunk and said a few things that were out of line. That's about it," Tess said.
"Really? I feel like her emotions are pretty unstable. I'll take your word that she only said that because of the alcohol. How much does she really know about the heroes thing? I just want to know how much access she's had to you and everyone else," I asked.
"Felicity knows of our existence and observes us when we train. She's not privy to the important matters. You'll learn about that in time," Tess answered as she drove through the large black gate.

"Tess, what are your feelings about everyone as heroes?" I asked.
"In terms of what, Tomo?" Tess asked, her voice very cold.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, confused.
"State it more concretely, Tomo. As friends? As fighters? Or are you perhaps even including romantic feelings?" Tess clarified.
"I meant as friends," I said. "Wait, do you actually like anyone, Tess?" I asked, her question catching my attention.

"Not in terms of romance. But if you're speaking on the friendship level, I believe everyone has faults, like any human. I'm not as critical about their private lives as Fel is. As long as they perform when needed, I'm fine. I'm sure the others understand my feelings on that," Tess replied, stopping at a four-way stop.

"Oh, I thought you'd be more critical, like you said. But I understand," I said, nodding.

"And what about you, Tomo? Has anyone caught your eye?" Tess asked, her face straight as she looked in her rearview mirror.

"What?" I stammered, caught off guard.

"It's only fair that I reciprocate your question, isn't it?" Tess said.

"You have a point. Say, Tess, you seem a lot more—how do I put this—cooler and calmer than usual," I said.

"Don't worry about it. It's just the side effects of the alcohol. You still haven't answered my question," Tess reminded me.

"I don't especially like anyone. It's hard when you barely know them. The party was my first real chance to see who they are as people. You too, Tess. When we're talking about the whole heroes thing, everyone puts up a kind of facade—not fake, just more reserved. I can understand; we're still getting to know each other," I answered, thinking about what I'd seen at the party.

"That's a fair answer," Tess said. "Although Fel does need to control herself more and choose her words with care," Tess noted.

"Do they not like Felicity? I mean, they're at least outwardly friendly with her, but there's tension," I asked.

"I'm sure they're indifferent. Fel is the only one who really cares that much, and in some ways that's her weakness. Although Darryl may feel differently," Tess answered as she made a left turn.

"You're pretty sharp, Tess, even with social interactions. It feels like you know too much — not that it's bad, it's just mysterious," I said, searching for the right words.

"It's just what I do, Tomo. There's nothing more to it. By the way, you may want to check your underwear when you get home," Tess said suddenly as she neared my street.

"What? Tess, what did you do?" I asked, surprised.

"It's more about what Fel did than me. Anyway, you've arrived safely back at your house," Tess said as she pulled into my driveway and ended the conversation.

"Tess, you gotta tell me. It's freaking me out the way you said it," I pleaded.

Tess remained silent and waved goodbye. Damn — I'd have to find out what she meant when I got back to my room.