Simner sat by the lake. Be looked down over the silvery water. He picked up a pebble beside him and tossed it in. The water began to ripple bigger and bigger. Simner gave a sad sigh. He didn't have time for anything anymore. No time to breath, no time to think. His most peaceful times were his 20 minute dinner breaks from working at the hospital wing.
He couldn't believe how much he had screwed up his relationship with Kiley and with Rouge. He wanted them back. A bird flew over his head. He looked up at it. It was sad too. It had also done something it regretted. He knew it.

Flame was walking across the grounds, bored. She had found nothing of interest happening within the walls and so she had moved outside of them- not that she expected anything exciting to happen there. She gazed across the grounds and happened to see a lone figure sat on the verges of the lake. She decided that she would go and see who this lone fom was.

When she reached the edge of the lake she smiled and sat next to the boy. "Hi Simner, how are things for you?" she asked him. It had been a long time since she had seen him and it was needless to say that Flame liked him.

*Simner's scowl lifted. He heard a voice he had heard before. He smiled, with his mouth still closed. He turned his head to see Flame. He gave a small nod to her.* "Hi," *he said, quietly* "How are you doing, Flame?" *Simner beckoned for her to come and sit next to him.*

Flame let a soft smile float across her features and grey eyes sparkled with what seemed to be emotion- a grave change from her meeting with Craven and Fawne in the corridors minutes before.

"I'm ok thanks." she said, her tone soft. "Is something bothering you? You seem... dull today. Like, not the happy Simner I know." she sat beside him and looked questioningly in his direction.

Simner:"Because I am not the happy Simner I used to be," *he explained, quickly* "Everything has been changing so much with The Family's rise to power... I don't have time for anything and I just want to be done. To go somewhere and start new. But I guess I can't, can I?" *Simner turned away and shielded his eyes. He didn't want her to see him like this.*

Flame felt sorry for him, change was terrible at times and she knew it. However, she guessed she was part of this change- she was with the family and that was what had caused the change. "Simner, I'm sorry all this affects you this way. Talk to me about it, let me help." she said, resisting the urge to put her arm around his shoulder.

"I know I made a terrible decision... for me anyway. Because now all my friends hate me. Yet... I don't regret the decision I made... just the effect of it." Simner said this in a very quick tone. "Now Kiley and Melanie both hate me... and I don't know what to do"

Flame placed a soft smile of her face and shook her head. "If they can't accept you for who you are, the decisions you have made, then they can't be the best friends you could get, can they?" she told him. "I don't hate you, Simner, I respect you for who you are."

"I don't blame them for hating me. I put their lives in danger." Simner said, softly. "But thank you, Flame. It is so great to have someone in this world that understands me" Simner turned his head so he was no longer looking at the damp ground, but at Flame. He wondered what she was thinking.

Flame shrugged. "Some of the things people do can put others in danger, but that means nothing. You are human, Simner, and all humans make mistakes." she sighed. "I should know, I've made enough of them." Flame looked him in the eye and tilted her head slightly to one side. Flame was happy to be with Simner, in the quiet away from the buzzing castle. Hand moved towards him and she hoped fingers would sucessfully make contact with his skin.

"I know I am onl-" Simner stopped in mid sentence as he felt something touch his hand. He knew it was Flames fingers. He felt happy... and he could tell she did too. He knew better then to look down at his hand. He just let his hand relax a bit under hers. He decided it would be best if he kept talking, to make it less awkward. "Only human... but I still wish I could fix it"

Flame did not feel awkward, though she had an idea that Simner did and so, to cover this, she carried on with their conversation as if nothing had changed. "Things will change back eventually, Simner, just give them time to calm down." she was trying to calm him down, stop him being so depressed, but she didn't know if she would be sucessful.