"A night in the woods/is known to build character/if one can survive."

Though Lucy's lips remained in their signature nonplussed expression, she felt no need to change her body language in order to express her feelings. "Wicked. Classic as always, Haiku."

"Thanks," said Haiku, her own expression deadpan. "I thought of it last night while I was looking out over the cemetery. I find that's always a great place for inspiration."

"I couldn't agree more," said Lucy. "I'm just hoping Principal Huggins will allow us to go there for this week's meeting of the Morticians Club. We're going to be discussing how to write a proper eulogy, and I think it would go better if we could have the proper atmosph—"

"Hey, isn't that the boy you like?"

Lucy stopped dead in her tracks to look where Haiku was pointing. Sure enough, she recognized a familiar ginger kid with bucked teeth wearing a simple striped shirt. It was Rocky Spokes; one of the few mortal boys that managed to captivate her. However, it appeared that he had seen better days. His head hung low, and his movements were listless and lethargic; as though he were just going through the motions of the day.

"Excuse me a moment, Haiku," said Lucy.

She crossed the hallway over to Rocky's locker, standing behind the door. Once Rocky closed his locker, Lucy gave him a wave.

"Hey."

This was usually the part when Rocky yelped in surprise. It was a common reaction to Lucy's preferred method of moving through the universe. However, Rocky didn't let out so much as a peep. His pupils dilated for a moment, but that was about it.

"Oh. Hey, Lucy," he said flatly. "Didn't see you there."

Lucy raised an eyebrow, wondering why Rocky had such a subdued reaction. In a brief moment, she shrugged it off, thinking it was just Rocky being accustomed to the kind of person she was.

"So, how are you doing?" Lucy asked. "I didn't see you yesterday."

Rocky sighed. "Yeah, sorry about that. I… had to go to something."

Lucy tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Rocky let out another sigh. "It's… kinda hard to talk about. Honestly, I'm still not over it."

"I promise, I won't tell anyone else," Lucy assured him. "Not even my siblings."

"Th-that's not really the issue, Luce," said Rocky. "My classmates already know."

"Know what?"

Rocky sighed once again. "My… grandmother passed away a few days ago. We just had her funeral yesterday."

Lucy felt a cold shiver travel up her spine as she flinched ever so slightly. She stood as stiff as a poker, trying to process the information Rocky just gave her. She snagged a quick glance over her shoulder. There was Haiku, just within earshot. She swallowed a large lump in her throat.

"O-oh," she stammered. "Th-that's…"

She trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence. Sweat dampened her brow; her legs shook; her heart felt like it would burst from her chest at any moment. She almost wished it would, if only to save her from the embarrassing situation.

"You alright there, Lucy?" Haiku asked. "You look pale. Well, paler than usual."

Lucy swallowed again. "I-I…"

Before she could say anything, the bell rang.

"Welp, time for lunch," said Rocky, heaving one last sigh. "See you later, Luce."

He trudged off down the hall, leaving Lucy as still as a statue. Haiku shrugged.

"You must really like him," she said. "See ya."

Haiku left as well, and Lucy finally snapped out of her paralysis. She cast her gaze downward.

"Yeah, I do like him," she muttered to herself. "That's what makes this so hard. Sigh."

"Listen, man. Whatever you need, we're here for you."

Rusty Spokes gave Lincoln a wan smile. "Thanks, Linc. I know I can always count on you guys."

"Don't mention it, Rusty. My therapist says your friends and family are the best grief counselors you can ask for," said Clyde, taking a bite out of his sandwich. "How's Rocky doing?"

"About the same as me," said Rusty. "This stuff usually never gets to him, but, he really loved Gran, y'know? We all did."

Lincoln simply nodded, feeling there was nothing else to say. While it's true that he had been to a few mock funerals thanks to Lucy's obsession with the macabre, he couldn't imagine what the real deal was like. But to hear Rusty tell it, it didn't sound like something Lucy would enjoy. Though honestly, it didn't sound like something anyone would enjoy. With a sigh, he simply continued eating his lunch in silence.

"Sigh~."

Lincoln could recognize that telltale mumble from anywhere. He turned his head, and sure enough, there was Lucy, sitting at an otherwise empty table. Usually, this wasn't that peculiar. Lucy often liked to be on her own, usually in a dark place where no one could see her. But judging by how she was resting her head in her arms and not even touching her food, Lincoln could tell something was up.

"Hey, guys? Could you excuse me for a moment?" he asked. "I just need to check on something; I'll be right back."

His friends nodded. With a nod of thanks in return, Lincoln made his way over to Lucy, taking a seat right next to her.

"Hey, Luce. You okay?" he asked.

Lucy said nothing. She simply shook her head. Lincoln placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Lucy was silent for a time, though she made no move to shoo Lincoln away. Finally, she sat up, though her gaze remained fixed downward.

"I just saw Rocky today," she mumbled.

Lincoln sighed. Having just spoken with Rusty, he already had a rough idea of what this was about.

"Did he tell you about what happened with his grandma?" Lincoln asked.

Lucy nodded.

"Must've been hard to hear that, huh?"

Lucy sniffled. "You have no idea. It was just… what am I supposed to say to that?"

Lincoln blinked. "Um, what?"

Lucy shook her head. "Never mind. It's stupid."

"It doesn't sound stupid to me," said Lincoln. "Luce, c'mon. You can tell me anything."

"Sigh," Lucy mumbled. She slowly looked toward her big brother. "Lincoln, remember when I first met Rocky? How I tried being regular and normal, and it just didn't work out?"

"Um, yeah. What about it?"

"Well, after Rocky told me about what happened to his grandmother, I just wanted to hug him and say that I felt sorry for his loss. It… really is a shame that he has to go through this. But, that's not how I normally act. If I told him that, he'd think that I was being fake, just like last time."

She turned away from Lincoln, sniffling a few more times. "But if I did act like myself, he'd think I'm an insensitive jerk. So I just… froze up. Now I don't know what he thinks of me. I'm never going to live this down."

Lincoln pursed his lips and furrowed his brow, pondering Lucy's words. After a few seconds, he gave Lucy a soft smile.

"Lucy, it's not the same thing," he said. "If you really want to express your condolences, you can. He's not going to think you're being fake."

"No. He's just going to think something's wrong with me," Lucy muttered.

"Well, maybe something is wrong with you."

Lucy gave her brother a perplexed look. "What?"

"I mean, your friend just lost a loved one. Doesn't that count as something wrong?"

Lucy turned away again. "Sigh. That's actually kinda poetic, Lincoln. But do you really think Rocky will understand?"

"More than you know," said Lincoln. He then tapped Lucy's shoulder, causing her to face him. "Lucy, you once told me that you need a break from the darkness every once in a while. Maybe now's a good time to take that break. And if Rocky really likes you, he's not going to care about how you act. He just wants you to be sincere. That's all anyone can ask of you."

Lucy was silent for a time, thinking about what Lincoln just told her. Finally, she got up from her seat, and a ghost of a smile crossed her face.

"Thanks, Lincoln. I think I needed to hear that," she said. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Without another word, she excused herself from her seat and walked around the cafeteria. Finally, she found Rocky sitting on his own. Quietly, she sat down next to him and waved.

"Hey, Rocky."

Once again, Rocky's reaction to Lucy popping up out of nowhere was a lot more subdued than she was used to. He gave her a half-hearted wave in return.

"Hey, Lucy," he said. "What's up?"

Lucy cast her gaze towards her lap, fidgeting a bit and biting her lip. After taking a moment to muster up her courage, she took in a deep breath.

Alright. Here goes nothing…

She glanced at Rocky from beneath her thick bangs. "Rocky, I-I'm sorry for your loss. I didn't know your grandmother, but I'm sure she was a wonderful person. And if you need help healing, well, you can talk to me about it. I promise I won't conduct a séance unless you really want me to."

She mentally kicked herself for letting that last sentence slip out. Dang it, why did I say that?! This is a serious matter; I shouldn't be talking about séances! Now he probably thinks I'm a—

Her thoughts were interrupted by a tap on her shoulder. When she turned to acknowledge it, she saw Rocky giving her a weak smile. Lucy's cheeks began to burn as she stared into his eyes. Before she could react, she found herself being pulled into an embrace.

"Thanks, Luce," said Rocky. "I'm glad you care."

Lucy's cheeks became even redder. After a pause, she smiled and returned the hug.

"Of course I care, Rocky," she cooed. "I know I don't look like the kind of person that gets fazed by this stuff, but even I can't be dark and gloomy all the time."

She then released Rocky from the embrace and rubbed her arm. "Actually, the Morticians Club is hosting their next meeting at the cemetery. We're going to be discussing eulogies. I'd understand if you don't want to come, but we'd be happy to have you."

Rocky sighed and shook his head. "Thanks for the invite, but I don't think I can go back there so soon." He then looked up, giving Lucy a small smirk. "But if you want, you can come to the wake tonight. We're having it at my house."

Lucy smiled back. "I'd like that."

"Hey, Lucy."

Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin as a familiar voice made itself known. Turning her head, she saw Haiku standing there, lunch tray in hand. Lucy's blush resurfaced in full force.

"H-Haiku!" she sputtered. "I-I was just… How much did you…? It's not…"

After trying and failing to explain herself, Lucy hung her head and groaned. She wanted so badly to just crawl under a rock and never come out. But then, Haiku spoke up.

"It's okay, Lucy/No need to feel embarrassed/you're only human."

Lucy raised her head, a perplexed look on her face. "Haiku?"

A small, playful smirk formed on Haiku's lips. "It appears I was right. You really do like him. Well, seeya later."

She then walked off, leaving Lucy a bit bewildered by what just happened. The bewilderment slowly faded, however, as she took comfort in the knowledge that no one had any problem with her actions. Lincoln observed the whole exchange from his table and smiled.

Princess Pony would be so proud of you, Luce, he thought.