Another jump and he was there. Zick could see Elena's silhouette on the roof of the building, right where she always was when they met up at night.

He made his way over to his friend and sat down about a foot away.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey."

Silence stretched out for a few awkward seconds, then

"You act like I'm gonna eat you or something. I can't make any promises about anyone else, but you'll always be safe around me, Zick."

"I know, I know." Zick allowed himself to relax a little, and the two moved closer together so that their shoulders were nearly touching.

"So?"

"So what?" The blue-haired boy questioned, staring at his friend with a slightly bewildered expression.

Elena rolled her eyes at him. Sometimes, Zick was just so dumb. "So what've you been up to?"

"I canned another monster today." He shrugged.

"Yeah? I would've gone and helped out, but..." She gestured to her body with both hands.

"Mhm." He winced slightly and looked back to the stars.

Elena couldn't help Zick fight monsters any more, not after what had happened.

"Zick, come on, you know it wasn't your fault."

"If I had just been there-"

"Oh, please! There's nothing you could have done anyway, it was that jerk's fault for hitting me with his stupid car, so just shut up and talk to me!"

"Um..." he rubbed the back of his neck, hesitant to point out the contradiction. Things had been awkward between them since it happened.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just tell me how everything's going."

"Fine. The monsters really miss you."

"I wish I could go see them, but something tells me they wouldn't be too happy to see me."

They both laughed.

"It's your fault I can't visit." She punched him playfully in the arm.

His face fell. "I thought you said-"

"Not that, stupid! You're the reason I want to come back so much." Elena was glad she couldn't blush anymore.

"R- really?" He stammered. His face grew red.

"Yeah. You're my best friend, Zick." She'd loved Zick, but he'd never seemed to return her feelings, so she'd kept quiet about it. She had always planned to tell him. It was too bad she'd never gotten the chance.

"Oh." He'd always hoped to be more than that. It was impossible now, of course, but before it happened... "Elena, I have to tell you something..."

"You have to leave. It's getting late, and what if your dad asks where you've been? There is no chance he's gonna understand."

"I'll just tell him I was chasing some monsters or something." Zick got up to leave. He supposed he could wait until tomorrow to tell her. Zick climbed down from the roof of the old house. No, his parents definitely wouldn't get the real reason he snuck out every night.

They'd never understand that Zick was in love with a dark phantom.