Aya logged out of the game ao meet Mars who sat at the kit table deep in thought. Aya surmised it was about the sight of her former teammate Arlo, who also used to be one of her closest friends.

  She remembered Mars' face as she told the story of her betrayal by the Eos querors. Ued and over money of all things. Aya couldn't help but wonder who had been so ied in Mars' at that they would want to purchase it.

  Did they really think it would be the same?

  "Mars, hey," Aya said softly not to startle her roommate.

  "Hey," Mars replied, rubbirained eyes, how long had she sat there in thought? At the sight of Aya's worried face, a current of thoughts flowed through Mars' mind like water. "Spoke to some realtors this afternoon, we should be out of here by the end of the week."

  "So soon?" Aya asked, a bit armed by the swiftness of the pn. Mars stood, pushing the chair bad getting out of her seat.

  "They're setting the new pce up,"

  "Really?" Aya gasped, she chewed her lip as she thought about leaving Axen City for Mericross, with the move she would be able to see Daichi and Mrs. Lutz.

  Furthermore, a visit trandmother's old house would be possible now with the distaween them.

  Mars chuckled and Aya's enthusiasm. Who khe brue she had wao start a fight with would grow to be such a treasured friend? She rested her hand on Aya's head with a sigh.

  "'t wait," Aya said with a weak smile, she should have beeed but her chest tightened with ay, so much of the situation was uain, and the path ahead was unclear.

  Mars raised an eyebrow at the girl's defted expression. Aya seemed sad now, perhaps she was tired after her long gaming session.

  Aya noticed her friend's questioning look and shook her head to dispel her worries.

  "Just got some stuff on my mind," Aya said.

  "I hear you," Mars said, resting her back against the kit ter. She folded her arms, "Got nothing but thoughts tely,"

  The two of them smiled at each other, Mars turned around and pulled out a pot and some ingredients.

  "e help with dinner,"

  ----------

  The two of them had a nice dinner of spaghetti aballs, a meal Aya could only recall having at her grandmother's house.

  "Brings back memories," Aya said, pig at her y pte.

  "Does it?" Mars asked curiously. She rested her head on the back of her hand and listened ily to what Aya was going to say .

  "Yeah, I used to have this at my Grandmother's house, but that was so long ago. I don't think I've ever tried to make it since I moved here,"

  "You know, you haven't told me too much about her. I know of her but what was she like?"

  "She was the most supportive woman I knew," Aya started.

  "She must have been very precious to you," Mars said smiling. "Tell me more,"

  Aya chattered animatedly about the old woman, and how Aya had e into her care after her mother's dire medical situation.

  "But she never made me feel like a burden," Aya said, tearing up. "She was so good to me, we'd cook and make cookies and garden and scrapbook. She was always there when I left for school and when I came home. I guess I'll always remember her warm smile,"

  "She was stern but not mean, she could put her foot down and you wouldn't even feel bad about it," Aya ughed tearily. "I just miss her, I tried to be a good kid for her because I k was a lot to raise me by herself,"

  Mars' eyes saddened as she watched her friend wipe her eyes with her sleeves. She didn't know what to say at the sight of her friend's grief. She stood up and walked around the table to both arms around Aya's shoulders.

  "I'm sure she would be proud of you," Mars said after a moment of sileween them. "I might not be a grandma but you certainly have a lot of potential,"

  Aya ughed.

  "I do, and I'm going to find the deed to that house," She said with grim determination.

  "I know you will," Mars said pulling away from Aya, "But don't let this e you, life is for the living you know? From what you told me about her, she would want you to be happy first,"

  Aya noticed the in her friend's dark eyes and nodded.

  "I promise not to go too far with this," Aya said.

  "I'll hold you to that,"

  Their moment was interrupted by the sound of a drill whirring just outside the door ing from the stairway.

  "What the hell is that?" Mars asked in ahe drill tio whirr with a pierg noise enough to cause a ringing in Mars' ears.

  "Maybe someone's renovating?" Aya suggested.

  "Oh I have a feeling, we aren't going to like that ao this question," Mars said, flinging open her door and walking into the stairway.

  Aya followed closely behind her, calling after Mars.

  The girls raced dowairs to the source of the drill, finding themselves on the same floor Aya's former apartment was on. The two of them noticed people standing by Aya's door as the drilling tinued.

  "Lydia!" Aya gasped.

  The woman stood beside an unknoerating a power drill trying to break through the locks on the front door.

  "What are you doing?" Aya yelled, running forward to front the woman before Mars could stop her.

  "I'm enf the rules on my property," Lydia said in a haughty voice, she had something up her sleeve, Aya could tell.

  "Those are my locks, why are you taking them down, yoing to have to pay me back for those you know!" The girl said, raising her voice.

  Lydia shot Aya a smirk and whipped out a ly printed bundle of papers. She ha to Aya, letting the stack sit in the girl's hand.

  "What the hell is this?"

  "I believe you'll find this tenancy agreement forbids you from modifying any part of your building without prior sent from your ndlord," Lydia said.

  "What?" Aya said flipping through the papers, what she held was indeed a tenancy agreement, her name and address were stated in full as well as a list utions she o abide by if she wao live in the building.

  Aya read through it all, finding her signature at the bottom of the page, the only problem was Lydia had never given her a tenancy agreement, the building was too shady for that. But if she needed something to present to the cops...

  "You fed this! Along with a fake signature!" Aya said, throwing the tenancy agreement aside.

  "Nothing you prove," Lydia said over the sound of the drill's whirring. The bony woman folded her arms with a triumphant ugh and tinued smirking desdingly. "That is ynature isn't it?"

  "No, it isn't!"

  "Tell it to someone who cares," she said, shrugging.

  Aya balled her fist. The brue lifted her finger ready to yell when Mars rested a hand on Aya's shoulder and shook her head, tellio disengage.

  "But Mars!" Aya started to whine.

  "It doesn't matter Aya, there's nothing in there, remember?" Mars said, the hand she rested on Aya's shoulder squeezed in encement. The girl had nothing to worry about now that they would be moving.

  "Oh, that's right," Aya said. She turned her attention to Lydia's now fused face, having lost the triumphant smirk.

  "What?" she hissed.

  "Well Lydia, whatever you and Fido are looking for in that apartment you won't find," Aya took the lead, pushing open the door without locks.

  It swung open allowing the haggish nddy to peer into the room and find nothing.

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