My Name Is Stella

It was two in the morning and Kate was currently staring at the ceiling of her room. Today was the day the results of the tests were going to be posted at the academy. She was not able to sleep because of the anxiousness she was feeling. Kate was afraid that she wouldn't be able to see her name on the list of examinees who had passed the exam.

Stella didn't share her concern and slept soundly inside their shared mindscape. She already knew that Kate had passed the exam, but she didn't want to tell her. Because of this, Kate was feeling stressed out.

'I can't sleep,' Kate sighed for the umpteenth time. 'I guess I'll go visit Ciel.'

Even though it was dark, Kate walked freely in the familiar hallway towards Ciel's room. Whenever she was feeling anxious, she would sneak inside his room and lay beside him. For Kate, Ciel was like a balm of medicine. Being around him gave her a feeling of comfort and security.

As she opened the door in Ciel's room, she noticed that someone else had snuck into his bed. She didn't have to be a genius to know who it was. With a sigh, she approached the bed and saw Chloe clinging to Ciel's arm as she slept.

Ciel had always been a deep sleeper. This was one of the reasons why Kate and Chloe had no qualms in visiting him while he slept.

Kate gazed at the two sleeping children and decided to join them. As she laid beside Ciel, the anxiousness she was feeling decreased a little bit. She then extended her hand to give him a light hug.

Ciel's body felt soft to the touch. Just like a baby's buttocks that was soft and squishy. Kate had often wondered, but Ciel's scent reminded her of winter daphnes. He smelled sweet, and yet there was a hint of spiciness that couldn't be explained.

Kate inhaled deeply and the anxiousness she felt melted away. In time, a wave of drowsiness hit her. She didn't fight the feeling and allowed herself to be embraced by a dreamless sleep.

-----

The first ray of sunlight poured inside the room through the tiny slit from the window curtain. It landed on the three sleeping figures, but two of them were still sound asleep. Ciel stirred from his deep slumber. He slowly opened his eyes and felt numbness on both his arms.

This was not the first time this happened, and he was used to it already. Tilting his head to his left, he saw Chloe's adorable sleeping face. Her lips were slightly parted as she breathed slowly, but steady. If only one of his hands were free, he would have teasingly poked her nose until she woke up.

Sadly, the little girl clung to his arm and refused to let it go. Ciel could only helplessly tilt his head to his right side. There he saw a pretty girl with messy reddish-brown hair clinging to his arm. The line of drool at the side of her lips stained his pajama shirt. Ciel held back a groan as the last vestige of sleep left him completely.

"It's morning," Ciel said to the sleeping Kate. "Time for you to wake up."

There was no reaction from the sleeping girl at his side, but Ciel didn't give up.

"If you don't move I'll bite your nose," Ciel added.

Kate's eyes fluttered, but they remained closed. Ciel felt that the girl's grip on his shoulder tightened by a small fraction. He knew that Kate was truly asleep. However, that didn't mean that "she" was asleep. After all, there was another girl who resided inside her body.

"If you don't wake up, the deal's off."

"Going back to your word is not the sign of a proper gentleman," Stella said as she opened her eyes to look at the boy beside her. "We made a deal and you also promised Kate that you would listen to one of our requests if we passed the exam."

"I made that promise to Kate," Ciel replied with a smile. "Not to you."

"Hehe~ the moment you said that you would grant one of our requests, you already lost the bet," Stella teased. "It's unfair If only Kate received the rewards. After all, I also helped her pass the exam."

"Did you really help her pass the exam?"

"...No."

Ciel smirked. "Since that was the case, why should I also listen to your request?"

"Tsk!" Stella clicked her tongue in annoyance. "You're playing favoritism. That's not a good move, Darling. If you don't give me a reward--you might just regret it."

Stella gave Ciel a menacing grin. She was like a tigress that was about to pounce on him. Ciel was amused because the mysterious girl resorted to using threats.

He thought for a moment. The boy knew that if Kate failed to get the right answers to the test, the mysterious girl in front of him would come to Kate's rescue. If he were to put that into the equation then it was only natural to give her a reward as well.

After thinking about it, Ciel had to agree that this girl also played her part. Although Kate was able to pass due to her hard work, the mysterious girl also watched her from the side to ensure that she didn't fail the exam.

"Fine," Ciel yielded. "As long as your request is not unreasonable, I'll listen to your request."

"Good. You're the best, Darling!" Stella nodded her head with a smile. She was glad that Ciel was a reasonable person and agreed to give her a reward as well. Stella was about to say her request when she noticed Chloe stirring from her sleep.

She could only sigh and take a step back. Stella gave Ciel one final look and mouthed something. Afterward, she laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. It was time to switch with Kate and claim her rewards at a later time.

Ciel stared at Kate's pretty face with a neutral expression. Although it was brief, he managed to understand the words the mysterious girl tried to tell him.

"My name is Stella. Remember it well, Darling."