Life isn't fair

Probably because he kept running into Helen there. But Helen had not. It was almost like she had no one else at the academy to turn to. Jacob wasn't talking to her, and Joseph hadn't been in a very sociable mood lately.

Miss Anhao had finally given up and let her in. Which was probably for the best, Joseph assumed. Aria had Helen really needed each other, especially right now.

Joseph was surprised when he saw the sky lighten up a little towards the east, as he lay on that branch.

"Is it already morning? I've been here the whole night? Wow." Joseph thought to himself as he looked at the lightening sky for a few more minutes. Joseph had heard Aria's words about just wanting to rest today.

"Tomorrow. I'll do it tomorrow. I'll be stronger tomorrow. Let me just rest today." she had said. And now today was here.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair how Aria had to go through all of that, get those nasty wounds and those scars that she would have for the rest of her life, and ne treated like an exotic species above all that.

Joseph could relate, he, Helen and Jacob had been treated like that when they returned too.

Seeing as the number of people who had been present at the Scott mansion, it wasn't really surprising. Wherever he went, Joseph was bombarded with questions about what had happened that night, and if Aria really was the Queen's daughter. And if they weren't suffocating him with their questions, they were doing it with their fingers, stares and hushed whispers. The whole academy seemed to believe that Aria was the 'lost princess' by now, as they were calling her, what with Aria's beauty and her affinity to elements. But what about Joseph, what did he believe?

"Doesn't matter what I believe. I lost the right to even think about her that night." Joseph muttered to himself as he very carefully tugged away the glass sphere into the inner pocket of his uniform and flew down on the ground.

It had actually been to escape all those questions and stares that Joseph had taken to hiding on this tree.

Maybe it also had something to do with the fact that this tree was just outside the window of the recovery ward that was closest to Aria's bed, yes Aria had been to the recovery ward so many times that she had a designated bed now. And how her whole bed was visible from the branch Joseph had lately made his home. But he would never acknowledged that.

According to Joseph, he came here to hide because this was the most secluded corner of the academy, and no student ever came here.

Helen had tried to escape all the questions by going back to her previous ways, before she met Aria. She had started taking her meals in her room and had even asked the teachers to teach her the theory in her dorm room. She only even came out to practice or visit Aria, then too she only met Professor Thomas or Miss Anhao, and was back in her room before anyone could speak to her.

Jacob couldn't have any of the privileges Joseph and Helen had.