Her head buried in science notes, Aelita Stones barely noticed where she was going as she walked down the hallway. Although she had been a student at Kadic Acadamy for over five years, a few students still paused to stare as she walked by. Aelita never noticed. She, for the most part, had ceased trying to fit by trying to change her appearence or personality. She was who she was, and no one was going to make her want to change that.
Except for maybe one person, but she wasn't going to think about that now. She had three tests to study for.
Neon pink hair fell into her bright green eyes, and she shoved it back hurridely. She had to cut the blasted stuff again, she thought absent-mindly. It was getting too long. Not paying attention to who was in front of her, she almost ran headlong into a group of boys gathered around the water fountain. Realizing she had almost knocked into someone, she blinked.
"Oh, excuse me," she muttered softly, trying to move around them. One of the boys stept into her path, grinning.
"Hey, not so fast, Princess," he said, smiling in a way he obvously thought was engaging. Aelita raised her eyebrows, and tried to move around him again. He must of heard her friends call her by that nickname, she thought, annoyed a little when he refused to move.
"Please move?" she asked softly, trying to not get snappy. She had to get back to room.
"Only if you go out with me tonight," he retorted, and Aelita rolled her eyes, not answering. The other boys sniggered at the failing of their friend, and the boy scowled, and moved aside. Aelita passed, her thoughts already back on the tests she needed to study for. It took her another few seconds to realize she was about to run into yet another person.
Her head jerked up, about to snap at who ever it was for getting her way. Instead, her face melted into a smile, and she felt the all-too familiar little thrill in her heart that she always felt around one person.
"Hello, Jeremie!"
Jeremie Beloplis hadn't changed much since she had met him, all those years ago. Had it really been almost seven? He certainly had grown taller since then, she thought wryly. She could remeber when she stood nose to nose with him, laughing. A blush stained her cheeks at the memory, and she tried to shove it away. Smiling gently down at her now, Jeremie adjusted his glasses. His blue eyes were the same as always, intense and bright. That thrill in her heart grew a little, but Aelita ignored it.
"I've been looking for you," she told him, cocking her head to one side. "Are you ready for the tests tommarow?"
Jeremie grinned. "I just got back from trying to tutor Odd and Ulrich for those tests," he told her, and shook his head. "I'm more worried about them than anything else. You certainly don't need to worry," he added, blushing slightly as he complemented her. "You're the best in class."
Aelita blushed, but shook her head and poked him playfully. "As if. I'm second-rate compared to you." Laughing up into his handsome face, she was surprised to see his smile fade a little as he caught her hand in his.
"You're second-rate to no one, Aelita," he told her softly. "Don't let anyone tell you different."
Aelita turned quite pink, unsure of how to respond. Certainly it was suddenly very hard to think with the warmth of his hands and the familiar, calming scent of him twisting it's way into her mind. Had he taken a step foward, she thought numbly. He suddenly seemed much closer.
Behind her, she thought she heard sniggers and rude comments being thrown their way. She shook herself mentally, trying to get her brain working again.
"Do...do you want to go back to..." Jeremie turned red, stammering, as if the moment between them a few seconds hadn't happened. "To study some more?"
Aelita beamed at him, ignoring the pounding of her heart. "Sure." Ignoring the comments, or perhaps because of them, she slipped a hand into his, and watched, delighted, as Jeremie's face turned from fading red to marroon. No, Jeremie really hadn't changed much.

Ring. Ring-ring!
"Oh, sorry, Jeremie." Half way through a complex chemical equation, Aelita heard her cellphone start going off. Sighing, she turned and flipped it open.
"Hello-"
"Don't tell me you forgot about today!"
Aelita blinked. "Yumi?"
"No, Princess, it's Kiwi. Of course, it's me. Remember what today is?"
Her head spun as she tried to think anything other then science and the genius sitting at her side. "Uh, no."
Aelita could almost feel Yumi roll her eyes. "Is Jeremie there?"
Aelita couldn't help but blush a little at Yumi's teasing tone. "Yes, why?"
"Put him on."
Aelita raised her eyebrows, then sighed and handed the phone to the puzzled young man next to her. "She wants to talk to you." Jeremie raised his eyebrows, then took the phone.
"Uh, hey Yumi...yeah?" He laughed a little. "Well, I guess so." He glanced at Aelita, who was watching him with an eyebrow raised. Seeing her watching him, he grinned. "She totally is okay with it."
"Am I okay with what?" Aelita asked wryly, and she could hear Yumi laugh.
"Okay." Still smiling, Jeremie handed the phone back to Aelita. "Here you go."
Aelita gave a mock-exasporated sigh, making him laugh softly, and took the phone back.
"Do I wanna even know?"
Yumi laughed. "Jeremie has given permission for you to be spoiled, Aelita. No more studying."
Aelita raised her eyebrows. "Permission, huh?" She glanced at Jeremie, who blushed and winced.
"Maybe permission wasn't the right word," he muttered, and Aelita couldn't help but smile at the look on his face.
"You promised last week that you'd finally let me drag you to that new store you've been going on about since you saw it on the class trip," Yumi explained. "No excuses about school work tonight, Princess! Heaven knows you're more prepared than anyone else in that class."
Aelita opened her mouth, about to protest. Then she glanced at Jeremie. He was smiling at her. "You need a break," he mouthed, and grinned when she sighed.
"Alright," she said, and Yumi cheered. "Thanks, Yumi-chan," she added, using one of the pronouns she always read when borrowing her friend's manga.
"No, thank you," Yumi answered, and hung up.
Aelita sighed. "Seriously, Jeremie?" Jeremie just grinned, and Aelita couldn't help but smile back. They were right, she thought. After all , she was always after Jeremie about him not giving himself a rest. She didn't want to be a hypocite. She cocked her head to one side, sliding the books of her lap.
"What will you do?"
Jeremie shrugged. "Odd mentioned something about him and Ulrich doing a video game challenge in the wreak room." He glanced at his watch. "It's a toss up between Silent Hill 3 and BioShock. Or, at least, that's what Odd said. Ulrich's trying to get Mortal Kombat into the mix somehow." He rolled his eyes and Aelita laughed.
"Maybe if we get back in time, I'll come watch too," she told him, standing. She winked. "Kick Odd's butt for me, will you?" Jeremie blushed, and laughed. Standing, he smiled down at her, and Aelita was suddenly aware, as she had been before, how close he was all of a sudden. It made it so hard to breathe. A random memory, one from many years ago, flashed in her head. The day she had kissed him, really kissed him, for the first time. She wondered numbly if how he would react of she kissed him now. Would he freeze, like he did then? They were so different now, and yet...had it really changed?
The thought spun around and around her brain until she felt like she too, was frozen. His face was barely inches from hers, what if-
"W-well, we should...I mean, I promised..."
Aelita blinked, and pulled herself out of her trance. What had she been thinking? Kissing him? She mentally shook herself. As if that would ever go over well. Now was not the time to think of romance. Even with him.
Sighing, she smiled and walked with him out into the hallway. She left him at the stairs, waving at him over her shoulder as she went.