Editor's note: Watched Desperate Housewives last night, and I suddenly felt inspirational. This is the result. Perhaps I'll go through with it, perhaps not... Depends on how fluent my other fics go. If I do decide to go through with this, it'll be two or three chapters tops...

Who was he? He stood there, talking to Julie. Dominic watched them from afar, holding his backpack's straps firmly with his hands. The guy seemed like some sort of egotist. His blonde hair was combed back, and from his stance, Dominic could derive that the guy had an impressive physique. He had typical good looks. But the whole thing looked like some sort of juvenile delinquent.

Still, he was doing what Dominic would gladly die for: talking to Julie Mayer. Dominic had never stood a chance with her. He looked kind of geeky. Short black hair that was combed to the side, quite short, not at all muscled, glasses... He always had the highest grades of the class, along with Julie, but he wondered if she ever even had noticed him. Or even him being there. She had never spontaneously talked to him. And he had always been too shy to ask her a question. Which was remarkable, because they had always been in the same class ever since... well, kindergarten. Dominic had realized this the evening before, and decided that today it would be the day on which he would go out there, and tell Julie his feelings for her. But then suddenly, out of nowhere, this guy pops up in their school, and starts making a move. What was his name again? Austin, Dominic thought to have heard. God, he hated the damn guy already.

The bell rang, and all across the playground, people started moving to get to their class. Austin and Julie separated ways. Dominic trudged towards the classroom, with the weight of loneliness pressing down hard on his shoulders. He didn't have any friends, except for those he met online through online RolePlaying games. In real life, he seemed to be kind of antisocial. Dominic worried too much about what others thought of him. Undoubtedly a consequence of being bullied in grammar school. He had a very low self-esteem.

Dominic entered the classroom, and sat himself down on the back row, right behind Julie. He loved staring at her, even if it only was the back of her head he could look at. The chemistry teacher, for that was their current subject, gave back their tests they had made during the previous lesson.

"You bunch of nitwits. It seems to me there are only two smart people in this classroom, me excluded", the teacher, whose name was Mr. Parker, said while he was marching through the rows of desks, handing out tests to students who all had failed miserably. "Here, Miss Mayer, excellent job. A well deserved 'A'. And you, Mister Borough", adressing Dominic, "even better! A+! How's that. You should all take this lad here as an example".

Dominic wished he hadn't said that. People around the classroom chuckled. Of course they did. Who would ever want to be him, right? Dominic just took the test out of the hands of his teacher, who had a friendly smile on his face. He put it in his backpack. The teacher made his way towards the front of the classroom, and adressed the pupils.

"Now, as you all know, our next science project is coming up", he said and everybody, Dominic excluded, sighed. "Yes, yes I know, it's not pleasant, but it has to be done. And for this project, we'll be working in pairs. Pairs that will be decided by fate. I have here", he said while pointing at a jar", all 20 names. A random volunteer will draw the names out of the jar. Isn't that fun?"

Dominic sighed. Another science project where he would do all the work, and the other one would walk away with excellent grades. He so despised these vultures, who only liked him if he could do something for him.

"Dominic, why don't you do the honours? You're my best student after all..."

"Me, sir?", Dominic asked in his calm, monotone voice.

"Is there any other Dominic in this room?", the teacher said with a smile.

Of course there wasn't. Stupid of Dominic to bring it up. He pushed his chair back and walked to the front of the classroom. People were staring at him. Oh, he so hated that. The teacher presented him with the jar.

"First pair", Dominic sighed while grabbling in it ", is Thomas Anderson and... Lee Rose. Second pair is Rosemary Scott and... Gary Jones. Third pair is Kevin Hitcher and... Ahmed El Makrini. Fourth pair is... Dominic Borough. Me...Along with...", Dominic wondered to which loser he'd be linked..., "Julie Mayer."

Could it be true? God had heard his prayers and answered. Dominic felt his heart skip a beat. The rest of the hour he abided in what Jimi Hendrix had called a 'Purple Haze'.

After school, he was walking home. He was still feeling happier than he had ever been before. He heard a voice behind him shout.

"Hey, wait up!"

Dominic turned around to see who it was. His eyes almost popped out of its sockets in surprise. It was Julie. He started to get dizzy. His blood pressure swung out of proportion. He had to keep all of his concentration to make sure he didn't just faint. She had actually talked to him!

"Erm... Hi, Julie. Can I help you with something? Anything...", he stumbled. She looked at him with a confused look in her eyes, but replied very normal.

"Yeah, concerning this science project... I was wondering when you had the time to start working on it."

"Right now", Dominic said without even thinking twice.

"What?"

"Well, I mean, not right now of course, but tonight perhaps? I mean, this evening. If, if you have time to do...it. The science project!", he quickly added.

God, why was he so anxious? Everything he said could be misinterpreted in one way or another.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I can't. Austin is coming over for a paper about Shakespeare."

"Oh". Apparently it seemed like the disappointment was being brutally bashed onto his face with a sledgehammer.

"Is everything okay?", Julie asked concerned.

"Yeah, well, I'm okay. Well, I feel fine. But hey, perhaps tomorrow then, it's Saturday after all."

"Sure, but I'm going to the movies that night, so it has to be around noon."

"Okay. Your place or mine?" What an absolutely fucked up phrase! Why did he have to say that? "I mean, to work on the science project, of course."

Julie smiled. "You can come over to my house. Just don't touch any food my mom may try to slip into your oesophagus."

"Where do you live?" Of course, Dominic knew all too well where she lived, but he didn't want her to know that he knew. He had been politely stalking her some weeks back.

"Right here in Fairview. Wisteria Lane. The house with the poorly mown lawn and half-withered flowers. It's got quite a big garage. It's opposite to a house with a jeep parked before the garage. You really can't miss it."

"Okay. I'll be there by noon, then."

"Great. See you then", and she walked away.

Dominic had never felt like this before. It seemed like the tissue, molecules and cells inside his belly were celebrating carnival in Rio de janeiro, before going to celebrate New Year in Sydney. He adjusted his glasses, and continued his way home.

The first thing Dominic did when he got home, was switching on his computer. He spent all his pocket money on upgrading it, so it was a top-notch gaming machine. He logged on to GodSmite, an online RPG that he had played for as long as it existed. He was one of the best players in the game. He saw that Kamirate was online. They had met online about three years ago, and had been best friends ever since. They kept each others real names and identities hidden from each other, for the sake of entertainment and mystique.

"Hello", he typed.

"'sup", was the response.

"One of the most beautiful days ever, man", Dominic told Kamirate.

"Well, lucky you Dominator", the guy said. Dominator was Dominic's online alter ego. "What happened?"

"This girl I told you about...we're doing a science project together".

"That's great. Still not gonna tell me her name?"

"No way man, that's my little secret".

"Fine. I hope things work out between the two of you".

"Thanks. Let's go questing..."

"Sorry, I gotta go in a couple of minutes. Got a date too, you know..."

"Ah, well, okay then. I'll cya later".

Kamirate logged out. Dominic kept on gaming, until he fell asleep behind his keyboard. He didn't even stop to eat.

"Dominic, wake up!", his mother shouted, while shaking her son's shoulders.

"Huh?", Dominic grumbled. He felt the keys of his keyboard imprinted in his left cheek. He lifted his head, and looked at his mother.

"This is going too far", she said. "I bet you didn't even eat last night".

"Yes, I did", he lied. His parents had taken a one-day vacation yesterday. They had just arrived home after driving the entire night.

"Yeah right, the entire kitchen is spotless, and just the way we left it".

"Yeah, because I cleaned it, mom. That's a good thing, innit? Jeez, get off my back for a while..."

"Okay, okay, forget I said anything".

"She kissed Dominic's temple, and left him. Dominic rubbed his aching jaw. Perhaps his mom was right. But hey, he had good grades, so she shouldn't be reprimanding him like that... He looked at the clock. 9 o'clock in the morning. He sighed. Three long hours before he could go to Julie...

It was noon. Spot on. He was standing before Julie's door. He hesitantly knocked on the door. He heard some clattering inside. A good-looking brunette opened. Dominic realized it had to be her mother. She seemed lost in thought.

"Can I help you?", she asked politely, but nothing more than that.

"Yeah, my name is Dominic. Dominic Borough... I'm here to work on a science project with Julie".

She seemed to reflect upon it, and she suddenly conjured a bright smile upon her face, as if she suddenly remembered. "Oh yeah", she said, "you're that guy that sometimes manages to top Julie's grades. Please, do come in".

"Thank you", he said politely, and he entered the house. It looked very cosy, and he suddenly felt all warm inside. This is the house where Julie Mayer lives! He could barely believe it himself. If it was up to him, this house would become world heritage.

"I'm Susan, Julie's mom", she said, and they shook hands. Dominic found Susan to be quite cheerful, but he sensed there was something nibbling at her mood. He didn't make a remark about it, he didn't want to seem impolite.

"Julie!", Susan shouted. "Your favourite scientist is here!"

Dominic smiled. If only her mother knew how much he loved her daughter. He wanted to be so much more than what she had just called him. But still, a favourite scientist was a favourite nonetheless. And it was a beginning...

Julie walked downstairs. She was there, in her pure, intense beauty. When she saw Dominic, she smiled.

"Hi", she said cheerfully.

"Hi", Dominic replied without appearing too nervous.

"Can I get you kids anything", Susan interrupted. Although Dominic was as hungry as an elephant that had been locked up inside an empty box of chocolates, he remembered Julie's advice. That woman was capable of commiting the greatest mass food poisoning since General Lee invited 5000 of his closest friends for a tea and tuberculosis party.

"No thanks, I'll be fine", he said. His stomach let out a violent rumble.

"Well, let's go to my room, then", Julie said. And she went upstairs. Dominic followed her. Anxious as hell.