"Geordi, it seems it would be against your best interests to continue this."

"Relax, Data," Geordi LaForge sighed, continuing to fiddle with the lock on the locker. In actuality, He was only feigning calmness—his heart beat had already skyrocketed past the exosphere. But Data would only distract him more if he let on. "I know all of this must seem…strange to you, but I promise you it will work."

Data furrowed his eyebrows but did not say anything else. The extent that people would go to for love was, indeed, strange—puzzling in the least. But it was also very intriguing so he continued to observe Geordi as he worked to break into his "crush's" locker. According to Geordi's plan, this is the locker in which he would later stick his custom invitation to prom.

Data, of course, was not his real name, but it was what everyone called him and he didn't mind. There wasn't much that he minded. In fact he didn't really feel anything, and so he eluded any conflict derived from the normal and expected spectrum of emotions. The doctor explained it to be a rare, but harmless condition.

"Got it!" Geordi cheered to himself, flinging open the little metallic door. Geordi gingerly placed the little box inside the locker. Talking to girls was hard enough. If he messed this up, he wouldn't be able to face her again. His hand paused for a moment on the box, as if hesitating, but then let go and shut the locker again. Already turning to walk away, Geordi whispered quickly, "Alright Data, let's hide around that corner. I'm sure she'll be here in a couple minutes."

Data followed accordingly, and they both waited unsuspiciously a little distance a ways. The bell hadn't rung yet, but it would soon. There was a moment of contemplative silence, and then Data interrupted.

"Geordi?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do girls think this is attractive?"

"What? You mean inviting them to prom?"

"No. I mean the box you made. You spent hours on it. Wouldn't it have been much simpler to just ask her directly? This would have saved energy for both of you."

Geordi smiled almost sheepishly at Data. "Well, doesn't it feel good when someone puts in a lot of effort specifically for you?"

Data looked at him blankly. Geordi sighed again. "Okay, well…love can make us go to great lengths for the people we care about. As long as you love them enough, it shouldn't matter how much energy you put into them. You can't really look at it economically, if you ask me." With that answer, Data made an expression Geordi couldn't fully understand and seemed to withdraw into his own thoughts. Suddenly, Geordi felt hot and blushed, realizing how silly he probably sounded. But before he could say anything, the cry of the school bell echoed through the school and students began spilling into the halls.

Geordi could feel himself beginning to sweat. He had stayed up all night for this. "Alright…any moment now…" Seconds felt like an eternity, but at that very moment, a brunette—ethereally beautiful, but most attractively, extremely intelligent—walked up to the locker Geordi and Data had just left. It was as if Geordi's heart had gotten lodged in his throat.

"That's her." The words barely left Geordi's mouth. Data simply sat next to him, un-phased by it all. As she worked on unlocking the lock, Geordi stared through his heavy-weight glasses with a million regrets running through his head. Even from across the hall, Geordi could her the click of her locker unlocking. The girl placed her hand on the metallic handle, and pulled the door open.

"Jean-Luc! Ugh!" Beverly Crusher cried with a mixed expression of anger and fear. This was the third skeleton to fall out of her locker this year, and she knew exactly who was responsible.

"What's that?" Her friend next to her, Deanna Troi, pointed out. On the ground, a small piece of paper lay beside the heap of skeleton bones. "A note?" Beverly began to protest, but Deanna ignored her. She picked up the note and read it aloud: "Bet you thought this was pretty humerous."

Oh, she's had it. Beverly's red-hair almost seemed to ignite into flames as she watched a smiling, snark-faced Jean-Luc Picard slide out from behind a corner of the hallway and coolly walk away. The girl's made no attempt at chase, and instead sighed with each other.

"He's still teasing you?" Deanna asked incredulously. "For a straight-A student, you'd think he'd know how to take a hint."

Beverly rolled her eyes. "If he thinks I'll give him any attention because he's the school president and a star athlete, believe me, he's got another thing coming."

"How did you two meet again?"

"In health. We sat at the same table for the year. But he's completely different now. Before he wasn't this…this…" Beverly looked at the ground, as if the word she was looking for would be there.

"Forward?" Deanna guessed.

"Exactly. And he seemed much more mature back then. I wonder what's gotten into him." Beverly shook her head and collected her books from the locker. "And why me?"

Deanna smiled weakly as if she knew the answer, but didn't say anything. Based on her friend's expression, she sensed that Beverly knew the answer too, but didn't want to consider it. They both walked to their next class together, chatting away about classes and annoying boys.

"By the way Deanna, has Worf come to his senses yet and asked you to prom?"

Deanna blushed suddenly. "Of course not. You know I would tell you if he did."

"How can he just stand by like this?" Beverly shook her head again and smiled. "You've already been asked out by four other guys, you've rejected all of them, and he doesn't realize he's the one you're waiting for?"

Deanna laughed lightly. "Worf has always needed a little…guidance. I suppose I'll wait as long as I have to."

"Let's hope that's not too long."

"So, did it work?" Will Riker asked.

"I don't imagine…" Jean-Luc Picard responded with his head hanged. He felt more than embarrassed than ever—enough, for the first time, to doubt Riker. "Riker, are you absolutely sure teasing girls is a way to get them to like you?"

Will chuckled, wrapping his arm around his best friend. "I'm positive. Look at me, captain. I'm always dating girls. I know how they work."

Jean-Luc didn't respond.

"You're thinking about this too much. Don't be so stiff!"

"I suppose…" Jean-Luc sighed, peeling his friend's arm off his shoulder. "Something just doesn't feel right about this."

"You're just imagining things. Soon, that Beverly Crusher, girl wonder, will be begging you to ask her out," Riker smiled, sticking an index finger into Jean-Luc's chest for every syllable of "Crusher."

Jean-Luc sighed again, not wanting to argue with him. Will Riker, other than being his best friend, was a talented person. Not only was he a worthy opponent in strategy games and gambling, but he was also particularly adept at practically everything else he did, including attracting girls. Jean-Luc could not remember the last time Riker was single.

Normally Jean-Luc was not this self-doubting. Like Riker, he had his own abilities to proud of. He was school president for example, and the school's wrestling team captain (a team which Riker was a part of). Not to mention he was a strong competitor for valedictorian. Together, he and Riker made a powerful duo, despite some aspects of their personalities being at odds. Riker made trouble, but Jean-Luc could not bring himself to report him. They had been friends for too long. If anything, more than being a star student, Jean-Luc was loyal; and on his list of closest friends, Riker was number one.