Here's another non-canon romance. This, actually, takes place in the same dimension as A Walk in the Woods. It takes place right after. Again, please, no flames.
'I have forgotten that name and that name's woe.'
Jeremie morosely made his way through the school. Aelita had just come back from the forest, hand in hand with William.
What could he do? If she didn't love him, fine. If she wanted to break his heart, fine. It's not like he wanted her if she loved someone else…
But, still, how was he to cope now?
He thought about going back to his room, but right now a program was loading, and that would take all night. Besides, he didn't feel like programming.
Aelita had always been what motivated him, what kept him going when he just wanted to give up, when the pressures of saving the world felt like to much.
But now…
Jeremie felt forgotten, even though Aelita said they could still be friends. He felt like Rosaline from Romeo and Juliet, forgotten and left behind in favor of some new person.
" 'My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words
Of that tongue's utterance,' "
Jeremie heard the girl's voice, reciting the garden scene of the same play that had been running through his head. He peered into the empty classroom, to find Milly, practicing.
" 'Yet I know the sound:
Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?' "
She paused, her eyes closed, frowning, trying to remember the line.
" 'Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike,' " Jeremie prompted.
Her eyes flicked open, and she blushed.
"Oh, hi Jeremie."
"Are you studying? Sorry if I disrupted you."
"Oh, no. It's fine. I've just been having trouble, is all." She sighed. "And I used to be so good."
He smiled. Helping Milly with her troubles might help him forget his own.
"Did you used to have mnemonics? How did you used to remember the lines?"
"I would-I would just… Oh never mind, it's stupid."
Jeremie cocked an eyebrow. "I'm sure it's not as bad as some. And I've heard some pretty dumb mnemonics from Odd." Jeremie listed a few, most having to do with girls or food.
Milly giggled.
Jeremie smiled. "And he would serenade the girls with them. 'Oh Annie Smith, your initials mark the shorthand for arsenic, an element less poisonous than your deadly temper.'"
Milly laughed. "Did he really? I'll bet they didn't win many girls over." She looked down at her book, concentrating.
Jeremie watched her for a minute, before standing up to go.
"I used to pretend I was reciting my lines to Ulrich," the small redhead blurted. She looked up at Jeremie, cheeks as red as her hair.
"Well, what's the problem now?"
Milly sighed, and looked at her book. "Now that Ulrich's going out with Yumi… I-I guess I always knew he wouldn't be interested in me." She gave a small, sad giggle. "I mean, why would someone be interested with me when there are so many prettier girls out there?"
Jeremie frowned. "I wouldn't rule out the possibility of someone liking you. There are lots of boys who look for more than looks in girls. 'Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind.' Besides, if looks were the only thing that counted, the whole school would be lined up at Sissi's door."
Milly sighed. "I know. But, people don't like Sissi because she's mean and rude and demeaning and always cuts people down to make herself seem better. I guess no one pays attention to me because I'm younger than most."
Jeremie smiled. "You skipped a grade, right?"
Milly looked surprised. "You know?"
"I know most things, Milly." Jeremie said, giving a tired sigh. "But, that's never enough. You can do everything for someone, but lose them because you were so busy doing everything for them that you never did anything with them."
Milly looked up at him. "Did you and Aelita break up?"
He gave her a sad smile. "Yeah, we broke up. She wanted someone who could help her live more, someone who would bring her gifts and spend all his time with her." He looked down. "I guess I don't fit the bill."
Milly looked at Jeremie. She had the urge to say something comforting, but she couldn't think what.
Jeremie's eyes flicked back to Milly. "Those are my problems. I can understand where I went wrong, even if I was powerless to fix things." He looked at her. "Maybe you'll find someone now that you're over Ulrich."
She sighed. "I don't think so. Most of the other seventh graders think I'm… babyish, I guess. They don't understand. Even Tamiya. She told me if I didn't stop acting so down in the dumps she would quit hanging out. And that's why we don't hang out anymore."
"Why are you so 'down in the dumps'? Is it just Ulrich?"
She blinked. "No actually. My parents just got divorced. But she doesn't care." Milly's voice rose. "All she cares about is herself. She doesn't want to be seen around me 'cause I'm always so moody, but I can't help it. She was my only friend, and she won't help me through my hardest times." Milly quieted. "Some friend," she whispered through tears.
Jeremie put an arm around her.
"I'm sorry," she sniffed wiping tears away. "I know, I know, I'm such a baby. I'm sorry."
"Don't be," he whispered back. " 'To weep is to make less the depth of grief.' "
"I don't like feeling like a burden, but-"
"But, sometimes we all need a shoulder to cry on."
Jeremie held her as she cried into his arms. He thought of how he felt like the only person going through hard times, but he had been wrong. One doesn't need the weight of the world on their shoulders to be in need of comfort.
She finally quieted. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. And stop apologizing, it's really not like you."
"I just don't know why you'd waste your time listening to my sob story."
He looked her in the eyes. "I don't need a reason to help you out, Milly. Tell me what's on your mind."
She took a deep breath, calming and steadying herself. "Alright."
Jeremie listened as Milly talked. There was a lot more to Milly than he had thought.
She skipped second grade, on a teacher's recommendation, and started third grade at age seven. She had been picked on because of her small stature and because she was smart. She had gone through all of elementary school, friendless. Her story was similar to Jeremie's, only he had started a year early instead of actually skipping a grade.
She went on to tell him how her parents started fighting, and how she didn't know when it started. She started at Kadic last year, and everything was fine. Then she went home for winter break and they were really sharp with each other. Then at Easter break, they fought and yelled at each other the whole time. Over summer Milly's mother told her that they were filing for divorce.
Jeremie frowned. "Well, no wonder you've always seemed so emotional. That can't have been easy to go through."
She blushed. "I've never actually told anyone the whole story before. Tamiya would always stop me, tell me that my parents weren't her problem."
"You know, I know how you must've felt. Not about your parents, but about elementary school. Things were very similar."
"How did you handle things?"
Jeremie sighed. "I kept my head down. I didn't answer the questions, even if I knew all the answers. I asked the teacher to stop announcing the grades aloud. I still got picked on, but I tried to avoid people I knew were problems."
"You handled things better. I couldn't help getting emotional, and that opened me up for more bullying. My emotions are my worst traits."
Jeremie laughed. "That's not true. Your emotions translate into the feistiness that makes you so attractive."
There was a short pause while Milly waited for him to blush, and tell her he didn't mean it that way. When he didn't, she met his eyes.
"Do you mean that?"
He he looked into her light brown eyes. "I wouldn't have said it otherwise."
"I guess get why Ulrich never liked me. I guess I'm just not his type."
"I don't think he's your type either. Ulrich isn't the type you would want to pour your soul out to."
She checked her watch. "It's already 10:00! We're gonna get in so much trouble when we leave. And I still have to finish memorizing the garden scene."
Jeremie listened. He heard rain start up outside, and heard Jim stomp by, right outside the door.
"We're trapped in here until the rain stops and Jim starts patrolling outside."
He closed his eyes.
"'But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,'" he murmured softly.
"'That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.'" Milly responded.
In the dim light of the single desk lamp, the two recited the garden scene, him Romeo, her Juliet.
The whole night passed, silent but for the rainfall outside, the quiet snores of Jim outside, and the whispers of the two speaking the age-worn poetry delivered by two young lovers, years ago.
As the dawn broke, Milly sighed, and lifted her head that had been leaning on his shoulder. "Maybe you can help me with my studying, tomorrow."
He smiled. "I like nothing better."
They stood up, ready to start the new day. For a moment, they just stood, hands held, looking into each other's eyes.
"Tonight?" He whispered.
"Tonight," she responded.
Then, lightly, he held her chin up and kissed her softly on the lips.
"I'll see you then."
As Milly watched him leave, she felt different than she had around Ulrich. Around Ulrich she always held her breath, hoping to say the right things, and later cursing herself for acting like an idiot around him. But her night with Jeremie had shown her that, maybe, there was something else out there, and someone else out there for her.
Smiling, she made her way off to class, humming slightly, and awaiting the evening.
Well, that was awful. Please reveiw, I'd like to know if you feel that I'm able to write these even remotely decently.