She sat there across the classroom, just looking at him. How beautiful was he? His skin was smooth and even - white, but not pale. He had just a touch of color from where the sun had lightly toasted him during spring training. The blueness in his eyes was deep. So deep, she could have dived in and never hit the bottom. She could have swam in the waters of his eyes for an eternity and happily drowned in them.

She had never considered that a man could be beautiful. "Beautiful" was a term she heard mostly associated with the gentleness of a woman's appeal. But he… he was a beautiful, beautiful man and not because he was gentle. Because, gentle, he was not. He was actually quite rugged. He was the outdoorsy type and often took up hunting with his boys over the weekends. And even still, he was a beautiful man. He was the kind of beautiful that made you wince in hopes that the temporary closing of your eyes would give you reprieve from his intensity. It never did. As soon as you opened your eyes, there he was, being beautiful again, beating you down with every second your eyes lingered.

Damn.

All she could do was sigh. Hoping that the longing she felt would exit her body along with her breath. It never did either.

Her thoughts returned to his face. The flesh of his jaw was smooth, clean-shaven and, from where she was sitting, looked to be baby bottom soft. But there was no way she could be sure. She had never actually touched his face… or him for that matter. She was always a far away admirer.

They had taken a couple classes together, and had even sat rather close to one another but conversation never seemed to come about. It never really bothered her though, because all that meant was that words were not going to get in the way of her taking him in visually. And what a sight he was.

He stood tall. Just above six feet, she guessed and his build was sturdy. He was a football player and was actually the High School team's star quarter back. There was no way he was going to college on a scholarship but that did not stop him from being all the rave among the girls. Everyone wanted him. Who wouldn't want him?

While her eyes were locked on his face she caught that damned smile of his.

"Hmph." She scoffed under her breath in amusement.

He had a smile that birthed dimples so deep you could disappear in them. She wanted nothing more than to plant one innocent, slow kiss right on top of just one if his dimples if she could. She didn't realize it, but she was smiling now, too. She was so lost in the thought of him…

"Michonne!"

She was startled from the pleasantness of her thoughts back into reality. It was her best friend, Daryl.

"Caught you staring at Rick, again. You've got a little crush on him, don't you!" he said with all too much amusement while he playfully prodded her rib cage with his elbow.

"No, I don't." She returned curtly annoyed by his interruption. She was rather enjoying herself until he cut short her daydreaming.

"Awww, c'mon. No use in lyin' to me. I saw you! You were smiling to yourself… while staring at him!" Daryl motioned toward Rick across the room with a pointed finger.

"You idiot! Put your hand down! He'll see you." Michonne scolded.

"Who will see us? You talking about Rick?" Daryl returned with a smile plastered across his face while enjoying this rise he was getting out Michonne. She was utterly embarrassed.

"Ok, fine!" she submitted in desperation, "But don't tell anyone. I don't want him knowing. And keep your voice down, stupid!"

"Michonne, who am I going to tell?" Daryl returned still delighted with the news that his best friend had a crush, and he knew about it.

Michonne sunk lower in her chair, irritated but still watching Rick anyway.

"Speaking of crushes," Daryl continued, "prom's coming up… Who're you going with?"

Before she could even tell him she had no idea who she was going to go with…

"I bet I know who you want to go with…" he smirked with a raised eyebrow looking at Rick.

"Man, shut up!" Michonne said.

"Why don't you just ask him?"

"What? No! I can't do that. What would I look like asking a guy to prom?"

To be honest Michonne couldn't have cared less about being the one to ask him. She was more concerned about being rejected. I mean, after all, she had been admiring Rick for what, the whole year, only to go unnoticed by him this whole time. What if he said no? Or worse, what if he said nothing at all, completely blind sighted by the fact that she would even ask him? What if he wanted to say no, but didn't know how to without being awkward and they just stood there in silence. The whole of it made her shutter in fear and she quickly dismissed the whole notion.

"Absolutely, not." She continued.

"Well, you need to figure something out soon because it's in a couple weeks," Daryl pointed out.

Under normal circumstances, Michonne would have just asked to go with Daryl. They were good enough friends that asking him would not have been an uncomfortable thing but his college girlfriend was actually coming home just to escort him to the prom so that was a no-go. Daryl rudely interrupted her thoughts... again.

"There's always Morgan."

Of course. The only other black kid in their school was who Daryl was suggesting as a prom date. It was events like this that made being the token black girl especially hard for Michonne. There were no other black kids (save Morgan) to go to prom with, and none of the white boys seemed to show any interest in taking her. She hated this. But with her prospects slim… she considered how maybe going with Morgan, even though she barely knew him, was her best shot at having a date at all.

"If I say Ill think about it will you leave me alone?" Michonne questioned.

"Shoot. I don't care what you do. You'll be the one that's dateless." He sassed.

Deep down she knew he was right.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxX

It was the next day and third period Literature class was about to start. Michonne arrived to class early, as she always did, and unpacked her things in preparation for class. She sat in the middle of the classroom and saved the seat next to her for Daryl, as she had always done.

Much to her surprise Rick came nonchalantly strolling in after her.

And he sat right across from her. She tried to play it cool, but she could barely breathe. Rick was practically sitting RIGHT next to her.

In the midst of her personal panic attack, Daryl obliviously plopped down right next to her.

"Hey, Michonne!"

"Daryl, shut up." She said hushed under her breath.

"What with you." He trailed off as he unpacked his notebooks and pencils.

"Hey, Michonne, what was the homework." Rick asked now looking at her. She froze. She didn't know what to do or say. It didn't occur to her to just answer the man's question and without really thinking it through she opted her underhanded sarcasm.

"Why would I know.." she scoffed with a slight smirk on her face.

"Um, because you always do the homework."

"Well, maybe you ought to pay more attention and you'll know about the homework too."

With that he chuckled and balled up a paper and gently tossed it over to her, "Useless," he joked. Is he flirting with me? He just threw a paper ball at me! She could barely contain her excitement and she picked up the paper and with a little more energy than she intended she beamed him in the face with the paper ball.

"Ow!" he yelled out.

Oh shit! Oh my God. I just hit Rick Grimes in the face with a paper ball. Oh shit.

That was when the bell rang and the teacher began, "Ok, class open your books to page 954. We'll begin with Waiting for Godot."

"Flirting with Rick, are we?" Daryl whispered between silent chuckles, "You hit him a little hard, there, Michonne."

In panic she said, "I know! I didn't mean. Oh my god, I'm so stupid."

At this point Daryl could barely contain himself as laughter came bubbling up and out his mouth. All Michonne could do was put her head down and hid her face. She was o embarrassed and disappointed. Her first (and probably last) interaction with THEE Rick Grimes had ended just as quickly as it had begun. He'd never like her now.