This story is dedicated to my wonderful friend RBKNinja. I've had a rough couple of days and she's always been there to cheer me up and support me no matter what. She's such an amazing friend and I'm really happy I became her friend. You're the best sweetie!

Chapter 1

The pen repeatedly hit the surface of the table. Lazily Soul rested his chin on his palm as he absentmindedly stared at the black board where their professor scribbled down conclusions of the frog's digestion system.

Maka's eyebrow twitched with annoyance as she tried to focus on the notes Professor Stein wrote on the board. With an upcoming test coming on rapid speed, Maka needed to focus. She needed to maintain her perfect A streak and continue to beat Ox. She couldn't let herself be distracted by Soul's obvious attempt at distracting her.

His rhythm picked up its pace and slowly his pen creeped closer to her. Her hand tightened on her pencil as she threw an annoyed glance at him. His lips twitched with amusement. Bastard. He enjoyed being an obstacle in her way to her A's. With his stupid grin and his stupid motorcycle and his stupid fangirls chasing him everywhere.

Quickly she snatched his pen and threw it across the room. His jaw hit the desk as he unexpectedly stared off where the pen disappeared behind a desk and then back at her. She rolled her eyes at him and continued to copy the notes on the board. Like he cared.

He gaped at her and she shoved his face down on his blank notebook page, finishing off with a playful ruffle to his hair. He scowled and pouted at her for ruining his hairstyle she knew he spent hours to make it look like he just got out of bed. Such a pretender.

She smirked wide toward him and she returned to her notes.

The clock rang throughout the school and Professor Stein put down his chalk. "Okay everyone. I want you to read chapter seventeen and come prepared for the next lesson. Remember to study hard for the upcoming test."

Notebooks rustled as the students collected their things. Maka's chair shrieked as it was pushed backward. She flung her bag on the desk and gathered her things.

"So…" She turned to face Soul leisurely resting his elbow on the desk, wearing a large mischievous grin. "Still not got a date to the Valentine's Day dance?"

Her nails dug into the surface of her notebook. "… No."

He snorted. "You're such a nerd. You can even get a date."

Her jaw tightened as she roughly shoved her notebook in her bag. Of course he has to be a douchebag. Of course he'd to shove up the fact no one would ask her and she would once again sit at home reading a book while all her friends were enjoying the dance. Soul would as always have plenty of girls begging him on their knees to take him to the dance and he would be dancing the night away. The thought left a sour taste in her mouth as she closed her bag.

But she could be like the other girls. She could be brave like the other girls asking Soul to the dance. She didn't need to sit and wait for someone to ask her when she could ask someone. Then she would finally get Black*Star and Soul off her back. For the first time, she could smother it in Soul's pathetic face and perhaps, she could get noticed by him. Maybe if she got a date to the Valentine's Day dance, perhaps he would see her in a more romantic way.

"Actually," she swung her backpack over her shoulder and straightened her back. "I'm actually going to ask someone to the dance."

His jaw tensed and his grin was wiped from his face. He stared at her utterly baffled as the students started to exit the classroom. "Pfft" he stood up from his chair and shoved his hand in his pocket, grabbing his notebook from his desk. "Like you would ever have the courage to ask someone out."

A grin spread on Maka's face as she leaned closer to him. "Watch me." She brushed passed him and descended the stairs to the front of the classroom.

He spluttered as he hurried after her. "So who's the poor guy you're going to ask."

The only person she would want to go to the Valentine's Day dance with was Soul. He was an ass and an idiot. He recklessly followed Black*Star on his crazy shenanigans that often led to thrown into the detention room. How she'd come to crush on him of all people, was a mystery. All she knew was when they were alone, he could be pretty nice and cool.

But she knew if she gathered her courage and asked him, he would laugh at her. He would tell Black*Star and the whole school would laugh at her for even trying or even hoping she had a chance with the school's cool kid.

Asking Soul was out of the question.

Her lab partner in chemistry, Kid, was a cool guy. He would be the only one not to get the wrong idea of her asking him to the dance. Kid was a gentleman and both of them enjoyed reading classic literature. They could have a great time at the dance discussing poetry and perhaps dancing just to shove her date in Soul's face.

"It's a surprise." She grinned wide toward him as they went passed Professor Stein cleaning the black board and out into the loud hallway.

"Is it Black*Star?"

Her stomach twisted at the implication she would ask Black*Star to the dance. "No! Why would I ask him?!"

"That's the only guy you hang out with." He threw his arm usually around her shoulders like he always did. If only the gesture was affectionate like Black*Star so often did to Tsubaki. "Are you going to ask Kilik?"

"No. We don't even talk."

"Harvar?"

"Nope."

"Ox?"

"Ew! I would never!" She wrinkled her nose with disgust and he chuckled heartily. A chuckle that made her heart skip beats in her chest.

"Figured. But who're you going to ask? I know all of your friends." A smirk spread on his face as they arrived at her locker. "Or maybe you're just bluffing and taking a cardboard picture of me."

She snorted. "Please. Don't flatter yourself. You're not that good-looking." Yes he was. He was totally smoking.

"Then I've got an army of liars." He leaned against the locker as she swung hers open. His eyes followed her as she opened her backpack and changed her biology textbook to her chemistry one.

"Those girls chase anyone with a leather jacket. If they knew what an ass you are, they would hightail away from you."

"You're not running away. There's to be something good about me."

Her cheeks heated up and she dived her head inside of the locker. He possessed good qualities. Great qualities in fact. He may be a lazy ass most of the time, but he'd a big heart and he was loyal and kind and he was the best person she'd ever met. It made a lot more sense why she'd become infatuated with him.

"You're not that bad. Just hard to see passed that cool guy act and that irritating smirk of yours." She threw her book in her bag and slammed her locker closed.

He stared at her with his large red eye and a soft smile playing on his lips. "You know, if you don't get a d―"

"YO FOLLOWERS!" Black*Star crashed into Maka's back and both were slammed into the lockers. "How's my favourite follower doing?!"

She groaned as she pushed the idiot away from him. "I told you to stop tackling idiot!"

He backpedalled and rubbed the sore spot on his chest. "Wow, calm your tiny tits." A large grin spread on his face as he swung his arm around her shoulders. Her eyebrow twitched annoyingly. The unbearable amount of axe deodorant he'd showered himself in stung her eyes. "I bear good news."

"Spill it out already. Class's bout to start."

"Dude, since when did you give a flying fuck about school?"

"I don't. But Maka does."

"Yeah, yeah." Black*Star playfully ruffled her hair and she glared holes at her childhood friend. "Gotta preserve that big brain of yours and keep you focused on your studies." His eyes lit up. "And that reminds me. The Valentine's Day dance is at Friday. Guess who's going with the goddess Tsubaki?"

Her jaw dropped to the floor was she pushed away his hand. "No way! How on earth did you get her to go to the dance with you?!" Tsubaki was Black*Star's complete opposite. Black*Star was loud and obnoxious while Tsubaki calm and collected. She knew her friend seemed to be… good friends with her childhood friend. How that happened and how they managed was a mystery to her.

Black*Star snorted and puffed out his chest with pride. "Of course she would accept! There's no way she could say no to the mighty ME!"

"Dude," Soul spoke as he massaged the bridge of his nose. "Tsubaki's your friend."

Black*Star cocked his eyebrow. "Yeah? What 'bout it?"

"Valentine's day is all 'bout couples and love and that stuff. Won't she get the wrong idea?"

"Nah. I want her to end up bent over a table at the end of the day― Auch! Maka!"

She growled lowly as she glared at her friend massaging his sore ribs. "You're not going to take her to the dance to hit it and quit it."

A large smirk slowly grew on his face. "Who said anything about quitting it?"

"So you are seriously going to get into a committed relationship with Tsubaki?" Soul questioned.

"That's the plan. Chicks eat up the Valentine's Day shit. She's going to be all over me at the end of the day."

"I don't know if I'm supposed to be happy, or pissed off at the fact you're going to try to get into a committed relationship with my best friend!" her voice rose and her glare threw daggers at him.

"What?" He shrugged his shoulders. "If you've a problem with it, you can date my best friend."

Soul chocked on his spit.

Maka's eyes widened and her cheeks heated up to rival the sun. He hit too close to home for her liking. Of course she wanted to be with Soul but… he didn't feel the same way.

"No way!" Soul exclaimed. "Like I would ever date her!"

Her heart cracked in her chest. Her hands balled at her side as she bit down on her lower lip. The pain in her lip distracted her from the tearing sensation in her chest. She knew all along Soul didn't think there was one attractive bone in her body and he would never even consider her girlfriend material. But, there was always a small part of her, hoping perhaps he could find her beautiful and maybe grow a crush on her.

But it was all fantasies.

It would never happen.

"Maka's got a guy in mind as a date for the Valentine's Day dance." Soul's tone was strained.

"What?" Black*Star stared at her completely baffled by the news. What? Like she couldn't ask a guy out? "You're getting a date? Who's it?"

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "It's a surprise."

"Why?"

Why? Because she didn't have the heart to give a different name when all she wanted was to ask Soul.

"I haven't asked him yet. He could already have a date."

"Kilik already has a date. He's going with Liz."

"I'm not going to ask Kilik!" She locked her locker and rested her balled hands on her hips. "We're not even good friends. Why do you two think I'm going to ask him?"

"Why not?" Black*Star said. "Aside from me and Soul, Kilik's the guy you talk to."

Everything didn't revolve around Soul and Black*Star. They weren't the only friends she had. She had made friends on her own. It was she who introduced Tsubaki to Black*Star. She became friends with Kid. If they bumped into each other outside of school, she could talk to him, not like she could if she ran into Kilik.

They don't know every single one of her friends. Her life didn't revolve around them.

"I have other friends than you know of." Roughly she slammed into Black*Star's shoulder as she walked away. Just because she enjoyed spending her Saturday nights with a book in her hand than going to house parties and getting wasted and hook up with some guy who told her nice things, didn't mean she didn't have any friends. She had Tsubaki and she would consider herself Kid's friend.

She sighed and lowered her head as she headed toward her chemistry class. Maybe she shouldn't have snapped at her friends. Black*Star did deserve it, but Soul didn't. He was simply… him. She was in too deep.

If she could go back to being just his friend, she would do it in a heartbeat.

She entered the classroom where she found students had already arrived to prepare themselves for the upcoming lab. Students were dressing themselves in white lab coats, collecting gloves and protective glasses. Professor Stein scribbled down instructions on the black board for the experiment they were going to do.

Kid sat by their desk with his back straight and hands clasped in front of him like he was in the middle of a job interview. She waved toward him and he politely smiled toward her as she went down the aisle to their desk.

"Hello." He greeted her as she took the seat next to him. "Are you prepared for another successful experiment?"

"Yes." She slammed her bag on the desk and unpacked her things. "I've read the whole chapter."

"Me too. We're going to do great today."

Kid had already prepared himself with a white coat and protective glasses. Maka went and grabbed the protection needed for the experiment. The class started and they did the experiment and before they even knew it, the class was over.

"Have you seen the posters for the upcoming ball the school will host?" Kid asked as they cleaned away their vials.

"No. I've only heard about them but I've actually not seen them." She wiped the table from the juices from the fruits they'd experimented with.

"It's very cheesy. The theme of the night will be 'heart on your sleeves'."

"That sounds really cliché." She spun around and faced Kid who cautiously placed the vials in line with each other with a row of eights. Everybody in the classroom had already left the classroom after finishing cleaning away their things. Of course Maka and Kid were always last since Kid had to sort not only the other pair's vials, but make sure every shelf was perfect. Not that she really cared. It was these moments she enjoyed talking literature and different authors inspiration behind the books.

Kid was a nice guy and she didn't mind staying behind to clean the classroom.

"Yes. Liz told me there will be a dress code. The dates will give the females hearts to wear on their sleeves."

"Geez, talk about taking the theme to a new level." She jumped up on the desk and watched as Kid inspected his handiwork. "So will you go?"

"Yes of course. My father will be there to hold a speech. I have to go and represent him when he fails to make a worthy speech."

She giggled. To the few events she'd attended with her friend, Lord Death hadn't been the kind of person to make memorable speeches. In the end, Kid had always taken the front to make good speeches to get the crowd excited.

She licked her dry lips. "So do you have a date for the dance?" She shyly asked. Even though she didn't feel anything romantically toward him, asking someone to an event meant for couples made her nervous. He was a gentleman and they were friends, but what if he took it the wrong way?

"No, not right now." He spun around on his feet with a content smile on his face. "I'm not really looking for one."

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. This was the perfect scenario. He was free to ask and she could waltz inside with Kid as her date, shoving him in Soul's face that she could get a date too. Even though her date didn't go with her because he fancied her, he would go with her because they were good friends. They could have more fun than Soul and one of his clingy fangirls.

Then why was she so nervous. He was handsome, but she didn't like him. Simply the idea to ask someone out to the Valentine's Day Dance was… terrifying.

"Oh okay." She gulped. Nervously her hands bunched the hem of her skirt. She couldn't even imagine how nervous she would be if she asked Soul to the dance. "Actually I was th―"

A loud vibration caught Kid's attention. He fished his phone up from his pocket and his thumb swiped across the screen. His eyes widened slightly. "Oh."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, Liz is wondering where I am. I promised her I would help her go through the decorations."

"Oh." She moved aside so he could grab his bag and threw it on his back.

"Yes." He flashed her a smile as he went toward the door. "I'll see you in class." And he disappeared.

She sighed as she sunk down on her chair. Only a few days to the dance. She had to ask Kid as quickly as possible. He wasn't as popular as Soul, but he was indeed a price A date. He was the headmaster's son and came from a very wealthy family, he would indeed get a limo to arrive at the dance in class. She knew if Kim wasn't being fought over by Jacqueline and Ox, she would definitely be hunting for Soul or Kid.

She had to reach him before anyone else did. If she wanted to have a date to the dance, she couldn't procrastinate.

Quickly she fished up her notebook. She picked up her pen and started to write.

Would you like to go to the Valentine's Day Dance with me?

She drew 'yes' and 'no' boxes under it. If Soul was here, she knew he would comment on her age. Like, "yes and no boxes? What are you? Twelve?" She rolled her eyes but her lips couldn't help but twitch. He was an idiot.

Her fingers ran over the sheet of paper before she ripped the page from her notebook. Skilfully she folded it and signed it, drawing a heart at the end. She threw her things in her bag and exited the classroom with the note in her hand. With the students left for home two hours ago, the corridors were empty and silent. It would've been peaceful if the note didn't weigh a bucket of bricks. Her heart beat erratically in her chest and her steps boomed loudly throughout the corridor as if she stepped on mines.

Kid's bank of lockers came unbearably closer for every step. Before she knew it, she came to a halt in front of the locker. Soul's obnoxious 'EAT' sticker glared holes at her, mocking her for the note in her hands. Her nose wrinkled as she heard his obnoxious laughter in her head. She would show him she could get a date.

But which one was Kid's locker?

Her hands suddenly turned clammy as she nervously stared at the lockers beside Soul's. She'd once followed Kid to his locker lost in a discussion about Edgar Allan Poe's stories and she'd discovered his locker was beside Soul's. But was it to his right… or was it to his left…? The right one did have Black*Star's obnoxious star autograph. If it was Kid's locker, he would've cleaned it as soon as his eyes set on it, even if that meant skipping classes. The left one was squeaky clean. That one had to be Kid's.

Without a single thought in her head, she stepped forward and slipped the note in the locker. She sighed heavily and shook her hands nervously. No turning back now. There was nothing she could do at the moment. All she could do was take his rejection if so happened, or blaze in the glory of the glorious future of Soul's shocked face.

He had to ask her. There was no question about it. It was their senior year and it flew by faster than he liked. Before he knew it, they would be standing at graduation in their graduation robes. Maka would go to a fancy and prestigious college and become something great. And he? He would most likely end up stuck at his father's recording studio. They would go completely separate ways and the idea of never seeing her again without showing her his feelings.

He'd put off asking her for too long. He was going to ask her to the Valentine's Day Dance. Today. If she was serious at asking someone to the dance, he needed to get to her before she asked someone.

He inhaled deeply as he stared into the mirror. Hair perfectly messy. Clean T-shirt so Maka wouldn't point at his stains with dismay. Even though he enjoyed wearing dirty shirts so she would point them out, he needed to impress her. Today was the perfect day to wear a newly washed shirt. Today was the day he needed to show he could be a jackpot date.

"Hi Maka." He flashed a smirk but flinched at the clear nervousness radiating off him. He swallowed heavily as he pulled at his collar. Shit. If he sweat any more he had to change into a new shirt. "I was thinking… um, since you don't have a date, I don't have a date, we could… you know… maybe go together." He groaned and rolled his eyes, slamming his forehead against the cool surface of the bathroom mirror. Maka would pick up on his uneasiness in a second.

"Why don't you simply send her a bouquet of flowers with a note instead?"

Soul jumped in shock and whirled around to see his brother leaning against the doorframe, wearing a large grin. "Wes! Knock before you enter, damn it!"

He snickered as he pushed away from the doorframe. "I did." His grin only widened. "But you were too busy being sickly in love with Maka."

He groaned and rolled his eyes at his brother's smug expression. "Fuck off."

"I'm simply trying to help you, little brother." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you finally going to grow a pair and ask her?"

Soul silently turned away from him and rested his hands on the sides of the sink. In his peripheral vision he caught his brother moving closer to him in the bathroom mirror. "Can you just… leave?"

"If you decide to ask her to the dance, I think she'll humbly accept your invitation."

He snorted. "The only reason she would accept was if her plan backfires."

"Don't think so lowly of yourself. You've been friends for a long time. I bet she'd be thrilled to go with a good friend."

Like she would ever. All he did was tease her, which resulted in playful bickering. He enjoyed her company. The few times they found themselves alone in her apartment with his head on her lap, silently studying her facial expressions as she read a book. Those were the moments he enjoyed the best.

But did she? Would he be enough as her date?

"Maybe."

Wes sighed and rolled his eyes at his younger brother. "If you want to go to the dance with her, and if you don't ask her today, just send her flowers, okay?"

Flowers were cheesy and uncool. Too cliché. But then again, Maka read unnecessary many books about romances, so perhaps flowers weren't such a bad idea. But what if she got weird out by flowers from him and an invitation to the dance? Would she reject him thinking he loved her? He did love her, but he didn't want to scare her away. Or worse, think his feelings were one big fat joke.

"No. I'm going to ask her. Face to face." He couldn't be anxious. He couldn't be a coward. If he didn't muster the courage and asked her, he would never be brave enough to expose his true feelings. Asking her out was practice.

"Whatever you want. Remember, Maka is a young lady and ladies are sensitive."

Soul rolled his eyes. Here he went again, pointing out his unsuitable behaviour toward sensitive and fragile ladies. If it was one thing he'd discovered about Maka it was she wasn't a fragile glass doll, she was a warrior. Every time he made stupid comments she would slam her book on his head. Maka wasn't a clingy girl in need of a guy to take care of her, heck, she didn't need anybody. If it was someone in need; it was him.

"Right. I'll just go." Soul moved passed his brother and exited the bathroom, grabbing his messenger bag in the process.

"But you haven't even eaten any breakfast yet." Wes commented and he tailed after Soul as he went down the stairs. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

His jaw tightened as he reached the end of the stairway. He spun on his feet by the kitchen island and snatched an apple, taking a large bite of it. Wes sighed and shook disapproving at him and Soul disappeared out of the house. He chewed loudly as he jumped on his motorcycle. He took one large bite of the juicy sweet apple before he threw it over his shoulder and speeded away to school.

He arrived at the school only a few minutes later. Of course as soon as he drove up toward the parking lot, two very familiar girls he recognized from his fan club were giggling and glancing at him. He rolled his eyes as he lazily wandered passed them and into the building. He silently groaned as he heard the two girls tiptoed after him and gossiped to each other. The blonde whispered to the shorter girl and giggled as they tailed him though the building. His shoulders slouched with annoyance and he hoped they wouldn't approach him and ask him to the dance. There was a limit to how many giddy girls he could turn down and watch them burst out into tears. To his dismay, he didn't know how many more girls he could reject.

His grin widened when he reached the bank of lockers where his one was among. His sticker he'd on his locker was moved to the one next to him, and well, the change had been successful. Pink letters of every shade were sticking out of the locker and the hinges were about to break.

He knew it was a good idea. Now he didn't have to clean out all the letters from his locker. Now he wouldn't hope and pray to whatever higher power there was that one letter was from Maka.

He entered the code on his locker and it shrieked loudly as it swung open. Lights lit up and heavenly music of a string orchestra erupted when his eyes settled on a folded paper with the one name he'd hoped and fantasied at receiving for years. He rubbed his eyes forcefully and his eyes fluttered because this couldn't be happening, but even though how many times he rubbed his eyes and blinked his eyes, the letter wouldn't go away.

The corners of his lips twitched and grew and blossomed into a large genuine smile as he grabbed the note. The note didn't slip through his fingers. The light weight warmed his fingers and proved how real the note was. His heart tripped in his chest at the view of her familiar handwriting and the cute heart at the end of her name. With shaky hands he unfolded the letter, sweat pearling on his forehead with excitement.

Would you like to go to the Valentine's Day Dance with me?

Loudly he slammed his back against the neighbour locker and slid down. He wore a complete uncensored smile and the paper trembled in his hands. A large weight had been lifted off his shoulders and the heavens were singing because Maka asked him to the dance! He couldn't help but to snicker at the dorky 'yes' and 'no' boxes underneath it. But he didn't care. He loved her dorky and badass personality, especially now because she asked him out.

He ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes, relishing the feeling of weightlessness and mutual feelings. He knew darn well she wouldn't go with someone she didn't like hanging out with, and it was the Valentine's Day Dance for crying out loud! Maka wouldn't write a heart on the letter and ask him if she didn't at least have some kind of romantic interest.

"Well look at that smile."

His eyes snapped open and immediately he jumped up on his feet in front of the headmaster's child.

"Kid!" He exclaimed and cleared his throat, composing himself and covering up his excitement with his cool neutral facade. But the corners of his lips couldn't help but twitch, leaking out his obvious excitement. Not cool.

He raised his eyebrow at him and pointed with his thumb at his locker. "Really?"

Soul wanted to snicker with amusement at Kid's obvious uptight facade. Probably his OCD talking. "What? Seems like you've got a lot of ad―"

Kid waved it away and snatched a letter sticking out of his locker, shoving it in his face. With fine cursive letters it said 'To Soul Evans from Anya.'

"Next time," he shoved the letter in his hands, Soul fumbled with the letter. Kid ripped his sticker from his locker and slapped it onto Soul's. "If you foolishly pull this prank again, I will pull some strings and get your locker taken away."

Soul grabbed his things and threw it in the bag, locking his locker and he knew, by lunch his locker would be filled once again. Soul left Kid to clean out the love letters from his locker and wipe away the sticky mess left from his sticker. He held the letter close to his chest as he fished up his pencil from bag. Without a shred of hesitation, he checked the 'yes' box.