I did it. I asked a guy out. Rejections sucks but it feels great being the girl to initiate for once.

Maka sighed and dropped her phone into the bag by her feet, propping her head on the bus seat in front of her.

What had made her think asking Soul out was a good idea? Why? Why had she thought he'd say yes? Why had possessed the blonde to think that the red-eyed boy could possibly like her back? That the tow-head wouldn't think Maka was weird or strange for liking him from a distance, especially since she knew how tense Soul was about meeting other people and making friends?

How did Maka even know that?

Oh sure, the post had been mostly positive. Didn't mean the feeling was really there though.

Not that the depressed girl had lied, it was true that she was proud of herself for not waiting around for a guy who'd most likely never notice her or take the leap, if judging by the way he participated in class was anything to go by, but those feelings…. They were the kind of feelings you had when you were five years older, out of high school, in a happy relationship, and overall not still crushing on the stupid idiot.

Just… why? Why had telling him seemed like the right thing to do? Soul barely talked to anyone, with the exception of Kid or BlackStar, and even then, with his friends, the lazy guy less talked, so much as just sat there and occasionally somehow telepathically transmitted his thoughts to the others. There was no way he'd actually seen Maka, not as a girl and definitely not as a person.

Now she'd be one more in the horde of fangirls that always seemed to follow him around.

Even though it was nothing like that, right?

Though, in reality, how was the blonde any different? She liked Soul from a distance, even though she didn't really know him all that well.

The depressed girl's phone vibrated and she glanced down, checking her recent post. Kilik had already replied with, Props.

Liz's response joined his soon after. Screw him.

Groaning, Maka ground her head into her arms. She didn't want either of those reactions. The poor girl wanted sympathy, not protectiveness or cheering up.

"Do you want a hug Maka-chan?" asked Tsu, sitting down next to her, concern tingeing her voice, but respect present there as well.

Maka let out a moan and leaned against her much taller friend, thankful for the embrace and sweet company.

…. (line break, b/c tumblr doesn't do empty lines apparently)

I screwed up. A cute girl asked me out, I was so surprised I stuttered and said "sorry". She left before I could even say "I'd love to" I stood there like an idiot FML It was our last class too dammit

Soul's snowy hair grazed the table as he leaned his head on the dark wood, Kid gently patting him on the shoulder as BlackStar rambled on about how life went on, himself, how the girl probably wasn't godly enough for him anyway, himself, and cheese. Yeah, don't ask Soul how that happened. He had no idea.

"I'm so stupid," the poor boy groaned.

"No, not stupid, just socially inept and haunted by bad luck," BlackStar answered brightly.

"Yeah, because that really helps," Soul scowled, just as Kid reached over and smacked the back of BlackStar's head.

"Stop it," Kid scolded, ignoring BlackStar's muttered "What? It's true," and moving so that he was crouching down in front of Soul. "Don't worry; maybe you can find her tomorrow and tell her what you really meant?"

"She probably hates me," groaned Soul, turning his head so that he was facing the table.

Moaning in frustration, BlackStar pulled Soul's head up by the towheaded boy's hair and shouted, right in his face, "Just take the girl out tomorrow! She wouldn't have asked you if she didn't like you!"

Soul was clearly so depressed that he couldn't even bring himself to argue with BlackStar, just banging his head back down into the wood when the loud boy let his hair go. Exasperated, the two friends glanced at each in annoyance over Soul's head.

Honestly, he felt like such a failure. Finally, a girl who was actually intelligent, something he could tell just from one class with her, liked him. Not a dumb fangirl who just liked his hair or his teeth or something else equally stupid, but him. Okay, maybe that was a stretch, but there was just something about her…. she didn't seem to be the type to like someone just for their looks. Certainly not from the way she always yelled at those asses in the back looking at disgusting magazines. Then again, how would she know his personality? They'd never really talked, and it wasn't like the way Soul acted in class was how he really felt.

She was pretty too, which didn't hurt, but was far less important.

"Yo, Soul, are you broken or something?" asked BlackStar, nudging his friend's shoulder in a rare display of concern. "You're kinda freaking Kid out here."

"Yeah, because you don't care at all," Kid retorted dryly.

Whatever, she probably didn't like him anyway. Just his looks or fake attitude. The one even BlackStar and Kid had to wait out before actually meeting Soul.

Fantastic. Now he was becoming some melodramatic shmuck.

Ignoring both of them, Soul reached over and picked up his phone, mindlessly scrolling through yak until he found his post and then kept going, with only a slight pause.

#that happened Ox had replied.

Of course, that guy knew all about rejection. Which was partially why Soul wasn't sure he could go ask that girl out tomorrow, he wasn't about to become some lovesick puppy, not for anyone. And especially not for someone who didn't even know him.

Ignoring the truth that he already was, Soul kept scrolling.

:-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( that really sucks came from Jacqueline.

"Soul!" BlackStar shouted in his friend's ear, startling the red-eyed boy badly, causing him to glare at the blue-haired freak of nature next to him. "Seriously dude, this isn't going to happen again," started BlackStar, putting his hands on Soul's shoulders and shaking him roughly, "Tsu knows Maka."

"The blonde," supplied Kid, seeing Soul's confusion.

Acting as if Kid hadn't spoken, BlackStar barreled on, "Tsu's always talking about how honest she is and how nice Maka is and blah blah blah, yada yada yada, you know the drill."

"Tsubaki's nice about everyone," Soul scowled, "you're not exactly helping Star."

"Listen to me you overgrown…" BlackStar screeched before crashing to halt, glancing at Kid. "What vegetable does Soul look like? I don't really know of any white or red ones…"

"That's because you eat about as many vegetables as a dog," scoffed Kid. "Radishes are red, though."

"Thanks man," BlackStar nodded seriously. "Now, listen to me you overgrown radish! Tsu's nice about most people, but she reeeaaaalllly likes Maka. And she doesn't reeeaaaalllly like most people, got it? Tsubaki's always going on about how deep and thoughtful and kind Maka is, so tomorrow, you are going to ask out the girl who was actually brave enough to talk to you, despite your universal stink-eye, that doesn't even care what a grouchy grump you are!"

Soul just stared at BlackStar blankly, let out a noncommittal grunt, and turned back to his phone.

Truly worried now, both boys looked at each over their friend's spiky hair.

Soul, either disregarding the glance or not noticing it, continued scrolling through the posts grumpily. Then a yak, from Harvar, of all people, caught his eye. Honestly, Soul hadn't even known that Ox's sullen shadow even had a yak. That guy had the personality of a moody yogurt and talked as much as rock, why would he want one?

so there was a yak earlier about a girl asking a guy out and he said no, maybe it's a misunderstanding…? Check her yak.

There was a lightness in Soul's chest, starting to grow and catch fire, warming him from the inside out.

Another yak quickly followed, responding to Harvar's. This one was from Lightning, who Soul didn't think had ever spoken in his life, despite the fact that he communicated with Kilik just fine. Lightning's silence was more cheerful than Harvar's though.

Yes dude ! Some girl yak'd about being rejected

Maybe… maybe not all hope was lost.

But what if Maka hated him now? What if she wasn't actually that nice or intelligent? What if he was just setting himself up for more pain and hurt?

^i saw it too but I can't find it anymore D8 what if they r meant to be together!

At this Soul groaned and buried his face in his arms. Of course Kim would say something stupid like that.

"Dude, even your ears are blushing! I didn't know that was possible!" shouted BlackStar, which was normal for him but still annoying.

To Soul's surprise and humiliation, Kid deftly stole his phone and scrolled through the yaks, no doubt actually understanding them with his superhuman speed-reading.

"You're doing nothing?" he asked coolly.

"I haven't had a chance yet before someone stole my phone," Soul growled in annoyance, praying that he had stopped resembling a tomato.

"Of course," Kid answered smoothly, giving Soul back his phone, the keyboard already up.

Sighing, knowing that he didn't have much of a choice at all now, Soul started typing.

…..

Maka was laying on her bed, listening to Tsubaki talk about TV, classes, just about anything really, to try to distract her. That girl was so kindhearted that Maka didn't have the heart to tell Tsu that she just wanted to be alone right now.

Finally, Tsubaki got tired of rambling, given that she normally never had to, and started scrolling through her phone in an attempt to find something to talk about with her silent companion. The silence accompanied Maka's thoughts, letting her properly remember their earlier conversation for the first time.

"Don't worry Maka, you're not like the fangirls."

"Why are you so sure of that?"

"Well, what's good about Soul? What makes him interesting enough to like?"

"Soul's quiet, but I get the feeling that he's got a lot to say if he found anyone interesting enough to talk to. He's also probably funny, given that he can make even Kid smile. He's also really forward, and he never agrees to date all those fangirls, which means he can probably tell that they don't really value him. Also means he's not like Papa."

"There you go. You never once mentioned his looks or something superficial. You're already leagues ahead of his fans."

"Maka-chan? Look at this," she suddenly exclaimed, a grin on her face as Tsubaki shoved her phone in Maka's face.

Surprised, Maka blinked in the unexpected glare of the phone's light and held it away from her, reading the yak.

Were wearing a brown cardigan? I'm a stinking idiot I'm sorry. I meant to say yes. Can we start over tomorrow, same spot and time? I'll wait for you there. Pls give me one more shot

Elation burst through Maka's chest like fireworks, displaying itself with excited shaking and a sudden squeal. Despite the blonde's awkward position on her back, she managed to reply quickly.

I'm Ops and wow. This is embarrassing :$ I was wearing a mahogany cardigan and YESSSS I'll see you tomorrow then. So weird how we both yak'd about our experience!

Before hitting the 'send' button, Maka read it over. Once. Twice. Three times before Tsubaki pressed the button for her.

When the blonde glared at her friend, Tsu shrugged, "You needed to do it and it's better to be honest with the guy, since, according to you, he doesn't like fakers."

…..

The next day, after school, a new yak popped up.

She said YES guys :D We are meeting for coffee tomorrow. Thank you to 3rd and 4th comments I owe u guys