Ivan waved and his sisters, Katyusha and Natalya, waved good bye to their mother and walked out the door. They had just moved here from Russia and were off to their first day of school. Katyusha was in fifth grade, Ivan was in third, and Natalya was in first. The summers here had been much warmer and Ivan had watched the neighborhood kids run around and play.
He wondered if any of them would want to be his friends. When they got to school the three spilt up and went to find kids their own age. Ivan saw two blondes sitting together talking. He walked up and smiled at them.
"Hello, I'm Ivan."
"I'm Arthur, I'm in fifth grade."
"I'm Alfred! I'm in third grade."
"Me too, da?"
"Cool, since I'm a hero I'll show you around later." Ivan thanked him and walked off. Alfred frowned after he left.
"Why are there so many Russians?"
"Alfie, that's mean!"
Ivan saw another blonde, this one was arguing with a brunette while another brunette hugged him from behind. Everyone was in a little group, friends they had from last year or that they met over the summer. Ivan was new and it wasn't like he could just walk right in.
He sighed and sat down on the ground under the willow tree.
"Mom was wrong, I don't like it here. It maybe warmer here but I don't know anybody. I wanna go home, da," Ivan sniffled.
"Hello, aru. Are you new here?" Ivan looked up and saw a Chinese girl with big amber eyes and long dark hair.
"Da."
"I know it's scary but these people are really nice."
"I didn't think they weren't. They just all seem to know each other."
"Pick one person and make friends with them and then you'll know everyone, that's what I did. I'm Yao by the way."
Yao? Wasn't that a boy's name? Ivan blushed when he realized Yao WAS a boy.
'But he's so cute.'
"Ivan."
"Nice to meet you Ivan! Want to be friends?"
"Da." Ivan stood up and he and Yao held hands as they entered the school.
8 years later.
"Yao!" Yao smiled and stopped to wait for Ivan.
"So, Yao. I was wondering, since prom's coming up...um," Ivan blushed and shuffled his feet nervously.
"Would you...um...maybe go with me?" Yao smiled at how shy Ivan was. Yao laughed as he remembered in 6th grade how he had been embarrassed to hold hands, even though they'd done that since thrid grade. And when Yao kissed his cheek during truth or dare in fourth grade and he'd turned bright red and ran out of the room and how Ivan had cutely kissed his cheek in fifth grade while they were cuddled up by the fireplace in his house.
"Of course I will!"