A/N: So here we go. A little more interaction. Just for your information, the story starts during the second term of Tadashi's first year in college.

Chapter 1: Flipped

Word Count: 1,645 words

"Hi." The redhead said apologetically, raising a hand and giving an embarrassed wave.

Tadashi stuttered, having never seen this girl in the lab before. "H-Hi...?"

She was wearing an electric blue cut off top with a long sleeved fitted shirt underneath. Her cargo pants were low on her hips.

"Tadashi, my man!" Fred suddenly appeared between the two, grinning widely. Large green monster arms wrapped around the shoulders of the Hamada and the female next to him. "I see you've met Flip here." The fanboy wore the rest of his school mascot costume, sans the head.

"Yeah..." Tadashi said somewhat unsurely, looking from Fred to the girl apparently named Flip. "Hey." He said to the redhead, giving a small twitch of his hand.

"This guy here," Fred said animatedly, indicating his dark haired friend, "Works on robotics! Real cool stuff." Flip's eyes filled with curiosity as she looked at the robotics student.

"M-More on research right now..." Tadashi coughed, shifting in place. "It'll be next year we get to start working on the real cool stuff." He shrugged, trying his best to seem nonchalant, mind wandering back to his assignment.

"Oh yeah!" Fred perked up, looking at the girl wearing part of his costume. "Those comics you wanted to borrow. I know I left them somewhere here..." He moved off to the part of the lab that he had turned to his own, but not before placing Flip closer to the Hamada. "You better stay here, there's a lot of awesome but dangerous stuff lying around the lab." He threw an almost serious look at Tadashi, "Watch her, dude! Wouldn't want her losing an arm!"

"Maybe I should have waited for you outside then!" The girl chuckled, calling after the mascot as he darted away. "I seriously don't know where he gets all the energy." She laughed. The sound was nice. Flip pulled off the mascot head she was wearing before quickly brushing a hand through her unruly ginger locks and readjusting the grey bonnet on her head.

"So, Takashi?" She smiled slowly, small dimples appearing on her cheeks. "Sorry for bumping into you like that earlier." She apologized.

"Tada-" He started, clearing his throat. "Tadashi, actually. Tadashi Hamada."

"Tadashi, then." The redhead repeated, smiling a little more widely with the tips of her ears turning pink. It was charming. Scratching the back of her neck a little embarrassedly, she held out a hand. The two reached out to shake hands, the robotics student momentarily forgetting the greasy glove he was wearing. "I'm-" It took the crinkle of plastic and a slight cringe from the girl in front of him before he realized his mistake, mortified.

"Sorry!" He stepped back and took off the glove immediately, using it to pick up the forgotten slice of pizza on his shoe. Nice one, Hamada. He chided himself mentally. "I'm so sorry!" He repeated as he finally threw away the piece of Italian cuisine in the trash bin.

"I'm guessing you were cleaning that up when I bumped into you." She looked at the stain that the snack had left on his mint green sneaker, abashed. "I guess I should be the one apologizing."

"No. No. Accidents happen." Tadashi replied sheepishly. The redhead grinned in return.

Wasabi suddenly appeared once more, holding out a box of tissues. "Here. You better clean that stuff up, before anything else happens."

"Thanks again, Wasabi." The robotics student pulled out several white sheets, offering a few to the girl next to him.

"Thanks so much... Wasabi?" The redhead asked, taking a sheet from Tadashi gratefully. Wiping away the grease on her fingers, she looked up questioningly at the dark, dreadlocked guy. "Did Fred come up with that because you like green?" She asked, observing the green sweater he was wearing.

The large man sagged and groaned, walking back to his workspace. "I spilled wasabi on my shirt one time. One time!"

"I thought I was the only one with a nickname." The girl laughed.

"Nah. Fred likes giving nicknames." Tadashi smiled awkwardly, turning to her. He tried making small conversation. "Flip... right?" He asked.

"Quinn Wells actually... but yeah..." The girl in question looked back to him, nodding.

"How did he come up with Flip then?" He wondered.

"Weeell..." The pink was starting to spread to her cheeks.

"You should see her in action!" Fred suddenly reappeared, now dressed in his usual baggy clothing without his mascot costume, his hands gesturing enthusiastically. "Dude, if you've seen what she can do, you'd agree with me that her nickname should be-"

Quinn turned beet red all at once, cutting Fred off by pulling down his blue-green beanie over his face. "Don't you dare start that again!"

Tadashi chuckled as he watched Flip... well... stayed true to her name and flipped out on his zany friend. She hit the fanboy in the face with the mascot head she still had.

"But it was the perfect nickname for you!" Fred whined, taking the opportunity to pull up his beanie. His wide blue eyes gave him a puppy dog look as he sulked slightly. "Seriously. What's wrong with P-"

"I already agreed to Flip," she cut him off again, "And that was weeks ago... so no takebacks!" The redhead ignored the look and shoved the costume piece to her friend's chest. "Now hand me those comics! I'm sure we've caused enough of a ruckus in here." Just as she stretched out her hand, Fred also did so at the same time to keep them out of her reach.

"Nah-Ah, Flippy-Dippy! I said I'd introduce you to some of my friends first."

Tadashi watched Fred and Flip bicker for a few more moments shuffling in place, not sure how to get around them to the materials he needed.

"Anyway, you've already met Tadashi here." Fred reintroduced. The robotics student and the redhead shared yet another wave before Fred put his hands on Flip's shoulders, pushing her to another side of the lab. "And Wasabi..." The fanboy said as they passed where the aforementioned man was working.

"Why did she get a say with her nickname and I didn't?!" Wasabi complained, having heard the girl's previous words. Fred didn't mind his dark skinned friend's words as he spotted Gogo. Quinn looked apologetically at the dreadlocked man as she was pushed past, shrugging, before she was bombarded with another one of Fred's enthusiastic introductions.

Click!

"H-Honey?!" Tadashi wondered how everybody managed to pull a ninja appearance on him today. "I thought you were in class."

"I just came by the lab to get a few things, but that's beside the point." She waved her hand dismissively, a cheshire grin spreading on her lips. "You think she's cute don't you?" She asked slyly, indicating the ginger at the other side of the lab who was exchanging a few words with Gogo.

"Wh-Wha?" A blush spread across his cheeks as he stuttered.

The blonde let out an exaggerated gasp, "You doooo!" She sang.

Tadashi's hands gestured wildly, though words seemed to elude him for a few moments before he stilled and finally said, "Where'd you get that idea?" He stood, trying to look unfazed, adjusting the cap on his head, and shuffling awkwardly.

"Well," Honey showed him her phone. "The look on your face says it all." She giggled. Tadashi's distracted, almost dreamy expression was captured on her screen. The robotics student gaped at his friend, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. The chemist quickly stuffed her phone in her bag when he tried to make a grab for it.

"Honey, pleaaase." He groaned, shoulders slumping. "Delete the photo."

Honey Lemon simply shook her head, smiling widely. "I need to get to my next class." She went through the entrance of the lab, "Bye, Tadashiiii!" She called, a teasing note in her voice.

Tadashi looked disbelievingly at the door that closed. "Seriously..." He ran both hands exasperatedly over his face.

"Awww. Honey left already?" Fred had quickly dragged Flip back to where Tadashi was standing, having seen the chemist talking with him. "That was fast."

"She said she had another class." The Hamada mumbled from behind a hand that was hiding the faint blush that was still left on his cheeks.

At that sentence, Quinn glanced at her watch. "Fred, I really need to get going. I have a class too." She poked her friend in the shoulder.

A class?

"Awww. But you've barely seen the wonders of the lab!" Fred argued.

"I thought I'd lose an arm?" The redhead laughed, repeating her friend's earlier statement. "Anyway," She shrugged, snatching the comics that Fred still had in his hand. "There'll be other times, like when I bring these back." She looked to the Hamada. "It was nice meeting you, Tadashi." A grin was plastered on her face.

"Y-Yeah." He stuttered, Honey's words echoing through his head. Large grey eyes twinkled at him, before they turned away.

"Wasabi." The redhead nodded, beginning to walk backwards toward the door.

"Flip." The other man acknowledged her with a wave of his hand as he looked up from what he was working on.

"Say bye to Gogo for me. I think she's pretty busy with her own work." The redhead said, looking to the speedster at the other side of the lab before rushing off through the exit. "See yah, Fredzilla!" She waved, mess of fiery ginger hair whipping behind her as she turned the corner.

Tadashi couldn't help but stand and watch for the second time that day as the lab doors closed.

Quinn Wells...

A/N: Thoughts? Review please.