Asuka crossed the finish line and stopped to catch her her breath.
Unfortunately for her they wouldn't be doing swimming for a while now so
she couldn't redeem herself. To her surprise she hadn't really heard
much about her loss at Rei's hands. It seemed that it was expected and
people would only be surprised if Rei had lost. That was something that
Asuka had never known about Rei. She had never known exactly how good
she was at sports. She had never really bothered to give Rei credit for
anything besides piloting her Eva and even then she took any chance to
snub her when she could.
It made her feel slightly guilty now. Especially after Rei had
offered to tutor her. They hadn't started yet but Asuka knew that Rei
would keep to her word unless someone told her not to. It had surprised
the German girl when Rei had even offered to help. Rei hadn't seemed the
type who would care to help her in such a situation. But it seemed that
she had misjudged Rei. Maybe she shouldn't be so hard on her. Maybe she
should try and learn a little bit more about her before she made up her
mind.
Asuka walked away from the finish line of the track and over to
the bleachers. Rei was sitting there with a book in her hands. Asuka
read the title but she didn't recognize The Crystal Shard or the Icewind
Dale Trilogy. Really it was just another of Ayanami's books. Maybe that
was why she did so well in Literature, she read a lot. Maybe that was
something Rei actually liked. It made Asuka feel slightly better for
some reason to think that Rei enjoyed something and wasn't completely
mindless.
Asuka noticed that no one was sitting by Rei. Though she once
again felt a little bit guilty about that there wasn't really much she
could do. She would be racing again in a few minutes. She had only come
to ask Rei about when her tutoring was supposed to start. "Wonder Girl."
Asuka said quietly enough so that only Rei could hear. "When do you want
to start?"
Rei didn't even look up from her book. "Why don't we start after
school today." Rei said. "Come by my apartment at 4:30. Don't be late."
Asuka nodded and then walked back to the track. She looked at
everyone to make sure they hadn't noticed anything. She had gotten a few
weird looks because of whom she had been talking to but none of them
looked suspicious. One of the other girls walked up to her and said.
"Trying to get her to talk?" Asuka nodded in order to give an excuse.
"You should know by now she's just weird. She doesn't talk or show
anything. But really who cares. She's a nobody. Come on your being
called."
As Asuka followed the girl she thought for a few moments. The
girl had said what had been going through her head before she had lost
the race to Rei. "I think..." She said and then she stopped as the girl
looked back at her. "I think that...well she isn't so bad." The girl
gave her a look that just showed amusement. As Asuka got into position
she took one last look at Rei sitting there on her own. "Now that I
think of it." She said softly so as not to be heard. "She really isn't
so bad."
Asuka barely made it on time. She had spent a lot of her time
dodging people she knew so that no one would know she was going to Rei
for help. She didn't know how Rei would react to her being late but
really that was something she could live without knowing.
She knocked on Rei's door and called out. "Rei I'm here." There
was no answer. "Rei are you in there? Can I come in?" The door opened in
front of her and Rei stood there still in her school uniform.
"Come in." She said and walked back inside. Asuka walked in and
nearly fainted at the mess. It was just as bad as Misato's home was. How
could Rei live in this place? Asuka hadn't expected Rei to be the kind
of person who lived in a mess. She always seemed to be orderly but this
house most certainly wasn't.
Asuka closed the door behind her and walked into the room Rei
had gone into. It was her bedroom. Asuka was surprised at how small and
dingy this place was. It wouldn't have fit Asuka and even with no
possessions of her own it looked as if Rei barely had enough room.
Rei was sitting on her bed waiting for Asuka. The German girl
didn't know where to sit and she was most certainly not going to sit on
the floor. Rei waited a few moments and then sighed and patted the bed.
Asuka went and sat next to her. Rei however got up and got herself a
chair and placed it in front of Asuka.
"What do you wish to work on first?" Rei asked. "Do you want to
do Social Studies or Literature?" Rei really didn't know where to start
with Asuka. She knew she first needed to know just how much Asuka knew.
"Well Misato has already forced Shinji to teach me some in the
department of Social Studies." Asuka said. "But he's as dumb as me when
it comes to Literature."
"Then we'll start there." Rei opened up her school bag and
pulled out a book. It was different than the one she had been reading.
It was by the same author but its title was Homeland. She handed Asuka
the book. "Learning literature doesn't come from how smart one is it
comes from how much one reads."
Asuka took the book and began to read. She didn't have to be
told Rei wanted her to read. It felt like it took an hour to get passed
the first few pages. The story was good she had to admit but reading
just wasn't any fun for her. She hated reading in Japanese. She wouldn't
mind reading in German but still it had never been something she
enjoyed. She sighed and put the book down.
"What is wrong?" Rei said. She wondered why Asuka had put the
book down. Maybe she didn't like it or it wasn't what she liked.
"I just don't like to read that's all." Asuka said. "It's no fun
anyway." She set the book down in her lap and looked back up at Rei.
Rei just reached out and took the book. If Asuka didn't know
better she would say Rei looked disappointed. "Go home." Rei said.
"What?" Asuka said. "What do you mean go home? You're the one
who asked me to come here you know." Asuka couldn't believe what she was
hearing.
"I asked you to come here to help you." Rei said. "But if you
don't try I can do nothing for you. You disappoint me." Asuka didn't
know what do say to that. Rei actually showed an emotion albeit a
negative one. Asuka didn't know why it hit her so hard that Rei was
disappointed in her. Maybe it was because Rei never showed emotion to
her and now that she did it was disappointment. It seemed to her as if
Rei regarded her as a failure. "I didn't expect you to be one to give up
pilot Sorhyu. But I guess I misjudged you. You aren't worth my time or
respect."
"What do you mean time or respect?" Asuka said in disbelief.
"You have never so much as looked at me and now you say you respect me."
"Yes I did respect you." Rei said. "No matter what you went
through you didn't give up. But it appears now that you have and at
something so easy and simple. It seems that once people stop watching
your actions you feel it's all right to give up. I guess I was wrong
about you."
"I DON'T QUIT!" Asuka found herself yelling. "I DON'T GIVE UP DO
YOU HEAR ME!" Rei didn't even bat an eyelash. "Open the book." Asuka
said in a low voice.
The corner of Rei's lip twitched as she opened the book back up
to page one. But to Asuka's surprise she didn't hand it to her. "I would
like to try something else." Rei said simply when Asuka looked like she
was about to grab the book from her.
Rei then motioned for Asuka to lie down on the bed. Asuka really
didn't have a clue why until she heard Rei begin to read to her. 'So
this is what she had in mind.' Asuka thought. 'I said I didn't like to
read so she's reading for me because she enjoys it. At least that's what
I think she's doing.'
Really Asuka was surprised just how soothing Rei's voice was. It
wasn't high pitched like some of her friends or to low and deep. It
didn't sound whiney either like Shinji's. In fact it seemed to her to be
perfect. It was soft enough so that it didn't hurt her ears and she
could be heard clearly. She had a melodic voice that didn't grate on her
nerves, which was rare to say the least. She hung on Rei's every word
without effort. In fact she had to admit she was enjoying it. The only
effort she really had to make was not to fall asleep. She wasn't bored,
far from it. It was just that Rei's voice was just so soft and soothing
to her she had to work hard not to let it lull her. The story was most
certainly interesting and it just seemed more real as Rei read it to
her.
Really Asuka had never considered herself to be a fantasy fan.
Sure she had seen Lord of the Rings but then again who hadn't. She had
thought the movie was good but really she wasn't into that kind of
thing. Or at least she had thought she wasn't. She was actually enjoying
the story. Even though it was obviously a fantasy setting book with all
of its talk of magic and the main character being a good dark elf. But
the most enjoyable thing was Rei's voice.
And then it was over. Rei stopped reading and looked up. "That's
all for chapter one." Rei said. "I guess we can stop here for today."
"No, don't stop now." Asuka said and then noticed Rei looked
taken aback. "I mean I like the story and its better to hear you read to
me than to read it myself." Asuka managed to stutter out to cover
herself.
Rei nodded her head and looked back down at the book. Then she
started on chapter two. 'My goodness.' Asuka thought. 'I have died and
gone to heaven.' True she really would have died if any of her friends
could see her now. But at the moment she felt so comfortable and it
wasn't just because she was lying down on a bed. It seemed to be a
mixture of Rei's voice, Rei's presence, and the story being read to her.
Rei finally stopped reading and looked at the time. "It is
getting late now." She said almost sadly. "Won't Misato and Shinji be
worried about you?"
"Why would they be worried?" Asuka said. Then she looked at the
time. "My god!" She yelled. Then she noticed it had gotten dark outside.
"I..."
"It's understandable." Rei said. "I didn't notice the time pass.
I even forgot to eat dinner." Asuka's stomach growled just to let her
know it had been similarly ignored. "Considering the time I'll just eat
then go to bed." It seemed to Asuka that Rei was talking to avoid asking
something. Really that wasn't something she would expect from Rei. If
Rei didn't want to say something she wouldn't say anything at all
instead of beating around the bush. "Do you want to continue this
tomorrow?" Rei looked very hesitant.
"Yes." Asuka cried out. In her opinion she thought she sounded a
little bit too enthusiastic. "I mean I would enjoy..." She stopped as
she realized she had again put her foot in her mouth. But Rei didn't say
anything. She just waved as Asuka ran for the door. The redhead didn't
even notice that she had left her school bag behind lying there on the
floor.
Asuka searched as frantically as she could for her school bag in
her current condition. She was tired beyond belief. She had gotten home
really late last night and had had to eat dinner quickly and then go to
bed. She had only gotten a few hours sleep before she had to wake up.
What was truly embarrassing was that it was Shinji, the king of
sleepyheads who had had to wake her up.
Finally Asuka just gave up. She was too tired to deal with it
and she would just make her excuses to the teacher. She was already very
close to being late anyway so she rushed out of the house with Shinji on
her heels. He at least seemed to be ready. Thankfully she had had the
state of mind to get dressed in her school clothes and get most of her
morning rituals done with. In fact the only one she had missed was
locking Shinji out of the bathroom. Ah well she could get back to that
one tomorrow.
The walk was basically spent in a daze, as was the walk to the
classroom. She knew she would wake up halfway through the day or after
her nap through class, whichever came first. She walked over to her seat
and noticed her school bag sitting right next to it. She looked around
but only saw a few of her friends off to her right, the three stooges
right behind her and Rei off in the corner.
Asuka picked the bag up and opened it. All of her stuff was
still there and undisturbed. Except for one thing. Asuka reached inside
and pulled out a book with a note sticking out from its pages. It was
titled homeland. Asuka then recognized that the bag smelled. Not an
unpleasant smell by any means. In fact it smelled a lot like Rei's home.
So that was where she had left her bag.
Asuka pulled out the note and began to read. 'Meet you at 4:30
today. Don't be late.' Asuka couldn't help but smile. "Four Thirty it is
then." She whispered so that no one would hear her. She felt more awake
already.
Hikari tried sat next to Asuka on the bench as they watched the
volleyball game in progress. They had both been on the court for most of
the day and they were both tired, though neither would ever admit it.
"So what are you're plans for after school?" Hikari asked.
"I don't really have to many." Asuka said. "How about you.
Anything interesting going on this week?" Hikari blushed. "What ever it
is it must be good."
"Well tonight there's a party over at Touji's so that's where I
think I'm going to go tonight." Hikari said. "And then there is a party
at my place Friday."
"Have fun at Touji's." Asuka said. "I don't think I'll go
anywhere near his house. But as to your party on Friday I don't see why
not."
"Great!" Hikari said. She really hadn't expected Asuka to want
to go to Touji's party so she wasn't disappointed. "You can bring a
friend with you if you want. Who are you going to bring? Maybe Shinji?"
"Of course I won't bring Shinji!" Asuka yelled as she did her
best not to hit her friend for that comment. "I wouldn't take him with
me anywhere if my life depended on it!"
"Well then who are you going to bring?" Hikari asked. "Or are
you going to come alone?" Asuka thought for a moment. Everyone really
worthwhile in her opinion had been picked.
"I'll find someone." Asuka said as the wheels began to work
double time. "I'm not going to come to the party and tell everyone Asuka
doesn't have any friends to invite."
Asuka walked out of the school building and made a direct course
for Rei's house. She wasn't worried this time that someone might spot
her. Rei really did live in one of the worst places in town. Asuka
wondered why she even put up with living there but then again the
commander had probably ordered her to.
At the speed Asuka was moving at it didn't really take very long
for her to reach Rei house. In fact when she got to Rei's door and
knocked no one answered. She waited...and waited...and just for a change
of pace she waited some more. Just when she was about to get impatient
someone tapped her on the shoulder. Asuka whirled around ready to give
an explanation of why she was there to whoever was there. But then she
realized it was only Rei. She opened the door and let herself and Asuka
inside. It was then Asuka realized she hadn't even bothered to lock the
door.
Asuka closed the door behind them and followed Rei into the
bedroom. "So where were you?" Asuka asked. "You should have gotten here
before me."
"Ikari-kun asked to speak with me." Rei said and to Asuka's
surprise blushed. 'Why do I suddenly feel jealous?' Asuka thought and
then she shook the thought away.
Asuka reached into her school bag and pulled out the book Rei
had been reading to her and held it out to read. "I believe we were
already on part two." Asuka said trying not to sound impatient.
Rei accepted the book and went back to where they had been
reading last. Asuka lay down on the bed and stared at Rei.
Rei began to read where she had left off and Asuka immediately
remembered why she had looked forward to this all day. She had actually
understated how much she had enjoyed it in her daydreams. Once again she
was pulled into the story by a combination of the book itself and by
Rei's beautiful voice. When she had spoken to Rei she had always noticed
how soft and sweet her voice was but now that she finally got to listen
to it actually speaking it was wonderful.
It seemed far to short a time before Rei stopped and got up. She
marked her place by bending one of the pages and then walked into her
kitchen. "What are you doing?" Asuka said. "It's only 6:25."
Then Asuka heard pots and pans banging around as Rei looked for
something clean to use to cook. Then the clanging stopped and Rei walked
back in. "It will take 10 minutes before the noodles are ready." Then
the girl sat back down and began to quiz Asuka. That was something she
hadn't expected. What was even more unexpected was that Asuka got every
single question right. Even the meticulous details that Rei asked her
about.
Then Rei got them dinner and they ate. Asuka tried to finish
hers as quickly as possible but even then Rei outdid her. "How do you
eat so fast?" Asuka asked.
"I had to learn in case of emergencies." Rei said. "I had to be
able to finish a meal within a few minutes in order to be able to deal
with any other situations."
"I wanted to ask you about something Rei." Asuka said. Rei
raised her eyebrows but didn't speak. "I wanted to ask you whether or
not you'd...Hikari's going to have a party and she said I could bring a
friend would you like to come?" Asuka got out in a rush.
"I do not understand why your are asking me this." Rei said.
"Are you saying I am your friend and I should go with you?"
"Well..." Asuka said. "Yes that is what I am saying. You are
my...friend Ayanami." Really Asuka wouldn't have said those words a few
days earlier. Rei just nodded. Asuka knew that meant yes.