Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.

Part 2: Wrong Place At The Wrong Time

"Why are you in handcuffs?"

"Don't look at me like that, Maks. It's not what you think."

"Not what I think, huh? Really?"

Harvar had his hands firmly set on Soul's arms, but Maka waved him off and took hold of him instead. "I'll take him from here. Can you put the police report on my desk?" He nodded, gave a curt salute to his captain, and left them in the hall.

"Thank you, Maka, now-" Soul started to turn, but Maka shook her head.

"Don't even try it, Soul, I meant what I said. You're going to lock-up."

She pushed him forward and Soul almost fell. "Maka, come on. This is not what it looks like."

"How is this not what it looks like, Soul? We haven't seen each other in years and the first time we do is when you're being charged for god knows what. You are not in the best position, Evans."

"Maka, I know that it's been a long time, but you know me," he said in a way that reminded her of him trying to wheedle the math answers from their homework from her. She pulled him through the precinct and into a holding cell.

"I knew you," said Maka as she locked the door, "and you were never the type to get arrested."

"Thank you."

"But that was before, Soul. I haven't seen you in eight years. People change, evidently."

Indeed, high school with Soul Evans had ended in a particular kind of way. They had spent four years together in a state of flirtation with a borderline romantic friendship. Her affection for Soul in those years probably surpassed that of any date she;d had since their graduation. Soul and Maka had parted ways after their graduation party, and for Maka, she had swallowed her feelings on the chance that Soul did not feel for her what she felt for him. She had either misinterpreted his kindness, or he flirted with everyone. After the party, it seemed that the latter was the truth. Seeing him now brought back feelings from another time. He was as handsome as ever despite the handcuffs and cell bars. She felt that it wasn't quite fair.

"I haven't changed that much," Soul said, "and neither have you. You still look like you did when we were seniors in high school. It's like you didn't even age." Maka shook her head and turned towards the door. "Whoa, whoa, Maka." She glanced back. "Where are you going?"

"I have work to do, you know."

Soul clutched at the bars, light glinting off something shiny on his left hand, and pressed his forehead against them. "Don't you want to know why I got arrested?"

"I thought you said it wasn't what it looks like."

"It's not," he said hurriedly.

"Then what?" she snapped. When he didn't answer, she snorted a bit and leaned against the wall. "Maybe you haven't changed," she said bitterly. She had thought she could let go. "You still can't say what you want to say."

"I can," Soul bit back indignantly. "I've had eight years to work on it."

"And?"

"And..." he trailed off and Maka could see his resolve crumble before her very eyes.

She sighed. "I'm going to go check your paperwork. You've only been charged with something and not convicted. I'd like to think you're not stupid enough to actually get hit with something so my feeling is that you forgot to pay a parking ticket or you and Black*Star did something stupid. Again. And he didn't get caught. Like that suspension you got in grade eleven."

"You knew that wasn't me?"

"You're the king of being in the wrong place at the wrong place, Soul," said Maka, preparing to leave.

"Maybe I am," he said, "but you're not making it any easier." She bristled at that.

"You're getting caught isn't my fault. That was your indiscretion and not mine."

"I didn't mean to get caught, Maka, it just happened."

"Didn't mean to get caught," she scoffed. "You never mean to do it, but honestly? It should never have happened in the first place. You did this."

She took and breath and they looked at each other, both trying to see if there was more to say; as if wishing that no time had passed at all and they could resume their friendship. She wished it was possible to rewind time instead of this strange, unfinished part of them. Neither of them seemed happy about the arrangement, but one could not erase their history; the good and the bad.

"You're not talking about this arrest," said Soul quietly and Maka felt her heart constrict painfully.

"I have work to do," she said again. "I don't know why you didn't just pay whatever fine you got when you had the chance."

"I could have, but it didn't occur to me at the time, I guess."

Maka ran a hand through her ashy hair. He'd certainly not improved in his lying abilities, at least not to her. "I'm going. Maybe, I'll see you around."

"Yeah." Soul moved to the chair in his cell and slumped into it. He seemed to tired, so defeated. "I'm sorry."

"Wrong place at the wrong time," she said sorely. "You don't have to be sorry about it."

"I still am."

"So am I." Maka took a final look at him and then, with a heavy heart, left him behind.