Honey Lemon was undoubtedly the first person at her lunch table the next day, she didn't mean to get her hopes up but she was currently excited to greet a new friend. Then again, maybe they weren't even friends yet. She frowned and began nervously combining her fingers through a small bit of her butterscotch hair. Honey liked Tadashi so much, she still could distinctly remember the day he first talked to her. She had just moved from a different town and was fairly nervous to start high school in a big city, regardless of her cheery personality. It was the second day of school and she recalled how embarrassed she felt walking into the large building that day because she had forgotten to put on makeup in her rush after waking up late. It didn't help either that she also happened to share P.E. with him that year, so her first impression was a pair of oversized gym shorts and a baggy shirt. With her hair up in a pathetic messy bun, she had never felt more unattractive in her life. Of course that was they day he had noticed her. "You're not from around here are you?" He had spoken in a friendly tone as he smiled at her unfamiliar face. Clearly everyone at this high school had gone to elementary and middle school together as well. Needless to say, she was easy to point out. When she shyly uttered the word 'No,' he nodded and introduced himself as Tadashi Hamada. From that day forth she had been crushing hard, he talked to her when she looked so terrible, he was nice to her when she was so scared.

Sadly, though, they had never really became friends just names that went with faces. Which was why Honey was now so determined to break the thick layer of ice between them. The task proved to become more difficult as the years went on, now in their junior year, Tadashi was so closed off and she didn't know why. He used to be such an outgoing person but ever since this year, he's been so cold and lonely. She just wished she understood him.

"Hey Honey!" Fred wasn't the boy she was hoping to see at her table but she was still happy to greet him anyway.

"Hi Fred! Have you, for any reason, seen Tadashi walking this way… Maybe…?" Her voice was shy and the question was abruptly placed but she was becoming anxious.

"No… Why would that guy be stopping by again? Did you lose another pencil? The dude knows you have, like, twenty, right?" Fred laughed and sat down, pulling his 'Godzilla' lunch box from his backpack.

"Oh, no, it's not that. I just.." She sighed, for some reason feeling more nervous around her friend than she should. "I invited him to sit with us at lunch."

"You did what?!"

"What's all the yelling about?" Gogo chuckled as, she too, walked up to the table that was beginning to gather its regular occupants, no Tadashi though.

"Honey Lemon asked Tadashi Hamada to sit with us!" Fred sounded dumbfounded, as if her actions were the craziest thing she'd ever done.

"Well now that's just crazy talk." The sarcasm in Gogo's voice made Honey a little more comfortable. Her friend realized how dramatic Fred was being about something that shouldn't be treated as a big deal.

"Don't worry Fred, it looks like he's a no show anyway…" Honey trailed off. Sure lunch still had a good amount of time left to it but, Tadashi didn't show any signs of having other priorities. As time went by and Wasabi joined their table, she knew her fears were correct, he wasn't coming. Why had she even offered?

"Honey, maybe he just had something else he needed to do." Gogo placed a reassuring hand on Honey Lemon's shoulder while the boys argued about whether Godzilla would be stronger than king kong.

"Yeah you're probably right."

That was last week.

Friday, at lunch, there still seemed to be no sign of Tadashi, she didn't talk with him about it in chem because she didn't want to come off as pushy. Gogo had already told her that guys don't like pushy girls. Now, though, all Honey wanted was for her crush to show. She remembered then, that he never did say 'yes' and so maybe he never actually intended to stop by at all..

"Honey Lemon, why the long face?" The girl nearly jumped from her seat when the sound of the familiar, masculine voice pulled her from her worries. "Hey!" Tadashi casually strolled up to her table with another boy by his side.

"Tadashi?" Honey Lemon couldn't will herself to say more, she was purely shocked.

"Yeah," He laughed as he scratched the back of his neck, almost as a nervous gesture. "Sorry I haven't shown up the last few days, I made a friend and wanted to show him around. His name is Max, he's new."

Honey glanced to the tall boy that stood next to Tadashi, he was extremely pale and his hair was short, nearly as white as his skin. She hadn't seen the boy around but he seemed friendly as he gave a smile and a wave that looked shy, almost robotic too. "It's nice to meet you Max, I'm Aiko but my friends call me Honey Lemon." She smiled at the chubby, albino boy. He did look strange but she'd never judge a book by it's cover.

"Do they?" Tadashi seemed a little confused, as if he didn't understand why he hadn't heard her nickname before, with that she gave a nod. She was happy to discover that he truly did have a reason for his absence and was actually meaning to sit with her sooner. Maybe they were friends.

The lunch passed quickly but was filled with long conversation about everyone. They all shared a bit about themselves to learn more and Honey was happy to hear Tadashi speak, even though he was the one who said the least. Most of the time he just sat quietly, he seemed distant even with everyone so involved his mind was elsewhere and she couldn't understand why.

Max was the star of the table, everyone took interest in where he was from and what he liked to do. Turns out, the boy was very interested in medical fields. He said one day he hoped to become a personal health care assistant for some rich person, explaining how people under that profession get paid a ton just to sit around in the mansion of their employer in case they are needed. Fred gladly invited Max to his house sometime, suggesting that maybe Fred's parents would take the peculiar boy up on that offer.

The days went by quickly, of course her favorite time was lunch where she continued to try and bring Tadashi into the conversation more. Sadly, he just wasn't too interested in sharing much about himself. Honey decided it would be best if she stopped pushing, he was sitting at her table. Couldn't that at least be good enough for now?

The bell that signalled the end of the school day, and the school week, caused Honey Lemon to jump from her chair. She had lost track of time, scribbling in her math notebook till the sound of the bell. The girl smiled recalling the plans that she'd made today. She'd meet her friends by Gogo's car and they'd all pile in so Gogo could speed off to the Lucky Cat Cafe. It seemed like everyone in school had been talking about the grand opening of this awesome cafe. So, of course, her and her friends made plans to be the first ones there.

She rushed down the hallway and out to the high school's parking lot where she spotted Gogo's yellow sports car which deemed two thick, black stripes down the center.

The boys had been so jealous when they found out she was getting such a hot ride, but it suited Gogo.

"Hey everyone!" Honey addressed her friends as she hopped in the back, they were all already there. "Guess I wasn't as quick as I thought, huh?" She chuckled nervously while she clicked her buckle into place and held onto the back seat cushion, preparing herself for the ride. Gogo had an obsession with speeding in her car but some how never getting caught. Her driving was crazy, but not technically unsafe. She had never gotten into an accident and never got a ticket - but that was just luck. Once they pulled out of the parking lot everything was zooming by, it made Honey Lemon dizzy just looking out the window.

Fred was holding onto the back of Gogo's chair and Wasabi had a hand over his mouth, he was easily motion sick so it wasn't an unfamiliar gesture. To her leather seats though, it was a great threat she wasn't willing to see through.

"You all are overreactors." Gogo sighed as she slowed down.

"I'm sorry, Gogo, I just don't think my stomach can handle your driving." Wasabi apologized as he swallowed hard.

"Pfft, big baby." Honey Lemon laughed a bit at that remark, though it was inaudible she agreed with Gogo. Wasabi was the softest, sweetest person she knew.

Honey happily looked out the window now, watching the old fashioned townhouses pass by in slow blurs. She thought Sanfransokyo was extremely beautiful, happy she'd left the town that she used to live in, the school she used to go to. The colors here were so bright, and even though not all was perfect, the people that lived in the city seemed fairly content.

Soon the car pulled up to the adorable cafe, a sign that read: Grand Opening! Adorned the wall above the double doors. Their group hopped from the car and Honey was the first in the cafe, pointing to all the lucky cat decorations.

"Do you like the place?" A short, middle-aged woman approached the group of friends with a smile. She was holding a notepad and a pen was propped behind her ear. Her tufts of light brown hair were cut short into what looked like a slightly grown-out pixie cut. "Welcome to the Lucky Cat Cafe!" She smiled at them brightly, clearly overwhelmed with the excitement of the day. A name tag was pinned onto her shirt reading 'Aunt Cass.'

"Aunt Cass?" Wasabi was the first to question it.

"It's what the kids call me." Aunt Cass winked with a smile, showing off her friendliness. "Can I get you all a table?" She nodded for them to follow her into the cafe where she found them an empty table to sit at. "Your waiter will be with you in a moment." She smiled then headed back to the front of the cafe where she resumed her position as the hostess.

"Isn't this just the cutest little place?" Honey Lemon chimed as she slung her backpack over her chair and took her seat across from Wasabi.

The group chatted with each other for a bit, discussing school work and weekend plans until a voice, presumably their expected waiter, interrupted their conversation.

"Hello and welcome to the Lucky Cat Cafe! Can I start you off with some drinks?"

Honey recognized that voice anywhere. "Tadashi?"