I panted, willing my legs to move faster. I ran and ran and ran. The dim corridor stretched on and on. Endless.

Maka, please don't die…

In the distance, I finally saw the outline of a door. My light at the end of the tunnel. I sped up.

I grinded my teeth and hurled myself against the door. It crashed open. I stumbled.

Blinking rapidly at the sudden brightness, I straightened. The room was way bigger than I imagined.

Emptier, too.

A hospital bed was tucked in the furthest corner. Other than that, nothing. Just me, the bed, its occupant, and pale yellow light.

A room this size wouldn't suffocate anyone, so why was I hardly able to breathe? A room this size shouldn't feel so stuffy.

Hot. Damp. Sticky. My head spun.

This was no time to vomit.

I bent over, hands clutching my knees.

I coughed. My throat was on fire. My lips, my mouth, my tongue—all dried up. I couldn't stop. I squeezed my eyes shut.

My skin crawled.

I hacked and feared that if I looked at the floor, I would see a puddle of puke or drool or blood. Or any combination of the three.

My flesh screamed, begging to be scratched.

I couldn't collapse because my feet were like concrete.

I unleashed one more loud cough, and my fit ended.

It left my body itchy and weak.

My entire dress was damp.

Sick!

I wanted to take it off, but I couldn't. Not in front of her.

I raised my head and lifted my eyelids.

The figure on the bed hadn't moved. Was she asleep? Was she already—Was I too late?

Come on, move…

My feet weighed a ton. I literally had to grab my leg and force it to drag one foot in front of the other. After a few steps, I thought it would get easier.

But with a room this big, it'd take forever.

It was hopeless!

How was I supposed to deal with this?-!

I needed to check on Maka! How could I do that if my body didn't listen to me?-!

At this rate, a snail could beat me to the corner. My eyes watered because the more I trudged, the further away the bed seemed.

My neck and back were ready to snap.

I took a moment to wipe my face. When I tugged on my leg again, though, it didn't budge. I tried the other. No use. They were nailed down.

I sunk to the ground. I hugged my knees and buried my face in them.

I needed to clear my head. I blinked slowly, watching my chest rise and fall. I welcomed the silence.

Now, what should I do? Walking was impossible. Maybe I should crawl.

I waited for more ideas until a groan pulled me from my thoughts. Maka? It had to be.

The bed creaked, and I jumped up. Next thing I knew, I was standing right by it.

Maka lay flat on an old mattress, no sheets, blankets, or covers. Just a pillow. Her hair was down and strewn about. She wore nothing. Only a thin, white towel covered her. Black, blue, and purple bruises ran up and down her neck, arms, and legs.

It hurt to look at her.

That nauseous feeling crept into my stomach.

Her eyes and lips were closed. She was too still.

I should've walked her home.

"You should've walked me home." Her voice was soft but distinct. Nothing but her lips moved.

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

Her eyes opened partially. They stared at the ceiling, almost lifelessly. "Why are you here?"

I quickly drew my hand back, having nearly placed it over hers. "I… I was worried about—"

"Maybe you're confusing 'worry' with something else," she said, a little fiercely. "Like guilt, maybe? Have you come to redeem yourself?"

I fumbled with my hands. "N-No… I only came to make sure you were okay! That's all, that's the only reason…"

Why wouldn't she look at me? Did she really blame me for this? I didn't mean it.

I stood there, rubbing my hands together. Surely Maka would get through this? Her injuries didn't seem fatal…

Maka was so quiet, not doing anything. Not even blinking. It was even hard to tell if she was breathing.

When Maka didn't talk, I decided to do it instead. The towel bothered me, so I tried asking the one question I feared knowing the answer to.

"Did… Did they…?" My nose started running. I used my drenched sleeve to wipe it. "Did they… do… things… to you? Like, besides b-beat you…?" If the answer was yes, then they didn't have very long to live.

Maka's eyes closed. She stayed still and silent.

My nose ran again, but I left it alone. Was she breathing? I wanted to check, but I was too scared. I trembled from head to toe. I jammed my eyes shut and let the tears fall.

"Please, Maka… I don't know what to do; I don't know how to deal with you being so quiet and not moving… I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you, after everything you've d-done for me…! I know I'm worthless, but I-I always try so hard—I'm trying to get better, for you…" I wrapped my arms around myself, but I kept on shaking. I squinted and saw that she hadn't moved an inch.

Was she listening? Could she hear me?

I dared to open my eyes all the way and lean forward. I tilted my head and lowered my ear just above her nose and mouth, making sure not to touch.

It was small, but it was there. She was breathing.

One of my tears fell on her cheek, and I jolted back up in horror.

But Maka showed no reaction. And there was nothing I could do to get rid of it. I couldn't wipe it off; that would mean touching her or almost touching her. I couldn't blow it off, that would mean getting too close to her. Filthy…

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I wish I knew how… I wish you'd tell me what I can do to help—I'm not good at this, so…"

She could be asleep for all I knew. Maybe she wanted peace and quiet, so she could rest.

"Do you want me to leave?"

No answer. A new wave of tears flowed. I didn't want to leave. I kept talking, even though I knew I sounded weak and pathetic.

"I don't know if you're ignoring me or just tired. But I just want to say that no matter what, I'll always be your friend. As long as you're alright, then I know I'll be alright. I don't know what I'd do if you were gone, Maka. I can't lose you, because I care about y—"

"Stop."

Her voice lashed out, strong and demanding. The tear on her cheek had disappeared.

Maka struggled to sit up, holding the towel to her chest. She turned her head to look directly at me for the first time.

The light cast shadows under her eyes. She regarded me with an expression I knew all too well from my childhood: contempt. She spoke to me, her words dripping with disgust.

"You need to grow up."

-xoxo-

As I got ready for class, I wondered if I should tell Maka about my dream. No, of course not. But what should I say when she asked me what's wrong? Somehow, Maka could always tell when something bugged me. If that happened, I'd shrug it off by saying I was nervous about seeing Azusa. That way, I wouldn't really be lying.

I saw her sitting in the middle row, waving me over. I sat next to her, studying her from top to bottom. No bruises. So it really was just a bad dream.

Maka cleared her throat. "I said, 'good morning.'"

"Oh, uh, good m-morning."

"Did you sleep well? You look exhausted." She brushed my bangs out of the way, pressing her palm against my forehead. She brought the back of her other hand to her brow. She scanned my face, searching for something.

I didn't move. I reminded myself that the Maka from my dream wasn't real. The girl in front of me was. I let my shoulders droop. I let myself ease up.

Just as I gave in to the comfort, I felt the slightest prick in the back of my neck. People were watching us.

"I guess you don't have a fever," Maka said, lowering her arms. "Is there something bothering you?"

I gave her my excuse and she offered kind words to make me feel better.

During lunch, everyone wanted to hear about the motorcycle incident from my perspective. Unfortunately, my mouth was full, so I couldn't answer right away. Ragnarok, however, immediately leaped into the spotlight.

"And so then I was like, 'Hey, Chrona, don't you hear that?' But ol' Numskull here was busy spacin' out over the plants. Next thing you know—KABLAM! We flew ten feet in the air!"

He talked loud enough for the whole cafeteria to hear. A little crowd had formed around our table, staring curiously at my weapon partner. He loved the attention.

"It came outta nowhere! It was a hit-and-run! I'm lucky to be alive!"

"That's not how it happened, Ragnarok!"

Great. I shouldn't have said anything. Now everybody was looking at me.

I didn't know how to handle all those eyes staring at me. Watching me. Judging me. Waiting. Expecting.

Something soft and warm settled on my lap. All thoughts of how I would mess up in front of everyone vanished. Maka's hand lay flat and still. It felt light, feathery.

I checked her face, hoping to see two wide emerald eyes glowing with encouragement. But Maka wasn't looking at me. She was looking at her plate, calmly chewing her food.

"Um… Soul swerved out of the way just in time. We weren't hurt, but the bike crashed and…"

"And then it burst into flames and exploded! There was smoke and fire everywhere! We barely got outta the way! We're lucky we survived!"

"S-S-Stop over-exaggerating…!"

"You don't know how to tell a good story!"

"A-At least it—it's the truth…"

Someone asked what really happened to Soul's bike. Soul himself spoke up and said it was at the repair shop. He answered questions like how bad the damages were, how long it would take to fix, and how much it would cost. The way he talked, it was as if someone close to him was dying.

Two girls cooed over him, trying to comfort him. They shot me hateful looks. I fidgeted and tried to pretend I hadn't seen. No doubt they thought the whole thing was my fault.

Maka's hand slid down to my knee. She frowned at the girls.

Again, I wished I could tell what she was thinking.

-xoxo-

According to Marie-sensei, Azusa was in the Death Room. As we headed there, she gave me tips on how to make a good impression.

"Make sure to stand nice and straight; Azusa doesn't like it when people slouch…"

I gulped and brought my back to its most upright position.

"Don't clutch your arm like that. You can't act like you're afraid of her."

But it's not an act. I really am afraid.

My fingers didn't want to leave my arm. It seemed cruel to pry them apart. They were super-glued together. Once separated, my arms felt awkward and wobbly.

I picked my chin up so that I'd stop looking at the floor. I saw the door to Shinigami-sama's chamber just ahead. I breathed in and out through my nose.

My feet nearly tripped over themselves when a woman emerged from the door. Tall and thin with short dark hair, she carried a thick manila folder stuffed with important-looking documents.

Marie-sensei quickened her pace, and I had no choice but to follow suit.

Azusa saw us coming and stopped. She greeted her colleague and, when asked, answered that she could spare a minute or two. She listened patiently as her friend explained my situation and requested her to hire me as her assistant.

The Death Scythe turned her head toward me, as though suddenly realizing I was there. Her face hardened. One hand reached up and adjusted her glasses so that they caught the light. Her frown deepened and she pulled herself up to her full height.

It was hard not to shrink under that piercing glare. I blinked, but refused to look away. I couldn't show any signs of weakness.

My hands, though, begged to differ. They were itching to grab hold of each other, or twist the front of my dress, or cling to my arms. Anything to stop them from feeling empty and useless and uncomfortable.

To keep them from shaking, I balled them into tight fists at my sides. I squared off my shoulders and stared into the gleaming lenses.

I wouldn't back down. I wouldn't run away. I made a promise to Soul and Maka. I promised myself I would go through with this.

Azusa smirked.

She took her hand away. The light faded.

"All right, then. You can run errands for me, but I can't be sure how long I'll need your help. I'll give you an hourly wage, starting this Friday. Meet me in the library at exactly 4:00 p.m. If you are even one minute late, then you can just forget the whole thing. Understand?"

I nodded. "Y-Yes, ma'am…"

Marie-sensei smiled. "Chrona's a good kid, Azusa, so I'm sure you won't be disappointed."

It was nice of her to stick up for me, but I had a feeling it would take more than just being "good" to impress Azusa. Getting the job had been one thing; actually doing the job would be another. What kind of things would I have to do…?

I thought about it all throughout dinner. The cafeteria was mostly empty around this hour—only late-working staff and students ate and mingled with each other before turning in for the day. I never had to worry about anyone taking my favorite table nearest the corner.

I picked at my plate, thinking of how my first day would go. If it was in the library, it shouldn't be too bad. I liked that place. I'd show up early. Once I made it through the first day, the rest would get easier.

As long as I didn't mess up, everything would be fine.

"Chrona, you've been picking at your food for ten minutes now," Ragnarok said, tugging at my ear. "How am I supposed to eat your leftovers if it gets all cold?"

"I-I'm eating. All of it," I answered. "Besides, why don't you eat your own and leave mine alone?"

"Uh, newsflash! I've been finished, idiot!"

"Oh… W-Well, you can't have any of mine."

"Even when you don't finish?"

"What m-makes you think I won't? I-I always do…"

"Oh, really?" he asked doubtfully.

"Yes!"

"THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL SO FUCKING SKINNY?-!"

Every single one of the very few people in the room whirled their heads to stare. Ragnarok might as well have shouted to the whole city. Beads of sweat dotted my forehead before I could blink. I opened my mouth to scold him, but he dove back into my skin, leaving me the only one to suffer.

I slammed my jaw shut and hung my head over my untouched meal. The suffocating silence made me dizzy. They were still looking at me, I knew it. Any second and they'd start whispering. Then they'd tell others. The cycle always began the same way, but it never ended.

I should probably just leave. Maybe if I got out of here now, then no one would remember what I looked like.

But I couldn't just take the food with me, could I? And I didn't want to just leave it. That'd be such a waste.

Noises of mundane conversation gradually drifted back. I peeked out from under my bangs and saw that nobody paid attention to me anymore. They were probably talking about it, though. But I couldn't hear them, so I'd never know. I would never know.

It was probably still fresh in their minds, though.

I decided to eat even though I wasn't very hungry anymore. The sooner I ate, the sooner I could go and shove the humiliation deep into a dark corner of my brain.

By the time I took the third bite, I was positive I wouldn't throw everything up. I drank some water and marveled at how its clear, crisp taste seemed to soothe me from the inside out.

I chewed on some rice, slowly and carefully, and swallowed. Then everything went black.

Someone had covered up my eyes. My instincts told me to get ready to defend myself.

But my fear evaporated the instant the culprit's voice sang out, "Guess who?"

Were my ears playing tricks on me? It was too good to be true. "Maka?"

"Bingo."

Her hands slipped away. I looked over my shoulder and there she stood, grinning brightly.

I ignored the sudden impulse to grab her shirt, bury my face in it, and wail about how mean Ragnarok had been to me.

I resisted because…

"You need to grow up."

Because I wasn't a baby.

Maka went to sit across from me.

Behind her, I could see a group of four glancing frequently over at us.

I tensed and spoke of the first thing that came to mind before Maka noticed. "So, uh… What are you still doing here? I thought you went home a long time ago."

Her face turned sour. "Papa called me. He's in the nurse's office because of a stupid stomachache. But he acted like he had cancer or an ulcer or something! Nygus-sensei and I tried to calm him down—We told him it was nothing to worry about, but it took forever." She paused, staring at my plate. "I think he was having an early midlife crisis. Or something."

She didn't take her eyes off my food.

"Are you hungry?"

"No!" she exclaimed, but not loudly enough to cover her growling stomach. Her cheeks colored and she refused to look at me.

I found it hard to believe that even people like Maka could get nervous and embarrassed, too. What a relief to know that I wasn't the only one.

I smiled shyly. "Would you… Do you maybe wanna share?"

At first Maka shook her head, but her tummy rumbled again in protest. She groaned and decided to compromise. "I'll just have a little."

I pushed the plate closer to her. She held her hand over the fork and spoon, unsure of which one to take. I gave her the fork while I used the spoon.

Dinner tasted a lot better than it had a short while ago.

Twice, we both reached for the same thing and our utensils clinked together. We both wanted the other to go ahead. We both said no and kept insisting back and forth until Maka giggled and gave in.

We ate in silence. For once, I didn't care when someone's eyes darted to us.

That is, until Maka started looking at me closely.

I stopped eating. "W-What is it?"

"You've got some sauce here…" Maka poked herself on a spot near her chin.

I tried to mirror her. "Here?"

"No, there… Lower… More to the left… No, I mean right… No, I—Here." Maka leaned forward and grazed her thumb over the side of my chin.

Then she put her thumb to her lips, licked the sauce up, and went right back to eating like nothing happened.

But it did. It happened so quickly; I didn't know how to react. Thankfully, it didn't seem like anyone saw.

I wished she wouldn't do things like that in places where anybody could see. I wanted to tell her, but changed my mind at the last second.

To me, it felt… weird. Wrong.

To her, it was perfectly normal.

She didn't think what she did was odd, so I kept quiet.

It wasn't until I gulped down the last of my water that I realized Maka had nothing to drink. I set my cup down nervously, wondering if I should go get her something, but she got up and did it herself. If I'd only remembered earlier. Then I could've gotten napkins while I was at it, too.

I wasn't expecting her to come back with a root beer float topped with whipped cream and a cherry.

"I got the last one!" she announced, showing me her milky pearls of teeth.

She sat down, nudged our empty plate aside, put the glass between us, and pulled two straws out of their wrappers. "Let's share dessert, too."

"O-Okay…"

Maka dipped her straw into some of the vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. She took it out and sampled it.

"Mmm… I knew I forgot something."

"A spoon?"

"Yeah… Do you mind?"

I handed her my spoon. We shared it too.

But we didn't share the cherry.

I picked it up by the stem and held it out to her. "Here."

She inspected it for a moment before raising her eyes to mine. They softened. She placed a hand over the one holding the cherry.

"But you want it."

It was a statement, not a question.

I blinked. How did she know that? I said nothing, neither denying nor confirming the truth.

She gently pushed my hand back toward myself. "Take it."

So, I did.

Maka took a few sips and asked, "Do you always have dinner here?"

"Yes."

"All by yourself?"

"Well, besides Ragnarok. Yes."

Maka pursed her lips. She didn't approve. I assured her it was alright; I didn't mind at all. She nodded, but still looked unconvinced.

We drained more of the root beer float, lost in our own thoughts.

Then Maka opened her mouth to say something. I waited, but she ended up closing it. She twisted the spoon between her fingers.

She focused on her straw as she opened her mouth again and spoke. "Um… After I left Papa, I came to find you. I wanted to know… how it went." She peered up at me and went on, her voice delicate. "Did Azusa…? Did she…?"

I smiled, eager to tell her the good news. "Yeah, she did it—I mean, I did it—I mean—Azusa's gonna let me be her assistant."

Maka's face brightened. "Really? That's great! I knew you could do it, Chrona!"

Hearing her squeal my name like that sent a strange, pleasant tingle down my spine. She sounded so happy for me, so proud of me. My cheeks grew hot, so I knew I was blushing. I rubbed the back of my head and gave a small nervous laugh.

"When do you start?"

"This Friday," I replied in a voice so light and airy, I barely recognized it.

"And today's Wednesday, so… Hey! Y'know what we should do tomorrow?"

Uh-oh. I froze. I knew where this was going.

Don't say it… Please don't say it…

"We should have a party!"

Damn.

I forced a grin. "Y-Y-Y-Yeah."

-xoxo-

We held it at Black*Star and Tsubaki's place because it was just the right size: not too big and not too small.

It wasn't that I didn't know how to deal with parties, because I did, a little bit. It was just… I'd never been to one that was meant for me.

I figured since we were celebrating something I did, everyone would pay the most attention to me. I was right, so I had to put up with it.

Black*Star kept challenging me to arm wrestle for some reason. I actually almost won on the fourth try.

Soul wanted to know about my meeting with Azusa. His eyes widened in surprise when I told him how she'd fixed me with her ominous glare. They were all amazed to hear that I'd withstood it.

I shrugged. In my head, I wondered what the big deal was. I'd suffered under worse stares. They were much, much scarier.

We ended up playing a game called Twister. Maka thought I would be good at it, and I soon found out why.

The rules of the game were simple, so I got used to it right away. The big colored dots on the mat reminded me of gumballs in a gumball machine. No position was too difficult for me to handle.

"Right hand, yellow."

Easy.

"Left foot, green."

Maka was almost right. I would've been an expert at this new game if it weren't for one problem.

I had to share the mat with the other players! It was impossible to play without touching someone!

Just thinking about all the awkward positions I was forced into made me dizzy. Nobody else seemed disturbed—they actually enjoyed it! How could they laugh so carelessly? None of them sweated or blushed from embarrassment, but from having fun. I envied them.

At the first sign of danger, I slipped up on purpose so I'd be out and freed from this torture. Each time I did, Maka would look at me, one of her eyebrows raised.

By the time everyone was ready to call it quits, I breathed a sigh of relief. I never wanted to play that game again for as long as I lived.

Maka, on the other hand, had other plans.

"One more round," she insisted.

The others groaned and ignored her.

"C'mon, Chrona. Just once more. I want you to actually try this time." Maka wasn't using the kind, gentle voice she usually used to get me to do something. She was serious.

I nodded, fearing what she would do if I refused.

Maka pleaded for someone to referee and Patty happily volunteered. Everyone else left the room.

I bent down and smoothed out my side of the mat as Maka did the same on hers. We stood to face each other, but I couldn't bring my eyes away from the floor. Patty spun the arrow.

"Right foot, red."

Maka went all out. She seized every opportunity to get as close to me as possible. Lucky for me, she couldn't stretch herself fully and risk weakening her balance.

Meanwhile, I worked on staying as far away from her as possible. I had the advantage. My reach was longer and my balance was stronger.

But as the minutes dragged on, it looked like Maka would catch me in a trap. I desperately hoped for certain colors to be called next.

Before I knew it, the inevitable happened. Maka and I were practically stuck in a clumsy position. Our faces were way too close. My vision started to blur because sweat leaked into my eyes.

I hated this.

Apart from her soothing, deep breathing, Maka was still. Her forehead was a little damp and her cheeks were a little red, but that was only because she was getting tired.

Her lips curled upward. "Are you gonna pretend to fall now?"

"No."

Since the worse had happened, there was no point in trying to run away anymore. I concentrated on winning.

The game went on. I was thankful that Patty was the only one watching us. If I had to do this in front of everyone else, it would've been a disaster.

The next turn required me to move my left hand.

One of my legs was wrapped around hers—or was one of her legs wrapped around mine?

I stared down at Maka's face, then at my left hand in terror. If I lifted it, no matter how carefully, it'd touch her skirt. I just had to grit my teeth and get it over with.

But my rush was literally my downfall. The instant I jerked my hand up, I lost control.

Because I was falling, I gasped.

Because I was gasping, my mouth was open.

Because it was open, it brushed over Maka's ear.

My forehead smacked against one of the red circles.

No… No!

NononononononononoNO! This couldn't be happening!

But it was. And it did.

The taste in my mouth proved it.

I scrambled to my feet and stepped off the mat.

Maka hadn't moved.

Her face paled.

"I'm s-s-s-s-sorry!"

I covered my mouth with both hands and ran, nearly knocking poor Patty down along the way.

I ran blindly at first, but soon found myself in the bathroom. I slammed the door shut and locked it. Panting, I sunk to the floor.

I lay there, resting my head against the cold tile. I wished Ragnarok would burst from my back and point and laugh at me. I thought he liked seeing me in distress. I needed something to distract me.

The taste of Maka's ear wouldn't go away.

What had I done? It was an accident, but I still violated her.

I'd understand if she never wanted to be near me ever again.

I drew my knees up and hid my face in them.

I wanted to die. Or disappear. Or both.

I didn't know how to deal with these disturbing thoughts, so I started counting off the seconds. I stopped when I reached three hundred. No one had come to check on me. Good. Maybe they all forgot about me.

301. 302. 303.…

410. 411. 412—

A quiet knock interrupted.

I peeked out through the crack under the door, but I couldn't tell if it was her or not.

I wasn't sure whether to say "Hold on" or "Go away," so I decided not to answer at all.

My body ached, so I sat up and stretched my arms and legs.

"Chrona."

So it was her. I trembled.

"Chrona, open this door or I'll break it down."

Was Maka really strong enough to do that? I didn't want to wait and find out.

I stood and unlocked the door with shaking fingers. I grabbed the doorknob and held on to it so tightly I was afraid it'd snap off.

I opened the door inch by inch, keeping my eyes glued to my feet. A quick glance showed me that Maka was standing a few steps away, giving me room to walk out.

I crept forward, my eyes now focused on her feet. I didn't want to know what kind of face she was looking at me with.

"You don't need to worry anymore," Maka said softly. "It wasn't your fault."

I bit my lip. Her foot moved as if to come close to me, so to stop her I started talking.

"But don't you see? This is what happens when I try to do something I don't wanna do. I didn't want to play, but I did anyway, and look what happened!"

"Chrona, sometimes things just happen. And they're going to keep on happening in the future, whether you like it or not." Maka's voice grew stronger with each word. "The only thing we can do about it is accept it and move on. Don't dwell on something you can't change."

Easier said than done, I thought. But she was right. I couldn't let my regrets slow me down.

I allowed my eyes to travel up. Her face emitted a small but distinct amount of concern.

Why was Maka such a wonderful person?

I stared at the ear I'd offended and moved closer. I raised my hand and let it hang in the air, waiting for her permission.

She did nothing. She didn't move or resist as my hand drew closer.

I touched her ear as lightly as I could. I might've seemed calm on the outside but inside I was a nervous wreck. What gave me the right to do this, after what I'd done? I didn't deserve any of this, and yet there she was, willing to forgive and forget just like that.

By way of apology, I gave the ear a quick squeeze. Maka lifted her hand and gripped mine. At first I thought she was going to rip it away. I panicked, but then noticed the adorable smile she was giving me. Her eyes were gentle and deep. It only made my stomach do even more backflips.

After a few moments, Maka slipped away and turned, saying cheerfully, "Let's go back to the others."

Oh, no. I'd forgotten about them. Did they know about what happened? Had Patty seen?

"Poor, naïve Chrona—always making a big fuss over nothing." They might not say it aloud, but they could be thinking it.

I reached for Maka's back and caught a fistful of her shirt. She gazed curiously over her shoulder. I swung my eyes to the floor as a chill swept over me.

I tried to tell her I was scared of what everyone would think, but all that came out was a whimper.

In the following silence, we stood like statues. Part of me wanted to let go of the shirt and part of me wanted to pull it closer.

Maka turned around to face me; my fingers released the fabric because they were beginning to shake uncontrollably. All of me was.

With one hand, Maka backed me against the wall. With just one hand? Was she getting stronger or was I getting weaker?

She hadn't pushed me roughly, but I squeaked anyway. She placed her right hand on my shoulder. She wove the other hand into mine. She closed her eyes and lowered her head.

I knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to match our soul wavelengths.

I shifted my weight to one side. It suddenly occurred to me just how dim the hallway was. If anyone were to walk in on us, they might take it the wrong way.

Why didn't Maka notice it too? Or did she just not care?

I struggled uselessly. Maka stood on top of my feet, anchoring me.

"Be still," she whispered.

I stopped fidgeting, but my heart hammered on. I took one final deep breath and slowly let my head drop. A few of my bangs mixed into hers. The hand being held by her slender fingers grasped back. My free hand clung to her elbow. I let my eyelids fall and surrendered my soul to Maka.

-xoxo-

I showed up at the library ten minutes early. Just as my boss had instructed, I found an empty table and waited.

In a way, I was glad my first day was on a Friday. That way I'd be free to prepare myself over the weekend and know what to expect on Monday. Azusa promised never to make me work late—she made sure I'd have time for my studies.

The clock read 4:03 when she entered carrying two boxes. I wondered whether or not she came late on purpose. I knew better than to question it out loud.

Azusa walked briskly to where I was. "Take these and follow me."

I staggered under their weight. All I could do now was obey her orders. Maybe if I continued to do a good job, she wouldn't be scary anymore.

I was led toward the part of the library where only records and special, higher level books were stored. The man behind the counter started to protest the second he saw me.

Azusa merely pinched a corner of her glasses and said, "This is my employee."

The man fell silent and let us through. He didn't even ask her for identification. I wondered if her authority was born from natural leadership skills or if her glasses had special powers. Or maybe it was both.

She led me into the forbidden section and gave me my first assignment for the day. One box contained books she'd borrowed and the other had brand new books wrapped in plastic.

"All you have to do is put them back on the shelves alphabetically," she said.

When I was done she wanted me to bring the empty boxes to her office, where she'd meet with me later to give me another task. Then she left.

It all sounded so easy; I was almost eager to get started. I put the used books away first, taking care not to mix them up, even by a single letter. The place was a little dusty and cramped, but I didn't let it bother me.

Each book seemed more interesting than the last. The Construction of Shibusen. History of Witches: Platinum Edition. Animals and Their Souls.

That last one really appealed to me, but I held my curiosity back. I wondered why Azusa had borrowed these. They didn't strike me as higher level material. I wondered what kind of information they held, if one-star students weren't allowed to read them. They looked harmless, but Maka did always say to never judge a book by its cover.

After all the used books were put away, I ran into a problem. Was I supposed to remove the plastic wrapping from the new ones? Or did she want me to stack them just as they were?

I had to think about it carefully. If I got it wrong…

To me, unwrapping them would make the most sense. Books were made to be read, right?

After tearing off the plastic one by one, I swept my hand over each text's cover. It took all my inner strength to not open them and flip through the untouched pages. They were so… new, so fresh. That's probably why they smelled so good, like ink and pine.

Once the final book was where it belonged, I double-checked all the shelves. I had to make sure everything was perfect. Then, boxes of plastic sheets in hand, I made my way to my boss's office. I didn't have to wait long. Azusa returned and together we did what she called "spring cleaning."

She let me go after that, saying it'd be best to start slow. She gave me a preview of what I should expect to do next week: typing letters, delivering documents and packages, filing, cleaning, and more.

That night, I went to bed thinking it wasn't so bad after all. I truly believed I could do this.

A/N: WHY WON'T THEY KISS, DAMMIT!

*throws a rock at nobody*