More months passed. Days blurred until another one stood out of the regular mix. Petra had had to deal with regular pre-calculus students. They themselves were not a problem. It was merely that they did not care and that they only came into the course as driftwood, propelled by the inherently flawed school system.

A particular senior had gotten on Petra's nerves for not having completed homework ever. Thus, Levi heard an out-of-place angry tone from Petra's class saying: "Why do you think I assign this?"

After a silent murmur: "But you're failing!"

The half-exchange continued, Levi eavesdropping fascinated by an angry Petra. The student walked out and Levi entered.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"How's it going?"

"The usual." In Petra-talk, this meant bad. Levi didn't know why he knew that.

"Don't let one student annoy you."

"Thanks." Petra picked up papers. "How's our child doing?" Levi gave an odd look, happy not to have had a drink to splutter out. "BC."

"Yeah." He knew what she meant. "Just never expected anybody to say that to me." Petra smirked over the very awkward moment as Levi briefly looked at everything but Petra. "It's going fine."

And then Hange erupted in. "LEVI! OH MY GOD! I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN SO LONG!" Petra actually jumped.

"Hey Hange."

"Who's she?"

"Hange, Petra. Petra, Hange."

"Hi."

The conversation got boring until Hange yelled "WAIT! YOU'RE THAT SECRETARY!"

"Yeah…" Petra was amused at the impression she made on the district - even Erwin brought it up.

The conversation drifted back down. Hange and Petra reached the topic of Levi. This was interrupted by Erwin: "Hange, I thought we had a meeting."

"OH MY GOD! I am so sorry."

Petra muttered a reason to leave. As she turned, she noticed Levi muttering a reason to follow her, causing raised eyebrows in both Erwin and Hange.

The next day, after school (nearly 24-hours after), Petra learned the full import of the eyebrows. Hange entered alone and quietly. "Levi loves you." she said after all the niceties.

Petra couldn't help but blush. She had began to think of Levi as a friend, maybe a potential best-friend, and occasionally a little further. "Nothing to say?" Hange prodded.

"Well, his roommate agrees with you."

"As does Erwin."

"Erwin?"

"Yeah. I know. Who ever knew that man would think of such things?"

"Who ever knew Levi would have a friend?"

"Point. People are complicated."

Petra began to realize her own complexities. She couldn't decide how she actually felt about Levi. On the one hand, she fancied him her 'one and only.' On the other, they were barely friends. She was always some point on the line between these hands, occasionally slapped backwards by one of them. Was this love? Or was she in love with being in love? How could she tell? Did somebody else know her well enough? That's when the old 'squad' came in mind. Her old college friends - Auro, Erd and Gunther - could help her. They would meet Levi at the Christmas party she was having in a week.

Time warped until the weekend, when the squad converged. Petra invited Levi as well and allowed the others one guest. Erd brought his fiancee and Gunther brought Auro. Levi was forced to turn up late, letting the squad catch up on the past five months.

Soon, Levi entered. "Hey guys! Meet Levi." Petra did the four necessary introductions. Eventually the conversation came onto the one common topic: Petra.

"Avoid her when she's mad." Auro advised.

"That's 'cause you've seen that side of her the most." Erd retorted.

"So far, I've been fortunate not to have her mad at me."

"Well done."

"He does have an advantage as a clean-freak." Levi had commented on the apartment, forcing a quick explanation of his preferences.

"And, unlike you Auro, he's not annoying."

"Really?" Erd slyly asked. "I thought certain socially awkward people were annoying to you."

"I've learned."

Erd feigned pride as Levi asked. "Certain socially awkward people?"

"There were a couple of annoying people to teach. Even now Annie bothers me."

"Annie?"

"Reticent math-nerd." Petra explained to the guys.

"How exactly am I an exception?" Levi had to ask. He thought he was getting a regular treatment from Petra.

"I'll save that for later…"

"She loves you! Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Gunther began to sing the Beatles song. "She loves you! And you know that can't be bad…"

"Stop it." Petra yelled. "Since y'all wanted to know: Levi, you're not that socially awkward at all. You don't talk much, but you've never been rude - asked me to shut up or hated my friends. I barely knew you were awkward until after we became friends."

Levi obliviously shrugged as the guys nodded and smirked, knowing that Petra was lying.

After dinner, Levi left. Petra took the chance to ask: "So y'all think I love him?"

Auro nodded and the others joined in. "Is it… obvious?"

"Nah, you're fine. He probably loves you to." Erd reassured Petra.

"People think that."

"Hmmm."

"What, Auro?"

"Who thinks those things?"

"His roommate and Hange." Hange had been mentioned earlier.

Thus, Petra dropped into one hand of her thought: she was in love with Levi. The oddest part was how she scarcely realized it.

Her theory validated, Petra discussed a plan, with Isabel, to see if Levi loved her. Isabel confirmed the idea, rejecting the plan as Levi's love was obvious to Isabel. "So how do I get in a relationship with him?"

Isabel spewed ideas, too excited to stop - she'd never imagine anybody say this about Levi. Unfortunately, all the girls concluded with was Petra's: "I think I'll have to leave him to find out."

Petra began to realize her love for Levi. She spent too much time just looking at him or too much time think about him. She was definitely in love.

It became easier to think of it. All doubt was removed by her friends' verification. Now she was left to wonder. The only reason she needed the friends' opinions was because she couldn't guess on her own. Introspection, she thought, was a tool one used to further what one wanted to think of themselves.

In the end, she wanted a mathematical, logical, irrefutable proof and that she got. It was unfortunate that observation was necessary in the imperfect real world, instead of the imagination and irrefutable logic in math, but her proof was irrefutable and the more she thought of it, the more irrefutable it got.

Levi, on the other hand, did not live in the real world. He was separate. The only special thing about Petra was that she was a sort of conduit, connecting him to the real world. Because she fit in his world and the real world, Levi surmised, she was a necessary friend and there was no other way about it.

Yet, Levi was perplexed about his comfort with this thinking. Since when did a person - a mere mortal - become necessary. Had his mind forgotten that Petra was merely mortal? Did his mind cease to care? Why did he 'need' Petra? Why did he need to be connected?