Chapter 6

"Okay!" Avaron declared, setting her tray down forcefully. "I've been doing some thinking."

"That's a first." Breda snickered, earning him a sour look from the girl across the table.

Avaron flicked him off and then turned her smiling attention back on Jean. "I think Ayase would be perfect for you."

"Oh God." Jean groaned. It had been three days since he'd made his return and things were relatively back to normal except now everyone was convinced he had a heart condition that could be agitated by high stress. That wouldn't be so bad if you excluded the fact that now everyone was walking on eggs shells around him and treating him like some sort of invalid. It was becoming quite irritating actually. It was just his luck that the only one who didn't seem to care if he had a heart condition or not was Avaron.

She was just as boisterous as before, though she did make an effort not to make as many crude jokes or comments about Roy and Riza's relationship as she had in the past. Rena had smiled and waved at him the other day and he'd given her a weak smile and an embarrassed wave back. Her face had burst into a flaming red blush and she immediately cast her eyes back down to her salad and fruit cup.

"Are you listening?" Avaron near shouted.

"Um…no?" Jean answered honestly. His thanks was a smack to the back of the head.

"Ayase, dummy. Leggy blond, loves to sign in the school plays. She's way into the arts."

"A little too into the arts, she's pretty but her, um, eccentric ways scare me a bit." Jean said haltingly.

"What eccentric artsy ways?" Avaron frowned. Jean wanted to bash his head into the table.

"Last open campus day when we didn't have to wear uniforms, she wore a lime green beret with a bright pink turtle neck and a leopard print vest over jeans and red shoes." He stated matter of factly.

"Ah, so you noticed her?" Avaron grinned.

"Of course I noticed her! Who didn't?" Jean cried.

"He's got a point." Breda jumped in again.

"Oh, go suck a lemon Heymans!" Avaron growled.

(A/N: Why yes, I do watch stargate, lol.)

"What you need, my friend, is a lusty red head." Breda said, ignoring Avaron.

"Avaron scares me more than Ayase." Jean pointed out.

"Hey!" She pouted, throwing a fry at him.

"There are other red heads on campus." Fuery interjected, attempting to be helpful.

"Does she have to be a red head?" Riza asked.

"No, she does not have to be a red head. Bread just said that." Jean said hurriedly.

"Mmkay." Maria murmured, adding something to her notes. Jean craned his neck trying to see what she was typing this time.

"What do you mean mmkay? I'm offended! What do you mean I scare you?"Avaron shouted, drawing attention from around the room.

"It's not that hard to figure out your reputation alone leaves no doubt that you're a complete animal in bed, you'd probably kill him. He's a virgin Ava." Roy said disinterestedly.

"Thanks Roy." Jean said dryly, cheeks aflame.

"I'm not always an animal." Avaron gasped.

"Your libido says otherwise." Roy smirked.

"Be nice." Riza warned.

"Yeah!" Avaron snipped.

"Name five guys on this campus you haven't slept with and I'll take it back."

"Fine, Jean, Kain, Vato, Heymans, and Maes, easy." Avaron replied with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Name twenty." Roy challenged.

"You said five Roy." Riza sighed, annoyed.

"If I haven't shown an interest in them, I don't know their name because they're obviously not important." Avaron growled.

"Are you saying you can't do it?" Roy grinned.

"Uck, you're an ass but if I must can I name girls too since I'm bi?" Avaron asked.

"I think I just won." Roy smirked triumphantly. "And on that note maybe you two should get together. At least you'd lose it to someone hot, right? And you can be sure she knows what she's doing."

"Roy!" Riza exclaimed punching him in the arm.

Jean didn't think he could sink any lower in his seat if he tried but he kept holding out for the part where the floor opened up and swallowed him whole. This entire conversation was so embarrassing. Why was he friends with these people? Why did he seem to be so far behind in everything?

"You make a pretty good point for an ass. I guess I'm game, you're cute." Avaron smirked winking at Jean. He fell out of his chair. Why was this happening to him?

"Oh, poor Jean. Guys stop teasing him." Riza begged tugging on Roy's arm.

"Fine, sorry for trying to help." Roy said rolling his eyes at the look Riza was giving him.

"I'm not, I was totally serious." Avaron said flippantly.

"Um, I think I'll go try to find Ayase now." Jean blushed, scrambling to his feet and out of the cafeteria.

He didn't breathe properly again until he was in the courtyard. His life was becoming increasingly embarrassing and all because of a stupid dance. Maybe he should just drop out of high school and become a hermit. He could go north and get a cabin in the mountains. He'd become friends with nature and have a pet squirrel to talk to and he wouldn't have to worry about girls or life ruining dances ever again.

He was kicking a loose clod of dirt when a group of giggling freshmen passed by him. He was just beginning to scowl thinking they were making fun of him too when he caught a whispered 'he's cute' a midst the giggles and was shocked into a confused stare instead. A different kind of blush now stained his cheeks as he wandered further into the courtyard and over to the fountain at the center. He sighed staring at his reflection. Too bad the girl of his dreams didn't agree with those freshmen. Too bad he lacked that irresistible suave nature you seemed to obtain by losing your virginity. Maybe he should do it with Avaron, just to get it over with…but then, that would ruin everything. He'd always wanted it to be special and with the love of his life, not just because someone suggested it or because it was the cool thing to do. He'd prided himself on being above harmful peer pressure. He sat on the edge of the fountain and sighed, dropping his head into his hands. Why was everything so complicated?

He was half considering throwing himself into the fountain and not coming up until life made itself clear or her drowned when he was joined at the fountain.

"Hey." It was Natsumi. She had been the only girl in his freshman intro to hand-to-hand combat class. The other guys wouldn't work with her but since he'd had a female best friend all his life Jean wasn't bothered by being her partner. He'd blushed and stuttered his way through the first few lessons and helped her in areas she'd struggled with. Since then, they'd maintained a friendly acquaintance.

"Hey Natsumi, how are you?" Jean smiled, glad it wasn't one of his scheming friends.

"I'm alright, not looking forward to another dance but other than that, life if good." She shrugged.

"Oh yeah, what's wrong with dances?" He asked, wandering what a girl could possibly see wrong with the buying of a ridiculously expensive dress and getting all dolled up.

"No one likes a tomboy." She snorted, coking her crew cut head to the side.

"No." He scoffed. "The others are just embarrassed because you're better than them. I'm sure you'll have a date in no time and if he tries to pull something just let me know and I'll kick his ass."

"I wish." She laughed. "Guys just have a thing for those slap happy giggly girls."

"And girls have a thing for those arrogant, macho, man-whore, idiots." Jean retorted.

"Not that you're bitter?" Natsumi laughed at the face he'd made as he said that. "What's eating you?"

"Sorry." He laughed to lighten the mood. "I'm not doing so well at getting over this girl."

"I can tell." She smiled. "If you need some help, let me know, we could hang out sometime."

"That'd be fun. We could box or go play paintball." He said thoughtfully.

"Or go to a movie like normal teenagers." She suggested, with a slight blush.

"That'd be cool too. We'll have to compare schedules some time."

"Yeah. Well, I uh, I have calculus now so I have to go but, um, I'll call you about the movie." She smiled, sounding almost giddy.

"Alright, sounds fun." Jean grinned, waving good bye. 'Wow, if only making dates were that easy.' He thought standing up. She'd given him a great idea though. Maybe he could take Ayase into town on open campus day and they could go to the café or something.