Prompt by anonymous, from a dialogue prompt meme: "Can we pretend I didn't just say that?"

To be fair, it hadn't been one of Maka's best days. She was tired and she was stressed, both of which added up to a Maka who wasn't all that careful with what she said.

"Sorry, Liz, I can't make it tonight." She pressed the phone against her ear as she tried to juggle an armful of books. Pile successfully balanced, she slung the strap of her messenger bag over her shoulder and made her way to the stairs.

"What? Why not?" Liz demanded, her voice tinny through the phone's speakers.

"I already told you yesterday, I've got study group."

"No, I distinctly remember you saying, 'Sure, Liz, of course I can come over. It'll be great because we haven't seen each other in ages since I'm an uptight nerd who studies all the time.'"

"I don't think I said that," Maka said, grunting as she shouldered open the stairway door. The librarian at the reference desk gave her phone the evil eye, but since it wasn't a quiet floor, she couldn't take it away. Maka could practically feel her cell-phone hating gaze on the back of her neck as she slowly wound her way between tables, searching for her study partner.

"It was something along those lines."

"Well, whatever I said, I still can't come tonight."

"Yeah, but for study group? Since when do you need extra studying?"

"Since I signed up for a music class I'm obviously going to fail."

"Wait…this is for the music class? Oh, don't tell me, you're studying with Hot Piano Guy?"

Maka snorted, then squeaked as the pile of books in her hand wobbled dangerously. "I didn't say that, either."

"Oh, come on. Why else would you blow me off? Admit it, you're studying with Hot Piano Guy." Liz sounded way too smug for her own good.

Maka rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."

"Still not hearing a denial."

"Alright, fine, I'm blowing you off to study with Hot Piano Guy, happy?"

"Hot Piano Guy? You wouldn't happen to be talking about me, would you?"

Maka startled violently, upsetting her books and sending them crashing onto the floor. Phone still to her ear, she turned slowly to see Soul Evans (aka Hot Piano Guy) sitting at a table behind her.

"Maka?" Liz asked. "Maka, I heard a crash. Everything okay?"

Maka swallowed hard. "So, Hot Piano Guy may have been sitting right behind me when I said that."

"Ooooh, get it, girl."

Maka hung up immediately, her face bright red. She stared at Soul, who met her gaze with a raised eyebrow and the start of a smirk.

"So I am Hot Piano Guy."

Maka winced. "Can we pretend I didn't just say that?"

Soul shrugged. "If you want. I, for one, think the evening would be a whole lot more interesting if we didn't."

Correction: it hadn't started as one of Maka's best days.

Posted 8 July 2014