"Sputterspark, Elmo" the little card read. It was placed on the table that Elmo was standing next to. The tables had been lined up in alphabetical order and the rat boy's seat was in one of the last rows. He had arrived early, as usual, so there were not many other students in the room.

The rat boy sat down on the chair and took his pens out of his bag. Today's exam was physics. His mind was perfectly at ease, for he knew it would be an easy task to fulfill, yet a strange sensation had built up inside him in the last few days. Maybe it was just joy that after this last exam, he would never have to go back to school again and he just hadn't realized it yet. His schooldays had influenced a major part of his life after all. He probably would not have learned so much, he would not have developed such a fascination with physics. And he probably would not have formed such a strong bond with Eleanor. They trusted each other, they could open up to each other – they were true friends. So in the end, Elmo thought, he could be grateful, even for all the unpleasantries he had had to endure in all these years. They had made him the person he was now.

The prom would be a happy ending to a story of ups and downs. Elmo was looking forward to it, even though it meant being the center of attention one last time. But as long as Eleanor was with him, he felt that nothing could go wrong.

"Hey, Elmo!" There she was. The rat girl located her table, put down her bag on the chair and walked over to him. "Are you ready?" She grinned from ear to ear, obviously looking forward to the end of their schooldays just as much as he did.

"Sure!" he answered and smiled. More students entered the room, and as expected they were whispering behind their backs. But the two rat teenagers didn't have the time to bother themselves with that. They were too focused on the exam to properly notice what was going on around them. Time went on, and soon enough all students were present, exchanging a few last questions, fueling old and new fears, shedding first tears of exhaustion. Elmo was sure that they would all make it somehow. Whether his bullies deserved it … well, that was another question.

The bell rang and the teachers entered, closing the door behind them. That was the sign for the students to sit down.

"Good luck, Elmo," Eleanor gave her friend a warm smile.

"Thank you! Good luck to you, too, Eleanor," he replied. The rat girl turned around and walked over to her table. Elmo waited for the exercise sheet to arrive. He was wrong - it was a whole pile coming up, which caused quite a few of his fellow students to utter sounds of despair. He, however, was looking forward to the challenge. The teachers beckoned them to start. The rat boy turned the first sheet and glanced over the questions. This exam was a cakewalk. He piled up the rest of them, took a quick last look at Eleanor, who had already started writing, and set about doing the same.

Elmo rose to his feet the moment the bell rang after three hours. Eleanor, too, had come to the front. She put her duly completed exercise sheets next to his.

"Thank you," Mr. Kingsley said and smiled at them. "Have a nice day, you two." Eleanor and Elmo thanked him and returned to their tables to pack their things. They had been the first to hand back their finished exams. All the others were still occupied with proofreading or saving what could be saved.

"This has got to be the easiest of all exams we've written," Eleanor said with a chuckle when they left the room.

"True." Elmo nodded. "I don't want to sound boastful, but I bet we'll both score 100 %."

"Oh, really? So, what if you end up being right?" Eleanor asked mischievously. "Are you gonna treat me to some ice cream?"

"That's a good idea, but no. I'll think of something different." Elmo saw disappointment emerge on the girl's face and grinned. "I was thinking about inviting you over for some homemade ice cream now. Strawberry and cinnamon, how does that sound?"

"Oh, that sounds awesome!" she exclaimed in delight, followed by a joyful leap. "How did you know my favorite flavors? Oh, Elmo, thank you!"

He shrugged. "Intuition? Telepathy? Who knows?"

Eleanor nudged him with her elbow. He knew how much she loved ice cream and to him, it was the perfect reward for them both.

"Do you know what you'll be wearing for prom?"

The question caught Elmo off guard. He and Eleanor were sitting on the porch in front of his parents' house, with two ice cream bowls on the table in front of them. His was still half-full, whereas Eleanor had already scraped hers. The afternoon was quiet and peaceful.

"Yes," he answered at last. "It's no big deal for me. Suit and tie." He shrugged, grinning. "Why is it that you girls always get so giddy with excitement about this?"

Eleanor stuck out her tongue and said in a mock-meaningful tone,"Please, show some more respect. Prom is serious business."

"All right, relax. I'm just happy it's finally over," he said, smiling to himself, and gazed into the distance.

"Would you rather not go?" the rat girl asked. There seemed to be a hint at worry in her voice. "We could go to the movies instead."

"No, it's … " he responded, trying to find the right words. "It's just that I've never been to such an event before. I suppose I just don't know how to handle it. And furthermore … well, when they see us together like that, they'll think we're a couple."

Eleanor looked at him for a long time. At last she said matter-of-factly, "They already do."

"True … I just don't want them to spoil the evening with their teasing." An uncomfortable silence followed Elmo's reply.

Eleanor stared at her feet. "You really don't have to do this if you don't want to. I can see that it's bothering you."

Elmo shook his head. "No, don't get me wrong. I'm sorry you got this impression. I definitely want to go to the prom with you. Otherwise I wouldn't have asked you." He gripped her hands and smiled at her. "I am really looking forward to it. It's gonna be a great night, I promise."

The rat girl's expression did not change. Something seemed to be on her mind.

"What's wrong?" Elmo asked, frowning.

Eleanor did not answer right away. She seemed sad. "I …" she began, taking a deep breath. "I'm gonna miss you."

Elmo sighed. They had applied for different universities and colleges. There was only one overlap: McDuck university in Duckburg. It was Eleanor's first choice, but not his.

"I'm gonna miss you, too. But … we don't know yet what's going to happen. Maybe we're favored by fortune," he tried to cheer her up.

"And what if we're not? It's going to be … strange without you." Eleanor turned her face away from him and watched a squirrel jump across the lawn instead. They probably had to shoulder the new start alone all over again. And this terrified Eleanor.

"You will find new friends."

"Yes … I hope so. And you will, too." She glanced up at him again and smiled, but only briefly. If he found new friends, there was the chance that there was a girl among them. Another girl. Eleanor wanted Elmo to be happy, she really did. But she didn't want to lose him.

"And remember, semester breaks are long. We can see each other, every day. You will have to tell me everything," Elmo said and a smirk appeared on his face. "And if I ever need legal advice because my ideas were stolen, I know exactly who to turn to."

Eleanor laughed out loud. This was another thing she would miss if their ways separated – his ability to lift her spirits. It was about time that she followed his example and started being more optimistic about things. Everything would turn out just fine.

"How is your experiment coming along?" the rat girl asked in order to change the topic.

"Oh!" Elmo scratched the back of his head. "Fine. I mean –"

Eleanor chuckled. "No Nobel Prize for you this year, huh?"

It didn't hurt him that she teased him. He knew that she believed in his theory, even when he was all set to give up, when he was thrown back two steps as soon as he had made one in the right direction or when he wasn't making any progress at all. Next to preparing for his final exams, he had worked on his experiment every single day, making test runs, comparing results, changing the setup and the parameters. There had been a few moments of success – and that was about it. Elmo had the feeling that he was missing something important, and that deranged him greatly. Or had he been wrong all along? Was static electricity not able to power light after all?

He wanted it, so much. It had been his focus of attention for so long now, occupying his mind day and night. Eleanor knew it, and so did his parents. Elmo had isolated himself more and more in the last weeks and he felt terribly sorry for doing so. He knew his parents allowed him all the time and space he needed, that they were proud of him. He didn't want to disappoint them or Eleanor under any circumstances. And he wanted to show the teachers and science club members what he was capable of. He wanted to prove them that he was a genius, that the findings of his experiment were a scientific breakthrough. He wanted to take his place in the world, to be a source of inspiration. If he failed … he wouldn't know what to do.

"Elmo? You still there?" Eleanor was waving to gain his attention.

"Yes. Yes, I'm sorry. I was just reviewing my schedule, mentally."

"Do you promise me not to be … well, too oblivious of everything around you?" The look she gave him was unmistakable. She was worried that he got completely lost in his work. "Me, especially? We have a date." She smiled.

Elmo smiled back at her. "I promise."

It was the evening before graduation. Eleanor's last evening as a student of St. Canard High School.

She was standing in front of the mirror, tying her hair back, up, and dropping it again. Elmo was right. The girls used to make a huge fuss about the prom whereas the boys simply put on their suits, combed their hair once and that was basically it. Or so it seemed. Eleanor, however, had spent the last half-hour deliberating how to wear her hair tomorrow night. A half bun? A high bun? A messy braid? She came to no conclusion, so she took her dress instead and held it in front of herself. It was a simple A-line and made of ice blue satin. It had semi-transparent sleeves and matching evening gloves. As for her shoes, she had decided for very small heels.

What made her so nervous, however, was not the prom itself, the fact that she would get dressed up in a way she had never done before or that her fellow students would get one last chance to bully her. She would be extremely careful and just try to get in nobody's way. It was the thought of being there with Elmo that filled her with agitation. As Elmo had mentioned before, it was an emotionally charged event. The couples used it to showcase themselves. Others would become official that very evening or in the following days. And some boys and girls would lose their virginity – that was no secret. She was one-hundred percent sure that this wouldn't happen to her, though.

And still, she perceived a certain tension between herself and Elmo. She wanted to be around him constantly – and at the same time, she was all in a fluster when she was with him. She loved him, but she assumed that her feelings were not mutual. This made her feel deeply grieved, and the two needs that were battling inside her didn't make it easier for her. On the one hand, she wanted to tell Elmo what she felt. On the other hand, she didn't want to impair their friendship. She was terribly afraid of being rejected, even though he would most certainly not turn her down just like that but give her a very reasonable explanation why he didn't want to be in a relationship with her.

Eleanor could not stand the thought of losing the only person she had left in the world. And still, she would never know if he loved her, too, if she didn't tell him. Unless he was the one to confess to her, but Eleanor didn't think so.

It was still quite early in the evening, but nevertheless the rat girl got ready for bed. She anticipated that it would take her awfully long to fall asleep.

At the same time, at St. Canard High School, Elmo was sitting on a crossbar between the iron girders, on the back side of the bleachers. The place he and Eleanor had frequented so many times, their secret hideout. They had met here to have lunch together and talk, undisturbed by the eyes and ears of their fellow students.

He had come here because he had needed time to think. Elmo had been unable to find any peace of mind at home, so he had gone out for a walk, ending up here. So many thoughts were rushing through the rat boy's mind. His experiment. Tomorrow night. Eleanor.

It had all started here, more or less, almost a year ago. So much had happened, so many fatal days had passed, and still he enjoyed thinking back of the recent months. They had earned him his best friend. They had gone through so much, especially Eleanor, and they had grown with the challenges, together as well as individuals.

Elmo cast his mind back to the conversation with her in the afternoon. For him, too, it would be unfamiliar to not have her around. He already missed her, and he wanted them to keep the prom in good memory. One year ago, he wouldn't have wasted much thought on going there at all, but things had changed.

There would be rumors, definitely. And yes, Eleanor was right, their classmates already thought that they were a couple. But his excitement was stronger than his concerns about what they might say. Eleanor seemed to have observed his nervousness and he was sorry for creating the impression that he didn't want to go to the prom. He was looking forward to it, he really was. Elmo was curious what his dear friend would look like, he wondered if she wanted to dance with him (he had been practicing) and how the evening would unfold. In any way, he would take her here one more time, for nostalgic reasons. To reminisce.

The sun was starting to set and the street lights lit up. Elmo interpreted this as a sign to go back home. Maybe he would work on his experiment a bit more. Soon he would have to disassemble his setup at school and take it home. Elmo's mother took a dim view of a carpeted treadmill in her basement, but it wouldn't be for long. The deadline was just around the corner. The rat boy hoped that he would be able to bring good results by then.

When he returned, his parents were still sitting outside.

"Well? Were you able to take you mind off things?" his father asked.

Elmo nodded. "I think so." He joined them, gazing up at the darkening sky. The first stars became visible.

"Sweetie …" His mother put an arm around his shoulder. She seemed to notice that he was still pondering. "What's wrong?"

The rat boy sighed. "I don't know. I guess I'm just nervous about tomorrow."

"But why? There's no need being nervous," Irma said. "You're going to your prom, together with your best friend."

"That's exactly what I'm so concerned about," Elmo admitted. "It's my first date! I have no idea what to do ... how to act."

"Well, just be yourself," Edmund said and grinned.

His son smiled weakly. "I mean … what does Eleanor possibly expect from me?"

"I don't know for sure, but I think it's something along the lines of this: She expects you to go to the prom of your own free will and not to do her a favor. She expects you to enjoy the evening and – most of all – that you do not worry so much." Irma turned her son's face around and looked in his eyes firmly. "And don't forget the flowers."

Elmo laughed. "Thank you, Mom. What would I do without you?"

The rat boy had indeed sat down at his desk again to compare the results he had obtained during the last few days. Was the carpet he had attached to the treadmill unsuitable? Worn out maybe? Didn't he run fast enough, not long enough? There was so much to consider and one link was either still missing or not properly adjusted yet. He would keep on trying. And if that wasn't enough, he would resubmit his project next year.

He called it quits for tonight and leaned back. His closet caught his eye. There it was, his suit. Elmo had headed out alone to buy one. Prior to that, his mother had voiced misgivings that he might want to take Eleanor out in his usual shirt, tie and dark lab coat, but he had been able to calm her down. When he had returned with the dark blue two-piece suit, Irma had been delighted and somewhat relieved. Elmo liked it a lot and he hoped that he would find enough opportunities to wear it in the future.

And he would definitely not forget the flowers. The small device on his desk would make sure he didn't. He had built it just recently. It was some sort of alarm clock that would hold up a card with a written message at a set time and weekday. He called it "ELEctro-Automatic NOtifier and Reminder". It helped him remember not to overdo things when its name giver was not around to do so.

Just that very moment, one of the cards shot up.

Go to sleep.

"Thank you for the reminder, E.L.E.A.N.O.R." Elmo gently patted the surface of the device and smiled. He then took his pajamas and went to the bathroom.