Nothing more

It rained again today.

Droplets of rain pelted against the windows of the school, giving the classroom a blue appearance.

The atmosphere was reminiscent of when I was a child, and, at home, everything was silent as the blue drifted across the furniture.

The living room, the paint, the windows, the floor.

As if it was filled with water, or as if it had carried the sea all the way to my living room.

But this ocean was different and silent, one whose waves never crashed against anything, and the sand didn't get between your shoes.

It was always a moment, and then I wanted to lie on my cheeks against the floor and imagine that I was diving into the deepest corners... Under the couch, under the record player, or under the TV.

And at school, I wanted to do the same thing on the classroom floor.

I wondered what it would be like to be down there and watch Toji and Kensuke from there. Stretching my arms out as far as I could to touch the ceiling and laughing because, obviously, I could never reach it.

Moments and simple things. Nothing more.

And of course, I kept asking myself as I continued to take the class.

Every now and then I would turn in the direction of Asuka, and stir anxiously in my seat.

Then the bell rang.

We put away, cleaned up, and I didn't leave. I REALLY wanted to know what it would feel like to lie on the school floor and nothing more than that.

To have the whole world turn blue around every corner and to breathe the sea air so ethereal and imaginary that it made me anxious just to relive it all over again.

First, I sat at the table and debated against my own head the pros and cons of committing such a bizarre act.

I got goose bumps when I felt a draft, and heard footsteps coming from the hallway.

If anyone discovered me, I would rip my face off with my fingernails and run away from the scene so pitiful and stupid that I would never mention it again.

I plucked up my courage and planted my butt on the flat surface, thinking very deeply about all the things that would happen if I were discovered.

I closed my eyes.

"Just this once" I whispered to myself and slowly laid back down until my arms felt the cool touch of the slats, and my head hit egg on space.

Everything seemed bigger, farther away.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and stretched my arms out to the sides. I sighed at the sensation of air flowing under the door.

Once again I felt happiness again.

I yawned and turned to curl one cheek on the floor.

I closed my eyes again and smiled to myself.

The sensation was unmatched, I swear.

I opened my eyes, and looked above me again, stretching my arms and half-lifting my torso.

I was dizzy, and it took me a while to recognize where I was. I got halfway up as best I could and found a small round hard plastic bag, divided perfectly in half: white and red.

I leaned back again and lazily pulled her to me.

I caressed her and thought.

Nothing more

Yep, nothing more.

Because nothing else happened after Asuka came in looking for her and startled me. Her face looked determined, but as she approached me it softened.

My heart beat all the way to my conscience.

"Have you seen a red and white bag?" she asked me, looking around.

I sat up, pretending to be an idiot. I held out my small bag in my hand as I wiped my uniform.

"I just found it."

She smiled big and nodded.

"Ahhh! What a relief, I thought I had lost it" She took it in her hands "¡Danke schön! See you later"

And she vanished out the door, and nothing more.

She wasn't as bad as she looked.

I was surprised that our first approach was so silly and simple-minded, not to say like me, but at least I had done something good for her.

Now incorporated, I grabbed my tent and umbrella, heading for the lockers.

However, she was still there, and she was looking for something.

My blood ran cold.

My muscles tensed, my eyes widened like saucers, and I said nothing but: GET OUT OF THERE

Honestly, I don't know if she ever got back to me, the last note I sent her looked like a decent end and a good burial to the situation, but seeing her standing there waiting for another letter made me nauseous with nervousness.

At least she didn't ask me anything about the stupid thing I was doing in the living room, which also seemed strange to me.

I hid behind another rack of lockers and blinked several times, hoping I wouldn't find anyone else who was going to call me, my chest tightening with nerves.

I paid attention: A door closed and footsteps creaked on the floor of the entrance.

I rubbed my arms and began to pray: She had stopped halfway through.

I went the other way.

To be more exact, in the opposite direction, passing to the right.

I jumped from aisle to aisle, spreading my legs as wide as I could.

I listened again, and she had finally gone the other way.

I ran to put on my shoes as fast as I could, and threw them into place.

I hated myself for choosing shoes with laces, because I had to bend down and my concentration was zero. I was snorting like an annoyed pig and breathing heavily.

To my surprise, the door was not locked. I stood up in a daze and slammed it shut.

I turned to my left and there was Asuka, looking at me from afar.

She was soaked from the rain, and lucky for me she wasn't carrying an umbrella. And lucky for her, I was.

And nothing else.

She had a rather soulful puppy dog look on her face. I raised my eyebrows to act surprised.

I was about to speak, but the rain broke through the school roof again and interrupted me.

She walked over, slinging her briefcase over her shoulder and struggling against an orange sweater she was carrying in her arms.

"Forgive me for looking for you, but where are you going?" she pointed her pupils at my obvious blue umbrella.

I looked at her and swallowed dryly.

"To the station"

She smiled again and turned toward the street. "Shall I walk you?"

Her words startled me, but I opened the umbrella in approval.

Shyly, she approached me.

"You're Shinji, aren't you?" She asked as we walked out of the school, and nothing else.