Root walked into school on Monday feeling apprehensive. Shaw had never texted her back on Sunday. Root tried to assure herself that she might just have been busy or actually doing homework or even sleeping off her own hangover, but despite the boys' reassurances, Root couldn't help but feel that something had changed. It was only a month into school, and she'd already ruined her chances at getting a girlfriend.

Root sat at her desk, waiting for Shaw to walk in the door so she could apologize in person, but Shaw never showed up. In spite of herself, Root was a little bit relieved. She hadn't formulated any sort of plan to confront Shaw about the party. She wanted to just ignore it and pretend nothing had happened. They could just go back to flirting and forget it.

She knew that wasn't what she wanted, though. She really wanted to talk to Shaw and kiss her again. By the end of 1st period, Root was starting to worry. What if Shaw had moved to a new foster home back in New York? It probably shouldn't matter. She didn't know Shaw that well, and she'd get over it, but Root didn't want to get over it. She wanted to date Shaw and learn everything about her.

Class ended and she met up with Harold and John in the hall. When she walked into Biology, she saw Shaw talking to Mr. Ingram at the front of the class. It looked like Shaw had spent 1st period helping Mr. Ingram rearrange the lab tables. Where they'd been pushed together to form squares before, they'd now been spread out, two people to a table.

Root walked to her seat and looked at test kits on the table. They were testing their blood today to figure out their blood types. Root actually didn't know hers and she wasn't able to ask her parents, so she was kind of glad for the test. If she had to take care of herself, knowing her blood type would be good. Of course, Root hadn't been able to bring in her parents' DNA, so she didn't have anything to compare it to.

Harold and John put their stuff down on their own table and turned around to face Root. She smiled, knowing that they were trying to be supportive in case Shaw never talked to her again. She hadn't told them about wanting to have sex, but she'd told them about passing out while kissing. They tried to glance over their shoulders sneakily, so Shaw didn't notice, but Root was pretty sure Shaw noticed immediately. Their eyes connected across the classroom for a moment, before Shaw turned away.

"So," John started, "what did she say?"

"Nothing," Root replied. "She wasn't in our first class. I think she was here setting this up." She focused on pulling her notebook out of her bag. "I guess I'll try to talk to her when she comes over."

"You'll do fine, Root." Harold said cheerfully. "I believe in you."

Root laughed. "Thanks? It's not a big deal."

"Move, Nerds." Shaw appeared at John's side and shooed them away. She sat heavily on her stool, her bag already on the table. Sighing, she waved at her test kit. "I already know mine. AB Positive. I just tested last year."

"Well, I don't know mine," Root replied. She sat on her stool. "I missed you in English."

Shaw smirked. "You're just jealous that I got to escape Mrs. Russell for a day."

Licking her lips, Root looked away, trying to listen as Mr. Ingram explained the test kits. She pulled the box closer, fiddling with the flap. Would it be weird to talk here? Or should she just ask to talk later? She glanced at Shaw again, and caught her staring.

"Hey," Root breathed, leaning closer. "Do you want to hang out after school?"

Shaw hesitated. "I'm busy."

"Oh." Root shrugged. She hated how vulnerable she felt. Shaw hadn't even sounded upset, but Root felt like she was avoiding her. "Ok. Nevermind, I guess."

"Jesus," Shaw muttered, rolling her eyes. "I'm not upset, or anything. Nathan and Alicia want to have a family dinner, or some shit. I'd rather hang out with you than them and Lionel."

Root smiled, happy that Shaw was trying to make her feel better. Maybe she hadn't ruined everything. That was good. Shaw was talking to her. It always seemed like Shaw had it all together, but Root had to remember that she was a real person, not just a hot, athletic mystery.

She absent-mindedly tapped the box on the table, looking back at Shaw. She'd never felt so connected to someone so quickly. Even with Hanna, it had taken months for them to get close, but with Shaw, Root had had such a strong reaction right from the moment they'd met. She didn't believe in fate, or anything like it, but maybe she and Shaw had some crazy chemistry together.

"Alright," Mr. Ingram said loudly, getting Root's attention, "go ahead and open your kits. Let me know if you need help pricking your finger. I'm sure some of you will prove squeamish.

The class chuckled and started the process, the sound of rustling paper filled the room. Root tore the box open and pulled the test and instructions out. It was easy enough. Prick your finger, put the blood on a stick, stir the stick into a vial. There was a card in the kit, too, so they could put the liquid down and see what antigens they had, and what the Rh protein would be.

A click beside her made her turn to Shaw. Shaw had pricked her finger with the needle pen, red blood appearing in a drop. She quickly wiped it onto the test strip, then stuck the finger into her mouth. Root flushed and looked away, picking up her own pen and pricking her finger.

It didn't hurt at all, and she wiped the blood onto the test strip. Hesitating, Root put her own finger into her mouth, pressing the tip down onto her tongue. It tasted metallic and she tried not to focus on it as she opened the small vial with her free hand.

As she stirred the stick in the serum, she looked back at Shaw. Despite the easy task, Shaw had a look of concentration on her face. She looked serious, and thoughtful, and Root found herself liking her a little bit more. They hadn't actually studied any Calc yet, spending their time just hanging out, or playing video games with the boys. If Root had known how cute Shaw's thinking face was, Root would have forced her to study more.

Shaw glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, and Root blushed, looking back down at her test. They finished in silence, dapping the test sheet, and waiting for it to dry. Root leaned towards Shaw as they waited batting her eyelashes.

"We could always hang out after dinner. My parents are still away, and I don't have a curfew."

Shaw raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Trying to get back in my bed."

"Is it going to work?" Root tilted her face, leaning closer. "A bed is better than a closet."

Root's words must have reminded Shaw about the party, because Shaw sighed and leaned away from her. "Maybe another time."

Frowning, Root turned back to her test. The swatches were starting to turn red, with a few mottled spots. She needed to talk to Shaw privately and tell her that it hadn't been a drunken mistake. Root wasn't just flirty. She was serious about wanting to kiss Shaw. They didn't even have to be girlfriends. Root was fine with friends-with-benefits. She was just desperate for Shaw to touch her.

Sighing, she picked up her paper. "AB Negative," she said, using the legend at the bottom to understand the swatches. "No A or B Antigens and No Rh Antigens. I am Antigen-free."

"That's weird," Shaw muttered, looking at her own car. "I could have sworn that I was AB Positive last time."

"What's it say?"

Root leaned over to look at Shaw's card. It was the same as Root's. As sappy as it was, Root liked the fact that they were the same blood type. In a pinch, they could give each other blood. In a real pinch, they could donate organs to each other. Root smiled at Shaw.

"Blood buddies."

Shaw's face scrunched into a disgusted frown and she glared at Root. "Gross."

"Whatever," Root shrugged. "Don't come crying to me when you need a heart transplant."

"Please keep your heart," Shaw chuckled. "I don't want it."

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Root pedaled her bike down the street, letting Harold and John ride ahead. They'd been going on night time bike rides for years now, usually on nights when they were having a sleepover. It had been a few weeks since they'd had one, because Root had been spending time with Shaw, and the last one they'd had, on Saturday night, Root couldn't even remember.

She liked the night rides. Their town was always quiet and calm and, even though she was with her friends, it still felt like she was getting some time alone, without having to be in her house. She hated her house. It was very big and very nice, but it always made her skin crawl. There was just something about it that felt wrong.

She also didn't like the looming reminder that her parents had left her. She'd started sleeping in their room six months after they left; it had an amazing master bathroom. Her room was nice, but the bathroom was around the corner and Root didn't like running around the house at was weird to sleep in her parent's bed. Sometimes, she dreamed she was sleeping in their grave. Harold was always willing to let her sleepover, though. That's why she had her own guest room in his house.

Hopefully, Root would be able to talk to Shaw soon, and she'd be sleeping over at her house a lot. Alicia might hate her, for some weird reason, but Mr. Ingram liked her, and Shaw would never be kept from something she wanted. Maybe Root's house wouldn't feel so bad if Shaw was there. Root shook her head. They weren't close enough for that yet.

The only friend Root had ever brought to her house was Hanna. She'd understood Root better than anyone. Root's parents had loved Hanna, and Root thought that she might have loved Hanna, too. Her death had been really hard.

When Hanna had died, Root had spent a year in a fog. She could barely eat or sleep, much less do schoolwork. Harold and John had been there for her, carrying her through the year and not leaving her side. Root had thought that she'd never get over it. She had, though, and that's how she knew that she could get over Shaw to, if she had to.

Root missed Hanna a lot, but she didn't want to keep herself from Shaw out of a sense of guilt or something. Hanna would want her to have a girlfriend, or even something casual. Root smiled, thinking about the advice Hanna would have given her. It would probably be a long metaphor about the Oregon Trail, and then she'd tell her to go get her girl.

She thought about telling Shaw what happened, and how depressed she'd got. Harold and John had really saved her life. Losing Hanna and her parents all at once was… hard, to say the least. Root stood on her pedals, her hair flowing behind her as she rode. She was glad she hadn't killed herself after all. Her parents probably wouldn't have come back for the funeral anyway, and then Root wouldn't have met Shaw.

She smiled at Harold and John when they looked back at her. "I'm still here," she joked, speeding up to ride between them.

"We were just checking," Harold admitted, guilty.

"I'm alright, guys. How can I be sad about girls when I've got my boys?"

John reached out to punch her arm lightly. He was getting to be so tall, and Root was a little bit glad that she wasn't the tallest in the group anymore. Harold pointed to the right, and they all turned, ignoring the stop sign.

"Let's ride by the school," John suggested. "We never go that way."

Root shook her head, but she followed him. "We never go that way because this is our free time. Riding by the school at night is like an inmate driving by a prison for the nostalgia."

"A good analogy, Root." Harold said, smiling. "Incredibly apt."

Root squinted ahead. "It looks like someone is running around the track."

As they got closer, Root could see that it was Shaw. Her skin glowed in the orange lights that illuminated the track, and her hair swung behind her. She looked ethereal and Root wondered if she was imagining the way the light seemed to collect around her.

"That's odd," Harold mumbled. "Why would she be running this late at night?"

"Who knows," John replied, shrugging. "I'm kind of sad that I didn't think about it. More training time."

Root slowed down, letting her foot drag along the street. She stopped just next to the open gate and climbed off her bike. "You guys go ahead."

John and Harold stopped a few feet ahead, turning in their seats to look at her.

"Are you sure?" Harold asked. "We can stay."

"Guys, I'll be fine," Root said, rolling her eyes. "This isn't drama. I'm just going to talk to her."

They shrugged. John started pedaling away, turning in a slow circle in the street as he waited for Harold. Harold pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Are you still sleeping over?"

"Hopefully not," Root answered. "No offense."

"None taken," he laughed. "Just text me if you decide to come."

Root gave him a mock salute and climbed off her bike as they started back down the street. Dropping it to the ground, she walked through the open gate onto the field, watching as Shaw finished the last curve and headed back toward her. Root stuck her hands into the center pocket of her sweatshirt and walked onto the track.

She wasn't going to run, but if Shaw didn't stop in front of her, she wasn't sure what she would do. Root wasn't going to chase Shaw, figuratively or literally. Thankfully, Shaw slowed as she got close and stopped, putting her hands on her hips.

"Hey," Shaw panted. "What are you doing here?"

"We like to bike at night," she answered, shrugging. "John wanted to bike by the school."

Shaw raised an eyebrow. "Why? It's like visiting a prison."

Smiling, Root nodded. "That's what I said!"

They smiled at each other for a moment, before Shaw looked away. She kicked at the red dirt of the track with her shoe, glancing around the field. Root felt weird just standing in silence, so she decided she'd better start talking.

"Uh, I just wanted to say that…" Root took a breath. "I totally want to have sex with you."

Shaw barked a surprised laugh. "Wow. That is direct."

"I don't want you to think that I regretted our closet make-out, because I don't." Root blushed. "I really liked it. I'm just a little embarrassed that I passed out."

"It's fine. I've been known to have that effect on women."

Laughing, Root reached out to push Shaw's shoulder. "You're so smug."

"I have every right to be," Shaw answered, sticking her nose in the air. "I'm a hot commodity."

"Ok," Root chuckled. "I'll take your word for it."

They stood in a quiet silence again for a minute and Root wondered if that was it. She'd said what she wanted to say, but she wasn't sure if it had done anything. Shaw hadn't kissed her or anything. Root took a small step forward.

"So…" She licked her lips. "Do… you want to have sex with me?"

Shaw rolled her eyes. Instead of answering, she closed the distance between them, grabbing Root's face and yanking it down to her level. Their lips crashed together, and Root gasped happily. Wrapping her arms around Shaw, Root let herself melt into the kiss.

Kissing Shaw felt like the best torture. Every second of it was the best moment of her life, but it was never quite enough. Root wanted to her whole body pressed to Shaw, wanted to feel every inch of her burning from Shaw's touch. Shaw's tongue brushed against hers, and Root felt an electric thrill ran through her, pooling in her stomach and spreading through her body.

Root lifted Shaw's t-shirt, resting her hands on the bare skin of her sides, feeling Shaw shiver beneath her. She pushed herself against Shaw, moaning as Shaw's teeth sunk into her bottom lip. The taste of blood bloomed in her mouth, and Root groaned again, nails digging into firm muscle.

Shaw pulled her mouth away, looking up at Root with black eyes. Root jumped back, gasping. Shaw blinked and her eyes were back to normal again. Root had forgotten about the dodgeball game on the first day of school, when Shaw had gotten angry and the whites of her eyes had turned black. She didn't believe in demons, or anything like that, but that's what Shaw had looked like.

It was gone now, though, and Shaw just looked confused, her eyes looking normal again. Root chuckled nervously, quickly pushing hair from her face. She smiled apologetically.

"Sorry. I don't know what happened. I think I'm tired, or something."

Shaw just shrugged, crossing her arms. "We don't have to do anything tonight. You're probably still getting over your terrible hangover."

"Yeah," Root breathed, her stomach turning. "that's probably it. It was really bad."

Root was starting to feel better, even though her stomach hurt again. Shaw wasn't mad at her, and she wanted to be with Root. That was good. Root looked around the track, listening to the cicadas scream.

"Do you come out here often?" she asked. "It's a good spot."

Shaw laughed at Root's awkward question. She ran her hand down her ponytail, looking around the track, too. "Uh, sometimes. Alicia and Nathan are really clingy and I need space sometimes." She looked at Root out of the corner of her eye. "I, uh, like having space to myself. Quiet."

Root smiled at her, getting the message. "I won't interrupt again. You can have your alone time."

Rolling her eyes, Shaw smiled. "You could always, like, do home work. In the grass. Or something. Do something quiet. While I run."

Warmth bloomed in Root's chest and she grinned, the bite on her lip pulling. "Ok. That'd be nice. I like alone time, but … I don't like being alone."

"Can I ask a personal question?" Shaw crossed her arms. "About Hanna?"

Root knew she'd have to tell Shaw about what happened eventually, but it was still hard to nod. "Yeah."

"What happened to her?"

Sighing, Root sat down on the track. She put her hands down behind her and leaned back, stretching her legs forward. "It's hard to talk about."

Shaw dug the tip of her show into the dirt. "I guess you don't have to."

"No, I want to. You should know if we're going to be…" Root hesitated. "It's just hard to talk about."

Shaw sat down in front of her, crossing her legs and leaning her elbows on her knees. "Take your time."

Dropping her head back, Root stared up at the stars. "She died. In 7th grade. So...about four years ago, I guess. Four years in March."

"I'm sorry," Shaw muttered, "for your loss."

Root glanced at her, and found her face unreadable. When their eyes met, her face shifted into sympathy. Root had never seen a shift like that before. It felt like Shaw had put on a mask. Shaw shrugged uncomfortably.

"What happened?"

Root turned back to the stars, deciding that Shaw was doing her best at sympathy and that was fine. "It was a Robotics accident. Mr. Greer was the middle school science teacher, before he switched to the high school the same year as us. He started the robotics club. We were building robots to submit to the county fair. Hanna's had helicopter blades and when she turned it on…" Root blinked as tears formed in her eyes. "It went right through her, and crashed into Harold's leg. She was only 12. Harold was still 10. His birthday is in April."

Shaw took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she said again. "That must have been really hard."

"Yeah," Root said, chuckling dryly. "It was the worst thing that ever happened to me. Well, tied for worst."

"What's the other one?"

Root looked at her, smiling sadly. "We're not that close yet."

Shaw just raised an eyebrow. "Ok." She put a hand on Root's leg. "Thanks for telling me."

"Of course." Root shrugged. "You're in the friend group now, so you would have found out at some point. Hanna was really important to me. My best friend."

Root didn't say that she was pretty sure Hanna was her first love. Her only love, so far. Maybe Shaw would make it there, but maybe not. There was still the chance that she would leave. Root sighed, and started climbing to her feet again.

"I should get to Harold's. It's getting late, and you're right that I'm still recovering."

Shaw stood quickly and reached down to offer Root a hand. Root took it, electric chills running down her arm as she pulled on Shaw's hand and stood. Kissing her quickly, Root shoved Shaw away, smiling as she looked offended.

"Good night, lover," Root said quietly. "See you tomorrow."

"Why don't you sleep at my place?" Shaw asked. She brushed a stray hair from her face. "It's weird to just get personal information and then leave right? Seems like it should be weird, if it's not."

Root frowned, trying to figure out what that meant. Shaw was a mystery to her still, even as Root was getting to know her better. Licking her lips, Root stuck her hands into the center pocket of her sweat shirt.

"Hey, not to be rude, but do you have…" Root pursed her lips, not sure how to phrase the question. "Your file said you had emotional problems, but you seem fine to me."

Shaw frowned, crossing her arms. "That's definitely rude."

Root sighed, slumping dramatically. "I don't care, Shaw. I just want to know, so I can understand you better. I just told you about the death of my best friend!"

Shaw tilted her head back and forth, considering. Root had just opened up to her about something painful, and now she was trying to figure out if she would return the favor. Root really didn't care about whatever limits Shaw had, she just wanted to know, so she knew how to interpret what Shaw did.

"Fine," Shaw finally said. "I have an Axis II Personality Disorder. It basically means that my emotions are like… a stereo turned really low. They're there, but they're muted. I'm not dangerous, or anything."

Root smiled, thrilled that Shaw would share that with her. She moved to Shaw, wrapping her arms around Shaw's shoulders and holding her close. Shaw's arms automatically circled her waist, holding her in place. Root dropped her forehead to Shaw's, looking her in the eyes.

"Thanks for telling me," she breathed, "but I do think you're dangerous. I think I already kind of like you, and that's dangerous for me."

"Well, don't go falling in love," Shaw said, scrunching her nose. "The last thing I need is relationship drama to follow me around."

"Oh, I'll follow you around. It's the best view of your butt."

"Gross," Shaw muttered, but she pushed onto her toes and pressed a kiss to Root's lips. "I'm not a replacement for Hanna. I'm not here to fill some hole in your life."

Root nodded, her forehead moving against Shaw's. "I know. You're your own person. I like that about you."

"Good." Shaw pulled away. "Now, let's get back to my house so we can make-out for a while."

"Yes, Ma'am!"