"Hey, Cara," April greeted her friend the next day as she sat down in science. "Where were you this morning? I didn't see you in English."
"Oh, I came to school at the beginning of fourth period because I had a dentist's appointment," Cara informed her. "Can you tell me what we did in English?"
"We just watched a video -- no notes, amazingly -- and proofread our rough drafts for the paper due next week. You didn't miss much. I almost slept through the movie!"
"Well, I pretty much did. I slept in until the end of first period."
"Not fair! I guess I'll have to make sure my next appointment is in the morning like that!"
The two girls chuckled. Then a new friend of theirs, one whom they had just met two weeks previously when he moved there from Lake City walked in. Cara turned her head away from him for a second so only April could see her blush.
"You-you like Brian?" April asked her incredulously.
"Not so loud!" She paused. "Yeah, I guess."
"You've only known him for two weeks!"
"So?"
"Hey, Cara, April," the new student, Brian Fulbright, greeted them a moment later.
"Hey," they replied.
"Is the at-home lab due today, Cara?" he addressed her.
"No, it's not due 'til next Monday. Why?"
"Oops. I did it last night, thinking it was due, and stayed up until midnight doing it!" he laughed.
They laughed along with him. So did Daran, startling them, for he had walked up from behind without them noticing.
"Class, sit down. Open up your books to page 324. Begin reading about the ocean and answer the questions -- all of them -- on page 330," their teacher, Miss Knight, interrupted. "You have half the period to do this."
The class groaned after noticing the amount of work those questions contained.
"But," she continued, "you may work in groups of three or four to answer the questions. There will be fifteen minutes of reading, then you may discuss quietly among yourselves."
An audible sigh rippled across the room. For the next fifteen minutes all that could be heard was the occasional turning of a page. Then Miss Knight cut in, "Now you may work on the questions. But if it gets too loud, you have to work alone and without talking."
Half the class mumbled, "We know, we know."
"Are you done yet, Cara?" April asked.
"Almost -- just a sec. Okay, done. How about you guys?" she addressed both Brian and Daran.
"Yeah, we're done. Just waiting for you slowpokes to catch up," Brian teased.
April gave him a mock-punch in the arm. "Really? Then why is your finger still in the book at page…329?" she teased him back.
"Because…umm…I haven't finished?" he said timidly. The other three laughed.
"We'll just tell you about it as we go along, Brian," Cara told him.
"Sure." The four, now called "The Fearsome Foursome" by the rest of the class, including stern Miss Knight, got to work. As usual, they were the first ones done with the assignment, and had it turned in with ten minutes left of class.
"Since you four are so quick, you may start on tomorrow's assignment now. Only do the write-up: we'll do the actual lab in class," Miss Knight told them, then left the table they were working at to answer a question from another group.
April looked down at the sheet. "We're going to do stuff with oil and water? Of course we know they don't mix! What kind of a lab is this?"
"Oh, crud -- it probably has something to do with oil spills in the ocean and how bad they are for the wild life. More environmental lectures," Daran sighed.
"Argh!" the other three groaned in unison. But, they got to work, getting it almost done by the time the bell rang.
"See you guys in math, kay?" Brian asked.
"Yeah," they replied, going their separate ways.
April paused before leaving the classroom, glancing at the desk that had been empty the entire period. I wonder where Darion was today… With a shake of her head she put her train of thought back on her next class.
* * *
April walked out of the school's front doors into the cold November sunlight. Brr… she said to herself, shivering. I should have brought a sweatshirt, at least. After walking a block or so, she met up with Vega.
"Hey, Vega. Anything new with the Scouts?"
"No, not much. Yesterday was the only big thing that has happened in the past few weeks. I think they're taking a break to gather resources or something."
"That's a bad thing, huh?"
"Yes. If it's resources they're gathering, there could be a major attack in the future. But, if they're just stopping for a while to 'catch their breath,' then that would be better. Still bad, but not as bad as the other possibility."
"Oh, boy. Can we get home now? I'm freezing!"
"Really? I didn't think it was cold out here."
"That's because you have a constant fur coat that you can't forget at home," April muttered under her breath.
"What was that?" Vega queried.
"Just thinking about hot chocolate," she lied. "Hurry up!" She raced the remaining five blocks to her house at the thought of getting warm. "Hi, Mom," she called up the stairs.
"Hi, dear. How was your day?"
"Pretty easy. Do we have any hot chocolate?"
"Yes, in the pantry. I noticed you left your coat. Aren't you cold?"
"Yeah, but I'm warming up. Can I turn on the fireplace?"
"Yes."
April sat down at her desk, which had been moved into the family room where the gas fireplace was just for this reason. After spilling out the contents of her backpack onto the surface of the desk, she began to retype on her computer her paper that was due the next week. If I get ahead, I'll have more time to go shopping to get some Christmas presents early, she told herself. April turned on her CD player and hummed along with the music as she typed.
* * *
"I can't believe that Christmas break is in two weeks!" April exclaimed to Cara three weeks later during math class. "I can't wait!"
"Neither can I. April, do you get this radicals stuff? Geometry isn't my strong point."
"You and Daran both. At this rate, I'll end up teaching a class all by myself! You, Daran, and sometimes Brian…" April watched her friend's face for a reaction, and was rewarded with a blush. "Gosh, Cara, you're really hooked on him!"
"Be quiet," Cara said crossly.
Immediately April realized she had hurt her friend's feelings. "Aww, Cara, I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"
"Yeah," Cara said. She looked down. "What do you think?"
"What do I think of what?"
"Well, do you think he likes me?"
"I don't know. It's hard to tell. He does talk to you a lot, but don't be too anxious, Cara."
Cara sighed. "I just hate not knowing."
"Hey, guys," Brian and Daran greeted them as they walked up a moment later. "April, do you get this stuff?" Brian asked her. "It's confusing…" and he trailed off when Cara and April broke out laughing. He asked, "What's so funny?" and they laughed harder. Between laughs, Cara said, "April--maybe you--should--become a--math teacher!"
"Do you understand any of this?" Brian asked Daran.
"Not one bit," he replied.
"Oh, boy," he sighed and looked heavenward.
* * *
During study hall, April felt haunted by a strange sensation. She looked up several times from her textbook, certain someone was watching her. Most of the time she spotted Brian glancing away, as if he had been the one looking at her. What the…why is he looking at me so much? Oh well… she thought, and went back to her work.
Next period after lunch, in science, April caught him looking her often again. Okay, then, this is weird. But I won't say anything about it, because if it means what I think it means, it'll hurt Cara's feelings. Oh boy…
"You were right, Daran. We are doing something on the ocean's environment and oil spills," she whispered to him when Miss Knight was not looking.
"Unfortunately," he replied, and she chuckled.
* * *
The weeks flew by. Winter break came and went, as did January. All too soon it was February and they were getting their scores back from their finals.
"Yes!" Cara and April exclaimed together. "We got A's on most of them!"
"Which one did you get a B on, Cara?"
"Dumb Spanish. I got two verbs mixed up."
"Darn. I got a B -- a high B, but a B all the same -- on the history final. I don't really like Peterson, so I don't always pay attention. Oh well. It didn't lower my overall class grade, so I still have a 4.0!"
"You two, what did you get?" Cara asked the two guys.
"I actually aced the math final!" Daran said, completely astonished at the letter "A" looking up at him.
"Good job!" April congratulated him.
"I got almost all A's, too," Brian said. "I only got a B in…math."
"You want me to help you more, Brian?" April asked.
"Yes!" he said, brightening up considerably. April noted this and was a little concerned, but soon forgot about it, as they had to leave for class.
In science she caught him looking her way again -- frequently. It unnerved her. Why the heck does he keep looking at me and seem to love it when I talk to him! Aah! Maybe he…likes me! What will Cara do about this? I hope I'm just overreacting…sigh.
The next day, Friday, was Valentine's Day. She sighed. I kinda wish I could figure out whether I like Daran or not. Grr…and if I do, I wish he did too… wait, maybe I don't, what with this whole Brian thing I can't figure out. Argh! I hate guys! April was so preoccupied with her thoughts while putting books in her locker that she didn't see Brian walk up from behind and put his arm around her shoulders.
"Uh, hi, Brian," she said, startled and confused.
"Hey, April," he said brightly, his arm still on her shoulders. "You know how it's Valentine's Day?"
"Yes," she replied slowly.
"Well, I really admire you, think you're beautiful, and like you a lot. I was wondering if you'd consider…going out with me, you know, be my girlfriend."
April was completely stunned. The thought What will Cara say? dashed through her mind. "Why, Brian, that's really nice of you. Uh… can I give you an answer tomorrow?"
"Sure. Here, take these," and produced for her, in his free hand, three beautiful blood red roses, with sprigs of baby's breath and ferns completing the bouquet. "I really do care for you, April."
April was startled into silence. "I realize you're surprised, so just think it over, okay?" he suggested.
"Okay," was her automated response. He then headed for his next class, a smile on his face. Oh, my gosh. So that's what all those looks were about! Aah! What will Cara think of me if I say yes? But what will happen if I tell him no? And what about Daran?
Well, what about Daran? a little voice in her mind interjected. You still don't know if you like him or not, right?
So? He's a cool guy… I'd go out with him if he a—what am I saying?! I'm so confused… first Brian's thing… now this… I hate guys! she exclaimed again.
In her daze, April remained clueless to anything going on around her. "Hey, what's up? You look funny," Daran's voice intruded into her thoughts.
April was jerked out of her stupor by his words. "Uh, er… oh, nothing."
"C'mon, I know something's up." He glanced down at the roses in her right hand. "Whoa… April, where did you get those?"
"Umm…a friend gave them to me?" she offered.
"Don't believe it," he said brusquely. "If that's not the case, then who…" he trailed off as a thought came to him. "Was it Brian?"
The look on her face told him everything. "What did he say?"
"He…he asked me out."
"What?!"
"He asked me out."
"What was your answer?"
"That I'll tell him my decision tomorrow."
"Tell him no," Daran said bluntly.
"What?" she asked incredulously.
"Say no," he repeated.
"Why?"
He blinked, unaware of the import of his last two statements. "Um… because I… I want you to go out with me," he stuttered, getting the last phrase out in a rush.
April became weak in the knees at his words, and Daran had to steady her. "You… want to go out… with me?" she asked in a tiny voice.
"You got it."
She looked up at him, eyes shining from tears. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"For a long time I've been trying to figure out if I liked you or not. Lucky for you that I figured it out about three minutes ago… mostly," she said, smiling.
"You mean you feel the same way?"
"You got it," she told him, stealing his words from a minute before. They laughed.
"Is that a yes?"
She nodded.
Daran cried out, "Yes!" and draped his arm around her shoulders. They looked at each other with equally bright smiles and walked out of the school. Daran knew she did not have to take a bus, and neither did he, so they walked to the little grocery store a block down the road from their school. Entering, he asked April to not look. He then went up to the counter and asked the clerk, "Are the box of chocolates and flowers still on hold for me?"
"Yes," the clerk replied. "Here they are," he said, handing Daran a heart-shaped box of chocolates and a beautiful bouquet of rosebuds.
"Thanks," Daran said, and paid for them. Walking over to where April was had sat down and was looking out the window so she would not see Daran's surprise, he said, "April, you can look now."
She turned around and gasped at the gifts Daran had bought for her. "These are beautiful!" she exclaimed, then glanced at the chocolates. "My favorites! How did you know?"
"I asked Cara when you were getting something from your locker," he told her.
"Oh," she said, chuckling. Then she remembered something. "What if my parents say no?"
"They won't. I already took the liberty of asking if it was okay with them, and they said yes."
"Oh, Daran," she sighed and leaned against him. He put his arm around her and just enjoyed the moment.
* * *
The weeks turned into months, and Daran and April remained together. The fact that Cara liked Brian and Brian liked April was hard on their little group for about a month, but in May Brian surprised Cara by asking her to the school's spring dance. That event made the whole world seem perfect to the four, and they enjoyed a lot of double dates together.
One thing that confused April for a long time was her purpose as Sailor Nova. Vega told her to remain patient, but it was so hard for her to stay an advisor and be unable to help the other Scouts out. It was a constant source of argument between the girl and her cat. Eventually April resolved herself to her lower role, and forgot about the whole issue once summer rolled around. But, a few months after she turned sixteen, her power became a close issue once more…