---

Less than half an hour later, they both sat on Will's bedroom floor with books open all around. They both poured over the given chapters, and Irma constantly scribbled in her notebook. Timelines, important locations, famous world leaders, and various other facts all made grist for their mental mills.

"Okay", Irma said as she finished skimming a chapter. "The Germans followed Hitler for the same reason the French followed Napoleon - they were charismatic leaders who promised great things for their nations, even though they wound up losing in the end."

"...and you're going to try to tie Julius Caesar into all this too? You've got a real appetite for punishment!" Will leafed through a book on Rome. "What's this whole thing going to be for, anyway?"

Irma didn't look up from the book as she spoke. "Well, mom said that it would be a really bad thing if my grade didn't get a little boost."

"What kind of bad?"

"Y'know those oldies CDs she has lying around? Like, that's-all-I-get-to-listen-to-at-home bad."

Will shivered. "Eww. How could your own mother threaten you with something like that?"

"I didn't want to ask." Irma looked up and taped the notebook with her pencil. "So long story short, I asked for a chance to turn things around. The teacher was so overjoyed that I seemed to want to do better that he said I could pick a theme in History and write up a report on it."

"So you chose charismatic historic leaders, eh?"

"Yep."

"How long does it have to be?"

Irma put her chin in her hand thoughtfully. "I don't know... I didn't think to ask for a length requirement. I guess it'll just have to be 'long enough'. Y'know, like that essay on the last test?"

"Eww again."

---

Another hour passed filled with book skimming and note taking, with the occasional bit of talk over this or that factoid. Eventually Will stood up and stretched.

"Okay," she said, "I need a snack."

"Me too", Irma said as she set the various paper materials aside. "Plus, if I sit here like this one more minute I might never be able to move again."

"I'm thinking cookies."

"And I'm thinking that's enough of all this for one night. In fact, more like enough for a lifetime."

Will headed downstairs. Irma stayed behind and paced lightly. 'Don't worry', she told herself. 'This'll be easy. Just be honest and forthright and it'll be just fine.' She held up her hands and examined them. 'And don't shake when you say it. That never helps.'

Will returned a few minutes later with a dish of cookies, and set them on her desk.

"Ooh, are those the chocolate-cream wafer kind?" Irma's face practically lit up. "Those are the best in the world!"

"Yep. Mom found them on sale the other day when we were shopping." Will held one up. "Who would have thought the perfect food would come two-for-one on Tuesdays?"

The next few lines of conversation were interspersed with crunches to the extent that neither girl was all that clear on what was being said, so we'll just leave them out for simplicity's sake.

"Now then, I think you owe me some information."

Irma gulped. It was now-or-never time. "Oh yeah, that. I heard this rumor about a girl we know."

"Who?"

The brunette held up a finger. "I'll get to that. Anyway, this girl's got a crush on someone. A good friend of hers, in fact. And get this - she hasn't told this friend about it yet."

"Well, why not? Too shy?"

"Maybe. Or she might also be afraid that if this friend doesn't feel the same way, they might not be friends any more, y'know? That things would get weird."

"I'd have to say that makes sense." Will took a seat at the desk. "So who's the guy you're after?"

Will was treated to a rarity; Irma's face went perfectly blank. "I... huh?"

"Come on now", Will said with a smile. "First of all, I know you well enough to know only someone in our circle would be important enough to talk about like this. Plus, honestly, has that 'I know someone who...' bit fooled anyone since, like, sixth grade?"

Irma wore a slight blush for a few moments, but it quickly faded and she giggled out loud. "Wow, Will, you're a clever one! Or you would be if I was really talking about myself."

"You're not? I don't know if I believe that..."

The Water Guardian faked a pouty look. "Are you saying that your best friend in the whole world would lie to you? I'm so... so hurt!"

"Oh alright, alright!" Will put her hands up in mock exasperation. "Regardless of whether or not it's you that you're talking about, will you at least tell me who the lucky victim is?"

"Well, I certainly could I suppose... but I don't know if you'd believe it."

"Oh, of course." Will rolled her eyes. "I've got a magical amulet hidden under my shirt that has the power to close portals between two different worlds, and my four best friends and I are magical super-heroes. I'm one hard-core skeptic."

Irma smiled and sighed. "Okay then, let's just say this. If this girl I'm talking about was me... and I'm not saying it is..." She stepped over to the desk and leaned forward enough to rest her elbows on it and look Will straight in the eyes. "I'd say the object of her unrequited affection is looking her right in the face."

For a moment the room was like a picture, without any motion or sound. With Irma standing there smiling with her chin in her hands, and Will sitting at the desk with a look that beautifully demonstrated the change from confusion to dawning realization, it would have made a lovely addition to any scrap book. As it was, however, it merely stretched for a few seconds before Will found her voice again.

"Wait a second..."