Something was beginning to feel very strange about this. At first I thought I was tutoring her because she obviously needed it, but as the days went by, I realised something important. I was actually enjoying this. I just… liked having someone who depended on me. Not in a sick, sadistic way – it wasn't as if I had any power over her or anything, I just liked knowing that someone cared whether I was alive or not.

I like her.

There. I admitted it.

But I didn't realise it until the first day of exams. That was when I really got to see her let her hair down. Literally.

Chapter 6

"Your hair." I blurt it out before I can even go through the formality of asking her if I may sit with her for this recess.

She looks up at me shyly from her sitting place on the grass. "Um… yeah… I wore it out today," she says softly. "Do you like it?" I can't help but stare for a moment. Every time I've seen Pearl, she's always had her hair tied back, or braided, or pulled into a loose, messy bun. This is like seeing her for the very first time.

"Stand up," I order. She does as bid, and I can't help but watch with fascination as her insanely long hair ripples down her back as she stands. "God," I mutter. "Your hair is just so… long." I sit down, and she joins me, making sure not to sit on her own hair. "Why did you wear it out today?" It's not like I actually care, I'm just… making friendly conversation. Right?

She blushes, and curls a strand around her fingers. "Um, well… today we had our exams right?" Hmm? Oh yeah, we did. Literature for me, a Music Prac for her, and Maths for both of us. Easy. Obviously all those hours spent coaching Pearl were good for me too.

"What about it?" I lean against the wall. Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden is in my lap, but I don't bother opening it. I still bring a book to school everyday, but I don't read so much anymore.

"It's a present for you," she smiles sweetly at me. That catches me off guard. What? "I mean, for helping me in Maths," she explains, when she sees my blank look. "I… I know you want me to wear my hair down, but I never do… I thought maybe I should let it loose today, for you."

I really have no idea what to say to that. "Thanks," is all that I can manage. We sit in comfortable silence for a while, and then I ask, "So, how did you go? On the Maths exam," I add, anticipating that she may have completely forgotten what we were talking about.

I needn't have worried. "Oh… I think I did okay," she smiles, and… it really makes me feel content, seeing her happy like this. "I could answer a lot more questions than usual. I think I'll pass this time." She rests her head on my shoulder, and though I stiffen up a little, it actually feels very normal. I have to stop myself from running my fingers through her loose hair, though I don't think she would mind. She looks up at me. "What about you?"

I shrug. "Yeah… it wasn't that hard." It may be a little too arrogant to say I might ace it, but you know what? I think I will. And to think that I didn't care about my grades.

She gives me that dreamy, placid smile that I've become so used to seeing. "Now you have to cut your hair," she tells me. What? I frown at her in confusion, but she's not even looking at me. I don't always follow her train of thought, and I've practically given up on understanding it. But she doesn't explain, and it's such a nice sunny day I just feel too lazy to ask.

We spend the rest of lunchtime like that. She leans against my shoulder, and I read The Secret Garden to her. I picked that book because I thought she might like it, and though she listens to me attentively, I'm not sure if she's following the story or just listening to my voice. Maybe it doesn't matter.

I think she just likes having me here, with her.

Today is the day. I made Elazul promise that he wouldn't be late, because I want us to find out our marks together. But… I forgot where they were posting the results, and then I got lost trying to find it… I hope he's still there, waiting for me…

"Elazul!" He is still there, hands jammed into his pockets, scanning the list of names, even though I'm sure he must have found his results three times over by the time I've finally arrived. He's the only person left, something I'm grateful for. Everyone else must have left a while ago.

He turns around and smiles at me - not a real, full smile, but definitely a smile by Elazul's standards. "Got lost?"

I blush and nod my head. "Um, yes. Sor-" He gives me a look, and I remember how much he hates me apologising for 'no good reason'. "What did you get?" I ask instead.

He shrugs. "That's not important." he jerks his head towards the results. "Take a look at how you went."

I do as he says, and he points out my name for me when I can't find it. "I got a… Elazul! I got a C minus for Maths!" I turn to him with a beaming smile, and throw my arms around him. He flinches, but somehow, I don't think he really minds. "I didn't- I didn't fail! Isn't it-" I stop abruptly, and for the first time, look him in the eyes. Eyes, plural. "You cut your hair!" I breathe.

He looks away from me, a self-conscious blush growing on his pale cheeks. "…Yeah. It's a present. For you."

I widen my eyes, and stare at him. He shrugs uncomfortably and mutters, "You know on the day of our exams? When you wore your hair down? I didn't get what you meant when you said I had to cut my hair, but…" he shrugs again. "Now I know. It's a present for you, because you didn't fail. Congrats."

I blush. But I don't look away, because I don't want to lose this moment, my first-ever view of both of his beautiful eyes. "How did you know I wasn't going to fail?"

He folds his arms and leans against the wall, but turns his head to give me a half smile. "I have faith in you,"

It's such an un-Elazul thing to say, and cutting his hair is such an un-Elazul thing to do, it makes me do something that's un-Pearl as well. "I love you, Elazul!" I hug him tight, burying my head against his chest. Yet he doesn't look completely horrified, and he doesn't push me away.

Instead, he pulls me in tighter, reciprocating my embrace for the first time, and says softly in a tone several notches lower than usual, "I… love you too."

Later, we go to a CD store, and I point out all the various different composers, and play him some musical samples. He nods, shrugs, and gives me one-syllable responses at the appropriate times. I wonder if he's really listening, because he spends more time looking at me than the things I point out, but I guess it doesn't matter.

I think he just likes being here, with me.

A/N: The story is very quickly coming to a close! When I wrote the story I had two things in mind: just to write a believable ElazulxPearl pairing, (since there don't seem to be that many stories with them) and also to write a realistic progression from two people being perfect strangers to being very close. I'm hoping I managed both, (though I'd love to know what you think, as readers) and as a result, this is almost the end of the story…