Magdalena sat, crocheting while they waited for the assembly to begin. Pietro watched her work.

"Very nice."he said.

"Uh-huh. I still don't get the point of these Homecoming assemblies and all that. They're in reality, nothing but a bunch of losers!"

"Uh, yeah. No doubt."

She nodded.

"I'm beginning to wonder, Pietro. You wouldn't by any chance have any kind of telepathic powers, would you? Or perhaps read body language? Something around those lines?"she asked. "You always do seem to agree with me."

"Me? That's ridiculous."he said.

She smiled.

"Not at all. It would actually be very cool if you did, you know. You always agree with me, like I said."

"Well, we just happen to be interested in the same things."

She nodded.

"I suppose so. It's nice to have someone else to talk to about my interests, of course. Not very many people like the things I like."

"People are just so...well, like you said, losers."

"True. But would you believe it if I told you that sometimes I actually feel...kind of glad that I have a friend. Isn't that odd? And a human friend. I've never been able to associate with people, you know."

"Well, maybe you just haven't really found the right type of people."

And hopefully, before long, a little more than friends,he thought.

"You know, sometimes you remind me...if only you had been at my old school. That would have been nice. If only I would have met you before. Perhaps then..."

"Then what?"

"Would you believe, there was this one guy, see, I used to like him. Perhaps I still do. A lot. Well, I didn't really know him. I knew of him. I heard other people say things, and all that. I have very sharp ears sometimes. I always hoped he would notice me, not that there was a chance of that, even if he did, I don't suppose I would've allowed him to. I never felt comfortable speaking to people, but as I speak to you more, I seem to...lose that fear, you know. If I had met you before I met him...perhaps I..."she sighed. "Oh, well, we still would have moved here, and that would have been the end of that. He was like...the man of my dreams, should we say? He reminded me so much...oh, well, don't listen to me."she crossed herself. "What am I thinking?"she cleared her throat. "First of all, no one in their right minds would ever..and even if they did, I shall die a...doncella. That's a promise I made to myself."she told him.

"A what?"

"Doncella, you know, um, a virgin. I vowed to myself never to get married. The only sacrament I will never fulfill."she said. "And in a way, I will never forgive myself for that, either."

Pietro was confused, but then most of the things Magdalena said sometimes would confuse him, but that didn't matter. He still liked her. Even if it was taking him longer than ever to get her to notice him.

"And so how long do you suppose it will take you to finish that?"he asked.

"If I'm lucky, this week, I hope."

"It's coming out very nice."

"Thank you. It would come out better if I wasn't at the assembly."

"Well, at least it gets us out of class for a while."

"I suppose. The day does go by faster when that's so."

"Then maybe it's a good thing."

She nodded.

"I guess so. I still don't like the assemblies."

Pietro just smiled.

"Sometimes they're fun."

"Very rarely."

"Yeah."

"And anyway, after this, it's time to go home!"

"Thank goodness. I can't wait. Especially for this evening!"

As soon as the assembly ended, and everyone started to stand up and go to their lockers.

"I'll walk with you to your locker."offered Pietro.

"Thank you. I always thought it was a little tedious to be walking accompanied by other people."she said. "But you seem to keep a good pace. Other people would always be so slow. I have nothing to pick up from my locker, actually. I did all that before the assembly, that way, I could just go, grab my purse and leave."

"Well, I have to go, too. So, see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow."she said.

"Have a good day."

"Thank you, you too."

And she disappeared out of sight.