Chapter 11 – First Encounter

A serene sunflower stood a little ways away from the main road, its petals swaying with the soft blow of the wind. It was untouched for a couple of days now, for a few to no cars at all passed by this road.

Not until a speedy red sedan passed through, causing the flower to be almost ripped from its ground.

Winry adjusted the rear view mirror slightly, just to see the completely empty road behind them.

"Looks like no one but us is traveling today." She mentioned after a brief silence. It was a chilly Saturday afternoon and they were only about four hours away from Central City.

Edward silently looked over at his window side, his unfocused eyes barely hidden by his sunglasses.

After waking up from their little escapade last night, with a little bit of hangovers, none of them spoke about the almost-kiss. They didn't even speak about the things they talked about earlier.

They went about it like it didn't happen at all.

Was that what they really wanted?

To Edward, he felt like he should at least apologize. He acted out of instinct, without her consent. She could have been very offended even though in the end, he didn't do anything wrong towards her. Or did he? She was already caught in an emotional storm reliving past memories back in Riseembol so him adding up to that is definitely wrong.

But then again, Winry was different from the other girls after all.

"Hey." He started while removing his glasses. He shot a quiet gaze at his driver, whose eyes are still on the road, hard concentration etched on her face.

"About last night, I didn't mean-"

"It's nothing. I know." She cut him off them threw a small smile his way.

Edward tried his best to not look any flabbergasted. He guessed he probably failed since Winry let a troubled expression slip onto her face in the slightest.

"We were kinda drunk." She reasoned out with another smile. Another smile that Edward couldn't read.

"Besides, I should thank you for trying to help me make feel better." Winry said with sincerity and with that he felt a little better.

But was this what he really wanted?

Winry gulped and tried to remain composed. The fact that Edward Elric whom she doesn't even trust from the start of this random trip to Riseembool, almost kissed her.

And she didn't do anything to stop it.

What was she thinking?! That she will like it?

She was actually glad that he gained the sense to not do it at the last second.

Was she, really?

All of these are still all confusing to Winry, so brushing it as nothing would be the best course.

Besides, that's probably what he thinks too, right? She stole a quick glance at the boy beside her, and caught him doing the same thing.

They locked eyes for a moment, before Winry focused hers on the road again.

"Everyone needs a drink once in a while. And that was a little 'thank you' gift for finishing my automail ahead of schedule." From all the reasons he could think of, that was the best one he could pull off.

He saw the mechanic suppressed a cocky grin to herself.

"Machine junkie." He muttered heartily and relaxed on his seat.

Winry's brow furrowed in annoyance. She glared at him with fuming blue eyes.

"Just wait till I come up with a ludicrous name for you." She couldn't really taunt him with short jokes now since he had definitely grown taller.

Damn you, lightweight automail.

"Ha! As if that day will come."

Two gas stations, a billion chips and cokes later, paired with life-threatening words thrown back and forth between the two teenagers, Edward and Winry finally made it to Central.

They barely made it on one piece since they both felt like their limbs were about to fall out of their bodies from over fatigue. Winry didn't even make a joke about automail replacement for that.

Twenty more minutes later, Edward pulled over beside a blue house with an Amestrian flag. Winry sighed at the sight of the familiar home.

"Finally." She murmured and looked over at the driver, who proceeded to unlock the door before answering her gaze.

With a cutesy smile that Edward wouldn't have thought that would come from a tomboy mechanic like Winry Rockbell, she said, "Thanks for the ride, Ed."

He couldn't answer anything but nod. What was he supposed to say? That she was kind of cute? Over his dead, half-automail, half-flesh body.

With that, Winry opened the door and hopped out of the car, leaving Edward alone with his beloved sedan.

On a normal day, he would've just re-ignited the car and sped away home, accepting that as a goodbye for now.

But today seems to be not one of those normal days as he decided to go down himself.

Winry opened the trunk of the car and retrieved her duffel bag and trusty red toolbox then dumped them temporarily on the cement ground. After checking the inside of the compartment if she had left anything, she placed a hand on the trunk door and pushed it closed.

And was once again halted before it even reached the lid. Winry glared up, already knowing who had stopped it.

It was Edward Elric of course, his hand on top of the plate number, slowly pulling the door up. Winry let out a tired sigh.

"'Do not treat it like a brute'. I already know, Mr. SassPants." She said dismissively with animated waves of her hands as she mocked his voice.

She was greeted with an unexpected silence. Looking up at him, the girl only saw his golden eyes speaking to her, intent and clouded with mystery.

It was the same look he gave her when his face went ever so close to hers, threatening a kiss.

Her thoughts were all the more confirmed when she heard him took one step forward, his physique towering over her, engulfing her with his presence.

Once again, he made her feel that she should look only at him. And him only.

His other hand started moving towards her head, just like last night, a promise of a rough, yet gentle caress.

For some unfathomable logic of her own, she stood there frozen, her blue eyes wide with a mix of anticipation and bewilderment.

Was this really happening again?

She-

Edward's hand finally reached her, but instead of going to her face, it went straight somewhere on her hair.

"You have something on your hair." With that, he swiftly pulled out something from the strands of blond hair, making Winry squeal in pain.

She was about to murder him when she saw the thing that he pulled from her hair, flip-flapping merrily from his hand.

A 50% off Coors sticker.

Winry gazed at it for a few more moments until realization struck her.

"You knew it was there this whole time?!" She screeched and her blue eyes sent daggers his way.

The smile that Edward couldn't suppressed confirmed everything and Winry, without a second thought, stomped on his flesh foot. Hard.

"AGH!" It was Edward's turn to scream, but in pain this time.

How can a little girl like her have the strength of a thousand bulls? Being a mechanic didn't even justify this.

"I didn't put it in there! I was trying to help you!" He excused angrily as he hopped with his automail leg. It was a good thing he left his other hand holding the trunk door or he would've fallen to the ground in pain.

"If you were trying to help me then you should've just told me about it twelve fucking hours ago, you asshole!"

"Then I'm not going to help you next time, bitch!" He screamed down at her and some of the people on the side streets were already looking at them, scared and walked fast to avoid the commotion.

"Dick!"

"Machine junkie!"

Winry was about to retort back when no insult equivalent of that came to her. She scrunched up her nose in deep thought, her finger still pointing at Edward.

Edward, meanwhile, waited for her next biting words, his face contorted in an angry expression to match hers.

They remained frozen that way for a few seconds just glaring at each other in hopes that one would back down and retreat.

Until Winry spurted out a snort.

Edward followed not a second after with his own and soon the two teenagers burst out laughing.

They laughed for a whole two minutes until they hiccuped and coughed from the lack of oxygen. Winry was already half bent, arms wrapped on her tummy as Edward snickered down at her uncontrollably.

After regaining a little bit of composure, Winry tried to gaze up at him, her mouth still stretched into a smile.

Edward made a face that he was about to laugh again that Winry followed suit, giggling nonstop.

"Fucking...idiot. Hahaha!" Winry tried to let out breathlessly, tears already forming in her eyes.

"What the fuck did I do now?" Edward answered back between laughs, the pain on his foot long forgotten now.

The 50% off Coors sticker was already blown away by the wind, away from the two laughing teenagers.

Throwing his keys on his bedside drawer, Edward let himself collapse on his single-sized bed. Throwing an arm over his eyes, he sighed, worn out from everything.

He needed to rest.

And think.

Before he could even begin to collect his thoughts, the phone on his pocket dinged. Pulling it out, he moved his covering arm a bit and peeked at his phone's screen.

A message from Winry.

Maintenance on Fridays. Forget about that and I'll kill you.

Thoughtlessly, he smiled and shook his head, replying 'Machine junkie' like it was natural as breathing.

Then his senses came back to him when his thumb hovered hesitantly over the send button, his smile slowly disappearing.

What the fuck was he trying to do with this?

Pressing the lock button, he let that short message unsent and let his mobile fall beside him, followed by his forceless arm.

Whatever was happening with him and Winry, it was different.

And to be honest, it scares the crap out of him.

It terrifies him.

Letting out a long breath, Edward closed his eyes and focused on remaining calm and told himself to think straight.

They won't see much of each other again after this week, aside from history class, so everything that has transpired was nothing.

It was nothing.

If you keep insisting that it's nothing, then it's something.

Yeah, something that Edward should definitely erase from his mind. His heart.

He couldn't let this happen.

Picking up his phone and sliding the lock screen open, he was greeted again with Winry's message.

Maintenance on Fridays. Forget about that and I'll kill you.

Maintenance on Fridays.

He ran a hand on his face, a habit he had formed when faced with highly stressful situations.

Why does it give him a swelling feeling? Why the fuck was he hopeful?

Edward definitely needed to forget all about this. He needed a distraction.

As if to answer his thoughts, his phone lit up with another message, flushing his thoughts of Winry in an instant.

Winry peeked at the dark, midnight sky, contemplating if she should go to bed already or continue working on the blueprint she had just started. Tapping her pen on the table, her blue eyes went back to the thin paper before her.

I think I have already distracted myself.

Sunday morning came in a blur, Winry thought, as she sipped her morning coffee, her unlit phone sitting on the table in front of her.

She glanced at it with deliberation, refusing to press the home button to check any messages.

It'll light up if a new message comes up, you idiot.

The scratching noise of the seat being pulled out from under the table startled her from her quiet reverie. She snapped her eyes up and saw Kelly sitting across from her, her mahogany eyes squinting at her suspiciously.

"What?" Winry asked, feigning ignorance.

"You still haven't told me anything about the trip. You said you were busy, but here you are waiting for someone's text." She pointed out with arms crossed over her voluptuous chest.

Winry felt her cheeks redden. "I am not!"

The look her best friend gave her made her shut anything she was about to say next.

"Just spill the beans. What happened there?" She sounded firm but Winry knows that she must just be worried, because she had been out of it the entire day yesterday.

"Nothing happened." She couldn't tell her about her past.

To Edward yes, but not to your best friend?

"When you say it's nothing, then it's definitely something." Kellie argued and leaned forward on her seat. "Spill it!"

"There's really nothing to worry about, Kelly."

"Did you kiss him?" The question startled her, her mouth opening then closing.

Kelly took that as a yes and stood abruptly from her wooden seat. "I knew it!"

"We didn't kiss!" Winry shouted the truth despite her voice being slightly shaky.

"Bullshit!"

"Alright, fine. He almost did kiss me. But nothing happened after that." Admitting to her defeat, the sixteen-year-old mechanic exclaimed the truth and slumped in her seat.

She avoided eye contact and just glared at the lavender wall on her right, her finger tapping on the wooden table in front of her. Winry was anticipating a gloating statement from her best friend, like she usually gives. But she only heard an "Oh."

They were silent for a few more minutes, making Winry a bit curious that she took a peek at Kelly's bewildered expression.

"You didn't kiss him?" She finally realized with disappointment in her tone.

"No."

"Not even a peck on the cheek?"

"No." This was getting more irritating than she had expected.

"Winry Rockbell! When did you turn into a freaking nun?" Kelly reprimanded in a mocking tone that Winry threw one of the cookies she was eating at her. "Shut up!"

"Isn't this great?"

"What's great?"

"That we're finally going to the same high school, brother! You wound me." Edward sighed and gave his little brother, who has his hands dramatically crossed over his 'wounded' heart, an exasperated look.

He was in mid-button of his plaid shirt with a pouty look on his face, an annoying part of his drama. He was getting ready for school with him, to make it worse.

"You still haven't told me yet why you transferred schools just when the semester started." He repeated his question for the fourth time since yesterday.

"You know that I've always wanted to go to Central High once I reached high school!" Alphonse repeated his answer as well, with that stupid smug grin on his face. Edward wanted to smack him for lying so blatantly. He could still remember his exact words on how well he was doing at Aragon High during his visit last month, since they have the complimentary medical classes he always wanted.

This is definitely ticking Edward off. What the hell is happening? Why did that bastard just let Al transfer to Central High with no warning whatsoever?

"Central High girls…I can't wait to meet them." He quickly added with excitement.

"Al!" And this is the second reason he's been worrying about his brother living with him. Girls would be flocking his apartment in a week's time.

"What? You can't deny that there are so many pretty girls there, brother!" Edward glared at him. He was deliberately changing the subject now.

"Did something happen with Hohenheim?" The older of the two finally asked. He hated talking about that bastard so he evaded asking the question ever since Al came knocking on his apartment door with a huge luggage on his shoulder. It was enough to tell him that this was not going to be any other weekend with him cooking chicken meals.

Al's expression froze for a second before he turned away from his brother, finishing up the last buttons.

Usually, he would berate Edward to start calling their father "Dad" or "Daddy", to Edward's great dismay.

Edward watched Al's back intently, waiting for a response. After a few minutes of silence, Al answered, "He's fine", then proceeded to wear his shoes.

Something was definitely up.

Winry sped her bicycle a few meters ahead of Kellie, who was already heaving from exhaustion.

"I can't believe we have to go to school like this for a week! I'd rather take the bus!"

"The school bus always ditches us because you couldn't wake up on time, remember?"

"Then the other bus!"

"Um, you just said it has too many perverts?"

"Ugh! Why do you have to use my own arguments against me?" She complained while pedalling with all her might, which was still slower than Winry's average speed.

Her blond friend laughed, slowing down a little to keep pace with her. "This is good exercise especially with this perfect autumn weather!" Taking a deep breath of the chilly autumn air as it blew her long ponytail around, she could almost smell Riseembool.

"And it's your fault for lending your car again." She added nonchalantly which weakened Kellie even more.

"Can we stop talking about how this is all my fault and rest for a bit? I swear I will faint if I pedal another." Kellie pleaded and threw her bike somewhere on the sidewalk before sitting beside it.

Winry obliged but remained seated on her bike, watching her almost burnout friend. "You're really out of shape, aren't you?"

"Shut up." Her offended and tired best friend said.

"If we do this every five minutes, we'll be late for our first class."Winry reminded.

"Just give me a minute…" Kellie heaved and took a few more deep breaths.

After a few more breaths, her brunette friend stared up at her with a smile. "Club recruitment's today, you know? Are you joining the band club?" She teased with a smile.

Winry gave her a scowl of annoyance. She just wouldn't leave that topic alone, huh? "I told you, I'm not singing again. Ever. That was a one time thing."

"Oh come on, Win. You have an incredible voice that I haven't known about for like what, ten years? Thank you again for not telling me that!" She continued with a pout.

Winry didn't bother to apologize like what she did on Kellie's first drama about this nonsensical conversation. "I don't even sing in the shower, Kellie. Whatever happened in that stage, it was just a fluke."

"It was totally not a fluke! Plus, you and Edward look so cute together!"

"Move out of the way!" Someone shouted and it almost tore Winry and her bike out of the road if she hadn't skidded to the side at the last second.

A brunette little girl, probably still in middle school, was pedalling on her small orange bicycle ten times faster than Kellie ever can.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Winry bellowed angrily after the child.

"Sorry!" She shouted back at them.

Before the blond could compose herself on the bike again, another sharp wind passed by the tip of her nose. Another death by a reckless bicyclist she evaded this morning.

"Aria! Once I get you, I swear I will tear you to shreds!" A redhead girl, who looks like a little bit older than the girl on the orange bike, threatened as she biked after the little brunette girl with such furious speed.

"YOU ALMOST KILLED ME! HEY!" Winry fumed and glared at the road before them, which was already empty.

"What monstrous speed…" kellie mused in awe.

"Central kids…" Winry muttered to herself and started on the road with her bike again.

"Ah! What lovely weather!" Alphonse rejoiced as he took a deep breath of the chilly autumn wind of early Central morning.

A group of high school girls on their way to school started muttering as they passed the Elric brothers, their gooey eyes clearly not leaving Alphonse. With a tall and lean build paired with their classic Elric blond hair and their mother's green eyes, his brother had always been a girl magnet.

"And what lovely ladies." With that and a wink, the girls swooned and Alphonse gave them a beaming smile before passing by.

And he'd almost never left a chance to use said magnet powers on every opportunity he has.

"Swear to me you won't bring home girls on your first day. The apartment could barely hold the both of us." Edward specifically emphasized the plural form.

"On the second day, then?"

"Al!"

Al chuckled. "You know I'm a good boy, brother."

"I know too well that you're anything but that. You hang out with Mustang way too often." Edward warned with a hand on his brother's head, ready to head-butt him if he says anymore smart ass retorts. Finally, he's tall enough to threaten him like this. Even though Al's still a little bit taller than him by a couple of centimetres, not having to look up to his little brother all the time was already a great feat.

Finally had that growth spurt last summer.

Having a six-foot-one little brother has been one of Edward's grudges against the world.

Alphonse was just about to give the reply that would trigger the said head-butt when the bell for 7:15 class rang.

Letting go of his little brother, he gave him one last reprimanding look. "Behave, ok?" Alphonse may be the mature one most of the time but when it came to these matters, he could act like a kid out of the play pen.

"Don't worry too much, Brother. I will. My first class starts at 8:00 since I didn't get all of the classes. I'll be strolling around for a bit" He supplied, again, with that suspicious smirk.

Who am I kidding? He'll never behave.

"Fucking hell! I'm going to be late. I'm going to be late." When it's a normal day, Catherine could care less if she was late for class or not.

But today was their band club's recruitment day, and she couldn't afford getting a detention for being late again for class!

It's that stupid little sister of mine's fault. That little scoundrel.

"God, why do I have to get a 7:15 class this semester?!" She gritted under her breath as she ran towards the main gate with her bike, her guitar hitting her back as if pressuring her to pedal faster.

When she finally reached the main gate, the lady guard on the other side produced padlock then secured the latch with it. "Sorry missy, it's already pass seven." The ugly fag said triumphantly. Of all the days in the year she could be one of the bitches in her life, she just had to pick the perfect one. Catherine glared with strong murdering intent. No, she wanted to torture her slowly until she begged for death.

"You're going to fucking pay for that." She threatened for now then dashed towards the back of the school.

Al was enjoying his first day in Central High. The cool breeze, the green grass on the school yard, the flower petals flowing in the air, transferring here wasn't that bad after all.

Though Edward got the nail on the head as to why he was here just on the first day. That big brother of his, he could be really perceptive when you didn't need him to be.

Al sighed. He hated keeping things from his brother. He has to find the right time to explain things to him clearly. Maybe in a week's time, that's probably the longest time he could avoid Ed's suspicions.

Maybe bringing a girl home might just be enough to avert his attention…

Another cute blonde girl he had never met before waved at him, her cheeks blushing warmly. Alphonse gave a cutesy smile paired with a friendly wave. Before he could complete his stroll along the schoolyard, a brown-haired guy suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Hello." He said, a little too creepy for Al.

"Hello…who are you?" Al said as politely as he could.

"Are you a new student here? I've never seen you before." He asked in a very straightforward way.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I just transferred here today." Alphonse responded, glancing around for an escape route.

"Oh wonderful! Welcome to Central High! What's your name?" He yet again shoved another question in his face. This feeling is getting more and more familiar.

"Alphonse Elric."

"Oh! So that's why you looked so much like Edward! Are you cousins?"

"Brothers actually. So he's kind of famous here at Central High?" He continued to reply while backing away. He knew exactly where this is leading. This boy…he's one of those school paper paparazzi who always have to snoop around for new gossip.

"Unbelievable! You're so much more handsome than him! I mean his name's been passed around the girls ever since his performance, but with your face, you'll be a campus crush!"

Brother performing? He wondered, and almost asked if he didn't see another boy with a camera a couple of feet from them. Oh man. I have to get out of here. Al thought desperately.

"Have you been toured? If not, let me-" Before the boy could finish his monologue, Alphonse scampered towards the back of the school.

"Alphonse?" He called out, confused. "Hey Deren! Take a picture of him! Quick!"

He heard a snap of a camera from behind him and he was thankful enough that it didn't capture his face.

Really? Just on my first day? Damn, Central High really is something.

When he was sure he was far enough, Alphonse leaned on a wall and sighed. That was too close for comfort.

He couldn't afford his picture taken on his first day. Who knows if that school paper will reach Dublin High and alert his faher.

Then again, he probably already knows he was with Edward.

A scuffling noise startled Al and it took him a minute to realize that it's coming from the other side of the wall he has been leaning on.

What?

It continued on for a whole ten seconds before he heard a following grunt. Someone was climbing the wall!

And it was a fifteen-foot wall!

"Hello?" Alphonse called out loudly. He managed to supress a shout when a pair of hands appeared on top of the wall.

He managed to climb over?!

"Be quiet!" A voice from the top of the wall growled in a vexed tone.

She?!

As if to confirm his thoughts, the face of the most pissed off girl he had ever seen popped out from the other side of the wall, her face contorted into a scowl as she heaved herself on the ledge.

"Do you need help? That's dangerous-"

"Be quiet! Somebody might hear you!" She hissed down at him with hateful red eyes. He clapped his mouth shut in obedience and watched her maneuver herself on the narrow ledge of the wall.

Catherine was already poised to jump down the wall when she saw that the noisy guy below was still watching her like she's some freak show.

"Just how many people will not move out of my way until I tell them to." She muttered under her breath.

"Do you need help?" He asked in a quieter voice this time.

"Just move out of the way." She grunted, readjusting her grip.

"What?"

"Move your ass out of the way!" She fumed at the stranger, who hastily stepped back to make room for her landing. Once that's done, she leveraged a jump away from the wall then landed on the ground with her feet and hands.

Alphonse jaw was on the ground as he continued to stare openly at this monkey girl who just jumped from the schoolyard's fifteen-foot wall.

She was a red girl, in summary. A small red girl to be exact. Red hair, red eyes and red hot temper.

She was dusting herself and the guitar on her back like a normal high school kid now.

"Guitar…you play the guitar?" Alphonse questioned, still in a daze. The girl turned to face him and raised a brow.

"No, I just bring it for inconvenience while I climb the school's wall." She said in a very monotone and sarcastic way that left Al hanging from surprise and dismay.

"I play the guitar too." Alphonse blurted out all of the sudden, trying to get the gaze of this indifferent girl. Weird, usually girls aren't indifferent around him…

"Splendid. Now, if you'll excuse me." With that, the mysterious, wall-climbing, red girl ran like a prisoner out of her cell and disappeared around the building.

"I'm Alphonse Elric! Nice to meet you!" He tried to shout after her, hoping to hear her name in response. After a passing silence, no reply came.

He actually introduced himself to someone who doesn't even give a flying fuck about him. Al smiled.

It was his first encounter with such a person. It was quite refreshing.