A/N This chapter is centered around Lacus. Just another note, they started school on wednesday, like my school! lol. Don't worry, Kira's coming up. There are some nods to a couple scenes from Proposing to Lacus Clyne, but basically this is an AU before that one.

Chapter 6 : Her Problems

Lacus lay in her bed and panted as tears dropped, one by one, off her crying face. She had quickly run off campus to her home, which was about a mile away. Her athletic skills were average, so she could at least make it jogging at the very least. Since it was a four day weekend, she decided to just stay home. Contact with anyone from school would just upset her and make her break down and cry right in front of them maybe.

She thought about what happened, and her mistakes. How could I have been so foolish? I should've just gone out with it... She reflected on her hesitated actions.

But, she decided that it would only make her a coward to just run away and cry. I'll try next time... She thought and she tried to break out a small smile.

...a couple hours later...

She woke up to the sound of her cell phone ringing with a sharp, crisp tone. Lacus slowly raised her drooping hand and grasped it firmly. She flipped the top open.

"He-Hello?" She stuttered quietly. "Hey Lacus." A girl on the other end sweetly said. "Who is this?" "You mean you don't know who I am? It's Maya!" She joyfully answered. Lacus smiled at her cheerfulness, she was in the same homeroom class as her. "Anyway, I wanted to know if you would like to come out to town with me, Cagalli, and Mir!" She bubbled.

Lacus hesitated once more, "Uh, sure." She uneasily said. "Great! Meet us at the park in one hour. Bye! Talk to you then!" Maya reassuringly ended. Lacus sighed and got up. She grabbed her light, faded jeans and a pink shirt. Since it was cold she also put on a brown, fuzzy and furry jacket. Are they trying to cheer me up? Lacus started to catch on.

She grabbed her purse and keys and slowly walked out the front door to the park a couple blocks away. When she got there, she saw Maya running up to her, followed by Mir and Cagalli smiling as they walked towards her. They all hugged and smiled at each other.

---

Athrun and Dearka got up out of the classroom and walked out. "You're...sure this is going to work?" Athrun solemnly asked. "Well, if it doesn't it doesn't. But fate will do the choosing really." Dearka said, sounding like a wise, old guru. He got a chuckle out of Athrun. "See. I am funny, and you're not." He grinned. Athrun pouted as they entered the park, they spotted Maya, Mir, Cagalli, and Lacus walking along the path.

Maya noticed them in the corner of her eye and gave a secret wink and a smile to them. Lacus still looked somber. It was depressing to see this lovely, sweet, and kind girl sad.

---

The four strolled through the park, it was awkardly quiet. Mir and Cagalli actually didn't know about the plan, but started to catch on that Maya was up to something. Maya tried to start a conversation and engaged in part one of their plan. They were to try to get Lacus to be so confident in her feelings that she could speak formally to Kira about it, and also casually after that.

"So guys, you all doing anything later on?" Maya sweetly asked. They all shook their heads. "Perfect! Then why don't we all come over to my house and have an all-girls sleepover? It'll be fun!!!" She bubbled, grinning from ear to ear. "Here, how about you guys go home and get your stuff packed, and meet me here in this spot when you're done!" Maya finalized.

Athrun and Dearka were about to leave seeing that Maya had a grip on the situation, but she shot them a stern glance telling them to wait a little longer.

Lacus departed from her friends and they went their seperate ways home. Once at home, she grabbed some clothes and threw them into an extra bag laying beside her bed. She changed into her blue nightgown and slipped into her brown furry jacket. Gripping tightly to her belongings she locked the door and left for the park.

It seemed Maya, Mir, and Cagalli were in Maya's car already, waiting for Lacus. She gave a depressed sigh and got into the car silently. Little did she know that Maya had explained her whole plan while Lacus was gone at her house. "Lacus, is there..anything you want to talk to us about?" Mir solemnly asked. "Yeah, we're here for you if you need to tell us something that's bothering you." Cagalli added.

By now they were almost to Maya's house, a countryside manor like Lacus'. The cherry blossom trees were in full bloom, and the pastel pink fronds were blowing around, creating a calm, melancholy atmosphere. A tear fell off of Lacus' cheek and gleamed in the clear sunlight.

"Did Kira do anything to upset you? Cause I'll pummel his ass the next time I see him if he did!!" Cagalli strangely tried to cheer Lacus up, her hands balled into angry fists. Lacus sighed and closed her eyes as she shook her head. Cagalli relaxed back in her seat and slightly smiled. "You guys, I trust you with all my heart as close friends. So, please help me. I...I...I think I'm..well..um." Lacus hesitated again. Maya couldn't bear to keep her excitement in for Lacus, and for Kira. Here it comes...Come on Lacus!!!

Lacus gave a sigh of reassurance and closed her eyes. "Love can be a terrible thing, huh?"