"Good morning, Edward." Her voice is better suited to be a lullaby than an alarm. "Class is over. Wake up." Her finger tapped my forehead.
"Mm." My eyes flickered open. Her brightly lit face came into view. It was almost kind of blinding. I did my best to smile. "Anything to report?" I stretched and yawned.
"Test tomorrow."
"Got'cha." Standing up, Winry handed me my books that I would have forgotten. "Mm, thanks." We walked out of class like we always have. Ever since kindergarten. Whether Al was with us or not. She was always there. Babbling away, about something. I never bothered to listen. She'd get mad anyway. I just kind of let her voice maintain a comforting hum around me.
"Ed? Ed! Are you even listening? I asked you about those scholarships!"
"What? Oh yeah. We applied. Don't worry, Al made sure I did it right."
"That's good. I just got my acceptance letter to that university. And a few others."
"That's great!" Happy. Happy face.
"But- Honestly, I want to go to the same College as you two. I know it's pathetic, but-"
"Don't worry. Me too. Screw Harvard. They're all just a bunch of asshats anyway."
She smiled. "No way to change your mind now. I know you."
"Yeah." I laughed slightly.
"Hey, guys!"
"Hi, Al!"
"You ready for the AP Chemistry test today?" Directed at me.
"Yes."
"Winry?" Al joined her on her other side. "You have an anatomy test, right? You nervous?"
"Not really. You know I've been looking at medical texts my entire life."
"Yes I know." He smiled politely. "But that doesn't necessarily mean you remember all of it."
"True, True." She looked past me down the hall. "Come on, Ed. Civics." She lightly grabbed my shoulder. She waved behind her to Al. "Bye!"
"Bye." The crowd of students swallowed him. We didn't all have a class together till 3rd hour. Her hand was still on my arm. I could just hear the rumors being fueled.
"She's touching his arm! They must be fucking!" Obviously.
"Edward?" Her grip tightened to jolt me back. "I was going to ask you something." Her grip didn't loosen. Was it, nervousness?
"Yeah? What is it?" I looked at her. I could see the disquiet she was trying to hide.
"Uh, what are you doing...for prom?"
I was sort of surprised by her question. I thought she knew. "Sitting at home and watching the new Doctor Who episode with you and Al like any other Saturday night." She was avoiding my gaze.
"Ok, well, this might sound weird, but-" She finally looked at me. "-can-you do me a favor?"
"Yeah? What?"
"Can you like- go with me? Like, as friends?" I knew she was fidgety about it. But I understood why.
"You want those other guys to leave you alone, right?"
"Yeah! Well, that's part of it. I'd like to go with you, as opposed to anyone else. And, it's our senior prom, so, it's kind of a tradition." Are you ever going to let go of my arm?
"No, I get it. It's fine. I just don't own a tux, and I don't know what Al will do."
"Oh, I'm sure he'll go once he knows we're going."
"Really? With whom?" English class. It does things to you.
"With Mei, obviously! "
"Oh, duh."
"That girl is just so nice."
"Come on, she's been hanging around us for over a year and that's all you can say?"
"Over two years Ed. You're turning 18 next week."
"I am?"
"Yes."
"Alright then, news to me."

She smiled at the familiar novelty and led me into our Civics class. The only class that we share and don't sit within a desk of each other. And it's the class we have with Jase. I have to think of it as a self control exercise to not punch him through the wall. God, if he hits on her one more time, or laughs with his buddies in Biology, I'm seriously going to kill him.
Women, Winry in particular, are not objects. I'm pretty sure that's actually somewhat along the lines of what we're learning today.

"Ed, ED! Come on! How late did you stay up last night?"
"Late." I groaned. Peeling my plastic binder from my face. Rubbing away the indentations with my fingertips.
"Come on. Al texted me that he and Mei are getting Sushi." She roughly grabbed my hand. Coaxing me up.
"And we're invited?"
"Yes, of course." She flashed a smile. "You like Sushi, right?"
"Yeah. I like anything as long as I can afford it. Wait, are we going to-"
"Blue C."
"Okay. Cheap, fast and good. I can do that."
"Good, let's go." We walked to our lockers, laughed at the current gossip, and met Al and Mei in front of the school for the short hop to Blue C Sushi.
"Come on, Ed, Cheer up. What are you thinking about?" Winry bugged me when we were in the car.
"Tux. I've never worn a Tux before."
"Ed, you're stressing out about that?"
"A little." I pressed my face against the window of Mei's car.
"So, you two going to prom?" Al commented from the front seat.
"Yup, I finally convinced him." What? I gave her an inquisitive look.
"Oh come on. I've been trying to drag you to a dance since middle school." Right. And, she says it so casually. Al and Winry laughed. I returned to looking out the window. Watching this painfully familiar city scape blur by.
"And every time I try to take you to dinner, or visit the science museum you're busy." I grumbled.
"Ed..." For some reason she seemed surprised at my irritation. "Is that why you always brushed me off?"
"Partly. Also because witnessing a grindfest and dealing with the atrocious choice in music just wasn't worth it."
"Then why prom?" I glanced to see that Al and Mei were attentively listening before I responded. "Because...it's our last chance, before graduation." Seriously, Elric? "And-I knew that you wouldn't leave me alone about it either." Also, I have a feeling you'll need someone there. "You were just going to go with Nelly and them anyway, weren't you?"
"Yeah, they still want to have a whole make-over deal and everything."
"Mm. Sounds great." She fell silent.
"We'll make plans later." She assured me.
"Mm-hm." I tried in futility to make it sound as not dismissive as possible.
"Hey guys, we're here."
"Great, I'm starved!" Mei had worked some miracle to find us a parking spot. "I only hope there isn't a long- line." By the looks of it. Probably a half hour wait.
"Don't worry, we made reservations." Al assured me.
"Thank god."
We walked down the familiar block. Winry by my side. Al and Mei a few paces ahead of us. It somehow always ended up like this. We walked in, got our table, then set our sights on the rather awesome conveyor belt of delicious, cheap sushi.
Grabbing four plates off the belt right off, I didn't pause to start eating. Winry chuckled, and chided me mildly. As always, while grabbing a plate of Edamame Beans to start off.
"Ed, it's not gonna keep being cheap if you eat so many."
"Mm."
Silence, interspersed by benign conversation. Every now and then my es would rest on her. Bright laughing smile, kind blue eyes, and blonde hair falling freely.
Wow. I should really get some sleep. It's making me sappy.
But, she never seems to put two and two together. I told her, that I've been...interested, I suppose. But she goes and ignores it all.
"Winry?"
"Yeah?" She choked out through laughter. Turning her crinkled gaze on me
"Uhh. Kinda weird question...Uh, do you remember what I told you two days ago, when you ran...out of my car and was...crying..."
"What? You're apology?"
"No. The stuff I said before you went out."
"Hm? Uh, no not really. Was it important?"
I suppressed a blush and bit my lip. "No, not really." I broke her gaze. Hoping to avoid to subject.
But she wouldn't let me get away. "If it wasn't important, that why'd you mention it?"
"No reason. Just trying to figure something out." I mumbled.
Out of the corner of my eye I glimpsed her eyes narrowing, with her lips crunched together.
"Ed..." She whined.
"Just forget it, okay Winry? I'll tell you again sometime, I'm sure."
She gave me a look that was somewhere between skepticism, worry and a pout. "Alright, I'm trusting you."

(A/N)Alas, I too must default on the fanfiction author cliche, school. (Damn school!) And my marked propensity towards procrastination and sloth. Eh. The next one will take a while, because it's gonna be prom. and, bleh. By current ideas for the chapter are...eh. But, I'll see you, someday. Eventually. Did I mention that Remember Me is also eating my soul? 36,000 words. It probably wont be up until like, next year. :(