"Hey, mind if we sit here?"

I looked up. There were three boys. I had seen two of them before; they were in my grade, and in some of my classes, but I didn't really know them. I shrugged.

The blonde one, the one who had asked, sat down across from me; I remembered him from one class in particular, and he only stood out to me because his face was always so open and he was always smiling. His brown-haired friend sat next to him, and the last boy, whom I didn't recognize at all, sat down next to me.

"You're Duo, right? We're in the same math class?" The blonde asked. I nodded, although I didn't know his name. I never paid attention when roll was called. When I failed to answer with more than a nod, he smiled at me and introduced himself. "I'm Quatre." He gestured to the boy next to him. "This is Trowa, and that's Heero," he finished as he nodded towards the boy next to me.

I turned to look at Heero; he seemed to be studying me, and our eyes met for a moment. I looked away, embarrassed, and he leaned closer to me and said in a low voice, "We've seen you fighting them. Would you like to join us?" I understood, then. They were, if not quite the same as me, at least working towards the same goal. "It's all right if you prefer to go it alone," he said in a normal voice, certain that no one who overheard would understand what he was talking about.

I shook my head. "I never known any other... I mean, I knew there had to be, somewhere, but..." I looked up at Quatre and Trowa. To me, they didn't look like they could possibly know what it was like to fight them, but here they were saying that yes, they fought, and they wanted me to fight with them. I didn't know what to say.

"Will you, then?"

"I suppose... it would be easier with help," I admitted. The only thing I worried about was attachment. I didn't like losing people, and being left alone. I thought that maybe, this way, it would be better because I would be there, and I would be able to help. And that was why I agreed—that, and because I had no friends.

Father Maxwell and Sister Helen were always asking me why I never brought anyone to the church. They probably thought that I was too embarrassed, and I let them believe that when I stayed out late it was with "friends." In truth, I didn't want them to know I didn't have any. Now I found that it probably would be embarrassing to let them find I lived in a church—never mind the thought of introducing them to Father Maxwell or Sister Helen. These three were like me, and Father Maxwell and Sister Helen would not understand.

"Are you okay?" Heero asked; he was leaning in close, and I could feel his warm breath on my ear.

I realized I had been spacing off a little, thinking about other things. "Are you... my friends, then?"

Quatre looked taken aback for a moment, but then he smiled. "Would you like us to be?"

I looked down at my lunch tray. "I've... I've never had any friends before."

This time all three of them looked a little bit shocked at my admission. Heero reached over and placed his hand over mine, startling me. I looked up at him.

"You do now."

I was... touched, if that's the right word for how I felt. These three, who didn't even know me, were inviting me to join their little group and they were accepting me solely on the basis that I was also a fighter in this war. I worried, though, because they didn't know what I was. I didn't know if there were any more... rebels. I didn't know if they would be true friends, and understand my reasons, or if they would turn on me thinking that I was a spy. I tried to think of ways I could prove my loyalty, in case they ever found out—no, for when they found out. Because it would happen, no matter what. I couldn't hide it long from people were involved in the war.

I was of the shadows, and there wasn't anything I could do to change it.

When the bell rang, I went to take my tray back. The three of them followed me, and as I was leaving the cafeteria Heero stopped me. "Would you like to come to our place after school? To hang out?" I nodded.

"Then meet us out front after school. Trowa has a car," Quatre told me. I nodded again, silently, and turned to go to class. It seemed Quatre's class was in the same direction as mine, because he caught up with me. "Umm... Heero wanted me to ask you something for him. Don't take this the wrong way, but... he wants to know if you'd go out with him. Ever since he started coming to this school and saw you, he's had a crush on you. We didn't want him to get involved, because, well... but now it's okay, as long as you're okay with it."

I knew what he meant. None of them wanted to get involved with someone who wouldn't understand what they were doing. He continued on in his explanation as he leaned up against the locker next to mine while I got my books out.

"When we saw you, a week ago... he was really happy. But he's kind of shy, so he wanted me to ask you for him." And Quatre was, obviously, the type who spoke his mind. "Of course, if you're not interested that's fine too. I'm sure he'll get over it."

"I don't know."

"Hmm?" He looked over at me. "Don't know about what?"

"About... anything. I've never thought much about other people."

"You've never been in a relationship."

I shrugged; Quatre was perceptive. "I've just never thought about it."

He smiled. "That's all right. There's a first time for everything. If you don't like him, that's fine... but it would make him happy—and you too, I think. Of course, I don't know you, so I could be wrong. I think you're in the same position as he is, and it would be good for both of you. So think about it?"

Nodding, I closed my locker. Quatre smiled at me. "All right then. I'll see you later—out front. We'll be waiting!"