In the Mind of a Child Chapter 5

Reprieve

The wise are not wise because they make no mistakes. They are wise because they correct their mistakes as soon as they recognize them.

-Ayanami, Rei

No one bothered to scold her for being tardy to school. The instructors had long since given up trying to control her, much less teach anything. The faculty, especially Misato figured Rei was intelligent enough to teach every one of the classes she was attending.

The bell had already sounded and the students were all seated. Misato had just begun the day's lesson and didn't acknowledge Rei as she walked in and found her desk. Not even the student seemed to pay her any attention. They too assumed she was there only because the law made it so.

Shinji however was unaccustomed to Rei's aloofness and unrestrained behavior. She could tell he was trying to talk to her because he continually glanced at her then back at Misato, apparently waiting for a moment where he could whisper to her without being caught.

"Rei…" Shinji whispered cupping his hands over his mouth. When she didn't respond he leaned toward her desk and tried again, only more loudly "Rei…" Still failing to gain her attention he resorted to tugging on the sleeve of her sweater. However he pulled to hard and the hand she was using to rest her chin on slipped causing her head to bob. She heard Asuka laugh.

"What?" Rei replied, the anger obvious on her face.

"Why were you so late?"

"I overslept." Rei replied turning her gaze to the window. He really doesn't remember.

"Rei…"

"What!" She exclaimed in as loud a whisper as she could manage.

Shinji was taken back by her aggressive whispering and hesitated before bashfully commenting, "You…you look nice today."

Her eye twitched and she bit her lip. She couldn't think of anything to respond. So instead of talking, she did the next best thing. Rei got up, grabbed her bags and left the classroom leaving Shinji completely astonished. Asuka, who had been watching and listening as best she could was also confused but joyful as nothing good every preceded a teenage girl walking hastily out of a room.

Rei decided she'd skip the rest of class and read in the school's courtyard. It was beautiful this time of year; the fall wind ensured a constant rain of stunning cherry blossoms. When she arrived at her favorite spot under the lone sakura tree she found it was already inhabited by another troubled looking girl.

"Oh hello Ayanami" Hikari said. If Rei had been an artist of any quality she would have wanted to paint a picture of the petite sixteen year old. Cherry colored blossoms littered her auburn hair and speckled her outfit. Her shoed feet swayed gently in the grass. She had a classic beauty, gentle and pristine. The splendor she added to the scenery contrasted heavily with the sullen look on her young face.

"What are you doing out here Hikari?" Rei asked as she sat down crossed legged.

She smiled shyly as she answered, "I'm on official Class Representative duties"

"So you're skipping class" Rei replied dryly.

"Well I…yes I suppose"

Rei had never been one for idle chit chat and skipped right to the point. "So what's wrong with you?"

The surprised form her face took was proof enough that something was in fact bothering her. Of course as most people did, Hikari lied. "No…nothing at all" She responded brushing a pink petal away from her cheek.

Rei returned a sigh and a matter of fact gaze.

She hugged her books tightly to her chest and averted her gaze to the grass. Her body language was so apparent it was almost sad. This girl is an open book, Rei thought. She could tell by the way she unconsciously protected herself by drawing her arms in that she was about to say something sensitive and possible damaging. The way she averted her eyes meant she was embarrassed and possibly ashamed of what she was thinking. Even her feet swayed more quickly meaning she was nervous about trusting Rei.

"Rei, you like boys right?" Hikari asked in such an inquisitive tone that she might have expected either answer.

She pushed the mental image of Shinji out of her mind. This left a vacuum of thinking that was quickly filled as she contemplated Hikari politely asking if she was lesbian. "Who is it that you like?"

"Oh, no one I was just asking."

"You were just asking whether or not I like boys? Since you're not going to tell me I'll inform you of the obvious. There is a boy that you like who doesn't seem to notice you even exist. You've tried everything you can think of to get him to talk to you but nothing seems to work. You're on the verge of giving up, which is exactly what you were thinking about before I walked up and interrupted your self pity party" Rei was still mildly displeased about this morning. "Sorry" She said, humiliated at her own insensitivity.

"H…how could you possibly know?" Hikari now had her knees up to her chest as well. Rei had apparently frightened the poor girl.

"Lucky guess. Toji right?" Rei asked softening her tone.

She nodded in response without questioning Rei's apparent mind reading powers.

Why didn't I think of this before? "I think I can help, if you'll let me"

"I don't wish to inconvenience you" Her head perked up as she answered.

"No trouble at all" Rei said with a small grin. "Do you know where he is right now?"

"Baseball practice until ten and then he has Algebra until eleven thirty and then…" She trailed off as Rei looked at her less as a love sick girl and more as a stalker.

"It'll be done by tomorrow" Rei said as she left Hikari dumbfounded under the sakura tree.

Rei walked to the baseball field and immediately spotted Toji. He was the one trying to balance a baseball bat on his head. Amid the catcalls she stepped on the field and approached the showboating boy. "Forgive me for interrupting your practice, but can I have a word with you?"

"What da hell are you doin here?" Toji said forgetting about the bat on his head and paying for it dearly as it fell and hit him in the knee. To his credit he didn't make a sound, and only let a few tears form in his eyes.

"I wanted to talk to you for a moment if you're not to busy beating yourself"

"Just make quick I got a lot a work ta do" Toji said crossing his arms.

"Are you still angry that Asuka likes Shinji?"

"Oy! She don't like em. She wants me, even told me so!"

"How much money did you have to spend before her true feelings surfaced?" Rei asked growing tired of his ego.

"I…dats none of your business!" Toji exclaimed, his face turning red.

"Whatever, I'm sure you could have any girl you wanted. Being the star baseball player and all."

"Yeah, yeah I could. 'Cept you of coarse, you don't like boys"

Ignoring that she had, yet again been called a lesbian she continued goading him. "Well I know of a girl that you can't have. She says she doesn't like you because you're not man enough to talk to her. She's pretty too, trust me, I don't like boys remember"

"Oh yea! Who?"

"I'll only tell you if give me something in return" Rei said.

"You wanna borrow some of me clothes so you can dress like a man?" Toji laughed to himself.

Rei sighed to herself. "I find it somewhat peculiar that you continue bringing up my sexual preference when you and your baseball boyfriends have more homosexual tendencies than I can count on both hands. Especially your friend Kensuke, he has on more makeup than I do"

"It…it's just a joke. Never mind dat, what ya want in return."

"I want you to promise me that you'll leave Shinji alone"

He thought about this a moment and after expending all his mental ability finally agreed. "Who is it?"

"It's Hikari. All you have to do is talk to her a little, I'm sure she'll work out the rest." Rei said wishing she had just a little more patience. She could have handled this situation with more finesse but she was sorely tired of playing matchmaker.

"Hikari huh? I'll have her before the days out" Toji said with a cocky grin.

"We're done here"

Rei retuned to class just as the student were packing their bags in preparation for the bell to sound. "What did I miss? She asked Shinji.

"We have a project due tomorrow. There's no real guideline other than we have to use this construction paper and make a poster. Oh…and we're partners"

"Who's idea was that?" Rei asked with a tad of scorn in her voice.

"It…it was Misato's" Shinji replied. "I'm sorry"

"If we make plans to see each other after school to work on this assignment are you going to show up or just ditch me again?" Rei had been trying her hardest to not show how mad she was about Shinji forgetting her this morning but she just couldn't help it.

"I…I won't forget. I have to work today so we could meet at my house afterwards if you want" Shinji said still failing to apologize.

Wonderful, I'll just orient my day around your time schedule, Rei thought. "Fine"

"Ikari Shinji please report to the principal's office immediately" the intercom buzzed.

Rei watched as the boy quickly gathered up his belongings and headed out the door. As soon as he left Asuka walked up and sat beside her.

"Don't get any ideas Ayanami, Shinji is with me now. You should have seen us last night after the game, he was all over me" Asuka said with a devilish grin.

It was so much easier when I didn't care. Asuka's comment had actually injured her. Even though Rei knew there was almost no way Shinji had done anything with Asuka there was still sufficient doubt in her mind. I set out to be his friend, nothing more, what do I care what he does? She did care though, and Asuka could see it in her face.

"I'm telling you Ayanami, keep your hands to yourself. You pissed Lavi off pretty bad at the game, the only thing holding her back is the deal we made with each other. Think about that while you're with him tonight"

As intimidating as she was attempting to be, Rei could see right through it. She still saw Rei as a major threat to her and Shinji. If she was secure in their relationship Asuka most likely wouldn't feel the need to threaten her like this. That made Rei feel a little bit better.

Shinji saw the receptionist sitting at her desk filing her nails. She wore a white t-shirt with a picture of a bonsai tree on the chest. Over her shirt she was wearing a little red vest covered with various buttons and stickers. She was young, in her early twenties, very pretty with short black hair that complemented her face and gave her something of a pixie look. "Um…Ms. Ibuki, I'm here to see the principal."

"Go right in Shinji, oh and call me Maya. I haven't even graduated college yet. You say Ms. Ibuki and I look for my mother" she laughed.

Shinji smiled and waved at her before walking through the open door of the office.

There was no one in the office. Only the principal's wooden desk covered with an assortment of feline ornaments. Shinji looked behind him as he heard the door close.

A tall man in a black suit and dark framed sunglasses stepped in without saying a word to him. The man reeked of authority, so much so that he felt the urge to sit down. He had pony tailed hair and looked as if he hadn't shaved in days. Other than that he looked completely professional, almost federal in his demeanor. Before taking a seat himself the man threw a large green binder on the desk. Shinji shifted uncomfortably as the man, who had still said nothing to him began undoing the wire clasp securing the folder. After ruffling through the contents of the binder he finally spoke.

"As you can see we've had our eye on you for some time now Mr. Ikari. It seems that you've been living two lives. In one life, you're Shinji Ikari, html programmer for a respectable website creation company. You have a social security number, do your homework, and you... help your mother carry out her garbage. The other life is lived in computers, where you go by the hacker alias "Sannan" and are guilty of virtually every computer crime we have a law for. One of these lives has a future, and one of them does not."

Shinji had never been this scared in his entire life. He didn't dare speak or move. He could only listen in fear as the man droned on in his monotone voice.

Removing his sunglasses the man continued, "I'm going to be as forthcoming with you as I can be Mr. Ikari. You are here because we need your help"

"Ca…can I call my mom?"

The man sighed and replaced the darkened frames on his face. "Mr. Ikari you disappoint me. Tell me, what good is a phone call if you are unable to speak?"

"Wha…what are you going to do?" Shinji exclaimed as he began sweating profusely.

"He's not going to do anything Shinji." Ms. Akagi said. Shinji had been so wrapped up in what the man was saying he hadn't even heard her come in. "Is all this really necessary Kaji? You scared him half to death."

Kaji's stone cold demeanor broke into a wide grin. "Oh come on Ritsuko I was only kidding. Okay Shinji here's the real deal, I was wondering if you would help me teach my computer sciences class this semester."

Shinji still hadn't returned by lunchtime so as usual Rei sat alone. She didn't care however as she was still upset. As mature and intellectual as Rei knew she was, she couldn't quite grasp why Shinji forgetting her this morning made her so mad. She knew he most likely had no mal intent. Still she couldn't get over it. Rei understood that there were basically two ways in which people dealt with their emotions. People that express them are usually the more instinct driven, outgoing types like Asuka. Rei on the other hand controlled her feelings, depended on logic more than impulse and was nothing if not an introverted thinker. Rei and Asuka were polar opposites. She understood, in depth the psychology behind what she was feeling, but it didn't help. Rei knew that Shinji didn't mean to harm her, therefore he should be forgiven. The urge to pout and be bitter was overpowering however.

"Hello Ayanami" Shinji said in a somewhat defeated tone as he sat down at her table.

Rei grunted in response. I'm acting like a child.

"A…are you mad at me?" Shinji asked tentatively.

Rei caught her self tapping her fingers rapidly on the table. "Not at all" she spat.

She could see in his expression that the cold shoulder she was giving him had not been unnoticed. "Please…tell me what's wrong." Shinji pleaded

"Nothing" She lied. I'm such a hypocrite. "So did you have fun walking to school with Asuka this morning?" Damn it, Rei thought. She couldn't stop herself. She was dying to say something.

"Oh yeah, it was great she's really funny. Like on the way to school she…" Shinji stopped speaking when he saw that Rei's fists were clenched. "Uh…what…"

Rei wouldn't say that she was fluent in English. She did however know a few select phrases and by the time she was done she had used every bit of Americanized profanity she could think of.

Shinji of course didn't speak anything other than Japanese and just sat there completely confused. "What?"

After collecting herself Rei grabbed her books and left the table. "I'll be there at seven Ikari." Rei couldn't believe how much better she felt. Perhaps its better to just feel what you're going to feel and move on, Rei thought.

After getting over the initial shock of seeing Shinji's mother again Rei was let in and Shinji was called down from his room.

"Oh hello Rei" Gendo greeted her as he walked in the room.

Before she could answer she and Misses Ikari sneezed.

"Excuse me" They said in unison looking at each other with more disbelief.

"Sorry Yui I was playing with the neighbor's cat earlier and…Rei are you allergic to cats as well?" Mr. Ikari questioned scratching his beard.

"Apparently so" Rei replied wiping at her eyes which had began to itch as soon as Shinji's father walked in.

Ikari's father laughed to himself. "Rei, Shinji tells me you're something of a philosopher. Have you ever read anything on the nets by a man named Zero?"

"I've read a few essays. Also I think that Zero is a woman, Mr. Ikari."

"A woman, are you sure?" Gendo asked.

"Pretty sure"

"Have you seen her latest report on the ethics of globalization. It's brilliant."

"Dad leave her alone. Come on up Rei" Shinji called out from the balcony.

Rei suspected Shinji's room was like any other average high school boy's, only much larger. He had posters of various American and Japanese bands taped to his walls. There was a large stack of graphic novels sitting by his bed. A few brightly colored model robots hung from his ceiling and lined his dresser. He even had a cello sitting in the middle of his room.

"You play." Rei stated staring at the beautiful instrument.

"Yeah a little" Shinji replied.

"That's amazing" Rei loved classical music. It's what she listened to when she was typing her reports. She especially favored Beethoven's Ode to Joy.

"Rei…I'm sorry about this morning. I didn't forget you. I just figured you would rather walk by yourself anyway. I know I've been kind of a pain following you around all the time. I just thought you'd rather be alone. I'm sorry Misato put us together, I even tried to refuse but she wouldn't hear it"

"Wh…why wouldn't you want us to work together?" Rei asked, hurt that Shinji had tried to break their pairing.

"Because I knew that you were mad at me about something and I didn't want you to hate me anymore than you already do" Shinji desolately replied.

After Shinji's heartfelt apology, Rei had trouble remembering what she was mad about in the first place. "Shinji I…I'm your friend. I don't hate you at all. You're right I was mad this morning. I was hurt that you ditched me for Asuka. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions however, that was my fault" Once proven wrong Rei had no problem admitting it and apologizing. She thought this was one of her better qualities as it showed maturity.

"Friends?" Shinji said offering a bashful smile.

"Friends"

"I hope you don't mind me saying it again but, you really do look pretty today"

She used one of her books to cover how red she was turning. She couldn't force away the gigantic smile that had grown on her face after his compliment. "You…embarrass me" She felt the urge to hug him, he had made her day. With a few simple words he had washed away everything negative she felt.

"Rei, you're blushing" Shinji said taking Rei book's away from her.

"Yes" She felt how warm her face was as she covered her blushing cheeks with her hands. "Girls tend to do that on occasion. Can we get started on the project? My cheeks are starting to ache"

After deliberating for over an hour they finally decided on the topic of their assignment. Rei would compose a paper on the pros and cons of religion in the modern world. Shinji would occupy himself by cutting out pictures and gluing them to the construction paper Misato had given them.

Rei had practically buried herself in the books she had brought. As always before writing anything she did massive amounts of research. After studying for what seemed like hours she caught herself falling asleep and decided to move to a more uncomfortable position next to the wall. She saw that Shinji was still cutting away at his pictures. They hadn't spoken since they started the project. He was involved with his pictures and she was involved with her studying, neither of them interrupted the other. Before finally succumbing to sleep she smiled to herself as she thought about how hard of a worker he was.

She awoke to the sound of Shinji stirring, the lights had been turned off so she couldn't tell exactly what he was doing but she could make out the outline of his form. Her watch alerted her that it was almost three in the morning. Rei watched as he walked toward her carrying a blanket of some kind. As he approached she quickly shut her eyes and acted as if she was sleeping. She felt him take the book she was reading out of her hand and place the blanket over top of her. He even went so far as to put a tiny pillow behind her head. As soon as he walked away she opened her eyes and watched him walk over to his bed and just stand there as if deciding whether or not to lie down. After making his decision he walked over to the opposite wall and knelt up against it, dropping his head as if he was going to sleep. Why didn't he just sleep in his bed? Rei thought to herself. No one had ever gone through this much trouble for her before. Without contemplating the situation anymore she got up and carried the blanket over to where Shinji was sitting.

"Ayanami?" Shinji whispered.

As she sat down next to him she threw half the blanket over his body. "Goodnight Shinji" She whispered before putting her head on his shoulder and falling asleep.

End Chapter 5