Away From The Sun
by. Poisoned Scarlett

Trois

According to Tsubaki, Soul is still in contact with Black Star. Who is Black Star, you ask? To Maka, he's the single-most obnoxious, asinine, god-preaching, conceited idiot she has ever had the displeasure of knowing. But, to Tsubaki, he's likely the single-most amazing, strong, determined person she has ever had the pleasure of knowing - aside from Maka, she'd quickly add when she catches sight of her scowl.

Tsubaki and he dated for a long while back in high school before they broke up, mainly because of Black Star's negligence. He often stood her up on dates due to forgetfulness, and he sometimes blew her off to hang out with his friends at the basketball courts. Needless to say, after watching her friend sigh sadly for the millionth time, Maka had told her it was time to either break it off or continue to suffer. It was an easy enough choice in Maka's head but when feelings tangled with logic, the outcome was almost always disastrous. And Tsubaki happened to be very in-tune with her emotions. So it isn't really a surprise it had taken Tsubaki weeks to work up the courage to propose such an 'outrageous idea', as she'd insist it was.

It had taken another three weeks for Black Star to even accept it.

But eventually they decided they were better off as friends.

Sometimes Tsubaki received the casual text message from him, but more often it was her gazing at a picture of them from when they were together. She says she deleted them all, along with his letters and other small gifts, but she can't lie to Maka. She still misses him, even after all these years, and Maka can only wonder how it feels to love someone that much – enough to retain those feelings even years after that person has left your side.

Maka sometimes wonders if it's worth it.

But going back to the Soul issue, Tsubaki had received a text message from Black Star stating that his friend was in possession of her textbook and he'd really, really like to give it back because just looking at it was making his head hurt. Maka had snatched Tsubaki's phone from her grasp and typed back her own reply, which said she'd meet him in the subway at nine o'clock. She'd received a simple okay and Maka felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

She'd get her textbook back! Maybe if she rushed, she could finish this weeks homework and turn in last weeks as well. It was a lot, but it wasn't like she had much else to do, and Maka wasn't keen on letting her grade suffer even the slightest. Her evenings usually consisted of a part-time job at a local bakery and curling up on her small couch with a book and a warm cup of milk, anyway.

So that's why she's cramped toward the back of the subway, glaring ahead because rush hour today was eight to nine. There's a shuffling of people as they shimmy their way off the train, more taking their place. Maka is now pressed against the edge of an occupied seat and the lady there is sending her vexed looks every time she bumps against her because of the turbulence.

Maka doesn't bother moving. If she can't deal with it, it's not her problem. She's tired of giving people the right of way in these things. If only her papa hadn't borrowed (Maka would say stolen) her car because his broke down, she wouldn't be facing this problem. She'd still have her book and she'd have done her homework and everything would have been dandy.

"Finally," someone says from behind her. "Here's your book."

Maka looks over her shoulder and up, realizing he was quite taller than her now. But he's got her book in his hand and her eyes light up like Christmas lights, a grin splitting her face. The delighted look seems to have stunned him because Soul hands her the book silently and arches a brow when she chirps back a thank you.

"You just saved my life! I was planning on giving up eating for a week or two to buy myself another one!" Maka laughs, clutching the book to her chest lovingly.

"How much does it cost?" He asks, shuddering at the thought of giving up such a sacred art: eating. He didn't think he'd make it even two hours.

"Around ninety dollars." She answers, simply.

"What the hell? Ninety dollars for a book?"

"It's a textbook."

"Same thing." He mutters. "Jeez, I always knew you were a bookworm but I didn't think you were that hardcore." He grins, revealing a sharp tooth. She's not as startled as he expects her to be, as most are when they see his teeth. She just rolls her eyes at his teasing.

"I had to buy it for the class I'm taking," she sighs back. "It's not even a very good class…"

"Yeah." His grin become saucy. "Google is your best friend, huh?"

Maka flushes and chokes out: "You - you went through my notes?"

"I had nothing better to do." He shrugs. "Besides, they were funny. The side notes were, not the actual notes. Those gave me a headache. I have no idea how you can actually understand that crap."

"It's not that hard, Soul." She shakes her head. "Maybe if you actually paid attention during Trig, you'd know something."

"Hey, I did pay attention." He defends before deflating under her look. "Alright. So maybe I fell asleep half the time – fine, more than half the time – but I still passed the class."

"Because I let you cheat." Maka cringes, hanging her head guiltily. "I still regret that."

"What? Why? That was the best day of my life – I actually passed math with a decent grade. My parents didn't believe it until my report card came in." He grins wider, revealing two rows of sharp teeth this time. It makes him look like he's back in high school again, grinning so wide. It makes her feel a little nostalgic, her heart picking up like it did back then.

"But you practically copied off me! How are you supposed to learn if you don't try it yourself?" Maka says, exasperated. She vaguely hears the conductor say the Hawthorn and Vine station follows. "Maybe I shouldn't have helped you out…you should've failed and retaken the class so at least you'd know something!"

"Well, too late for that, right?" He airily blows off, causing her to slit her eyes. "Besides, I did learn something. I passed the placement test and the audition, so I'm not complaining."

"Oh, for which college?" Maka asks, intrigued.

"Juilliard," he yawns. "Got accepted pretty quick." He scowls at that, as if that's a bad thing.

Maka stares. "… You actually got accepted to that university? I heard there was only a five percent acceptance rate!"

"Yeah, well, I got accepted." He frowns at her disbelief but drops it soon after, cracking his neck and adding: "I wasn't planning on going when I got my acceptance letter. Didn't wanna' move all the way over there..."

"But you still went, right?" Maka asks, hopeful.

"Duh, a little hard with my parents breathing down my neck about it. Got my Master's in Music and A.D. in jazz studies so my parents could quit bugging me about it..." He mutters, irked at the thought of his parents. Wes, his older brother, had been the real motivation behind him not dropping out of such a prestigious school in the first place.

"Well, that's great, Soul." Maka smiles, kindly. She watches his eyes lose their edge, if just the slightest bit."I only heard you play once but it was probably the best piece of music I've heard in a long time." She says. She doesn't listen to music that much. Only what's on the radio and only what Tsubaki recommends her, which is usually too cheerful and bubbly for her tastes.

He looks stunned, perhaps a little apprehensive. "…You've heard me play before? When?"

Maka cocks her head. "The music room during lunch. I was going to take a test because I was absent that day and I heard someone playing the piano."

His eyes widen with realization. "You were the chick who eavesdropped on me that day!"

"I did not eavesdrop!"

"No, you just stood there hiding behind the door for a bit." He sarcastically replies.

"…have arrived at the Hawthorn and Vine station!"

Pursing her lips, she says: "That's my stop! Bye, Soul! Thanks for returning my book!" And she proceeds to shoves her way to the exit. She doesn't see his lazy wave but she manages to get one last glimpse at his crooked smile before she hurries onward to Shibusen U.

A/N: By 'A.D.', I mean Artist Diploma lol I did my research, damn it xD

Scarlett.