D.A Smith: Give a warm welcome to Wendy Darling 88, Julaannnndrr, and Childatheart28 who just subscribed! Welcome! Hope all of you reading this like the next chapter. It's not much, but it might be the beginning of something :D I'm really excited to be writing this, and now that finals are almost over I will have more time to write, so updates might be more frequent (wohooo!). Your reviews make my day! And, as always, thank you for reading!

CHAPTER 4

"So, after the being a little difficult, he finally asked me out." Lila said excited as she bit her red apple. We were sitting in the dining hall for supper. Lila had been telling me all about the boy she met the day before and how she managed to get a date with him next Saturday. "He's a business major! He wears a suit! He is so mature and handsome."

I nodded along. Lila was so excited she had been talking about him for the last half an hour. Sebastian Wilkes, was his name. And, apparently, the only name worth mentioning. "What are you planning on wearing?" I asked her as I got a piece of spaghetti with my fork.

"I don't know! We totally have to go shopping. I don't think I have anything to wear. Like, at all."

I giggled and shook my head. She never had anything to wear. Like any woman on planet Earth. Any excuse is a good excuse to go shopping. "You got it!" I exclaimed and put the spaghetti in my mouth. It wasn't as bad as I expected it to be.

"Ugh," Lila rolled her eyes and stared behind me, "talking about boys."

I turned around and saw Sherlock enter the dining hall. He looked everywhere, his nose high in the air and his usual blank expression. "He's not that bad. He said he was sorry." Kind of.

"When did he say that?"

"This morning." Lila stared at me as if she had never seen me, smirking a little. "Turns out, he's my new lab partner." My tone was unenthusiastic. I was still trying to figure out if I liked him or didn't. He was so rude, and show off, and kind of a jerk, really. But, the fact he carried around a lab coat in case someone needed it showed he might not be as bad. In fact, his action was kind of nice.

"Wow! So, our little plan is still on?"

I laughed, "Your little plan? No. At least not on my side."

I watched as he took a bowl of spaghetti and a soda can and walked to an empty table. He sat alone. And it looked like he wasn't expecting anyone to sit with him, since he started reading a book. Agatha Christie's The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I kind of felt sorry for him. Being the way he is, it must be hard to make friends.

I bit my lower lip.

"Seriously, Molly?" Lila asked as she watched my expression. "You are so adorable. You can't see anyone alone."

I sighed. "Well, he is alone. How many friends do you expect him to have?"

She looked at him and lowered her left eyebrow. "None with that attitude."

"Exactly." I said and stood up, taking my bowl of spaghetti with me.

"Seriously, Molls?"

I smiled and nodded. Lila rolled her eyes but followed.

I placed my spaghetti bowl in the seat next to him. He didn't even look up. "Mind if we sit here?"

He gestured with his hand to take a seat as he kept reading.

"I love that book," I commented as I sat down.

Sherlock looked at me questioningly, "You've read The Mysterious Affair at Styles?"

I nodded. "Hercule Poirot's debut. I just love his stories. He is just weird and funny and clever." I didn't mention I used to have a crush on Poirot when I was younger. It was strange that I was such a fan of his when I was young, to the point of being in love with a fictional character.

Sherlock puffed. "Not as clever as he thinks he is. He can't solve the case fast enough. Everything is right there in front of his nose."

"And you can solve the case faster than the actual detective?"

"Easily." He replied and went back to his book. "But, I must admit, his stories are the most interesting detective stories I have found."

I nodded.

"So, Hooper. How can I help you?"

I looked at Lila and she shrugged. "Hmm," I said, trying to find some way to say I felt sorry for him sitting by himself and was just giving him company without actually saying it. "Thanks for the lab coat, again, that was so nice of you."

He closed one eye, thinking about my answer. "No," he decided, "That wasn't it."

I sighed. "We need to the lab report. We should separate it so we do equal amount of work."

He shook his head. "Still not what you came to me for."

Annoyed, I looked away. Why did he have to be so difficult? I was just trying to be nice. "Then what did I come to you for?"

"You felt sorry for me. You think I need friends." He casually sipped from his soda can while I looked at him astonished.

"That's so not true." Lila said, trying to revert the situation.

Sherlock placed his fingers on his nose, rubbing it as if he was going to explain something really difficult. After a few seconds, he took his fingers away from his face and sighed. "You two were sitting over there," He said, pointing to our previous table, "saw me and came to sit with me. Either one of you has a crush on me and wanted to flirt or you felt sorry for my loneliness. It can't be the first one, since none of your pupils are dilated. It must be the second option, then, to which I must say, I don't mind being lonely. I've being lonely my whole life."

"But that doesn't mean you actually want to be lonely." I replied, looking at him.

He didn't answer for a moment. He stared at me as if he was trying to decide if he wanted to be lonely or not. Finally, he replied proudly, "Do what you must."

I smirked. "We will. From now on, Sherlock Holmes, you don't have to be lonely. You can choose to be, but never have to."

"You have the choice now." Lila added.

He looked at both of us like a little kid looking at his mom, trying to decide what to do based on her reaction. "Okay." He muttered.

"Okay," I echoed with a grin. "So, what other classes are you taking?" And we all talked through dinner.