Sometimes I thought my friends were only friends with me because of Maka. I couldn't help but wonder if they'd ever really hang out with me if it wasn't for her.
She probably gathered them up and told them all about what happened between us the day we connected for the first time. "Chrona's actually a good person," she might've said. "Trust me."
As if having one friend wasn't enough of a miracle already, I found myself surrounded with many more.
And I didn't even do anything. They just invited me, and I accepted.
I never made a friend on my own before. I never thought I would, simply because there was no need. The number I had already was more than I expected to have in a lifetime.
One morning I was forced to wake up before it was anywhere near the time for class to start. It was even before they started serving breakfast in the cafeteria, and outside the sky was just beginning to get light and clear as the sun rose.
Normally I didn't get up this early, but Ragnarok figured poking and pinching me at six in the morning would get us first in line when they opened the cafeteria doors. I yawned a lot and moved slowly, but eventually I was out of my room and on my way.
The candles in the empty hallways burned silently as I walked by them. We didn't see a soul until we reached some of the public restrooms. I intended to pass them by, but I stopped when one of the doors opened.
I wasn't staring just because I didn't expect to see anyone come out. I stared because the person coming out of the boys' room was doing so on his hands and knees. For a moment it made me wonder if I was still asleep in bed after all, dreaming.
His head was lowered as his eyes darted this way and that, searching the floor as if he'd dropped something. He had blond hair and bright aquamarine eyes on a young boyish face. He sort of reminded me of one of the Death Scythes, Justin, only he was dressed more flamboyantly.
He started crawling toward the other door, away from the boys' room and closer to the girls' room.
"What are you doing?" I asked, loud enough for him to hear but soft enough not to make him jump.
He froze on the spot, his face paling as it started to sweat. Slowly, he raised his eyes until they met mine. Then he visibly relaxed and a sigh of relief seeped out of his mouth. "Oh, it's just you."
I felt my hand squeeze around my arm. We'd never met before. "Oh, I'm—"
"I know who you are," he said, and pointed up at Ragnarok. "The infamous Demon Sword and his Meister."
"Look kid," said Ragnarok. "We don't have time for chitchat." And he prodded the back of my head, trying to get me to move forward.
"Fine," said the boy, "but if you see a hamster around here, let me know."
A hamster? I thought. I wanted to ask him a question, but Ragnarok answered, "You bet," in a falsely sweet voice and gave me another deep jab, this time in the back of my neck. I stumbled, caught my balance, and walked on without a chance to glance back.
The interruption was small, but it still annoyed Ragnarok. He uttered accusations under his breath, as if he thought the boy had wanted to hold us up on purpose. I decided to keep an eye out for anything furry crawling on the floor. Helping someone find their lost pet seemed more important than being first in line for breakfast.
Ragnarok was too distracted by his own thoughts to notice I was walking slower. I paced myself, checking corners and anyplace the hamster could be hiding. I even deliberately made a wrong turn so I could double back—maybe the pet was somewhere around the way we came.
"You want me to starve, don't you?" Ragnarok asked when he finally realized what was going on. "If we do find that hamster, I'm eating it."
I'd seen him eat a lot of weird things before but I wasn't sure if he'd actually gobble down something like a live hamster. It wasn't something I looked forward to finding out.
What I did discover, though, was that for such a tiny thing hiding in a dark corner, it knew how to put up a fight. It didn't run away from me, but by the time it stopped squirming in my hands, my fingers were covered in tiny bite and scratch marks. I could feel it quaking between my palms as I carried it with me. It was as if I was holding a furry, beating heart.
The boy wasn't where we first saw him, so after another pointed reminder of how empty Ragnarok's stomach was, we resumed our walk to the cafeteria.
Along the way, we ran into him again.
"Here's your hamster," I said, uncovering my hands.
"Thanks," he said, taking it and putting it inside the metal cage he was carrying. "But it's not mine—I was looking after it for someone, so when I lost it I thought I was done for."
"Why are you here so early?"
"My friend told me to meet him when he got here, and he's always here early for his club meetings." The boy closed his eyes tightly and lifted his hand to cover his mouth while he yawned. "Well," he said, turning away, "thanks again."
"Satisfied now?" Ragnarok hissed in my ear but oddly enough, I wasn't.
"Wait."
He stopped and looked at me over his shoulder.
"What's your name?"
The boy gave me a small grin. "It's Hiro."
-xoxo-
I didn't see him until several days afterward, but when I did, I recognized him instantly. He ran past me, obviously in a big hurry, and when I turned my head to watch him he was handing various things to different people and apologizing for being late.
It seemed all Hiro ever did was favors for other people, but no one ever seemed to thank him. I realized that even taking care of the hamster was something that someone pressured him to do.
Pressured, not forced. I didn't think anyone ever outright threatened him into doing anything. He was just easy to persuade.
Once, at the end of a Phys. Ed. class, I went over to the drinking fountains for a drink and noticed two people talking across from me. They were out of earshot, standing near the locker room building. One of the students was Hiro. A dark blue dumpster stood behind him, and the boy he was with pointed at it.
My thumb was pressing the fountain's button, but the water flowed without being drunk.
Hiro looked at the dumpster nervously and started to shake his head, but the boy tapped at his own wrist and jabbed his finger at the huge trash bin again. Hiro swallowed, nodded vigorously, and climbed right into the garbage, disappearing from sight.
I felt my throat tighten, wondering if the blond Meister was being bullied or if he was just being someone's doormat again.
An arm rose from the trash with something clutched in its hand. Hiro tugged himself out, filthy and frowning. He handed the object to his peer, who took it, wiped it on his PE shorts, and bound it to his wrist. It appeared to be a watch.
Then Hiro was left alone. He stared off into space, caked in bits of food and covered with stains.
I remembered the water and considered leaning over it to pretend I hadn't witnessed the scene before me.
Hiro turned his head and our eyes met. I felt rooted to the spot.
At first he stared at me blankly as if he couldn't properly see me. Then his mouth curved into a smile. He cupped his hands near each side of his mouth and shouted.
"Good thing the shower rooms are so close by, huh?"
I didn't know what to say and my mind couldn't think of any good words quick enough. It was a late response, but I just gave a single nod. He waved at me while I watched him enter the doors that led to the locker rooms.
Later on, I even caught Black*Star telling him to do something for him. He got in trouble for being late to class for the fifth time in a row, so he got Hiro to take his punishment.
Perplexed, I decided to ask someone about him.
"He's basically the academy's errand boy. Everyone knows that," Liz said, flipping through the magazine she'd asked me to get for her. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason," I said, even though there was. She turned another page and I watched, thinking about why I did this favor for her. It was because I liked doing things for my friends. I liked to make them happy, and I liked it when they showed their appreciation by saying thanks or smiling or touching my shoulder.
It was especially nice to do favors for Maka, since she usually did all three. It was nice to hear her voice, see her smile, and feel her hand on my shoulder at the same time.
Did Hiro like being an errand boy? No matter how I looked at it, I couldn't get how he could seem happy while the students took advantage of him. He was practically a servant. It reminded me of how I used to be, and I didn't like it.
It made me want to do something.
Ragnarok kept telling me to stop worrying about him, to leave him alone because he never asked for any help. He said I was going to end up like Maka, someone who'd stick their nose where it didn't belong and mess up a poor kid's life for good.
"She didn't mess things up for us," I kept reminding him. "She made things better."
And of course I wouldn't mind it if I became like Maka.
-xoxo-
I saw Hiro making his way down the hall, his bright hair and clothes standing out amongst the other students. He didn't look like he was in a hurry, so I waited for just the right moment to step in his path. From the corner of my eye, I watched him get closer and prepared to turn myself around.
I wasn't sure if it was because of nervousness or eagerness, but as I made my turn, I stuck my foot out a little too much. Hiro walked right in its way and tripped. He threw out his arms, which flailed and flapped in the air like wings. There was a loud bump when he fell flat on his face.
For a moment I was stunned. Before I could snap to my senses again, there was a new sound. Many of the students around us saw what happened and some of them were laughing, as if they thought I'd tripped Hiro on purpose.
My brain demanded that I help him up and ask if he was alright, but I couldn't move quick enough. My body was still not fully recovered from the small shock. Hiro, however, began moving on his own. Slowly, he pushed himself up to a kneeling position on the floor.
A few people were still staring, but most went back to what they were doing before. Some walked past still snickering.
Hiro got to his feet and whirled around. His nose was a little red from the fall. "What did you do that for?" he growled, glaring and dusting himself off.
"I didn't do it on purpose!" I blurted, accidentally raising my voice.
"Then I'll watch where I'm going next time." His hands rolled themselves into fists at his sides as he turned to continue down the hall.
"Wait." I quickly stepped in front of him. He stopped, looking annoyed, but listened. "I need a favor."
At this, his face visibly sagged. "I know I owe you one for the hamster thing, but does it have to be right now?"
"No, but I need it done by the end of the day." And I showed him the card I was holding.
Asking people for favors wasn't something I often did, so I was surprised at myself for how well I was doing. My hand barely trembled as I gave him the card. It made me wonder if I was starting to know how it felt to be like Maka.
The card he now held was a recipe card, and I told him I needed twenty-five copies.
"That's all?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "Okay, but—?"
"Thanks!" And I took off, like any person pretending to be in a hurry would do.
Late that afternoon, when I received my neat stack of recipe cards, I made him follow me to the staff room, explaining that there was actually more to my request.
As expected, someone was waiting for me there.
I handed the cards to her, and she smiled and thanked me for running this errand for her, but I told her it was Hiro she should be thanking.
Marie-sensei's face lit up. "I take it you're the volunteer Chrona was looking for?"
He blinked at her and opened his mouth, probably to ask what she was talking about, so I quietly but firmly kicked at his heel.
"Yes, ma'am, that's me!" He drew himself up straight and tall, then bowed grandly and deeply.
"I'm glad you're excited—All of us are looking forward to it," she said, tucking the cards away into her handbag. "I'll see you two soon."
We both gave her a wave, and as soon as she was out the door, Hiro wasted no time in turning to me and demanding an explanation. What exactly had he just involuntarily volunteered for?
I held my hands up in front of me and tried to smile, but it came out badly crooked. There was a small tremor in my voice, too.
It was widely known throughout the academy that Marie-sensei had a knack for cooking. She often made snacks and lunches for her students if they asked. But recently they tended to ask her for tips on how to improve their own skills. She gave one group of students a "test" where they'd each make a treat and present it to her for tasting. Earlier today she gave me her own special recipe for apple strudel and asked for several copies. These were to be like the group's study guide. I agreed when she asked if I wanted to help her with "grading." I even promised to find someone to help us finish all that strudel.
The promise of free food seemed to win Hiro over, though the whole thing made him suspicious. "I never thought I'd end up doing someone a favor that sounded so… fun. I dunno, usually I just go around running errands and it's boring, but this time I feel like I'm doing something with you instead of just for you."
I felt a twinge of guilt as I looked down, unable to meet his eyes. I knew I shouldn't have looked away, but it happened so quickly I couldn't stop it. Part of me wished I'd look up again but another part found it so much easier to stare at the floor.
"That's kind of the point," I admitted, and as soon as I said it I felt so pathetic. Maybe Ragnarok was right; maybe trying to befriend him was a bad idea. What if he thought I was only trying to reach out to him because I felt sorry for him? Or what if he thought I sounded desperate and needy, clumsily trying to add another member to the small collection of friends I had already?
My heart started to tap roughly inside my chest, and I took a step backward. "But if you'd rather I stop bothering you now, then I will. I'll—I'll tell Marie-sensei you couldn't make it or something…"
I watched my foot move backward again. The urge to turn around and run out the door was growing stronger.
My breathing was rapid and shallow, as expected, but now that my attention was on it, it began to slow down.
"Are you okay?"
Hiro's voice distracted me, but I couldn't just ignore it. Hands clenched, I forced myself to look at him. I didn't like the look he was giving me, like I was some kind of weirdo, but his next words took me by surprise.
"I'll go. Like I said, it sounds fun and I'll get free food, right? So it's no big deal."
It was my turn to stare at him oddly. I wasn't sure if I had done something right or if he was in it for his own benefit, but either way, the end result was the same. I just hoped he wasn't a picky eater.
-xoxo-
Most of the young bakers were girls, some of whom I knew—including Kim and Jacqueline. It was a lazy Saturday afternoon and the cafeteria was warm from all the freshly made strudel. There was plenty of it to go around. Marie-sensei had a taste of it all, noting which ones were too sweet, which ones were just right, and even which ones seemed better than her own.
Unless my eyes were playing tricks on me, Kim and Jacqueline kept throwing quick, dark looks at Hiro, who either didn't notice or pretended not to. Sure enough, when he got up from the table and was out of earshot for the first time, Kim turned to face me.
"I didn't know you hung out with perverts," she said.
The bit of strudel I was lifting never reached my mouth. "Excuse me?"
Jacqueline was nodding in agreement as she offered up another pastry to Ragnarok, who paused just to say, "Big deal. The guy's a guy."
Kim folded her arms together. "I just thought you should know, Chrona. He's a pushover, but there was a time when he got really full of himself and thought he could do whatever he wanted. Keep that in mind if you plan on hanging around him more."
This bit of news was a little unsettling, and I hoped it didn't show on my face as everyone got ready to leave. It was tough looking Hiro in the eye when we said our goodbyes.
It got easier, though, over the next few days. I could say hi back to him whenever we passed each other in the halls. Maybe Kim was right about him, but for now, he didn't seem so bad.
Then I wondered what Maka thought of him. Would she warn me to stay away and not bother with him? If there was one person whose opinion I valued over anyone else's, it was hers. I decided to ask.
She had to think it over for a moment. It was hard for her to share her thoughts about someone she'd barely even spoken to. She told me about the time he became power-hungry when he teamed up with Excalibur, but the experience was brief. He reverted to his old ways right after, so she wasn't sure if he was harmless or not.
"But even though I don't know much about him," she said, shrugging her shoulders, "I think it's good that you made a friend on your own." And she gave me one of my favorite smiles—the kind that told me I did something she really liked.
The rest was up to me now. Proceeding carefully seemed like the safest option, so I stuck to just saying hi to him in the hallways and stopping for a quick chat if we had time.
Sometimes he would seek me out on purpose. Sometimes he wanted me to join a group study session and sometimes he wanted tips on sword-wielding. He was one of the few Meisters at his age who still didn't have a partner, but he came to me for advice in case his Weapon ended up being a sword. It was the kind he had the most experience in handling.
One morning he had a strange smile on his face. "Hey," he asked me, "you know Maka Albarn, right?"
I hesitated before answering. "Yes. Why?"
"She just saved my life."
His words earned a frown from me, which didn't leave my face even after he explained what happened. He was walking up the enormous staircase at the front of the school carrying a tall stack of another student's books. Just as he reached the top, the tower of books wavered. He lost his footing and would've tumbled down to his death if Maka hadn't been around to save him. She stopped his fall as she was coming up the stairs herself.
I asked him about the books.
"Oh, they got a little dusty and beat up, but they survived too."
"No, I meant what were you doing with them in the first place?"
The books were overdue library books that someone asked him to return… and pay the late fees for.
I shook my head. "You shouldn't let people walk all over you all the time."
"That sounds really weird when it's coming from you," he said, but then a thoughtful look crossed his face. After a moment his eyes gleamed as if he had an idea. "Maybe Maka can teach me?"
His voice was quiet, so I wasn't sure if he was just musing to himself or asking for my opinion. In any case, I didn't get to answer because the bell for class to start rang long and loud above our heads.
I felt strange after that. During class, I watched Maka carefully, but she never mentioned Hiro throughout the whole day. The next time I heard from him was that evening, when I was going to the cafeteria to have dinner.
He snuck up from behind and gripped my shoulder to stop me. He didn't even say hello. He just said, "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know what Maka's favorite flower is, would you?"
He took me by surprise so suddenly that I blurted out the kind she liked without thinking. Then he gave my shoulder a pat and ran back the way he came.
I stood there to let what just happened sink in. Then I wanted to kick myself.
When I woke up the next morning, my mind was still full of questions. There were so many that I couldn't focus on one long enough to figure out how to deal with it. The only answers I had were guesses of my own and none of them were at all comforting. Having a word with Hiro or Maka was the only way to get to the bottom of this, but motivating myself was difficult because I didn't think I'd like what I would find.
I wasn't hungry, but I forced some breakfast into my stomach and hoped it would help. I kept an eye out for them the whole time. Then I searched around the academy, but it looked like neither of them were here yet.
Ragnarok kept poking me in the face because I wouldn't tell him what was wrong with me. I put up with it at first, but he just wouldn't stop, so I decided to go wait in the classroom. If Maka wasn't there already, I'd talk to her when it was time for lunch.
I had a long walk ahead of me. Ragnarok finally got bored and left my face alone. Neither of us spoke and if it weren't for the students in the halls, it would've been completely quiet.
A surprise was waiting for me near the classroom door, stopping me in my tracks. For a moment I was happy because the two people standing ahead were the ones I'd been looking for, but as I looked closer, my smile faded.
Hiro and Maka were facing each other and talking, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. He was standing very close to her. There was a bouquet of flowers in his hand, the same kind of flowers that I'd told him were her favorite.
He kneeled down on one knee and held them up to her.
She took them, hugging the gift to her chest. Several petals brushed under her chin and she closed her eyes, breathing in their scent. Her mouth stretched into a smile.
My feet jerked backward, making me stumble, but I didn't care. All that mattered was putting as much distance between them and me as possible. Eyes on the ground, I hurried to move out of sight before they had a chance to notice. I backed up until something firm and solid stopped me.
A big window stood behind me with a sill wide enough to sit on. I collapsed onto it.
My pulse was racing and my palms were sweaty. I could feel my head throbbing. Ragnarok shouted at me and I winced.
"Damn, Chrona, breathe!"
He made me realize that I'd been holding my breath. No wonder my chest felt so tight.
"You're panicking for no reason," he huffed.
I shut my eyes. I wanted to hit him so he'd shut up and leave me alone. I had every right to panic. My fears had been confirmed before my eyes.
Hiro liked Maka.
I remembered what Kim said about him, about him being a pervert, and it made me worry. I didn't want Maka getting hurt. Even though he was the only friend I made on my own, she was much more important.
I stood up, hugging myself. She would be inside the classroom now, still holding that bouquet close. I would wait until I saw Hiro again. He was the only one I needed to speak with now.
But I couldn't get a moment with him for the rest of the day, as if he was on to me. Strange how he popped up when I didn't need him and disappeared when I did. I kept a watchful eye on Maka in case he showed up to give her more gifts and flirt with her.
I lingered at the front of the class at the end of the day. Maka must've noticed I was distracted because before she went home she asked me if I was okay.
"Not exactly," I admitted in a quiet voice. "But I will be."
She set her flowers down on the nearest desk and opened her arms. Stepping closer, she wrapped me in a hug that was tender and soft. "If something's bothering you, you know you can tell me about it, right?"
I looked at the flowers lying there by themselves and moved my arms to return the hug. "I know," I said, then closed my eyes to hide the bouquet from view.
That was one of the many reasons why Maka was so wonderful. She offered to listen but never pressured me to talk if I didn't want to. And when she held me like this, everything else seemed less scary.
So at the end of the next day, when the hallways became packed with students trying to go home and I saw a familiar patch of blond hair among them, I raced right over. Hiro moved fast, as if he knew I was after him, but I caught up to him. Reaching out, I clasped on to the cuff of his sleeve and held my ground.
He turned with raised eyebrows.
"There's something we need to talk about," I said.
"Sure, but I'm kind of busy—"
"It's important."
His eyes narrowed, but whether it was with suspicion or concern, I couldn't tell.
I kept a firm grip on his arm as I looked for an empty classroom. I didn't let go until we were inside and the door was shut behind us.
"Hiro," I said, and got right to the point. "I don't want to hang around you anymore."
"Wait." Whatever he'd been expecting, it wasn't that. "What?"
"It's not like I hate you…" My voice began to trail off. The thought of him and Maka together filled my head. Their smiles put an uneasy stir deep in my stomach and I frowned. "I just… don't like how you treat one of my friends."
He frowned too, then scratched his cheek with one finger. "Who? What did I do to them?"
"Nothing. I mean, you didn't do anything bad, but—Well, to me it was bad, so—It's more what you might do to them later that I have a problem with. You see?"
He stared at me, then shook his head slowly.
I sighed. For a moment I just closed my eyes and scolded myself. Start again and be clear this time.
"It's Maka. I don't know what you want from her, but I don't like it. You might end up hurting her. That's why we can't be friends. I don't want anything to do with someone who might toy with her feelings. And the thought of you trying to be with her like that is actually really scary to me…"
I swallowed, my eyes still shut firmly behind closed lids. There was a tense pause before he spoke.
"You think that I have a thing for Maka?"
I opened my eyes and wondered if my face looked just as surprised as his did. "Don't you?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Nope."
"But I saw you giving her those flowers!"
"I gave them to her as a way of saying thanks for saving my life the other day. That's why I asked you which were her favorite. What, you thought I was confessing to her or something?" He cracked a grin.
I said nothing because I didn't find it funny. It should've been relieving to know I was wrong about the way he felt about Maka, but a sliver of fear and mistrust lingered in me. What if I had just accidentally encouraged him to get closer to her?
"Hey," he said, drawing me out of my thoughts. "Why the big fuss over her anyway? You didn't have to kidnap me just to clear up this little misunderstanding."
Ignoring his teasing, I lowered my head and kept my mouth shut. My face was getting hot.
Hiro spoke again, his voice now solemn.
"And what if I did actually like her, in a serious way? You'd still want me to back off, wouldn't you?" He scowled. "Why?"
I shifted uncomfortably. After the way I accused him, he probably deserved to know. My stomach squirmed as I thought about telling him the one thing I'd never told anyone before. The thing I'd been too scared even to admit to myself. But if he knew the truth and still wanted to be friends, then he'd definitely not try anything with her.
"I like Maka."
It was the truth and it didn't matter if he started teasing me about it now.
"Oh, okay. That explains your jumping to conclusions." He talked calmly, as if he had suspected my secret all along. "But really, don't feel threatened by me—She's not even that hot anyway."
For a few seconds I just stood there, stunned. Then I lunged at him, but he ducked away. I turned to find him walking calmly out the door, his hand waving goodbye to me.
I stared at the back of his head, unable to decide if he was a jerk or not.
-xoxo-
The next time I saw Maka, I quickly asked her if Hiro had talked to her recently. She told me he hadn't, then asked why I wanted to know. My face flooded with warmth when I told her it was nothing.
"That reminds me, would you introduce me to him sometime? I feel like getting to know him since he's your friend now—"
"He's not my friend."
Her eyes widened and her eyebrows shot up.
"He's… an acquaintance," I explained.
"Oh," she said, though she looked a bit confused. "I see…"
I was ashamed of myself for letting him escape without making him swear not to tell my secret to anyone. So far it looked like no one knew, but I couldn't help wondering if he was waiting for the right moment to use it as blackmail.
The next time I saw him, I froze in place, not sure if I should pretend not to notice him. He made a beeline for me, though, and I braced myself for the worst.
At first it was just like the way things were before he almost fell down those stairs. He just wanted to talk about nothing.
It seemed that way at first, but the last thing he said to me was about Maka. He wanted to know if I had confessed to her yet.
No, I hadn't. I wasn't ready. Not that it was any of his business anyway.
He did get me thinking, though. If I'd thought that he was interested in her, then it could only be a matter of time before someone else started bringing her flowers and flirting with her.
He also gave me an idea. If he could buy her a gift as a gesture of appreciation, then I could too, right? A gift that showed thanks for her friendship, a gift she deserved just for being her.
I wasn't sure what kind of present to get until I saw it. I even thought about wrapping it but decided it would be too much. It wasn't as impressive as a bouquet of her favorite flowers, but I hoped she'd like it anyway.
I gave it to her when we went to the library together to return the books we'd borrowed. We walked out and instead of saying goodbye, I told her I wanted to give her something.
I stood with my toes pointed inward as she watched me reach into my pocket. I pulled out a bookmark and held it out for her to take. I knew one of her old bookmarks was wearing down so I got her this.
Her smile was warm as she cradled the present in her hands. "Thank you," she said. "This is sweet of you, Chrona, but I feel kind of bad now because I can't remember the last time I got something for you."
"You don't have to buy anything for me if you don't want to…"
"Would there happen to be anything you'd like that's free?"
My throat went dry.
Maka smiled as if she were joking, but her eyes were serious. There were plenty of things I hadn't done with Maka that I wanted to try someday, but now was not the time for something new. I thought of all the things I'd already tried with her and knew right away which I enjoyed the most. It was something I'd do anytime, anywhere, if I could.
"Can I… have a hug, maybe?"
Her smile widened to show teeth. Without a word, she stepped directly in front of me and lifted her arms. She didn't slink them around me; her hands found and pulled at both my arms until they were hung stiffly around her waist. Then she hugged me with her hands and the little bookmark pressed against my back.
It took me a while to let my arms ease up. Maka made no move to pull away, so I was able to relax in her warmth for a long time. Staying this close to her made me trust her more than I already did before. I even felt like I could tell her I liked her right then and there.
My mouth kept itself shut, though. Maybe fear was holding me back, but I preferred to think that I still wasn't ready yet. I wanted to be ready somewhere else, on another day, when the atmosphere was nothing short of perfect and everything around us was special and something just told me that I was really ready.
Closing my eyes, I made both her and myself a promise. Someday I would tell her everything I liked about her while looking right at her face and not at the floor and without tripping over my words or worrying about getting rejected. She was my friend, my very first friend, and if I could be brave enough to face someone like Hiro, then I should be brave enough to face someone like Maka.