March 1999

Levi watched Isabel and Hanji chat animatedly ahead of him. They had been in nearly every story in the mall over the past two hours. Going through every aisle and rack in the freaking place, not that they had purchased anything, even Furlan who had been into shopping for the first hour was shopped out. He was lagging behind the girl now next to him. "If we look at another pair of shoes I think I'm going to be sick." Levi grumbled to him.

"Dude I know." Furlan agreed with him. "I never knew there were so many kinds of jeans."

"Say you got practice and we gotta go." Levi told him.

"Can't no practice March. But I got an idea." He told him. "Hey aren't you guys hungry yet?" He called to the girls in front of them.

"Yeah!" Isabel cheered, they stopped waiting for them to catch up with them. "I want ice cream from the place in the food court that has the gummies!"

Levi made a face. "You're going to rot out all of your teeth eating that crap."

"No! It's so good!" She exclaimed, grabbing his hand pulling him after her towards the food court as Furlan snickered.

Hanji fell into step beside Furlan laughing at the pair as they picked out a table in the food court to wait for their return.

"So what's been up with you?" Hanji asked after Levi and Isabel had left them. They hadn't really had the chance to catch up yet.

"Oh you know," Furlan started to wave her off, but stopped. "Actually there is something I could use your opinion on."

She smiled. "Shoot."

"Well you see, I've been talking to this girl recently and some of the time it's like cool we're vibing you know, but then she get, like cold feet and pushes me away. She doesn't want to hang out, just the two of us or she'll like cancel plans. I don't know what's going on to be honest." Furlan explained.

"Hmm that's hard. Maybe she's just shy and nervous about you." Hanji suggested. "Does she hang out with you if other people are around?" She asked.

"Yeah, she'll like hang out with a group of us all the time. I don't know, she's a pretty outgoing person."

"I don't know. You know I'm not the best person to ask about dating stuff. Haha." She laughed off a little lamely.

"Really? You're not shy or anything like that."

"Yeah, but no one likes the nerdy girl."

"That's not true."

She shrugged. "Well, it's been true so far. My sister's been teasing me to get a new boyfriend though. So maybe I will."

"You had an ex in the past?"

"Yeah, I broke up with him near the end of last year. I just didn't really like him like that anymore." She explained. "Besides, I'm sure it's not like it is for you. I'm not some star football player with girls throwing themselves at me."

They both laughed. "Nah nah, it's not like that. Besides, I highly doubt no one likes you."

"Hey if you know boys that think the science fair is hot. Send them my way." She joked.

"Do you want to start dating again?"

She scrunched up her nose. "I don't know. It's never been a big thing for me like it is for other girls."

"What about Moblit? Doesn't he have a crush on you?"

Levi was coming back to the table when Isabel ran back to grab napkins. He sighed, he had warned her to get before they went across the food court. He was standing about half way between their table and the Ice cream stand. He could just hear Hanji's and Furlan's conversation over the dull din of the food court although he couldn't see them as he watched Isabel run back to get her napkins.

"...I just didn't really like him like that anymore." She explained. "Besides, I'm sure it's not like it is for you. I'm not some star football player with girls throwing themselves at me." She teased him

They both laughed. "Nah nah, it's not like that. Besides, I highly doubt no one likes you."

"Hey if you know boys that think the science fair is hot. Send them my way." She joked.

"Do you want to start dating again?"

She scrunched up her nose. "I don't know. It's never been a big thing for me like it is for other girls."

"What about Moblit? Doesn't he have a crush on you?"

A Child's screeching cut off whatever her response was. He craned his neck but couldn't see around the people and column in his way. His stomach was turning now to the point where he wanted just to throw his ice cream. Maybe he just wanted to throw something.

"Got 'em Levi!" Isabel smiled, holding up a stack of napkins to show him. He pushed thoughts of Hanji out of his head; there was no reason to think of her that way anyways.

March 1999

Levi watched Isabel and Hanji chat animatedly ahead of him. They had been in nearly every story in the mall over the past two hours. Going through every aisle and rack in the freaking place, not that they had purchased anything, even Furlan who had been into shopping for the first hour was shopped out. He was lagging behind the girl now next to him. "If we look at another pair of shoes I think I'm going to be sick." Levi grumbled to him.

"Dude I know." Furlan agreed with him. "I never knew there were so many kinds of jeans."

"Say you got practice and we gotta go." Levi told him.

"Can't no practice March. But I got an idea." He told him. "Hey aren't you guys hungry yet?" He called to the girls in front of them.

"Yeah!" Isabel cheered, they stopped waiting for them to catch up with them. "I want ice cream from the place in the food court that has the gummies!"

Levi made a face. "You're going to rot out all of your teeth eating that crap."

"No! It's so good!" She exclaimed, grabbing his hand pulling him after her towards the food court as Furlan snickered.

Hanji fell into step beside Furlan laughing at the pair as they picked out a table in the food court to wait for their return.

"So what's been up with you?" Hanji asked after Levi and Isabel had left them. They hadn't really had the chance to catch up yet.

"Oh you know," Furlan started to wave her off, but stopped. "Actually there is something I could use your opinion on."

She smiled. "Shoot."

"Well you see, I've been talking to this girl recently and some of the time it's like cool we're vibing you know, but then she get, like cold feet and pushes me away. She doesn't want to hang out, just the two of us or she'll like cancel plans. I don't know what's going on to be honest." Furlan explained.

"Hmm that's hard. Maybe she's just shy and nervous about you." Hanji suggested. "Does she hang out with you if other people are around?" She asked.

"Yeah, she'll like hang out with a group of us all the time. I don't know, she's a pretty outgoing person."

"I don't know. You know I'm not the best person to ask about dating stuff. Haha." She laughed off a little lamely.

"Really? You're not shy or anything like that."

"Yeah, but no one likes the nerdy girl."

"That's not true."

She shrugged. "Well, it's been true so far. My sister's been teasing me to get a new boyfriend though. So maybe I will."

"You had an ex in the past?"

"Yeah, I broke up with him near the end of last year. I just didn't really like him like that anymore." She explained. "Besides, I'm sure it's not like it is for you. I'm not some star football player with girls throwing themselves at me."

They both laughed. "Nah nah, it's not like that. Besides, I highly doubt no one likes you."

"Hey if you know boys that think the science fair is hot. Send them my way." She joked.

"Do you want to start dating again?"

She scrunched up her nose. "I don't know. It's never been a big thing for me like it is for other girls."

"What about Moblit? Doesn't he have a crush on you?"

Levi was coming back to the table when Isabel ran back to grab napkins. He sighed, he had warned her to get before they went across the food court. He was standing about half way between their table and the Ice cream stand. He could just hear Hanji's and Furlan's conversation over the dull din of the food court although he couldn't see them as he watched Isabel run back to get her napkins.

"...I just didn't really like him like that anymore." She explained. "Besides, I'm sure it's not like it is for you. I'm not some star football player with girls throwing themselves at me." She teased him

They both laughed. "Nah nah, it's not like that. Besides, I highly doubt no one likes you."

"Hey if you know boys that think the science fair is hot. Send them my way." She joked.

"Do you want to start dating again?"

She scrunched up her nose. "I don't know. It's never been a big thing for me like it is for other girls."

"What about Moblit? Doesn't he have a crush on you?"

A Child's screeching cut off whatever her response was. He craned his neck but couldn't see around the people and column in his way. His stomach was turning now to the point where he wanted just to throw his ice cream. Maybe he just wanted to throw something.

"Got 'em Levi!" Isabel smiled, holding up a stack of napkins to show him. He pushed thoughts of Hanji out of his head; there was no reason to think of her that way anyways.