A/N: If this is your first time reading Lorelei, don't be discouraged by how short and uneventful this chapter is. Please continue reading; you can trust me when I say it becomes much more interesting. :P

Shinji leaned back in his desk, uncomfortable after such a long lecture. The bell rang, telling everyone it was finally lunch time. Toji laughed in happiness, like he usually did once lunch came around. Kensuke walked to Shinji's desk and stood over him.

"Time to eat, eh, Shinji? You want to go up to the roof today?"

"Ya, sure." Shinji woodenly got up from his desk after putting his laptop away. "Let me go grab my lunch. I'll meet you guys up there."

Shinji shouldered his backpack as he walked out of the classroom. He caught a glimpse of Asuka's brilliant red hair as she turned a corner in the hall. She wasn't being herself today. That morning, she had left early without eating any breakfast, but she showed up late to school. What had she been up to?

Maybe I should talk to her about it. I hope she's not having more problems. I hate to see her so depressed. I feel so helpless when she's like this.

He grabbed his lunch out of his locker and headed for the roof. It was a wonderful day once he got outside. The sky was cloudless, and the blue seemed to expand forever upward. Toji and Kensuke were laughing over a joke; a perverted one, Shinji guessed. Probably about Misato, too. He just didn't get why those two thought Misato was such a goddess. She was a slob, and a drunkard, not a queen.

"Nice of you to show up, Shinji. What took you so long?"

Shinji shrugged and started unpacking his food.

Toji leaned toward him. "Oh, I get it. You and Asuka were kissing under the stairs, weren't you?" He and Kensuke laughed.

"What? No, of course not! Why would you think we were doing that? Plus, why would Asuka want to kiss me?"

A smirk grew in Toji's face. "It's not like we don't know, Shinji," he said tauntingly. "You have a thing for Asuka!"

Shinji's face grew hot and red, partly from embarrassment and partly from anger. "It's not like that at all, Toji!" He looked at the ground. After a few moments, he asked, "Why, does it seem like I have feelings for her?"

"Come on, Shinji," Kensuke said. "We see you looking at her during gym class. We know you two live together."

"We live together because Misato makes us! She says that Eva pilots need to be friends a-and need to understand each other if they are to be effective in battle. Believe me, if she was allowed, Asuka would move out on her own in an instant. She doesn't enjoy living with an idiot like me, you know."

Toji and Kensuke munched on their food, weighing his words. He just stood there with his sandwich in hand, gazing up into the blue.

Is what they're telling me true? Do I have feelings for Asuka?

Shinji took a bite, but didn't taste anything.

That can't be. She's never been nice to me. She's never shown any sign of liking me at all.

"Shinji, we're going to be late. Let's go!"

Shinji looked around, snapping out of thought, and saw his friends had already headed for the stairs. The bell had rung, telling them to get to class, but he hadn't heard anything.

When we get home after school, I'll talk to Asuka about her behavior. I'll ask her if she's having any problems. Maybe then I can get this whole thing off my mind.

He walked down the stairs, leaving the blue behind, and hurried to class.