NGE SENIOR YEAR - Version 2.0: Adventures in editing
Part One: Resolve to Change/Can't Stay Away
Written by: K-Ley Katsuragi ([email protected])and Dr. Lojak ([email protected])
[Bevan's Door Productions, January 2000]

See Version 1.0 for original disclaimers, etc.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: After much deliberation, I decided Can't Stay Away wasn't really living up to
the standards I wanted to have for myself. And after receiving some critique for part one, I
decided certain elements may have to be altered. Essentially, the storyline of this version
is the same as the previous with some editing of key scenes. Not sure what I mean? Read and
find out.
You don't have to read it for When You Dream and Can't Stay Away to make sense, though.

--
*** NGE Senior Year - Part One: Resolve to Change/Can't Stay Away ***

~ Shinji Ikari's Resolutions for the New Year ~
I will continue to get all A's this year. At the very least, I will get all A's second semester.
And I will continue to hide this fact from everyone. It's bad for a person's image.
I will not give Misato any advice, no matter how horrendously wrong she is. Unless of course
she's about to jump off a building, or drive down the wrong side of the road or wear something
incredibly revealing when I know Kensuke and Touji are coming over.
I will try to have something approaching a social life. If I can do it without getting in an
amazingly embarrassing situation like Touji last week at Kristi's party.
I will continue to hide Misato's beer just to confuse her (I can't believe she actually started
to count them).
I will not spend my spare time feeling sorry for myself.
And above all, I will try to stop feeling the way I do about Asuka. No matter what it takes.

~ Asuka Langley Soryu's Resolutions for the New Year ~
I will continue to have the highest synch ratio, even if it is completely pointless because we
don't fight anymore.
I will do my homework every night, if for no other reason than I'm sick of Misato asking me
each night whether I've 'gotten to it'.
I will not refuse when Hikari will want to inevitably take in some woeful stray this year.
I will continue to be taller than Hikari and still weigh one pound less.
I will try my best to stop calling Rei Wondergirl, simply because I'm sick of her saying,
'Don't call me Wondergirl', which always leads to the same argument.
I will pay attention in class unless there's something better to do. Skipping class to hang out
in the courtyard classifies as something better to do.
And above all, I will continue to be mean to Shinji, even though I initially started doing that
so that he'd grow a spine and now he has one. Stopping now would mean all kinds of questions.

~ Hikari Horaki's Resolutions for the New Year ~
I will continue to make Touji lunch no matter how much my sisters hassle me. Or Asuka, for that
matter. Or Shinji on those odd occasions when he actually drags his eyeballs away from Asuka to
pay attention to the outside world.
I will do whatever it takes to be class rep again this year. But I draw the line at schmoozing
up to any new snotty students.
I will continue to weigh one pound less than Asuka.
I will try my hardest to get Asuka to stop calling Rei Wondergirl, if for no other reason than
I'm sick of hearing that, 'Don't call me Wondergirl', 'Why not, Wondergirl?' argument.
I will enlist the help of Touji and Kensuke to get Asuka and Shinji to stop lying to themselves
and each other about their feelings. There's only so much a person can take.
And above all, at some point, I will do my best to get Touji to think of me as a girl he could
ask out, not just a friend.

~ Touji Suzahara's Resolutions for the New Year ~
I will continue to kick Kensuke's butt in everything pertaining to Playstation games, arcade
games and VR games.
I will take my little sister to Disneyland no matter how much money I need to save up. She
deserves it after all she's been through.
I will campaign for Hikari to be class rep again, even if she doesn't know about it. It's
something she wants, and I'll do my best to help her out.
I will hassle Shinji till he finally admits that he has a crush on Asuka. As if the
near-apparent drool he gets when he looks at her isn't half-obvious.
I will try and see what Shinji sees in Asuka. I'm pretty sure I'll have to be off my face to
see what he sees in her, but I'll do what I have to do.
And above all, at some point, I will work up the courage to ask Hikari out.

~ Kensuke Aida's Resolutions for the New Year ~
I will stop picking out parallels between Asuka and Satan in Shinji's presence. I will continue
to pick out parallels when he's not around. I can't deny the truth.
I will try to get Touji and Hikari together and try to do it tactfully. Tactfully,
unfortunately, means without alcohol.
I will come up with different betting pool each week just to keep things interesting.
I will not get busted for running a different betting pool each week.
I will attempt to break my conversation record with Rei, which is currently 7 minutes 13
seconds, which is as far as I got before I was overwhelmed by how stunningly beautiful she is.
I will join forces with Touji and possibly Hikari to get Shinji and Asuka to admit their
feelings.
And above all, I will ask someone out and try not to care when she laughs in my face.

~ Misato Katsuragi's Resolutions for the New Year ~
I will continue to be the best guardian I can be to Shinji and Asuka.
I will not go to bed drunk because that's why I get hangovers. I wonder why it took me so long
to realize this and Touji and Kensuke already figured it out.
I will encourage Shinji to go out and party because Lord knows he needs it. I'd also like Asuka
to go party with him and have them get down with their bad selves but I know not to push my
luck.
I will monitor how much beer Pen-Pen drinks because it's going somewhere and I swear I didn't
drink that much.
I will continue to give Ritsuko a hard time at every opportunity for the simple reason that I
can.
And above all, I will do my best to make Shinji and Asuka realise the love they share, because
I don't want to see them realise too late.

~ Rei Ayanami's Resolutions for the New Year ~
I will either get Asuka to stop calling me Wondergirl or enlist Kensuke's help to come up with
an equally sarcastic name for her.
I will try not to feel guilty about what happened to City Center High, even though I will be
reminded of it every day.
I will continue to get better marks than Asuka this year, which may be more difficult now that
she has learnt all the kanji. There are many reasons for this but I won't get into it.
I will attempt to go out more, even though I still feel uncomfortable in social situations.
And above all, I will enjoy my senior year.

Asuka -
I'm late. The first day of senior year and I'm running late. I can hear Shinji out in the hall,
shuffling around and sighing because we're late, and I'm still searching for my new red
sneakers.
So Shinji the Great, Mr. Paragon of Virtue will be late. So he'll be late to the
Tokyo-3-City-Center Schmoozathon. So he won't be able to personally meet and greet each and
every misplaced, obnoxious City Center kid. So he won't be able to give someone a sympathetic
stare as they share their tale of school-destruction woe.
You know what? I don't care.
I don't care if Shinji's gonna be late and I don't care about what yet another person went
through. The tales all become the same after awhile. Dear Diary, my school was destroyed, I
have to go to Tokyo-3 High, I think I'm gonna cry. Oh, my bleeding heart.
I can hear Shinji out in the hall, still puttering around and sighing like he holds the
troubles of the world on his shoulders.
Well, it's his own fault. What does he expect when he tries to get everyone to expel their woes
to him, like he's some 21st century Freud? I can't believe he's taking psychology this year -
he'll be even worse than he is now, and that's pretty damn bad.
He keeps trying to engage me in deep and meaningful discussions, like he honestly believes that
I'm going to sit there and spout my innermost feelings over a cup of hot chocolate. He keeps
saying that it'll make me feel better.
Who came up with that crap anyway? Who made the rule that spilling your guts makes you feel
better? I know exactly how spouting my innermost feelings over a cup of hot chocolate would
make me feel, and it's certainly not better. I think the word 'nauseous' springs to mind.
I know exactly what would make me feel better. Finding my shoes.

Shinji -
Let me tell you exactly how this morning will unfold. I will wake up and be ready in fifteen
minutes, theoretically leaving enough time for Asuka to get ready and for us to get to school
in time to meet some City Center kids. Then, when I'm starting to think that maybe we might get
to school on time, Asuka will be in the midst of some crisis. This crisis will either be to do
with her hair, her clothes, her make-up which she so doesn't need, or her shoes. As a result of
this crisis, we leave for school with five minutes to spare, when it takes any normal person
ten minutes to get there.
I've been living with Asuka for way too long.
Okay, so maybe my motives for wanting to get to school early are slightly selfish. Even though
it was Rei in the Eva, I feel guilty for what happened to City Center. Maybe if I can help
someone through their time of angst, it'll appease my conscience.
Unfortunately, I live with Asuka, who not only excels at being late every morning, but also
thinks I'm an incredible moron for even feeling guilty in the first place. Asuka's Jiminy
Cricket is either crack-addled or has been on leave for seventeen years.
I never, ever pictured the first day of my senior year like this.
I shouldn't be waiting in the hall for Asuka. I shouldn't be soon meeting a bunch of misplaced
City Center students. I should be, I don't know, headbutting my friends while crushing empty
cans in our fists, or something.
Another side effect of living with Asuka is that she makes me watch incredibly inane American
teen dramas.
Even if Asuka fixes her crisis in the next minute, which she won't, we'll still be five minutes
late for school.
Yeah. The first day of senior year is turning out great. I can hardly wait for the rest.

Blake McDermott -
After three mind numbing years at City Center High, my senior year will be spent at Tokyo-3
High. It's a common fact that those Eva pilots go there, and so for some reason this causes my
mind to conjure up bizarre images of what Tokyo-3 High is like. I picture the entire school to
be save-the-world lobbyists. I picture the Eva pilots walking the halls in ceremonial robes
surrounded by cherubs. I picture school-wide worshipping sessions. I don't picture me.
So I was never exactly the epitome of school spirit. I didn't exactly wave my pom-poms and
pennants at football matches. I'm just not the school spirit type. I did, however, have school
pride. And now that the source of my pride is little more than a smoky hole in the ground, one
could say I'm a little pissed off.
I don't care if every student at Tokyo-3 High worships the ground these Eva pilots walk on. I'm
not about to submit myself to that. It was an Eva who destroyed our school, and I'll see that
the pilot pays.
So as I'm getting ready for school, I drag on my most disreputable pants and my rattiest
t-shirt. I reach under my bed and pull out my heaviest boots. As I'm about to leave my room, I
grab an old overcoat off a hook as an afterthought.
Just because I'm going to Tokyo-3 High doesn't mean I have to like it.
Maybe, if I get really, really lucky, it will rain.

--
Blake walked the unfamiliar halls of Tokyo-3 High, green eyes taking in the unfamiliar lockers,
unfamiliar doors, unfamiliar students and unfamiliar faces. He swept his eyes over the crowd of
students, searching for a familiar face. He'd have sold his limbs to see Kei's standard morning
scowl right about now - of course, he conceded, if he had no limbs, he'd be nothing more than a
stump and probably wouldn't be able to see Kei at that height.
He adjusted his backpack and sighed, scanning the crowd again. His jaw dropped.
An amazingly beautiful girl was walking down the hall, offering smiles to those she hadn't seen
all vacation. Tall and impossibly graceful, her blue hair seemed to shimmer in the artificial
lighting in the hallway. Blake continued walking, entranced by this stunning beauty. Everything
seemed to go in slow motion as Blake walked towards the girl.
From behind, a voice called out to Blake. He turned his head to see who it was, still walking.
And promptly collided with something.
To be more accurate, with someone.
A very pleasant smelling someone.
Blake turned to see the blue-haired beauty on her knees, picking up various possessions she had
dropped.
Blake realized with a degree of alarm that from his vantage point he had a clear view down the
front of her sundress. Blake dropped to his knees in front of her.
"I'm so sorry," he said, hurriedly helping her pick up her things.
The girl looked up and offered him a sweet smile. "It's okay," she assured him. "The hall is
pretty crowded at the moment." She gathered the last of her belongings and shoved them into her
bag. She looked up and studied his face.
"I haven't seen you around before," she observed. "You're from City Center, right?"
Blake nodded, and the girl rose to her feet, Blake following suit.
"What class do you have first period?" she asked, adjusting the shoulder strap of her bag.
Blake pulled a timetable out of his pocket. "Um, biology. Room 338."
"Do you know where that is?"
Blake shook his head.
"Do you want me to show you where it is?" the girl offered. "That's my period one class, too."
Blake nodded again, feeling like a puppet.
The girl led him down the hall and up a flight of stairs. She turned her head to look at him.
"No one really takes the stairs anymore," she informed him. "Most people take the elevators.
But it's less crowded here."
"And I guess this school is just going to get more crowded now that you're clogged up with City
Center kids," Blake observed.
The girl didn't give a response and instead changed the subject. "So what do you think of
Tokyo-3 High?"
"I don't think I've been here long enough to pass judgement," he began slowly. "In a way it
seems the same as City Center. Same kind of lockers, some colored walls. But I don't know where
I am. You know what I mean?"
The girl nodded, pausing on a landing. "So, do you not want to be here?"
"In a way, I guess," he admitted. "Part of me would like to be back at City Center. But I'm
sure Tokyo-3 High has some redeeming qualities."
The girl cast him a sympathetic glance before continuing up the stairs.
"I wish that my school hadn't been destroyed," Blake said quietly. "I thought that all this
business with the Evas and Angels was over. I thought we were finally safe. Then an Eva comes
and destroys my whole school in a matter of seconds." His eyes hardened. "I wish I could find
the pilot of that Eva. Let them know exactly what I think. Make them feel the pain of every
City Center kid."
The girl paused at a classroom and turned to Blake, an odd look on her pretty face. "Really?"
she asked weakly.
"I should watch what I'm saying," he said ruefully. "You probably know the pilot, right?"
The girl blinked her large red eyes. "This is room 338," she told him in a whisper. "I just
remembered that I have to do something. I'll, um, see you around."
The girl took off down the hall, her silvery-blue sundress swishing around her knees.
Blake was about to call out to her when something stopped him.
He realized, with surprise, that he didn't even know the girl's name.

"We've got time for one more song before class starts," Kensuke announced. "This one goes out
to Touji Suzahara from everyone who was Kristi Takei's party last week. Shake your groove thang,
Touji!" Kensuke pressed play and turned off his microphone. As he spun around in his chair, he
saw Rei looking at him through the glass. Kensuke stood and opened the door.
"Hey, Rei," he greeted her, trying not to notice how stunning she looked. "What's up?"
"Do you have a minute?" she asked.
Kensuke smiled warmly. "For you, Rei, always."
Rei stepped inside the small broadcasting room, closing the door behind her. She sat down;
Kensuke sat across from her.
"What's on your mind?" he asked.
Rei rolled her eyes. "Take a guess."
"Still feeling guilty, huh?" he said gently.
She fixed her red eyes on him. "Can you blame me?"
Kensuke shoved a hand through his unruly hair and sighed. "No, I guess not. Rei, you know what
I'm gonna say don't you?"
It was Rei's turn to sigh as she fiddled with the zipper on her bag. "That I shouldn't feel
guilty but that it's normal that I do," she said flatly, clearly having heard the same gist
more than once.
"Exactly. What incredibly wise person told you that?"
Rei ignored him and continued. "But there's something I never even considered," Rei said
quietly, raking a hand through her chin-length blue hair. "I never even thought about how much
the City Center kids are going to hate me."
"You're jumping to conclusions," Kensuke said firmly.
"I am not. Some City Center guy just told me that he'd like to make the pilot, quote 'feel the
pain of every City Center kid'."
"He threatened you?"
"Not exactly. He would have if I was the pilot."
Kensuke's brow furrowed slightly with confusion. "Rei, slight point. You are the pilot."
Rei smiled faintly. "He didn't know that."
"Rei, can I point something out?" He didn't wait for a response. "Until every City Center kid
realises that you're the pilot, you haven't got a problem." He shrugged. "Just cross that
bridge when you come to it."
"I guess," Rei agreed, sounding not too enthused. She stood up. "Thanks. But I better get going.
I don't want to be late for my first class. I'll see you at lunch."
She adjusted her bag and left the room, closing the door behind her. Kensuke snapped back to
reality and realised the track was almost finished. He eyed the time on it.
"Three minutes forty two," he said out loud. "No way near breaking my record."
He faded the track out and turned the microphone back on. "One final message before I head off
to media studies," he said in his now practiced broadcasting voice. "It'd be nice if the Tokyo-3
and City Center kids could hold of any battles to the death in the halls. I believe a certain
vice-principal summed it up best when she said, 'These are brand new lockers. Let's try not to
get blood on them'. This is Kensuke Aida signing out and you're listening to T3H Radio."

"I swear to God, Asuka," Shinji began, trying to catch his breath after the full-on sprint he
and Asuka had done to get to school.
"What?" she demanded, checking her reflection in a window and fixing her hair.
"You do this all the time! I could wake you up at five in the morning and you'd still be late!"
"I couldn't find my shoes," she reminded him, concentrating on her hair.
"It's the same thing every morning," he retorted. "Every morning it's about your shoes. Or your
hair or your clothes or your makeup."
Asuka spun around to face him and placed her hands on her hips, fixing him with her bright blue
eyes. "Do I hear you complain about the way I look?" she asked pointedly.
Shinji's dark blue eyes swept over Asuka, taking in her red sleeveless zip-front hooded top,
knee-length dark denim skirt and red sneakers. Asuka smiled triumphantly. "Thought not," she
said breezily. She adjusted the strap of her blue-and-yellow satchel. "I've got Chemistry first
period," she informed him.
"What about you?"
"Environmental studies," he said.
Asuka rolled her eyes. "Bunch of tree huggin' hippie crap," she declared. "Why you would want
to do that subject is beyond me."
"It's interesting," he said patiently, his tone indicating that this was a path well traveled.
"Whatever. We better get going." Her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall as if to confirm her
suspicions. "I'll probably catch you at lunch, OK?"
Asuka took off down the hall and up the stairs, leaving Shinji in a state of wonderment.
'Unbelievable. We actually went a whole conversation without her insulting me.'
Shinji headed off to his class, musing over the reasons he was going un-insulted this morning.
His musing didn't last long.
"Hey, Shinji?"
Shinji looked up to see Asuka looking down at him from the top of the stairs. "Yeah?"
"You're an idiot." Having said that, Asuka disappeared.
Shinji continued his walk to class, laughing.
--

Asuka -
About a month ago I came down with a really bad case of bronchitis, and the doctors put me on
an intensive course of antibiotics. I know it was awhile ago, but I honestly think that they
must be still in my system and wreaking havoc in there. Perhaps not the most scientifically
sound theory, but it's the only one I can think of. What else is going to explain my bizarre
behavior?
I've never had any trouble being an absolute first class bitch to Shinji. Hell, it's pretty
much second nature. But lately it seems that my second nature is on vacation. Actually, it's
probably checked into a clinic because it's been overworked. Well, all I can say is that my
bitchy second nature better drag it's sorry ass home before people start talking.
For some reason, being a bitch to Shinji is proving a lot more difficult than it used to.
Instead of mocking him, taunting him and basically terrorizing him, I find myself talking,
joking and laughing with him. It's like we're getting along. Scary, huh?
And all the things I used to taunt him about just don't work anymore. I used to call him a wimp,
and a little boy, and boring. But he's not any of those anymore.
It seems that keeping my last New Years Resolution is going to be harder than I thought.
There's only way to explain this bizarre behavior I'm exhibiting. Unless . . . no, that's
ridiculous. I can't believe I even considered it. It's impossible. Thinking about Shinji the
Great, the Paragon of Virtue, NERV's Poster Boy like that? Get a reality check, Asuka.
Nope, it's gotta be the antibiotics. Nothing else even remotely makes sense.

--
The only way to describe the look on everyone's face was horror.
It seemed that when the decision was made to merge Tokyo-3 High and City Center High, no one
considered the impact three hundred new students would have on the school's cafeteria
facilities.
A jello cup sailed overhead and hit the wall behind Asuka.
"That's it," Asuka declared, hands on hips as she assumed the 'take charge' position. "We are
outta here."
"And headed where?" Touji questioned, intercepting another flying object. He studied the label.
"This claims to be peanut butter pudding. Anyone game to check if it's lying?"
Hikari took the plastic cup from Touji's hand and studied the contents, the bridge of her nose
wrinkled slightly. Without a word, she tossed it over her shoulder; to Touji's surprise, it
landed cleanly in the bin.
"Off campus," Asuka said, answering Touji's earlier question. "We're seniors. We can do that.
And I am so not staying around to play 'guess the flying dessert'."
"She's right," Hikari agreed. "This place is like the inside of a sardine can."
"If sardines were rowdy, hungry high school students," Kensuke contributed.
Hikari nodded in agreement. "Exactly."
Shinji knew that if no one made an attempt to salvage the original body of the conversation, it
would be good as gone. "There's a burger place on the next block," he suggested. "Not exactly
the most nutritional lunch available, but -"
"At least it's considered food," Kensuke finished. "Which is more than what we can say for the
stuff they serve in this place."
"Agreed," Asuka said, shoving the cafeteria door open, taking the lead as usual. "Let's go."

"So this Mr. Kudoh guy was being an absolute jerk, and he writes DNA on the board, looks at the
class with that, 'you are all cattle' look and says, 'What does this stand for?', expecting us
not to know. So Chisato puts her hand up and says, 'National Dyslexics Association' and
everyone cracks up laughing. So Mr. Kudoh writes down what it stands for and says, 'This is
what it stands for' in this real know-it-all tone. Then Yayoi points out that he spelt it wrong,
and everyone cracks up so now we all have detention on Friday." Kei Yamaguchi looked up to see
how Blake ranked her tale on the amusing-yet-brutally-unfair scale. She realised, with a degree
of annoyance, that he hadn't even heard her. "Blake? Blake? Blake!"
A pudding cup connected with Blake's forehead and he looked up. "Ow." He picked up Kei's weapon
of choice and studied it suspiciously. "What the hell is this?"
"Peanut butter pudding," Kei responded, her voice chilly. "Or so it says."
Blake gingerly peeled back the foil and leaned forward to inspect the contents. A look of
disgust on his face, he leaned back, dropping the cup on the table and pushing it away. "Wow.
That's disgusting." His look became thoughtful. "You know, I think I saw something like this in
a test tube in the biology room."
Blake looked up to see Kei's smile, only to realise that there was no smile. Instead, a scowl
aimed directly at him was on her face.
"What?" he asked uncomfortably. He'd known Kei for five years, but the way her ice-blue eyes
could glare at him without blinking for minutes on end still scared the living bejeezus out of
him.
"You know what," she said sharply. "I hate it when you do that."
"Do what?"
"Ignore me or any good gossip I may be willing to share. Fail to laugh at any of my good
jokes."
Blake smiled wryly. "Sorry, Kei. Could you, like, hold up your hand when I'm supposed to laugh
or something?"
Kei's eyes became even colder, though Blake would have thought it impossible. "Blake, I decked
you in sixth grade and I'm not afraid to do it again."
Blake offered his best friend a smile, hoping he'd charm her into letting it blow over.
Unfortunately for him, Kei blinked her ice eyes and folded her arms over her pink shirt.
"Who's the girl?" she asked bluntly.
The problem with Kei, Blake noted sourly for the millionth time since he'd known her, beside
her tyrannical need for him to pay attention to her, was that she was remarkably astute. He
knew from experience that hiding things from Kei was impossible. But that didn't mean he
couldn't try.
"Which girl?" he asked innocently while giving his veggie burger a suspicious poke. He had a
vision of it lashing out at him in return and decided to stop poking it. There was no proof
that this was legally considered food and he didn't want to take his chances.
"The one in blue," Kei responded, not missing a beat. "The one that you stared at till she left
with her friends. The one you ran into in the hall when I called out to you."
"Some Tokyo-3 High girl," Blake said, trying to sound like he didn't care. "She's in my biology
class."
"What's her name?"
Blake shrugged. He still didn't know. She'd shown up to Biology just as the teacher was about
to call her name out on the roll.
"An anonymous unrequited love," Kei said in a wispy voice, clearly mocking him. "How . . . sad.
How positively Mills and Boon."
"Kei," he said warningly.
"OK, I'll drop it. At least for now." Her ice-blue eyes gleamed slightly. "But don't think I've
forgiven you for ignoring me. I'm still deciding a punishment."
Blake decided his best tactic would be to try and get her mind off punishment. "Did you hear
there's an assembly tomorrow?"
"Thrilling," Kei replied dryly. "Let me put on my party hat."
"They're calling for nominations for student body president at it," Blake continued, searching
the table for something edible.
"Your point?"
"I'm nominating you."
"My ass you are."
"Why not?" Blake demanded.
"Why not?" Kei echoed incredulously. "Blake, look around. We're strangers in a strange land.
We are on Tokyo-3 turf. Logically, student body president is going to go to a Tokyo-3 student."
"You have as much right as any Tokyo-3 student to run for the position," Blake argued. "It'll
look just as good on your college applications as anyone else's."
Kei shook back her long dark hair. "I didn't say I couldn't go for the position. I said the
position will go to a Tokyo-3 student. Do the math, Blake. They outnumber us by over two
hundred. Numbers count when it's about a vote."
"You don't know if you don't try," Blake pointed out with irrefutable logic. "If you don't
bother going for it, you'll spend the rest of your life wondering if you could have beaten
whoever got it!"
"No, Blake," Kei said patiently. "You'll spend the rest of your life wondering if I could have
beaten whoever got it."
"Kei, you at least owe it to every City Center student at this school," Blake said, tossing his
last resort onto the pile. "You had president in the bag at City Center. By running for the
position you're showing everyone that the City Center spirit lives on!"
Kei pointed at her friend with a carrot stick. "You're full of it." She paused. "But I'll think
about it."

"So, Hikari," Asuka began as she started on Shinji's fries. "Going for class rep again this
year?"
Shinji eyed the red-haired German who was unabashedly stealing his fries. "I thought you said
you didn't want fries."
Asuka smiled. "They taste better when they belong to someone else," she declared, holding one
up as if it were proof.
"Yeah," Hikari said, answering Asuka's question. "It's like, tradition or something."
Shinji eyed Hikari oddly. "Stealing fries is tradition?"
Asuka rolled her blue eyes and lightly whacked Shinji on the head. "No, dummkopf! Hikari being
class rep is tradition."
"That makes a lot more sense," Shinji observed, watching as his fry supply disappeared.
Asuka bit into a fry and looked at Hikari thoughtfully. "That's as high as you've set your
sights?" she asked. "Class rep?"
Hikari wasn't catching on. She pulled her cheeseburger apart and started picking the pickles
out and handing them to Touji, who added them to his own burger. Kensuke watched the routine
with fascination.
"I'm waiting for my eighteenth before I go for world domination," Hikari said wryly.
Asuka looked exasperated. "Hikari, we're seniors!"
Hikari nodded. "You know," she began, addressing the rest of the table. "I'm almost certain
that if we keep listening she'll come to a point."
"Yeah, but by then our burgers will be out of date," Kensuke cracked.
Asuka threw a fry at him. "Being a senior means certain power," she explained patiently.
"Power?" Hikari echoed.
Asuka shook her head with mock sadness. "Hikari, Hikari, Hikari. Where did I go wrong with my
little Hikari? Do I have to spell it out for you? You're a senior. Which means you can run
for -"
"Student body president," Rei finished, speaking up for the first time.
Hikari's eyes widened and she placed her cheeseburger back down. "You think I should go for
student body president?" she asked, surprised.
Asuka slapped her forehead in exasperation. "Yes, I think you should go for student body
president!" she exclaimed. "God, I thought it was obvious!" Asuka momentarily abandoned
Shinji's fries and started ticking off reasons on her fingers. "First of all, how many times
have you been class rep? Like, since you were in the cradle. Second of all, you're nauseatingly
responsible. Third of all, you're incredibly popular. Fourth of all, everybody loves you to
pieces. Let's face it. You have it in the bag."
"They're calling for nominations at tomorrow's assembly," Kensuke sang.
"Let's not forget that the whole school probably already thinks you're going for it," Shinji
contributed.
"So you at least owe it to them," Touji finished.
All eyes turned to Rei, who was the only one who hadn't offered words of encouragement.
Shrugging her slender shoulders slightly, she picked up a fry. "You owe it to the school. You
need to save the school from itself." Rei noted the confused looks she was getting and
elaborated. "Did you hear what the school production is going to be this year?"
"Mary Poppins," Asuka recalled, shuddering delicately. "Kill me now."
"Exactly," Rei agreed. "There's a lot of changes that need to be made. Hikari's the one to do
it."
Hikari stirred her Coke with her straw thoughtfully. "It's hard to say no when you're all
trying to convince me," she said.
"So don't say no," Asuka urged, leaning across the table to grab her friend's hand. "Let me
nominate you tomorrow."
Hikari smiled and nodded. "All right. I'll do it."
--

Touji Suzahara's Revised New Years Resolutions
So one of my resolutions was to do everything in my power so that Hikari would be class rep
again. But thanks very much to Asuka's incessant meddling, she's no longer going for class rep.
Now she's going for student body president.
Not that I have a problem with Hikari being president. I think it's pretty cool, actually.
Lord knows that this school hasn't seen a student body president as sweet, beautiful, amazingly
talented, and popular as Hikari Horaki.
Looking back on my last sentence, I think I just got carried away.
Hikari being president isn't the problem. It's just that my silent campaign for Hikari is going
to be a little more work than I anticipated.
My first order of my business is to let everyone know that Hikari's running for the position
before tomorrow's assembly. I'm pretty sure that once everyone knows, no one else will want to
go for it. Like Asuka said, everyone loves Hikari. Who wouldn't want her to be president?
So, I've got my work cut out for me. But I don't really mind. Because Hikari's worth every
minute of it.

--
Chaos reigned supreme in the Tokyo-3 High Hall during sixth period the next day. Asuka noted
the similarity between the behavior now and the behavior yesterday in the cafeteria.
"Primates," she said in disgust, smoothing her skirt. She turned her attention away from the
chaos and looked at Hikari beside her. "Excited?"
Hikari flashed her a smile. "You know it."
"It'll be fine," Rei said quietly from the other side of Hikari. "Everyone in the school knows
you're running for the position."
Hikari's smooth brow furrowed slightly. "How did that get out?" she asked curiously. "I never
told anyone."
Asuka shrugged, clearly unconcerned. "You know how these things start. Someone tells someone
something, then they tell two friends, then they tell two friends, and so on and so on. You
know how these things go."
Hikari nodded. "I guess you're right."
Asuka flicked back her hair. "Of course I am. What's new?"
Shinji, on the other side of Asuka, exchanged glances with Touji and Kensuke and rolled his
eyes.
The principal stepped up on stage and adjusted the microphone. "Sit down and shut up," she
ordered.
The students meekly obeyed.
Now with a hall of quiet students, the principal flashed a bright smile before continuing.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome the new members of our scholastic community. Yes,
I am aware that we had an official welcome yesterday morning, but I noticed that some of our
senior students decided not to show up." Her eyes stared pointedly at Shinji and Asuka, who
tried their best to look innocent.
"As you all know," the principal continued. "We are here to call for nominations for student
body president. I know it may seem a little early to be doing such on the second day of school,
but we are two weeks behind schedule due to the tragic destruction of City Center High." The
principal eyed the students expectantly. "Nominations, anyone?"
Asuka rose from her seat and adjusted her blue v-neck t-shirt. "I nominate Hikari Horaki for
the position," she declared, her voice clear and strong, carrying across the entire hall.
There was a spontaneous burst of applause from various people in the hall who were Hikari
supporters.
The principal hid a smile, knowing Hikari was the key nominee and knowing she was perfect for
that role. Mainly for appearances sake, the principal continued. "Any other nominations?"
No one even bothered looking around the hall, certain that there would be no competition. After
several seconds, a voice as clear as Asuka's had been filled the hall.
"I nominate Kei Yamaguchi."
Asuka, who was still standing, spun around, her blue eyes landing on a green-eyed, dark-haired
boy who sported a languid smile, the kind that announced to the world at large that a class-A
jerk was present.
"Who the hell are you?" Asuka demanded. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh, let me guess. You're
City Centre, aren't you?"
The boy's smile grew wider. "The intellect of Tokyo-3 High finally shines through," he observed
sardonically.
Asuka folded her arms over her chest. "What makes you think that you can walk into our school
and attempt to take over positions that are rightfully ours?" she questioned, an air of amused
disdain around her.
"News-flash," the boy shot back. "We are part of this school now, like it or not."
"Definitely not," Asuka retorted.
The boy folded his own arms, assuming a defensive stance. "Well, maybe if your beloved Eva
pilots had more than five brain cells to share between them, we wouldn't be here."
Every single Tokyo-3 student cringed; Asuka's friends closed their eyes, preparing for an
explosion.
"What did you say?" Asuka asked, her voice lethally low.
The boy met her steely gaze. "You heard me."
Asuka then became the first person in the world to climb over three rows of seats in a skirt
and still maintain an air of dignity as she did so. All 170 centimeters of her now totally in
his face, Asuka's hands rested on her hips.
"You have a problem with Eva pilots?" she asked sharply.
"Oh, come on," the boy responded, rolling his eyes. "You have to admit that if the pilot of
Unit 00 had anything resembling intelligence, we wouldn't be at your precious school."
Asuka promptly lost it. She grabbed his collar with lightning quick reflexes and twisted it
sharply.
"Listen here, jerk," she snapped. "Eva pilots have saved your sorry ass and those like you more
times than you can count. They've risked their own lives to save self-absorbed jerks like you.
Don't you ever forget that."
Asuka, still seething, shoved him away, turned on her heel and stormed out of the hall.
Hiding his shock, the green-eyed boy spoke up. "Who the hell are you?" he questioned.
Asuka turned to face him, her hands on her hips. "Asuka Langley Soryu," she informed him, a
slight smirk on her face. "Designated pilot of Eva Unit 02."
Without another word, Asuka pushed the doors to the hall open and walked out.

After the assembly, Hikari was leaning against her locker, eyes closed as she tried to get a
grasp of reality.
"I can't believe that just happened," she announced, tugging at her hair.
"What do you find so hard to believe?" Touji asked.
"I dunno. Like, all of it?" Hikari tugged her hair harder, her expression pained.
Touji grabbed her wrist and pulled it away from her head. "First of all, I don't think you want
to be bald, so stop the abuse. Second of all, we all know Asuka has a volatile temper. What
were you expecting?"
"I don't know," Hikari admitted reluctantly. "That, I guess. It was more about what I wanted to
happen."
"Asuka's not the type to not act on her temper, and everyone knows that," Touji pointed out.
"The whole thing will blow over. Trust me."
Hikari offered him a smile. "Yeah, you're right."
Touji glanced up at the white school standard clock on the wall. "Damn, I'm gonna be late to
pick up my sister. I'll talk to you later, OK?"
Touji took off down the hall, Hikari admiring his form as he ran. So caught up was she in
watching that she didn't notice the girl approaching her till she tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hi," the girl said.
"Hi," Hikari responded, slightly taken aback by the girl's up front confidence, and impossibly
light ice-blue eyes.
"I'm Kei Yamaguchi," the girl explained.
Hikari blinked, her face blank, still a little unsettled with those unblinking pale eyes on
her.
"Your competition," Kei continued.
Realization dawned in Hikari's eyes. "Oh! Yeah. I should have known that."
Kei smiled. "Look, I just wanted to apologize for Blake."
"Blake?" Hikari echoed.
"My nominator?" Kei reminded her. "Anyway, I just wanted to apologize for some of the things he
said."
"Your friend should probably refrain from insulting Eva pilots at this school," Hikari advised.
Kei nodded. "Probably. But he probably won't. He's got a bit of a problem with Eva pilots. That
whole thing where our school got destroyed kind of got to him."
Hikari nodded in understanding. "Still, if he was going to start a verbal spar with an Eva
pilot, he really picked the wrong one to start with!" she said with a laugh. Kei looked at her
quizzically and Hikari elaborated. "Asuka's not the most . . . mild mannered of the Eva pilots.
He probably would have been better off starting with Rei or Shinji." Again Hikari thought she
should elaborate. "The other two pilots."
Kei nodded and offered Hikari a smile, but Hikari noticed the brief flash of anxiety in her
eyes. "Yeah, well, I'll let him know. But again, sorry for some of the stuff he said."
"Sorry for some of the stuff Asuka said," Hikari replied. "I guess they were both a little out
of line in some respects."
Kei smiled again. "Agreed." She paused. "Listen, with this whole election thing, I'm hoping we
can keep it from getting nasty."
Hikari smiled again. She liked this girl. "Here's to a fair campaign and election?" she
proposed, extending her hand.
"And may the best candidate win," Kei finished, shaking Hikari's hand. "Look, I better be go.
I'll be late for dancing. But I'm hoping that once this thing is over, maybe we can hang out or
something."
"Sure," Hikari agreed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

--

Kei Yamaguchi -
When does someone else's business become your own? When do you have the right to butt into
someone else's affairs? Is it when someone asks for your help or advice? Or is it when you
think the situation needs your intervention?
Like, if you see some jerk beating up on someone else, you should probably step in. Maybe it'll
be totally pointless. Maybe all stepping in will do is get you beaten up, too. But you'd feel
pretty sleazy if you just ignored it and went home.
See, Blake and I have this unspoken rule. We don't help each other out unless it's asked. He
doesn't like accepting charity, and neither do I. It may seem like a pretty harsh system but it
works. And as good as it's been thus far, I've always suspected that it would cause me to fall
flat on my face at some point.
That point would be now.
Do I tell him, upsetting him, but hopefully saving him from hurt? It's like in ninth grade when
his stupid bitch of a girlfriend was cheating on him. I found out, but I didn't tell him. When
he found out on his own, he was crushed. He didn't hate me when I told him I already knew,
because he knew that's the way he wanted it. He didn't hate me but I still felt like crap.
Because I hate seeing him hurt.
So should I tell him? Should I tell him that his mysterious blue-haired wonder is in fact the
one person he thinks he hates? Or should I let him find out on his own? Should I break the rule
we've established, that he trusts me to keep? Or do I not tell him, and end up seeing him hurt
again?
Either way, I lose. And so does Blake.

--
"Great idea, Hikari!" Asuka enthused the next morning.
Hikari slipped her left arm out of her backpack strap and pulled the backpack around to her
front, rummaging for something. "Thanks," she said vaguely. "What was my idea again?"
Asuka rolled her eyes. "You're funny. Seriously, though, it's a great idea. Talk about a visual
invasion!"
Hikari had no idea what her best friend was talking about, but was too caught up in searching
for her lip-gloss that she didn't question it. Pulling a tube of shimmery gloss from her bag,
Hikari looked up and noticed something very odd.
Pinned on bags, taped to notebooks, hooked on lockers, were bright red buttons with the words,
'Hikari For President!' on them in bold black print.
Hikari swung her bag to her back and slipped her arm back through the strap. "Where did the
buttons come from?" she asked, brow furrowed.
Again Asuka rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Whatever. How did you get them made up so quick?"
"Asuka," Hikari said patiently, heading down the hall, her friend beside her. "Read my lips.
Hear my semaphore. Feel my Braille! I didn't order those buttons."
Asuka's blue eyes widened in surprise. "Seriously? Then where did they come from?"
Hikari shrugged. "I wish I knew."

Further down the hall, a flustered Touji was struggling to cram another box of 'Hikari For
President!' buttons into his locker. He leaned on the box with all his weight, vainly trying to
shove it in.
_Mental note. Once Hikari campaign is over, begin campaign for bigger lockers._
Touji kept pushing, turning slightly, hoping his change of position would give him some kind of
advantage. Instead, his eyes rested on Asuka and Hikari coming down the hall towards him.
Touji's attempt to fit the box into his locker became a mission of desperation. Hikari spotted
him and waved; Touji covered his desperation with a smile, all the while calculating the odds
that he'd get the box in by the time she reached him. He wasn't all too good at math, but he
had a pretty good idea the figure fell between slim and none.
Touji stepped back and eyed his locker and the box half-sticking out of it. Making a split
second decision, Touji threw himself at the box with all his weight. The box squeezed in, and
Touji was filled with a sense of relief and intense pain. Touji slammed the locker door shut
and locked it, just in time. Asuka and Hikari were beside him a second later.
Asuka eyed the locker, the door of which was bulging out slightly. "What the hell have you got
in there?" she asked.
_Don't say buttons, don't say buttons, don't say buttons._
"Porn," Touji said, pleased with his flawless lie.
Asuka made a disgusted face. "Figures. Let me add that to my list of things I never wanted to
know about Shinji and his moron friends."
"You know," Touji began, patting his pockets in search of something. "Some may say that we're
friends, Asuka." He found the packet of gum he was looking for and offered it to the girls.
Both took a piece.
Asuka unwrapped the gum and popped it into her mouth. "You need to earn my friendship, Touji,"
she said with mock haughtiness.
"By, like, sharing?" he asked, grinning. "That's what I learnt in kindergarten."
Asuka backed away. "No, that's OK. I don't think I want to share with you," she said, casting a
look at his locker. "I think I need to go now. To find Shinji. Because we need to talk."
Touji exchanged a glance with Hikari. "Asuka would rather share with Shinji." He turned his
eyes to Asuka. "Don't run away. I won't share with you."
Asuka laughed. "Thank the lord."
"So where did you get the buttons?" Touji asked Hikari innocently.
Hikari shrugged. "Who knows? As far as I know they just materialized."
"They were probably ordered by some loser who thinks doing this will better his chances of
scoring a date with you," Asuka predicted cynically.
_Oh no. She's on to me._
"I need to go now," Touji said, sounding much like Asuka had minutes earlier. He backed away
from the girls, sending his locker a silent prayer to not explode open. "So bye." He took off,
leaving Asuka and Hikari behind.
"What's his deal?" Hikari wanted to know.
Asuka hid a smile and cast another look at Touji's locker. She had a feeling that what he was
hiding was something far more innocuous than porn.

"Remember, Blake. This is a clean fight," Kei reminded him pointedly.
Blake rolled his eyes as he struggled to carry an armload of election posters. Kei danced ahead
of him, oblivious to his trouble.
"Which means," she continued, spinning around abruptly, startling him. "No sabotage. No drawing
moustaches on Hikari's posters."
Blake nodded and tilted his head slightly. "What about scars? Can I draw scars on her?"
"No."
"Tattoos?"
"Blake!"
"Okay, okay," he said, feigning a sigh of resignation. "God, Kei, all you do is ask, ask, ask."
"Gimme some of those posters."
"See?"
Kei grabbed a handful of posters from Blake and handed him a roll of tape. "Shut up get
started."
"See?"
"Blake!"

"You just heard Custard with Girls Like That, off the Loverama CD from back in 1999. That one
goes out to Sara Chan, who's turning seventeen today, from Yayoi, Chisato, Mari and Tomoko.
This is Tokyo-3 High Radio, I'm Kensuke Aida and I'll be with you for the next twenty minutes."
As Kensuke spoke, he replaced the Loverama CD with another, preparing for the next song.
"Coming up we've got a bit of Peter Hellier, and some Alex Lloyd, but before that, I'd like to
talk a bit about the upcoming school election. We've got two exceptional candidates, Hikari
Horaki and Kei Yamaguchi battling it out for the position this year. Both candidates are
talented, smart, responsible, gorgeous, and, just to cause even more dissension, from different
ends of the school spectrum. The election date is confirmed for a week from Monday, and I'm
willing to bet we've got a rocky week-and-a-half ahead of us. On the upside, I'm sure we'll
have some creative campaigning going on. Next up is Alex Lloyd with Lucky Star." Kensuke
pressed play, turned off his mike and leaned back in his chair, wondering what the next
week-and-a-half would bring.

A few minutes into lunchtime, Asuka burst through the cafeteria doors and stormed across to the
table Shinji had managed to snag. Everyone was already there, and Asuka flung herself into the
one vacant chair.
"Good morning, sunshine," Shinji greeted her sarcastically.
Asuka cast him a dismissive glance, before turning her attention to the entire group.
"Has any of you been in the courtyard?" she demanded.
"Frequently," Kensuke responded dryly.
Asuka rolled her eyes. "I mean today. I mean just now. Have you?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"That same jerk from assembly yesterday is handing out flyers for that chick he nominated."
"It's called campaigning," Kensuke said slowly.
Asuka slapped him over the head. "I know that! But it's how he's going about it! He's totally
slagging off every single Tokyo-3 student!"
Hikari dropped the carrot stick she'd been holding, now interested in what Asuka had to say.
"What do you mean?"
"He's out there, handing out his little flyers and soapboxing that this Kei girl should be
president because Tokyo-3 students have an exaggerated sense of their importance, and that
City Center students have as much right to be president, and that because an Eva pilot
destroyed their school, and Eva pilots are Tokyo-3 students, all Tokyo-3 students must be
evil." Asuka's words came out in a burst, her annoyance and anger at the situation shining
through. Her face flushed with anger, she grabbed a Snickers from Shinji's hand and bit into
it.
"Hey!" Shinji protested.
Asuka shot him a glare, silently warning him to not even try it.
Shinji fell silent and watched as the agitated German polished off his Snickers.
Hikari, of a slightly calmer disposition than her friend, toyed with her necklace thoughtfully.
"I have to say I'm surprised," she said. "I talked to Kei yesterday and she said she was gonna
keep this a clean fight."
Asuka turned her attention away from what was left of the Snickers. "You talked to your
opposition?" she asked incredulously.
Hikari nodded; Asuka looked skyward. "Where did I go wrong?" she asked the ceiling, pained.
"Melodramatic much?" Touji said, rolling his eyes, as he opened his orange juice.
"Shut up!" Asuka snapped at him. She looked back at Hikari. "Hikari, dear," she said sweetly.
"This is an election. Your opposition is your enemy. You only talk to them if you're insulting
them!"
It was Hikari's turn to roll her eyes. "Jeez, Asuka, take a breather. It's just a high school
election. It's not like the fate of the planet rests on whether I win or not."
"I know that," Asuka said, resisting the urge to slap her forehead with exasperation. "But the
fate of every Tokyo-3 student's self-respect does!"
Rei calmly sipped her apple juice and surveyed her friends. "You are all forgetting the
obvious," she said, managing to capture everyone's attention despite the fact that her voice
was much softer. "You're all forgetting that Hikari is going to win regardless of what the
opposition says or does."
"She's got you there, Asuka," Kensuke declared before twisting the lid off a bottle of apricot
nectar.
Asuka shot Kensuke a glare for the sole purpose that she could. "Does that mean I can't plan
acts of terrorism against that nominator jerk guy?"
"No terrorism," Hikari said firmly.
"Damn." Asuka sighed and popped the last bite of Shinji's Snickers in her mouth. Shinji watched
as the last bite disappeared and sighed as well.


--

Hikari Horaki's Presidential Election Speech
I'm guessing that most of you know me. Some of you because we've been through lots of years of
school together, others because you are planning my death as I speak. Whatever the reason, most
of you know me. But do any of you know why I should be student body president?
Ever since -

Why am I bothering with this? I hate making speeches. I don't have a way with public speaking
like Kensuke does. And I just know that the Gods of Bitter Irony have planned it so Kei
Yamaguchi is going to have an amazingly, superhuman ability to speak clearly, make eye contact
and be witty at the same time!
Statistically, I can't lose. Every Tokyo-3 student is going to vote for me. That much was
confirmed during Info Tech today when Yayoi told me that everyone is going to vote for me,
because no one wants one of those 'City Center losers' in a position of power.
Well, I'm flattered. It's a complete ego boost to hear the only reason you're about to become
student body president is because the majority doesn't like your opposition.
You know, reading back on my last sentence, I've gotten much better at sarcasm over the years.
Speaking of opposition, that'd be Kei Yamaguchi. She's one to look out for. I'm not about to be
fooled by her slender, almost fragile frame or impassive blue eyes. That girl is so sharp
it's almost scary. And I've witnessed too many years of butt kissing to not know who's got
power and who doesn't. And if I'm just going to get this position because of some stupid
inner-school rivalry, who's to say I deserve the position? Who's to say that Kei isn't the
better candidate?
And when I win, every time something goes wrong, I'll wonder if Kei should have won. And things
will most certainly go wrong. One can only expect that much when the school will automatically
divide itself once the election results are in.
Don't get me wrong. I want this position. I'd just like this position under different
circumstances.
I know, I know that you can't always get what you want.
But you kind of wish that you could.
--

His first reaction to the question was alarm. It was true or false, taking off at least some of
the pressure, but still, the thought of answering the question incorrectly could have
repercussions he'd rather not think about.
He glanced guardedly at the classmates surrounding him, his pen poised over the paper, hovering
over true and false.
Someone entered the classroom, distracting him from his task. Blake slammed Kei's magazine
shut, for the moment abandoning the quiz he'd been doing - 'Are You In Love, Lust, or Just
Obsessed?' Kei had lent him the magazine, insisting he answer each question truthfully for her
to appraise his sanity. In retrospect, he wasn't sure why he'd agreed.
Blake abandoned his desk and headed over to Rei, hoping his knees wouldn't buckle before he got
there. She was only wearing jeans and pink tank top and yet managed to outclass any girl in the
room.
"Hi," he began hesitantly.
Rei looked up; her red eyes widened slightly. "Hi."
"I'm Blake," he said, concentrating on stopping his left foot from tapping nervously. "You
showed me to Biology the other day?"
Rei nodded in acknowledgement. "You're also the one who nominated Kei Yamaguchi for student
body president," she stated.
Blake nodded; couldn't argue there. "Did you get a flyer?" he asked, pulling one from his
pocket and handing it to her. She scanned the light green leaflet solemnly, and Blake cursed
himself for giving her one.
"Sorry," he apologised. "You're friends with Kei's opposition, aren't you?"
"I'm friends with Hikari," Rei confirmed. "Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"
Blake shook his head, a little unsettled by Rei's impassiveness. "I'm not very good at Biology.
Well, actually, I really suck at Biology. And I heard you were the one to talk to if I wanted
to get some help."
"You need a tutor?" Rei queried, eyes flitting down to the flyer as she spoke.
Blake smiled wryly. "I prefer the term educator."
He couldn't be sure, but Blake thought he could see a smile on Rei's face.
"And you want me to be your . . . educator?"
"If you don't mind."
"I'm busy tonight," Rei reflected. "Because I've got . . ." She trailed off. "Plans."
She wasn't about to admit that those plans involved going to NERV for some tests.
"But I'm free tomorrow night," she continued. "Is that okay with you?"
Blake nodded wordlessly, and Rei scribbled something down on a piece of paper.
"My place, tomorrow at seven," she said, giving him the piece of paper. "Bring all your Biology
stuff."
Blake pocketed the piece of paper and offered Rei a smile. "Thanks a lot for this."
"That's okay."
Blake headed back to his desk, grinning like a fool.
Rei covered her face with her hands, feeling like a fool.

--

Rei Ayanami -
I always thought that those who used the phrase, 'Things are going to get far worse before they
get better' were just being pessimistic. Now I am starting to realise how true that statement
can be.
Things were bad over school vacation when I inadvertently destroyed City Center High. Instead
of enjoying my last vacation before senior year, I spent the time obsessing over guilt. Things
got slightly worse when I didn't have anyone to talk to about it. Shinji was busy all vacation,
most likely because he was obsessing over Asuka. Kensuke for some reason abandons every
conversation we have after a couple of minutes. I don't feel comfortable talking to anyone
else.
Things got worse when two hundred City Center kids were sent to my school. Things got even
worse when I realised I was the target of bitterness for many City Center kids. Things got even
worse than that when I met the guy who seems to be the leader of the Anti-Eva-Pilot Society.
But things have really hit rock bottom now. Blake McDermott, said leader of said society, is
now seeking my help in Biology.
Things can't possibly get any worse.
But, if my present luck holds, they probably will.
--

"Au revoir, ma petites!'
As Shinji started packing up his belongings to leave class, Mme Peron approached his desk.
"Shinji, I would like to talk to you," the young French teacher said, her words carrying the
faintest hint of a French accent.
"Sure," Shinji said obligingly, looking at his teacher expectantly.
"You currently hold the second highest grade point average in the school, and the highest in
French."
Shinji checked over his shoulder nervously. "Don't tell anyone."
Mme Peron nodded understandingly; having taught Shinji for three years, she knew all too well
of his insistence that his high grades not become common knowledge. "You also hold the highest
grade in environmental studies."
Shinji nodded. "You're my careers advisor. You know that I want to become an environmental
scientist."
Mme Peron smiled. "Yes, I do know. And I also know that you are the best candidate for this."
Shinji's brow furrowed. "For what?"
"Every year this school offers a year-long stay in France for a French student. Every year,
the teacher in charge of the French program nominates a senior student for this program. This
year, I am in charge of the French program. And I wish to nominate you."
Shinji's dark blue eyes widened within an inch of their lives. "You what?" he asked
incredulously.
Mme Peron didn't bother repeating herself; she knew that he had heard. "I have also contacted
one of France's leading environmental firms. If you accept what I am offering, you have a
one-year position at this firm."
Shinji sat down abruptly, a little overwhelmed by this information. "A year in France?" he said
in awe. "A year at an environmental firm?" He looked up at his teacher. "This is a once in a
lifetime opportunity, isn't it?"
Mme Peron chose her next words carefully, not wanting to put any unnecessary pressure on him.
"I suppose it is." She eyed Shinji, waiting his reaction. The only noticeable reaction was that
he had paled; other than that, he seemed to be in shock. "You don't have to make a decision
now," she assured him. "Go home, think it over, discuss it with your guardian. But I will need
to know in the next few weeks."
In a daze, Shinji rose and picked up his belongings. He left the room, not taking notice of
the decided emptiness of the halls or the fact that his talk with Mme Peron had gone several
minutes into lunchtime.
All he could think about was what he'd just been told.
A year in France.
A year at an environmental firm.
An opportunity of a lifetime.
Shinji suddenly had an overwhelming urge to slam his head against a locker. Not one to ignore
urges, Shinji did so and promptly looked up to see his locker of choice was Touji's, and that
said locker was bursting at the seams.
"Mental note. Ask Touji what the hell he has in his locker."
As Shinji headed to the cafeteria, he considered his last words.
"Mental note. Stop making mental notes out loud."

Shinji joined his friends in the cafeteria, did a headcount and realised two were missing.
"Where are the girls?" he asked.
Rei looked up from her salad and looked at Shinji pointedly.
"I mean the other two," he rushed to explain. "Asuka and Hikari."
Touji shrugged. "No idea. I haven't seen either of them since this morning," he informed his
friends, trying to scan the cafeteria for Hikari without drawing attention to himself.
Kensuke rolled his eyes. "Asuka's probably dragged Hikari off to some dark corner to lecture
her on the do's and don't of running for student body president. I can see her cracking the
whip as we speak."
Touji nodded sagely in agreement. "Can I buy a ticket to that event?"
Everyone ignored Touji's comment.
"Hey, Touji, what the hell have you got in your locker?" Shinji asked, recalling his previous
mental note.
_Don't say buttons, don't say buttons, don't say buttons._
Touji opened his mouth to feed his friends the same lie he'd fed Asuka and Hikari, but closed
it upon the realisation that Kensuke would no doubt want to check if he was lying. He suddenly
wished fervently that Rei was elsewhere - he didn't mind letting Shinji and Kensuke in on his
plans, but he didn't want to tell Rei for fear she'd let it slip to Asuka or Hikari. He didn't
know exactly what girls talked about when guys weren't around, but he was pretty sure that
there was a lot of sharing involved.
Rei noticed that Touji was staring at her with a look that pretty much screamed, 'Please be
elsewhere!', and she stood up. "I'm going to get some orange juice," she announced. "But I
might be awhile, because oranges are very rare in these parts."
Touji smiled gratefully at Rei. She offered him a small smile in return.
As soon as Rei departed, Touji opened his mouth to let his friends in on his secret, only to
realise they were involved in some bizarre game of Charades.
Kensuke held up a finger at Shinji.
"One word," Shinji acknowledged.
Kensuke nodded and tapped his ear.
"Sounds like," Shinji continued.
Again Kensuke nodded. He then started baaing, earning him some very odd looks from all over the
cafeteria.
"Sheep?" Shinji guessed. Kensuke shook his head. "Lamb?" Kensuke shook his head. "Ewe?"
Kensuke shook his head again and made his baaing weaker and more pitiful.
"Mutton!" Shinji exclaimed.
Kensuke nodded enthusiastically.
"One word, sounds like mutton," Shinji mused. "Button?"
Touji's jaw dropped, practically grazing the Laminex table surface. "How the hell did you
know?" he demanded.
Kensuke laughed. "Do I look stupid?" He paused. "Don't answer that."
Shinji looked at his friends. "What are you talking about?"
"The sudden influx of Vote For Hikari buttons have been provided by none other than . . ."
Kensuke trailed of dramatically. "Touji!"
Touji whacked his friend across the head. "Keep your voice down!" he hissed.
"YOU ordered those buttons!" Shinji exclaimed, which was hard to do while keeping his voice
down.
Touji turned an interesting shade of red and nodded. "Look, don't tell anyone, okay?" he said,
his voice serious. "I don't want Hikari to know."
Shinji's brow furrowed. "Why not? She'll appreciate that you did something so thoughtful for
her."
Touji shrugged, his blush growing deeper. He didn't want to explain that he didn't want her to
know that he'd do anything for her. He didn't want to explain that he was afraid she didn't
look at him the same way.
Shinji recognised the determination in Touji's eyes and knew that he wouldn't explain.
Kensuke also recognised the determination but was somewhat more blunt that Shinji.
"Touji, we all know you've been crushing on Hikari since eighth grade."
Touji's jaw dropped again, this time so fast he nearly dislocated it. He tried to cover up his
shock. "I . . . I don't know what you're talking about!"
Kensuke waved a hand with boredom, clearly not interested in Touji's flustered denial. "Save
it. Me and Shinji are your best friends. Of course it's patently obvious to us."
Touji sighed. "So how long have you guys known?"
"Since eighth grade," Shinji said.
"What?" Touji cried. "You've known all this time? You could have told me you knew and spared me
four years of grief!"
"Yeah, right!" Kensuke retorted. "And risk visible scarring? No thank you!"
Shinji decided to step in before an endless and pointless argument got underway. "Look, Touji.
You've got some secret campaign going here. Don't you think you could do with the help of your
two best friends?"
"You'll help?" Touji asked.
Kensuke rolled his eyes. "Well, that was a blinding flash of the obvious! Of course we will!"
At this point, Rei approached the table, holding a bottle of orange juice. "Can I come back?"
she asked Touji. "Or should I go get some more juice?"
Touji grinned. "It's OK. You can sit down."
As Rei sat and opened her juice, Touji tried to keep his smile down. With the help of his
friends, Hikari's campaign was going to be superb. And maybe, just maybe after she was voted
in, he'd have an opportunity to tell her.

--

- Kensuke Aida's New Years Resolutions - Progression

I will stop picking out parallels between Asuka and Satan in Shinji's presence. I will continue
to pick out parallels when he's not around. I can't deny the truth.
*Surprisingly, this resolution is going quite well, because, surprisingly, Asuka has been far
nicer than usual this year. Could it be that one Asuka Langley Soryu is getting soft?* (Note
to self - Do not suggest this to Asuka. Just because she's been nicer doesn't mean she can't
beat the bejeezus out of me.)

I will try to get Touji and Hikari together and try to do it tactfully. Tactfully,
unfortunately, means without alcohol.
*So far, so good. Well, I haven't really done much in the way of this yet, but it is early days
yet. And by helping Touji with his secret Hikari campaign, things for the two of them are
looking up.*

I will come up with different betting pool each week just to keep things interesting.
*Well, early days, but I have got one running at the moment. Naturally, it's a pool about who
will win the election. Hikari's the favourite, as if that wasn't a given.*

I will not get busted for running a different betting pool each week.
*So far, so good.*

I will attempt to break my conversation record with Rei, which is currently 7 minutes 13
seconds, which is as far as I got before I was overwhelmed by how stunningly beautiful she is.
*Not so good. I can be in her presence longer than 7 minutes 13 seconds if we're in a group
situation. One on one, I have no hope. Is it possible that she got even more beautiful over
vacation?*

I will join forces with Touji and possibly Hikari to get Shinji and Asuka to admit their
feelings.
*Haven't started this yet. I need a plan. I think this might be easier to do when Touji and
Hikari get their act together; that way, we'll have a relationship perspective to help the
plan along.*

And above all, I will ask someone out and try not to care when she laughs in my face.
*I refuse to get into the progression - or lack thereof - of this resolution.*
--

Shinji Ikari -
Did you ever have someone talk about you as if you're not there, despite the fact that you're
standing right in front of them? Misato and Asuka have a tendency to do that, and tonight was
no exception.
I was twenty minutes late for the tests Misato scheduled for after school. I was late because
I stayed behind after school to tell Mme Peron that I was going to accept her offer. I wasn't
about to share this with Misato or Asuka - or anyone, for that matter. If I'm not sure how I
feel about this, how can I be expected to discuss it?
So I refused to explain my lateness, and Misato and Asuka spent most of dinner trying to
wangle an explanation from me. When I didn't budge, they gave up and started concocting an
elaborate scenario to explain why I was so late. By the end of dinner, they'd decided I'd had
a secret rendezvous under the Glebe Point Bridge with some blonde called Olivia. I didn't
bother pointing out that not only do I have no idea where the Glebe Point Bridge is, I also
don't know any blonde Olivias. Actually, I don't know any Olivias. And there are no blondes
at Tokyo-3 High.
I can make light of the situation and push it into the deep recesses of my mind, for the
simple reason that the conversation at dinner was so ridiculous. But part of me knows I can't
avoid the subject forever. That sooner or later, I'm going to have to tell Misato and Asuka.
Sooner or later? I'm going for later.

--
Kei closed her eyes as the night air breezed over her, crisp and cool. The familiar momentum
of the creaky old swing set her dad had built years ago helped her put things into perspective.
It reminded her that even though she was at a different school, other things were still the
same.
"You gonna tell me why you're such a perky puppy today?" she asked, eyes still closed.
"Maybe," Blake responded teasingly as he swung beside her.
"Stop being elusive," she said. "Tell me. Hopefully, it'll be something I can remind you of
whenever you're in one of your funks."
"I have a biology study session tomorrow night," Blake informed her, sounding positively
cheerful.
Kei opened her eyes and looked at her best friend. "You hate biology."
Blake nodded. "Can't argue with you there." He flashed Kei a grin. "It's who my tutor is
that's important."
Kei suppressed the urge to bang her head on a hard surface. "Let me guess," she said wryly.
"Rei?"
"My best friend, the psychic," Blake said sarcastically.
Kei ignored the comment and concentrated on swinging higher. "Biology study session," Kei said
thoughtfully. "Nothing more romantic than amoebae!"
"For your information, Kei," Blake said haughtily. "All I want from Rei is friendship."
Kei rolled her eyes. "Sure. And Second Impact occurred because no one wanted to watch the
Sydney Olympics."
Blake laughed and swung higher.

"What are you wearing on Saturday night?" Hikari asked as she examined her hair for split
ends.
"Saturday night?" Asuka echoed vaguely, flipping through channels without paying attention to
what she passed.
Hikari leaned over and grabbed the remote. "First of all, enough with the channel surfing.
You're driving me insane. Second of all, Saturday night? Homecoming slash orientation dance.
Do you ever pay attention to signs around the school?"
Asuka ignored her friend's question. "The dance. I don't know what I'm wearing. I'll figure
that out closer to the date."
"It's Wednesday night!"
"What's your point?"
Hikari sighed. "You know what sucks about our school?"
Asuka rolled her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. "Let me count the ways," she said dryly.
Hikari continued as if she hadn't heard Asuka. "No one ever shows anything resembling
enthusiasm towards school activities. The only reason half the people will show on Saturday
is so they can go to the after-parties."
Asuka fixed her friend with a level gaze. "Hikari. It's a school dance. It's a bunch of
teenybopper skanks in strapless minidresses dancing to teenybopper tunes chosen by some loser
DJ who'll try to tag along to the after-parties because he has no life of his own."
Hikari blinked. "Cynical much?"
"It's not cynicism, it's reality," Asuka declared.
"So, what? You're not gonna show?"
"I'll show. I heard Kristi's having another party afterwards. That's the only reason I'm
going."
Hikari sighed and started flipping through the channels. "Yet another Hikari hypothesis
confirmed."

--

-Blake McDermott on the pitfalls of having a girl for a best friend

When I first moved to Tokyo-3 from California five years ago, I was pretty edgy. Can you blame
me? I had just left my birthplace, moved to an unfamiliar country, I wasn't fluent in Japanese,
and to top it all off, I was entering puberty. Add the factors, do the math. Theoretically, I
probably should have killed myself from depression.
But luckily for me, I met Kei. On my eighth day of school, I lost the watch my father had
given me the day before he left us. I was sitting in the courtyard, head in my hands, when
Kei sat next to me. She asked me what was wrong, I explained, and she helped me look for it.
We spent all day looking for it, looking until we nearly passed out from exhaustion. I didn't
even know this girl, but she stayed with me, skipping her classes, skipping lunch, helping me
look. We didn't find it, and we had detention out of the wazoo for skipping class. It occurred
to me, years later, that losing that watch was the best thing that could have happened to me.
If I hadn't lost it, I may never have found my best friend.
Kei really is the best friend I've ever had. I trust her more than anything or anyone, and I
know it's mutual. I'm the only she's ever told about . . . yeah, well, I won't get into it.
The point is, I know Kei better than anyone, and knowing her like this, makes me feel kind of
responsible for her. Like I need to protect her. I guess maybe it's because of how fragile she
seems - she looks so tiny and delicate. Sometimes I want to put her in a box so she doesn't
get hurt.
Of course, if Kei knew this she'd kick my butt. So I don't tell her any of this. Sometimes I
tell myself that it'd be like this with any best friend. But somehow I know that life with Kei
is slightly more complex.
But you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way.
--

"So, I was thinking we could all hang out at my place tonight," Kensuke suggested, unwrapping
an ice cream.
"I'm there," Shinji said in answer to the unasked question.
"Sounds cool," Hikari said.
"Downright frosty," Asuka agreed, somewhat sarcastically.
Touji picked a piece of chocolate off his ice cream and popped it into his mouth. "Count me
in."
Kensuke looked at Rei. "How about you, Rei?"
"I can't," she said, looking down at her Biology textbook. Had she looked up, she'd have seen
the disappointment that flashed briefly in Kensuke's eyes.
"How come?" Shinji asked curiously.
Rei sighed and looked up. "I'm tutoring someone in Biology tonight," she explained.
"Who?" Shinji asked.
Rei shrugged. "It's not important."
"Come on, Rei," Asuka coaxed, now equally curious. "Tell us."
"It's not important," Rei insisted.
As Shinji and Asuka tried to get Rei to tell, Hikari had calmly picked up Rei's school
organizer and flipped to today's date. There, in Rei's neat writing were the words, 'Biology
study session - Blake McDermott, 7:30pm'.
"Blake McDermott?" Hikari read out loud, knowing the name but not placing it.
Asuka had a good memory for names. "Blake McDermott?" she exclaimed, outraged.
Rei wished fervently that she were elsewhere. She avoided the stunned, quizzical eyes of her
friends, and instead looked out at the students milling around the cafeteria. Blake - for
once not with Kei - caught her eye and offered her a wave. Rei returned the wave
halfheartedly.
Asuka watched the exchange with her jaw somewhere around her waist. "El Jerko is crushing on
Rei?" she said in disbelief.
"He is not crushing on me," Rei contradicted quietly.
Asuka continued as if Rei hadn't spoken. "Captain of the Anti-Pilot Jerk-squad asked _you_ to
tutor him? What's up with that?"
Kensuke and Rei exchanged a wary glance - Asuka caught the glance and interpreted it correctly.
"He doesn't know," she stated, a little surprised.
Rei considered lying, but decided against it - it wasn't really her style. "No," she admitted.
"He doesn't."
Kensuke regarded his friend with a raised eyebrow. "You know, Rei, not to be a downer or
anything, but he's gonna find out sooner or later. And I think he should he find out from
you."
Rei sighed softly and ran a hand through her hair. "I know. Don't worry. I'll tell him
tonight."

--
Rei Ayanami - The Case Against Myself/Count The Selfish Ways

- I could have told Blake that first day we met, instead of running away.
- I could have stood beside Asuka and argued with Blake during assembly instead of sinking
lower in my seat and praying he wouldn't notice who I was sitting with.
- I could have told him the minute I found out he was spouting anti-Eva pilot opinions for
Kei's campaign.
- I could have told him in Biology instead of accepting his anti-Eva pilot propaganda flyers.
- I could have told him I couldn't tutor him in said Biology class because I was an Eva pilot.
- I could have told him tonight at the study session, instead of trying my best to keep away
from the subject. I meant to tell him tonight. I really did. But he was so patient and cheerful
and his laugh was so . . . I don't know what, but I couldn't tell him. And not because I don't
want to hurt him, even though I don't. I didn't tell him because I don't want to alienate him.
I want to be friends with him. I want to keep tutoring him. *I* want. It doesn't get much more
selfish than that, does it?

--
Blake McDermott -
Rei Ayanami - she's beautiful, sweet, smart *and* manages to explain Biology in a way that
makes sense. What is the girl, a direct descendent of God or something?
I know when I said to Kei that all I wanted from Rei is friendship I was being sarcastic.
But tonight made me realize something. If that's all that happens between us, I don't mind.
If we end up as friends, I'll be happy. Because just spending time with her makes me happy.
And I won't judge her on the fact that she's friends with the Eva pilots. I can deal with that.
Being friends with that red-headed girl or the guy, Ikari, doesn't change who Rei is.

--
Kei Yamaguchi -
She didn't tell him. No one needs to tell me. I can tell just by his happiness that he still
doesn't know.

--
"I hate legal studies," Kensuke complained, slamming his locker door shut.
"Slam it a little harder, Kensuke," Shinji commented sarcastically. "That helps."
"If you hate legal so much, why did you take the course?" Rei asked, her comment somewhat
more helpful than Shinji's.
Kensuke sighed. "Because I needed one more elective and I figured this was as good as any."
Kensuke failed to mention that the most influential factor in him picking this subject was
that Rei had already picked it.
"You could transfer," Shinji suggested in an attempt at helpfulness.
"To what?" Kensuke asked, looking at his friend expectantly.
"Psych, enviro, drama, business management, food tech," Shinji said, rattling off the list.
"There's plenty of spaces in the dance class," Rei pointed out, a slight smile on her face.
Kensuke made a face and pushed the door to room 233 open. "No thank you. If I need to choose
between pirouettes and a teacher who's so intensely boring he should be selling encyclopedias
for a living, I'll go for the latter."
"Pity," Shinji said in mock disappointment. "You'd look great in tights."
Kensuke couldn't help it - he laughed. The three entered the room. Rei's eyes fell on Blake,
sitting in the middle row, toying with his Neo-Glo Pen. He noticed Rei and lifted his hand in
a wave. Rei shifted uncomfortably and returned the wave, her eyes darting to see whether
Shinji and Kensuke had noticed. Luckily for Rei, they were too absorbed in some hushed
discussion to notice. Rei sank into a seat beside Kensuke, feeling drained. She wasn't
accustomed to keeping secrets. Especially not ones of this magnitude. Suddenly she had an
overwhelming desire to lay her head on the desk and just attempt to slip out of the human
race for awhile.
The door swung open and Rei saw Kensuke make a face at the prospect of the entrance of Mr.
Kudoh, the most boring man on earth. His face changed from pained to surprised - the man
walking through the door was not Mr. Kudoh.
The stranger, a tall dark haired man with a bit of facial hair happening couldn't have been
more than 27. He took the traditional teaching seat at the front of the class, leaned back in
his chair, and smiled languidly.
"How's it going?"
The class murmured a chorus of OK's and good's.
"I'm Mr. Takei. I'm substituting today because your normal teacher is dead or dying or
something. No, not really, he's just got the flu. You with the blue shirt, don't look so
disappointed."
All heads swiveled to look at Kensuke, who tried his best to look like he wasn't wearing a
blue shirt.
"Unfortunately," Mr. Takei continued, tilting his chair back. "I know close to zip about
legal studies. So basically this a free for all."
The class exchanged speculative glances and started talking. Mr. Takei held up a hand and the
room fell silent - the man was clearly one whose demeanor demanded attention, despite his
youthful appearance.
"But first," he said, righting his chair and leaning forward. "I have a question to ask. I've
been wandering the halls and one question has been on my mind - what's the go with this
election I've been hearing about?"
Rei closed her eyes, sincerely wishing that question had never been asked and that Blake
would not take the opportunity to get on his soapbox.
"The deal is such," Shinji said, drumming his pen on the edge of the desk. "Elections for
student body president are being held on Monday. There are two nominees, Hikari Horaki and
Kei Something or Rather."
"Yamaguchi," a Kei supporter supplied, a touch of irritation in their voice.
Shinji continued as if they hadn't spoken. "The two nominees both come from rival schools,
and there's a lot of animosity. So on and so forth."
Mr. Takei nodded thoughtfully. "And who do you think will win . . ." Mr. Takei glanced down
at the class identification list. "Mr. Ikari?"
Shinji smiled. "Hikari, naturally."
"And why's that?"
"Because Tokyo-3 students have an exaggerated sense of their own importance."
All eyes shifted to Blake, who was wearing the same expression he had during assembly - the
smirk that made him look like a class A jerk. The one Asuka had dubbed 'The Jerk Smirk'.
"Eva pilots in particular. Isn't that right, Mr. Ikari?" Blake continued sardonically.
The eyes shifted to Mr. Takei, who merely smiled, leaned back, and said, "Controversy. I
like it."
Shinji looked exasperated. "What is your problem, McDermott?" he demanded.
"Do you want to hear the part where our school got destroyed or we got treated like crap by
obnoxious Tokyo-3 kids?"
"Yeah. You forgot the part where self-sacrificing Tokyo-3 students took in a bunch of whining,
ungrateful City Center students," Shinji retorted.
"Ungrateful?" Blake echoed indignantly, rising to his feet. "We're supposed to be grateful
when all you do is remind us of how noble you all are and how undeserving we are!"
"We never said anything like that!" Shinji protested, standing up to come eye to eye with
Blake.
"You didn't have to," Blake said, his voice cold as ice. "The way you and the rest like you
walk down the halls and look at us with utter disdain says it all. And you Eva pilots are the
worst. I've seen the way you and that red-haired girl walk the halls like you own the school
and everyone in it."
Shinji's jaw clenched - bringing Asuka into the equation made it personal. "Eva pilots do not
think they own the school," he said tightly. "We are part of this school. We have been for a
long time. But instead of trying to become part of the school, you City Center kids are
intent on dividing the school. Because of an accident no one could stop."
"You and that red-haired girl -"
"Her name is Asuka," Shinji cut in, annoyed.
"Fine. You and *Asuka* keep reminding me of how much you've done for me and how often you've
saved my life. So I'm thinking, if you're that fantastic, you should have been able to avoid
smashing our school to pieces."
Shinji looked skyward, not believing the gall of this guy. "It doesn't work like that."
Seeing the skeptical look on Blake's face, Shinji turned to Rei for help. "Rei, back me up
here."
"Hey," Blake said, sounding irritated. "Don't bring Rei into this."
Shinji turned back to Blake. "Oh, what?" he asked sarcastically. "You hate Eva pilots unless
you're crushing on them?"
Blake, for once, wasn't ready with a comeback. He blinked; his brow furrowed. "What?"
It was with that simple query that Shinji understood. His dark eyes widened in surprise. "You
don't know," he stated unnecessarily.
"Know what?" Blake asked uneasily.
Shinji didn't respond straight away; he studied Blake's face carefully and saw hidden deep in
his eyes was a spark of suspicion. "I think you know what I'm talking about," Shinji said
thoughtfully. "Or at least you suspect."
A haze of uncertainty and apprehension darkened Blake's eyes slightly. He stared at Shinji
hard, trying to determine exactly what Shinji was getting at. When he saw an almost
sympathetic look in the other boy's dark blue eyes, he flinched. He understood.
"No way," Blake declared, in the vain hope that him saying that would change the way things
were. "She can't be."
Shinji nodded. "Yes. She can be."
"You're lying," Blake said desperately. He turned to Rei, his eyes silently pleading her to
agree. To say that Shinji was lying.
With some courage, Rei stood up and met Blake's eyes. "He's not lying," she said quietly.
Blake gripped the edge of his desk in an attempt to gain control. "You're a pilot," he said,
not letting the statement curl into a question.
Rei nodded slightly.
Blake struggled to assess the situation rationally; as he did, something occurred to him.
"Hang on. If he's the pilot of Unit 01," he began, gesturing to Shinji. "And that Asuka girl
is the pilot of Unit 02 . . . that means that you pilot . . ."
"Unit 00," Rei filled in softly.

As Kei struggled with her combination lock on her locker, she heard a classroom door open
down the hall. She looked up and saw Blake storm out of the room and down the hall in the
opposite direction. As Kei watched on silently, Rei also left the classroom. She called out
to Blake and when he didn't respond, she slumped against the doorframe in defeat. A second
later, Shinji left the room, looking apologetic.
Kei's arm fell to her side, her combination lock momentarily forgotten.
"Well," she said quietly. "I guess he found out."

When Kei spotted Blake in the courtyard, she was sharply reminded of a time several years ago,
when they'd first met. She stood behind him, partially because she didn't want to see the hurt
on his face.
"You found out," she said quietly.
Blake's back stiffened slightly, yet not so slightly that Kei didn't notice. "You knew?" he
asked in disbelief.
"Uh-huh."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Kei's pale blue eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?" she said sharply. "Blake, put it in perspective.
What would you have said if I told you?"
"That I could look after myself," he admitted.
"Exactly."
Blake raked a hand through his dark hair. "I know, Kei, it's just . . . I don't know. How am
I supposed to react?"
Kei regarded her best friend sympathetically and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry,
Blake. There are tons of pretty girls out there."
Blake sighed. "It's not just that. I liked Rei. I thought she was a nice girl. I thought we
got along so well. And then . . ."
"Just because you found out that she's a pilot doesn't change who she is," Kei said gently.
"And it doesn't change the fact that you had a good time with her."
"I know that. But you know what? I think I could handle it if she was just any other pilot.
I think I could get over it. But she's not just any pilot, Kei. She's the one. The pilot of
Unit 00."
Feeling her friend's pain like it was her own, Kei wrapped her arms around his neck and
lightly rested her chin on the top of his head. "You'll be okay," she said softly.
Blake closed his eyes and the two remained silent for awhile.
"You want to know the worst part, Kei?"
"What?"
"I'm never gonna pass Biology now."
Kei laughed and rested her cheek on the top of his head. "You'll be fine," she said
confidently. "You'll be fine."

By lunchtime the word was out that Blake had been enlightened on Rei's piloting status.
Dropping her bag carelessly on the floor, Asuka sat down across from Rei, leaned forward
and rested her chin in her hands.
"Well," she said.
Shinji, sitting beside Rei, a comforting hand resting on her back, shot Asuka a look of
warning. Asuka, true to form, pretended not to see it. To Shinji's immense relief, Hikari
joined them before Asuka said anything. Sitting beside Asuka, Hikari looked at Rei with
sympathetic brown eyes.
Asuka was itching to say something, but Shinji's unwavering warning eyes were slightly
disconcerting. Somewhere between legal and lunch, Shinji had slipped into Assertive Shinji
mode, a mode which Asuka still had some trouble defying. Asuka started in on her lunch - if
she didn't eat, she knew she'd say something she'd probably regret.
"Where're Kensuke and Touji?" Asuka asked with great control.
"I'm right here," Touji said, coming up from behind Asuka and sitting across from Hikari.
"Kensuke's at a meeting."
"What about?" Hikari questioned.
"Allocated budgets for programs this year," Touji explained. "He's trying to hit the school
council up for more money for the station. Don't think he'll get it though. The money's being
spread more thinly this year because of the City Center arrivals."
Hikari cast Rei a wary look at the mention of City Center.
Asuka looked down at the table and realised with a degree of annoyance that she had eaten all
of her lunch. That meant that there was no stopping her now.
"So, Rei," she began, trying her best to ignore the glare that Shinji was giving her. "I
never pictured Wonder Girl as Deception Girl."
Asuka had expected Rei to hit back in her quiet, understated, yet equally powerful way. She
didn't.
"Don't worry," Touji said dryly. "Rei's too busy not eating her lunch to respond."
Finally Rei became attuned to the world around her. She looked up. "What?"
Asuka opened her mouth to spout some sarcastic remark, but fell silent when she looked into
Rei's red eyes. She saw the pain, the anger she had toward herself, and the guilt. Asuka
felt a wash of uncharacteristic sympathy.
"You want to talk about it?" she asked gently, causing jaws to drop all around the table.
Rei quickly hid her surprise. "Thanks. But . . . I think I just need some time to think."
Asuka nodded. "Yeah, well, you have my number."
Everyone hid their surprise and continued the usual lunchtime chatter. But no one could
ignore the fact that something had changed.

--
Asuka Langley Soryu -
I felt for sorry for the girl.
Can you believe it? After years of tormenting her, harassing her and mocking her misfortunes,
all she had to do was turn those pain-filled red eyes to me and every snide comment I had
lined up disappeared.
Her eyes weren't the only ones on me. Shinji's were as well. And those dark blue eyes are
extremely disconcerting when they want to be.
I think that maybe . . . just maybe Shinji is the reason I was nice to Rei. It's pretty
obvious he cares about her. It was pretty obvious he wanted me to exercise some tact for once
in my life. It was pretty obvious he didn't want to upset Rei.
So I didn't upset Rei. Because he didn't want me to. But I don't know why I did what he
wanted.
Or maybe I do know. And I just don't want to admit it.

--

"Nervous about Monday?" Touji questioned Hikari, as they maneuvered their way through the
cafeteria.
"Oh, no," Hikari responded vaguely. "Just because this stupid election is causing school wide
dissension? What's there to be nervous about?"
Before Touji could respond, he walked straight into Rei, who was leading the group out of the
cafeteria. Touji looked up to see what had stopped Rei.
More specifically, who.
Blake.
To Rei's credit, she spoke up before Touji or Shinji could intervene.
"Excuse me," she said.
Blake looked at her, green eyes blank. Kei, beside him, studied his expression carefully. To
the others he looked dispassionate. Only Kei could pick up the tension in his jaw. "Yeah?"
he asked.
Rei blinked but didn't look away, not giving into his intimidation games. "You're in the way,"
she said flatly. "And I need to get out."
Blake stepped aside and gestured to the door with exaggerated politeness. "Oh, sorry," he
said sarcastically. "I wouldn't want to slow you down. You probably have someone to lie to,
right?"
Before Rei could reply, he turned and walked out of the cafeteria. Kei followed, shooting
Rei a brief apologetic glance.
Touji momentarily turned his attention away from Hikari. He placed a hand on Rei's arm,
looking at her with a mixture of curiosity and sympathy. "Are you OK?"
Rei forced herself to nod, attempting to look like Blake's words hadn't stung. "I'm fine,"
she said. "Let's go."
No one pushed it, but they exchanged silent glances. For one brief second, Rei's face had
betrayed her emotions. And Blake's words had hurt. A lot.

"You OK?" Kei asked Blake, touching his arm gently.
He turned to her and nodded. "Sure, why wouldn't I be?"
_Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you just had an encounter with the girl you liked until you
found out she destroyed our school?_ Kei thought with exasperation. Thankfully, her mouth
articulated itself somewhat better.
"Just thought I'd ask. Might be tough."
Blake flashed his best friend a smile. "I'm fine Kei. You don't need to worry."
Kei stopped; Blake kept walking. She watched him walk and shook her head, closing her blue
eyes briefly.
"Liar," she whispered.

--
Kei Yamaguchi -
Sometimes Blake really pisses me off. Every time something bad happens, he tries to convince
me he's fine. Like he's totally above having his heart broken. Well, sorry Blake, but your
fake smiles don't convince me that you're fine. The only thing it convinces me of is that
you're suffering from major denial.
For as long as I've known him, Blake has dealt with all bad news the exact same way - he
doesn't. And because he doesn't show his emotions, that makes it all the more important to
analyze every single thing he says or does. After years and years of looking past his, "I'm
so cool, I don't need emotions" façade, I can read the boy like a Dr. Seuss book.
So even though he pretends to be fine, like that whole thing with Rei didn't hurt, I can tell
he's lying. I can see it every time he looks at her, every time someone says her name, every
time he looks at his damn Biology book. I can see that he's hurting.
And I feel terrible. Because I knew. Because I could have told him. Better yet, I could have
told Rei to tell him herself. Even though I rationalize why I didn't say anything, I still
feel terrible. I didn't do anything wrong. The thing is, I didn't do anything right, either.
That ends now.

--

Asuka looked down at the piece of paper in her hand and then looked up, checking the number
on the mailbox. "Well," she said to no one in particular. "Guess this is the place."

Kei glanced at her watch and cursed under her breath. She had to be there ten minutes ago;
she figured the talking part would take maybe an hour and she had to be somewhere after that
was over. She looked at her watch, she looked down the street. Sighing, she started running.
Running went totally against:
Personal Rule #33 - Never run in public if it can be helped.
But Kei had a feeling that this whole situation was beyond rules.

At home, Rei cast a look at the wall clock. Ten past seven. Had things gone according to plan,
she'd have been somewhere else right now.

At home, Shinji re-read the note in his hand for the tenth time, trying to find the part that
said this was a joke. It was Asuka's turn to make dinner, and she thought all she had to do
was leave a cutesy note to weasel out of it? Grumbling, Shinji headed towards the kitchen.

As Blake's doorbell rang, he looked at the clock. Ten past seven. He grinned as headed
towards the door; Kei knew he'd had a study session with Rei lined up for seven. No doubt
she was trying to keep his mind off it. He opened the door, and blinked with surprise. It
wasn't Kei. In fact, the girl who has standing there was somewhere between the Pope and
Mary Queen of Scots on his list of people he didn't expect to see that night.
"Nice reception," Asuka said sarcastically.
Blake covered his surprise at his visitor with a languid smirk. "My dear Asuka," he said,
his tone clearly sardonic. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Here to assess your superiority
again?"
Asuka glared at him; Blake had to hand it to her. The girl had a good glaring skills. "Cut
the crap, McDermott," she said bluntly. "You know I'm not here about us."
"Assuming there is an us," Blake retorted.
"There's always an us," Asuka shot back without skipping a beat. "Whether I like it or not.
I know you, I hate you, this constitutes as a relationship."
"Don't take it to heart if I say I'm not looking for a relationship," Blake responded dryly,
leaning against the doorframe, his body language conveying that he wasn't in the least bit
threatened by Asuka.
Asuka rolled her blue eyes. "Oh please. Stop changing the subject. I'm here for a reason."
Blake's face lost all hint of humor. "We have nothing to talk about on that subject," he
stated flatly.
"Agreed," Asuka said, surprising him. "We won't be talking about anything. I'll be telling
you."
Blake opened his mouth to respond but Asuka was already off and running.
"Look, I'm gonna level with you. Rei and I never really get along. We fight. We argue. You
know what? I've even hit her. But I've known the girl for years and even though I hate to
admit it, I do care about what happens to her. And I think you're quite possibly the lowest
being on earth because of the way you reacted. So what if Rei is a pilot? You liked her before
you knew. Do you really think what she does changes the person she is? And who the hell do you
think you are, anyway, judging her when you don't know the facts? I mean, what do you think
happened? That Rei crushed your school, sang a verse of 'Another One Bites The Dust' and broke
for lunch? Well, let me tell you, it was not like that. Rei was in shock for days afterwards.
She wouldn't speak or eat or sleep for days. And maybe you're thinking, serves her right. And
maybe if it had been her fault I'd say the same thing. But it wasn't her fault. Newsflash for
you, Mr. I Know Everything, no one knows exactly how the Evas work. And sometimes they go out
of control. Sometimes it's good. Sometimes that's how we destroy Angels. But other times
it's bad. I was in my Eva when your school was destroyed, and I heard every single one of
her screams, every single one of her pleas. She tried so hard to stop her Eva, that when it
finally ran out of power, she passed out from exhaustion. I've been in battle with Rei more
times than I can remember. And I've never heard her so desperate. Let me ask you this,
McDermott. How many sleepless nights have you had since your school was destroyed? None? I
can tell you now that Rei hasn't had a night of uninterrupted sleep since that day. I know
that she goes over the event in her head each night, trying to think of how she could have
stopped it. She'd have killed herself to stop her Eva. I know Rei. She wouldn't have hesitated
to sacrifice herself if it helped. And calling her a liar? That was way harsh. Rei never lied
to you. She never once said she didn't pilot. All she did was refrain from mentioning it.
Why? Because she knew how you'd react. Because you're so set in mindless hatred. Because
you need someone to blame and Rei just happens to be convenient to place that blame on.
So don't you dare call Rei a liar and don't you dare say that it was her fault. Because
until you get into an entry plug and get into a battle, you will never understand the
pain the Evas can bring. And until you do know, you have absolutely no right to judge."
Spitting that last sentence out, Asuka turned on her heel and walked away. As soon as
she was gone, Blake stepped inside and closed the door, reeling from the information he'd
just been given. He leaned against the door and closed his eyes. He felt like he'd just
been beaten up by the class bully. Where were his snide remarks? Where was his condescending
gaze that caused all females to fall silent mid sentence? Running a hand through his dark
hair, he realised that every single word Asuka had said was right. He'd never thought about
the guilt Rei had been feeling. As he leaned against the door, Asuka's words kept swimming
through his head.
_Rei was in shock for days afterward._
_I've never heard her so desperate._
_Rei hasn't had a night of uninterrupted sleep since that day._
_She'd have killed herself to stop her Eva._
It was that last thought that particularly hurt Blake. Knowing that Rei, a girl he'd viewed
as so sparkling with life, would have willingly sacrificed her own life if it meant stopping
the Eva, gave him a severe case of guilt. Because how did he know that she wouldn't
willingly sacrifice her life to alleviate her guilt?

As Asuka stalked down the sidewalk, she came face to face with Kei. Kei silently sized up
the girl's bright eyes and smiled.
"Guess you beat me to it, huh?" she said calmly.
Asuka nodded slightly, catching on to what Kei was saying. "Yeah. But don't let that stop
you."
Kei nodded and headed up to Blake's front door. He opened it and Kei immediately knew Asuka
had said enough. The glazed look in his green eyes proved it.
"Kei?" he began, with a tone of voice that indicated that his mind was elsewhere.
Kei angled her head thoughtfully. "I think Asuka said everything I wanted to," she stated
quietly. "I can tell she's given you something to think about. That's all I wanted to do."
Kei turned and left and Blake didn't bother calling out to her. She was right - he did have
a lot to think about.

The minute Asuka stepped through the door, she was greeted with a rather annoyed Shinji who
had his arms folded across his chest. His eyes swept over her, taking in her bright eyes and
flushed cheeks, and groaned. "Just tell me, Asuka. Is Blake gonna be in a wheelchair on
Monday?"
"One can only hope," Asuka said airily, walking into the apartment. Shinji's eyes widened
and she laughed. "Unfortunately, not because of me. I didn't use violence."
"I'm very proud of you," Shinji responded dryly. "Just verbally crush the boy. That's the
way."
Asuka turned on Shinji so abruptly that he stumbled into her. Asuka barely noticed. "Are
you condoning his actions?" she demanded in a tone of voice that said he better damn well
not be condoning his actions.
Shinji shook his head. "No," he said firmly. "Blake deserves what he gets. But I also know
how downright nasty you can be at times."
"Take that back! I'm not nasty at times!" She paused. "I'm nasty all the time."
Shinji looked skyward and shook his head.
Asuka walked ahead of Shinji. "So, what's for dinner?"
Shinji shrugged. "Don't ask me."
Asuka spun around again. "I left you a note! Don't tell me there's nothing for dinner!"
Shinji smiled the smile of someone who was about to get his own back. "Oh, there is."
"Dinner's nearly ready, guys!" Misato's voice rang out from the kitchen.
Shinji caught Asuka's horrified look and nearly fell over from laughter. A second later,
he really did fall. Asuka glared down at him as he rolled around laughing. Asuka briefly
considered paralysing him. Then, a smile crossed her face. A smile like one Shinji had sported
seconds ago. A smile of someone who was about to get her own back.
Asuka straddled Shinji and pinned his shoulders to the ground. Shinji's laughter died down
the minute he realised the current proximity of Asuka. Dark blue and blue eyes met; Asuka
smiled sweetly.
"Shinji," she whispered. "I have to tell you something."
Shinji sent his lungs a reminder to breathe.
Asuka bent down so her mouth was beside his ear. Shinji sent his lungs a request to stop
breathing so shallowly.
"Shinji," she whispered. Shinji's lungs stopped working. "You're gonna have to eat Misato's
cooking, too."
She sat up again, but at that point her plan ceased. If the plan went according, to, well,
plan, she'd have stood up, laughed at Shinji and gone to the kitchen. But again their eyes
met, and Asuka either couldn't or wouldn't move. She wasn't quite sure. She wasn't quite
sure of anything that was going on.
Shinji, meanwhile, was concentrating on breathing, on staying conscious and on not getting
a blood nose. He stared up at Asuka, frantically trying to recall the most vehement of his
New Years resolutions.
_I will try to stop feeling the way I do about Asuka. No matter what it takes._
She certainly wasn't making it easy for him.
"Dinner's ready!" Misato called from the kitchen.
Her call snapped them both to reality. Blushing furiously, Asuka leaped up and ran to the
kitchen. Shinji, dazed, picked himself up off the floor and followed.

--
Asuka -
OK, this is getting out of hand. Maybe I was still a little dazed from my encounter with
Blake. And maybe I was still recovering from the news that I would have to endure Misato's
cooking. But that's no excuse.
I mean, what the hell was I doing? The plan itself was bad enough. But not carrying out the
best part? What happened?
Who knows what could have happened if Misato hadn't called out to us and reminded me of
where I was. What if Misato hadn't been home? What would have happened then?
I've never had a problem with self-control.
This ends now.

--
Shinji -
Well. That was interesting.

--
Rei Ayanami -
Good Things That Have Happened To Me Lately, That I, Of Course, Managed To Turn Bad:
1. I worked to get Shinji and Asuka to be friends. Unfortunately, this meant Shinji wasn't
around to talk to after I destroyed City Center (see number two).
2. Shinji, Asuka and I begged Major Katsuragi to let us take our Evas out over vacation,
and we got her to agree. Unfortunately, my Eva went psychotic and I destroyed City Center
High.
3. I met a really great guy. Unfortunately, I think I've officially alienated him for life
(see four and five).
4. Blake (said great guy) asked for my help in Biology. Unfortunately, Shinji let it slip
that I was the one who destroyed his school, so now he hates me.
5. I managed to get through the day by remaining calm and cool, and trying to prove to all
my friends that I didn't care if Blake hated me. Unfortunately, I ran into him in the
cafeteria, he called me a liar and my whole calm and cool exterior disappeared.
Reminder to self: The next time something good happens (if it ever does), I either have
to enjoy it or take charge so it doesn't turn bad.

--
"There's a dance tonight at school, isn't there?" Misato asked the following morning as
she silently counted the cans of beer in the fridge. Shinji would have found it amusing
if Asuka hadn't chosen that moment to enter the kitchen. She didn't look at Shinji and took
her position at the table.
Misato sat down and looked at Shinji, who was staring down at his breakfast like it held the
answers to the great mysteries of the world. "Evidently, you're too busy having a staring
contest with your breakfast to answer," Misato said sarcastically.
Shinji looked up. "What?"
"I said, there's a dance tonight at school, isn't there?"
Shinji nodded. "Uh-huh. A sort of homecoming-orientation thing."
Misato observed him carefully, trying to see why he was so quiet. "Oh, yeah. How's that
going, with the City Center kids?"
For the first time in hours, Asuka and Shinji looked at each other. They exchanged somewhat
wary glances.
"Uh, OK, I guess," Asuka said noncommittally.
"Uh-huh." Misato didn't sound convinced. "Is everything OK with you guys? I mean, I know I
haven't been around much lately, but if you need to talk about something . . ."
"We're fine," they said in unison.
Misato eyed her two charges doubtfully. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever."

"There's a dance tonight at school, isn't there?" Kensuke asked as him and Touji headed up
to the Katsuragi apartment.
"Nice to know you stay aware of school events," Touji responded dryly. "Yes, there is."
Kensuke nudged his friend. "Gonna ask Hikari?"
Touji glared; Kensuke laughed. "Gonna ask Misato?" Touji retorted. Kensuke fell silent.
Touji laughed.
They rang the doorbell and Misato answered the door. "Hey, guys," she greeted them. "Can
I ask you a question? Is something going on with Shinji and Asuka? Because they're acting
weird."
"Shinji's weird!" Asuka yelled from the kitchen, overhearing. "I'm normal!"
"If normal is the same as being a pain in the ass!" Touji yelled back.
"I'm a delight!" Asuka yelled.
Misato rubbed her temples. "OK. Now they're not so weird. But I get the feeling they're not
telling me something. Something at school, maybe?"
Kensuke and Touji exchanged glances - did Misato know about the whole Rei-and-Blake thing?
"No, nothing we know about," Touji said.
Misato narrowed her eyes; she hadn't missed the exchange of glances. "Yeah, OK. I don't
believe you." She turned and walked away.
Shinji met his friends at the door. "Sorry about that. I'll explain later."
The three left and Asuka stood, frozen, having heard the whole conversation. Shinji was going
to explain. That meant his idiot friends would soon know all about last night's incident.
"Why?" Asuka wailed, slumping in a chair and dropping her head on the table.

"There's a dance tonight at school, isn't there?" Hikari's older sister asked, leaning
against the fridge with a smirk on her face.
"Uh-huh," Hikari answered, not meeting her sister's eyes. "Homecoming-orientation dance."
The smirk grew larger. "Got a date, Kari?"
Hikari fixed her sister with a steady gaze. "No. No, I don't. No, I am not asking Touji. OK?"
"So, it's Touji, now, is it?" her sister taunted. "Remember when it used to be Suzahara?"
Hikari turned an interesting shade of red and Kedami laughed with sympathy. "I'm just
teasing, little one, you know that. If you like him that much, why don't you just tell him?"
"Oh, sure," Hikari said sarcastically. "Good plan. Then, after that, we can poke ourselves
in the eye with burnt sticks!" Having said that, Hikari stomped out of the room.
"You'll regret not telling him one day!" her sister advised.
"I'll find the courage to go on," Hikari shot back sardonically.
Kedami leaned against a wall and shook her head. Her little sister had a stubborn streak
the size of the Mississippi.

"There's a dance tonight at school, isn't here?"
Blake looked up in surprise at his mother. "How did you know?"
Raine McDermott sat across from her son at the kitchen table and smirked. "I'm psychic."
Blake snorted. "Yeah. And I'm King Arthur, this is my round table, and my knights are having
breakfast at McDonalds."
"And I also saw Kei last night at the supermarket. She told me."
"I don't like the way you get along so well with Kei," Blake remarked. "It's slightly
bizarre. I'm seventeen. You're supposed to think my friends are a bad influence."
Raine shrugged helplessly. "Sorry, Blake. Kei's a nice girl. I approve wholeheartedly."
"Damn. There goes my last shot at being a normal seventeen year old," Blake said ruefully.
"Sorry, kiddo," Raine apologized, leaning across the table to ruffle Blake's hair. "But
you were never normal."
"Excuse me?"
"What do you mean, excuse me? You're one weird kid. I mean, let's look at the obvious. Kei."
"What about Kei?"
Raine laughed. "Oh, please! Any boy in their right mind would have dated Kei. Oh, no.
Blake McDermott doesn't date this pretty girl who skips classes to help him look for
his watch. No, he becomes best friends with her!"
"Date Kei?" Blake echoed incredulously. "I don't think so."
Raine folded her arms across her chest. "Uh-huh," she said doubtfully. "And who are
you taking to the dance?"
Blake glared; Raine laughed.

"There's a dance tonight at school, isn't there?" Rei asked vaguely.
Asuka and Hikari exchanged concerned glances. They hadn't seen Rei so withdrawn in a long
time. The whole group had worked hard to draw Rei out, and neither of them liked the way
one argument with Blake McDermott had changed all that.
"Yeah, the homecoming-orientation thing," Hikari said in response. "Are you going to come
with us?"
Rei shook her head listlessly. "No, I'll just stay home."
"Want us to hang out with you?" Hikari asked. Not going to the dance would be bad PR for
her campaign, but Hikari didn't care. Her friends came first.
Again Rei shook her head. "No. It's OK." She looked up. "You guys go."
Hikari nearly flinched when she met Rei's eyes. They were blank, nearly void of emotion.
Hikari glanced sideways at Asuka, and knew she was shocked too. The emptiness of Rei's
eyes rang too close to the way they used to be.
"I think I need to alone right now," Rei said softly. "No offense or anything."
Asuka and Hikari stood to leave, silent with concern. Asuka lightly touched Rei's
shoulder, and the two quietly left. Once outside, Hikari turned to Asuka. "We need to
tell the guys," she said seriously. Asuka nodded in agreement.

Shinji was about to tell his friends about last night's . . . encounter when he was
interrupted by an electronic version of 'A Little Spanish Flea' ringing from his pocket.
He tried to ignore his friends as they danced along and answered his cell phone, casting
a quick look at the screen to see who it was.
"Hey, Asuka. What's happening?"
Touji and Kensuke stopped dancing at the mention of Asuka's name, none too subtly
eavesdropping. Shinji rolled his eyes at his friends and concentrated on Asuka's words.
"Uh-huh. Come on, you're overreacting. I am not a jerk and if you don't watch it I'll
force-feed you leftovers. Look, let me talk to Hikari. Why? Because she's maybe thirty
times more rational than you. Asuka! Thank you. Hey, Hikari. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Well, she's
understandably gonna be upset. Yes, I know it's bad but what do you want me to do about?
You don't have to yell. Look, just give her some time, OK? It's only been a day since it
happened. Give her some time to think it over, and if she's still depressed, then we'll
discuss what to do, OK? Can I talk to Asuka? Asuka, try not to freak out, OK? OK? I'll see
you later." Shinji hung up and saw the quizzical looks on his friends' faces. "The girls just
went to see Rei. They think she's regressing."
Kensuke's face went from curious to concerned in 0.5. "Maybe I should go see her," he fretted.
"I think it's best if we give her some time," Shinji advised. "Let her think things through by
herself."
"Yeah," Kensuke agreed resignedly. "You're probably right."

Meanwhile, as Shinji was deciding Rei needed time to think, Rei was at home trying very hard
not to think.

As Rei tried not to think, Blake tried not to think about Rei and instead think about Kei.
A swift blow to the head brought him to attention.
"Blake! If I'm gonna buy a stupid dress for this stupid dance, I need your advice, no matter
how stupid it may be!"
Blake winced and rubbed his temple. Shopping trips with Kei should have a health hazard
warning attached to them.

"I think you need a date for the dance tonight," Asuka said thoughtfully.
Hikari looked at her friend in disbelief. "Oh, you decide this with like, three hours left
before the dance?"
"Hear me out," Asuka insisted. "It's all about PR. You have to have a strategy for the dance."
Hikari laughed. "Asuka, it's a dance, not a battle."
"Semantics," Asuka said without skipping a beat. "Strategy. Trust me."
Hikari leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest. "This I gotta hear."
"First of all, appearance. If you look too good, then all the girls will think you're trying
to show them up. But if you don't look good, people are going to think you just don't care,
and that it's a reflection on your leadership abilities." Asuka shifted to get more
comfortable and Hikari suppressed a sigh. It was a telltale sign that Asuka had a lot to
say. "Number two. A date. If you don't go with anyone, all the guys who want to ask you out
will think you're some untouchable ice princess and will vote for Kei out of spite. Yet if
you go with someone who you're serious about, they'll think they don't have a chance and
again vote for Kei out of spite. Number three. The guy. It has to be someone who is
respected. You never see world leaders dating losers. It should be someone who has a
degree of female following. That way when the girls who are doing the following realise
that you're not serious, they'll be so grateful that they'll vote for you."
"OK, Oh PR Guru," Hikari said sarcastically. "Now tell me the solutions to these problems."
Asuka smiled confidently. "One. Appearance is easy. Because you always look good, and if I
know my best friend, you've had a dress picked out for days. Am I right?" She didn't wait for
a response; she knew the answer. "The date is a little bit trickier. You need a date. But who?
Who's someone who is respected and well liked?"
Hikari shrugged. Time to state the obvious. "Shinji?"
Uncertainty flickered across Asuka's face. "Um, who else?"
Hikari misinterpreted the uncertainty. "What, you don't think Shinji is well liked?"
Asuka shook her head slowly, feeling painted into a corner. Disputing Shinji's well liked
status would result in a debate. Explaining the uncertainty was something Asuka would rather
avoid. Her best option was to continue like Hikari hadn't spoken.
"How about Touji?"
Hikari blinked in surprise. Asuka had stated time and time again that Touji wasn't good
enough for her best friend.
Asuka made a face. "Look, I know I say a lot of mean things to and about Touji. But everyone
likes him and he's pretty nice for a guy. He'd be good for you to be seen with."
It was Hikari's turn to make a face. "Wouldn't want to use him or anything."
Asuka rolled her eyes. "Come on, you know I didn't mean it like that. It's just going to be
better for you to be seen with Touji then it would to be seen with, like, that guy who was in
our math class year who turned up maybe once a week and looked like he washed his hair in a
blender? If at all?"
"Well, when you put it like that . . ."
Asuka needed no more encouragement and reached for the phone. She picked up the receiver,
but Hikari was way ahead of her.
"Speaker phone," Hikari ordered.
Asuka blinked innocently. "You don't trust me?"
"Not as far as I can throw you," Hikari confirmed.
Asuka pushed the phone over to Hikari; she dialed Touji's number. The ringing filled the room,
followed by Touji's voice. "Hello?"
"Hi, Touji," Asuka said brightly.
"Hi," he responded slowly, uncertainly.
Asuka stared at the phone. "Do you know who this is?"
"No," he admitted. "No, I don't."
"Unbelievable!" she exploded. "You've known me for going on four years and you don't
recognize my voice on the phone?"
"Oh, Asuka," Touji realised. "Well, what do you expect? In those near four years, this is
the first time you've called me."
"Shut up," she ordered. "I have a favor to ask you."
"Well, gee," he said sarcastically. "You're sure going about it in the right way!"
Asuka ignored him. "I need you to take Hikari to the dance," she said bluntly.
The two girls waited for a response; the only one they got was a crash. "Touji?" Asuka asked.
"Touji, are you okay?" the girls heard. "I heard you fall . . ."
"I'm fine, Mari," Touji said, a clear grimace in his voice.
Asuka started laughing hysterically. Hikari hit her. "Asuka!" she hissed. "Don't laugh!"
This only caused Asuka to laugh harder.
"So," Touji said, attempting to regain some dignity. "You want me to take Hikari to the
dance? Can I ask why?"
"Don't question good luck," Asuka said airily. "Just pick her up at seven."
Asuka hung up and turned to her best friend. "See? Easy as that?"

"My, this place is swinging," Touji commented dryly.
"Mmm, yes," Shinji agreed. "The way people are mingling picks up the pace, wouldn't you say?"
"I think it's the cupcakes," Kensuke said. "You can get pretty crazy on a couple of those."
"Oh, stop it," Hikari ordered. "I know this dance sucks but it's not like you're doing
anything to make it un-suck."
"Hikari, the suckiness of this dance is beyond repair," Kensuke advised.
"And what's with the music?" Asuka demanded. "What are we, like living in the eighties or
something?"
"Miss Ashikaga asked me to DJ," Kensuke said. "But I declined. I'm thinking that was probably
wrong."
Asuka pushed him towards the DJ station. "Go forth and play music. Please. For the love of
God."
Kensuke laughed and went to take over. "Maybe now things will actually be more exciting than
a retirement village," Hikari said optimistically.
Asuka folded her arms across her chest. "I'll believe that when I see it."
From his newly appointed station, Kensuke gestured at his friends to come over. "Asuka, I
regret to inform you that this collection appears to be the 80's and 90's collection that's
advertised on the Telemall Shopping network."
"No way," Asuka said firmly. "I refuse to believe it." She snatched the catalogue from
Kensuke's hands and started flipping through. "Un-freaking-real," she said, amazed. "Let's
not have music from this millennium or anything."
Knowing the current track was headed towards the end, Kensuke grabbed a CD and stuck it in,
ready for play. As the current track faded down, Kensuke took the microphone.
"Welcome to this year's Homecoming Dance," he said, in his broadcasting voice. "I know that
it technically started half an hour ago, but let's face it, it's been about as exciting as
my grandmother's birthday party. So let's pick up the pace a little, and if you have any
requests or dedications, don't hesitate to ask!"
Kensuke pressed play, and a track Asuka vaguely recognized as by the Chemical Brothers
pulsed through the room. Slowly, people started moving away from the walls to a more
central position in the hall.
Hikari looked around the hall, her eyes falling on the door. Blake and Kei had just
arrived.

"You did keep next weekend free right?"
"Uh-huh."
"Because if you didn't I'll kick your ass. Serious. Because you've known about this concert
for at least two weeks. And I have a solo. You have to come."
"Uh-huh."
"The whole thing is kind of lame but it shouldn't be too bad. And we can leave after I
perform. We don't have to hang around for the whole thing."
"Uh-huh."
Kei cast Blake a suspicious glance; she had the distinct sensation he wasn't listening. "And
afterwards I'm eloping with a purple monkey dishwasher."
"Really?" Blake said vaguely. "A purple -" He snapped back to reality. "What?"
Kei frowned. "I knew you weren't listening."
Blake smiled weakly. "Sorry."
Kei crossed her arms. "Look, I know I wanted you to think about the repercussions of hating
Rei and all that, but I think you're thinking about it too much. I mean, did you even sleep
last night?"
Blake, too tired to lie, shook his head.
Kei rested a hand on Blake's shoulder. "What exactly did Asuka say to you?"
Blake shrugged. "It's not important."
Kei's pale blue eyes, even icier now due to the light blue of her dress, hardened. She didn't
believe him. And she wanted to know exactly what Asuka had said to him. She scanned the hall
for Asuka; spotting her, Kei abandoned Blake and stalked across the hall to Asuka. Without
so much as a word of introduction, Kei grabbed Asuka by the wrist and dragged her away from
her friends.
Asuka yanked her wrist free from Kei's grip. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she
demanded.
"I want to know exactly what you said to Blake last night," Kei said flatly, arms folded,
eyes cool.
"Why don't you go ask him?" Asuka said sharply, turning to leave.
Kei grabbed Asuka's wrist again, stopping her from leaving. "Because he won't say," Kei
shot back. "So I decided to come straight to the source."
"I didn't say anything that wasn't true," Asuka told the other girl, blue eyes narrowed.
"I didn't ask if it was true. I asked what you said. I want to know what you said that
had him up all night."
"He didn't sleep?" Asuka asked.
Kei shook her head.
"Good." Spitting that out, Asuka pulled herself free and walked away. Kei stood there,
arms at her sides, silently seething.
Asuka, meanwhile was with her friends, very loudly seething. "Who does that girl think she
is?" she demanded, not really expecting an answer. "I mean, let's forgo 'Can I talk to you'.
Oh no, let's just grab me by the wrist and drag me away!" Asuka stamped one shimmery sandal
in frustration. "And you want to know the part that really pisses me off?" she ranted. "She
has the same dress as me on in blue!"
"But yours is better," Shinji told her comfortingly.
Asuka glared at him. She wasn't in the mode for Conciliatory Shinji. "Why do I even bother
talking to you?" she demanded, turning and walking away, hair flying behind her.
Asuka shoved the bathroom door open and froze. Really, what were the odds of Kei being in
there, too? Pretty good, Asuka realised. What better place to go and fume in peace?
Asuka pushed past the other girl and busied herself checking her hair. Kei ran a brush
through her own hair, then shook her head slightly to get a more tousled look. Kei turned
away from the mirror to look at Asuka. "I'll give you another chance to tell me what you
said to Blake," she said calmly. She concentrated on not getting mad. She operated so much
better when she was calm.
"Or what?" snapped Asuka, clearly not understanding the value of staying in control.
"Or what?" echoed Kei. "Do you Eva pilots attempt to settle everything with confrontation?"
"You don't kill an Angel with diplomacy," Asuka said tightly.
Kei continued on like Asuka hadn't spoken; a trait that pissed Asuka off immensely. "So
are you going to tell me?"
"Does it look like it?" Asuka snapped, before pushing past the girl back to the hall. Kei
stood in the bathroom by herself. Her calm expression faded. Had Asuka walked in at that
moment, she'd have no trouble analyzing Kei's face.
Kei Yamaguchi was furious.

Shinji briefly wondered if he had a vein throbbing in his forehead. A brief glance at his
reflection in a window informed him that he didn't. Shinji then wondered why.
The stress was definitely getting to him. He had half the mind to grab Asuka and drag her
all the way home. The only thing that was stopping him was the fact that he rather liked
his limbs and had the feeling that dragging Asuka home would result in him losing one of
them.
Since the dance had started three hours earlier, Kei and Asuka had engaged in at least
three verbal spars. One at the beginning, one in the bathroom and one on the dance floor
when Asuka had overheard Kei calling her a bitch. After several minutes of heated, vicious
arguing, Hikari had pulled her best friend away and attempted to calm her down.
The tension in the hall was as thick as custard. Everyone who knew Asuka also knew that
it wouldn't take much more for Asuka to try and give Kei a concussion. Everyone who knew
Kei also knew that the usually complacent girl would hit back twice as hard if provoked.
Hikari, Asuka, Shinji and Touji were standing towards the back of the hall. Hikari,
Touji and Shinji kept exchanging nervous glances. Asuka, leaning against the wall was
glowering. Shinji marveled at her ability to look menacing despite her pale yellow silk
dress and iridescent sandals.
Kensuke approached the four, taking a break from DJ-ing. In his hands he held two cups
of Sprite. He handed one to Asuka in the optimistic view that it would serve to calm her.
Silently, she drained the drink and crushed the plastic cup in her hand. Kensuke, Shinji,
Touji and Hikari remained in nervous silence.
"Um . . . my break's over," Kensuke announced, hurrying back to his DJ station. Shinji
didn't need to analyze to know it was a blatant lie.
Touji shot Hikari a desperate look, clearly begging her to break the silence. As she
searched her brain and the room for anything to say, Kensuke started playing a song
Hikari knew her mother had somewhere. One Week or something like that.
"Hey look there's that Blake guy," Hikari spoke to break the long silence. As soon as
she said it, she mentally slapped herself. Way to go Hikari, she said silently. Way to
point out the other person Asuka would like to beat to a pulp. Good call.
The three other heads turned around. Asuka turned and stared angrily at him. Her fist
balled as the rage grew. Pictures of making him pay for what he had said to her. She
started breathing heavily and then let it rush out. "Hey you, City Center Kid."
Blake turned his head and stared directly at Asuka, defiance clear in his green eyes.
"What your Royal Highness of Tokyo-3 High? Just because you're a pilot doesn't mean you
own me, bitch!"
This hit Asuka hard. She was motionless for a few seconds.
"You Tokyo-3 scum think you can just walk over all of us City Center kids. Well, you're
wrong and I'm just here to prove it! Just because you demolished our school you people
think you can also destroy our spirit. You people don't have pity on us instead you treat
us like little rats. Well that's the end of it. I can't take anymore of this crap!" Blake
ended his fury right there and then. Asuka was beyond shock. How could she be bettered at
making people feel bad about themselves? The entire dance floor just stopped and stared at
Blake. The City Center kids started applauding him. They had enough of the torment. Kei
just looked at him. She wondered if this was the same Blake as she had on Friday. Asuka
couldn't say anything. She just looked at him blankly again. Shinji spoke for her.
"Hey look, we didn't mean for you to come to our school and start complaining about
everything in sight. Yeah I know some of us have been giving you a hard time, especially
Asuka. She's like that, but you think you got a bad rap of her tantrums just think how I
feel. I have to live with her, but do I complain? No, I just let her be. That's the way
she gets on in life."
Asuka started to feel funny. She didn't know that Shinji felt this way. Must be that
psychology class he's taking! Yeah that was it!
Shinji continued, "If we went to your school before the accident you probably would have
felt the same way as we have."
The applauding stopped for Blake and started for Shinji.
Blake shot back at him. "Well if that _accident_ didn't happen and you Tokyo-3 kids weren't
so up yourselves you wouldn't have caused all this trouble. As well as that if you hadn't
screwed up when piloting the Eva we wouldn't have been here in the first place. You and
your little red headed friend behind you, Queen I-think-I-am-God-Because-I-pilot-Eva can
go shove your school up your butt."
Then the crowd of students started cheering Blake again. At that moment Shinji started to
look worried. Blake was right.
I mustn't run away, I can win this battle.
Right then Asuka cracked, as did Kei. The both walked to their friend and whispered "Get him
now!!"
The two boys' eyes widened.
Both thinking the same thing. To utterly destroy the other.
Shinji grew a full spine then. "Let's settle this right now. You and me, one on one in the
center of the gym floor. This fight is for school pride, and the right to shame the other
school forever." The crowd gathered around the two gladiators as they prepared to face each
other in combat. Blake's mind raced furiously. Images of his martial arts training came back
to him. He saw the fight happen before him. Punches and kicks flying everywhere. He knew what
to do.
Blake was ready to start on Shinji when Hikari called out something to them. "Stop! Please
stop. For God's sake don't continue. We don't need this." Hikari's words of wisdom had not
sunk through.
Blake and Shinji exchanged death stares. Asuka thought to herself, "Yes revenge at last."
Shinji and Blake balled up their fists. Blake went into a traditional fighting stance.
Shinji just stood ready. The two fighters paced around the area made by the crowd. The
Blake found his gap. A fast kick hit Shinji in the stomach and he doubled over for just
a second. Blake found another gap and punched Shinji in the stomach, but by some stroke
of change, Shinji deftly blocked the punch, sending Blake's arm over to his side. Shinji
retaliated with a quick punch to Blake's kidney. Blake seemed unfazed. The years of training
had hardened him. Kei and Asuka looked at the pair and were astonished. Never before had they
seen their friends act like this, with this ferocity. Touji held onto Hikari, as she sobbed
on his shoulder. Touji was also amazed at Shinji. Who knew that this quiet and insignificant
boy had such ferocity? Punches and kicks loomed in the air. Shinji was looking worse for wear,
a cut lip and a small blood nose. Blake almost looked the same but he had a cut knee. Their
fight had moved toward Kensuke's DJ table. Both Shinji and Blake grabbed a microphone stand
each and started using them as swords. The klang of metal hitting metal and thump of metal
hitting flesh filled the air. Blow after blow, fight kept going. Kensuke, in true Kensuke
style, then got an idea. He began to play a really old song called Kung Fu Fighting and
started commentating the fight. The two fighters kept going, but harder and faster than
before.
Adrenaline had hit their blood system. Blake hit Shinji in the legs knocking him to the
ground. Shinji dropped his makeshift weapon and charged at Blake. Blake swung at Shinji's
legs. Shinji saw this coming and jumped as he kicked Blake in the jaw. Landing again,
Shinji put Blake in a headlock. The crowd cheered and Toyko-3 students chanted "Shinji,
Shinji, Shinji, Shinji." Blake heard their chants and dropped down on one knee and hit
Shinji in the nuts with a fast uppercut. Shinji's face changed instantly. A tiny and
high-pitched moan came out of Shinji's mouth as he doubled over for a second time. Blake
felt happier and thought to himself "Take that Toyko-3 scum." Shinji lost the pain as he
looked into the crowd. Many people cheering for Blake. Others for him. Then he saw Kensuke,
cheering him on through his mic. His eyes darted to Asuka, Touji and Hikari. Asuka gave him
the sweetest look ever as she mouthed "Thank you", helping him lose, or at least momentarily
forget, his pain. Touji was too busy to cheer him on, as he was busy with Hikari. Shinji
turned to his opponent. Blake was looking at someone else. "Now's my chance." Shinji thought
to himself. He yelled out a battle cry that would have killed an Angel if there was on around.
Blake turned back to Shinji as he was hit in the face with a fist. A sickening crunch echoed
in the gym.
Determined not to let his pain show, Blake grabbed the first thing he saw - a glass candle
holder that had been sitting in the middle of a table. He threw it with deadly accuracy at
his opponent, not bothering to blow the flame out. Asuka cried out a warning and Shinji
ducked. The candle sailed over his head -
And hit Kasumi Aino clean on the temple.
The petite girl from Shinji's Enviro class slid to the floor, her date grabbing her around
the waist before her head hit the floor.
In a second, the rowdy crowd silenced. The fight wasn't so entertaining now that a
bystander was hurt.
Seething mad, Kasumi's best friend Natsume stormed forward, the taffeta hem of her dress
swishing against her knees. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded angrily, her
dark eyes blazing. "You're both fighting like absolutely lunatics, and where has it gotten
you?" Not waiting for a response, she charged ahead. "I don't care about this stupid
rivalry anymore! And it's not worth Kasumi being knocked out! So call a truce or something
before I kick both your stupid asses!"
The crowd watched silently, waiting to see how Blake and Shinji would respond.
Finally, Shinji stepped forward.
"Look Blake, I'm sorry for what I said before. We should have listened to Hikari's advice.
Now look at us, we're both bloody, bruised and battered. And for what? Maybe a little pride.
But Natsume's right. This hasn't gotten us anywhere, and now Kasumi's been knocked out
for something that wasn't her fault."
Blake was stunned, but then spoke. "I totally agree with you."
Blake extended his hand to Shinji, who grasped it and they shook hands. The crowd was moved by
this action. Hikari stopped crying and looked at the two fighters. The students of Toyko-3
and City Center High looked blankly at each other as the both said somberly "Sorry".
Blake moved forward to help Kasumi and Shinji moved after him, but something stopped him.
An arm had tangled itself around one of his. Its soft and silky skin covered his bruised and
battered skin. A soft voice spoke in his ear.
"That's enough, baka."
Shinji stopped and saw Asuka. Kei joined Blake who was crouched beside Kasumi. She
affectionately ran a hand over his mussed hair and offered him a smile that let him know that
she was proud of his decision.
Kei then spoke softly, speaking for everyone in the gym.
"Let's go home."

After the dance, none of them felt up to Kristi's after-party - the sole reason most of them
had gone. Instead, Asuka, Shinji, Hikari, Touji, and Kensuke found themselves in a coffee
shop several blocks over. Asuka gently wiped dried blood from Shinji's face with a wet
napkin. "I didn't expect you to get this wrecked," she said. "I mean, what will you tell
Misato? That you ran into a wall twenty times?"
To be honest, Shinji's main concern was not Misato but instead on how to not pass out.
Asuka's concern was far too much for his brain to handle.
Hikari, meanwhile, was attempting to remove mascara streaks from her face, silently
chastising herself for very non-cool behavior at the dance. Way to impress Touji,
Hikari, she scolded herself. All guys love it when girls cry hysterically.
Touji gently plucked the napkin Hikari was using from her hand and started tending to her.
"Look at you," he said softly. "You're a mess." His words were matter-of-fact but his tone
was anything but.
"Hikari cries over anything," Asuka stated bluntly, turning her attention away from Shinji
momentarily. "She cries when she's sad, when she's scared, when she's happy, when she's
angry, when she's -"
"When she's angry?" Kensuke repeated. "Who cries when they're angry?"
"Hikari," Asuka said, grinning. "You should see it. It's so funny."
"They might see it any second now," Hikari said pointedly, looking at her best friend.
Asuka took the hint and fell silent, but she was still grinning.
"So what happens now?" Hikari queried, asking the question they all wanted to ask. "Where
does everybody stand?"
"Meaning what?" Asuka asked, examining Shinji for more injuries.
"Meaning where do we stand with Blake and Kei? Shinji and Blake just punched on in
the most gratuitous show of violence most of us have ever seen. Yes, they called a truce
but that was just because of Kasumi. I mean, are Shinji and Blake friends? Are the rest of us
friends with Blake? What happens now?"
Asuka had assumed a defensive position the second Hikari mentioned being friends with Blake,
her arms folded across her chest. "I don't like him," she said shortly. "And you can't make
me."
"Oh, come on, Asuka," Shinji said. "He's not that bad."
Asuka turned to look at Shinji. "Excuse me," she said. "But if Kasumi hadn't gotten knocked out
you and Blake would probably still be slugging it out and still hating each other. Mutual guilt
for something is no basis for a friendship."
"Wow," Shinji said sarcastically. "All this time I thought you were just a pilot. And now
I find out you're a pop-psychologist, too!"
Kensuke watched the exchange and sighed. It was vintage Shinji and Asuka. Any moment of
caring between them would always be overshadowed by an argument. Always. It was, Kensuke
decided, their feelings for each other clashing with their inherent desire to keep said
feelings hidden.
It seriously irritated him.

--
Kensuke Aida -
It's occurred to me that I'm the only one in the group who has any idea of what's going on.
I saw the way Asuka looked at Shinji tonight. I saw the caring, the deep concern painted
all over her face. And I saw the way Shinji was approximately sixty seconds away from
hyperventilating. And I saw the way they both acknowledged the lack of space between
themselves and promptly started arguing.
Likewise, I saw the way Touji was looking at Hikari all night. And the way she was
completely embarrassed by her lack of composure at the dance. I saw the way they were
tripping all over themselves to keep their respective fuzzy feelings hidden.
It gets pretty annoying being the only one who knows what's happening. Sometimes I just
want to beat them all around the head and make them tell each other what's going on.
On the other hand, it's pretty interesting trying to figure out what's going to happen.

--
"You're home early," Misato observed from the couch, left hand idly petting a sleeping Pen Pen
on her lap.
Silence as Shinji and Asuka exchanged wary glances. They'd been hoping Misato was asleep.
"Uh-huh. Well, it's been a long day," Asuka said lamely. "So we're home early. To go to sleep.
So good night."
But as they walked past their guardian, Misato looked up in time to notice the gargantuan
bruise developing on Shinji's right cheekbone.
"Stop. Turn. Explain," Misato ordered calmly.
The two obeyed.
"Explain what?" Asuka asked innocently.
Misato actually laughed. "Oh, come on. Did you really think you could get past me by washing
off the blood?" She shook her head. "Amateurs. It takes at least three layers of foundation
and bad lighting to hide a bruise that size."
"It's not what it looks like," Shinji blurted in blind panic.
Asuka suppressed a sigh. Shinji had never excelled at lying. It was kind of ironic that
during an all out brawl he was calm but an inquisition by Misato had him freaking out.
"Oh, really?" Misato asked, standing up. Pen Pen fell to the ground and squawked indignantly.
No one noticed. Misato continued. "Because it looks like you got into a fight."
"Well, okay," Shinji conceded. "Maybe it is what it looks like."
"Tell me what happened," was the calm yet firm order.
There were times when Shinji swore Misato was a child. And then there were times like now,
when she put on her Authoritative Figure hat and intimidated the hell out of both of them.
"It was nothing," Shinji said.
"Nothing?" echoed Misato. "When you can make it all better with a Mickey Mouse Band-Aid,
then you can claim nothing. This is not nothing. This is something. Now tell me what
happened."
Shinji threw exasperated hands in the air. "I got into a fight, okay?"
Misato wasn't relenting. "With who?"
"A guy from school."
"Why?"
"We had a disagreement."
Misato stared at him in muted disbelief. Shinji shifted uncomfortably under Misato's
unwavering stare.
"What?"
"Since when do _you_ punch on over a disagreement?" Realisation dawned in Misato's eyes;
she turned to face Asuka. "What did you say to him?" she accused.
Asuka help up her hands defensively. "What makes you think I said anything?"
Misato's eyes narrowed and she stepped closer to the two. "Because you," she began,
jabbing a finger at Asuka. "Are the one who gets psychotically violent when someone
slights you. Whereas he," she continued, pointing at Shinji. "Is the keep it bottled
till it explodes boy." She looked at Shinji. "What did she say to you?"
Shinji shifted uncomfortably, but didn't answer. But it was enough. Misato knew. "You
did it for her, didn't you?" She didn't wait for an answer. She turned and walked away.
Shinji and Asuka exchanged uncomfortable glances. An awkward silence fell over them.
Without a word, the two parted their ways and went into their bedrooms, deep in thought.
Much like their guardian.
In her own room, Misato stared at the ceiling. The landscape of the Katsuragi household
was changing fast. And Misato had no idea how to handle it.

Hikari breathed in deeply, clean fresh air filling her lungs, calming her. Some might
consider it slightly nutty to be walking around the park by herself this early in the
morning. Some might consider it even nuttier had they known about the previous night.
Yet Hikari didn't consider it nutty; the park was quiet, it was free of loony-psychos
this early and that made it the perfect place for Hikari to gain inner calm.
That, and Touji had been known to come to the park with his little sister on some mornings.
Whatever.
The howling of a baby shattered the peace of the park. Hikari spotted the culprit, being
bounced up and down slightly by a dark haired girl.
"Come now, little one," the girl cooed.
Hikari froze. She knew the voice. She looked hard at the girl; she turned to the side
slightly, and Hikari immediately recognized her.
"Kei?" Hikari said, stepping towards the girl.
Kei turned around to face Hikari, still bouncing the wailing baby. "Oh, hey Hikari,"
she said, undaunted by the screaming mass in her arms.
"Is she yours?" Hikari ventured uncertainly, realizing she knew next to nothing about
the girl before her. They went to the same school, had classes together, had spoken on
more than one occasion and were running against each other for president. And yet Hikari
knew nothing about her. She didn't even know if this baby was hers or not.
Kei laughed. "Oh, no. I'm just babysitting. This is Michiko. Isn't she beautiful?"
Hikari looked at the red-faced, screaming baby doubtfully.
Kei laughed. "Yeah, I know, she's got quite a scream on her, doesn't she?" she said
cheerily. "She'll calm down soon enough."
Hikari admired Kei's ability to be completely calm despite Michiko's screams. "So,
how's Blake?"
"How's Shinji?" Kei countered, stroking Michiko's dark curls.
Hikari laughed.
Kei grinned. "So, nervous about the election?"
Hikari shrugged. "Nope. I mean, no offence or anything, but I'm gonna win."
"None taken," Kei assured her. "I know you're gonna win. Because there's heaps less
City Center students than Tokyo-3 ones."
Hikari frowned slightly. "Yeah. But I don't want to win like that."
Kei tilted her head quizzically.
"I don't want to win just because of this stupid rivalry," Hikari said, in answer to
the silent question. "People are gonna vote for me because of this rivalry, right? But
who's to say you're not the better candidate?"
"I get you," Kei responded. "It's kind of a big insult to the whole democratic system."
She adjusted the baby in her arms before continuing. "And like, no matter who wins, the
school's doomed."
It was Hikari's turn to look quizzical.
"OK, picture this," Kei elaborated. "You win. Then say some random City Center kid has
a problem, right? Like maybe there's too many people on his bus. He and some other City
Center kids have to stand up. No restraints, no safety. So he goes to his year level
coordinator about it. And she says, 'Go talk to the student body president'. Do you
really think he will?"
Hikari's frown deepened. "You're right. I win, and all the City Center kids won't
want to come to me. And if by some chance you do win, no Tokyo-3 kids are gonna want
to come to you."
"A student body president is supposed to be the voice of the students. But how can you
be a voice of the students when half of them aren't speaking?" Kei contributed.
Hikari sighed deeply and leaned back against a tree trunk. "This sucks," she pronounced.
"No matter what we do, this election is going to cause more trouble than it's worth."
"Maybe we should just drop out of the race," Kei mused.
"But then instead of a half-hearted voice we'd have no voice," Hikari pointed out.
The two girls fell silent, deep in thought. Several seconds later, inspiration struck.
The two turned to each other, eyes wide. The answer was so obvious.
"Miss Ashikaga is going to be at the school today," Hikari said. "Supervising the
post-dance clean up."
Kei started bundling Michiko into her stroller. "Let's book."

"Waste of time much?" Asuka asked, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I mean, why
bother even counting the votes? We know who won."
"It's called the democratic system," Shinji informed her dryly.
Asuka shrugged and sat down. "But having a whole assembly to announce something we
already know?" she said, gesturing to the quickly filling hall. "That's a little extreme."
"Well, I'm missing a period of Math Methods," Touji said, sitting beside Shinji. "So
I don't care. Hikari can get up on stage and teach herself the ukulele the whole time
if she wants if it gets me out of Methods."
"Yeah, well, I'm missing a period of French," Shinji responded, his displeasure at the
situation clear.
Asuka rolled her eyes. "So what? You already parlez vous like a native," she said, her
tone slightly derisive. "What's the point, anyway? It's not like you're ever gonna go to
France."
Shinji's stomach contracted with guilt. He wasn't exactly lying to Asuka about France,
but he wasn't exactly not lying, either.
"Uh-huh," he said weakly.
Asuka shot him a suspicious glance, but thankfully before she could speak, a loud
screeching filled the hall. Shinji looked up, wincing, to see Miss Ashikaga deliberately
holding the microphone up to the speaker.
"Interesting way to get our attention," Touji cringed, holding a hand to his ear.
The screeching waned, replaced by Miss Ashikaga's voice. "Students, I gather you all know
why we're here. Since the election first period today, the results are now in. And it gives
me enormous pleasure to announce Hikari Horaki -"
Miss Ashikaga was interrupted by Tokyo-3 High cheers as Hikari stepped onstage. Once the
cheers died down, Miss Ashikaga continued.
" - and Kei Yamaguchi as your student body presidents for this year!"
The shocked silence filled the hall as Kei joined Hikari up onstage. Miss Ashikaga left,
leaving the two girls staring at a sea of bewildered faces.
"It's pretty obvious from up here that you're all surprised about this. And no doubt you're
all wondering why," Kei began, breaking the awkward silence. She glanced at Hikari,
signaling her to continue.
Hikari nodded slightly and continued. "Ever since the school year started, the halls of
Tokyo-3 High have been simmering with resentment and dissension. It's been tense. I think
you all know what I mean."
"On Saturday night," Kei said. "All that resentment and dissension manifested itself in
one of the worst displays of violence this school has ever seen." Kei paused, allowing
Hikari to speak.
"The next day, Kei and I ran into each other. We started talking and realised that this
election was only going to be the start of a terrible year for Tokyo-3 High." Hikari fell
silent, leaving it open for Kei to continue.
"Why? Because a school needs a student body president who everyone feels they can approach.
It was pretty clear that no matter who won, only half the school would do any approaching,"
Kei said matter-of-factly.
"As far as we could see, we had three options. We could both drop out of the race. We could
let the election continue as planned. Or we could give this school our all and share the
position," Hikari continued, glancing at Kei and smiling slightly.
Kei returned the smile before continuing. "There was only one option that wouldn't result
in dividing the school irreparably. Sharing the position."
"Our main goal is not to divide, but to unite. Which is why we stand before you, not as
one from Tokyo-3 High and one from City Center High, but as two from Tokyo-3 High," Hikari
said, her voice rising slightly.
"Because that's what we all are now. We are all Tokyo-3 High students. It doesn't matter
where we were last year. What matters is where we are now." Kei spoke clearly and firmly,
eyeing her City Center friends pointedly.
"The integration of Tokyo-3 and City Center has been seen as negative. But no one has
seen the positive. Now we have even more potential to succeed."
"Instead of wasting time on pointless rivalry, we should join together to be the best
we can be." Kei paused, looking at the sea of thoughtful faces, feeling a surge of
something she hadn't felt for a long time - school pride. She smiled and continued. "For
ourselves, for each other, and for our school."
The adrenaline wearing off slightly, Kei and Hikari dared to look at their friends, half
expecting to see disgust or anger. Kei remained in a silent stand-off with Blake as
Hikari tried to read Asuka's expression.
The silence was broken by the sound of one solitary person clapping. Heads swiveled to
look at the source, much as they had swiveled a week or two earlier when someone had
dared to nominate another at the nomination assembly. Now, that same someone was standing
up, clapping.
Among all the sets of eyes that were on him, one caught Blake's attention. Asuka's blue
eyes met his green ones, and, in that brief meeting, a grudging understanding was made.
Turning her eyes to Hikari, Asuka, too stood up and clapped.
Within seconds, all of Tokyo-3 High was up on it's feet and clapping for the two girls
before them.
Up onstage, Hikari and Kei looked at each other and smiled, tears filling their eyes.
--

Asuka Langley Soryu -
I get dizzy when I reflect on the last few weeks. So many things have happened. So many
things have changed.
Somewhere between eighth grade and now we grew up. I can't pinpoint when. I can't
pinpoint when we made the transition.
Last year, the year before, the year before that, we'd have never put aside our resentment
like we did at the assembly.
Last year, the year before, the year before that, I'd have never allowed myself to form
that kind of understanding that Blake and I formed at the assembly.
Last year, the year before, the year before that, I'd have never allowed myself to openly
show concern for Shinji.
Last year, the year before, the year before that, I'd have never defended Rei the way I did.
But this year, things are different. I don't know if it's the mixing of schools or the
destruction of City Center High, but we're all different now. I don't know if this change
is for better or worse, but I do know this.
It's gonna be one hell of a year.

Misato Katsuragi -
I stayed up all night Saturday. Trying to figure out what was different with Shinji and Asuka.
I could tell that they were different. That something had changed.
It took me all night to figure it out.
It hit me at about five a.m. with an impact that made me sit up in bed.
They've grown up.
Somewhere over the last few months, Shinji and Asuka have grown up.
I have to tell you, that scares me.
A lot.