Simon desperately wanted to get to know Martina more, hang out, but he didn't dare. He was afraid she would be creeped out and think he was a stalker if he just asked her out for a coffee or something. It wasn't like they were that close. So he made do with those little chat sessions before class. He was careful not to show his crush on her--- yet.

After a while, though, the perfect opportunity came. A quiz came up and Simon decided to use this as an excuse to ask Martina out to study. It was going to be in a library, and they were friends, after all, albeit not very close, and he figured Martina wouldn't turn him down.

That didn't stop him from being nervous, though. He spent the whole afternoon convincing himself to call Martina--- it was just a simple phone call, and it wasn't like he was asking her to marry him or anything--- but it was evening when he finally mustered up the courage to pick up the phone and open the phone book.

And so began his hunt for her number in the phone book, but as her surname wasn't that common the hunt ended almost as soon as it started, because Martina's number was the first on the list. Which was a good thing, as it gave Simon little room to back out of if he decided to give up because the first few numbers weren't Martina's. He dialled before he could chicken out.

Martina agreed to meet up to study for the quiz, and Simon breathed a sigh of relief, fist-pumping the air and dancing gleefully around his room.

They met up the next evening in the E.J. Pratt Library and made themselves cosy in the basement. They did more studying than talking at the beginning, and the hours just flew by, but then it got a bit boring and they ended up chatting non-stop with their books open at the same page for over an hour.

They talked about everything and anything, about Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter and books and movies and food and school and basically everything they could think of. Simon was ecstatic at how fun and open Martina was. It made him fall madly in love with her.

Then Martina dropped the bomb.

She mentioned that she had a boyfriend so breezily Simon would have missed it if he wasn't paying full attention. She, of course, was utterly oblivious, and continued talking as if nothing had happened. Which, to her, was true.

Simon, on the other hand, had to literally close his mouth when it dropped open at the mention of the fact. He felt as if his heart had dropped to the stone-cold floor and the Earth itself had stopped turning and fallen out of orbit. He stared at Martina, who had stopped talking when she saw the look on Simon's face.

"What's wrong, Simon?" she asked concernedly. He blinked and snapped out of the screaming chaotic mess inside his head.

"What? Oh nothing," he said nervously, racking his brains for an excuse. "I just suddenly forgot if the quiz is tomorrow or next week," he lied lamely.

"Don't be silly, it's next week," she laughed, still oblivious. Simon laughed too.

He had no idea she had a boyfriend. But then, it would be crazy if she didn't, because who wouldn't want her? She was fun, smart and pretty. But he wasn't a jerk. He honoured the fact that she had a boyfriend, and was thus off-limits. And matter how much he wanted to, he would never, ever steal Martina away. After all, if she really was meant for him, they would end up together. He put his faith into fate and simply hoped Martina truly was the one. So at that moment, he swore to himself he would not hit on Martina, or drop any hint, no matter how subtle, that he liked her.

Simon and Martina continued being friends, and along with the rest of their friends, they studied together and played together. And while Simon thoroughly enjoyed and treasured every moment with Martina, he never forgot his promise to himself.

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Crap. This chapter ended up a bit angsty. Ah well. Next chapter will have fluffy fluffy fluff :3

Btw, like my background? ;D NYAN SPUDGYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Hmmmmm I wonder if there's a doodle of Meemers!

Thank god I wrote this in advance. Can't. Get. Through. Chapter. Three. Why? I'm sick as hell.