[b][i]Chapter Five: Tangelo[/i][/b]

It was months later at their graduation that she laid eyes on him again. It wasn't that she was actively avoiding him. She was just really busy. With passing her last semester. And stuff. Okay, so maybe she was avoiding him. After that day on the beach, he had been on her mind and she was afraid that her eyes would betray her again.

Shortly after arriving home to her quiet apartment later that night, Elena realized that she had wanted to see him. That after all this time, her heart still yearned for him as it had years ago. This realization disturbed her so thoroughly that she had been actively avoiding him since, until she could rid him from her life entirely. The moment was so close that she could almost taste it.

There. She saw her opening. Diploma in hand, she made her way through the crowd in an attempt to escape. She could see her car, its awful bright color shining like a beacon. Almost there. Just a few more steps, and she would be free. Free. The word she had once used to describe herself. She was so close to it again.

Suddenly, a wall of flesh stood before her, so suddenly in fact, that she could not stop before colliding with the unyielding body. Slightly disoriented, she did not hear the grunt caused by the impact and barely felt the hands on her arms meaning to steady her.

A nagging feeling in her gut told her that she recognized something about this situation. Her eyes focused enough to land on the awful tangelo and white robe that represented her school colors. He was a student. That nagging feeling was growing, though she could not begin to imagine why.

Her eyes started to lift, to see exactly who thought it was okay to intrude into her personal bubble like this. As soon as he spoke, she realized that there was no need to see his face. She would recognize that voice anywhere.

"Elena," his voice was quiet, and she could not place his tone. When his deep blue eyes met hers, she saw a seriousness that forced her to hold her tongue. "Elena, where are you going?"

Her eyebrows raised as she suppressed every emotion she could. So close. She had been so close to freedom. Was this amusing to some higher power? If she cursed Him enough would He smite her? That would be preferable to the situation she was in. "Home," she answered. As if he didn't know.

His response was patient, as it had been so long ago when they were still getting to know each other, and her heart ached for those years. "Elena, I meant where will you go now?"

She didn't really know what to say. One, because she honestly didn't know where she would go or what she would do. Not to mention that she was still very aware of the hands that seemed to be burning holes into her skin, even through the thick cloth, and it was making it hard to think. Then the fact that this was the first time he'd talked to her in over a year. Finally, she was just incredulous at his question. "Why do you care?"

"I," he paused, and she thought for a moment that he might not actually know. "I wish to follow, and be your friend. Like before."

In response, her eyes widened, and a pregnant silence filled the air as she stared.

---

Why? Why had he said that? So many options, and that ridiculous statement was what he chose? Why was he even here? Why could he not remove his hands and walk away like he knew he should?

Seeing her walk across the stage, diploma in hand, caused a twinge in his chest just like the one he had felt months before. He ignored it again. Pretended he'd felt nothing. That was until he saw her walking so determined toward the parking lot. It had hit him so hard that he'd almost lost his breath.

If he let her leave now, he would never see her again. He shouldn't have cared. It should have made him happy that he would not have to be around her anymore. After all, he'd left her behind.

His legs began to move without his consent. This time, he was unable to stop them as they ran after her in a desperate attempt to stop her. What did those damn things expect him to do when he did catch up to her?

He was frantically searching, afraid he'd lost her, when the girl he'd been after ran right into him. A grunt escaped his lips, more from surprise than anything else, and he instinctively placed his hands on her arms to steady her as he used to.

She hadn't recognized him yet, so he took the opportunity to look at her ignoring the overwhelming desire to crush her to his chest. Where was that coming from? Surely it was just all those years of pretending that he'd become accustomed to.

He watched as she finally began to look up, and knowing that she would recognize him, he'd spoken. Still, why had he said that? Perhaps he missed his favorite play thing. Yes, that must be it. All it was. She was a challenge once more. Could he get her back after hurting her so thoroughly? A challenge. That was all. Then why was he so frightened that she would walk away?

More importantly, he wondered what it was that he had felt when she had tilted her head and said, "Okay."