Anthony nods graciously and signs, [i]"Fair enough. Follow me, then."[/i] He leads Sue to the edge of Academy property and sighs, [i]"I am definitely going to end up late to class. Hopefully Sue will forgive me if she's late also."[/i] After arriving at the edge of the school grounds, they find a clear. blue pond surrounded by a lush garden. Anthony, taken by the beauty of the scene, forgets to sign and whispers, "It's beautiful, Isn't it? Phoebe's work."

[hider=the garden][img=http://cdnpix.com/show/imgs/bb324ad8210d10266b44f8f2887abc96.jpg][/hider]

Anthony takes off his shoes and socks and sits on the rocky edge of the pond, and puts his feet in the water. He takes a deep breath and signs, [i]"First of all, you should know just how difficult this is going to be for me."[/i] Turning to Sue, he continues, [i]"Things have been more than slightly awkward between you and I over the last few months, and I'm man enough to admit that I'm the reason. However, I'd like to start over, and to do so, I need to explain my behavior. My whole life I've been told that relationships are a liability if you care for the other person involved. Once word gets out that you care for them, either they or someone else can use that against you, forcing you to do their will. From the first time I saw you, I found you immensely more interesting than the other girls. You're so expressive, smart, gorgeous, and outspoken, even though you're mute, that I couldn't help but begin to develop feelings for you. Then came the day when we kissed. Objectively, I know that it didn't mean much to you and it was probably just a thank you more than anything else, but I felt I was going down a slippery slope. If I didn't cut myself off from you, I'd probably have, I'm ashamed to say, fallen in love with you. However, even though I still think you're an amazing person, after a mental battle, I feel like I've moved on. I've convinced myself that friendships won't make me weaker, and the sense of camaraderie might make me a better man. That's part of the reason I wanted to design the wireless headphones for you. I've never done this 'friend' thing before, but I'm trying."[/i]