Author's Note: takes place in early June of Lisa's freshman year and Belen's sophomore year. (School year is September-June)

There were a lot of things Belen both loved and hated about her high school, The Aristotle School for the Talented and Gifted. She was reminded of one of the things she disliked—waking up before sunrise—as her alarm clock went off. It was 6:30, and in half an hour she was all dressed in her blue jeans, a graphic tee, and a red and black plaid jacket under a black leather jacket. She let her straight hair stay loose, and the only makeup she wore was black eyeliner. After grabbing her guitar case and backpack, she head outside for the five minute walk to Lisa's house.

It was January and had rain that night, so Belen nearly slid and fell on the ice several times. Lisa would most definitely need her help today, since she would be completely incapable of stepping around the puddles of ice. It was hard enough for Belen to dodge them, and she had 20/20 vision with her glasses on. Belen fished her keys out of her pocket and opened the door and stepped into the living room. Lisa was sitting on the couch, eating an apple, and looked up in surprise when Belen walked in.

"Mornin', princess," Belen said, since she knew all Lisa would be able to see was a large blur of colors, and wouldn't know who walked through her door. Lisa smiled wider, remembering how that name had started out as annoying and has turned into endearing.

"Good morning, Belen. Could you get my bookbag for me?"

Belen flashed her a grin even though she knew she couldn't see it. "Don't I always?"

In addition to her messenger bag, Belen grabbed her Biology textbook and her white cane. She handed Lisa her bookbag and cane but kept the textbook.

"Did you get my Biology-"

"Yes, but you're not carrying it; I am. And don't even try to fight me. Let's go."

Belen opened the door for Lisa, and the girl frowned but walked forward, her cane sweeping back and forth in front of her. It hit the sides of the door frame and she walked through it. She stopped and waited for Belen to hook her arm around the other girl's and begin leading her down the stairs. Belen grabbed onto the freezing wooden banister as the girls made their way down the stairs. With that obstacle out of the way, they continued on their way to the school bus stop.

Lisa glanced up at the taller girl, who was now a little bit more in focus, so that now she could make out the shapes that made up the girl a little easier. She had her guitar with her, she noticed, which was odd, as she usually kept hers at home and used the school's. Belen turned to look at her and smiled as her brown eyes met green ones. Lisa smiled back; Belen always brightened Lisa's day for some reason. Belen's smile turned into a grin as she turned back to staring at the icy sidewalk.

"Hello, beautiful."

Well, maybe there was a reason. Belen made it a practice to compliment all her friends as much as possible, but Lisa seemed to receive many more, and she couldn't help but smile every time. Today, however, she felt a slight blush begin to color her cheeks, and was grateful that the cold could be an excuse for red cheeks.

The two chatted away as they walked the five blocks to the bus stop, arriving in front of a small, family-owned coffee shop that many students got their breakfast from. Most went in there even if they weren't going to buy anything because it had heating. The two headed in there now, grateful that the large glass windows on either side of the door would make it easy to see the bus when it arrived.

Belen turned to Lisa as she took of her leather jacket and Lisa took off her coat, and admired her for a moment. She knew the blond was wearing jeans and a blue shirt with ruffles at the front even before she took her coat off because she had been there last night when Lisa's mother had picked those clothes out. She had been there when they had been bought, actually. She had known this girl for a little over a year now, and for Belen, their friendship had blossomed into something more.

She wasn't aware that it was the same for Lisa, and that a lone notebook contained all the details. She wasn't even aware that Lisa had time to use her video magnifier for anything other than homework. The last thing Belen could have ever imagined was that she had placed the notebook in her guitar case, which she had used to carry her story-writing notebook to Lisa's house the other day to show her what she'd written.

As Lisa sat down at a table, Belen placed her jacket on the back of another chair, dropped her bookbag and guitar case on the floor, and opened her case. Sliding her guitar out caused the notebook to slide out and fall to the floor, but Belen didn't notice. Lisa raised an eyebrow at Belen when a blue blob appeared in front of the older girl, knowing she was slinging the strap of her blue guitar over her head.

"What are you doing, Belen?"

Belen flashed another grin as she began to tune her guitar, capturing the attention of the other students in the small coffee shop. Once she was finished, she tapped a four-count with her foot to get the rhythm.

"Ooh, yeah."

Belen walked a few circles around their table as she played Lisa's favorite song before walking towards the other tables to circle them and flash grins at those who could see them. She felt it her job as the most flirtatious girl at school. Soon Belen arrived at Lisa's favorite part of the song, which today made her feel a bit ill.

"You say your faith is shaken, you may be mistaken,"

'If only she knew...'

"You keep me wide awake and waiting for the sun,"

'Ha, I doubt it.'

"I'm desperate and confused, so far away from you,"

'No, I'm the confused one.'

"I'm gettin' there; I don't care where I have to run,"

Belen had reached the farthest end of the coffee shop, and now turned around and looked straight at Lisa. As she walked back, clapping the rhythm out, it became increasingly clear that her best friend was blushing quite obviously and smiling very widely. Belen had become increasingly suspicious that her straight friend, who had always had difficulty hiding her emotions, had somehow developed a crush on her, but the thought was so absurd that Belen simply shrugged it off.

"Why do you do what you do to me, yeah,

Why won't you answer me, answer me, yeah

Why do you do what you do to me, yeah

Why don't you answer me, answer me, ye-eah,"

Belen continued playing and singing the chorus, twirling around Lisa's table again, smiling and singing with such passion, you'd think she really was in love with Lisa. Everyone present has seen her act the same way in performances at school and even in the school cafeteria when the school's radio wasn't playing anything, however, so they all, including Lisa, knew better. Or so they thought. Lisa resisted biting her lip as her friend finished.

"Girl, you really got me bad,

You really got me ba-ad,

Now, I'm gonna get you back,

I'm gonna get you back."

Belen ended up right in front of Lisa, less than an inch from touching noses, a smug look on her face as Lisa's cheeks became twice as red. The bus pulled up to the stop just Belen had zipped her guitar case back up. She grabbed it, her jacket and Lisa's coat, and Lisa's hand in a flash. She dragged her out of the coffee shop, causing her to slide a bit in the process, climbed up the steps into the school bus, and stopped so Lisa could slowly make her way up the stairs, leading her to their seat once she was inside.

Lisa didn't register any of it had happened, however, because she was still in the moment where Belen's lips were inches from her own. She knew it was only part of the act, something meant to entertain her and the others as they waited for the bus. Belen was a very talented singer and musician, and had sung to every one of their friends at least three times. She herself has been sung to hundreds of times. But somehow, today, it was different.

"Hey, Mona Lisa, I'd appreciate it if you returned to planet Earth."

Lisa turned to look at Belen and her ever-present grin, which was much easier to see with the proximity a two-seater demanded, and felt another blush creep into her cheeks.

"Sorry, just thinking."

Belen nodded and turned to look out the window, smiling knowingly. Meanwhile, a boy had found a notebook on the floor of the coffee shop and was flipping through the pages, grinning wickedly as he imagined copies of it on every locker in the school.