I nervously ran a hand through my hair.  I hadn't talked to people in months, and I hoped I hadn't forgotten how.  I went through my mental checklist:

Showered?  Yes.
Brushed teeth? Yes.
Clean clothes? I... may have skipped over that part...

Ding! The doorbell rang, making me jump.  I don't think it had ever been used before.  I threw on my new beige lab coat and answered the door.  My old college roommate hesitantly smiled at me. 

"Fiddleford!  It's great to see you again."

"You too, Ford.  My, what a nice place you got here."  His thick country drawl was filled with amazement as he took in all the random machinery I didn't have time to put away.  He looked like a kid in a candy shop.

"Hey there, Stanford," a familiar voice said. 

I whipped my head around to see Y/N, still standing rather awkwardly in the entryway.  She wore a similar lab coat to mine, though hers was grey, and she seemed a bit older, more mature.  The biggest difference was in her eyes.  Once filled with youthful energy, they looked tired, exhausted.  Y/N had given the world her best, and it spat in her face.  I guess the time at her company hadn't treated her well. 

"Y/N... It's been a while."

She let out a forced chuckle.  "You can say that again.  Ten years of silence, then a phone call asking me to be your partner?  You're insane.  Yet, somehow, here I am."

Fiddleford coughed quietly into his fist, and I suddenly realized how awkward this must be for him. 

"Oh, um, I have a room set up for you, F.  Down the hall to your left, the one with the red window."

Fiddleford looked grateful to be excused and immediately left the room. 

Y/N looked down at her boots.  "I, uh, didn't bring anything.   Can you show me where the kitchen is? I haven't eaten for nine hours."

"Er, of course!  Let me show you."  I led her down the hallway into the kitchenette that doubled as a dining room.  I looked though the refrigerator, trying to find something acceptable to give Y/N, but came up with just about nothing.  I really needed to go into town more.  "How does half a pear and a slice of baloney sound?"

Y/N's stomach gave an audible grumble.  "I'm hungry enough for anything."

"Baloney and pear it is."  I put the meager food items on a plate and handed it to her.  She sat down and started eating it quickly, making me wonder just how long the taxi ride was. 

With Y/N no longer supplying conversation, I could practically feel the ice in the air.  I switched on the radio, hoping it would help diffuse the awkwardness somewhat. 

"To finish off our "Blast From The Past" theme of the week, let's wind back the clocks ten years ago this day, when the Bugs' hit, "With a Little Help From My Friends," reached number one on the billboard."

"That's the song that we danced to at Spring Formal, remember?"

Y/N cracked a smile, the first one I'd seen since she got here.  "How could I forget?"

Feeling slightly stupid, I offered her my hand.  "May I have this dance, m'lady?"

"But of course."  She took it and stood up as the song began its first lines.

What would you think if I sang out of tune, Would you stand up and walk out on me?

Y/N rested her head on my shoulder, just like she did all those years ago.  I'd forgotten how much I missed that, how much I missed her. 

It had been a full decade since I'd seen her last, but the more I tried to deny it, the more obvious it was.  Y/N had stolen my heart since the day I met her in the hallway, and she hadn't given it back.  What I wouldn't give to be back in those golden days of the past.

Would you believe in a love at first sight?
Yes, I'm certain that it happens all the time.

I remembered the first time I heard that line of the song, I was completely and utterly in love with Y/N.  Now I seemed to be slipping back in time to that day.

The song faded out on the last note, and I was suddenly overly aware of how close we were.  We both took a step back at the same time.  "I should, uh, show you to your room."  I led her to the attic, already prepared for her.  Y/N turned her back, about to walk in.

"Hey, Y/N?  H-Hypothetically speaking, would you be willing to give our relationship a second chance?"

A ghost if a smile played on her lips.  "Hypothetically speaking, if you'd asked me any other day, I would've asked what was wrong with you.  But today... today's the day I'm starting to claim my life back.  I guess it couldn't hurt to try again, Stanford."  She smiled a bit and entered her room. 

Ten years ago she dumped me for being a selfish jerk.  And she was completely right, I saw that now.  This time would be different.  I would make sure of it.