It wasn't long until Loki heard of Steve and I's breakup and started showing his face around me again. He flickered a smile at me when I walked into class; he somehow almost always turned up at the end of the hallway where my locker was, so I had to pass him to get to any of my classes; and he sat at the lunch table next to mine, even if he had to kick people off the table to do it. A week later, he was even bold enough to volunteer as my gym partner.

"Get a partner and do fifty sit-ups," was the first thing Ms. May said to us when class started. She wasn't much of a talker, always going straight to the point. She narrowed her eyes at us, so we all scrambled to fulfill the task.

I glanced around, looking for Clint to partner with since he was the only one I really knew when someone grabbed my arm. I looked back and had to bite back a small groan. It was Loki, of course, green eyes determined.

"We'll be partners," he said. I opened my mouth to protest, but Ms. May was looking at us, so I begrudgingly nodded and led him over to an open place on the gym floor. "Ladies first," Loki told me with a slight smile.

I sat on the hard floor and waited until he grabbed my ankles to start rhythmically pushing my upper body up and down. I put my hands on my waist to keep myself from cheating and pushing myself up while Loki bore down on my feet to keep me steady.

After twenty sit-ups, I paused for a moment to catch my breath. Loki was watching me with interested green eyes. "I assume you want to talk?" I asked, scratching my arm.

"No." He shook his head. "This is fine."

I shrugged and started again. After about ten more sit-ups the silence between us was getting to me. "Nope, too awkward. Start talking about something."

He blinked. "Um... well, I'm enjoying the Taming of the Shrew in our English class. I've read it before, but it never gets old."

"Huh." I stopped at my fortieth sit-up. "I'm liking that one too. It's pretty funny if you can pick up on the humor. Like when Petruchio tells his servant to knock on the door and the servant thinks he wanted him to hit him." I laughed, tensing myself to do the last ten sit-ups.

Loki also chuckled slightly. "Ah yes, miscommunication. Very common among people." He was staring at me so intently that I deduced he wasn't talking about the Shakespeare comedy. I didn't want to broach the subject of our arguments, and especially not the kiss, so I quickly wrapped up the exercise and swapped places with him. "So, what sort of things do you enjoy? Other than reading books." He started doing his sit-ups casually.

"Well..." I thought about it for a moment. "I like writing stories too. And acting. I also like movies and hanging out with my friends, or shopping at Barnes and Noble, or sitting outside. I'm usually doing one of those things, especially during summer break." It struck me that I was being maybe a little too familiar with Loki, but I didn't want to be rude and ignore him. I glanced up and saw Clint watching us, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Oh well, the conversation was already open. "What do you like doing?"

"I'm usually reading. But if not that, I am arguing with Thor or driving my motorcycle or just sitting quietly."

I raised my eyebrows a little. "I almost forgot you had a motorcycle. That's pretty cool." I jealously noted the way sit-ups didn't seem to wind him at all—he just steadily kept going like he did this every day. Maybe he did. I didn't know that much about him.

"It's mostly for fun. I have a car as well." I couldn't tell if he was bragging, making things up, or just giving me the facts.

After sit-ups, Ms. May had us doing a number of exercises before class was dismissed. Loki followed me to my locker. I ignored him the whole time, hoping he was going somewhere else, but when I got to my locker, I finally turned to him.

"What is it?"

Loki stuffed his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet. "I... I guess I wanted to ask you something."

My heart beat a little faster. Please don't ask me out on a date. "All right. Go ahead."

"I was... I was hoping you would forgive me," he said quietly. "I know you've seen the one of the worst sides of me, and you don't like it. But I'm hoping that you'll give me another chance to see another side of me. Just... just let me try to change your mind about me."

I hesitated. This was the boy who had made fun of my friends, tormented my ex-boyfriend, and hung out with bullies because he was just like them. Now he wanted to be my friend, perhaps even more than that. I knew I should turn him down flat, but somehow, I couldn't say "no" to his intelligent eyes and sincere face.

"Don't judge people on how they used to be. Allow them to be who they are now." Where did I hear that quote? "Okay," I said slowly. "I... guess that would be all right."

The smile he gave me was brighter than any I had ever seen from him.

**********

Loki and I had parted after our little chat, but I saw him again at lunch. I was already sitting with Kameron, Thor, Steve, Bruce, Natasha, and Clint, but saw Loki come in out of the corner of my eye. His face brightened when he caught sight of me, and he walked towards my table. When he saw who else I was sitting with though he slowed, then looked directly at me. I turned my head to face him, then looked at Steve and back again. Loki caught my signal and nodded, turning towards another table.

Bruce, ever the perceptive one, had seen the exchange and was watching me curiously by the time I looked back. "What's up with you and Loki?" he asked in a confidential tone that I appreciated.

I shrugged, looking down at my sandwich. "Nothing. Well... I'm not exactly sure. He wants to be friends, but he's not the kind of person I usually hang out with." I also spoke in a quiet tone, not wanting Kameron or Steve to overhear.

"Right. There's a reason you two would never be friends," said Bruce. "He's a bully, he likes torturing people, and you're practically an angel, you're always nice to people and you stick up for them. Loki won't change and neither will you, it just wouldn't work."

"Aww, I'm an angel?" I teased, laughing a little. He might be right. I mean, Loki and I are very different. But how can Bruce say no one can change? No one is born to be a bully, the world shapes them that way. I'm sure there's something underneath Loki's cruelty, I've seen it when he speaks to me. I just don't know how to keep the other half of him out when other people are around.

**********

After school, I asked Steve to walk with me to my car while Kameron skipped away with Thor, she was going to his house for the first time and had talked all day about it. Of course Steve accepted my request, so we were walking side by side down the halls, chatting.

I started a new topic with a question. "Steve, do you think people can change?" I kept a little distance between us. Now that we were no longer dating, it didn't seem right to stick to his side.

"If you mean 'can I change Loki into a good person,' then no. I don't think he's going to change his ways for one person." Steve's voice was hard as he resolutely marched beside me. I think Loki was the only person I had ever heard him speak harshly about.

I winced. "So... I guess that means you know Loki wants to be friends with me."

"Yeah. I don't think it's a good idea. Loki's a jerk, he's probably just messing with you with some sick agenda in mind. He's always got something up his sleeve."

My spine jerked straight, and I whipped my chin over to look at him. "That's not very nice, Steve. Maybe Loki is a bully, and maybe he hasn't been very nice to you, but he's been nothing but kind to me. I think he really wants to try to be different and it starts with being nice to one person."

Steve sighed as he held the outside-leading door open for me. "Maybe. You asked my opinion, and I gave it to you. You're my friend, Ali, and I don't want you getting hurt by some punk."

The incensed spark in my eyes diminished. "Thank you for trying to take care of me and for your honest opinion. I couldn't ask for anything more from one of my best friends." I smiled at him as we strode across the parking lot together. Honesty was incredibly important to me, and I couldn't be angry at him for being truthful with me.

Loki was waiting for me by my car. Steve clenched his fists and picked up the pace, but I grabbed his arm, shaking my head. "No fights, Steve. Thanks for walking me. I'll see you tomorrow."

Steve glowered at Loki, said goodbye to me, then left. My classmate had been watching coolly, trying to seem as if the near encounter with the muscular boy hadn't fazed him. "So," he said nonchalantly, "are you and Steve back together again?"

I shook my head. "No, we're just friends. He was... trying to take care of me. I'm going to be honest; he doesn't like you very much and up to now, neither have I. You've been... difficult to say the least." My brown eyes looked openly into his green ones, a little nervous as I confronted him with my honesty. Some people didn't like direct openness and took it badly.

"I know," he said quietly, averting his eyes. "I'm not the easiest person to get along with. I can be moody and cross and somewhat of a hermit. But I really want to be your friend, Alina. For a start. I really don't want to mess up this chance with you. You haven't... changed your mind, have you?"

"I always keep my word," I told him, raising my chin. "I am willing to let you redeem yourself if you put in the work."

He smiled a little. "Thank you."