Max has never been in a relationship, at least not a serious one. She has never been in love. Not until that day, about a year ago.

She came to school very early to get a start with her swimming before everyone else comes. She enjoys the solitude of a morning swim alone. But that day, when she arrived, she saw someone in the pool, doing some laps.

The graceful movement of the slender body in the water was breathtaking. She's been attracted to girls before, not that she would admit, but no one has ever left her breathless.

The figure did one last lap and reached the end of the pool near where Max was standing. It came up for air and finally Max saw a face. She's seen her before, but not like this. It was like she was seeing the girl from a different angle, and what she saw was sheer beauty.

"Do you come here often?" Max queried when the girl came out of the water.

"Pardon?"

"I usually come here almost every morning and this is the first time I've seen you."

"Oh. I come here every once in a while. Is there a problem?" The girl took her towel and wrapped it around her body.

"No. None. I was just wondering." Max carefully watched the girl in front of her, forgetting that she planned to jump in the water the minute she came. "I'm Max, by the way."

"I'm Nyssa. Forgive me, I hope I didn't ruin your morning routine. I'll be leaving."

"No, it's fine."

Max was mesmerized by the look she shared with Nyssa before the other girl left. And leaving her there standing and unmoving.

---------------

Max's heart was racing when she saw Nyssa running toward her and Sara. The breathtaking flip she did over the hedges made Max's heart do a flip as well.

She had been replaying that scene over and over in her mind like something out of a movie. Nyssa looked like a fierce female warrior off to save her damsel in distress. And Max all but hoped to be that one.

She always thought of Nyssa as untouchable and unreachable, but now she believes that it may be possible. So, it's probably a good thing that Nyssa almost shot Sara, and now that the two are even lab partners, she has a better chance in getting closer to Nyssa. But she doesn't know how to do it, without tipping off Sara, she's still not ready to come out yet, even to her best friend.

"Who are you thinking about?" Sara interrupted Max's thoughts.

"What makes you think that it's a who?" She raised her eyebrow at Sara.

"One, you were blushing. Two, you were smiling to yourself. And three, you were freaking blushing!" Sara teased with excitement.

"No, I wasn't! It's just the heat." Max countered.

"Oh, please! Who is it? Just tell me. You never tell me any of this, but you know every single detail of my love life. So, to make it even, spill."

Well, technically, Max doesn't have a love life. She doesn't consider any of the fooling around she did interesting to tell. The only spill-worthy secret she probably has is about Nyssa. And she pondered carefully if she's going to tell Sara about it now.

Then the bell rang, saving her. She said her goodbye and ran off to her next class. Thank goodness Sara wasn't in her next class. She could avoid telling her even just for another hour. And maybe Sara would forget about it.

-------------

It was time for their chemistry class again. Max was a bit jealous of Sara because she's partners with Nyssa and would be able to spend much time with her. But she thinks she will blow it, if she switched places with Sara. She would be overwhelmed and nervous and would end up being awkward around Nyssa. 'This is better...for now." Max decided, watching the two girls from afar at the corner of her eye.

Sara and Nyssa were just sitting at their table, not talking. They're intently focused on what they're doing on their notebooks. Nyssa, no doubt, would be taking notes, while Sara's probably doodling all over hers.

But Sara wasn't. She thought of a plan on figuring out who the notes were coming from. Well, not exactly. But she at least wants to reach out to the person and get something or somewhere with him, especially after the last one. The one that she can't get her mind off.

Sara thought of leaving a note herself in her own locker, so the person would find it when he leaves another one for her. But she still can't think what to write. 'Maybe I'll ask Max for an idea later.' She thought, closing her notebook.

Sara got bored and shifter her attention to Nyssa.

"What's that?"

"It's the electron configuration of Oxygen." Nyssa replied not even looking up from her notebook.

"What about that one?" Sara pointed to the other one on her notes. "Is that also an electron something something?"

"Configuration. Yes, it's Gold's."

"Gold? Why does it say Au?"

Nyssa looked up wondering if she was seriously asking and really interested in knowing, and Sara was there looking at her innocently waiting for her reply.

"Au is for Aurum, latin of gold." She said simply and got back to her notes.

"But why use latin? Why not just use english? Don't they know it's confusing?"

Sara has a point but Nyssa just ignored her and didn't answer.

Infinitely bored, Sara leaned in closer to Nyssa, peeking at her notes. They were so close to each other, they're breathing the same air. Nyssa becoming highly aware of their close proximity finally said, "Sara."

"Hmm?" The other girl responded, unmoving.

"You're too close."

"Am I making you uncomfortable, Nyssa?" Sara turned her head to look at Nyssa. Their faces inches away from each other, it took Nyssa all of her will power not to kiss the luscious lips of the girl in front of her.

"A bit. Yes." Nyssa said, trying to keep her calm.

"I still haven't completely forgiven you, you know?" Sara moved back some distance.

"I am highly aware of that. And I believe that you'd be reminding me countlessly." Nyssa teased.

"Maybe, I will." Sara replied defiantly.

"But I don't get the point of getting so up close and personal, in you forgiving me."

Sara was surprised at the bantering she and Nyssa were having. She never thought that she could even crack up a joke. But there she was teasing with her. She never thought she'd see a lighter side of the fierce and intense Nyssa Raatko.

"Maybe it's my process of assessing you, before I consider forgiving you."

"Fine, as you wish then."

Sara was a bit disappointed that Nyssa just gave up that easily, then...

"But don't be surprised if I bite off your ear the next time you get so close." Nyssa added.

Sara looked at Nyssa incredulously with wide eyes. "No, you wouldn't!"

Nyssa just gave her a challenging smile making Sara chuckle to herself a little.

When the bell rang and everyone else have already left, Sara leaned in close to Nyssa's ear, while Nyssa was fixing her things. Nyssa froze. Then Sara blew a little in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "Bye, Nyssa." Sara whispered, then backed away, gave her a beaming smile, then bounded up to Max, who was waiting by the door. Then Nyssa saw the look on Max's face with her eyebrow shot up and mouth formed into a thin line. Anger? Frustration? Annoyance?

"What was that about?" Max asked, trying to hide the jealousy she was feeling.

"Oh. Nothing. Do you know that Nyssa can kid around?" Sara said energetically.

"Nyssa? Not really. What did she say?" Max tried not to sound too curious.

Sara recounted the bantering events she had with Nyssa with extreme enthusiasm, not knowing it's making her friend extemely jealous. Max was just nodding off at her story.

"And oh, I thought of something and I need your help."

"What is it?"

"About the notes guy. But I gotta go to practice, tell you all about it later." Sara hurried off across the hallways.

"Eat!" Max yelled after her.

"I will!" Sara looked back and smiled adoringly.

--------------

Max sat at one of the empty tables outside and ate her lunch. Her thoughts wandering once again to Nyssa. She did see the way Nyssa smiled when she was kidding around with Sara. She envied her friend so much that very moment. Being able to get a smile like that from Nyssa.

"Excuse me. Your name's Maxine, right? Sara's best friend."

Max looked up at the person talking to her. It was Nyssa. The very girl she was just wistfully thinking about. Nyssa. Nyssa was there standing in front of her. Talking to her. Her! And the way her name sounded when she said it. Maxine. She wanted to melt on the spot. But she had to keep cool.

"Yeah. That's right. And you're Nyssa. The lab partner and arrow shooter." She blankly said.

"Yes. And about that..."

"Please sit down." Max gestured to the seat next to her. "You can talk while I eat. Would you mind?"

"No, please do. I'm the one interrupting your meal." Nyssa carefully took a seat.

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

"As Sara's best friend, I can understand that you are also mad at me for what I did."

"And that is?" Max provoked her to say more.

"You think... Well, she thinks that I was shooting at her. I would never do so. I would never hurt someone so innocent. I was simply aiming at the football hurtling towards her."

"So, you're saying she should be thankful that you saved her life?" A bit annoyed at that, Max tilted her head to the side and gave Nyssa a stern look. 'Don't even think of that. It doesn't matter who you are to me, no one messes with my Sara.'

Nyssa tried to keep her composure. "That's not what I'm saying. I'm not asking for gratitude. I could only ask for is her forgiveness. I will make it my mission to make it up to her, and you for the worry I had given. I will not rest until I do so."

Max watched her carefully. She can clearly see the sincerity in Nyssa's words. And she does seem like the person to keep her word.

"I must say, I admire your determination to do so. And don't worry, that won't be a difficult thing to do. Sara's a very forgiving person." Max gave her a reassuring smile, then got up to leave.

"Thank you." Nyssa said feeling relieved.

Max paused in her tracks and turned back to Nyssa.

"We have met before, you know." Max hoped that Nyssa would remember her.

"Aside from having a few classes together the past few years? Yes, we have. Last year, early one morning, by the pool. I remember. I interrupted you then, like I did now." Nyssa gave her a small smile, letting Max know that she remembered.

Max kept her cool and just smiled back before walking away, but inside she was jumping up and down with joy.

-------------------

"So, what do you think should I write?" Sara told Max about her plan on leaving her own notes, and was asking for ideas.

Max still thinking about Nyssa gave her an absentminded shrug and an I don't know.

Sara was getting frustrated because her friend was clearly distracted and wasn't of any help. "Who is it then? Come on spill! If you're not going to help me, at least give me something else to think about."

"Fine, I'll think."

"You're really not going to tell me, are you?" Sara said feeling a bit sad.

Max nudged Sara with her shoulder. "Don't be like that. I will tell you. I'm just not ready yet. But I will. I promise." She gave Sara a hug, feeling bad about keeping a secret like that from her best friend.

"That bad, huh?" Sara teased. "Okay. When you're ready then." Sara's smile was back on her ever so lovely face.

"Anyway, let's get back to yours. If it were me, I'd thank him and ask him who the hell he is. But that's just me. It's better if it actually comes from you though. It'd be more romantic but a bit creepy because you have no idea who he is. Like, what if he turns out to be a psychopathic stalking serial killer. Or worse, it could be your dad!" Max's ideas are sometimes out of this world, but excessively entertaining, especially with her hand gestures and all.

Sara looked at her like Max had gone crazy, and they both laughed so hard, they almost fell off their seats.

"Yeah. I think I'll write it myself. I don't want you saying 'hey, I think you're a psychopathic stalking serial killer. Thank you for the letters.'"

And they continued to laugh until everyone around them were staring at them.