2:

She arrived at her locker with time to spare before her first class 
began, and began to quickly set her books for later in the day within 
it.

Suddenly, she turned to look to her left.

Standing there was a young man -- perhaps two years younger than 
Calyx's eighteen -- who had clearly bought into the "new bishounen" 
fashion style that had become all the rage in Crystal Tokyo lately.
He was chewing his lower lip with trepidation, and his hands were 
hidden behind his back.

"Ummm ... Ms. Empyria?"

She held up a hand to forestall further words from him. "Now, I'm
just guessing here, but would you be holding a love letter for me 
behind your back?"

He flushed to his neck, and nodded rapidly.

"Right. Now, this is the fifth day of the new term, and I've already 
played this scene four times -- including the explanation that I'm a 
LESBIAN, for the love of Goddess, which you'd think would spread 
through the grapevine considering that I've usually yelled it at the 
top of my bloody lungs -- and if I have to go much further into it a 
fifth time, I'm going to post that thing on a bulletin board for the 
general amusement of the academy. Comprenez-vous?" she snapped in her 
mother tongue.

The poor boy's flush had frozen into a pallor at the idea of anyone 
other than the intended recepient seeing his florid declaration of 
affection, and he nodded still more rapidly as he backed away and 
turned to flee in panic.

"Boys," she sneered.

"We aren't *all* bad," replied a voice from behind her.

She turned, somewhat startled that someone had managed to sneak up on 
her, then relaxed as she realized who it was.

Saotome Hima stood a bit taller than she did, with firey red hair and 
a frame whose muscles stretched the fabric of the blue-green Academy 
Boys' Uniform (TM). But she knew first hand just how fast he could 
move, and how quietly.

In Calyx's opinion, he made a much better best friend than he had a 
boyfriend during their brief relationship, but she'd never tell him 
that. His ego had been crushed too many times already.

"So aside from the obvious, how's it going?" Hima asked.

"Somewhat less than stellar," she replied, examinging her Astronomy 
text. "Shari basically used our date last night to let me know that 
she wanted to see other people."

He grimaced. "Too bad." A few seconds passed. "By other people, you 
don't mean --"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, she wants to date guys," Calyx answered 
disgustedly. "Go ahead and gloat."

"I never gloat," Hima replied, quietly gloating. "I sympathize, no 
matter how many times I've been dumped by a girl who decided or 
finally realized she preferred girls. Including yourself. I 
sympathize. Really."

"Jerk. Come on, we're gonna be late for your cousin's class."

"She's my aunt, Calyx, she's just married to my cousin."

"Whatever. Let's go!"

                              TBC