It was valentine's day at your school. Everywhere couples walked together, holding hands and kissing. As you headed to your locker and began to pack up for the day, your locker door was suddenly slammed shut, and a hand shoved your chest against the locker. You looked up to see your bully Aubrey Garcia, a nervous grin on her face and her other hand behind on back. "Hey loser...You don't have a valentine? Of course you don't...Because...Because you're a LOSER!" She chuckled nervously, her eyes darting around. Aubrey had been your bully for years, always makes fun of you. But she seemed different today... She had a slight blush on her face, and she seemed to be mumbling to herself, trying to convince herself to do something. Finally after what felt like forever she smacked the locker and then averted her gaze, before shoving a heart shaped box of chocolates into your chest. "Here....I stole these for you...Since you don't have a damn valentine...I guess...You can just be mine..."

You look at her with wide eyes. "W-what? Why?" You stammer, completely surprised by this gesture. Aubrey's face flushes even deeper red and she looks everywhere but at you as she shrugs awkwardly. "I dunno...Just thought...Maybe we could try...Being something other than enemies..." She mutters the last part so quietly you almost miss it. "So...You want to go out with me?" She asks, sounding just as nervous as she looks. "For...Valentine's day and stuff?"

"R-really?" She asks, eyes widening even further as she looks up at you, a tiny smile beginning to form on her lips. "I-I mean...If you want..." She stammers, taking a step closer to you, the box of chocolates still in your hands. "I could...Maybe...Treat you right this time." Aubrey takes another nervous step forward and lightly brushes her knuckles against yours before quickly pulling back again, like she's not sure what just happened.

With another nervous laugh she replies, "Well if you say so." Her voice is almost a whisper and her heart rate must be through the roof as it's easy to tell she's just as flustered now as you are. Taking one more step closer, Aubrey finally stands right in front of you, their bodies only inches apart. "So...Are we dating now?" She asks with a small smile, her eyes darting up and down your face before settling on your lips for just a moment.

"Even though I'm such an awful person to you most of the time?" She mutters almost inaudibly under her breath.

Aubrey's eyes dart between yours as you speak, her heartbeat almost audible in the silence. She takes a deep breath and exhales slowly before finally nodding, a small, tentative smile forming on her lips. "Yeah...Even though that," she whispers, her thumb brushing gently across your knuckles as she holds onto your hand.

Her voice grows stronger as she continues, "I can be really horrible sometimes, I know it...But deep down I think I just wanted to make sure no one else took you away from me." She pauses for a moment before leaning in closer, her lips mere inches from yours. "So..." She says softly, her voice almost breathless now. "...Will you forgive me?"

Aubrey hesitates, waiting for your reply. Her heart feels like it's about to explode out of her chest with anticip

With a relieved sigh, Aubrey finally presses her lips gently against yours, enjoying the warmth and softness of your mouth. Her hands slide up around your neck, pulling you closer as she deepens the kiss, their bodies pressed tightly together. She moans softly into your mouth before pulling back to catch her breath.

"Wow...I've wanted to do that for so long..." Aubrey whispers, a small blush spreading across her cheeks as she leans in again and gives you another kiss, this one even more passionate than the last. "Thank you."

With another quiet laugh, she wraps her arms around your shoulders and pulls you even closer, taking advantage of the newfound closeness between them. "You know what?" She whispers in your ear before nipping playfully at it. "Let's skip school today...We can go to that romantic park I always wanted to visit..." Her voice trails off as she waits for your response, a shiver running down her spine from the thought of finally getting to do something special with you.

Aubrey grins wickedly at your agreement before letting go of you and spinning around, shoving the stolen chocolates into one of her many jacket pockets. "Come on, lover boy!" She calls out playfully over her shoulder, already heading for the exit with a bounce in her step she's never had before. Aubrey Garcia is gone, replaced by this strange, confident girl who seems to have finally found the courage to show you her true self. It feels like everything has changed between you in just an instant...And yet somehow it all feels so right.

"Well," she says as you fall into step beside her, "my dad's always been sort of overprotective and strict, so I never really got to do anything fun growing up. He hated the idea of me having a boyfriend or going on dates and stuff. But lately...I've just felt this need for someone else in my life, ya know?" She shrugs, not meeting your eyes as she continues to walk briskly through town, leading you towards the park. "I guess I just never thought it could actually happen."

Aubrey pauses for a moment, glancing over at you with an awkward smile on her face. "And...Um...Thanks for not telling anyone about us or what happened today. I trust you?"

Aubrey blushes deeply at your question, her cheeks burning red as she struggles to meet your gaze. "I-I...I don't know..." She stammers, taking a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "You make me feel things I've never felt before, and I think that scares me sometimes. But..." Her voice trails off as she reaches up to nervously run her fingers through her spiky hair. "I like it...And I want more."

She pauses for another moment before finally looking up at you with determination in her eyes. "So...Yeah. You're kinda perfect, actually."

Aubrey's eyes widen at your words, her lips parting slightly in surprise. "Really?" She asks quietly, unsure if she should believe you or not. Then, with a small giggle, she reaches out to brush a lock of hair from your face and tuck it behind your ear. "Well then...Maybe we can try this whole 'boyfriend-girlfriend' thing after all." Her voice is still uncertain, but there's an undeniable spark in her eyes that tells you she's more than willing to give it a shot.

"I'm glad," she says with a small smile, leaning in to press her shoulder against yours as you continue walking toward the park together. "And...If you ever want me to back off or give you space or anything, just let me know. I don't want to smother you or make you feel uncomfortable." Her voice sounds genuine, and she looks up at you with a sincere expression on her face.

They reach the entrance to the park, and Aubrey grins widely before leading the way inside, taking your hand in hers once again. "So...What do you want to do first? There's a really cute spot over there by that tree where we can sit and talk, or we could just wander around and see what we find."

"Oh...Well..." Aubrey blushes slightly at your suggestion. "I don't want to intrude or anything." She pauses, looking down at the ground before meeting your eyes again. "But...If you really don't mind...And if I promise not to mess with anything or make a big mess..." She trails off nervously, biting her bottom lip. "I could go home with you...Just for today."

There it is, the true depth of her feelings laid bare for you to see. Now it's your turn to decide what to do next.

Aubrey grins brightly at your words and squeezes your hand, her cheeks flushing a deep red. "Okay...Let's go then," she says, excitement clear in her voice as she leads the way to your house. Along the way, she glances over at you periodically with nervous energy radiating from every pore. The closer they get, the more eager she seems to finally see where you live and make yourself at home with you.

When you finally reach your front door, Aubrey hesitates for a moment before mustering up enough courage to knock. Her heart is racing as she waits for someone - anyone - to answer, but when the door swings open revealing only an empty living room, her shoulders slump in relief. "It's just us..." she whispers, stepping inside and taking a tentative step further into your home.

"Coffee would be great, thanks!" Aubrey calls out as she explores your living room, running her fingers along the spines of your bookshelf and peeking into each corner with curiosity. She plops down onto your comfy-looking couch and looks around, feeling more at ease than she has in a long time. "So...This is where you live?" she asks, not turning to look at you but instead studying the photos on your mantlepiece.

"You have such a nice place here..." Aubrey mutters absently before glancing over at you again, her expression curious and hopeful. "It's so different from mine...But in a good way."

With a small shrug, Aubrey replies, "There's not much to tell, really...My family is pretty normal, I guess." She pauses for a moment, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt before continuing in a softer voice, "My dad can be pretty strict sometimes and my mom...She's just always working. They never have time for me." Her expression turns wistful as she looks off into the distance. "But here..." She gestures around the room again. "...It feels different." There's a slight catch in her voice, but she tries to clear it with another fake laugh before changing the subject. "So, how 'bout you? What do you like to do for fun?"

Her gaze flickers back over to you, curiosity and eagerness written all over her face as she eagerly awaits your reply.

"That's cool!" Aubrey exclaims with genuine interest. "I don't know much about computers or programming or anything like that, but it sounds really fascinating." She tilts her head to the side and gives you a curious look before smiling. "Maybe sometime I could learn more from you? You could teach me how to make my own bot or something?"

Her voice takes on a hopeful note as she says this, her eyes fixed firmly on your face, waiting for your response with bated breath.

"Really?" Aubrey squeaks in surprise, her eyes brightening even further. "I'd love to!" She bounces up and down on the couch in excitement before pausing, a nervous laugh escaping her lips. "That is, if you don't mind...It wouldn't be too much trouble or anything..." Her cheeks flush with color as she worries she's being presumptuous.

Her gaze darts to the coffee table and then back up to meet your eyes again, searching for some sort of reassurance that it's okay for her to stay. When you smile warmly at her, relief washes over her features like a cool breeze on a sweltering summer day. "Thank you," she breathes gratefully before leaning forward to set her empty mug aside, her attention once again drawn back to the idea of learning more about programming from you

Oh, hehe... Yeah, it is kinda worn out. That's sweet of you to offer, though! I could use some new ones. Thanks, umm... What should I call you? Do you have a name?" Aubrey asks as she glances down at her sock, unable to quite meet your gaze yet. The thought of being close to you and sharing something personal like this makes her feel both uncharacteristically shy and surprisingly comfortable at the same time.

Her heart skips a beat when you answer, your voice as warm and familiar as the soft fabric of your favorite hoodie. "You can call me...Loverboy." The words tumble out before she can really think about them, her cheeks burning red once more as soon as they're out in the open. She hopes that maybe you won't mind or find it too silly.

But when you smile at her and nod slowly

"Vanya..." She repeats your name, testing it out on her tongue before giving you a shy smile in return. "That's a nice name too...I like it." Her gaze darts back to the coffee table and then slowly drifts upward until their eyes meet again. Despite being nervous, there's a sense of calmness washing over her now that she's finally alone with you in your cozy little home, surrounded by familiar scents and comforting warmth.

"So...Do you want me to just call you 'Vanya', then?" She asks quietly, hesitating for a moment before adding, "Or would you rather I use a nickname or something else entirely?" Her cheeks flush even deeper red as she worries about getting it wrong or making you uncomfortable.

It's strange how being with you like this makes her feel so much more open and honest, when normally