Geek 2 Greek.

When he was a frog.

I vaguely remember, an akward, lanky, pimply boy walking to me, face flaming red, (Well as red as his skin tone would allow), and determination in his stride. He clung his heavy text books in one hand and his other was clenched in a fist and from here I where I stood I could tell he was biting his lips, probably hard enough to draw blood. His entire body was stiff and his oversize trousers was pulled up all the way to his belly button. I honsetly didn't know why he dressed like this, I mean he was obviously going to be teased.

I watched him approach with a cocked eyebrow.

I stood at my locker, one hand on the locker door, ready to shut it, and the other clutching my books to my chest.

He stopped in front of me.

"He-he-hey M-M-Mel," he said smiling widely despite his obvious nervousness.

I cracked a smile. At age fourteen, puberty had not been kind to dear ol' Aaron. He was taller than me, which wasn't saying much really, and the worst acne situation, probably in the whole school. Plus he stammered like crazy. I knew some of the jocks messed around with him a lot, but it hadn't really bothered me unless I was around to see it, because at I really had stuff on my mind.

But over time, Aaron and I had become....well, something of friends, or close enough anyway. How it happened, was sort of an accident. I had sort of defended Aaron when this real witch Ashleigh Tanner had been dissing him about his looks and, well, pretty much everything about him, but I had defended him, more out of hatred for Ashleigh than any real care for Aaron. well at first anyway. After Ashleigh had finally backed off, I was too riled to talk to anyone, so I'd sort of stomped into the girls bathroom without another word and splashed water a few times on my face, screaming at my reflection. I'd been pudgy, small, and round and B***** like Ashleigh were thin as a stick and model tall and I had not liked it one bit. When I came out, I saw Aaron standing there, red-faced and holding out a handkerchief.

"Th-Tha-Th-Thankyou!" he stammered.

That's when it dawned on me what I had just done. And then I smiled at him. Looking past the pimples and all, he was actually quite cute... in an endearing way. And those eyes of his, were really something....

We'd ended up talking all the way to class, and despite the stammering, we actually had a really fun and interesting conversation, talking about nothing in particular. He was funny and it was really easy to make him laugh. Then Rachel'd had an emergency and I'd been carted away by her frantic fingers. And from that moment on, I'd defended him wherever I could, just because i could. It was never anything serious, just made sure whoever I was talking to didn''t make fun of him is all.

And now at the moment, he seemed about to tell me something really important.

"Hey Aaron," I quipped, 'Got a fun fact for me?"

Aaron always had this habit of dropping in random comments at me just for the sake of it. He shook his head.

"No," he said.

I was confused at the sudden serious expression on his face. He chewed his lip some more, and then finally looked up, looking me straight in the eye. I was a little taken back by the emotion in the electric blue orbs.

"Mel," he said with no stammers whatsoever, "Will you go to the dance with me?"

My first thought was that I'd heard wrong. Surely Aaron Santiago did not just ask me to go to the annual Washington's ball with him. I must have been hearing things.

But the utmost seriousness of his facade didn't lie. he had definitely just said that.

My first instinct was to say no. I wasn't even planning to go to the Washingtons ball and even if I was, there was only one guy I would even consider going with. And his name was definitely not Aaron Santiago.

Plus, and I was ashamed that this thought even entered my head, Going out on a date with Aaron would probably be equivalent to social suicide.

I mentally slapped myself the minute i thought that.

What is wrong with you? An inner voice yelled, I thought you were above this whole social mumbo jumbo? Isn't that why you eat 3 complete square meals, just to prove that you can?

No, said a nast snarky voice that sounded a lot like Ashleigh Tanner, you just pretend you don't care so people leave you alone, and don't notice what a mushy baby you really are.

I shut the voice up.

And then I looked into Aaron's eyes.

They were really nice eyes. Blue, perfectly shaped. And filled with desperation he was trying so hard to mask. I saw him swallow, and saw his teeth clench as his cheekbones flexed.

Don't do it Mel, a voice warned.

I smiled at him. "Sure, why not?"

For a moment he looked stunned into silence, like he didn't really believe I'd just said yes, and that was what convinced me I'd done the right thing. Hey, my night was shot to hell anyway, might as well make his. I smiled as a huge smile split his face and he let out  a little snort.

He hissed, "Yes" and then reached forward, kinda akwardly, and pulled me into a hug. I laughed at that.

"Tha-Thanks Mel," he said, "Y-You won't re-regret this, I promise!"

And with that he was off. I smiled at his retreating back. He really was cute, in his own way. I shut my locker, turned around and the smile was wiped right off my face. Cause standing there, staring at me, was Luke.

********************** *************

I looked at my reflection in the mirror one more time and sighed.  Well, there wasn't much I could do about it. I was going have to go out there and face them, looking like some sort of...cow? That's what the dress looked like!

Well here goes nothing, I thought as I walked out. Instantly like heat seeking missiles, my eyes locked on Aaron and my brother surrounded by girls and laughing at some joke. Aaron looked up instantly, as if he'd felt my gaze on him, and smiled, a wide genuine smile, and for a second, he was like the old sweet geeky Aaron. I smiled back, and then looked aside, only to have the smile, once again wiped of my face.

Rachel stood there, staring at me with a blank look, and beside her stood Luke, also with a blank look on his face, but his jaw looked clenched. i sighed and looked away.

It's wierd how over the year, things change, yet stay exactly the same.

A/N Thought it was time for some back ground on Aaron and Mel. And advice, should I turn this into a POV story or no? I'm trying to figure out how to make Aarons feelings known. Maybe a diary, or that's too girly?