Lina watched as the students slowly resumed life after the HIV positive student had left.
"HIV?" She turned to Xellos, giving him a questioning look.
"No one really knows much about him." The violet-haired student shrugged. "He doesn't talk to anyone, he just sits in the back and takes notes or something."
At this time, the warning bell rang, and the cliques began to break up and reluctantly head for class. The red-head strode purposefully towards the science wing, where she was supposed to report for Anatomy.
"So, when the immune system starts to fight bacteria or viruses, the body has to release the immense amount of energy the conflict creates, therfore producing a fever." The teacher droned, as teachers usually did when teaching a subject that interested them less than it did the students. "Who can name some of the diseases or disorders associated with the immune system? Anyone? Come now, one of you must know." Lina's eyes darted over to Zelgadis, who sat in the far corner of the room. He was slumped in his desk, apparently taking notes or sketching. His half-lidded stare was none the less sharp, peircing all the way across the room as he looked up to meet her curious gaze. Once again their eyes locked, fire clashing against ice in a roaring battle until the teacher called on him.
"Zelgadis, you usually have the answer, what is one of the disorders associated with the immune system?"
The silence was almost palpable as the teacher realized he had hit upon a forbidden subject with this particular student.
"...Lupus." The youth's eyes closed briefly, then opened and shone fiercely like twin shards of sapphire.
"Very good." The instructor winced and decided to move on.
The HIV infected young man returned his glare to Lina for another moment, then relaxed and focused on his paper.
When at last lunch came around, Lina noticed that Zelgadis had an entire table to himself, and that no one sat on the sides of their own tables that were closest to him. He was absently picking at the school's version of meatloaf when she sat down across from him.
"Hi." She greeted, somewhat wary of his reaction.
"The activists sit on the other side of the room, third table from the wall." He responded without moving. "Cheerleaders are second from the door, and mall rats are sixth in this row."
"That's interesting," she nodded, popping open her soda can. "Completely irrevalent, but interesting."
"What do you - " He glanced up, and she stuck out her hand in a friendly gesture.
"I'm Lina Inverse." She smiled, though he stared at her hand as though he'd never seen one before. "Go on, I don't bite."
"Most people stay as far away from me as they can." He continued to stab at the meat substitute. "You should probably be going..."
"Nah, I like it here," she insisted. "So, you're Zelgadis, right? You're in my first class..."
"I know." He shrugged.
"Not much of a talker, are you?" she assessed.
"Most people don't talk to me," he replied.
"Well, I'm not 'most people'." She unwrapped her sandwhich and took a large bite.
"You must be new here." He shook his head. "Five minutes into lunch and you're still here, talking to me? This is going to kill your social life, you know."
"So?" She drained a good three fifths of her beverage.
"... Either you're incredibly stupid, or incredibly curious." He sighed. "I'm betting on the latter."
"Smart boy."
"'I would like to tell you the story of my life, then.'" he quoted a certain book which shall remain nameless. "'I would like to do that very much.'"