Square One

Square One
A Code Geass fan fiction story
Written by Archangel
Edited by Comixgal

Chapter 1 – Best Laid Plans

{Author’s Note: This is a sequel to my one-shot story “Blind Date.” I highly recommend you read it first. To find it, click my name at the top of the page and find the story via my profile.

This chapter is dedicated to Mihoshi, who reviewed “Hypothermia” last August and somehow never got a dedication. I can only apologize for the lapse. It’s good to know somebody else has heard of “Tenchi Muyo”! I’ve been tempted to write fics for that show… but the fact of the matter is that the show itself is zanier and sexier in its way than anything I could possibly write. Actually, more than anything else, I want to adopt Ryo Ohki as my daughter. Cutie cutie cutie!!! *hugs* ^^

The music suggestion for this chapter is “Boys” by Smile.dk. I have a weakness for Bubblegum Dance music. Sue me. Further notes at the end. Enjoy, and please provide feedback! RATE and/or REVIEW, please!}


Lelouch Lamperouge sighed softly and looked up at the hand’s owner with a smile. The fact that the hand was interposed between his eyes and his textbook occasioned the sigh. The fact that its owner was his friend Milly Ashford occasioned the smile. Milly was perky as ever, but she seemed much more at peace since their night together two weeks ago. Both with herself and with the world in general.

“What can I do for you, Madame President?” he asked, leaning back in his chair and rolling his cramped shoulders.

Milly was wearing what Lelouch thought of as her ‘up to something’ smile. “I’m trying to get a bunch of folks together to go out dancing. To celebrate the end of mid-terms next Friday,” she told him brightly. “You’ll come, won’t you Lulu?”

Next Friday… nothing on my ‘work’ schedule, Lelouch thought behind his usual neutral expression. “Sure, why not. Sounds like fun.”

Her face lit up. “Great! Since you’re coming, can I ask your help?”

“What with?” he asked warily. Agreeing to do a favor for Milly without clarifying the favor could land you in the weirdest situations.

“Well…” Milly perched herself on the edge of the table, kicking her long legs. “I can get a lot of girls together, but it doesn’t seem to work too well when I try to recruit boys. You’re popular, Lulu. Can you round up a bunch of cute boys to come with us?”

Oh good, something benign. And a simple enough task to accomplish. “I guess so. How many guys?”

“Ooo, good point. If it’s going to be uneven, we want more girls than boys. Let’s see… about a dozen, I think. I’ll let you know if things change, okay?”

“Sure.” Milly definitely seems happier now, Lelouch thought. I’m glad. This whole evening sounds bothersome, though. Ah, heck. Nunnally tells me I need to spend more time with friends, anyway. And C.C. can keep an eye on her while I’m out…

“Lulu! Are you listening to me?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry. What did you say?”

Milly rolled her eyes and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “I said that I’ll make sure to bring Shirley. This would be a good chance for you two to make up. It’s been way too long, no matter how big your fight was!”

Lelouch sighed. “There was no fight,” he replied flatly.

“Then why is she giving you the old ‘I don’t know you’ routine?” Milly demanded.

It was all Lelouch could do not to cringe at the memories. What Shirley had gone through… what he’d done to her…

The hand was waving in front of his face again. “Don’t tell me you’ve spaced out again!”

“No.” His voice was quiet. “It’s just—” The fourth period bell cut him off.

“Drat!” Milly scowled at the Council room’s P.A. speaker. “Why does the bell always save you from my questions?”

“Because you never stop asking them,” Lelouch countered with a wry smile. “Meet me outside Oxford Hall after last period.”

*****

“I can’t. I have to study.”

Milly giggled and gave Shirley a knowing look. “The last exam is that afternoon, silly! Oh come with us, pretty please? Lulu’s gonna be there…” she added as an extra enticement.

Shirley looked confused for a moment. “Oh, that boy with the violet eyes. Why’s he such a big deal?”

The other girls stared in astonishment as Milly rolled her eyes and raked her fingers through her thick blonde hair. “He’s only the dreamiest boy in the school!” Ashleigh replied.

“Not to mention that you’ve had a crush on him since forever ago,” Milly added to general giggles. “AND the fact that he likes you back. No, girls, it’s Shirley that Lulu’s after,” she added over the sudden flurry of protests. “Don’t tell me you can’t see it when he looks at her. You have to look closely, since it’s Lulu, but it’s there plain as day.”

Poor Shirley looked on the verge of tears. “I keep telling you that I only met him a fortnight ago! Why do you keep teasing me?”

Milly was becoming increasingly convinced that it wasn’t an act. And increasingly worried for her fire-haired friend. She reached over and patted Shirley’s shoulder. “Okay, fine honey. You only just met Lulu. Regardless, he’s gorgeous and he likes you a lot. Betcha twenty pounds he asks you to dance if you come along!”

Shirley’s cheeks nearly matched her hair for color as she shook her head. “No way he’ll ask me. He’s so cold and aloof, and he hardly even glances at me.”

A burst of laughter escaped before Milly could stop it. “Hardly glances at you? You need to pay better attention! And he’s not cold; Lulu just tries to look cool and calm all the time. Boys are stupid like that. Inside, he’s an incredible sweetheart. If he doesn’t ask you to dance, then you go ask him. He’ll say yes.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so!”

“Is it true that Lelouch is bringing a whole bunch of other cuties?” Erin burst in, nearly bouncing out of her seat.

Milly beamed. “Yup! Plenty of yummy boys to go around!”

Shirley’s pensive look faded into a small smile as the instructor entered the classroom. “Alright,” she told Milly softly. “I’ll come.”

*****

Suzaku clapped Lulu on the shoulder, said something to him, and set off with a wave to Milly. She waved back. “What was that about?” she asked Lulu, falling in beside him.

“Oh, nothing,” he replied easily. “How was your day?”

“I’m really starting to worry about Shirley. She really doesn’t seem to remember you at all before the other week.”

Lulu nodded. “She doesn’t. Trauma-induced amnesia, I think. Her father’s death was so devastating that she couldn’t handle it. So she… forgot. That’s my best guess, anyway.”

Milly tapped a finger against her lips. “Yeah… she doesn’t seem to remember the Narita battle or anything about her father’s death, either. But why would she forget you too, Lulu?”

“I have no idea,” he replied sadly. “But she has, and there’s no getting around it. My hope is that she’ll ‘remember’ when her mind is ready to deal with it all.”

“Poor Lulu.” Milly patted his arm. “You’ve suddenly become a stranger to the woman you love.”

“Love? What are you talking about?”

“Oh, don’t play stupid. It doesn’t suit you. You love her, and she loved you. It was all over you both. Only, you were both too shy to make the first move.”

Lelouch glared. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Milly giggled. “Don’t I? Well, look at it this way, Lulu. You’re back to square one, and you have to win Shirley’s heart all over again! Isn’t it romantic?”

“Ach, quit teasing me. I’m not in the mood.”

“Lulu, I’m not teasing. You should ask Shirley to dance with you when we all go out. I guarantee you she’ll say yes!”

“As if,” he replied with a hollow laugh. “She doesn’t even remember me. I’m not going to ask her out of the blue like that. It’d be weird.”

“I’ll tell you a secret,” Milly purred, bringing her lips close to Lulu’s ear. “I think she’s already starting to fall for you. Again.”

“No way.”

“Yes way,” she replied, still purring into his ear. “She blushes like crazy anytime someone mentions you. She gets flustered any time somebody says your name.” Milly pulled away and fixed him with her big blue eyes. “Look, just promise me that you’ll ask her to dance on Friday night.”

Lulu thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. “On one condition: you ask Rivalz to dance.”

Milly’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “No! Lulu, you know that I don’t—”

“Oh, come on,” he cut her off, smiling wolfishly. “It’s not like I’m asking you to kiss him or something. Just dance with the guy. Fair is fair, after all. He worships the ground you walk on, you know.”

“The feeling is not mutual,” she muttered. “He’s sweet, but…” a shake of her head sent golden locks dancing. “No, not for me. And I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.”

“Don’t worry, he won’t,” Lulu assured her. “I’ll make sure of that.”

Milly sighed heavily. “Can he even dance?”

“Yeah. He’s actually pretty good. Tell you what. If I agree to ask Shirley to dance, you agree to dance at least one song with Rivalz if he asks you to. Deal?” he held out his hand.

And of course Rivalz would know all about this by Friday night, Milly knew. Oh well. A small price to pay if it got Lulu and Shirley headed in the right direction. “Deal,” she answered with a smirk, shaking Lulu’s hand firmly. “Just make sure you have yourself and the other boys there on time!”

“Do you doubt me, Madame President?” he asked, feigning an injured expression

“Only when I need you to do work.”

Lulu laughed softly. “You’ve got me there. Well, this is where I get off. See you tomorrow.” He turned onto the path to the Council’s clubhouse, where he and his younger sister lived.

“Bye Lulu! Say hi to Nunnally for me!”

{More Author’s Note: Let me state, for the record, that I intend to leave Zero and the Black Knights as far to the side as I possibly can in this story. Also, I’m not even trying to conform to canon here. This is purely for entertainment—both mine and yours!

Ashleigh and Erin are non-canonical Ashford students. Mutual friends of Milly and Shirley’s. They’re minor characters. Feel free to match their names to any of the female students you see in the anime. It’s really not important.

Alpha readers: Mikey.

See you next chapter! Some Angel time, same Angel channel!}