Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Stacy heard the noise and instantly realized that she was awake. Bang! Bang! What the heck is that noise? she wondered to herself. Then she remembered. I'm in Tokyo-3. The construction gangs.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Stacy shut her eyes tighter and put her pillow over her head to muffle the noise. It barely helped. Tell the guy with the jackhammer to lay off, willya?
She suddenly realized that daylight was streaming through the window. What time is it? She glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. 6:10. Why didn't the alarm go off? She put her head close to the clock and heard a feint buzzing over the din. Oh, it did. "Well, it looks like I won't be needing you anymore," she said aloud to the alarm clock. She got out of bed, realizing that there was no way she was going to be able to sleep. I wish those guys had a snooze button, she thought moodily. Second item on the agenda: Look into wall insulation.
Stacy looked at Rei's sleeping bag. It was empty, but it hadn't been slept in. Omigod! Did she watch me all night? She walked over to the bathroom, once again shuddering away from the boxes with the gauze. Third item on the agenda: Clean the apartment; look into pest control.
Stacy got to the shower just in time to see Rei coming out. Despite the fact that she had obviously stayed up all night, there wasn't a trace of wear or fatigue on her face. Some people have all the luck, thought Stacy. "Good morning, Rei," Stacy greeted her.
"Good morning," deadpanned Rei. "We'll be starting school this morning."
"Yeah. You told me that last night." Stacy smiled. "Are you going to wear your plug suit? That's what I did at Lawndale."
"We have school uniforms. Wearing a plug suit to school isn't allowed," Rei informed her.
"Uniforms? I…I don't have a uniform."
"You can use one of mine. We might be the same size."
Half an hour later, Rei and Stacy walked out of the apartment in identical blue dresses with white shirts and red, stringy bow ties. This is so freaky, thought Stacy. We look like the Bobbsy Twins! Rei walked just ahead of her in silence. Stacy hastily thought of things to talk about. Finally, she chose a topic.
"Hey, Rei. I've been meaning to ask you… where do you get your hair dyed?"
The blue haired girl turned to face her. "What are you talking about?" she asked softly.
"You know. Do you color your hair, or do you do it at a salon. Because I was thinking…maybe we could color our hair the same?"
"I don't… color my hair," she stated.
Stacy's jaw dropped. "You mean that stuff's… congenital?"
Rei gave Stacy a long, steady look. "You take too much interest in appearance," she said simply, and then began walking again. Stacy stared after her for a moment, and then ran to catch up.
"Um…yeah…you're right. I guess I've been being a real bitch."
"You have?" asked Rei. It was clearly a question, not a statement.
"Well…yeah…I have, haven't I? I mean, here I was, asking about your looks, and you're so sensitive about the subject…"
"I don't care about my looks," said Rei truthfully.
"You don't? B-but, I thought I insulted you…"
"You didn't."
"I didn't insult you?" said Stacy incredulously. Holding a conversation with Rei was going to be quite a challenge.
"No." Rei regarded Stacy. "You feel that you've insulted me, and so you're trying to apologize. Why? You were merely curious, and my answer surprised you. Perhaps…perhaps it is I who should apologize, for scaring you."
"N-no, that's okay, Rei. You didn't do anything wrong. You were just being honest. You… satisfied my curiosity!" Stacy tittered. And then some, she added to herself.
Just then, she saw Touji and Kensuke running up to her. "Hey Stacy, can I carry your books?" asked Touji.
"Hey Stacy, can I carry your pens?" offered Kensuke.
Stacy looked past them and sighed. No Shinji. Surprisingly, she had hoped that he'd be with the twosome. "No thanks guys. Touji, don't you think Hikari has something for you to do?"
"Yeah, she always has something for me to do. 'Touji, clean the classroom. Touji, mop the floor. Touji this, Touji that, Touji everything else!'"
"Well… uh, gee, Touji…maybe she just uses that as her excuse to talk to you, or something…"
"Oh, please! Now you think that Hikari likes me? Give me a break! Boy, I know when I'm not wanted!" Touji trudged away from Stacy.
Kensuke sighed. "I suppose you don't want to go out with me, either."
Stacy smiled lopsidedly and nodded.
"Oh well. Your Eva still looks cool," remarked Kensuke. He ran off to join Touji.
Stacy sighed. Figures. The first time I've got boys drooling over me like I'm Quinn and I go and blow it.
Rei smiled at Stacy. "You did well. The path to true love comes not from being worshipped by lessors, but from the discovery of equals."
Stacy returned her smile. "You're right. What do I need with a Morgendorffer male harem when I can find just one guy?" Or can I?
Stacy and Rei arrived at school early. Together the walked to classroom 2-A and went inside. The first thing that Stacy did was to scan the classroom for Shinji. Then she spied him sitting in a corner, talking with Touji and Kensuke. Stacy swallowed. Did they tell him what she said to them? Maybe she should go over there and talk.
Stacy began to move toward the threesome. She suddenly broke into a cold sweat. She swallowed. She swallowed again. Each step was more difficult than the last. And then, just when she thought she could walk no further, she was there… right behind Touji.
"…she may look okay, but she's such a little snot. I mean, Hikari and me? Yeah, right!" Shinji and Kensuke just stared at her. "And what's with those pigtails? If you ask me…" he trailed off as he noticed their stares. "She's behind me, isn't she?" Shinji and Kensuke wordlessly nodded.
Touji turned around in his seat. "Did you want to say something?" he growled belligerently.
"N-no, th-that's all right. Well… actually… yes. I just came to say hi." Stacy felt a warmth spreading across her cheeks. "H-hi, Shinji."
Shinji also began to blush. "H-hi, S-Stacy," he returned.
Stacy giggled self-consciously. "Well, now that I said 'hi', I g-guess that I s-should say 'bye'. Um…bye, everybody." With that, she returned to Rei's desk.
Then she heard a familiar voice. "Now that Eva pilot is popular, but not as popular as that Eva pilot. That Eva pilot isn't popular at all, but that Eva pilot was new and cute, so she became popular overnight. And that Eva pilot…dammit! I ran out of Eva pilots. Where's Kaworu Nagisa when you really need him?"
Stacy spied a meatball headed blonde with her back turned to her. "Tori? Is that you?"
The blonde turned around to reveal a big eyed sixteen year old. She vacantly twirled her hair around her pinky. "Tori? Tori who?" she squeaked.
Stacy tittered. "Never mind. I just mistook you for someone else, that's all."
"You don't think we're from the Moon Kingdom, do you?"
"M-moon Kingdom? What's that?"
"Well we're not! Isn't that right, Darry?" She looked at a black haired guy her age.
"That's right, babe. Yo! See you on the courts, Toe-Jam!"
Touji gnashed his teeth. "Don't call me that, okay!"
Hikari came over to the couple. "Serena! Darien! How many times do I have to tell you? This isn't your class! Yours is across the hall."
"Oh, sorry! C'mon, Darry," Serena squeaked. The couple held hands as they walked out of the classroom. Just before she got out of the room, she threw her parting shot at Stacy. "You'd better not try to steal my Darry because he's my Darry and you…you're just an Eva Pilot."
"Huh?" grunted Stacy, confused.
"Don't worry about those two. There must be a dumb couple like them in every school in the world," remarked Hikari. "Come on up to the board and write your name. It's what all of the new students do."
As Stacy walked up to the board Hikari whispered to her, "I heard what you said to Touji. Thanks. I was sort of freaked when he started drooling over you like that."
"That's okay. I don't interfere with couples."
"Um…we're not a couple."
A warmth spread across her cheeks as Stacy silently berated herself. Great job, idiot. You just threw away a potential boyfriend for a complete stranger's unrequited love problems. How could things get any worse?
"Well, look who's going up to the board!" a high pitched voice cried. "It's everyone's favorite Sailor Scout!"
I had to ask, thought Stacy as she surpressed a groan. Time to put on my game face. "Hi, Ah-soo-ka," Stacy greeted Asuka with all the false cheerfulness she could muster.
Asuka growled with anger. Oh no! What did I say? She shot up like a rocket from her seat. "It's 'Ah-ska', you idiot! Not 'Ah-soo-ka', 'Ah-ska.' Asuka. Get it, dumbkopf?"
Stacy's face lit up. "Yeah! I get it! Like Asuka the Grouch, right?"
The air in the classroom suddenly got at least ten degrees colder as an oppressive silence took hold of the room. Then the tension broke as Asuka pushed her desk aside with a loud crash. Inexorably, she began to advance toward Stacy with her fists clenched and raised. "What?" she shrilled. "Are you saying that I have an attitude problem? Is that what you're trying to tell me!"
"NO NO NO!" cried Stacy. "Little green monster…Lives in trash can…Sounds like your name…Sesame Street! Sesame Street!" she screamed. Meanwhile, the class burst into laughter. Stacy shut her eyes tightly in anticipation of the blow.
It never came. Abruptly, Asuka turned on her heel and stalked back to her desk with a disgusted grunt. "You're not even worth it," Asuka muttered.
The school bell rang. "Class attention!" ordered Hikari as the old man who was their teacher doddered into the room.
Once school let out, Stacy and Rei met Misato along with Shinji and Asuka at the monorail station. Stacy had wisely kept her distance from Asuka for the rest of the day, taking only occasional glances at Shinji. Now she was all but hiding behind Misato from the irate German.
"You'll be having your activation test once we get down to headquarters," explained Misato. "After that, there'll be a harmonics test."
"Um…okay," replied Stacy, not knowing what else to say.
The monorail stopped at the station and everyone got on board.
"Nervous, Stacy?" asked Misato.
"N-no," lied Stacy. "Why would I be nervous?"
"Oh yeah," said Asuka sarcastically. "Why would you be nervous? After all, the Eva could go berserk and start smashing headquarters, at which time the rest of us would have to destroy it. And that would mean killing you."
Stacy recoiled from Asuka and began to hyperventilate.
Shinji snorted. "And what are the odds of that happening?" He turned to Stacy. "Don't worry, Stacy. Asuka's just teasing you. She does it to everybody."
Stacy relaxed and caught her breath. "Thanks," she chirped.
The train went through a dark tunnel and then emerged into an underground cavern. Stacy looked out the window and gasped. "Cool!" she cried. The vast cave contained everything from the surface: grass, trees, buildings, a lake, and mountains. At the very center was an Egyptian Pyramid-like structure, with skyscrapers for stalactites at the top. "This is better than the Genesis Cave in Star Trek II," she cried.
"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Asuka, to whom it had become an everyday sight. "The greatest technological feat known to man, and she compares it to an early 80s sci-fi movie!"
Rei frowned. "If her eye offends you, then pluck it out," she paraphrased.
"You know something, Wonder Girl? You and Saint Matthew have almost nothing in common!" retorted Asuka.
"All right, you two," Misato admonished.
"This is the Geofront," Shinji explained to Stacy. "It houses our headquarters."
"And you built it?" asked Stacy. No wonder the Japanese think we're lazy!
"No. It was here before NERV. Nobody knows where it came from. I…I thought it was pretty cool myself, when I first came to work here."
Stacy tore her eyes away from the Geofront to focus them on Shinji. Abruptly, he smiled at her. Stacy returned it. It's a beginning, at least.
From her seat across from them, Asuka scowled. "Looks like it's mating season for the sheep," she muttered.
In the testing area, Stacy sat in her entry plug, a capsule that was inserted into the back of the Eva's spine. It's only LCL, she told herself. You won't drown. It oxygenates your blood directly. You can breathe it in. It isn't water. "Filling the entry plug," the calm, cool voice of Lieutenant Maya Ibuki radiated over the testing area's PA from the control box. Stacy surpressed a yelp as the gold liquid began to pour into the entry plug. Breathe normally…Breathe normally…Breathe—yuck! The LCL finally hit her taste-buds. Then it was time.
There was a certain way that Stacy synchronized her thoughts with Unit 03. She closed her eyes and began to visualize a door. A door in total blackness. All she needed to do was open it. She had done it countless times. In her mind, she walked toward it and pulled. Slowly, gradually the door budged. Less heavy than the last time, she noticed. Is it because I'm in the Eva? No, I can't think that way. I am the Eva. The door swung open to reveal a looking glass. She stared at herself. Then she timidly touched the mirror. She passed her hand though, and then jerked it out. Then, deciding it was safe, she passed through the mirror.
"Absolute borderline clear," reported Maya. "Unit 03 has been activated."
Stacy opened her eyes and saw the ground. One hundred and fifty feet below. She should have been hyperventilating. She should have been screaming in terror. But her feet stood on the ground. This is awesome! I'm so big and powerful! I could squish Sandi, if she was here! The thought of stepping on Sandi like a bug was interrupted by a new thought. A sense of another presence. It was there, in her womb. And it was…her? No, that couldn't be right! She was still a virgin. The feeling of power gave way to a feeling of uncertainty. Who am I? Am I Stacy Rowe anymore? Or am I really the Eva? Am I the one feeling this feeling? Or is it Unit 03?
A window in Stacy's field of vision opened to reveal Ritsuko. "Stacy, can you confirm activation?"
Stacy paused uncertainly. "Uh…roger," she replied.
"Walk in the park!" cried one of the techs. "When we activate something, it stays activated, right Doc?"
In the control booth, Ritsuko breathed a sigh of relief. "Your synch ratio just dropped two points. Are you okay?" The peroxide blonde's face was a mirror of concern.
Stacy carefully contemplated the question. Then she chose her answer. "I feel weird. Really, really, weird."
"Her synch ratio is coming back up," reported Maya.
Ritsuko smiled at Stacy. "Okay. That's normal. You can come back, now." She turned to her staff. "Shut down Unit 03. Good job everybody."
Stacy felt her conscious being torn away from the body of Unit 03 and being put back yet again in her own. She sighed, exhaling air bubbles in the LCL. It had been weird, but at least she hadn't felt so weak.
"A new Angel-fighting robot that runs on natural gas? The flatulating Jet Alone, on the next Sick Sad World 2015!" In the NERV headquarters break room, Misato turned off the TV. "What'll they think of next?" she wondered aloud.
Stacy sat in the break room and chewed her wintergreen gum, the greatest invention ever. While the Link Connection Liquid that filled the entry plug was as essential to running the Eva as the A-10 interfaces, no one could deny that it was the nastiest tasting substance known to man. There were only two things that could keep the aftertaste from lingering for the next two days. One was the gum, and the other was Burger King onion rings. Of course, when you considered that onion ring dragon breath lasted twice as long as LCL breath, and there was as yet no known cure for that, the gum won out every time.
Next to her, Shinji was listening to his Walkman, and even though he'd rather listen his music tracks, the fact that he was sitting next to her was a good sign. Gosh, but he was cute! Especially up close. Not only that, he seemed to be a very nice and sensitive person. But how could she get him to ask her out?
An unkempt, stubble-faced man with a ponytail the color of sand walked in, carrying a tray of watermelon. God! thought Stacy. Could that guy look any grosser? He looks like someone Quinn's cousin would date! "Hello, sweetheart!" he greeted Misato.
"Kaji, there's no way that I'm a sweetheart when I have to look at your face." She took a piece of watermelon. "Where do you get this stuff, anyway?"
"Ah, ah, ah, mon chère," chided Kaji, putting the tray on a nearby table. "That's a secret. Of course, I'd much rather be between your melons."
"Save the pickup lines for someone who's interested, you pervert!" snarled Misato.
You got that right, Stacy agreed silently. If he says "feisty" just once, I'm leaving.
"I'm hurt," Kaji mock pouted. "So, where's the Fourth Child? I haven't had the pleasure of meeting her."
"You mean traumatizing her," corrected Misato sourly.
"Oh come on, Katsuragi! We're going to meet eventually. Why not now?"
Misato sighed. "All right. She's sitting right there." She gestured at the table where Stacy and Shinji were sitting.
Kaji strode toward Stacy. "Well, well. Stacy Rowe. We meet at last. I'm Ryogi Kaji."
Stacy waved. "Um…hi."
"So, can I buy you a drink? Maybe a soda?"
"Excuse me," said Stacy in as polite a voice as she could muster, "but I'm only fourteen."
Kaji stared at her what seemed like an eternity and then abruptly began to laugh. "What did you tell her about me, Misato?" Kaji asked.
"I didn't say anything," replied Misato. "Maybe she just picked up on the fact that you're a raging sex fiend!"
"Kaji!" a familiar and dreaded voice squealed from the break room door. Stacy groaned audibly as Asuka ran up and hugged the man.
"At least someone in this organization appreciates me," remarked Kaji. "Right Asuka?"
"Of course, Kaji," Asuka cooed. "You're the greatest."
Kaji's watch beeped. "Looks like I've got to be someplace. One of my…private affairs."
"What?" cried Misato. "Who is she?"
Kaji smiled devilishly. "Wouldn't you like to know. Are you jealous? Hmm?"
"Don't flatter yourself!" growled Misato.
Kaji went up to Misato. "I'll see you around, gorgeous," he said, stealing a kiss. Then he quickly dodged Misato's open hand and ran out of the break room. "Jerk," Misato muttered.
I was wrong, thought Stacy. Even Upchuck wouldn't have tried that!
Asuka, meanwhile, had gotten a predatory smile on her face as she walked up behind the oblivious Shinji, who was still listening to his Walkman. She grabbed the left earphone and yanked it away from his head. "SHINJI, YOU IDIOT!" she screamed in his ear. "TURN THAT WALKMAN DOWN! DON'T YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU KEEP LISTENING TO THAT THING YOU'RE GOING TO GO DEAF? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?"
Shinji began to bat at the air next to his ear. "Dammit, Asuka!" he yelled. He jiggled his finger in his ear.
Asuka stepped back. "See? What did I tell you?" she cried triumphantly.
"Somehow I don't think he's going to go deaf from his tape player," quipped Misato, echoing Stacy's thoughts.
Stacy looked down at his Walkman and gasped. "Omigod! You have an SDAT? That's so cool!" she cried.
"Thanks," Shinji smiled modestly. "It was a gift from my old professor."
Eager to keep the momentum going, Stacy continued. "So, what do Eva pilots do after they're finished with all of their testing and stuff?"
Shinji shrugged. "I don't know. What do you want to do?"
"I don't know," replied Stacy. "What do you want to do?"
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
Asuka, bored with watching this callow display of back and forth, slammed her palm down on the table between them. "Just kiss her already, you idiot!" she screamed at Shinji.
Kiss Shinji? thought Stacy. She looked over at him. She swallowed and began to hyperventilate. Five seconds later, Shinji followed suit.
"Oh, that's a real match made in heaven," laughed Asuka. She sauntered out of the break room, convinced that her work was done.
"Would you two get a hold of yourselves?" asked Misato. "Nobody's going to make you kiss." Meanwhile, Shinji grabbed a nearby paper bag and began to breathe into it. He offered it to Stacy.
"N-no thanks, I think I'm okay now."
"Oh, I almost forgot!" cried Misato. She rummaged around in her purse and got out a cellular phone. "This is for you. I know Rei doesn't have a phone, so I thought you might want one. It's got my phone number on it, in case you need to reach me. And it's also Shinji's phone number, too," she added with a sly wink.
Stacy snatched the paper bag from Shinji's hands as she went into yet another fit of hyperventilating.
"So tell me about this guy Shinji," Quinn's voice crackled over the cell phone. It was just before bedtime where Stacy was, but Quinn was getting ready for school halfway around the world.
"Well, he's really sweet, but he's sort of shy, you know. And he's really cute," replied Stacy.
"What kind of car does he have?" asked Quinn.
Stacy almost laughed. The first thing Quinn ever looked for in a man was material wealth. The question was so…so her.
"Quinn, he's only fourteen! He doesn't even have a license yet."
"God, Stacy."
Stacy sighed. "Yeah, I know."
"You can do better."
"I guess. But what's even worse is Asuka, his roommate."
"His name's Oscar?" Quinn's voice brightened.
"No, Asuka. And she's a girl."
"Oh. One of those Melrose Place things."
"Not exactly. She almost beat me up, and then she tried to make me kiss him."
Quinn contemplated this. "God. It sounds like this Asuka's a real snot, huh?"
Stacy laughed. "You got that right."
"Well, I've got to go. Talk to you later."
As Quinn hung up a girl with horn-rimmed glasses and dressed in a black skirt, orange shirt, and an olive jacket walked in. "Who was that?" she asked.
"God, Daria! Can't I even have a phone conversation before school? You always have to butt into my life!" cried Quinn.
"What? All I asked…"
"Can't you find a life of your own? You're suffocating me!" Quinn stormed out of the room. "MOM! DAD! DARIA IS RUINING MY LIFE AGAIN!"