“The energy from their weapons sizzled between them and as their eyes met from across the room, they both knew that this was most certainly the end to what might have been a beautiful friendship.”

“Stop!” Anakin cried, covering his ears with his hands.

“What?” Alaya asked innocently, her eyes twinkling mischievously as she placed the romance novel down on her lap.

“You know I can’t stand that stuff!” Anakin wined, lowering his hands and folding them across his chest. “Why must you insist on reading it out loud? Especially when I can‘t leave the room!”

Alaya grinned, lifting the book back up and cleared her throat.

“Oh no you don’t” Anakin exclaimed, using the force to yank the book from her grasp.

“Hey!” Alaya yelled, leaping from her chair and pouncing on Anakin. “Give that back!”

“No way!” Anakin replied, from the floor. Pushing her off of himself, Anakin quickly flipped over, stomach to the ground. The book was held firmly in his grasp, safely out of Alaya’s reach beneath his chest.

“Give me it!” Alaya shouted, jumping on top of Anakin, trying to pry it out from under him.

“No! I refuse to listen to any more of this stuff!” Anakin mumbled, his face pressed to the ground.

“Padawans!” Obi-wan interjected, startling the them.

Immediately they jumped to their feet, placing themselves at attention.

“Now then,” Obi-wan started, pacing in front of them, his eyes narrowed with disapproval. “I was called from a very important Council meeting to be informed that the two of you had started a food fight down in the cafeteria. I rush down here and find the two of you rolling on the ground in yet another argument, not sitting quietly like good padawans.”

“I’m sorry Master,” Anakin and Alaya said in unison, glancing at their food covered robes.

“Good,” Obi-wan replied. “Now then, before I inform Alaya’s Master of this particular incident, I want the two of you to apologize to each other.”

“I’m sorry,” Alaya said. “I shouldn’t have provoked you by reading the book aloud.”

“That’s okay,” Anakin replied, slowly handing the book back. “I shouldn’t have thrown that potato at you either.”

Obi-wan nodded in approval. “As punishment for the food fight, the two of you will have to scrub clean the cafeteria,” Obi-wan paused, looking over at Anakin. “Using droids is not allowed. You are to do it by hand this time.”

Anakin nodded, his frown deepening.

“Now then, the two of you are to go get cleaned up and report to the cafeteria.” Obi-wan ordered.

Alaya and Anakin glanced at each other before Anakin spoke up. “But Master, we have lightsaber practice in a hour.”

“Well you should have thought of that before you two started that fight,” Obi-wan remarked.

They nodded, their shoulders slumped as they shuffled out the room.

As they walked down the hall, Anakin glanced at Alaya. “So, do they get together?” Anakin hesitantly asked.

“Who?” Alaya glanced back at him.

“The couple who were in your book,” Anakin replied, embarrassment creeping into his voice.

“I thought you couldn’t stand that stuff,” Alaya commented, suppressing a smile.

“I can‘t, but...” Anakin paused. “I hate not knowing the ending to things. It will continue to bug me if I don’t find out.”

“So you’ll let me read the rest to you?” Alaya asked, her eyes lighting up.

Anakin nodded reluctantly. “Only if you skip the mushy stuff.”