Love Games

Her name was Stella and Elle could tell many things about her right from the get go. She was shy, bookish, and adamant about keeping to herself and to business of her own. She wouldn't be the easiest project to pick up, but Elle always had a taste for a challenge. While others were scrambling to hone in on their selected targets, the blonde was taking her sweet time in assessing Stella's traits. This was going to be the key in making a quality match, which was her one goal for the entire school year.

"So, are you staying in the dorms, Stella?" Elle asked.

"No… I live just outside the city," she said quietly. "I ride up here on a bike."

"Oh, so you're a townie. Let me guess," she said. "You're here on scholarship."

Stella's mouth creased into a mild frown. "Is it obvious?"

"No, not really," Elle lied. "But we don't have many students from town. Most of them are already committed to the other schools. I know Southwood offered scholarships to a lot of students in the public school system."

"Oh."

Elle smiled softly. Although Stella was about as aloof as they came, she seemed to be a rather nice girl after all. Knowing that, Elle only grew more excited to find a perfect match for the young freshman. Her mind was already cycling through the assortment of boys that she had encountered thus far, but no one was particularly special enough for Stella.

"Here we are," Elle announced as they came to a stop in front of the school library. "Hope you didn't find it too confusing to get here, but I trust you'll have no issues finding it again."

"I won't," Stella said. "Thank you for showing me."

"Anytime, Stella," she insisted. "Right now, I've got to run. But just come find me if you need anything! I'm staying in the Hibiscus dorms."

Locating the library must have meant a lot to her because Stella finally offered Elle a smile as she waved, even though it was very slight. But it was a start that promised good things to the tall blonde as she bid her farewell.

Elle made her way down the hall at a leisurely pace, eyes glancing over the students that were wandering about. Ideally, she was hoping to find someone that would contrast nicely with Stella's modesty. Somebody who was a polar opposite, yet had a mild demeanor. The more challenging it was, the more points she'd be sure to score with the Headmistress. But Elle wanted to arrange a sweet love, the innocent kind that would go nicely to a freshman's fond memory of their start to a high school career.

Her master plan was coming together now and if everything went accordingly, she'd be a full fledged Love Angel by the end of the school year.

That was what Southwood was really all about. It was a gigantic testing ground for the L.A. undergrads. All of this was being orchestrated by one of the Agency's Elite Love Angels. Freya, who was now better known as Headmistress Locksley, was somewhat legendary for her unconventional methods of doing things. Southwood would be one of the many projects that would face criticism from the rest of the Divine Intervention Unit.

Elle passed the school gymnasium. Then she suddenly paused and backtracked a few steps to observe a crowd of students engaged in a casual game of basketball. A wide grin grew on her lips as she was struck with a genius idea. It was about as cliche as they came, but a guaranteed classic at the same time.

A socially inept nerd and an athletically inclined golden boy.

All that was left to do was to find a suitable boy to play the part.

* * *

That evening in room 206 of the Hibiscus Dormitory, Elle was running her intentions by her closest friend and roommate, Reia. At this time, she was still on the hunt for a leading man to match her starlet lady, but that was why she was conferring with Reia anyway.

Reia was also in the junior class and she was known primarily for her vibrant red hair. Unlike Elle, Reia was very reserved and carried out her tasks in a calculated manner. In truth, many of their peers found the stoic girl to be rather frightening and went to certain lengths to avoid her. But Elle seemed oblivious to all of the talk and saw something similar to an older sibling in Reia.

"But I hung around the gym all day," Elle sighed. "I haven't had any luck finding him yet. What if he doesn't even exist? I'm not going to just throw Stella together with just any idiot, it has to be perfect! You know how I feel, don't you Reia?"

She nodded silently in response as the blonde finished weaving her hair into a braid and flopped into her bed. Elle then urged Reia to share how things were going on her end because it hurt to think about it anymore.

"I might know someone," the red head murmured, not taking her eyes away from the notebook she was scribbling on. "Someone you might like for her."

"What? Who?" she asked, sitting upright and crawling over to the foot of her bed.

Reia gave her a mild smile as she pulled a thick red leather bound volume from the row of books on her desk. She leafed through the pages for only a few moments before offering it to Elle.

"Samuel Rowe, freshman," she read aloud, brows furrowing together as she analyzed the profile printed in the Handbook. "Soccer, huh? That's actually perfect, Reia. You're a genius! To be honest, I found the basketball players to be arrogant assholes while the football players were first class douche bags. But I hadn't scoped out the soccer players yet… have you met him personally?"

"I told you to flip through the Handbook weeks ago, Elle," Reia teased. "But you're so hardheaded when it comes to these things. As for Samuel, no, I haven't met him personally. If you'd like to meet him, his class schedule is written there with tons of other useful information."

It was true. The Handbook was provided to them last week containing everything from the student's profiles and class schedules to the guidelines and rules of the project. Elle hadn't touched her copy, insisting that she was more of a hands on learner.

"That's what I have you for, Reia," she insisted stubbornly. "We can't always rely on books to tell us what we need to know. Sometimes good old fashioned means are more... meaningful."

"… Neither of us know what you mean when you say that."

"I know what I mean."

* * *

Elle sought Stella out after school the next day, managing to catch her just as she was leaving her seventh period. She was genuinely surprised when the junior girl latched onto her arm and proposed that they go check out the soccer team try outs that afternoon. Stella squinted, obviously not very interested in participating in such things. But Elle was persistent and not long after, Stella acquiesced to accompany her.

The two girls ventured out to the soccer fields where they met Reia already seated on the bleachers. "I thought you said you had things to do, Reia," Elle huffed, dropping down beside her. "This is my friend, Stella."

Reia gave them a mellow smile and nodded. "Elle was just telling me about you last night," she said. "My name is Reia. I hope she didn't scare you too badly. I know she can be a little-"

"A little what?" Elle cut in, pouting at the red head. "Whatever it is, I'm not!"

Stella watched them interact for a moment, but she couldn't hold back a quiet chuckle for long. Elle smiled, nudging her with her elbow as she gestured towards the field. "Come on, we need your opinion on who's hot and who's not," she explained. "And before you say anything, I swear it's all in good fun."

"This really isn't my sort of thing, Elle…" was all Stella murmured, but fell silent after that as her eyes focused on the field.

Despite her initial reluctance to partake in the activity, she slowly warmed up to them until they were able to share laughter over Elle and Reia's ruthless scrutiny. Stella tried to point out something positive about each of them, but she couldn't save everyone. It was at this point in time that Elle initiated her agenda.

"Well what about that one? Number 09? Over on the right?"

Stella, not thinking anything of it, watched the boy with the 09 tag on his shirt intercept the ball and guide it up the field. Neither Elle nor Reia were very knowledgable about sports, but Stella seemed to know enough.

"He's pretty good," she commented, following him up the field. "He has complete control of the ball-" She watched him pivot the ball to another open player. "-and he isn't a ball hog."

"He's cute, right?" Elle pushed.

Stella blinked and tilted her head slightly, squinting across the distance to try and make out his face. She wasn't sure why they were doing this, but Elle and Reia has assured her that it was for simple fun.

"I guess…" she agreed, hesitation evident in her tone. "It's getting late. I should start home."

"What! But we haven't even-" Elle was about to protest and spill the beans about how she was planning on dragging her to a meeting of sorts, but Reia cooly nudged her in the side. "You're right. You have that long ride home, don't you?"

Stella nodded, standing and swinging her book bag over her shoulder. "Thanks for inviting me today," she said. "It was fun… nice to meet you, Reia."

"You too, Stella," the red head returned with a wave. "We'll see you tomorrow."

She nodded once before starting off, not even sparing a second glance back at them or the soccer field. Elle and Reia watched her until she disappeared from their sights.

"You have your work cut out for you, Elle."

"What's that supposed to mean?"