Zeral - She's Just Not That Into You

[Zeral]

<<Starfleet Academy, seven years before joining the Malinche>>

She wanted to like Henry, really she did. He was everything a man should be. He was considerate, intelligent, altruistic, attractive?but that was it. And while he may have been attractive in his looks, Nora was discovering that that didn?t mean she felt attracted to him. His persistence was certainly unattractive, especially now that she was finding him lurking around every corner and waiting for her outside of all her classes. She never enjoyed a free moment without him, and she was understandably agitated with her friends? stubborn insistence that she just ?give him a chance.?

Enough was enough. After receiving the third bouquet of flowers from Henry in a week, Nora decided it was time to put an end to it all. The only problem was, she didn?t exactly know how. She was a Betazoid; it was in her nature, or so she was told, to seek a pleasant solution to even the most unpleasant events of life. Said event being a crushing set down to stop an annoying would be suitor in his tracks, Nora couldn?t see any truly pleasant way to go about it.

Good thing she had two resourceful brothers to turn to for advice. Soren had offered her plenty of wisdom and sage advice; Tell him how you really feel. Let him know gently but firmly that you?re just not interested. Don?t cause a scene, leave the man with his dignity intact.

Bron, on the other hand, had had all sorts of devilish ideas to get the message across to Henry. Some of them had bordered on being just plain cruel?those reputed ethics Betazoids were known for had never really applied to him?and others had been quite laughable but still impractical. But finally, after hours of talking, they had come up with a brilliant plan. The practice of genetic bonding was going to set her free.

Now the only thing left to do was to find the perfect opportunity to instigate her plan. The opportunity came along sooner than Nora would have expected. On an impromptu walk one warm evening with all her friends, Henry had singled her out and pulled her along down another path.

?Lovely evening, isn?t it??

Nora had no time for small talk. It was now or never. ?Henry, I have something to tell you.?

She could sense his surprise. Tempted as she was to delve into his thoughts, too, she managed to restrain herself, mindful that she was already about to dally into dishonesty, something rather uncharacteristic of her as it was.

?Henry, I?m engaged.? It was true, to a certain degree. She had, in fact, been genetically bonded at birth. What she was leaving out was the fact that after her parents? untimely passing, her brothers had happily handed the decision regarding her engagement over to her. It was her choice as to whether or not she?d follow the practice. As of yet, she was still undecided on the matter. It was a little soon to start thinking of marriage, after all. But Henry didn?t need to know all of that.

?You?re what?!? Oh, gods. This was not going well. His feelings of shock and outrage hit her like a physical blow. Too late to turn back now.

?I?m engaged, Henry. I just thought you had the right to know.?

?B-but when? Who??

?Well, I don?t know him.?

?You don?t?don?t know?him??

?No. I?ve never met him, but we?ve been engaged since birth. It?s actually a common Betazoid practice. I?m so, so sorry, Henry, but I only thought it fair that you should know. We just don?t have a future together. It was never meant to be.?

There, see? She was still following Soren?s advice and telling him the absolute truth. Sort of. They didn?t have a future together, and it was never, ever meant to be. And she didn?t like him, but for the sake of leaving him his dignity, as her brother had put it, she?d leave that part out.

?We?ll always have Starfleet, Nora.? He was gazing down at her longingly, taking her small hand into his and clasping it to his chest as though this was their final farewell. Nora mentally added melodrama to his list of flaws.

?We?certainly will, Henry.? And then he was gone, making a dramatic exit and leaving Nora with an overpowering sense of guilt as she sensed despair emanating from him. What had she done? How could she have been so selfish, so cruel hearted to a man who only wanted?

Wait. She was picking up on something else now. He had staggered down the path, and though he was a good twenty feet from her, she could sense his feelings suddenly shift and change. Apparently he had stumbled across another young woman, another blond, coincidentally. And just like that, his flimsy despair was gone, replaced immediately with the hope of a new relationship and the excitement of a new woman to pursue.

?Wait just one minute!? Nora all but shouted, hands on her hips and ready for the confrontation of a lifetime. Good thing her close friend Talia had happened upon her then and dragged her away, using all her skills as another future counselor to try and sooth her outraged friend and to remind her that revenge was never the answer. When that didn?t work and Nora was threatening to hunt him down and make him regret forgetting about her so soon, Talia tried another tactic.

Shortly thereafter, Nora had her first drink of Romulan Ale.

When the morning came, she swore it would be her last. But at least Henry was a distant thought.