"You have to pay for those?" I tell Tyler who is now chowing down on his third cupcake from the boxes I collected from the activities office.

He groans and throws a ten-dollar bill at me. "Don't bother with change I'll most likely be eating at least two more."

"My mom's cupcakes are addictive," I say, laughing throwing in my own two dollars before grabbing, one for myself.

"This is why you asked me to help, isn't it? So you don't have to actually try and sell any during lunch." Tyler shoves a fourth into his mouth. 

"Would there be another reason?" I ask, enjoying my own cupcake.

Miss Valentino comes up to our table. "Who did those posters?" 

Tyler looks behind us and he shrugs.

"Brynn Shelby," I say proudly although none of the credit goes to me. I just hung them up, with Brynn's help.

"They're beautiful." She leans over the table to get a better look.

She wasn't the only one getting a better look. Poor Tyler is nearly drooling. Her blouse was open just enough at this angle to give him, well actually both of us, a good view of her chest.

"Speaking of beautiful..." Tyler breathes and I kick him under the table. He swears and gives me a dirty look. I give him a wide-eyed stare and head nod letting him know he's doing it again.

"Sorry?" Miss Valentino says, after straightening up rather abruptly.

I interject with, "Speaking of beautiful have you seen these cupcakes? Not only do they look good but also they taste even better. Isn't that right, Tyler?"

Tyler is still rubbing his leg but noticing he now has Miss Valentino's undivided attention says, "Yeah... and if you buy one...you'll be supporting a good cause." He adds emphasis to his statement by holding the box out to her.

She doesn't look very convinced that this was all Tyler was talking about and is smiling a rather knowing smile. "You have a little icing." She leaned over the table again. "Right here." She took her thumb and wiped the icing from his cheek.

I half expected Tyler to melt into a pile of goo. Instead, he froze and looked a little panicked like he had no idea what to do next. Miss Valentino laughed and said, "I'll take two. After all, it is for a good cause."

Tyler sprung back to life and handed her the cupcakes after I took her four dollars. "Thank you," I say and nudge Tyler in the ribs. After another annoyed look, he adds, "Yeah, Thanks!"

"See you tomorrow, boys!" Ms. Valentino waves to us as she walks away. 

Tyler punches my shoulder, hard. "You hit me again and I will flatten you like I did in the third grade. Got it?" 

I rub my shoulder. "Then next time, try to be a little less obvious." 

"I can't help it. You saw what I saw. How am I supposed to hold it together under such pressure and she touched me, did you see that?" 

"Yes, it was rather motherly and when she called us boys, it was obvious that she wanted you. Pull yourself together, Man. She's a teacher. You are a student."

"I know women, and that was not the look of a teacher," Tyler said defensively.

I scoff at this. Yes, it's true Tyler does date a lot. Especially in comparison to me but I doubt the girls he's been with could seriously prepare him for a relationship with someone like Ms. Valentino. I know he's seriously crushing right now but truthfully I'm worried.

"Whatever that was, it shouldn't happen again. Not unless you want her fired and you expelled."

Now it would seem it was Tyler's turn to look moody. What a couple of girls we are turning out to be.

Wanting to change the subject I ask, "Did you know Brynn is on the yearbook committee?"

"Duh? She takes the best pictures of me at our games. I'd love to get some of them blown up bigger, especially that jump shot from the game against Central High last year that made it in the yearbook. My dad would love that."

"Huh?" I'm still surprised I had no idea. "Wait, is Brynn at all of our games?"

"You really are clueless aren't you?" Tyler shakes his head at me. "Brynn has been documenting your life for the last four years. With all the crap you are involved in. She probably knows you better than you know yourself. Aren't you editor-in-chief or something like that?"

"Chief Editor, yeah but by the time I get the book most of the pictures are picked out and I just need to make sure everything is correct before it goes to print. I guess I never took notice as to who was taking the pictures."

"All of our games, huh?" I'm still in disbelief.

"Yeah, Captain Oblivious. She'll be on the sidelines on Friday. I'll point her out to you." He laughed giving me a shove before taking another cupcake.

Once again, I'm amazed as Brynn, it would seem, has always been a part of my life. I just didn't see it. 

Most people don't know I exist. 

Wasn't that what she said to me a few periods ago? I felt ashamed that I could be touted among those who pass her by. Heck, if she didn't leave me hanging with the bus would I still be oblivious? 

Probably and for some reason that answer bothered me. Brynn is definitely someone worth getting to know. She's a little quirky to be sure but that isn't a bad thing. She definitely knows how to keep things interesting. I think of her letter again.

You seem to be "fishing" for something.

Do you even know what it is?

And if you caught it would you recognize it as what you wanted or

Would you just be happy with the catch and throw it back?

All good questions, I guess now I need to look a little deeper for the answers.

The thought both excites and terrifies me. I want things to be different but I don't know how to handle different. I feel ill-equipped for whatever this is. Perhaps that's the problem, in a nutshell, not knowing leaves me shaky. Not knowing means I can't prepare because I don't know what's ahead.

I wonder if that's why I keep this thing with Brynn going. She seems to know her way around the unknown. She doesn't come across as lost, just a wanderer. I believe perhaps, she is some sort of guide that will help me find my way. That sounds stupid doesn't it, but it's not too far off the mark.

"Crazy ex at three o'clock?" Tyler warns while pointing to the right.

"I don't have time for this." 

Jessica sashays her way up to the table. "Tyler," Jessica says, giving my best friend only a brief glance before turning her attention to me.

"Jessica," I say holding a box of cupcakes out to her, "cupcake?"

"Please, you know I don't touch that stuff. I voted for the carwash if you remember." She's pouting again something she does often.

"So you're here to lobby a complaint to Student Council because you didn't get your way?" The sarcasm in my voice was not to be mistaken and l hear Tyler laugh a second before coughing on a piece of cupcake that went down the wrong pipe.

Jessica has only four looks in her repertoire happy, pouty, snobby, and annoyed. Maybe that's why I stopped finding her attractive as three out of her four looks aren't very attractive at all. Right now she's annoyed but struggling because if I know Jessica she wants something. She always wants something.

She smothers whatever it is that annoyed her and is back to happy again. I think they have a medical term for that ability to switch moods so quickly but it escapes me at the moment. I continue to look at her with what I hope is a bored expression which is exactly how I feel.

She sits on the table and smiles at me in what I can only describe as predatory. "Finn, I know you are mad at me. If only I knew what I did wrong. We belong together. I can't be happy until I fix this and I need to be happy, Finn."

"If you're trying to tell me that your sole happiness depends on us being together then I'm afraid you are going to be pretty miserable for the rest of your life. I've already informed you I have no intention of dating you again." I was tired of mincing my words, trying to be nice wasn't sinking in, so harsh reality seemed the way to go.

Her eyes narrowed and she's pouting again. "Why are you being so mean to me?" she whines in a tone that sounds like a petulant three-year-old.

"You're right. I'm sorry." I change gears again. "I don't want to be mean to you, Jessica. I just need you to understand, it's over, and to move on. You're popular. You're beautiful. I am certain there is a plethora of guys here at school that would jump at the chance to date you. You need to stop wasting your time on me." 

If only she would give up. 

"Yeah," Tyler suddenly jumps into the conversation. "Finn's moved on so you should too."

Both Jessica and I look at Tyler in surprise but for totally different reasons. Me, because I am not dating anyone, and I really wasn't intending to, and Jessica because now she's been given the information she's been hoping for, that girl thrives on competition. If she believes there is someone else she'd be hellbent on destroying that person. In her mind, one is better.

I throw my hands in the air at Tyler in a "What the hell?" manner. 

Jessica positively purred. "Why the secrecy, Finn? Afraid your new girl couldn't possibly measure up? Were you cheating on me before we broke up? You did find someone awfully quick to replace me. Can't wait to meet her." She hops off the table and blows me a kiss over her shoulder before walking away.

I haul off and hit Tyler so hard it pushed him backward in his chair. "Have you freaking lost your mind?! What possessed you to say that to her?" 

Tyler looks mad as hell. He pushes his chair back the rest of the way and stands up in order to stare down at me. "It's called being a friend. If she knows you moved on then maybe she would too, and leave you the hell alone!"

"But it's a lie. I don't have someone. Don't you think she's going to figure that out?" I fire back standing up to face him. "She's freaking nuts, and now that she thinks I have a girlfriend, no girl I talk to will be safe, including Brynn."

"Damn." Tyler suddenly looks apologetic. "I didn't think about Brynn. I just wanted her off your back. You don't think she'd do something stupid do you?"

"It's Jessica," I say wanting to throttle him, "what do you think?" Still, I know his intentions were good.