I kept watch over the yearbook office, having completed my duties in record time in the Activities office, waiting for Brynn. I used the fact that there were pages waiting for my review to leave early. I saw her push open the double doors to the cafeteria, and made a grab for her.

She yelped and I laughed as I swung her around.

"Are you crazy? Put me down?" she sounded breathy and I liked it.

"No, I don't think so." I breathed in her ear and felt her shiver in my arms. I did put her down but not until I reached our secret spot in the cafeteria, then I sat her down on the wall.

She had pink streaks today and I wrapped a strand around my finger. She was frowning at me, trying to act mad but I wasn't buying it.

"I know how to turn that frown upside down," I said leaning in to kiss her but threw her completely off her game when I tickled her instead. She wiggled, giggled and squirmed all the while begging me to stop. I did...eventually.

She was now smiling at me but was annoyed for real this time. "Don't EVER do that again," she said but it was hard to take seriously with that grin she was wearing.

"What this?" I made a move but she blocked me and pulled me closer to her, wrapping my arms around her waist. Now I get to look directly into those beautiful brown eyes of hers.

"You're beautiful," I said before really expecting the words to come out of my mouth.

"You're stupid," she said trying to push me away but I would not relinquish my hold on her.

"Come on, you have to know how pretty you are?"

"Moving on," she stated flatly, "my Grandmother met with your Mom this morning."

That's right! She had my full attention, although I planned on getting back to that whole "pretty thing" later.

"So, how did it go?"

"I don't know. Wasn't allowed in the office. Spent the entire time waiting outside. They talked for a good length of time so I'm guessing things went well. If Gran just wanted to say, "Mind your own damn business." She could have done so in far less words then a 20-minute meeting would take."

"So, that's good right?" I asked hopefully.

"We'll see," Brynn shrugged. "So, you ready for the game tomorrow?"

She was changing the subject and I allowed it, as there didn't seem to be more information to be had.

"I hope so. We have one last practice today and then the big game tomorrow."

"I know," she said with that "you're being stupid again" grin. "Yearbook photographer. Remember?"

"So, about you secretly stalking me all these years?" I say pulling her closer.

"You wish Mr. Class Everything. Maybe if you left one or two things for the rest of us mere mortals to excel at I'd have a better portfolio to show. Instead I have picture after picture of "Finn Nash- Don't you wish you were me?" If it does appear stalker "ish" it's not intentional I assure you."

"You mocking me, little Miss Disappear? Miss, I'd rather hide behind the camera then have my picture taken because then people may see just how beautiful I really am."

"You're stupid," she said again trying to push me away with zero success.

"I have a 4.0 grade point average that says you're wrong," I countered.

"Book smarts!" she scoffs.

"You knocking what you can learn from books? I'll have you know book smarts as you put it is where it's at. In fact, I read this really interesting story the other night in which something like this happened." I took her face in my hands and before she could react kissed her the way I had wanted to from the moment my eyes laid upon her.

She completely surrendered and I took full advantage. If our time was to be short, I wanted to make a permanent impression upon her brain; I wanted to make such an impression, that should she even think of kissing someone else, she'd sigh thinking of me first.

When I pulled away she had that look that I loved upon her face that said at this moment, however brief it lasted, she was happy.

"Learned that from a book did ya?" she teased.

"Yep." I challenged.

"Then let me show you what I've learned from the Streets?"

She ran her fingers through my hair and pulled me be back to her lips. She took total command of this kiss and her hands drifted from my hair, to my neck, and trailed down my back causing an onslaught of shivers to cascade up my spine and she laughed against my lips when she felt them.

It was a tactical error on her part as she opened her mouth to me and I immediately took things up a notch. Showing her she may know a thing or two but there was still a whole lot more she had to learn and I planned on teaching her.

She again proved to be a quick study, things began to heat up, and in usual fashion the bell rings and we are forced to split apart. She looks more then happy this time. She looks down right dreamy.

"You did not learn that from a book?" she accused.

"You're right but that was your mistake in thinking I haven't learned a thing or two on the streets." I countered.

"Hmmm, you've just managed to become more interesting Finn Nash," she says with a grin.

"Just how interesting?"

"We'll see," she says hopping off the wall and walking with me to her next class.

Before she disappears into her art class I hand her the note I dug out of my bag.

"An Owl?" she says looking down at it, "I'm impressed."

"Thank you! See you after school?"

"Maybe?"

"Tease."

She laughs and disappears into her classroom.

I am in such a good mood until I turn around and look directly into the scowling face of Adam.

"You're in the way." He says standing, staring at me.

I step aside and wave for him to enter.

He rolls his eyes at me, mumbling something incoherent, as he walks past. I know if he is a friend of Brynn's I should make an effort but as she said she really doesn't have friends I figure I'm free to dislike this guy, immensely.

The rest of the day passes without consequence. I spent study hall copying that poem from Brynn's letter for Miss Valentino and taking care of the rest of my physics homework that should free up enough of my time tonight should Brynn decide to call again. I hope she does, as I am eager to find out how the talk went but I guess I could just ask my Mom but she's usually all hush, hush, student confidential and such.

Before practice I head on over to Miss Valentino's classroom, wanting to settle up as she did me a huge favor in giving me back Brynn's letter the other day. I open the door and the sight before me stops me cold.

Tyler has full on contact going on with our English Teacher. The two of them are so absorbed in their makeout session that neither of them realized I entered. I decide to back out of the room but fall over something that I didn't know was behind me causing a loud crash as a broom in the corner had fallen to the floor.

They both leap apart and I am now stuck with this image burned into my brain.

"Finn, I..." Miss Valentino was at loss for words.

Tyler just looked angry. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

I take a deep breath and approach the two of them. Miss Valentino makes quick work of the last few buttons to her shirt try to reclaim her decency. I keep my eyes on Tyler till she's done, I then turn to her and give her the poem.

"Just came to drop this off. As promised," I say as she takes it from me. She scans the paper and immediately recognizes what it is.

"Thank you," she says awkwardly.

"You're welcome." I say and turn to walk back out of the room.

"Finn?" she says and I turn back around, just standing there, wishing she would just let me go.

"You aren't going to mention this to your Mom are you?"

Damn it! Mom. Why did she have to ask me this now? Why couldn't she give me a second to process everything? I haven't even gotten that far in my brain. It's still stalled out on trying to remove the image of my best friend and my teacher locking lips and doing other more inappropriate things.

"Of course, he isn't," Tyler said when I didn't speak up.

Miss Valentino looked scared. She knew she could lose her job over this. Tyler was not a minor so there was no real issue there but parents wouldn't take kindly to knowing a teacher was having whatever that was with a student.

"Right, Finn?" Tyler asked me.

"I got to get to practice," I say and walk out the door. I hear a quick shuffling behind me and I want to move faster but keep a normal pace and so in no time at all Tyler catches up.

"Finn! Finn hold up!"

I sigh with every fiber of my being. I just want to go to practice. I just want to see Brynn. I just want to forget the last few minutes ever happened but I stop and wait.

"Why didn't you tell Sierra that you wouldn't say anything?"

"Who's Sie..." it took second for my brain to catch up. "I told you to leave it alone." I start walking again but Tyler pulls me back by my shoulder.

I look at his hand poignantly and he removes it. "I couldn't. Not when I realized she was really interested. It was too hard to resist." Tyler confesses.

I didn't want to know. "Try harder," I say feeling like I am between a rock and a hard place and my life is being squeezed out of me as they are slowly pressed together.

Tyler's anger returns, "What's it to you?"

"She's a teacher!" I state the obvious.

"So, she's also a woman. A woman that I want and who is offering herself to me, you expect me to walk away from that."

My own anger at the position he is putting me in started to rear its ugly head. "I expect you be friggin smarter then you are acting right now! You or her, well one of you!" I say throwing my hands up in exasperation.

Again Tyler fires back, "Why do you care?"

"You really are friggin dumbass. Who am I Tyler?"

Tyler just looked at me confused.

"I ain't just some student at Lenape High. My MOM is the freaking principal!"

He still looks confused and I lose my mind.

"Stop thinking with your penis for a second and put yourself in my shoes. A teacher is having a physical relationship with a student. My mother is principal of the school. Now lets just say for argument sake that I keep your little secret and someone else catches you two screwing with each other in a classroom. That means not only is Miss Valentino in danger of losing her job but so is my Mom for allowing this to carry on in her school and I know all this and kept it from her."

"All Hell! Finn...I...I didn't mean for..."

"I need to get to practice."

I just wanted to be away from him. I have never kept a secret from my parents. EVER. I just wasn't that kind of kid, so basically I never got myself into any trouble that would cause me to be in that position and now this. What the hell was I do to with this?