I found her easily as Brynn stands out in a crowd, even if said crowd was a sea of khaki and navy blue. She always sat by the same tree in the courtyard, her nose in a book or drawing on her sketchpad.

For a moment, I just stood and observed her from a safe distance away. This time she had out her sketchpad. A pencil case rested on her left and her bag to the right. She sat cross-legged and seemed very intent on whatever she was working on.

It struck me how many people walked right by her, never even glancing down to be sure they didn't tread on her. No one did, but it was like she were invisible to the rest of the world with some sort of force field that kept others from accidentally invading her space. If that was even possible which it wasn't but again, weird.

Well enough watching. I want answers. Storming right up to her, I stand there for way longer than would be required for my presence to be acknowledged normally. I stand, when not slouching over six foot four inches tall people usually notice when I step into a room or in this case their space, but not Brynn. Eventually, she holds up a finger while still sketching with the other hand.

I look at her in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?" I say after enough time has passed that something ought to have been said.

She only shook her pointer finger and held it slightly higher.

"Okay... done," she states, finally shutting her sketchpad and putting it back in her bag.

She looked up at me, which in her position sitting by the tree proved rather difficult. Brynn is rather short in stature, her neck craned back so far I thought it might snap and so I took a step back to allow her a better view.

She pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose and smiled at me.

"Oh, it's you. Can I help you?"

"Are you freaking kidding me?" I want to use stronger language but I can't bring myself to do so. Darn my upbringing.

Again, her brow arched and she had the most perplexed look on her face. "Sorry?"

"You should be!" I bark at her.

She didn't even bat an eye. Instead incredulously holds her hand out for me to help her up, and I the dork that I am, actually help her. After taking a moment to collect her belongings and brush off her skirt she just stood there looking up at me.

My blood began to boil in my veins. Was she seriously going to just stand there and look at me? No, "Sorry about that. I was in a playful mood this morning. Didn't mean any harm..." nothing?

Losing my cool, I begin spewing out my anger all over the place.

"What the heck, Brynn!? What was this..." I say holding my hands in a heart over my chest, "about? Really? You literally blew me off this morning. Why didn't you tell the bus driver to wait up? I was like, half a block away."

Now I'm fuming. My chest is rising and falling as heavily as if I just took a few laps around the court. She still has that perplexed look on her face, and I find it infuriating. After a long pause, she says...

"You know my name."

She says this like the information somehow surprises her.

How does she keep doing that? How does she keep throwing me off guard? I look down at her in astonishment. "Yes, Brynn we've been in the same school, since kindergarten."

She shakes her head no and now sports a frowny face. Indicating that what I just said, for some reason, was not sound logic. Then I watch her grab the next person who walks by us. His name was John or Joe or something like that. And she says, "Jason, what's my name?"

Jason stares at her like she were some crazy person who has taken hold of his wrist and made a face at her, "How the hell should I know, freak?"

"Hey!" 

For some reason, I wanted to punch that Joe, Jason, whatever the heck his name was right in the face. "That's uncalled for."

He shrugs. Not even having the decency to apologize, he walks away the moment Brynn releases him. I turn to Brynn who seems unfazed. 

"Jason Styles. Also in our Kindergarten class," she says beaming now since she has managed to prove her point.  And then she starts to walk away.

"Hold up!" I am now literally blocking her way like she was a player on the opposing team, flailing my arms at my sides in case she makes a move to get past me, but she just stood there.

"That still doesn't explain why you blew me off this morning." I'm more irritated than ever.

"Not my fault."

Okay, of all the things she should have or could have said, that wasn't what I was expecting. I'm starting to see a pattern here.

"Not your fault," I reiterate on the off chance I miss heard her. "Who's fault is it then? Did the crazy voices in your head decide to come out and play?" Okay, that was harsh but I'm angry darn it.

She scrunches up her face, the look very reminiscent of the way my mom looks at me when I lose my temper and say something stupid. "No, it was the eight ball."

Okay again with the "What the... (Insert expletive I am not going to say here.)"

Before the words can pass my lips she holds up her key chain. On it dangles a variety of charms and among them, I spy a Magic Eight Ball.

"I asked if I should hold the bus for you but I'm afraid the answer was "My Reply is No." So,..."

She adds this little shrug of her shoulder and a flick of her hands as if to demonstrate by her body language that all this makes perfect sense and I am somehow the unreasonable one.

At this point, I wasn't even sure where to go with this conversation. It took this crazy left turn and I am now spiraling out of control. I decided to drop the thing about the eight ball however, I am still holding on to my anger. 

"And the heart? The kiss? What about that?"

That's right I want answers, missy and you are going to give them to me.

"I didn't want you to think I did it out of spite. I really have nothing against you. It was the luck of the draw really. I mean the answer could have easily been, "Yes, definitely," you know. Today just wasn't your day, I guess."

What was she saying? I am pretty sure it was English. Heck, I have even taken four years of French but nothing sounded as foreign as what was coming out of her mouth right now. Instead, I ask, "Is this something you often do? You know, leave important decisions up to a toy on a key chain to decide?"

Again, with the scrunched-up face. "No," she scoffs. "I never use it for important decisions. That would be stupid, and possibly dangerous."

She shakes her head at me as if I've just asked her the most ridiculous question she's ever heard.  I become defensive about my position. I know there is no arguing with a crazy person, especially if, I am starting to learn, that person is Brynn Shelby. Before I get the chance to defend myself I hear my name called somewhere behind me.

"Nash, the bell! You'll be late!" 

It was my best friend Tyler. My power forward on the team. He always has my back. 

"In a sec!" I yell back. I need to tell Brynn, under no uncertain terms, is this conversation over. Only she's gone. That fast she disappeared probably into the crowd that is now shuffling up the steps and through the front doors of our school to start another day at Lenape Charter High.