At lunch I talked to Tyler about the note found in Brynn's locker. I was still fuming over the idea. I could see how it affected her and I hoped to put an end to it and soon before I lost her over it. It was like that moment they foreshadow in a book or a movie. If you're paying attention you know what's coming but most don't realize it until after the event occurs and then the light bulb turns on.

Well, I wasn't going to be blind sided. Brynn may be willing to ignore it but whomever this person was they got my full attention.

"Suspects?" Tyler asked.

"The usual...Jessica for one." And as if just saying her name caused her to materialize I suddenly see her headed in my direction. I go to stand up but Tyler stops me.

"Let her come to you, Man. She loves to brag. If it's her, she'll tell you. No need to put her on the defensive. She'll just clam up just because she knows it'll get under your skin. Play it cool."

He was right. I took a few deep breaths and waited.

"Hello, boys!" Jessica comes over and slides a chair to sit next to me. I flash her a brilliant smile.

"Jessica, how goes it?"

"I am doing fabulous. Thanks for asking," Jessica says, "And you?"

I want to roll my eyes but refrain. I hate playing these games. "Couldn't be better."

"Really?" she asks and her eyes narrow on me like a hawk. I'm guessing she's trying to decide if I'm telling the truth. Or am I playing her.

"How's Brynn?" she asks watching my face intently.

"She is more beautiful everyday," I tell her and see her eyes flash and her lips tighten but then she shakes it off and smiles.

"Well, it's true then. I guess love IS blind," Jessica says, followed by her fake laugh at her own joke.

"Better to be blind and in love then be ugly both inside and out for no reason at all," I tell her. The guys at the table yell out an, "Oooo, " and Tyler fist bumps me. "Solid burn.. point Finn."

"Laugh it up. While you can," Jessica says mysteriously as she gets up from our table.

"What's that suppose to mean?" I ask, not liking the smirk on her face.

She takes a deep breath, and sighs contentedly. "I already warned you, Finn. You brought this on yourself. Remember that."

She goes to walk away and I stand and grab her arm. She pointedly looks down at my hand that has hold of her wrist and I let her go. "You do anything to hurt Brynn in anyway... and I'll..."

"What Finn? What will you do? Run to Mommy? Go ahead. You'll never be able to pin anything on me." She walks away with that little sway to her walk I use to find attractive, now I just loathe every inch of her from her school kicks, to her bleached even blonder ponytail.

I collapse back into my chair.

"Point, Jessica," Tyler says and I glare at him.

"Just saying she has a point. If you really are determined to play this out you are going to have to get pretty solid evidence Jessica is behind all of this or you got butkus. That girl is evil with a capital E and she has minions. So, you prepared to handle this?"

"Why does everything have to be so damn dramatic?" I ask feeling more than frustrated. I feel violent.

Tyler shoves my shoulder and grins. "Hey, it's high school. Drama is more than a subject here, it's a way of life."

"That should be on a T-shirt somewhere?" I say grinning back.

"Not a bad idea. Maybe I can start something online to get some money up."

"Why what are you saving up for?"

He suddenly becomes more mysterious than Jessica was a moment ago. "I got plans."

"Plans?"

"Yeah, plans. I may not be college bound like some people but I expect myself to have one hell of life and with luck a certain someone to share it with."

The words translate in my brain. "You thinking of..."

"Son of a ... hmmm." He kicks me hard under the table and I stifle the swear word as he hit my bad foot.

He looks immediately apologetic but in a way I knew I deserved it. I didn't even stop to think. I almost said something about Sierra out loud. That would have been a disaster. But wow... he thinking of saving up money for what?

To get a car so he can see her more? Move in together? A ring? My mind was a buzz with the possibilities. I knew things were getting pretty serious with the two of them, but...wow.

"You should bow out of practice today and stick close to Brynn," Tyler says pulling me from my thoughts.

"I can't abandon the team!"

"It's not abandonment. You can't play. I mean I'm sure I speak for all of us that it means a lot to have your support but until you can play... Look. Why not just take this week off. Take Brynn up on her offer to help out on crew. There's only a week before the play and they are behind schedule. You can help her and keep an eye on her at the same time. I'll keep an eye on the team, should they need anything which I doubt because they're AWESOME!"

The team of course could hear every word we said as all ears were perked from the interaction between Jessica and I. All the more reason I should be more careful when talking with Ty. "Okay. I'll run the idea past coach."

The bell rang and we all went our separate ways. Later in the day I got to the Library instead of study hall. I needed to do some research for the sonnet I have to write for English class, but I found myself day dreaming about Brynn.

I couldn't wait for the school year to be over. I thought of the summer months and what we might do together. My mind drifted to the kiss we had shared at the end of our date and I knew I would definitely be spending more time at the fish hatcheries. Only I made a mental note to set an alarm on my phone so we didn't break curfew again.

It dawned on me I didn't know Brynn's birthday. I was already eighteen but she mentioned not being eighteen yet when we talked about how she's never really been kissed. I still couldn't get how that occurred. She must have discovered an invisibility potion or something because damn if any guy seriously tried for her before, I wouldn't have stood a chance. I couldn't imagine how they would ever let her go.

My daydream sped the time up and I realized just how little I accomplished when the bell rung, but I sprung from my chair to try and see if I couldn't catch Brynn at her locker.

I see her legs beneath the door to the upper locker, which I knew was hers as I had gotten intimately acquainted with it a little while back when it smashed into my face.

"Hello, Beautiful!"

I must have startled her as she tried to shut her locker door so quickly she nearly hit herself in the process.

"Oh, hey. Hi!" She says giving me a little wave as she leaned against her locker door.

"Hi," I say but look her over. Something was off. "What's up?"

"Up? Oh, you know the usual birds, the sky, clouds."

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Good one." I lean my arm against her locker and rest my forehead against hers. Looking her in the eye. "Seriously, Brynn. Everything okay?"

She pushes me away and turned to lock her locker. Shrugs, saying, "Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

I cross my arms over my chest. "Just checking. You did get a weird note in your locker today. Anything else weird happen?"

"Nope," she says nonchalantly. She pulls my one arm free and grabs my hand. She starts to walk way. I stand firm stopping her in her tracks.

"You would tell me, wouldn't you Brynn?" She smiles at me but there's a tinge of sadness in it. It bothered me that she wasn't giving me an answer. "You trust me don't you?" Her smile was genuine this time. "Of course."

We continued walking. I was happy that she trusted me but it still bothered me that she avoided my first question. I made a promise to be more vigilant to myself, maybe even ask the gang to keep an extra eye on her.

"You still need help at crew?"

This time it was Brynn who stopped us from walking on. "You serious?"

"You asked me...," I said hesitantly.

"I know I just didn't actually expect... well you know you have your team and... so I just."

I wondered if she even realized she didn't complete a sentence yet. My eyebrows lifted as I waited expectantly for something to come out completed.

"Uh, yes." She's beaming at me and suddenly I don't care about notes, plotting ex-girlfriends or even my team. I could die a happy man if she'd just keep looking at me the way she is right now.

"Great. I'll meet you back at your locker and..."

"Just meet me in the auditorium. No sense you coming up here when you locker is on the first floor. We are putting the finishing touches on the sets, today."

"Okay."

She giggles and gives me a quick kiss before we part ways. I can't stop smiling. I never want this feeling to end.