Brynn is staring at me, her face full of concern. "I want to fix this. How do I fix this?"

"You can't," I tell her. "It was my delusion. I saw what I wanted to see. You told me, you warned me. I ignored all that, and now I guess this the price I have to pay."

"Finn, it's not like that. My life... my life right now is out of control. I don't know where I'm going to end up. I'm losing my grandmother. Her health has been getting worse. My father is up in arms over what happened and is demanding I go to him, even threatened my Grandmother with legal action if she doesn't comply. She can't go through that again, I won't let her. I spoke with my Dad and told him that I'll come after the play, that I had put in a lot of work and I just want to see it through. He agreed but he said I was to be at his place by next week at the latest.

I'll finish out my year at Central. He's already got me in. I always knew I'd graduate among strangers but I thought at least I'd know their faces."

Central, our rival school. How ironic. I look over at her and she's staring blankly ahead at the wall, she's drifted away to some far off place. I turn her face so she had to look at me. "It was never my intention to make your life more complicated. It's hard for me not to feel responsible for the whole mess you've found yourself in, but as much as it hurts I can't say I regret it. My only regret is that it's over because I had so much more planned."

An odd expression came across her face. "Planned?"

My tick of laughing at inappropriate moments kicked in. "Yes, planned. I'm a planner, remember?"

"What did you plan?"

"I don't think I should say, not now."

"Please."

The look in her eyes once again she left me breathless. I don't think she's aware of the power she holds over me.

"For starters, I still wanted to do all those things on that list you so carelessly threw out your window."

For the first time, she cracked a smile and I felt encouraged, though I knew it was foolish.

"I wanted to show you we have more in common than you think."

"Like what?" she asks and I said, "Did you know I can draw?"

"I know you can paint."

"I love drawing, I draw constantly but I love math too. You asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I realized I'd like to be an architect or perhaps an engineer. I have an entire sketchbook of things I wanted to show you."

"You did?"

"Yeah. One of them was even a portrait of you."

"You drew me?!" Her look was nearly comical.

"I told you art classes were part of my upbringing. Is it so hard to believe?"

She dug in her pack and pulled out her sketchbook. She flipped through until she found what she was looking for. She hugged the book to her chest before making up her mind about something.

"This was what I didn't let you see that day I was drawing in the courtyard." She hands me the book.

I look and see the perfect sketch of me taking the final shot in the game that won us a place in the championship. Every detail was there. It was strange seeing my own face at that moment.

"How did you...?"

"I have the photo I took at the game, and I kept playing with the details until it was exactly how I remembered it."

"It's amazing!"

She takes the book back and carefully pulls it from the binding and then hands it to me. "It's yours."

"No Brynn I..."

"Just take it."

"Thank you."

"No, thank you. For the briefest window in time, you reminded me of all I've given up. I forgot how good it felt to have someone interested in me, having someone who made me feel that I mattered. I know that my grandmother loves me but well... you know what I mean."

"I do. Brynn, does this really all have to go away? We're better, together. Don't you think?"

She shrugs and I know I'm just asking for too much. She has too many things to deal with at the moment, and she's trying to uncomplicate her life and I guess I'm the only part of it that's expendable or changeable. I'm the only thing she can walk away from.

"Okay, what now?" I ask.

She looks confused.

"How do we do this? Am I supposed to just give you a handshake, and call it a day? Hardly seems appropriate for how I feel."

She bites her bottom lip. "Can we... ugh... it sounds to cliché."

"Can we be friends?" I fill in the blank and she shakes her head, yes.

"Oh, that's a tall order, Brynn."

"I know it's a lot to ask but I really could use a friend right now."

"What about Adam?" I regretted the words the moment they passed my lips. "I'm sorry, forget I said that. You have the right to be friends with whomever you wish. It's just my jealousy talking."

"I really haven't made this easy on you either have I?"

"No, you haven't." I spit out without hesitation and realize that my mouth is going to ruin this if I keep talking. Us being friends keeps me in her life. It's not the best situation but I'll take it. I'm sure I can handle it. At least until one of two things happen. One she starts dating someone else in which case I'd have to walk away for good or two we get back together. Of course, I'm hoping for the latter.

"In the interest of our new found friendship. I am going to stop talking now. However, feel free to write, email, text, call or send the occasional paper airplane should you ever have the slightest urge to want to talk to me again."

Brynn laughs and it's a magical sound.

"I'd offer to walk you to your class but as we shouldn't be seen together..." I stand up and offer her a hand up as well.

"Are you certain you're okay with this?"

"No," I admit honestly. "But I always wanted a secret penpal."

Brynn giggles again. "Will you be at the play tonight?"

"Tonight? No." She looks disappointed and I'm glad. "I've got work tonight," I explain.

"Oh! You got a job?"

"Mike's family owns a pizza shop. I'm going to be doing deliveries, tonight is my first night so I can't back out, but I'm off Sunday, I'll stop by then?"

"Okay," she says smiling at me. The bell rings. "Guess, I should get to class," she says pointing down the stairs.

"Yeah me too," I say pointing in the opposite direction.

"Thanks for understanding, Finn," she says giving me the briefest of kisses on the cheek.

I just smile and nod. She goes down the stairs, I watch until she disappears. The stairwell begins to fill and just stand there, grinning, thinking... "This isn't over yet Brynn Shelby. Not by a long shot."