Days were flying by and I was no closer to my goal of talking to Brynn. If she were outside she was with Adam and I just couldn't bring myself to walk over there. I stopped a few times down at Yearbook under the guise of 'checking progress' but each time I did I just missed her, or she wasn't there. On Thursday when Crystal handed me the completed pages I knew there was no reason to stop there anymore.

I couldn't stop by stage crew because of practice. I was back on the team and coach and the guys were counting on me.

I know I only have myself to blame. I'm the one who killed any chance I had of getting back with Brynn last Friday night by saying I loved her and then added the nails to the coffin on Sunday when she saw me holding Paris' hand. Now tomorrow is the last day she will be at school. Either I open the lines of communication or bury us completely. I have really gotten morbid in my way of thinking.

I get home from practice still at a loss. Tyler told me just to go to her house and have it out with her but with her grandmother sick I just didn't want to add more drama to Brynn's life.

"You've got a package in the mail," my mom yells to me from the kitchen when she heard me come in.

"Thanks!" I holler back and pick up the box by the front door and sigh. The moment I saw the address I knew what it was. I took the box up to my room and opened it. There was the perfect replica of Brynn's backdrop she painted for Midsummer's Night Dream.

I had the photo of the backdrop she painted printed out on canvas. I thought it was a nice touch since the original was on canvas too. I don't know it made it seem more real than just a blown up photograph or poster.

I lie down on my bed and stare at it for a while; trying to find all the hidden gems Brynn placed inside. Things only Brynn would know were there as it would be too far away for anyone else to see. She really is a magnificent artist. I miss her so much. I pick up my phone and flip through my photos to see us laughing and covered in green paint. I had to take it off my lock screen because it hurt too much to see it every time I used my phone.

How the hell did we get from this to where we are now? Where did it all go wrong? Was Stephanie's post right? Were we just destined to fail? Two star crossed lovers...lovers... that funny. Even Romeo and Juliet managed to get farther than we did. Thinking of Brynn, her kisses and how she just comes in alive in my arms makes me moan and not in a good way.

I can't take it anymore. Tomorrow, no matter what I am going to talk to her. No matter how I need to track her down or who I have to pull her away from. I just had to find a way.

I woke up with a renewed purpose I wrapped the painting up in some paper.

"What's that?" Tyler asked.

"A going away present for Brynn," I tell him waiting for her to come in.

"Didn't you see her on the bus?"

"I drove in. Had to. I didn't want the gift to get messed up."

"You just never give up do you?"

I shrug. "It's a last ditch effort, but if I don't make things right I'll lose her forever."

Tyler looks at me with nothing more than what could be described as pity, but he managed a smile and said, "Good luck, Finn."

"Thanks."

I didn't see her in the morning so stashed the print in the activities office. I knew she wouldn't be around during homeroom since she was finished with Yearbook. At lunch, Tyler took one look at my face and knew not to ask how things were going.

My last class of the day was a study period. I went to the library and decided to stake out her locker. I see her talking to Adam; he looks upset, like really upset. He punches the locker next to her and storms off. I see her sigh and she takes the time to clear out her locker.

She just stares at the empty locker for a minute or two and shuts the door. I watch as she gets into the elevator. By the numbers and I see she's headed for the first floor. I race down the stairs, just in time to see her step off and stand there looking at the key in her hand. She grasps it firmly before walking to my Mom's office. Most likely to return it.

Brynn isn't in there long before I see her go to the nurse's office. She is there for a while and when she comes out I see her wave goodbye to our school nurse and there are tears in her eyes. This sucks...

Her last stop is the auditorium. It's then I stop in the activities office and grab the painting. I follow Brynn to the auditorium but I don't see her. She must be behind the curtain. I drop my bag and take just the print with me up the few short stairs to the stage. I move the curtain but don't see her however there is a simple spotlight shining on the back of the stage.

I get behind the second curtain and there she is standing there in the lone spotlight shining on her like some heavenly light from above. God, she's beautiful. She's staring up at those stupid elephant legs and tears are silently gliding down her cheeks.

"Brynn?"

She jumps at the sound of my voice. Obviously believing she was alone as the school day hasn't ended yet, so there shouldn't have been anyone back here to disturb her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," I tell her moving a little closer to the light so she can see me.

She scrubs at her eyes with her sweater's sleeve that she pulled over her palm. "Finn? What are you doing here?"

Well, she didn't tell me to go away so I guess that's a start. "I followed you. I wanted to give this." I hold out the wrapped print to her.

She doesn't take it. She only looks at me. "What's this?"

"Open it and see," I say pushing it towards her to take. She looks hesitant, but finally, takes the print from me.

She doesn't look at the print but just stares at me while she pulls off the paper like she's still trying to puzzle out why I am here. Then her gaze drifts downward and she gasps. 

"Oh." It comes out barely a whisper. She looks back up at me. "How did you...? Why did you...?"

"I remembered your story about the Elephant Legs how you wanted to know that they would always be around that knowing that made you feel better somehow. You put so much love into that backdrop, Brynn. I finally understood how you felt. I didn't like the idea of knowing they would paint over it next year even though I won't be around to see it. I wanted to find a way that you could keep it with you... always."

I smile sadly at her. "I had meant it to be a graduation present but things didn't exactly go the way I had anticipated and here we are... so I thought before you go..."

I shrug feeling so lame.

Brynn was still staring at the print and when she looked up at me, her eyes were large with unshed tears. "Thank you!" She hugged the print to her chest, which was awkward as it is a large print.

She shakes her head at me. "Why do you have to be so wonderful?"

I grinned at her. "It's a curse, really." I tease.

"I never deserved you."

"There you go talking nonsense again." I take the print out of her hand and place it next to her bag. I take her hands in mine. "You don't understand Brynn. I don't know what I did to deserve you for the short time you were mine but I can never go back to being who I was before I met you and I am so grateful for that."

"Why? You'd be so much better off if we never met."

It was my turn to shake my head. "No, Brynn. If we never met I would be exactly what this school wants me to be, what my parents want me to be, what my college is hoping I will be, but I would never have become Finn Nash, who I should be, without knowing you."

She bites her bottom lip in the attempt to keep her emotions at bay. It's too much for me I pull her into my embrace and she lets me. She lets me just hold her and I do. I hold her close. I stroke her hair. I kiss the top of her head. "Thank you, Brynn, for setting me free. For allowing me to be me."

She snuggles in a little closer. "I hate you sometimes."

This makes me laugh. I don't know why that stupid tick maybe. "Gee thanks!"

She looks up at me. "What do you expect? You say things like that and I have to walk away, from it, from you. Do you know how hard that is to do?"

I play with the streak of hot pink in her hair. "Yes. I do." I tell her and I see her swallow hard as I stare down at her. "Every time you push me away, I experience it." I stroke the side of her cheek.

"I wish you could understand why?" Brynn says looking down at her shoes.

"Maybe I would if you explained it to me. Then again, maybe I'll never understand why something that feels this right can be wrong." I brush her hair from her face and tilt it up so she has to look at me.

Her eyes are pleading with me to be gentle with her, and I am but I can't resist her. I'm like a moth to a flame when it comes to those eyes and I take my final breath before kissing her lips. I know I'm going to get burned but what a way to die.

She kisses me back and I can taste her tears that silently fall or are they mine? I'm not sure. I pull away from her. "God I..."

"Please, don't say it again," Brynn says putting her fingertips to my lips to keep me from saying the word. "My heart can't take hearing it again."

So, I stop though my heart is screaming the words out loud.

"Brynn you're amazing and... well you know how I feel, but I will respect your wishes and stay away, but if you...if you need a friend... someone who cares about you probably more than life itself..."

I reach down and hand her the print again. "If one day your life gets... less complicated. Look me up will you?"

Brynn gives me a sad sweet smile. "I doubt even you could wait around that long. Besides I'm sure someone will take my place soon enough."

I frown. "There is no replacement for you. For you... I'd wait a lifetime."

She takes the print from me. "Don't."

I sigh. "Just promise me you'll think about it, Brynn. Don't say no just yet. Let me be in your life. Let me show you what you truly deserve."

Damn it she's crying again. "I can't. It hurts too much. I'm so..."

This time I put my finger to her lips to silence her and shake my head. "Don't. Don't say you're sorry, Brynn. We were not a mistake."

"No, we weren't but as I've learned many times in my life, over and over again, nothing lasts forever, Finn."

"Then screw forever... let's just do for now." I plead.

"I can't make any promises."

"I'm not asking for any, Brynn."

She sighs. She looks both physically and emotionally worn out.

I brush the side of her cheek with my fingertips.  "Come on. I'll drive you home."

She looked about the protest but then relented taking my hand in hers.