It was bizarre not going to school each day. I still would wake up at the normal time I would need to go to school. My internal clock had no reset button. I guess most kids would be happy to have an unplanned vacation from school but I prefer to be kept busy.

The first day felt bizarre, neither parent chose to talk with me. Both were mad at me for completely different reasons. My mother told me that I am still responsible for all my assignments, that she would bring home my work. At least I won't fall behind.

As the days progressed, my dad kept asking my mom about the verdict of me playing for the team but she had no answer. Mr. Brock said, he was satisfied with my suspension from school and believed expulsion from the game unnecessary. However, Adam's guardians could not be reached.

Maybe I'll get lucky and they will stay away long enough that it won't matter as my suspension from school will soon be over. Tyler called to tell me Coach completely freaked out when he heard the news. He ran them through so many drills they all pretty much collapsed by the end of the training.

I appreciate the team sticking to my story, though. It showed the immense amount of respect they had for me. I apologized for bringing this on everyone. I could tell Tyler was still aggravated that I chose to take the punishment for Mike. He said he did not deserve my friendship. 

Mr. Brock called me in for work on Friday. Once again their other driver failed to come through. I thought to call him today to verify if I still had a job, so felt grateful to know I did. Considering the story everyone is sticking to, it involved fighting his son so I wasn't exactly sure.

The moment I stepped into the pizza shop I see Paris. She marches up to me and punches my arm. She has a pretty good left for someone so tiny.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?"

"Like you don't know?" She storms away from me, leaving me no choice but to follow.

"IF I knew I wouldn't have asked now would I?" I tell her while still rubbing my arm.

She whirls on me. "How could you do it? You know how important this was to me?"

My brain sputters and cough and slowly realization dawns. "The prom."

"Yeah!" Paris looks at me like I'm a total idiot and she's not wrong. "The PROM, the dance I won't be attending thanks to you fighting with my BROTHER!"

She looked so disappointed and I hated that I hadn't even given her a second thought. I thought about Mike losing his chance to play, Adam getting in trouble with his guardians, Brynn being upset with me along with my parents, even Mr. Brock not wanting me to work here anymore but not even once did I think about Paris.

"I'm sorry." The apology was lame, but what else could I do?

Paris rolls her eyes. "Yeah, thanks. That's useful."

I feel so annoyed with myself. This sucks! I have to be able to fix this somehow but how... I still hadn't even figured out how I planned on getting her to the prom, without me.

"Paris?"

She starts bustling about, finding any menial task, so she could continue to ignore me.

"Paris, look at me?"

She just shakes her head no. Her back is to me. I turn her around and see just one single tear slide down her cheek before she angrily swipes it away.

"I'll make this right." My hands rest on her shoulders and I have to crouch down some because she is so short. I want to look her in the face. She has her head turned away from me and is shaking it in denial.

"I need you to trust me. Please?"

When her eyes meet mine they are void of any hope. "There's no way you're going to convince my Dad to let me go with you. You have no idea how livid he was when Principle Nash called. Mike talked him into not banning you from the game because it would hurt the team's chance of winning the championship."

'Gee, thanks, Mike...' my brain oozed with sarcasm. "Your dad let me work here," I offer.

"Only because he doesn't have a choice. Our delivery guy quit this morning. Up until then, you were going to come in, receive your last paycheck and be told not to bother coming back."

"Oh." That didn't bode well. Still, I felt determined to fix this. Paris shouldn't be made to pay for my mistake.

"I know it's stupid. It's just a dance and I shouldn't care but..."

"It's not stupid. You deserve to go. There's got to be a way." I refuse to accept that there isn't at least a chance to make this right.

She shakes her head at me. "You're either insane or completely hopeless," she tells me but I catch just the hint of a smile.

"Give me a chance, Paris. If I can't convince your dad then you have every right to hate me for the rest of your life, but just not yet, okay?"

She gives me this smirk. It's something she really has perfected. "I can't hate you. Trust me, I've tried. I just can't. "

I take my hands off of her shoulders and smile at her. "I have to say, I'm glad to hear it. Friends?" I dared to ask.

She instantly hugs me and I chuckle. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Jerk." Paris pulls away and gives me a much lighter punch in the same arm. I tried my best to resist the urge to rub it as it still stung from the last time she hit me.

"Finn! My office, now!" Mr. Brock demands as he stomps through the kitchen and I look at Paris hesitantly wondering if her father changed his mind. She just shrugs back in response to whatever look I gave her. I have no time to wonder. I move quickly to catch up to him.

I get into his office and he sits behind his desk. I feel like I'm back in my mom's principle's office and swallow hard.

"I have put an advertisement for a new driver online today."

I stood there and said nothing waiting for him to continue.

"Once I've hired someone I think it would be best if you... found another position somewhere else."

I give a slow nod. "I'm sorry, sir."

"I am too. Outside of my daughter, you were the best employee I had."

"I understand." I wasn't going to try to change his mind about firing me. My parents had already said once before they were okay with my not working. Hopefully, that still stands and if it didn't, I would just need to find something else.

"I'm not going to ask them to ban you from the game."

"Thank you, sir." I refuse to look away from him, his gaze is assessing. I don't know what he's trying to figure out but I refuse to back down and appear ashamed, as after all I really haven't done anything wrong.

"Did my son do that to you?" He asks looking at my now yellowing bruised face.

I just nodded that he did.

Mr. Brock frowns at me. "The worst part about this is, Paris."

"Sir, I understand that you're angry with me and rightly so, but please don't make Paris pay for my mistake. It was a mistake, Mr. Brock. A hot-headed moment that should have never happened and I am truly sorry for the upheaval it's caused."

"When Mike told me I thought he was joking. It just didn't sound like you, Finn, but then your Mom calls... I just didn't know what to think."

"It was rash and it was a stupid move on my part but please, sir? Please let Paris attend her prom? If not with me then perhaps with someone else but she doesn't deserve to miss it altogether. She wants so badly to attend."

I could see the emotions playing across his features as I spoke. I know he's still angry with me, but I could tell he didn't want to disappoint his daughter. "I'll give it some thought."

It was all I could ask for. "Thank you!"

Time flew by, another busy Friday night. I texted Brynn to let her know I got called in.

B- Seriously?

F- Their driver quit.

B- What time?

F- I can probably take a break around 8 pm.

B- I'll be there.

I smile as I look down at my phone. She is coming. I'm going to see her. I miss her so much I physically ache.

F- Can't wait.

B- Me neither. smilie face

I was on a high for the rest of the night looking forward to when I would see her again. I kept checking my watch.

"What is up with you?" Paris asked after seeing my check my watch for the 4th time.

"I'm going to grab a break around 8 like last time. If that's okay?"

Paris shrugs. "I don't see why not?"

Ten of eight and things start to slow down right on time. The dinner rush now over there would be a brief respite before the late-night munchers started calling in.

Mr. Brock comes into the kitchen. "Paris can I see you for a moment?"

"Sure, Dad!" Paris looks to me. "You can handle the front for a few minutes can't you?"

I managed somehow not to sigh. I really want to be ready to take my break when Brynn gets here. Still... "Go on. I got it."

I only had to handle maybe 2 pizzas and 1 phone call. I made up my own ticket for two cookie milkshakes and left the money attached to the ticket for Paris to ring up so she knew there was no foul play with the register.

I just finished making the shakes when Paris yells my name.

"FINN!!!"

I turn with both shakes in my hands ready in to-go cups. Paris races up to me and hugs me as I hold out the shakes so I don't spill them.

"You freaking genius! I don't know how you did it, but we are back on for Prom!" Paris leans up and pulls me by my shirt down to her level so she can kiss my cheek.

I'm stunned. I had hoped but... "Wow! That's great news!"

Paris freezes and is looking past me at something or someone and I get this sick feeling in my stomach.

I turn to see Brynn standing at the counter. Her look indiscernible. 

"Finn."

"Hi, Brynn."

Paris looks so apologetic when I turn to look at her. She mouths, 'I'm sorry.'

She can't possibly be as sorry as I am going to be. "I'm going on break," I tell her. "I've paid for these, the ticket is over there. " I motion with head to register.

Paris nods. "Sure, no problem."

I hastily leave the kitchen before Brynn decides she's going to walk away and not even give me a chance to explain.

Brynn meets me at the door.

"Do you want to stay here?" I ask, already knowing the answer. I can just feel it.

"No." Was the answer I expected and she opens the door for me that lead out of the pizza shop. She walks past me and I follow. She stops at her car.

"Get in," she tells me and I don't argue. I know I'm on really thin ice right now. I get into the passenger side. I put our shakes in the cup holders and reach to buckle my seatbelt. I don't quite get to it latched as Brynn shocks the hell out me when she grabs my face and kisses me. If I were a cartoon character I would have one of those mushroom clouds in a thought bubble over my head right about now.

Whatever I expected it wasn't this. I feel both turned on and scared at the same time.

"I'm in trouble aren't I?" I questioned when she finally pulls away.

"So, much trouble." She keeps her eyes straight ahead, buckles up and pulls away.