Every muscle in my body is screaming at me right now as I open the door, wave to Tyler's mom, who drove me home, and step on through. Home, sweet, home.

I drop my bag in the entryway and I am greeted with a mouth-watering smell coming from the kitchen.

There are about 3 dozen cupcakes sitting on the countertop island. I approach stealthily to steal one and hear, "Don't even think about it, Finn Dashiell Nash."

My mom nearly scares me to death, as her head pops up from the oven with another batch of steaming hot cupcakes in her oven-mitted hands. "Those are for the bake sale tomorrow. You're late."

"Just one?" I plead. "I'm a growing teenage boy."

"You grow anymore, and we are going to have to knock out the door frames to enlarge them," my dad says coming up behind me only to have his hand slapped by my mom's oven mitt as she takes them off.

"The same applies to you, Mr. Nash. Hands off!"

"That's not what you said earlier when Finn wasn't here," my dad teases, with a goofy grin on his face.

"Ugh, Dad!" I drop the cupcake I was about to bite having completely lost my appetite.

My mom giggles and I shudder. Too much information. Brain needs to delete.

My mom fills up another tin. "You were supposed to be home to help me, what happened?" 

"Not my fault. Coach ran drills today because you triple-booked the gym." She frowns.

"I forgot the stage crew might use the space for the backdrops." She shook her head, apparently annoyed with herself at the oversight.

"You're still perfect," dad says hugging her from behind and kissing her cheek.

"Will you two get a room already? Innocent eyes and ears here."

"I thought YOU were going to have the talk with him?" Mom teases looking over her shoulder at my dad.

"Nuh-uh, I distinctly remember you saying you had it covered," he teased back still not releasing his hold of her waist.

"Did I? Okay. Finn sweetie, when a man and a woman really love each other..."

I put my hands over my ears and start saying loudly, "La La La La La."

They both burst into laughter.

"Just for that, I'm taking this." I steal a cupcake and run out of the room before my Mom can catch me and I have to endure any more of their lovey-doveyness.

Once in the safety of my room I slowly take off the wrapper and devour the cupcake in two bites. No one bakes cupcakes like my mom. Delicious.

To tell you the truth, I envy them and their relationship. They seem so sure of each other. No matter how different they appear on the outside it's always been Veronica and Dave, Dave and Veronica, the perfect pair.

I have dated several girls in High School but out of all of them, I only had two semi-serious relationships. One ended when the girl moved away and the other when I realized we weren't right for one another. I thought I loved the first, but could I really call it love? Maybe it was only a mild infatuation on each other's part. I don't know.

My mind drifts again to Brynn. I begin to wonder if she's read my letter. What would she say? Would she bother to say anything? Or would she just figure we both said our piece and now it was done? I found myself really hoping it wasn't over but completely at a loss at how I can make it continue.

My mom hollers up the stairs, "These cupcakes aren't going to ice themselves."

"Shower first?"

"Yes, please."

This makes me laugh as there is one thing that will make my Mom even push my Dad away and that's the "man stench" she calls it after Dad and I play a little one-on-one out back.

"Be down in ten minutes."

"Five. I still have dinner to make," my mom complains.

"Pizza is on me," dad interjects.

"Are there any more reasons I need to know I love you?"

"Already, ordered and I'm on my way to pick them up."

"My Hero!"

They are quiet, and I didn't hear Dad leave so I can only assume they are kissing. Ugh! If only they can invent a way to scrub your brain.

I was downstairs in seven minutes. I took five to shower and two to dress in my lounge pants and t-shirt. My mom was waiting for me at the kitchen table. She hands me some pink icing, a spatula, and a tray of cupcakes. 

"What's this for again?" I ask as I begin frosting.

"Breast and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week. We are trying to raise some money for a local charity."

"Okay, and why am I doing this again?"

"Because you're the head of the student council and they voted on a bake sale to raise money. You are all supposed to make cupcakes to sell during your lunch period tomorrow."

"Does this mean you are driving me to school tomorrow?"

"No, I'm driving the cupcakes to school tomorrow. You can take the bus."

"That's cold, Mom," I say although secretly grateful as it means a chance to meet Brynn.

My mom laughs. "Aww, does my Finn miss his mommy?" She leans over to kiss my cheek but she totally fakes me out and smears icing on my nose.

"Oh, it's on, little lady. You want some of this?" I threaten, holding up my spatula in a menacing manner.

"Finn, don't you dare." But my mom laughs and that's when I fling a wad of icing at her.

She yelps and jumps up from the table. Taking a defensive position behind the counter. As she pokes her head up I lob another missile of gooey pink frosting and this time it hits her right on the side of her face.

The war had begun and by the time Dad returned with the pizza, we were both covered in pink icing. We were sitting back at the table trying to ice the rest of the cakes with what icing we had left. My Dad is staring at us. We, however, were very serious about our work and refused to make eye contact with him.

"Right." 

He puts the pizzas on the countertop and turns back out of the kitchen. "Five more cans of pink?" he yells from the door.

"Three ought to cover it!" Mom hollers back and we both double over with laughter once we hear the door close. My mom hands me a roll of paper towels to help with the cleanup. I once again think of Brynn and wonder?

"Hey Mom, you know most of the students at Lenape right?"

"Sure I know of all of them, but a few I know better than the rest."

"Do you know anything about Brynn Shelby?"

My mom pauses wiping the countertop and looks very serious all of a sudden.

"Why do you ask?"

The old answer a question with a question. Okay, that means she does know Brynn but why not just say, yes?

"I had a run-in with her at the bus stop today. Just realized I don't know a lot about her. Wondered if you did is all?" I start to wipe down the refrigerator. How did we manage to get icing all the way over here?

My mom continued cleaning. "She's an average student. Keeps out of trouble. A brilliant artist. That's really all I can say about her."

Not a lot to go by. If I were honest, I was hoping for more.

But I can tell by Mom's demeanor if there is more to Brynn Shelby she isn't going to share. Which once again makes me wonder, why is Brynn such a mystery. One thing is certain. I plan on getting to know more about Brynn, hopefully straight from the source herself.