Falcon rests his head back in the car on his way to meet the others. His bodyguard lets him sleep, not knowing that his memories won't let him.

Behind his closed eyes, he pictures you in his mind—five minutes in heaven.

He had such an intense crush on you. When your name was pulled from the cup, he thought he was the luckiest boy alive.

He sighed, remembering those five minutes as if they were yesterday. He wanted to remember every moment, but his mind went to when Max dragged him out during lunch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He sees you enter the lunch room and look over at him, and he freezes and then looks away, so ashamed and deeply sad.

He feels hands grip his shoulders like vises and looks up into Max's furious face. "Owe, what the . . .?"

Upper-classman Max drags Aaron out of the cafeteria by the arm. If looks could kill, Aaron knew he was about to die judging by the look on Max's face.

Once outside, he shoves Aaron against the wall, keeping one hand firmly on his shoulder as he leans close to his face.

"Do you care to tell me about Lanne and five minutes in heaven?" he demands, tightening his grip on Aaron's shoulder.

"What?" sweat starts to bead on his forehead, scared at seeing his mentor so angry.

"What have you been saying to your puberty hormone-raging friends about Lanne!?" Max asks through gritted teeth.

"Nothing. I've said nothing," whines Aaron, wrenching at the pain of Max's grip.

Max shoved his shoulder harder into the wall, "Don't lie to me. Have you been telling the other boys about how sweet her kisses are and how soft her breasts are!?"

His face turns red with embarrassment, and he whispers in shock, "Kraven told you?"

"He didn't tell me anything. What have you been telling your little friends?" growls Max trying to hold back from shoving Aaron's little ass to the ground and beating the shit out of him.

"Nothing, I swear to you," says Aaron, hyperventilating in panic.

Max glared at him, demanding, "Then who were you telling!?"

"I, I," he blushes deeply. "I only told Kraven. I was nervous, scared, excited about so many things. I, I . . ." He takes a deep breath. "I told him that her lips . . . her lips tasted sweet, like strawberries."

Sternly looking at him, Max asks, "What else? Did you brag about groping her breasts?"

"What? No, no, I would never --" he is interrupted by a furious Max.

"TELL ME WHAT YOU SAID TO Kraven!" shouts Max.

Aaron swallows hard and pushes his tongue nervously around the inside of his cheeks. "I told him that when we were in the closet, I accidentally touched her chest and that they felt soft. I didn't mean to do it. It just happened. I asked him if he thought I was going to hell for it. He laughed and said I was stupid and that you don't go to hell for touching a girl. I didn't mean to do it."

Max rolls his eyes and releases a large sigh, "Dumbshit, do you have any idea what happened to her today?"

He could only shake his head as his heart broke, scared of what he would be told. Did they get to her, and I did nothing to stop them? His guilt twisted his stomach, and he felt sick, feeling a lump of emotion in his throat.

He only told Kraven what happened in the closet in confidence about what he was experiencing. The feeling was so new to him and confusing. He thought his best friend would help him understand it since he was more experienced with girls. (or so Kraven told him)

Finally, Aaron can swallow that lump and ask, "What happened to La? Is she okay?"

Max releases Aaron and tells him, "Sit."

He sits with his back against the school building, and Max sits beside him, his knees drawn up. He stretches his arms out on his knees, flexing his hands in and out of fists.

Young Aaron begins to worry that he may soon feel those fists.

Nervously, he asks, "What happened to her, Max?"

Max lets out a sigh of frustration and begins to tell him, "She was dragged into the boys' restroom today and was being assaulted by three boys. If I hadn't walked in, no telling just how far they would've taken it." He shifts so he faces Aaron more.

"They had blocked her in a stall. She heard me asking them what they were up to, and then I heard her. She sobbed in my arms like she was broken, Aaron, BROKEN! They told her that you said you did more than kiss her, and they want to have her too."

Aaron gasps. "I, I never said anything to anyone other than Kraven. I swear to God!"

"Now tell me the truth. What did you do in that closet to Lanne?"

Max is clenching his fists. "Tell me the truth!" he suddenly shouts.

Aaron jumps, trembling. "I, I spun the bottle, and it pointed to me. Kraven drew her name from the cup. He shoved us into the closet and locked the door. I lost my balance, and my arm was caught in a coat. We just stood there, not saying anything. I could hear her breathing, which was quick, like mine. I asked if she was alright, and she said she was. I asked if I could kiss her, and she said yes."

He lowers his head. "So I kissed her. Her lips tasted like strawberries. I liked it. I asked if I could kiss her again, and I went to move to hold her for a kiss. I tried to pull my arm free, and that was when I accidentally touched her chest."

He pauses to swallow and catch his breath. Max glares at him.

"I was so embarrassed at first that I couldn't move. I was afraid to. But I couldn't leave my arm there on her, on her, you know . . . so my hand, you know, is at the end of my arm, and when I moved my arm, my hand felt her breast, and it was so soft. I had to keep moving my arm, so I just let my hand follow. I apologized to her and asked if I could still have a kiss."

Max reaches over and whacks him on the shoulder, "Idiot, after you did that, you still asked for a kiss from her!?"

"But she said I could." He says in a slow, embarrassed tone.

Max rolls his eyes. "My God, you young people! What happened then?"

"Well, she said yes, so I kissed her."

"Go on, what next?"

Aaron sighs. "I told her I was sorry about touching her but not about kissing her. Then we heard the door being unlocked. I begged her not to tell them that I never kissed before, and she promised."

Shifting nervously, he says, "But I was stupid. When Kraven opened the door, and all the guys were staring at me as they did. I said I had kissed better. I lied to them. I didn't want them to know I was the only one who had never been with a girl. All my friends told me they had."

Sighing, Max says, "What happened in that closet was between you and Lanne, no one else. She did say she wanted you to kiss her, so I know you didn't force her to do anything."

"I would never do something like that, you know me, Max."

Max stands and pulls him up, "I know you wouldn't, Aaron."

Aaron's tears, which he held back, finally began falling.

"Don't cry. I have seen enough tears today. Go eat your lunch." Max gently pushes him toward the cafeteria door.

"Oh, and Aaron, if you ever have any questions about girls or how your body feels, talk to me, not your friends."

Aaron nods and opens the door to go in. He doesn't feel like eating anymore; his stomach hurts, so he skirts around the edge of the cafeteria, hoping no one will see him leave, especially his friend Kraven and the others.