"Philip!" Theo crashed into me as soon as I walked through the doors to the auditorium. I nearly dropped my bags as I hugged her, laughing.

"You actually showed up!" She exclaimed excitedly as she let me go, beaming. Her wild hair had been put in thick braids, the first time I'd seen it like that. They made her look gorgeous.

Who am I kidding, she always looked gorgeous.

"Well yeah! I told you I would, didn't I?"

"Yeah, I believe his exact words were 'anything for you,' weren't they?" Dom walked up behind her, grinning.

Theo turned to push him lightly and I took the chance to shoot him a death glare.

"Oh don't tease him. I can get not wanting to come if he didn't know anyone, but he's got us so he'll be fine!" She turned back to me. "C'mon, we've already commandeered a corner of the stage!"

"Oh really? Cool." I let her drag me down the aisle of the auditorium to the stage. This was the same stage that we had played on last Friday for music class. The stage where I'd professed my love to various girls as various characters for years in drama performances and during forensics meets. The stage where I'd wanted nothing more than to kiss Theodosia when we'd gotten a perfect 100 percent on our duet.

Oh lord, I sound like a total creep.

"Here, just pile all your stuff right up here." Theo pointed. "I promised I'd make cookies and I did, and Dom brought some games!"

"And if we get bored we can go play spin the bottle with Terrence and his buddies." Dom grinned, pointing at a group of band and theatre kids that were obnoxiously stage kissing as they spun and empty glass Coke bottle.

I glared at him as I tried to fight back the blush rising to my cheeks.

Apparently Theo noticed, because she began peering at the group closely. "You're lookin' a little pink, Pip. Cute girl over there?"

Dom snorted loudly.

"Y-yeah, something like that." I shot him another look and pulled my ponytail out. "Lets- uh, play a game or something. Yeah- what'd you bring, Dom?"

Dom snickered as we sat down and began to look through the board games. I kicked him sharply when Theo wasn't looking.

"Here, lets play Monopoly!" She grinned.

"Oh no. I'm never playing Monopoly with Dominic again. Never."

"Awww, scared you're gonna lose?" Dom teased.

"Nah. More confident I'm gonna end up punching you."

"You wouldn't stand a chance." Dom grinned.

I wasted no time in tackling him.

"OW! Philip!" He shoved me away and tried to grab my wrists.

Things quickly got out of hand as the two of us wrestled back and forth.

"Okay, knock it off!" Theo pushed Dom off me. I took the chance to jump on him and pin him down with both hands, grinning.

"You only won 'cause she helped." He stuck his tongue out.

"Behind every good man is a powerful woman." I quipped without thinking, then flushed.

Theo giggled. "Glad to know I'm your second in command when it comes to school boy fights."

I laughed. "I could take him easily."

"Hey, I'm in marching band. At least I'm more active than you." Dom said.

"You play flute! Upper body strength not necessary."

"Be nice, Pip." Theo pushed me with a giggle and held up the box of cookies. "Why don't we resolve this with food."

"The best way to solve a problem!" Dom sat up quickly and grabbed two.

I laughed and grabbed one as well. "Fatty."

"And? I like to eat. Don't shame me you art weirdo."

"Hey!" I grabbed a Monopoly piece from the now open box and chucked it at him.

He laughed.

"Art? Like you draw?" Theo asked curiously.

"Oh yeah, all the time! You should see his caricatures, they're amazing." Dom grinned. "One time he drew Professor Mulligan as a superhero, I think it's still pinned up in his classroom."

Theo whirled to look at me. "That was you? I thought it was professionally done!"

"No, uh, that was me." I nodded a bit awkwardly. "Took me a whole class period."

"Something like that would take me months!" She exclaimed incredulously.

"Well we all can't be as talented as our dear Philip, can we?" Dom laughed.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh shut up. You're way better than me at a lot of things."

------------------------------

After two rounds of Uno, a game of Monopoly (I caved), and several rounds of a fun game called Rise of Augustus, we finally went to bed, curling up in sleeping bags next to each other. The next morning, Theo's dad came to pick her up early. Dom and I walked home, stopping at his house first, then with me going by myself to mine.

Exhausted from the late night and hungry as all get out, I didn't notice it was missing until I went through my bag to find my homework that was due the day we got back from break.

I scrambled for my phone.