I scoffed when Yuri talked, “I know, I know, it is pretty embarrassing to be afraid of the tiniest thing on the planet, it just a fear I cannot help. Please do not think any less of me.”, he said and the group of girls 'awe' at him. I couldn't believe that was actually working for him because when I found out, I couldn't stop laughing at him and he hit me with his book he had in his hand.

“It's okay, Yuri, we all have something we're scared of. I hate getting stung by bees, so I can understand you.”, one of our classmates said as she stroked his arm giving him a caring look, making me gag.

“Yeah, I'll admit I hate bugs to. They're gross and your right, they do carry lots of germs.”, another said and I stuck my tongue out in a gagging way as I let my arms drop.

“Thank you, some people—“, he cut himself off to look at me and I gave him a snotty look, “would laugh at a person fear. It is pretty cruel.”

My mouth dropped when the girls turned to me and 'tsk' at me. I scuffed and pointed my finger at Yuri as I glared at him. “You're evil, Yuri Gavril.”, I said.

One of the girls gasp, smiling up at Yuri, “Your middle name is Gavril? How unique!”

I yelled in my head at how frustrated I was getting but I just scuffed as I turned around and quickly regretted it when I saw Buck walking his way towards me. I almost turned around to act as if I had seen him, but he already had and I cursed at myself when he stood in front of me. I gave him an awkward smile, “Hey.”

“Hey.”, he said, wiping his sweaty forehead with his white t-shirt from his flannel shirt he had taken off and his flannel shirt was unbutton on him. “I can't believe you both actually came. Didn't think this was rich boys thing.”

I shrugged, “Yuri wanted to come, he wanted to do something 'American' but he always went to parties in Rome though.”

He nodded for a moment before biting his bottom lip, “Look, Jocelyn, I'm sorry what I said earlier. It was completely rude and wrong of me.”

My eyes widen and I smiled, “Wow, did you just admit you were wrong? Buck Cleon—admitting he was wrong?”, I asked, faking a shocked gasp as I brought my hand up to my chest. Buck was as stubborn as a bull and never admits he wrong until something happens. He wouldn't admit to me that he was wrong this quickly, it was kind of strange. I crossed my arms over my chest, “Shocking, shocking.”

He smirked down at me and lightly pushed me, “Oh shut up, Jocelyn. I thought fighting with you after the first day of seeing each other again was bad karma and I don't need bad karma.”

“Oh. . .are you the same Buck I knew from a year ago?”, I asked, chuckling.

“Like you said, people can change in one year.”, he said, chuckling. “And the clothes aren't so bad, their nice.”

“Thanks.”, I said.

Buck pressed his lips together as he smiled and I chuckled at his boyish look, “So. . .how close are you and Yuri? It's just a question, you don't have to answer if you don't want to.”

I brought my hand up to my mouth and bit my nails, “We're friends—just friends. Yuri didn't really have friends back in Russia and he didn't want to go back. He didn't tell me why, but he never tells me allot about himself so he wanted to come back here with me.”

“Why? What is he hiding?”, he asked.

I shrugged my right shoulder, “I don't know and I never get an answer when I ask. He's a good guy though, he was there when I felt homesick in Rome and pretty much the only friend I had there.”

“Oh.”, he said. “So if you two are just friends. . .do you want to hang out this Saturday?”

My mouth couldn't stop it self from dropping a little in surprise. Was Buck asking me out on a date? It's was barley a whole day we seen each other and he's asking me out already? Does that mean he still really likes me?

His smirk dropped and he nodded, “Okay, I get it. See you around—“

I reached out and grabbed his arm, “Buck, wait, no—I mean, I don't know.”, I said since I felt guilty for not answering and rejecting him. It's just how I am, I always take someone else feelings to heart and I can feel guilty in quick seconds. It's not that Buck a bad guy, he was actually a good boyfriend. It's just...weird? “I just didn't expect you to ask me that, I'm just a little surprised.”

“Okay.”, he said. “So it is a yes or no?”

“It's a I don't know right now.”, I said since my mind was going back and forth between myself saying no and yes right now. I didn't want to hurt Bucks feeling by saying no and I'm not sure if I want to go on a date with Buck by saying yes. I was trying not to get those feelings back and just spend the year with Yuri before his parents force him to some college across the world somewhere and I couldn't go with him. “Can I give you an answer tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sure no prob—“

“Give an answer tomorrow?”, I heard Yuri's voice next to me, making me jump since I hadn't heard him coming and I brought my hand up to my chest. “What is going on?”, he asked.

I let go of Bucks arm and I bit my bottom lip, “Oh nothin—“

“I asked Jocelyn on a date Saturday.”, Buck said and my eyes widen at him in surprise. He put his hands in his pocket and shrugged, giving me a confused look. He forced Yuri a smile, “You've seem to be popular already in school.”

“Jocelyn has plans already.”, Yuri said, his voice getting hard and I gave him a confused for his tone and him saying I was busy already. Was I busy already? No, I had nothing planned with Yuri that day. The most was probably hang out at my house and watch TV with my family.

“Huh?”, I asked.

He put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to him, “I thought you said you wanted to go into Leawood or how ever the hell you call it.”,

I mouth dropped a little as I bit my bottom lip, “Eh, oh that's right.”

“That's perfect because I was going to take you to the theaters there.”, Buck said. “They rebuilt the theater, it's really cool inside now.”

“Oh, uh, I guess—“

“Did you not just hear me?”, Yuri asked. “I said we already made plans.”

“Yuri?”, I gave him a confused look because of how mean he was sounding. “Your being really rude right now.”

He shrugged, “It is true though.”

Buck awkwardly scratched his temple, “Uh, if it's that big of a problem, she didn't even say yes yet. If she does, we can always go Sunday.”

“Oh and make me look like the bad guy?”, Yuri asked. “Nyet, she going and I'll come along. We can all have a good time.”

I cleared my throat loud to get their attention which worked, “If I may get a word in, I would very much like to think about this myself. Like Buck said, if it's that big of a problem maybe I shouldn't go even though I don't see why there'll be a problem.”

“Because your my friend.”, Yuri said.

“Uh, I may point out she was my girlfriend before and I knew her a lot longer.”, Buck said and I brought my hand up to my temple as I groaned quietly.

Yuri took his arm away from me and I quckly looked up to see Yuri stepping towards Buck, “Oh really because what she has sai—“

“Stop it you two!”, I said when I pulled Yuri away from Buck. “Are you two really going to start fighting over this? It's a dumb reason.”

“I was going to start anything.”, Buck said. “Because I know you hate fighting, Jocelyn.”

Yuri nose flared as his anger grew, “There you go with making me look like the bad guy again.”, Yuri said.

“I'm only being honest.”, Buck shrugged and I groaned.

Yuri opened his mouth but suddenly a girl threw a guitar across his chest, “Yuri, we found it! You have to show up your talent!”, a girl said as she took his arm and dragged him over to the table.

Yuri hesitated and looked my way before looking around as people started to watch him, waiting for him to play with interest. He bit his bottom lip and sighed as he sat on the table and position the guitar against him.

“He can play the guitar?”, Buck asked, sounding surprise as Yuri began to play the guitar with his fingers. I crossed my arms over my chest and watched as he played the guitar. He was playing softly on the acoustic guitar and it was just really pretty sounding. I remember when he first showed me, I was so impressed by it.

“He said his parents forced him to learn, that he should learn how to play an instrument. He hated it at first, but he grew to like it.”, I said. “Doesn't play for big crowds like this, kind of shy.”

“He's. . .okay I guess.”, Buck shrugged as if he didn't really find Yuri playing the guitar interesting at all.

I couldn't stop myself from thinking back Rome when Yuri and I was walking around the city one night and it wasn't strange to find musicians playing in the streets. One person had caught his attention though.

“I don't think my host parents will appropriate you over night Yuri.”, I said as I brought the warm coffee up to my mouth to take a drink. It was cold and the nice warm coffee was keeping my hands toasty warm.

“I do not understand why girls and boys can't have sleep overs.”, Yuri said as he chuckled.

“Because girls and boys our age would be considered inappropriate.”, I said and I took another step of my drink as I walked. I hadn't realized Yuri wasn't at my side anymore and I paused, turning around to see Yuri watching with a few people a guy playing a guitar. My mouth formed a small 'o' shape and I walked over next to his side.

“I know that song.”, Yuri said. “I heard it in Russian though, it's an old lullaby song my. . .my father mother use to sing it to me when I was little. It's. . .kind of strange to sing to a child.”, he humorlessly chuckle. “'dear little children, it is going be alright. All the noise and bombing sound will help you sleep at night soon, I will hold you in my arms, warm and safe. I will protect with you all my might, I wont let anything happen to you sweet little angels' –it's came from when War World II started and she was a child at the time. It was actually very popular back then.”

“Sounds...interesting.”, I said since I didn't want to say it was kind scary to sing about children inside while a war was going on outside and they had to sleep through that.

“It's crazy, I know.”, he said. “I played it one time on mine when she got sick.”

I wrapped my arm around his, “Why don't you ever stand around on streets and play?”, I asked as I laughed, trying to lighten up the mood since I don't like seeing the sad look on his face.

A small smile appeared on his face, “Because I suck at singing.”, he said. “I will make your ear bleed.”

I nodded once, “True, but your skills are good.”

“Lets make a deal, I'll play and you sing.”, he said and I burst out laughing. “You have a beautiful voice, Jocelyn, you can sing.”

“Are you saying I should become a singer?”, I asked.

He smiled bigger, “No, you need to just my Jocelyn, no one else.”, he said as he reached in his pocket and put a twenty dollar bill in the man guitar case.

I woke up from the memory as Yuri finished and all his groupies gave him an 'awe' look and some guys looked pissed at how their girlfriends were giving Yuri a 'fallen-in-love' look. Yuri awkwardly smiled and nodded, “Thank you, thank you.”, he said as he put the guitar down.

That deal never did happen though.