Let Me Fall

I look out the window as Brian drives to our next destination. He still won’t tell me where we’re going, and we’ve been driving around for a while now. I’m starting to think that he doesn’t even know where we’re going either, but that can’t be right because he seemed so sure when we left. Maybe we’re just lost.

“So, how much longer?” I ask, glancing over at him.

“Not much,” he answers, sounding more confident than he looks as he turns onto another street.

“Okay,” I mumble, trailing off.

I return my gaze to the window and chew on the inside of my bottom lip, anxiety beginning to bubble up inside of me. Now that I think about it, I’m not familiar with this area of town at all. I don’t have a clue where we are anymore. Where the hell is he taking me?”

“Ah, here we go,” he says, and we turn again, this time into a parking lot-- an empty parking lot.

“Here?” I query; my senses are now on high alert. Why would he bring me to a deserted parking lot? What the fuck is he planning?

“Yeah, it’s perfect.”

Perfect? Perfect for what? I gulp, my saliva practically ripping down my dry throat and my pulse pounds in my ears. This cannot be good at all. What is he going to do to me? Does he think this is a good place to try to make a move on me or something, because I can tell him that it’s not-- at all.

Or what if it’s something worse? I mean, I don’t even know this guy. What if he’s really some deranged psychopath? Does he plan to rape me? Is he going to torture me? Is he going to murder me? Shit, what did I get myself into?

I unbuckle my seatbelt and slowly start to reach for the door handle. “Perfect?” I ask, doing my best to keep the edge out of my voice.

“Yeah, it’s just the place I was looking for.”

I wrap my fingers around the handle, prepared to make my escape. “And what exactly do you have in mind?”

“We’re gonna have some fun,” he replies, his dark eyes falling onto me.

“That’s it! I’m fucking out of here!” I pull on the handle, push the door open, and rush out of the car, making a run for it.

“Whoa! Piper, what are you doing?” he calls out after me, but I don’t bother to stop and explain myself; I just keep running. “Piper!”

I hear his footfalls not far behind me, catching up to me quickly. I push myself to go faster, though. Unfortunately, I’m not in the best of shape. My legs are already starting to burn and I’m panting for air, but I keep pushing. I can’t let him catch me; I just can’t. I have to get away from, get somewhere safe where I can call for help. I need to be able to go home and get back to Trevor. I can’t leave him like this; I won’t.

But after a couple more minutes, my running proves useless when I feel his fingers wrap around my arm.

“Let go of me!” I growl, trying to yank my arm away from him.

“Not until you tell me what the hell that was about. What’s wrong, Piper?”

“What’s wrong? Are you really that thick?”

“What? You said you didn’t mind hanging out some more.”

“Yeah, hanging out, not going to some freaky fucking deserted parking lot in the middle of the night!”

His grip loosens, and I pull my arm away before taking off into another sprint. But he’s ahead of me and takes ahold of my wrist. “Okay, I know it looks bad. But I promise that I wasn’t going to do anything to you.”

“And why should I trust you?”

“If I was going to do anything to you, do you think I would have willingly gone to your house and talked to your mom? If you were to disappear, your mom would know exactly who you were with and what I look like.”

“I guess…”

“I’d be the dumbest criminal ever to make it that easy.”

“I suppose…” I bite my lip and look up at him. “So, if you weren’t going to murder me and chop me up into little bits, why’d you bring me to an empty parking lot?”

“Murder you and chop you up into little bits? Jesus, what kind of person do you think I am?” he asks with a laugh.

“I don’t know. I don’t really know you at all, to be honest. I didn’t know what to think. And you were being all cryptic, who wouldn’t jump to conclusions?”

“I guess so, but that’s one hell of a jump.”

“Not really. If you put yourself in my shoes, you’d probably see that it’s not that far out there at all. Plus, I heard about a girl who was on a date with a guy she didn’t really know, and he took her to an empty parking lot where he tortured her and left her to die. You can’t blame me for being a bit weary,” I reason, beginning to return to the parking lot.

“That seriously happened?” he asks.

I nod.

“Wow, people are fucked up. Did they catch the guy who did that?”

“Yeah, they did. It’s just scary to think that there are people out there like that.”

“I’m sorry that I scared you, Piper. I didn’t even think that you’d think that’s what was going on.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry that I freaked out on you like that. So, now that we’ve established that you’re not going to try to kill me, why’d you bring me to an empty parking lot?”

“Well, I was just thinking about how you said that my car is your dream car and how you couldn’t believe that you were going to get to ride in it. I thought that you’d like to see what it’s like to be behind the wheel.”

I stop in my tracks and stare at him. Did he just say what I think he said? Did he really just say that he was going to let me drive his Impala?

“What? Did I do something wrong again?” he asks.

“Only if you’re joking about letting me drive your car.”

“I’m not joking.”

“You’re seriously going to let me drive your car?”

“Didn’t I just say that?”

“Well, come on, then!” I exclaim, grasping onto his wrist and taking off into a sprint, dragging him behind me. I can’t fight the smile that’s found its way onto my face, and I hear him laugh as we speedily make our way back to the parking lot. “What’s so funny?” I ask him, feeling slightly winded.

“Just you,” he answers, and I think I can detect a hint of a chuckle lacing his voice; it’s hard to tell since he’s panting a bit. “You really wanna drive that car, huh?”

“Like I said before, dream car since I was fifteen; it’s kind of a big deal.”

He just smiles, and we continue running. Once we reach the parking lot and are beside the Impala, I stop and stare at the car. My blood pumps quickly in my veins and my breathing is shallow, I assume, more from excitement rather than a result of how unfit I am. I feel a something tug my hand, and I realize that I’m still gripping Brian’s wrist. I quickly let him go, and he digs into his pocket to fish out his keys.

But he comes up empty handed. My brows knit together as I watch him pat his pockets, obviously not feeling his keys. The excitement I was feeling has quickly transformed into worry. I hope he didn’t lose his car keys. Gnawing on the inside of my lip, I watch him as he pulls on the driver’s door handle-- it doesn’t open.

“Fuck,” he mutters, leaning down enough to look into the window.

He narrows his eyes and walks around to the passenger door that I ran out of. A triumphant smile appears on his face as he pulls the handle and the door opens. He ducks into the car for a moment before emerging with the keys in his hand.

“Guess I didn’t put them in my pocket when I ran out after you. Lucky that no one’s around or they could have driven off with my baby,” he says as he pats the car.

“Sorry about that,” I say as I shove my hands into my pockets.

“It’s alright; I was the one who was acting like a creep,” he replies as he returns to where I’m standing.

“Then I guess you’re really lucky there was no one around, because someone probably would have called the cops on you for chasing after me like that.”

“Yeah, I suppose that didn’t really make me look good, huh?”

“Not really, unless crazy man was what you were going for,” I quip.

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t. I save that for Friday nights,” he says, cracking a smile, and I can’t suppress a chuckle. “So,” he lets the keys dangle from his finger, “do you think you’re ready to take this baby for a spin?”

I inhale deeply through my nose and exhale slowly, nodding my head. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Then let’s see what you’re made of, Warren.”

Smiling, I take the keys from him. I watch him walk towards the passenger’s side, and I make my move to the car. I open the door, slide into the car, and carefully close the door-- I don’t want to do any damage to this gem. I look around the car; it’s somehow different from the driver’s seat.

“You alright?” Brian asks me, and my gaze flickers over to him.

“Yeah, just taking it all in, that’s all,” I answer as I put the key into the ignition. “And you’re sure it’s okay for me to drive?”

“I wouldn’t have handed the keys over to you if I didn’t trust you,” he replies, amused.

“Okay.” I return my gaze forward and turn the key; the engine comes to life, purring smoothly. “And it’s okay if I adjust the seat and everything?”

“Of course it is.”

I nod and reach down to adjust the seat until I’m comfortable and make all other necessary adjustments before returning my shaking hands to the wheel. I’m more nervous than I thought I’d be. I put the car into gear and carefully let the car move forward.

To be honest, I never imagined that I’d be so cautious driving one of these. I always envisioned myself peeling out onto the road in one of these likes a natural. Instead, I’m crawling along as if I’ve never driven before in my life. I’m just so terrified of messing up Brian’s car-- the car he’s worked so hard on and is so difficult to find.

“Piper, you do know you can go faster than like five miles an hour, right?”

“Mmhmm,” I answer with a quick nod.

“Okay…then why aren’t you?”

“Honestly? I’m nervous as hell that I’m going to do something to screw up your car, and that’s the last thing I want to do.”

“Stop the car,” he says. I do as he says, feeling the heat rise up into my cheeks as I look over at him. He reaches towards me, placing a comforting hand on top of mine. “You’re gonna be fine, Piper. There’s a reason we’re in an empty parking lot, after all. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“But what if I do something to the car?”

“You’re not going to. And even if you did, it’s not a big deal. I already told you that this car’s still a work in progress.”

“That doesn’t mean I want to add more work for you to do.”

“You’re not. It’s not like you don’t know how to drive or anything; I know you do. I wouldn’t be letting you drive if I didn’t trust you.” He lets his hand drop. “Now, relax and drive.”

“That’s easier said than done…” I mumble.

“What’s got you so hung up?”

“It’s a ’67 Impala.”

“Yes, it is. Is that really what has you so worried?”

I exhale heavily and nod. “I really didn’t think I’d be like this. I mean, this is my dream car. But now that I’m behind the wheel, it’s… intimidating,” I reply, letting my gaze meet his.

His lips begin to curl upward, and I’m sure that he’s going to laugh at me, but he doesn’t. Instead, he just gives me a comforting smile. “I can understand that. But you can’t let it scare you, Piper. It’s your dream car and you have the chance to drive it. Seize the opportunity before it slips away.”

“Is it slipping away?”

“Well, we do have class in the morning, unless you wanna skip on the second day, and I doubt you’d wanna do that.” I shake my head, and he nods. “That’s what I thought. So, I suggest you take your chance. Don’t even think of it as an Impala if that helps.”

“Okay…”

“You’re gonna be just fine.”

Nodding, I take a deep breath to calm myself down. Maybe he’s right. Perhaps I’ve built this car up to be so much that I’ve consequently psyched myself out. I relax my grasp on the steering wheel and let myself settle more comfortably in the seat. My foot presses down onto the gas pedal, the car smoothly moves forward, and I cannot stop the smile that tugs at my lips.

~

“You don’t have to walk me to my door, Brian,” I insist as we walk up my driveway together. It’s nearly midnight and he’s convinced that my mom is mad at him. “I really don’t think my parents mind that you’re dropping me off now. If they did, I’m sure they would have called.”

He shakes his head. “Even if they are, I feel like I should at least apologize to your mom for keeping you out so late.”

“It’s not your fault. I’m the one who didn’t call her to let her know I would be this late in the first place. Besides, she didn’t even give me a curfew.”

“I know, but--”

“I’ll let my mom know that you didn’t mean to keep me out so late, if she’s upset about it,” I tell him. “Will that make you feel better?”

“No, because what if she doesn’t believe you and thinks you’re just trying to cover my ass?”

“Brian--”

“I just don’t want her to be pissed and to tell you that you can’t hang out with me again, that’s all. I had a good time tonight,” he says just as we reach the front porch.

I stop and sigh as I turn to look at him. “I had a good time tonight, too,” I admit with a tiny smile. “I actually haven’t had that much fun in a long time.”

He grins. “I just want to make sure you’re not in trouble or anything.”

“And that’s really nice of you to do, but I’m pretty sure my mom’s not going to be that mad. She’s been trying to get me to go out of the house for a while now, she’s probably just happy I didn’t spend my night stuck at home.”

“I thought you said you’re always busy,” he says.

“I am, with stuff around the house.” I lick my lips nervously. I didn’t expect him to remember that. “I want to do as much as I can for my parents since they’re letting me stay with them and everything.”

He nods his head. “That makes sense. It’s pretty nice of you to help them out like that. I don’t know if a lot of people would do that, put aside their social lives just to help their parents out.”

I shrug as I tuck my hair behind my ear. “It wasn’t a lot to put on hold, to be honest.”

“It wasn’t?”

“Well, for me, anyway. I’ve never really been much for going out and partying and all that. I was the quintessential good kid who never really did anything bad,” I mumble. Well, I was until I became a teen mother… I guess that doesn’t really count as being a good kid, does it? I know my parents weren’t exactly beaming with pride when I told them.

“So you were the typical goody-two-shoes?” he asks with a smirk.

I roll my eyes; I never was wild about that term. “If that is what you insist on calling it, yes.”

He chuckles and shakes his head. “I should have known. Well, I was the exact opposite of that-- your typical little hellion. I’m pretty sure I got it from my dad because he was a little shit, too. I like to think I’ve gotten a little better, but I doubt it sometimes. I guess that’s why I’m so insistent on apologizing to your mom, because I’m used to parents hating me for shit like this. You know, being a bad influence and all that.”

“Oh…” I bite the inside of my lip.

“Yeah, it happened more than I’d liked, and I’d hate for it to happen now; especially since you’re the good girl who would listen to your mom if she banned you from ever seeing me again,” he says, his eyes locking onto mine.

“And that doesn’t exactly sound platonic,” I point out softly, my gaze still locked onto his.

He sighs, shaking his head. “I’m not trying to get in your pants, Piper, I swear. Maybe one day you’ll believe me about that.”

I shrug. “Maybe.”

“You know, for a girl who insists that there’s nothing special about her, you sure are convinced that I want to hook up with you.”

“Well, that is because guys like you typically will go for anything with breasts and a pulse, so I can’t exactly let my guard down, can I?”

He scoffs indignantly. “Will you ever let that shit drop?”

“I don’t know,” I reply with a shrug of my shoulders.

“You’re impossible. You know that?”

“Not impossible, just cautious.”

“And why do you have to be cautious?” he asks, and his gaze flickers back to mine.

I lick my lips nervously, not entirely sure what to say. It’s not like I like him or anything like that…but it’s not like I don’t like him. I don’t really know; it’s all just so confusing. I doubt it’d be this difficult to figure out if he weren’t so attractive.

“Because I’ve been screwed over already and I don’t need it to happen again,” I answer simply.

“Piper…”

“I don’t need your sympathy, Brian. Honestly, I don’t.” I sigh, already regretting what I’ve said. “I should go in, though. I think my parents are still up, and we’ve got class in the morning.”

He nods his head. “Okay, but can I at least--”

“You’re not going to let it go, are you?”

“Not tonight.”

“Fine,” I say with an exasperated sigh as I walk up to the door. I notice that there is a light on inside, so it’s safe to assume that one of my parents is up, and turn the doorknob. I push the door open and poke my head in to see my mom reading in an armchair. “Hey, Mom.”

She looks up from her book, giving me a brief smile before her gaze moves to the clock. “Hi, Sweetheart,” she greets me, setting her book aside and getting up. “A little on the late side, isn’t it?”

She starts to walk towards me, not looking too pleased. I guess I was wrong about her not being mad. I really should have called her earlier. I should have been keeping better track of time when I was driving the Impala.

“Yeah, it is. I’m sorry about that. We lost track of the time,” I mumble guiltily.

“It’s all my fault, Mrs. Warren, and I’m sorry for bringing her home so late,” Brian pipes up from beside me. “If you’re mad at anyone, it should be me.”

Her expression softens. “I’m not mad at anyone, Brian, and Piper isn’t in trouble. But next time this happens, I’d appreciate a phone call to know that you’re alright.”

“Of course, ma’am. Again, I’m really sorry.”

“Thank you, Brian, but you don’t need to apologize. You brought her home safely, if not a little late, but safe. That’s all I could ask for. Did you have a good time?”

“Yes,” Brian and I answer in unison.

“That’s good,” she says, her smile growing wider. She’s obviously pleased that not only did I get out but I let myself have fun. “I’ll let you two say your goodnights now. It was nice to see you again, Brian.”

“Nice seeing you too, Mrs. Warren.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

My mom gives him one more smile before turning around and disappearing down the hallway. I sigh softly and reach for the door to close it so bugs don’t fly inside the house. I look over at Brian.

“Well, that went better than I thought it would,” I say.

“She’s not mad at me, right?” he asks nervously.

“Of course she’s not. She told you that she’s not mad at you, Brian.”

“I know, but I’ve had parents do that before. You know, they tell you that everything’s fine to your face, but then when you’re not around they go on about how much they can’t stand you. I just don’t want that to be what’s going on.”

“My mom’s not like that. If she doesn’t like you, then she’ll tell you. She’s a very direct woman; very honest.”

“Okay…”

“Hey, you were the one who insisted on seeing her and apologizing.”

“I know I was,” he retorts and he sighs. “Sorry, guess I’m a little paranoid.”

“Little would be a bit of an understatement,” I note with a chuckle.

He smiles and a laugh passes his lips “Well, I’m glad I didn’t piss off your mom.”

“Me too. Well, I guess I’ll see you in class.”

“That sounds about right,” he says, nodding. “Thanks for hanging out with me tonight.”

“Thanks for letting me drive your car,” I reply with a grin. “That was pretty incredible. Well, once I shook off all those nerves.”

“It’s not a problem. Maybe next time we won’t have to drive around in an empty parking lot.”

“There’ll be a next time?”

“Yeah, unless you’ve decided you don’t want to, then you can just forget--”

“Of course I’ll want to!” I exclaim. “I guess you’re not that bad after all, Haner.”

He laughs. “Oh, gee, thanks.”

“You know what I mean…”

“Not really.”

“Just…that you’re slowly proving to me that I might have been wrong about you,” I mumble, glancing up at him.

“You admit that you were wrong about me?” he asks, grinning widely.

“Might have been wrong,” I retort. “I’m still deciding.”

“Well, you take all the time that you’d like,” he says, still smiling, “but you’re going to realize sooner or later that you were wrong about me. You’ll be kicking yourself for ever thinking I’m just a typical womanizing jerk.”

“I’m sure I will,” I answer, rolling my eyes. “I’ll be regretting every day of my life that I ever turned you down. I’ll probably be begging to be your girlfriend, right?”

“Hey, your words, not mine,” he chuckles. “Well, I guess I should let you get inside so you don’t keep your mom up much longer.”

“Not to mention that I’ve gotta get up early for class. I’m sure you do too.”

“Don’t remind me.” He licks his lips. “Well, I had a great time tonight. Thanks for hanging out and not tearing up my car.”

“Not a problem,” I say with a smile. “Thanks for not murdering me and chopping me up into tiny bits.”

He smiles and shakes his head. “I still can’t believe you thought that I was going to do that. Well, anyway, you have a good night, Piper. I’ll see you later.”

“Goodnight, Brian.”

He smiles at me one last time before he heads back to his car. I glance down at my phone to check the time and I look back up to see how far Brian got. He’s halfway down my driveway.

“Hey, Brian!” I call out, and he stops and looks back at me.

“What is it?”

“It’s Friday. You said you’d tell me how you knew my name on Friday.”

“Well, it may be Friday, but my brain still thinks that it’s Thursday,” he answers with a smirk.

“That’s not fair! It’s Friday!”

“And I’ll tell you. Later.”

“Fine…”

“Goodnight, Piper.”

“Goodnight. Drive safe.”

“I will do my best,” he says as he continues his way back to his car.

I watch him as he walks away and disappears into the car. And I keep watching as he starts up the engine and turns on the headlights. I watch until he drives away and the Impala’s taillights are tiny red dots in the distance.

Sighing, I turn back towards the door and step inside my house. I had half-expected my mom to have returned to the living room to talk to me, but I guess she decided to get to bed instead because I see no sign of her. I walk across the room to the lamp she had turned on and switch it off before heading back to my room.

I navigate through the dark hallway and quietly walk into my room. I find my bedside table and turn on a lamp, hoping that the light isn’t enough to wake up Trevor. I cross the room and peek into Trevor’s crib to see him sleeping soundly; I smile softly as I watch his chest rise and fall with each breath.

“So, Brian seems like a nice boy.” I startle at the sound of her voice and look over my shoulder at my mom. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s fine. I just thought that you had gone to bed. Is Dad still up?” I ask quietly, stepping away from Trevor’s crib and sitting down at the edge of my bed.

“No, he went to bed a while ago. I told him I’d stay up and make sure you got home safe,” she says softly with a smile as she sits down beside me. “So, you had fun tonight?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“What’d you do?”

I shrug. “Not a whole bunch. We grabbed something to eat at that little café you and I used to go to. Then afterward I got to drive his car.”

“That was fun?” she asks, confused. “Driving a car isn’t a euphemism for--”

“No! Oh, God, no. It was fun because he’s got this gorgeous 1967 Chevy Impala that’s, like, nearly impossible to find.”

“That’s the car you always go on about, right?”

“Yeah, it is. And his is in really good condition; I was shocked the first time I saw it. So it was really cool to get to drive it. I used to think that I’d never even be able to ride in one, let alone drive one.”

She smiles. “That was really nice of him.”

“Yeah, it was.”

“He’s a good friend for you,” she says, and I furrow my brows together.

“What? No, Mom, he’s not my friend.”

“He’s not? So he just lets anyone drive his nice, vintage car?”

“Well, no, I don’t think he does…”

“Then I’d say he thinks you’re his friend. What’s so wrong about being friends with him?”

“I-- I don’t know… Nothing, I guess… I just don’t think that’s what we are, that’s all.”

“Then what are you?”

“I don’t know. Acquaintances, I guess,” I answer unsurely.

“Oh, okay. Well, if that’s what you want to call it. Or maybe you’re denying it because you don’t just want to be his friend?”

“What? No… Mom, it’s not like that.”

“It isn’t? Well, that’s a bit of a shame. He’s cute. You never mentioned before that he’s good-looking.”

“Because I didn’t know it was relevant. He’s nothing special. He’s just a guy from class. That’s all he is.”

“Okay…” she says with a slight nod. “Well, I guess I should let you get to bed. But if it’s worth anything, I think he likes you.”

And for a moment, I feel my interest being piqued. “You do?” I ask, and I quickly regret saying anything. If she wasn’t completely convinced that I’m interested in him before, she must be now.

“Yes, I do. But it doesn’t matter to you, right? Why should it? I mean, you don’t like him.”

“It doesn’t… I don’t… I was just…” I bite my lip and sigh. I should just shut up before I dig myself into an even deeper hole. “I’m just tired.”

“It is getting pretty late,” she says softly. “You have a good night, sweetie. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” I murmur as I give her a hug.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

She leaves the room, and I exhale heavily while I rake my fingers through my hair. I don’t understand why my mom is hinting at wanting me to date someone. You’d think after all the shit that happened with Kendall that the last thing she’d want is for me to be interested in another guy, especially one like Brian. Hell, I’m pretty sure that if my dad saw Brian, he’d lock me away until I’m forty. But he doesn’t have anything to worry about because despite what my mom thinks, I’m not interested in Brian.

At least I think I’m not.

~

I trudge down the hallway on my way to class, shrugging my shoulder as I attempt to adjust the strap of my messenger bag so that it’s not digging into me. Fighting a yawn, I decide to take a detour to the vending machines to grab something caffeinated. I was extremely close to skipping class today to sleep in, but then I remembered that I’m still living at home so my parents would know that I skipped class just for a couple extra hours of shuteye.

I doubted telling them that I didn’t sleep well was going to cut it if they asked why I had skipped. I have a baby; running on fumes is something I should be used to by now. But between wracking my brain over what Mom had said about Brian and Trevor waking up, I feel like I didn’t get any sleep at all.

I grab my soda from the machine, twist the cap off, and take a drink. Hopefully either the caffeine kicks in soon or the fizz will be enough to wake me up, because I have a strong feeling that I am going to end up snoozing during at least one of my classes otherwise. I pull my phone out of my pocket as I get close to the classroom and check the time. I’m not as early as I’d like to be in order to get the seat of my choosing, but it’s better than being late.

Stowing my drink away in my bag, I open the door and step into the classroom. As I had figured, people have already taken the seats towards and middle and back of the room, leaving me to pick from one of the seats towards the front. Great, I definitely can’t doze off in class now…

I start to walk towards a desk that’s somewhat close to the center of the room when I notice something at the back of the room. It’s an empty desk next to a very familiar face. I walk to the back of the room and stop next to the unoccupied desk.

“So, is this seat taken?” I ask.

“Nope,” Brian answers with a smile. “Go right ahead.”

I set my bag down and sit down. “So what are you doing here?”

“You really didn’t know, did you?” he queries with an amused smirk on his face.

“Know what?”

“This is it,” he says simply.

Maybe it’s the fact that I still feel like I haven’t fully woken up yet or maybe I’m just really slow, but I have no idea what he’s talking about. What does he mean that this is it? What is it?

“What are you talking about? What’s it?”

“This is how I knew your name. We had already had a class together and I heard it when the teacher was taking attendance.”

“No, that can’t be it. You couldn’t have been in here Wednesday.”

“Why not?”

“Because I would have remembered you,” I answer matter-of-factly.

“Well, I guess you didn’t see me, then, because I was. I was sitting in the corner over there,” he says, pointing to a desk by the windows. “And you were sitting in the back of the row closest to the door.”

“I was... Huh, I guess that makes sense…” I trail off, wondering how I could have gone without noticing him here on Wednesday. I don’t even remember hearing his name when the teacher checked attendance. But then again, I wasn’t exactly paying attention to that.

“You guess it makes sense?” he asks, chuckling.

“I just can’t believe I didn’t see you before, that’s all.”

“Am I easy to spot or something?”

“Well, kinda.” And not so hard to forget… “So you already had heard my name before. That means you totally cheated when you were guessing my name. That’s not fair,” I point out.

“I never said that I was fair about knowing your name. I just said that I had my ways of knowing, and that was my way,” he says with a smile.

I hate you, you cheater,” I mumble, but he just keeps smiling at me.

And as much as I hate to admit it, that smile of his makes my heart beat just a little bit faster.