Bridgette was particularly chipper that morning. Not chipper, happy. The sun seemed to caress her cheeks as she walked to school. Her long-distance boyfriend, apart from giving her the daily wake up call, announced her that he was coming to visit in a month. She felt like singing and dancing. It didn't matter that the cold season was coming and that surf was out or that it was her very first day of school. There was a big assembly in the schoolyard. The principal was on the top stair boring everyone with one of his motivational speeches. She could tell that he spent way too much time tanning. She patiently waited outside the big crowd thumping her foot to a beat in her head. Nothing could break her spirit now.

"Ouch!" her hand rushed to her ponytail. Someone gave it a tug. She twirled on her heels only to be surprised. A smiled crept on her face. "Real mature."

"What can I say?" he smirked. "I still got it."

"Duncan," she shook her head. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," he awkwardly looked around. "I got expelled last yes so I had to switch schools. Here I am."

"I didn't know you were from Vancouver," she said.

"Small world, isn't it?"

"It sure is," she nodded. "Do you need any help with orientation?" she asked.

"I'm good," he nodded. "I have to go the secretariat anyway. See ya," he left.

She looked after him quizzically raising an eyebrow. The day continued blissfully. Of course she met with her friends discussed about the summer, the show, the new school year, but her mind was somewhere else. She kept thinking about Geoff's close arrival.

The following days were normal. Geoff was being as sweet as ever over the phone and via web cam always drawing her hearts and surfboards. There was something bugging her. It was Duncan's new arrival. She waved to him every time they met, but he seemed to avoid her. She expected that since they were both on the show and on the same they could become friends. He was a loner, she never saw him with anyone. He looked like he could do with a friend. She told Geoff about him and he told her to chill and not stress about it. Duncan will eventually come to her if he ever needed company. He wrinkled his nose and added: "And, well, he's not exactly good company, babe."

Bridgette contemplated what he said and tried to recall where she heard that before. Courtney? No, everyone. Everyone thought the exact same thing. She guessed everybody deserved a chance. She was hanging out with her friends at the cafeteria when she spotted him sitting outside by himself.

"Hey, guys," she grabbed her lemon water. "I'm going outside from some fresh air."

"That's cool," her friend, Stoner, replied. "You need to feel the grass."

She giggled. Stoner was one of the best friends she had. Sure, her girlfriends, were sweet and perky, but he was really relaxed. She felt that they really had a connection. Well, in all honesty, Stoner had a connection with everyone, but she caught him sober a few times and he was equally awesome. She coolly walked up to Duncan who was leaning on his elbows wearing a pair of sunglasses.

"Hey," she smiled at him.

"What's up?" he replied.

"Nothing much," she sat next to him. "How are you liking it here?" she asked.

"It's cool," he nodded.

A moment of silence passed.

"So..." she awkwardly looked at him. "Geoff is visiting me at the end of the month."

"Is that so?" he smirked.

"Yeah, would you like to hang out with us?" she asked.

"Nah," he shook his head.

"Why not? I'm sure Geoff would like to see you."

"It's just not my thing," he causally replied. "Don't get me wrong, we had some great laughs, but that was about it," he looked away.

"But-" she wanted to say.

"I don't do well with friendships, Blondie," he cut her off.

She fell silent. It was troubling her.

"Hey," he called. "So are you guys like long distance or something?" he grinned.

"Yeah," she replied.

He laughed. "That's rich."

She frowned.

"Hey, don't get me wrong, but these things...usually they don't last..."

"See that's where you're wrong. I love him."

He took off his sunglasses. "I know. Usually it's not the chick who..." he meaningfully rolled his eyes.

"You're such a jerk, Duncan. I came to sit with you because you seemed lonely."

"Didn't ask you to."

she got up and stomped away. Later that day they met on the hallway, only that he was being dragged to the principal's office by two teachers. He looked over his shoulder and winked at her. That night, she wasn't sure whether Duncan jinxed it or Geoff was busy because he didn't answer his phone.

The following morning there was no inspirational text on his behalf. It was infuriating.

"Greetings, earthling, " Stoner greeted her that morning.

"Hm," she grunted.

"What's troubling you, sour puss?" he asked.

"Hm."

"Is that so?" rubbed his chin. "Then you shouldn't mix cold pizza with milk and cereal, man. It's bad for you."

She laughed.

A somewhat apologetic text came later that day. Geoff told her that he hosted a party and woke up late. She pretended not to be angry. After all, he met with his friends again. But for the past week he kept screening her calls. He was always hanging out. Bridgette was not the kind to be jealous or negative, but now she felt truly frustrated. She desperately loved him, but he kept shutting her out. That weekend, she went out to look for a new yoga CD as she grew bored with her old one. Apart from that she felt jittery and believed she needed more soothing music.

"Hello, Blondie," she heard Duncan's husky voice.

She looked up. He was peering at her from above a CD rack. He wore a black hoodie. He wasn't sure if she should speak to him or not. Truth was, that after a week of hearing her girlfriends insist that she chill out, that she's hot and that Geoff is head over heels for her, some new perspective would do her well.

"Hey," she replied.

"What're doing?"

"Looking for a yoga CD. I haven't seen you around..."

He grinned. "Well, there was a bit of misunderstanding at school and I got suspended."

"Is that so?" she asked.

"Yeah, an incident with a freshman in the girls' bathroom."

"So how are you and lover boy?"

"Lover boy..." she sighed.

"Trouble in long distance paradise?" he asked.

"Maybe...I don't know. He's been a bit absent..."

"Not returning your calls?"

she nodded. "Whew..."

"You got an opinion on that?" she picked out a CD.

"Well," he took it from her hand and starred at it. "I'm thinking that he's living it up there. He's having fun, he's home with his friends. I think you should start adding some adrenaline to your life."

"I have a great life," she replied.

"Sure you do," he smirked.

"I do!" she gave him a shove.

He took a few steps back.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay," he caught her by the hand. "I really think there's a bad girl in there waiting to come out. I just saw her now so..." he squeezed her hand.

"Duncan...what are you do-"

he pulled her by the hand and ran. They went past the doors, the alarms went off. The cashier yelled after them. He pulled her into the street.

"Duncan!" she cried.

"Don't stop running!" he replied.

They kept running for five blocks. They stopped both heavily breathing and pacing.

"You lunatic! You're on parole!" she yelled at him

"That was awesome;" he fist punched the air. "Didn't you feel like...whoa!"

"No, you idiot!" she nervously paced around. "You, stay away from me from now on!" she walked away.

"Hey, Bridge!" he called.

She looked over her shoulder. He threw her the CD.

"Don't forget your CD!"

she angrily stomped home. He checked her phone, her email, her mailbox. Nothing. She changed into some comfortable clothes pushed in her new CD and tried relaxing. However, she couldn't wrap her mind around it. She fell on her bed. She thought back to her moment with Duncan and was horrified by the result. He actually was cute in a twisted way.

The following days, every time they met he gave her a conspirator wink. It was driving her crazy. She was in class and checking her phone. No text. She wasn't even sure if her so called boyfriend was even coming. And then she saw him trough the window. He was hanging by a tree branch. No care in the world. She raised her hand.

"I'm not feeling well, may I go to the nurse?"

The teacher agree. She darted towards the backyard.

"I saw you coming," he casually said.

"Is that so. Well I came here for a reason. I want you to stop..."

"Stop what?" he hung upside down looking at her.

"This thing that you're doing!"

"But I'm not doing anything," he jumped. "It's you who..." he came came closer to her.

"Hey, what are you two-" they heard a voice behind them. It was their teacher, Mr. Mears.

"Run!" Bridgette ran. He followed.

They went back in to the school. She was confused. "Oh my God, Oh my God! I've never been in detention!"

"In here!" he pulled her into a broom closet.

They fell on in the crowded broom closet. She burst out laughing.

"Hey!" he covered her mouth. "He might hear us," he whispered.

"You're incorrigible," she said.

"Hey, you had fun," he remarked.

"Maybe..."

"You like me," he grinned.

"You need a friend, admit it. That's why you are trying to corrupt me!"

"Maybe I do," he shrugged. "You're...really...sweet let's say..."

"Is that word in your vocabulary?"

"Not until now, but um...I just love messing with you," he laughed.

"So when did you start?"

"Start what?"

"Being an outlaw?"

"Well...I think that when I was five I shoved a girl off the swing."

"Oh my God! You are so mean. But now seriously."

"Seriously, when I turned fourteen, my dad said he was going to send me to military school, so I got this tattoo," he revealed a skull on his forearm.

"Real mature," she said.

"well, I got cooler tattoos, I could show them to you sometime..." he winked.

"I have a boyfriend!"

"Whatever, doll face."

"Hey, what about you and Courtney?"

"Courtney..." he thoughtfully said. "She was one hell of a girl. Quite on the toxic side. so... yeah, it was fun, but us together...not really. Plus, Montreal is pretty far away."

"Don't you get lonely?"

"Sometimes," he shrugged. "But that's what freshmen are for. Aren't you lonely?"

"Sometimes...I miss him. But sometimes I feel like..."

"Yes?" he inched closer.

"I feel the need to be in a man's arms..." she leaned towards him.

He put an arm around her. "Like this?"

"Like that..." she close her eyes.

As they got closer, the bell rang. She jumped up. "I gotta go."

"See you around."

She skipped the next to periods and jogged home. She threw water on friends and looked in the mirror barely recognizing herself.

A long week followed in which she didn't see him come to school. She constantly felt sick and jittery. Geoff her talked on the phone for only five minutes that week because he had football practice. And then the shocking news came. It was a rainy day. Reception was bad, but she heard over the phone loud and clear. He wasn't coming. At that point she closed it. She looked outside. It was a pouring rain, but she left. She ran. She knew where he lived because she saw it once. She nervously knocked and just her luck, he answered.

"Bridgette-"

she didn't let him finish. She jumped into his arms. They started making out. He pulled her in. they bumped the walls a few times.

"Wait," she paced. "Are your parents home?"

"No," he answered.

She pushed up his shirt.

"Upstairs," he lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom.

It was a long thirty minutes.

"That was amazing," Duncan said climbing off her.

She didn't reply.

"So...to what do I owe the visit?"

"You know what?" she got up and started dressing. "This was a mistake."

"Hey, wait," he jumped out of bed and placed himself in the doorway. "Now, you barge into my house, we have mind blowing and it's all a mistake! You have some explaining to do!"

"Look, you were..." she looked at him. "You were there. I was lonely. You were there. Geoff is not coming to Vancouver anymore."

"Oh," he let his guard now.

"Well excuse me," she bumped him towards the right and left.

He ran to the window. "Hey, Blondie,"he called.

She looked up.

"I'm here anytime."

she shuddered.