Mini McGuinness prided herself on being timely. She got to her classes just before the bell and even arrived at a party fashionably late – which was considered on time in her opinion. Still, this morning of all mornings, she had somehow slept in.

To save time she had skipped her morning workout, thrown on a pair of jeans, a tank, and a jacket, and her hair had been pulled into a side-ponytail. Altogether, she did not feel prepared to give her monologue in drama that morning.

"Hey, Freckles, you got a light?"

Mini turned to see a young man leaning against a sign post just outside the perimeter of Roundview College. She scrutinized him; from the ratty shoes on his feet, the subtle quirk in his grin, and the glint of mischief in his eyes.

"No, I don't," she replied, looking from him to the front doors of the college. "Aren't you going in?" She was already late, so she knew he had to be.

"Nah, I don't go anymore," the man replied, taking the unlit cigarette from his lips and sticking it behind his ear.

"So you like standing outside a college asking girls for their lighter?" Mini replied, raising a skeptical brow.

"Just you." His smirk widened then and something about it made Mini feel suspicious and yet a little intrigued. "What's your name anyway?" He asked, taking on a more thoughtful expression now.

"Mini. Mini McGuinness," she answered, looking over at the doors again and knowing she was running even more late by wasting her time with him. "And you are?" She asked, though wasn't sure whether she cared or not.

"I'm Cook," he replied, pushing off from the sign post.

"Just Cook?"

"James Cook, but, yeah, just Cook." He nodded, looking at the doors too now. "Got somewhere to be?"

Mini looked at him, almost saying 'no'. Something about his question was leading and it made her think. "Yes, I have class," she finally answered, taking a few steps away from him.

"Catch ya later, Freckles!" was the last thing she heard before entering the building.

"Where were you? I waited for you by your locker," Mini's boyfriend, Nick, said as she sat down for lunch.

"I overslept." Was all she gave for an answer, counting out some almonds and grapes from her salad before eating them.

Nick just looked at her for a moment before digging into his food as well. The table was quiet until Liv and Grace got there, chatting about their own monologues from that morning.

"Where were you this morning?" Liv told Mini, stealing a chip from Nick's plate.

"That monologue was twenty percent of your grade," Grace chimed in.

"I overslept, okay?" Mini snapped, still mad at herself for missing drama. Maybe she could talk to the teacher, ask for an extra credit assignment to make up for some points. Even through her other classes she hadn't been able to get Cook out of her head.

"Hey," Nick murmured, slinging an arm over her shoulder and kissing her cheek. "It's okay, I'm sure you can get a re-do or something…" He kissed her again while Grace and Liv dissolved into their own conversation. "My dad is going to be late at the office tonight and Matty still won't come home… want to come over after Rugby practice?"

"Maybe," Mini replied, though she smiled at him anyway.

"Come on, Mins," Nick murmured with a small groan. "I haven't been able to touch you for, like, a week…"

Mini bit her lip, knowing it wouldn't be good for her relationship if she kept stringing Nick along for sex. She avoided it when she could, even though she really was convinced that she loved him. Ever since the first time, though, she just found herself wondering about them lasting more and more.

"I'll text you after I finish my homework, okay? I really need to make up for this monologue." She kissed his cheek, hoping the answer was good enough for him.

"Thanks, babe," Nick replied, expression brightening significantly as he assumed he would be getting laid later.

"Freckles!"

Mini turned as she was walking down the sidewalk, offering Cook an exaggerated groan. "You again? Don't you have anything better to do than follow me around all day?"

"I'm not following you," Cook replied as he caught up to her, tone serious enough that it almost disappointed her. He quickly changed the subject though, leaving her little time to frown over his answer. "Where are you going?" He asked.

"Home," Mini said simply, knowing she had a lot of work to do – not to mention seeing Nick later. "Are you going to follow me there too?" She asked, unable to help herself.

"Again, not following." There was that smirk, the one that left her with all sorts of questions. "I'm going to a party," Cook added quickly, hands shoved into his pockets as they walked. "Care to join me?"

Mini shot him a look, though she was more annoyed with the fact that she rather enjoyed the idea of going with him, even though she barely knew him at all. That might be what excited her most.

"I have homework to do… and a boyfriend," she told him, though even those words didn't make his smirk falter.

"So? I had a goldfish once, but we all get bored," Cook replied, walking backwards in front of her now. "Come on, Freckles, live a little."

Mini couldn't believe she had said yes, even now when they were at the club. It was definitely on the wrong side of town and smelled an awful lot like gym socks, but the music was loud and the drinks were cheap so she hardly cared. She looked at her phone and saw two missed calls from Nick.

"Here you are, Freckles," Cook shouted over the music, handing her a cup of beer.

She snapped her phone shut and shoved it back into her pocket, taking the drink from him.

It didn't seem to take long before they were in the middle of the crowd, dancing to the music. His hands reached from behind to rest on her waist as they moved their hips together, Mini letting her arms snake up to hang behind his neck.

Soon he was nuzzling her neck, lips just brushing the skin of her ear. Mini wasn't sure if this could be blamed on the alcohol or some secret inside of her, but she didn't push him away. His hands moved over her smooth stomach and up to cup her breast gently.

They were knocked off balance, two guys shoving each other in a fight. Before Mini even knew what was happening, Cook leapt on them, apparently eager to join and throw punches of his own. One of the guys' fists connected with his eye, sending him stumbling back. Mini grabbed him to pull him aside just as the bouncers came, kicking the other two out.

"Are you okay? Shit, you're bleeding…" Mini said as she grabbed Cook's hand and pulled him into the bathroom. She grabbed a sheet of paper towel and wet it, pressing it to the cut just above his eyebrow.

"I've looked worse, trust me," Cook replied, though didn't object to her nursing.

Mini dabbed at the cut until it seemed to clot up, tossing the dirty towel into the trash.

"What were you thinking?" She asked standing in front of him as he leaned against the sink.

"I wasn't." He shrugged, smirk indicating that it was the honest truth.

"Doesn't that… scare you? Not thinking before you do something?"

Cook just stared at her for a moment, shaking his head slowly.

Mini could feel all those questions bubble up again, the ones that she knew would never be answered. He was so careless, so random to her; it made her want a bit of that excitement for herself. She leaned forward to kiss him, accidently bumping her forehead with his.

"Ouch, fuck," Cook murmured, rubbing his head with a chuckle. He looked up at Mini again, though dropped the smirk for just a moment. His hands touched the side of her face, catching her lips with his a bit more gently this time. The kiss was slow, almost curious, before it grew in intensity.

Mini kissed him back just as eagerly, pushing him back against the sink as she leaned her body against his. Their tongues tangled and his fingers bunched in her hair. It was sloppy and rushed, but no less exciting.

Cook spun Mini around to sit her on the sink, kissing down her neck and sucking hard at the skin just below her ear. He started unbuttoning her pants and she grabbed his hand, stopping him.

"What?" Cook looked up at her expectantly. "Condom? I've got one—"

"No," Mini shook her head, knowing this was silly as she was the one who had started it. "Birth control," she added, biting her lip. Even after all the drinks, she knew this was wrong. She may have been having her doubts about Nick, but he was still her boyfriend and she didn't want to hurt him.

Cook must have seen it because he just nodded. "Ah, boyfriend then…"

Mini sighed, knowing she had wanted this. Still, how could she face Nick tomorrow? She couldn't help but get a little angry, having wanted and expected the thrill that Cook seemed to have with his recklessness. "Fuck it," she murmured, grabbing him by the waistline of his pants and unbuttoning them.

"Fuck it," Cook replied approvingly, kissing her again.