Thanks for the enthusiastic response on this story. I really appreciate it. So here's chapter 2, I'm gonna aim for posting on Tuesdays. I hope you guys like this chapter, I'm still setting up things here, so tell me what you think. Thanks for reading and reviewing.


Chapter 2

Booth was so early, the student parking lot was empty when he got there. He sat down on the curb and lit a cigarette to wait until Karen got there. And he waited and waited, cars started arriving and he still didn't see Karen. Then his football buddies started arriving and he flipped up the hood on his sweatshirt so they'd leave him alone. They didn't even notice him but Booth was still waiting for Karen. It was getting closer and closer to the bell and Booth's cigarette was reduced to a butt on the asphalt, but Karen had yet to deign to make an appearance. Booth even saw Jared make his way in on his bike, Pops was gonna kill him for forgetting his little brother. When the cheerleaders started getting there, Booth was sure that she'd be there, but no luck. The cheerleaders gathered just inside the gate, waiting for the last member of the squad to get there. It wasn't until five minutes before the bell that Booth's yellow '71 Charger made it's grand entrance into Thomas Edison High's student parking lot.

Booth winced as Karen ground the gears parking, and everyone within hearing distance turned to see Karen Isley getting out the driver's side of Seeley Booth's smokin' hot car. Booth caught up to Karen at the hood of his car, "Give me back my keys, Karen.", but Karen didn't seem to cow at the threatening undertone in Booth's voice.

"Oh, you'll get your keys back soon, Seeley." she said as she quickly stepped around him, "You just have a little more penance to do." and she joined the group of cheerleaders waiting for her and made her way to class.

Booth anxiously walked around his car checking for any scratches and sighed in relief when he didn't find any. However, the bell had him running to get to class on time.

English Literature with Mr. Stires was even more torturous than usual, Booth couldn't stop worrying about his car and Stires' lecture on Beowulf and the Norse hero that he was the epitome of, was just making the time pass by slower.

His next class was American Government and Booth didn't dare be late. Unfortunately for him, Booth couldn't seem to pay attention in this class either.

"Well, class. Since it seems that Mr. Booth has learned all he can from the class he will now recite the preamble of the Constitution for you." boomed out Ms. Julian.

"What?"

"Get your tush up here."

Booth had no choice but to walk past his snickering friends and stand at the front of the class. He started off mumbling, "Speak up!" Booth said it louder.

"We the People of the United States... in order to form a more perfect Union... establish justice... insure domestic tranquility... provide for the common defense... promote the general welfare... and secure the... blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do... ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Ms. Julian looked at Booth in surprise, "Well well, it looks like someone's been paying attention after all." She reached over and pinched his cheek, as she finished speaking, "Ya'll could learn a thing or too from this boy. Now sit back down and keep your mind off your girlfriend." Booth rushed back to his seat trying not to blush.

For the rest of the class period Booth paid attention and he was rewarded with first break. He was about to go in search of Karen, when one of the JV cheerleaders came up to him. "Karen says, that this was for taking Jennifer under the bleachers." and she dropped his keys into his palm, almost smacking him in the face with her ponytail. So it was with a huge smile that Booth walked into Anatomy class.


Temperance walked into Anatomy and Physiology, engrossed in the index cards she'd made for the lymphatic system. This was despite the fact that they'd barely finished covering the epidermis. Because Stires' classroom was just across the hall she was the first one in the room. Once again Dr. Goodman tried to get a greeting from her, but she just nodded distractedly and sat down.

Much to Dr. Goodman's bemusement however, Seeley Booth was second to arrive and what's more, he walked right up to Temperance's seat, pulled out a chair, straddled it and proceeded to try and talk to her. He was even more blown away when she talked back.

"Guess what I got?" Booth twirled his key ring around his finger.

"There's no need to guess, I can very plainly see that you have keys in your hand."

"Not just any keys, I got the keys to my car back!"

"Congratulations, I have your sweater in my backpack, do you have mine?"

Booth winced, "Sorry, but I haven't had a chance to wash it."

"That's alright, you can have yours back anyway." And she proceeded to give him his hoodie.

"Thanks again, you were a big help last night. Who would have thought Karen would have got so pissed off about me and Jennifer?" the words were out of his mouth before he could even think about the wisdom of saying them.

"You and Jennifer?"

Booth's mouth couldn't even move to form words around his big foot. He just sat there, mouth agape, as Temperance looked him up and down.

"How could I have not seen it! I thought Karen was a girl who was leading you on, but it turns out you're the one who was doing the leading. You're just another alpha male jock!"

The last syllable seemed to hang in Booth's ears as the rest of the class entered in a noisy rabble, Booth had no choice but to go back to his own seat.