Collins waited by Angel's art class for the bell to ring—he had convinced the study hall monitor that he really wasn't feeling that well, thus he was able to leave early. When the harsh sound rang through the school, students started to pile out of each classroom. Angel was one of the last to walk out of her class, and she accidentally dropped one of her books on the way as someone passing by bumped into her. She was greatly surprised that Collins was there picking up the book for her before she could even bend over. She looked around nervously.

"Oh. Hey. Thanks."

"You're welcome. I wanted to come by and see if you wanted to hang out during lunch. I don't know why I didn't think of that yesterday."

"Oh. Okay." Collins noted her hesitation.

"You sure? I mean if you're meeting up with Mimi or something, I understand."

"No. It's okay. I can do it."

"Cool." Collins walked beside her as they headed back to the theater, to relax in the backstage beanbag chairs. He proceeded to tell her about a history assignment in which he was going to write about the anarchist perspective of everything that went wrong—at least in broad terms. When they settled, Collins offered Angel some tofu and rice and she tried a few bites before retrieving her sandwich.

"Is everything okay? You're kind of quiet."

"I was just really surprised to see you. In public and all."

"Just now?" He asked confused. Angel simply nodded her head.

"Why?"

"Well…God, this sucks." Collins swallowed hard and looked at her.

"What?"

"Well actually, yesterday, I was kind of bluffing when I asked if you liked me. I didn't think you were serious. At my last school a bunch of kids paid this one guy to flirt with me and make me think that he liked me and…I just had this terrible feeling that this could happen again, and I would be devastated because I really do like you." Angel continued staring at the floor, sighing deeply. "I know that's stupid, and you probably think I'm crazy now, but I really was surprised that you're sticking around and that no one's there laughing in my face. Of course I noticed you looking at me before, but I really didn't want to get hurt. I wouldn't be able to handle it…not from you, anyway. And last night when…when you kissed me, I was kind of in shock, and I really didn't want to get worked up over nothing." Before she knew what was happening, she was in his arms as he kissed her hair, and whispered his apologies for what has happened to her.

"It's okay, you had nothing to do with it. I was just fearful."

"I could never do that…especially not to you." Angel simply nodded, still looking saddened. Collins figured that there was only one thing that could make this situation better. As he settled back, with Angel still very close, Collins began to tell her a story.

"Last semester, we had to write this philosophical paper about something that gave us both joy and grief, and I knew that I had to write it about you." Suddenly Angel ceased playing with the buttons on his shirt.

"I wrote about the first time I saw you, and how happy I felt just watching you, and then each time got harder and harder because I didn't think that you even knew who I was, and even if you did, it would never go much further than that. So you see, it's been a constant struggle and a divide." Angel began to giggle.

"What?"

"Sorry, I just remembered that day I saw you at Roger's house, and I didn't want to go but of course Mimi made me, and I just didn't expect to see you there and when I did I just froze."

"No way. I thought you were definitely feeling like we were getting on your nerves so you didn't want to say anything." Angel continued giggling at this.

"But that's okay, because you're here now." They both turned toward one another and Collins slowly kissed Angel's nose, and her lips, pulling away at a painstaking pace.

"I want to be with you Angel. And not just in some dark corner, but really be with you." She just snuggled closer.