I was feeling inspired... Thanks for the reviews. :)

Feeling pretty good about myself, I picked up the test that was lying on the desk in front of me. The great big 81 scrawled across the top in bright red made me proud. I'd worked really hard studying for this test, so a B was as good as an A for me.

I folded all three sheets and tucked them into the inside pocket of my jacket. Glancing at the clock, I began to gather my things. The bell would be ringing any second and I had only one goal in mind.

I was going to find Angela Chase and get her the hell out of here before she changed her mind.

I don't even know how I managed to make it through the whole period, test and all, without being consumed with thoughts of her. Her smiling at me. Her touching me. Her pressing her lips to mine.

Somehow I'd did it, though. Small miracle that it was. And now she's all I can think about again.

As the bell sounded above my head, I was already rising from my seat. I held my books in my hand and patiently waited as the people in front of me moved out the door. Once I reached the hallway, I went straight for my locker.

I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't want to hang out in the hall and pretend to pay attention to the guys as they spewed whatever bullshit to try to impress each other. I just want to get my...

"Catalano!" I heard behind me, groaning aloud as I recognized the voice. I didn't even slow. "Hey, Catalano, wait up."

I made it to my locker, spinning the combination, before she stopped at my side. "What do you want, Graff?"

"Um, yeah." She fidgeted nervously, twisting the small braid hanging from her temple around her finger. "So, like, are you and Angeleeka..." She trailed off, looking toward the floor.

"Are we what?" I snapped, not believing that she was the one out of everyone who was holding me up.

Her. Part of the reason me and Angela weren't together. Or are we together? Maybe we are.

She popped her gum and hesitated, looking past me toward the other end of the hall where Angela's locker is. "Are you two a couple or what?"

"A couple?" I asked, frowning. Not because I didn't like the idea, but because I never looked at it that way.

I pulled my locker open and stashed my books inside before I slammed it shut. Returning my attention to her, I waited for her to continue. She wouldn't even look at me.

"Yeah, like together. A couple. Like boyfriend and girlfriend?" She glanced past my shoulder again, her eyes widening a little. She angled her body away from mine and took a step back. "Look, I was just gonna say that if you aren't, you shouldn't let her think you are. That's all."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, shifting impatiently.

"Because I heard that you're taking her to the dance. I don't want you to hurt her again."

"Hey, I didn't do that alone, Graff," I protested.

This time when she leaned around me to look down the hall, I turned around to see what she was looking at. Angela, who seemed to be very angry, was storming toward us. Apparently, she didn't like seeing Graff standing next to me.

"Shit," I mumbled, sure that she was going to be pissed off at me and there probably wasn't going to be a chance in hell of us leaving together now. "Hey, Ang."

Angela marched right up to us, with no acknowledgment that she heard me, and stepped between me and Graff. She leaned against my locker with her back toward me as she faced the other girl. I slipped my hand under her arm to rest against her side, squeezing gently.

"What do you want, Rayanne?" she asked with venom dripping from every word.

"Nothing, Angela. I just asked Catalano a question." She was trying to play it cool, but I could tell how nervous she was. She tried to laugh, but it came out awkward. "He didn't answer me."

"That's because he wants you to leave him alone," Angela answered for me. She was right.

"I will. Don't worry." Graff, looking a little defeated, turned away and started back the way she'd came.

I couldn't help but feeling a little sorry for her. I mean, she and I both screwed up. We, like, did it together. Both of us hurt Angela at the same time, but Angela seems to have forgiven me and not her.

Did she even know how many times Graff had set my ass straight when it came to her? Graff is the one who always stood up for her. Here she was doing it again when Angela still wouldn't even speak to her without getting mad.

"Hey, Graff," I yelled, tightening my grip on Angela's side as she tensed. Graff stopped and turned back to face us a few feet away. "Yes."

"Yes, what, Catalano?" she asked distractedly, frowning.

"We are."

It took a second for what I said to sink in. When it did, the corner of her mouth lifted ever so slightly. "Good to know."

She spun around, braids flying, and sprinted toward Vasquez and Cherski who were standing next to Angela's locker talking. Angela leaned back against my chest. She exhaled loudly.

"Yes, you are, what?" she asked softly, without turning around.

"We. Me and you." I removed my hand from her waist, only to take her hand and tug her in the direction of the door. She went with me willingly. That was a good sign, right? "Us."

"What about us?" she asked, as we pushed through the door.

I kept walking, pulling her in the direction of the parking lot. This wasn't a conversation I wanted to have with her out in the open. It wasn't something I really even wanted to discuss, but I didn't want her to think I was hiding anything from her. Especially not something to do with Rayanne Graff.

"What about us, Jordan?" she asked again. I could already tell her mind was working, spinning her on take on things.

I stopped beside the driver's door, pulling out my keys to unlock it. "Get in," I said, after I opened the door for her.

Her eyes traveled over my face like she would find all her answers there. When I nudged her, she sighed loudly and turned away, slipping her backpack from her shoulders and tossing it over the seat. She climbed in and moved all the way over to lean against the passenger side door.

Silently, I slid behind the wheel and started the car. I knew she wasn't just going to let it go. She waited until we were out of the parking lot before she started again.

"Are you going to tell me what you and Rayanne Graff were talking about?" she asked, turning in her seat to look at me.

"Yeah." I was going to tell her. Once I stopped the car and I could look at her when I said it.

"So tell me," she prompted, looking down at her lap.

"Where are we going?" I asked instead.

"Jordan!"

"To your house?" I turned onto a side street, waiting for her to answer me.

She growled in frustration. "Why are you like this? God!" She faced forward again, her movements jerky and quick. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Not my house. My dad is home."

"So where?" Maybe we should have just stayed at school.

She was good and mad at me now. I could tell by the way she was chewing on the inside of her cheek. She wouldn't look at me. "I don't care."

"Do you wanna go back to school?"

"I want you to talk to me!" She spun back around to face me, drawing her leg up onto the seat, waving her hands angrily as she talked. "Why won't you just tell me? Unless it's bad and you don't want me to know."

"No! It's not bad." Rolling my eyes, I said, "I'll tell you. Just tell me where we're going."

"Take me somewhere," she grumbled. "It doesn't matter."

We were passing the street I live on at that moment. That's when I decided where we were going. She was mad at me and I'm sure she didn't want to be alone with me anyway.

I went over one street and circled back around. When I pulled into my driveway, parking behind my mom, she looked at me strangely. I shut off the ignition and rested my hands on the steering wheel.

"Jordan, we're at your house," she said, as if I didn't know.

"I know." Dropping my head back against the headrest, I closed my eyes. "You didn't tell me where to go."

"Oh." I heard the vinyl creaking beneath her as she shifted in her seat. "Are you going to tell me now?"

Without opening my eyes, I said, "She asked if we were together. Like if you were my girlfriend."

Her gasp drew my head around to look at her. "You said yes," she whispered softly as realization set in.