The Burns'

Cal Lightman and Gillian Foster walked the hallways of Emerson Preparatory School being pushed from side to side by students traveling between classes. The hallways were a menagerie of lockers slamming, students laughing, and water fountains running.

As the chaos dissolved, one figure stood in the hallway with them. Gillian looked up, took sight of the familiar shape in the distance.

The figure closed the classroom door and walked toward them. His steps were hesitant; echoed slightly against the lockers to either side of them.

Gillian stood still, heartbeat resonating within her ears. Her cheeks flushed.

Cal took a few steps away from her, was the first to reach the tall figure.

"Aie! Aie!" He exclaimed reaching out his hand. "Burnsy. Long time."

Dave Atherton took no notice to Cal and brushed by him quickly to stand in front of Gillian. He reached out slightly and quickly pulled his hands back, eyes locked with hers. She did the same; reached out to touch his dress shirt, his tie and quickly pulled her hands back. The air grew heavy around them, neither noticed Cal who stood by eavesdropping.

"You're here," she choked, her voice failing her.

"For a time, yes," he said. He took another step toward her, took a deep breath to breathe her in. "You were looking for me?"

She smiled, white teeth showing. "No." Again, she reached out to take his tie between her fingertips. "We have an interview to conduct."

"An interrogation of sorts, you know," Cal interrupted.

Dave and Gillian remained locked in their moment, hands shook with the desire to hold one another; to feel the blouse she wore against his palm, to feel his hair within her grasp again. His hand at the small of her back, the way his lips felt as they brushed against her skin.

Gillian smiled again and exhaled; Dave did the same. Cal danced from foot to foot.

"Mr. Avery!"

Their focus turned down the hall to a woman who walked toward them quickly. Short, stout, her mop of curly brown hair bounced up and down keeping perfect time with each springy step.

"Mr. Avery," she said exhaling quickly. "I was just going to ask you-" and off Dave's less than pleased glance, "Oh, I'm sorry, how rude of me." The woman reached out grasping onto Cal's hand with ease. "Mrs. Lovejoy. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Pleasure," Cal murmured, beaming a large toothed smile.

Mrs. Lovejoy blushed, her cheeks round and rosy. She inhaled and quickly turned back to Dave. "Mr. Avery, I have a bit of an emergency, in my classroom."

"Is it a student?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"I can see you're busy..."

"Velma..."

"It's that projector again. Since they upgraded the system..." She exhaled looking up at him with big round eyes. "I'm all thumbs."

Dave smiled down at her and looked to Gillian from the corner of his eye. "All right, Velma, we'll see about his projector."

"Are you sure?" She pressed her hands together.

"I'm sure."

She looked to Gillian and Cal and back to Dave. "But you seem to be entertaining."

Cal pressed himself against Gillian, wrapped his arm around her, placing his hand into the back pocket of her jeans. Gillian straightened.

"That's all right, love," Cal said, swaying Gillian in his arms. "Me and the Missus are just having a go around campus." He turned to Gillian, licked his lips. "Ain't that right, love?"

Gillian glanced at Cal and turned her back to Mrs. Lovejoy. "Yep, that's right."

"Trying to find the best place for our Emily, that is." Cal pressed his lips to Gillian's temple, lingered there until she pulled from him casually.

Mrs. Lovejoy clapped her hands and jumped slightly into the air. "Oh wonderful! You'll find no better place than Emerson!"

"So we've been told," Cal said, returning her enthusiasm perfectly. He smiled widely, shook Gillian gently against him. "The sky is the limit for our Em."

Mrs. Lovejoy took a step toward them startling Gillian. "You should talk to the Head of our school. I could take you to him."

Cal smiled, raised his eyebrows. "Been there, done that. Got the t-shirt, you know."

Mrs. Lovejoy's brow furrowed. "There are t-shirts?"

Dave reached out, placed a hand on Mrs. Lovejoy's shoulder. "It's a figure of speech, Velma."

She looked up at Dave with an air of confusion. "Oh. Right."

Dave smiled. "How about you show me that projector of yours and we'll let the Burns' get on with their business." Dave looked up, winked slightly at Gillian who smiled back.

Mrs. Lovejoy smiled brightly reached out to shake Cal and Gillian's hands. "Pleasure meeting you Burns'. I hope we see you soon."

With Dave and Mrs. Lovejoy out of earshot, Cal scoffed. "Burns'. Brilliant." He turned Gillian with him and they began their trek down the hallway.

"Cal?" Gillian said turning into him, placing a hand on his chest.

"Yes, love."

"Could you kindly take your hand off my ass?"