During third period English, I sought out Drake. I had seen him in the back of the classroom before, sleeping, I had just never really had a reason to actually notice him.

He looked up with a smile as I approached his desk. Blue eyes glazing over with some kind of ego-maniacal all-knowing power. He knew I was coming to accept his invitation. The posture of his thick body showed he did.

He had leaned back casually, one leg sprawled out across the aisle. Two of his football buddies were seated near him and they both looked at me expectantly as I came to a halt.

"Hey there." Drake said, and the cocky grin could be heard in his tone.

"Hi." I smiled back and made my best attempt at flirtatiousness. If it had been Oliver, he would have burst into a hysterical fit of giggles. But somehow, Drake couldn't see through my girlie mask to the true dork underneath.

"How's it goin'?" Drake asked, coolly jerking his chin upward. I shrugged.

"It's going." Was all I could say. Sometimes things are just too much for you to completely lie about.

"That's cool." Drake continued grinning up at me, waiting patiently for the boost of ego I was sure to supply. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, opting for an absurd chuckle instead.

I'm told sometimes girls laugh at stuff thats not funny when it comes to guys they like.

"So, Drake, I just wanted to come and tell you that I'd love to go to Homecoming with you." I said quickly. The grin grew on his face, if even possible.

"Shit, you should have gotten to me sooner." He said, "I got reeled into going with this sophomore during second hour."

I think my jaw hit the floor. How did this guy manage to make the physically impossible continually happen to me?

"Oh..." I shifted uncomfortably, "Well, thats...excruciatingly... embarrassing" I stammered. Drake stood up and cut me off.

"I'm just fucking with you." He said with a satisfied smirk. I clamped my mouth shut and mentally threw myself over the edge of a cliff.

My God he is one funny fucking meathead.

Drake leaned forward and his lips ghosted past my ear, "I'm glad you changed your mind." He whispered. His hand grazed my arm as the bell rang and I turned around like a zombie to find my seat.

Mitchel wandered in halfway through the period, decked out in sunglasses and reeking of Axe cologne. He handed his pass to the teacher, who gave him a rather suspicious look, and made his way clumsily to the empty seat behind me.

He only ran into three other desks along the way.

"Shit, Mitch, how many bowls did you smoke this morning?" I turned around and hissed as soon as the teacher had resumed her lecture. He grinned at me sleepily.

"I'm not stoned, Lils." He laughed, "I'm hung over. I'd think you of all people would understand the difference."

"Wow, Mitchel, that was almost funny." I smirked, "Why are you hung over?"

"Uh, because I was drunk last night?" Mitchel cocked an eyebrow at me as if I was the epitome of stupidity. "You're not really following are you?"

I reached back and swiped at the sunglasses on his face. He yelped and jerked backwards, almost putting out the eye of the Junior behind him.

"You're such a twerp!" I laughed, "Why were you drunk last night? Did you finally realize that you're worthless?"

"Ouch." Mitchel touched his chest, "Actually I was hanging out with my lady, who happens to have a fondness for strawberry wine." He wiggled his eyebrows at me suggestively and it took less than a millisecond for me to swat his arm and nearly shriek.

"You're lady?" I practically leapt from my desk, "You've been holding out me, mother fucker! Who is it?"

Mitchel gave me a very condescending look and tilted his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose, "Summer Van White." His voice was rich with a husky sort of film Noir suave. I narrowed my eyes.

"Seriously?" I cocked my head to the side disbelievingly, "I thought she scared the living piss out of you during that project."

"She did. She is one scary biznatch when it comes to scholastics." He pushed his sunglasses back up and leaned forward to get an inch from my face, "But away from the prison grounds she's an animal." He purred at me.

I sat back and turned back to the teacher as she posted the assignment up on the board. After copying it down I swiveled back to face Mitchel, who hadn't taken his eyes off of me.

"That's so weird. You and Summer? I didn't think you were her type." I rolled my eyes at the openly aghast look on his face, "Or that she was yours for that matter."

"Me neither. But there's something about her." He sighed and shook his head, a soft sort of affectionate gesture that I had never seen Mitchel make over anything except a cheeseburger.

"My God, Mitchy, you've fallen for a girl!"

"You make me sound like a fairy."

"I'll admit I was starting to have my suspicions." I grinned, "Why the hell didn't you fucking tell me?"

Mitchel's jaw dropped slightly and he flung his pencil at my head, luckily it missed and hit some girl in the front row.

"I did tell you, Lilly! On the phone on Friday!" He sighed again, this time with shame, and looked down at his desk.

I stared at him, "You did not tell me." I insisted, wracking my brain for some memory of him mentioning it.

"I knew you weren't listening to me."

"I was totally listening to you..." I frowned, "Sort of."

Mitchel snorted, "Were you making out with your new boyfriend?" Mitchel teased. I glared at him. How did he find out about me and Oliver's twisted relationship? He shouldn't make fun of me.

"What are you talking about?" I scoffed, "Don't be a jackass, Mitchel, he's not my boyfriend."

"Oh so you and that big ole' stud of a grizzly bear in the back aren't going to the Homecoming Dance together?" He crooned, gesturing toward Drake. My head shot up and I furrowed my brow.

"Drake?" I glanced back at him. He was playing Chinese Paper Football with his friends. They were all so into it, like it was a real game and a real championship lay on the lines.

Boys are a species that I will never understand.

"Yea." Mitchel tried to meet my eyes, "Who did you think I was talking about?"

I caught his gaze for a split second before looking back down at the desk between us, "I don't...nobody."

"Lil, come on, what's up?" Mitchel leaned forward, his elbows on the desk, and tilted his face in front of mine, "Talk to me Lizzle Jizzle."

I laughed and tucked my hair nervously behind my ear. I tried to force myself to look at him, but I couldnt. Instead I managed a weak shrug and a timid smile.

"It's Oliver." He said softly. Not asking, just knowing. I lowered my head even further, letting it hit the desk with a thud.

Mitchel let out a slow breath and I heard his body shift as he sat back again, "I always kinda figured there was something going on."

I peeked up at him from beneath my hair, "It doesn't shock you?"

"You're kidding right?" He laughed, "It makes sense, Lil. You guys have been one step away from romance for years now. I can see it in his eyes and the way he moves when he's around you. I've been making bets with myself on who'd admit it first."

"Don't tease me."

Mitchel leaned forward again and laid his head down on the desk beside mine so that we were eye to eye, "I'm not."

I bit my lip, "You really think it's mutual?"

"Yes. You really think I'm worthless?"

"Yes."

"Nice."

I lifted my head, resting my chin on my forearm and gazed down at him. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were red, but he looked happy and content. I guess love can be found in the most unsuspected of places. Like Life Studies Class or the candy aisle at a convenience store.

"Mitchel I'm terrified." I whispered. He sat up and reached forward to tuck my bangs behind my ears. They tumbled back across my forehead and he smiled.

"Yea? Well so is he."