School the next day gave me a blinding migraine. It was only the second day of school but I managed to acquire two hours' worth of detention.

In Chemistry class, I choked on my gum, so I was excused to get a drink. It just so happened that Alan had phys ed and was also getting a drink conveniently at the same time.

I made some comment about him being sweaty, and he in return made a comment about the exhilaration of dodging balls. Somehow that conversation resulted in us kissing, which then resulted in some freshmen giggling at us as they walked by. So for a little privacy, we ducked through the first door we came to. The boys' locker room.

It was all just innocent making out until some teacher walked by, saw us in the doorway and had a near mental breakdown. She started yelling at us for displaying irresponsible conduct.

Alan didn't get a detention because he was allowed to be in the boys' locker room. I could have been making out with the wall and I still would have had to stay two hours after school.

Since I had a headache, I decided to wait for Uncle Bill to finish with football practice so I could get a ride home with him and Sky after my detention.

I took a seat on the bleachers and watched with vague interest. I tried to find Alan on the field but I didn't. Finally I spotted him, number forty-eight, on the sidelines next to my uncle. We saw each other at the same time, and both of us waved. He said something to Uncle Bill, then trotted over to me. As he got closer I saw that he had a spoon in his mouth.

"Hello," he said coyly. He ran up the bleachers and sat next to me.

"Hello," I said back, equally as coy. "What's with the spoon in your mouth?"

"I was eating."

"Eating what?"

"Pudding."

"Did you finish it all?"

"I'm a growing boy, Lyric."

"Of course, silly me. Glad to see you're not sweaty today."

"Yeah, I'm not playing much lately. But them team's ready for the game on Friday."

"I suppose that means I'll have to come watch," I teased.

"Sure, if you get a kick out of watching me stand around."

I leaned my head onto his shoulder. "I always have," I said and giggled. "You'll have your time to play, Alan."

He kissed the top of my head. "Thanks. But do you have any idea what position I even play?"

"First off, don't kiss me when my uncle could be watching. Secondly, you're a linebacker, but don't ask me what that is."

"Why are you watching our practice anyway?"

"I'm a doting girlfriend."

"You are?" he asked, shocked. "Wait--is doting a good thing?"

"Detention gave me a headache."

He laughed. "Sorry."

"I'm gonna catch a ride with my uncle."

"Nah, you're gonna catch a ride with me."

"I am, eh?"

"No I just said that because I like to say things that I don't really mean because I like to get a reaction."

"ALAN!" Coach Boone yelled. "This is not Mating Hour, this is football practice! Get your hind parts back to your team!"

"I gotta go," Alan said quickly. "You want a ride home or no?"

"Alan, for cripes' sake, what the hell are you doing?" Boone shouted.

He rolled his eyes. "Quick, I gotta get back to the other manly men!"

"I accept." I looked at him pointedly. "But you better not get me in trouble again."

I met Alan in the parking lot after practice. We talked about school, how I was fitting in, and saturated iced tea for some reason until he went through a stop sign.

I scoffed. "You endanger my life."

"You bet."

"I could drive better than you and I can't even drive."

He looked over at me. "You've never driven before? And you're sixteen?"

"I drove a tractor once." I smiled and shrugged. "Well, I use the term 'drive' loosely. I helped my grandpa push one out of a rut."

"Well, today's your lucky day!" he exclaimed, pulling over. "Today you drive my car."

"This piece of crap?" I cackled.

He laughed with me. "This piece of crap!"

I climbed over him while he slid under me so that we could switch seats.

"Ooh, what are these thingies?" I asked, pointing to the pedals.

He gave me a frightened look. "You're kidding…?"

Slowly, I nodded. "Yes, Alan."

"You can't imagine my relief."

"Hmm, so you move the car with this circle thing?"

"Lyric, if you think you're going to kill us, tell me now."

"I only kid with you," I promised, and pulled into my lane after letting a green truck pass.

"Hey, you're not doing too bad," he said, impressed after about ten minutes of smooth driving. "You go a little slow, but at least at this speed we can't go careening to our deaths."

"One time Sky tried to teach Summer how to drive," I told him conversationally. "She hates garbage cans."

"Why does she hate garbage cans? They're nice."

"She killed about eight of them just driving down our block." I waited for some kids to cross the street before I continued. "But that was it and no one died."

L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole came on the radio, the song Alan had sang to me in the lunch room. "Aww!" I exclaimed, turning it up.

"So that's what O stands for!" Alan cried. "O is for the only one I see."

Both of us started to dance, although Alan's dance was much better than mine because I had to keep one hand on the wheel.

He began to laugh. "Your hair shimmers when you dance."

"Must be my conditioner." I looked over at him and smiled, just as an adjacent car slammed on its brakes to avoid hitting us. "Hey! What the hell are you doing, jack off?!" I shouted out my window, stopping the car.

"Oh God!" Alan yelled. "You just called Coach Boone a jack off!"

"When?" I cried, confused.

"Now!"

"What?"

"He's going to cook us for breakfast!"

I watched, terror growing, as Coach Boone pulled his car to the side of the road haphazardly and climbed out.

"Hail Mary, full of grace…"

While Alan prayed beside me, I leaned out the window and smiled endearingly. "Hi!"

"Jack off, huh?" Boone said, his strong voice quite scary.

"Oh, you're not a jack off, I was yelling at some other jack off," I said pleasantly.

"Stop staying jack off," Alan whispered.

"You didn't see the stop sign?" Boone asked, and I suddenly felt the fear that his team must feel every day.

"Uh, no, sir."

"How could you not see the stop sign? It's painted red for a reason."

"So it's the same colour as a fire truck!" I grinned.

"So you can't miss it."

"Yes!"

"Do you even have your license, Lyric?"

"I'm an excellent driver."

"You almost caused an accident!"

"Did not!"

"You did so!"

"Don't tell my uncle!" I pleaded.

"Don't tell your uncle that you're out driving without a license and you could have killed someone?"

"Excuse me, sir," Alan spoke up. "That's somewhat of an exaggeration. She was driving very slowly."

"Don't tell my uncle!" I pleaded again.

Boone stared at me hard and I shifted a little in my seat. Finally he said, "You're lucky I like you, kid. And you're lucky I don't want to cause your uncle to worry. Just don't pull this again, understood?" I nodded. "You too, Alan. Coach Yoast trusts you to take care of his niece when you're with her."

"Oh please," I grumbled. "All he does is get me yelled at."

Alan laughed, smiling at me. "Give me back my drivers' seat."