It was like I was in one of those dreams. You know the one where you're crossing a road but you just can't move your legs , or it's like it's so far across that you'll never reach the other side. That how I felt crossing over to see Brian Krakow. Like my legs were made of lead.

Angela walked up to the Krakow's front porch. She wasn't concerned that Brian's parents would be home. They never arrived home so early.

Angela stopped in front of the door and held her finger tentatively by the bell. This is no big deal, she told herself. You storm over hear and bother Brian all the time.

Swallowing hard and breathing slowly Angela rang the bell. Two beats later Brian was promptly at the door. He swung it open and stared at his red-haired neighbor.

"Yes? What?" asked abruptly, as though he had better things to do.

You spend your whole life with a certain view or opinion of a person and that's like how they are to you. Then sometimes something happens and suddenly you see them differently. Like the idea of Brian having sex totally grossed me out until that very second when he opened the door. He was suddenly transformed from annoying Brian into sweet sensitive Brian from that night when he admitted he wrote that letter.

It's like once it's out there in the universe that you're having sex…you become sexy.

"Um hey," said Angela hoping her face wasn't flushed.

"I have homework and papers to write. What do you want?" Brian demanded.

Angela's brows furrowed at his angered tones. "Look I have to talk to you. I mean I like saw you fighting with Cherski."

"Oh that," Brian softened. "That was nothing. No big deal. She like thinks I said something about her or something."

"Yeah? Like what?" asked Angela.

"I told you, nothing," Brian said sternly.

"Look, Brian. Just let me come in," she insisted.

"I'm busy. Can't we talk in school?"

"Oh fine. If you want me loudly asking you how come you're lying about being a sex god then that's fine by me. I'll see you tomorrow." Angela turned to leave.

Brian stopped her by her arm. Angela smirked to herself. He led her into the living room area where everything was pristine and neat.

"Okay, talk," Brian grumbled.

"What you aren't going to defend yourself like right away after someone says something like that to you?" Angela paused and took a seat on the creaseless sofa. "Sharon was fighting with you about this rumor admit it!"

"Yeah, fine, she was. Happy?" admitted Brian.

Angela was happy. But then her mind shifted in thought. "OH MY GOD!" she shrieked.

"What?" Brian cried in alarm.

"It's true! Sharon was beating you up because it's like totally true!" yelled Angela.

"What?" squeaked Brian. "I don't know what you mean."

"You had sex with some girl who like had sex with Jordan, way before he was with me of course, and she is like saying you are way better than him. Which I so don't really care about. What I care more about is that you're having sex with unidentified sluts!" Angela had used up all her breath and sat panting waiting for an explanation.

"You know what, Angela? It is so not your business," retorted Brian.

"Excuse me? Everyone at school is talking. I mean was it Sharon? Was the rumor wrong and you're better than Kyle?"

"You are so on drugs or something Chase," said Brian his mind whirling. He sat down opposite Angela fearing he might get too dizzy to stand.

"Then tell me, Krakow," demanded Angela.

"Look the truth about Cherski is that she thought I would tell people she spread the rumor. She's got a big mouth. I told her I would never say that. Then she started hitting me for starting the rumor and I tried to tell her I didn't start it, but she wouldn't listen."

"Then who started it?" asked Angela moving next to Brian. She was suddenly feeling cruel for her harsh words.

"Between you and me, I still think Sharon started it," sighed Brian.

"How do you mean?"

"Okay, here's what I think happened. When you weren't talking to Rayanne she came by your place one night and you were like out with Jordan. I was outside working on my bike and she just like came over and just like starting talking to me. It was getting late and she asked for a ride home."

"What from like your parents?" Angela giggled.

"No, not from my parents. Besides they weren't home. They had some charity dinner thing."

"Wait," Angela forced a thought, "what exactly does Rayanne have to do with any of this?"

"I'm getting to that. You see she convinced me to drive her even though I only have my learners permit. When we got there it was like pouring rain and Rayanne made something up about how I shouldn't drive in the rain and how it would be dark really soon. So I went up to her place to wait for my parents get home so they could come get me. At least that was my plan."

Brian followed Rayanne in through her minuscule foyer into her small kitchen. Together they removed their wet shoes and jackets. Rayanne smiled at Brian's drenched curls as she squeezed the rain water from her own hair.

"I'll just go change. You can like call home and tell the folks where you're at," said Rayanne heading to her bedroom through beaded curtains.

Brian tousled his wet hair and looked around for the phone. He didn't really want to leave a message that he's taken off in the car without permission, so he lied in his message and said he'd only gone a couple of blocks to his friend Peter's place and would drive back when the rain stopped. Peter was a collage age boy who used to baby-sit Brian on occasion. He was a big Dungeons and Dragons fan.

"I don't want to sit anywhere I'm all wet," called Brian.

Rayanne came skipping out of her room. She was now wearing old overall and a tank top. Turning the radio on low , she threw a plaid bath robe at Brian. "Put that on," she said and started humming to the radio.

"What like over top?" Brian asked naively.

"No, silly. You take the wet clothes off and we can like throw them in the oven to dry," said Rayanne rolling her eyes.

"What here?" he asked sheepishly.

"No nerd in my room if you want."

Brian was offended by being called a nerd. He didn't think it should matter what Rayanne Graffe thought of him, but being here in her home made it matter.

"No, that's cool," he said. "I'll just put it on here."

Rayanne smiled and bounced onto the couch to get a better view. Brian stiffly and carefully removed his wet shirt and pants while covering himself with the bathrobe. Rayanne took the wet clothing and set it in the oven.

"It won't like burn right?" he wanted to know.

"Nah, we do it all the time. The nearest Laundromat is a block and a half away.

Rayanne bounced back over to Brian and both sat on the one small couch.

A few moments of silence followed. Rayanne played with her hair and Brain tried to cover his bare legs with the bathrobe. When that didn't seem to work to his satisfaction he placed a shaggy throw pillow on his lap.

"So, why are you like talking to me and being nice all of a sudden?" asked Brian. He was curious because the two of them had never actually been friends. Brian was closer to Ricki and Rayanne had had something against Brian ever since he caught her on tape with Jordan Catalano.

"I dunno," she said staring at the ceiling. "I guess it's like you and I have something in common now or something."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"We've both been blown off by Angela Chase and used by Jordan Catalano," she stated bluntly.

Brian thought about her words for a moment and knew that she was right. About a week ago Angela had chosen Jordan over him and Jordan had used him to get her back.

"I guess you have a point," admitted Brian.

More silence followed. Brian was never very good at being with people. On a good day he could carry a casual conversation. But he wasn't very good at being alone with girls, let alone making small talk with them.

Rayanne on the other hand was a very up, excitable person. She thrived on social situations and couldn't wait to get alone (or not alone in some cases) with a boy. So her silence made Brian feel even more out of place.

"Maybe I should just like wait in the lobby, or something."

"Are you insane?" yelled Rayanne. "I invited you in. You're gonna stay here. Who goes to the lobby in a bathrobe anyway?"

"I would've taken my clothes. I mean worn them," he corrected himself blushing at the idea of wandering around the building in just a robe and socks.

Rayanne laughed. She moved closer to him and lifted a wet ringlet off his cheek. Brian shivered at the sensation of her touch.

"Besides," she purred, "I'm sure we can think of something to do while we wait. I just wanted to see if you'd think of it first. But since you like didn't…"

Slowly Rayanne kissed Brian on the cheek where she'd removed the ringlet. Then, eyes locking, their lips met and Brian flew off the couch. He took a few steps toward the kitchen almost tripping.

"What are you doing?" he asked breathlessly.

"What's the big deal? I thought we'd, you know, make out for a while or something." Rayanne didn't understand the issue. He was a guy and she was a girl that was reason enough for her.

"I thought I like repelled you?" Brain made a pained face.

"Well, you used to I guess," she pondered. "But you've like grown on me or something. It's like you have feelings and stuff now."

"Oh God…What do you have to be with every guy Angela discards or something? Is this like some kind of sociopath behavior?"

The second Brian had finish his sentence he knew he'd gone too far. Tears welled up in Rayanne's eyes and he cursed his stupid psychiatrist parents.

"Wait I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. You see my parents they're like analysts and they drive me insane and sometimes I spit stuff out like that. But I was like way off," Brian groveled.

"Don't worry about. What should I care what you think? I know you look down on me," she retorted.

"I don't. I mean o.k. maybe I did," he said returning to the side of the couch. "But I don't now, it's like you grew on me or something…you know, you have feelings and stuff," he mimicked with a smile.

Rayanne laughed in spite of herself. She affectionately hit Brian on the shoulder. This time it was Brian who moved in for the kiss. Rayanne accepted him with warm parted lips. Brain had never kissed any girl before. Not like this. He felt a hot rush shoot through his body and he knew he had an erection.

Rayanne playfully pulled him onto her and moved her hands under the robe. She placed one hand on the small of his bare back and the other squeezed his bottom, forcing the gap to close between their bodies.

Brian gasped for air and Rayanne licked and nip at his neck and ear lobe. He was in ecstasy. What more could any nearly sixteen year old boy desire? Nothing could have made this more perfect. Except maybe if Rayanne lost the overalls and tank top.

Rayanne paused and pushed Brian away slightly so she could undress. She started to unbuckle her straps when Brian started to kiss her again. He mumbled to her to leave them on, they were only making out.

Rayanne pushed him off again. This time she was on top, straddling him and deliberately grinding her pelvis to his. Brian moaned and involuntarily thrust into her.

"You sound pretty ready for all the way to me," she whispered in his ear.

Brian's hands were everywhere, desperately clawing to get Rayanne free from her clothing. The overalls dropped to the carpet and her tank top flew across to the neighboring armchair. She wasn't wearing a braw, which made things easier. Brain stared at her naked beauty.

"You're beautiful," he gasped.

Rayanne was thrown. "No, no I'm not," she insisted.

"Yeah, you are. You're gorgeous," Brian breathed caressing her breasts.

"No," Rayanne stated sternly, "I'm not. I'm not beautiful. And I'm certainly NOT gorgeous. You just lack experience."

"And you just lack boys who actually appreciate what they have," he mumbled into her hair, pressing his body against hers.

"Don't say that." All humor had left Rayanne's face. She slid away from Brian with no intention of coming back. She pulled her overalls back on and retrieved her top.

"Is that it then?" He asked softly sitting next to her.

Rayanne couldn't look at him. She had never been with anyone who wanted to have sex with her because they wanted to be with her and only her. The boys she had sex with just wanted to have fun. But why should she care if Brian Krakow wanted to be with her? For all she knew he could have been thinking of Angela. This thought made Rayanne ache inside.

Just then the over timer went BING. Rayanne walked over and turned off the heat.

"Saved by the bell," she grinned weakly. Brian joined her in the kitchen and she began to weep softly into his bathrobe. He held her until the rain stopped.

Of course Brain left out most of the details in his retelling to Angela. He left out the tears and other intimacies.

"So like it didn't stop raining for a while and she and I like made out a bit, which was weird but I guess she makes out with everyone. Then I went home. But nothing serious happened! There was barely any kissing and definitely no sex!" Brian explained.

"That doesn't make any sense Brian," Angela paused, "Rayanne was the first to run up to me and asked if I'd heard the rumor."

"Maybe she doesn't realize it's about her," offered Brian.

Angela made a face at Brian. "How could she not? And why would Cherski be the one to start the rumor? And what about the part involving Jordan?""

"All valid questions. Um, This thing with me and Rayanne happened like a few weeks ago. And my best guess is that if she couldn't confide in you about it, maybe she told Sharon. And Sharon has a big mouth. Jordan, I don't know."

Angela thought this over and still wasn't satisfied. "But Sharon denied it being true. The sex part."

"Which could mean she started it as a "make out" rumor and it got twisted into a "sex" thing. I guess you'll have to ask Sharon. But what ever you do don't ask Rayanne about it okay?"

"Why not? She would know best wouldn't she? I mean she would remember if she said anything at all," reasoned Angela.

"Well, yeah," Brian fidgeted for a moment. "It's just that we, Rayanne and I, haven't talked about what happened or anything."

"You mean in a while?"

"I mean like ever," stated Brain.

"Oh, I see."

There it was.

Angela Chase returned home. She no longer thought of Brian as sexy, or even as sweet. He'd made out with her best friend for no reason. This should not have bothered her; except that Brian was the second boy she knew who had recently committed a sexual act with Rayanne Graffe for no good reason.

Angela picked up her nap sac from where she'd left it on the floor. She called to Danielle that she was home and going to be studying in her room.

The rumor would have to wait until tomorrow.

TBC