"Why were you with Smelly Brennan at lunch today?" Chad asked as he slid into his seat, later that afternoon.

Seeley looked up from his English homework, "What are you talking about?"

"Sandra Monahan said she saw you at lunch, walking with Smelly Brennan."

"Her name is Temperance and she doesn't smell."

"She smells like old trash bags."

Seeley's eyebrows furrowed and he looked up at him, "You don't know her, at all. All you do is torture her. Why don't you get to know her."

Chad put up his hands, "Jeez, man. What the hell? Do y ou like love her or something?"

"I don't love her. I'm just so sick of how y ou treat her. Don't you get it? She's a person."

"She's a lesbian." Veronica slid into the seat behind Seeley, and small porcelain hand snaked up and twisted a small patch of Seeley's thick brown hair.

He jerked his head away, "And you? You're just jealous of her because she's smarter than you."

Veronica's mouth fell in shock, Seeley Booth had never snapped at her before, "I'm not jealous. She really is a lesbian. Didn't you hear?"

Seeley shook his head, "Hear what?"

Then Veronica leaned into Seeley and so did Chad, "Well this morning, I went into the west end bathrooms to do my usual morning lip gloss check, I caught Angela and smelly making out in one of the stalls."

Chad sat back in a fit of laughter, But Seeley shot up his hand, "That's a lie Veronica, and you know it."

"I'm not lying Seeley. You can ask her yourself." By then the Teacher had closed the classroom door and the final bell had already rung. And Everyone settled in for another torturous hour of William Shakespeare.

I walked with Angela out of the school, after school that day, "I still haven't told Bobby yet."

"You're going to have too." Angela said as she shifted her art portfolio from arm to the other.

"Why will it matter? He can't possibly take of a child, he can barely take care of himself."

"Hey girls." Seeley Booth said catching up to us, and I groaned and stopped and looked at him.

"I told you to leave us alone. You're joke has gone far enough. I told you I don't need your charity." I said setting off again to find my bus.

His hand shot out to stop me, "I wish you'd stop walking away and let me talk to you."

"Well, I don't want to talk to you." I said as I pulled out of his pretty tight grasp and headed towards the bus loop.

Angela passed him on my heels, she stopped and looked at him, "Leave her alone. Don't you think she's been through enough hell?"

But as the two of us walked away, Seeley just stood there, trying to understand, what hell had she been through? He thought to himself.

***

I snuck out my window later that afternoon, It was still easy enough to do, but I wasn't so sure how I'd handle it when I was 9 months pregnant. I made it to the bus stop without my fosters finding me. I'd done this so many times before, it was almost like a routine. I sat on the bench. While I waited, I pulled out the book I had checked out from the library "Anthropology 101: Your guide to the skeletal system." Ang usually made fun of me for my love of skeletons, Every Saturday I'd drag her to the museum, But then again every Sunday she dragged me to the art festival. I was starting a new chapter on the femur, "The strongest bone in the human body" when a red mustang pulled up and stopped in front of me, "TEMPE!" A voice shouted over Bon Jovi music. I looked up in a fit of shock, only to see Seeley in the drivers seat. I l ooked back at my book, and Seeley turned down the music, "Where are you going."

"It doesn't matter." I said not even looking up from my book.

Then he turned off the car entirely and got out, he joined me on the bench, "What are you reading?"

I showed him the cover, not taking my eyes off of the printed words on the page.

"Homework?"

I shook my head, "No. Pleasure."

I was a freak, didn't he get that? Why didn't he just leave me alone.

But he didn't move, "Where are you going?"

"The museum."

"I can take you there. It'll be better than sitting on a smelly old bus."

I looked up at him, "Whats your deal, Seeley?"

"I want to take you to the museum."

"No, Seeley, With all of this. Why are you all of a sudden being so nice to me."

Seeley leaned back, well as much as he could on a backless bench, But then he stood up, "I'll explain it to you in the car. Please accept my offer."

I sighed, and stuffed the book into my denim bag, a gift Angela made for me on my last birthday. He extended a hand to help me up but I was quite capable of getting up on my own. He even tried opening the passengers side door for me, "I can do it, you know." I said.

"I know, I was being a gentleman." What was this? Seeley Booth was never a gentleman, in fact, he had spent many years ignoring me, why was he making it his prerogative to be my friend?

" I can handle myself." I said, then he closed the door and ran around the front to the drivers side.

"See? So much better than a smell old bus." He had a point, but I would remain vigilant.

"Just go to the museum, please?"

He started t he pulled away. But as he approached a stop light he turned to look at me, "What did Angela mean when she said you'd been through enough hell?"

I looked out the window, "Nothing."

Seeley turned in his chair and placed his hand on mine, his skin felt warm. "You know you can trust me."

"No, I can't. I can't trust you. I can't even trust Angela anymore." I felt a tear piercing through and I bit my bottom lip to push it back. The light had changed green and Seeley pulled through the intersection.

When he pulled into the museum, He took my hand and stopped me from getting out, "Wait, can I… come?"

"Come where?"

"Inside with you?"

"You want to come to the egyptian exhibit with me?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Can I?"

"I guess I can't stop you. It's a public institution."

He just took that as a yes, and pulled the mustang into a parking spot. We entered the museum again, at least I knew no one from school would be here, and I was free from criticism. Except for whatever embarrassing facts Seeley can collect to tell his locker buddies tomorrow at school.

"What is that?" Booth asked as I eyed the remains of a 5,000 year old mummy.

"He was an emperor, the highest respect in his tribe. He was betrayed by the tribe and the burned him, see here?" I pointed to a charring on the left ulna, "That's where the stake was driven into his arm. He was still alive when it happened."

Seeley winced, "Ouch." And shook his head, "That's like Jesus, being nailed to the cross like that."

I put my head down, "I don't think Jesus is the son of God."

"What are you talking about? Of course he is. The bible says so."

I let it go, I didn't want to get into it with him, he would probably beat me up for something, I turned the corner of the glass container, and looked at the head of the emperor, when Seeley spoke up, "what do you want to be when you grow up?"

I looked up at him, "A forensic antropologist. You?"

"My dad wants me to be an NFL player, But I don't know."

"Good money."

He nodded, "Why do you want to be something else?"

"Even if I did, it doesn't matter, he already has my life planned out. Go to Berkley like he did on a football scholarship, play pro and support him in his old age."

"Have you talked to him?"

"It won't make a difference, He has had these high hopes for me. I don't want to let him down ya know?"

I didn't know. My parents had let me down, so what if he lets his down? "Yeah, I know." I lied.

We walked to the food court, and he ordered two burgers, I reached my hand into my pocket to pay, but he just put his hand on mine, "I got it" He said.

"No I should pay for mine."

"Don't worry about it." he said and handed the cashier a $20 bill. I crinkled my $5, the only money I'd have all week, and stuffed it back in my pocket.

We sat at one of t he tables, and ate, at first we struggled with conversation, when he spoke up, "So tell me about yourself."

"I don't know. I'm in 10th grade, I love science. I don't know, Angela really likes that boy band, New boys in the hood?"

Seeley laughed, "New Kids on The Block."

I nodded, pop culture wasn't something that interested me, so I never paid attention, "Yeah they are pretty good." I said popping a french fry in my mouth.

Seeley smiled, "They aren't my cup of tea."

""They're so horrible aren't they?"

Booth laughed, "Yeah. I'm more an AC/DC, Bon Jovi fan myself."

"I don't know who that is?"

Booth gasped, "You don't know who AC/DC is?"

I shook my head.

"Well on the way, I'm play them for you. I promise you like them." He smiled as he looked down. I couldn't believe that I was here with Seeley Booth, at the Musuem, my place, and he seemed so comfortable. I had to figure out what his real intentions were.