"Where'd you go? Did I do something wrong?" Lucas asked. "I swear, I tried to wake you up, but –"
"Woah, Lucas. It's fine. You didn't do anything, I swear," Hanna said with a laugh.
Lucas paced around his room, stopping to look at the old couch, where just hours ago he and Hanna Marin had been holding each other. He blinked a few times, and then tried to gather his thoughts.
"So, uh, what happened?"
"It was just early, and, you know, I wanted to get home," she said. "Plus, I didn't want to weird you out. I mean, I fell asleep on you."
"Yeah, waking up to the most popular girl in school has been known to scar a boy for life," Lucas said with a laugh.
"Shut up, jerk," Hanna replied. "It was just a moment of panic. I didn't really think it through and then when I got home I realized how much worse just leaving was."
"It wasn't bad. I was just worried I like, did something in my sleep," Lucas said awkwardly.
"Like grab my boob?" Hanna said helpfully.
"I would never grab your boob," Lucas promised her.
"Why? Is there something wrong with them?" she asked.
"No!" Lucas said, not detecting the note of teasing in her voice. "They're… just great. But I mean, I'd never touch them. Not without permission."
"Good to know," Hanna said, chuckling. "Though, I was only kidding."
"Oh God," Lucas said groaning. "You forget my bad, I'll forget yours."
"Done!"
"And it was never spoken of again," Lucas said.
"What wasn't?" Hanna smiled.
"I'll see you at school?" he asked her.
"Ah, school," Hanna said. "Isn't it summer yet?"
"Bye, Hanna," he said with a laugh.
"Bye, Lucas."
He flipped shut his phone and sat back down on the couch, still able to smell her perfume clinging to the blanket he had covered her in. And just like every weekend, though he dreaded going back to the scornful names that were hurled at him daily, he couldn't help but feel the excitement building at seeing Hanna again – beautiful and blond, like a burst of light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.