“Tell Quinn we say hello,” my mom called out as I got out of the car. 

“I will.” I hoisted the strap of my book bag higher up on my shoulder. 

“Love you, sweetie!” 

“Love you, too, Mom!” I waved her goodbye and turned to face my foreboding middle school. 

It was a large, four story, rectangular, reddish-brown brick building. It was old and large and perhaps a bit too prison-like for my taste. This was my very last year here before I entered high school. Located behind my school was a large football field enclosed by a track with bleachers on opposite sides. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Mrs. Axon and prayed to the heavens my mom had already left the parking lot. I didn’t need her arrested on my first day of school. 

“Hey, Z!” an all too familiar voice called out. 

I turned towards the voice. My face lit up with a smile. “Hey, Q!” 

Quinn met me halfway down the path toward the school entrance. We didn’t hold hands, but we walked very close together, which was fine by me. I still didn’t know what to call our new…relationship. 

I was starting to like him past what one would call a normal friendship. But he hadn’t asked me out and I didn’t know how to bring up the topic without making things awkward. I was starting to think he’d only done those things because he could, not because he wanted to. I was getting the feeling he truly only liked me as a friend. 

I should have realized from the start. 

With a sigh, I asked him who he had for homeroom. 

“Mr. Cannon,” Quinn replied, his face sour. 

My heart soared with happiness. “Me too. I heard he’s worse than last year.” 

“Yeah. That’s what I keep being told.” 

I was happy we ended up having the same homeroom teacher. Homeroom is where we pretty much stay for the entire school day. A few periods we switch subjects and are taught by other teachers in different classrooms. 

Our classmates don’t change when we switch teachers, so we’re pretty much stuck with the same group of thirty or so students for the entire school year. And since Quinn would be in the same homeroom as me, I wasn’t complaining. 

We entered the school and climbed a flight of stairs to get to the second floor. Lockers were located on both sides of the hallway and were a faded gray. 

“Can I come over after school?” I asked Quinn. I was digging around in my bag to find my new locker number. 

“Sure. Princess is missing all the attention you give her.” Quinn responded, pulling out his own locker information. 

It seemed luck was in my favor again. Quinn and I had lockers right next to each other. My locker was at the corner and Quinn’s was next to it. I couldn’t have asked for a better first day back.  

I smiled to myself as I turned the combination lock and opened my locker. I carefully set my book bag inside and took out what I needed for the morning. “My parents say hello.” 

“Hello to them,” Quinn said, smirking. 

I looked at him with confusion since he doesn’t usually smirk, and followed his gaze. His eyes were trained on a girl with platinum blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her skin was tanned to perfection and she was tall and slim for our age.  

She was beautiful.

My mind warred with my emotions.

I couldn’t fault someone for being attractive.

My heart sunk in this moment. 

I should have known better. 

It isn’t wise to fall for your best friend. 

“She’s pretty,” I remarked when Quinn didn’t say anything. 

He glanced at me then back at Miss Wonder. “Yeah. I suppose she is.” 

I huffed out a silent sigh, closing my locker. When I looked up, I felt my heart sink even lower as Miss Wonder headed our way. I prayed to the heavens she wouldn’t stop and talk to Quinn. But the heavens seemed to be away on business. 

Miss Wonder eyed Quinn like candy and turned puppy eyes on him as she asked, “Do you know where locker 277 is?” 

It took Quinn a moment to respond and I felt my expression fall when I noticed red patches creeping onto his cheeks. With a shake of his head, his embarrassment magically disappeared. “Yeah, it’s right by mine.” 

His tone was much too enthusiastic for my liking. I tried to step around Miss Wonder and head to class, but Quinn had other ideas. He slung an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to his side. “This is my best friend, Zenna. But don’t worry, we’re just friends.” He gave Miss Wonder a wink and it took all my self-control not to do something stupid. 

We weren’t even old enough to do that sort of thing…right? 

Miss Wonder eyed me up and down and I’m guessing I didn’t seem like much of a threat since she seemed to dismiss me so easily. “I’m Eliza. Eliza Cowell.” She held her hand out for Quinn to shake. 

He made matters more complicated because he refused to let go of me. I really just wanted the floor to swallow me up. He was sending mixed signals. If he meant to tell me he only liked me as a friend, then message received! Please don’t make me linger here to watch your love life play out like some fancy movie. 

“I’m Quinn.” Quinn stated a little too late in the conversation. “We have Mr. Cannon for homeroom.” 

A sly look entered Eliza’s eyes. “Me too. Shall we all sit together? I’d really like to become your friend.” 

She emphasized her words in a way that clearly stated she only wanted to be friends with Quinn. 

“Of course!” Quinn agreed.

I nodded along with his answer, but I doubt either noticed. 

“Eliza!” we heard a voice call out. 

With another sly look at Quinn, Eliza disappeared in the bustling crowd and greeted whoever called her name. 

Quinn let out what sounded like a relieved sigh. He wrapped both arms around me, leaning his forehead on top of mine. “Please don’t let me fall for her.” 

I scowled at his chest. It wasn’t fair for him to do things like this to me. “Should I punch you in the face every time you feel like that?” 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Z. I wasn’t being serious. I think I want to make her my girlfriend.” 

I could feel his breath tickle my face. “Then you should stop doing things like this, Q. It’s only going to send the wrong message to others.”  

“Hmm…you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I could hear the sarcasm in his voice and I hated it. 

“What makes you say that?” I snapped. 

His arms held me tighter. “We’re best friends, Z. I should be able to do this if I need comfort. It’s what best friends are for. So don’t get all weird on me. I know how you are.” 

My eyes narrowed, full of anger. 

“Promise me you won’t make a big deal about this. I’ll always be your best friend, Z.” 

I knew I was going to regret this. I knew I was going to regret liking him. “I promise, Q. I won’t make a big deal about it.” 

I knew I shouldn’t have fallen as hard as I did. 

I heard his relieved laughter and that only made my heart beat in a painful way. “Thanks, Z. You have no idea how relieved I feel just hearing that.”  

“Anytime, Q.” I assumed he would pull away, but we stayed in the same position until the first bell rang, signaling we only had five minutes left to get to class.  

I really didn’t understand him at all. 

Why was he toying with me? I didn’t understand the emotions running through my head or the odd ache I was beginning to feel every time I thought back to our time in the forest. Granted, it had only been a week ago, but it was starting to feel as if weeks had passed by rather than days.  

My best friend never had the intention of going past that. I had been the idiot to assume things would go a different way. 

Quinn jumped at the sound of the bell and smiled down at me. He ruffled my hair like he always did and said, “Time to relearn what we forgot over break.” 

“Time for you to relearn what you forgot over break. I’ll be fine.” 

“Then you’ll have to tutor me, Miss Smarty Pants.”  

His smile took my breath away. 

What was wrong with me?