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"You actually took a dump in my bathroom!" I said to Kaleb the moment he walked into my room the next morning.

"Yep," he nodded. "Thought you would have figured that I wasn't kidding. I febreezed the place, though."

"Yeah, excessively. That's how I figured you did use it," I rolled my eyes.

"Come on, we're running late," he grabbed my backpack.

"You know, if you keep taking my backpack for me when you say I'm late, I'll start being late on purpose," I brushed my hair.

"Let's go, Rae," he took my hair brush from me and ran it down my hair before throwing it on my bed. Why was he in such a hurry?

"But we've not even had breakfast!" I groaned.

"I have donuts in the car," he answered and we both walked out of the room.

"Are you picking Sydney up?" I asked him as we passed the kitchen where Tanner sat, doing some work on his laptop.

"No, she has a cold," he answered.

At least, there wouldn't be anyone trying to kill my ideas and suggestions in Girl Up today, which reminded me that I didn't have to work today.

After confessing to Tanner that I stole a roll of tissue from his bathroom, kissing his cheek and shouting an 'I love you', Kaleb and I made our way out of the house.

"So, are you going to tell me what the hell happened to you yesterday?" Kaleb said as we got seated in the car, reaching to the back and getting a box of Dunkin Donuts.

"Dunkin donuts? Oh my, I love you for this, Kaleb!" I said happily, taking the box from him and opening the box and taking a donut glazed with chocolate and covered in sprinkles.

"There's coffee in the back," he told me, reaching to take a donut from the box.

I looked to the back seat and saw two cups of coffee and another box of donuts.

"How come there's another box of donuts?"

"Because we're going to Sydney's so I can give her."

"That's why you were rushing me," I said in realisation.

"We had to leave early if we're going to get to her house and make it to school on time."

"Yeah," I said absent mindedly as I chewed.

"Rae, you have something to tell me," he reminded me.

"Yeah, that's true," I clapped my hand once then looked at him. "Remember that one time when Hudson had a house party and you asked me to come over?" I asked, referring to Kaleb's brother who was now in university.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Then we left my room and went downstairs and got Baja blasts we didn't know was tipped with alcohol?" We chuckled at the memory.

"Exactly. Remember the feeling we had after drinking it?"

"Yeah," he laughed. "We were relaxed but restless at the same time. You laid on my back and pulled on my hair."

I couldn't help but laugh, "I remember, so you know that feeling? Relaxed but restless? So yesterday while I was at work, this guy came into the bakery and I don't know, I couldn't stop staring at him. He was so darn cute and he looked so cool. He looked like a model, kinda like—"

"Rae. I get it. What happened?" He slowed the car down.

"I was still staring at him when he looked at me... Wait. Why are you driving slowly?"

"Rae, what happened?" He looked serious.

"I started feeling funny. My heart was beating so fast and my body felt hot. And I got that feeling. That relaxed but restless feeling—"

Kaleb stopped the car, "Did you feel, like, sick?"

I bit my lip, "Uh, yeah. I mean, I got this feeling in my stomach that made me feel nauseous. It was such a strange feel—"

"Rae, that's what happens when you experience love at first sight."

"Is that like having a crush on someone? I said I felt sick."

"Yes, something like that. It happens."

"What? How'd you know that?" I looked at him, confused.

"It's biological anthropology."

It was times like this that reminded me that my best  friend was way too knowledgeable. Biological anthro- what?

"That sounds too complicated for something that seems like a normal crush on a person."

"Trust me, I still wonder why science is complicated but that's how it is."

We were both silent.

"Rae, you felt something for someone," Kaleb breathed, smiling.

Now I didn't know how to feel about it. This guy was just a random guy that had shown up at the bakery. I probably wasn't going to see him again.

Why?

Why couldn't he be in my school? Why did I finally feel something for someone  who I wasn't going to see again?

"But why, Kaleb?" I voiced. "Why did I finally get to feel something for a person I most likely won't see again?"

"Who says you can't see him again? Surely, he lives in L.A. He came to Layers, he probably lives nearby."

"So, am I going to walk down the street holding a poster that says I'm looking for the cute guy who came to Layers?" I rolled my eyes.

No," Kaleb chuckled. "Shut up. What I'm saying is, what if you see him again?"

I thought about it. What if I did?

He pulled up to Sydney's, and grabbed the other box of donuts at the back seat and said he would be back in no time before stepping out of the car and walking up to her front door.

On another note, Sydney better be grateful for a boyfriend like Kaleb. Imagine him going to give her a box of donuts in the morning all because she was ill and couldn't make it to school.

I looked at the box of goodness in front of me and took a bite of another donut.

*****

"Are you okay?" Harper leaned in to ask me as we walked together to Girl Up.

"Mhm," I nodded, smiling at her.

But the truth was, I didn't know.

What Kaleb told me this morning hadn't left my head. In fact, the guy from yesterday wouldn't leave my head. All through classes and lunch. The cute black-eyed guy wouldn't leave my my head and at a point, it got really frustrating.

"Do you think of Jace all the time?" I blurted, looking at Harper.

Her cheeks went pink as see nodded, "It could be frustrating. Especially when I don't need to be thinking about him."

Oh no.

I guess this was what having a crush on a person felt like. Was I even ready for this experience?

"What made you ask that?" She looked at me curiously.

"Nothing. I was just wondering," I rushed.

She let out a breath, "I doubt he'll ever want someone like me. Besides, I saw him with one of Sydney's friends, Mel."

"What does that matter?" I rolled my eyes.

"She's prettier."

"Nope. She's talkative," I said and we both chuckled. "Besides, Harper, you're really beautiful."

She smiled sincerely, "Thank you."

"No meeting today. Charlotte said so," I heard a girl say.

"Did you hear that? No Girl Up today," Harper looked at me and I nodded.

Great. The day I got to talk about my ideas for the club with Sydney not there to shut me up, there was no meeting. I shook my head.

"Hey, I'll see you tomorrow," she told me. "I'll just head home now."

"Sure thing," I nodded, smiling at her and watched her walk away.

I walked back to my locker and grabbed my backpack. Knowing Kaleb was in basketball practice, I made my way there. I was happy that we could finally hang out after school today especially since I wasn't supposed to work today. I walked past the boys locker room, hearing guys talk among themselves.

"Rae?" Kaleb pulled me to a corner. He smelt of sweat and a bit of cologne.

I came to tell you I don't have Girl Up today, neither do I have work, so, you know what that mean?' I wiggled my eyebrows. "We can do something after school! I'm thinking we should go to your house and play—"

"Rae. Rae," Kaleb stopped me. "I told Sydney I'll be coming to her house after school to spend time with her."

"Oh," was the only thing I could say, then, I tucked my hair behind my ear, "Well, that's okay. We can do that another day," I tried to hide my disappointment but Kaleb didn't miss it.

"I'm sorry. I know you're free today—"

"But your girlfriend is also ill today and you need to spend time with her. I totally understand that, Kaleb," I told him. "I'll just head home and see how far I can go with my math homework."

He wanted to say something but stopped himself before saying, "How are you going to get home? I can ask someone to take you—"

"No. I'll probably take the bus or something."

"But you don't take the bus."

"I know," I chuckled lowly.

But in the end, as I sat in the front seat of the bus, the only things what filled my head were plaid shirts, Nike's and wrist wears.

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