Dani was in a class. She was resting from rehearsal. It'd been hot and stuffy. The whole cast had nearly fainted from exhaustion. Ryker appeared next to her, he had to glasses of a yellowish liquid. Apple juice. He sat down. "I figured you needed this." There were two ice cubes floating in the juice. They were in the abandoned classroom they'd used for the project. Dani liked that Ryker had brought her a cold beverage.

"Thanks," she said. "Is there a particular reason for doing this for me?" Ryker smiled.

"You looked lethargic, and I figured you needed a drink," he said but Dani knew immediately knew he was acting. That wasn't something Ryker would normally do.

"People probably think we're dating," she laughed. "When we're not." Ryker laughed along with her, but he had reddened. Ryker seemed extremely comfortable with her now. "I hear your brother wants to adopt."

"Yeah, he does," Ryker confirmed. "Something about not being able to reproduce normally or something. It's a given though..." He leaned forward and whispered the rest in her ear. "....because he's gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that."

"Yeah. Nothing wrong with that. You know, I don't get why people are so quick to hate on gays," Dani whispered back even though they were the only ones in the room.

"Yeah. Do you have any deep dark secrets?" Dani looked down.

"I might like a show made for 4-7 year old girls about pastel horses," she replied quietly. Ryker didn't flinch, in fact his smile widened.

"My Small Pony?" He asked. He flipped his hair back. "I've heard of it. Though I didn't expect a shifter to watch a not-ter show." Dani looked up, Ryker didn't seem disgusted. If the hair flip was supposed flattering it was. "Though I admit, I have watched a few episodes."

"It's kinda surreal isn't it?" Ryker looked back at her.

"What is?" Dani looked at him.

"That is happened that we've both watched that show." Ryker's smile lit up.

"I guess." He replied. Then he looked down, he was smiling and blushing. "I was thinking of maybe.... telling my crush I like her, in a concert-like thing. In song."

Dani was suddenly intrigued. "So you do have one." Ryker smiled.

"Yeah, I thought it should've been obvious by now." He was looking straight at her. His expression was undecipherable. "What.... Do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea! I'm sure she'll really love that! And who knows, she might like you back!"

"Oh I think she really does." There was odd expression on his face, and Dani felt herself blush.

"What makes you think that?" she asked, casually. Fear was currently gnawing on her insides.

"She acts differently around me," he replied. "Just enough to be noticeable." Dani just looked at him.

"How so?" Let's say his crush is me, how do I act differently? She gulped.

"Well," he began, smiling. "She fiddles with her hair, she blushes constantly, averts her eyes when she feels uncomfortable. I notice these things." Ryker was looking straight at her. "But if she does share them, why doesn't she open up?"

"Maybe she's waiting for you to make the first move?" She suggested, and had sneaking suspicion Ryker was onto to her. If he is onto to me, that means I'm his crush......

"Maybe. But this idea sounds like the first move, riiiight?" He was giving her an odd expression.

"Oh y-yeah. It does."

"But besides that. Answer me this: Do you have a crush? Be honest." Dani searched for a plausible lie. She couldn't find one.

"... Yes...."

"Good that's what I wanted to know." He proceeded to read his biology textbook.