Tyler meets up with me before lunch, wanting I'm guessing to find out what happened with Brynn before we join the others.

"So?" He looks at me expectantly.

"We have decided to be friends," I said, hoping my dismay doesn't show through.

"You are not going into the Friend Zone? Uh-huh, no way, man! That is the kiss of death! No guy has made it out of there alive."

He's right. I know the rules. You become a girl's "friend" and your Best Friends Forever or at least until she gets herself another boyfriend, who will inevitably tell her not to see you anymore because guys and girls can't really BE friends.

Which I can't even argue with because let's face facts, it's true. One of the parties involved is only there out of desperation, praying for that day for when they'll be seen as something more. I just never expected that person to me... What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

Tyler puts his hand on my shoulder and is shaking his head in a mournful way. "Sorry, Brother."

I push his arm off. "No. This isn't over yet." I cringe as even I can hear the panic in my voice. I can't... I don't want too... I can't even think of losing Brynn all together. "Look she's got a lot going on in her life right now. If I can stick around long enough for things to calm down, there's a chance..."

Tyler's look of pity just made me hang my head in shame. "Am I really that much of an idiot to hope?"

Tyler sighs and he looks at me square in the eye. "No. But this is gonna hurt no matter how you play it. I've seen the way you look at her, Finn. You are in too deep. How do you expect to be that close to her and not want to kiss her, hold her, say something that is "more than a friend" like? You've set yourself up for an impossible task."

"I know but what choice do I have? I can't let her disappear. Especially knowing she still has feelings for me. If her life weren't so complicated maybe we'd have a shot. It can't stay complicated forever. Can it?"

Tyler shrugs. He is definitely the wrong person to ask. His relationship with Sierra is the longest standing relationship he has ever had. Normally it's a few weeks of one girl and then on to the next. He had never stayed friends with any of them. Not that they haven't tried but he'd move on too soon for them to stick around.

We get to lunch and the team is waiting for us to join them. We mess around as usual and they were excited to see that the boot came off. "It won't be official until tomorrow but yeah, looks like I'm back in the game."

The guys are thrilled all looking forward to practicing come Monday, as Coach has been laying into them hard in preparation for our championship game with Central.

Central... Brynn's new school, it's going to be so hard not seeing her here every day, but I shake that thought off, not wanting to bring down the good mood of everyone at the table.

"You start tonight, right?" Mike asked talking about working at the pizza shop.

"Yeah, I told your Dad when his driver called out that I could jump in tonight, to do deliveries."

"Good luck. Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest of the week. He's going to be running you pretty hard."

"Trial by fire it is then. I'm kind of looking forward to making some money though."

Immediately I think of those plans I had for Brynn and an idea started growing... we could still do some of those things "as friends" right? I mean isn't that what friends do... hang out with one another, and have fun?

"Oh, making money will be no problem so long as you get the food out on time. I've seen the last guy pull in like $200.00 in one night in tips."

"Wow! Really?" I'm shocked but that would set me up nicely to be able to pay for my phone, my gas, insurance and those extras I still hoped to do with Brynn.

"How come you didn't take the job?" It seemed a no brainer Mike being a part of the family and all.

"Nah, I sometimes fill in as a prep-cook but my Dad wants me to be college bound so he wants me focused on my studies."

"Will you be there tonight?"

"Uh...no."

He has that awkward look about him again and I can't help but wonder what's up.

"You got a hot date or something?" Tyler teased and Mike glowered at him. Obviously, things haven't improved between the two of them. Something I'll need to work on when I get them back out on the court. We can't win the championship if we are a divided team.

"Yeah, in fact, I do," Mike revealed and now he had everyone at the table's attention.

"With who?" Koby asked.

Mike looked at me briefly but then glanced back down the table at Koby. "Jessica," he said, nonchalantly.

"No way, man! Seriously?"

"Yeah, we're going to the movies tonight."

"Damn, I never thought... well, you two have been friends for so long... Wow. Good luck, Bro."

Mike was grinning from ear to ear. I think he loved being able to shove it in all our faces as none of us thought it would ever happen. I couldn't help but worry that Jessica had some ulterior motive wanting to date Mike but I kept that to myself.

I still questioned her timing at the lockers and I know she must have seen Brynn coming when she chose to throw herself at me but then again knowing that Brynn and I are over may have left Jessica feeling vindicated enough to allow her to move on. Who knows how she thinks. Jessica's mind is not a place I wish to get familiar with.

"Have fun tonight," I say, and Mike looks over at me genuinely surprised.

"Thanks," he says, but then questions, "You're okay with it?"

I shrug. "I'm happy for you, man." I have no connection to Jessica other than her trying to make my life miserable but hey if Mike can make it out of the friend zone with Jessica, then maybe I stand a chance with Brynn after all.

The rest of the day flew by, it looks like I've been really out of sorts this week as I was further behind in all my classes then I realized. I'll have to try and make up for it this weekend. I pack my books into my bag and I see Brynn walking into the auditorium, ready to get things set up for tonight, she stops momentarily and smiles at me.

I can't help but smile back. She gives me a wink before disappearing through the door. Tyler is right, I'm going to have a really hard time hanging out with her and not wanting to kiss her, hug her, hold her. My brain, my entire body is screaming at me right now to go run after her but instead, I shut my locker and go catch the bus home.

At dinner, my parents seem happier too. I guess I have been putting everyone out of sorts with my mood this week over Brynn.

"So, things went well I take it," my mom asked as she sets her famous meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn on the table for us to make our plates.

"Not the way that I hoped but it wasn't a complete disaster," I said giving myself a heaping helping of mashed potatoes.

"You two still broken up then," Dad asked taking some meatloaf and putting it on his plate.

"Yeah," I said sadly and both my parents look at one another with concern and something else.

"Finn, your Dad and I have been talking and we think perhaps in light of the situation and the fact that there are only a few months left of school that perhaps we were wrong to push the whole job thing on you now," my mom says, dishing out the corn on all of our plates.

It needled me a little that they were only saying this because Brynn and I were now over but I decided to end this now. "That's okay. I'll have to get used to it when I go to college anyway. My grades are in good standing, it's only part time but I think it's about time I took on some of the bills. I'll pay for my phone, the gas, and my own expenses, no more allowance. I know I haven't started yet but I think I got this. Thanks, anyway."

Both of them do that silent communication thing with one another over the table and I see my Dad shrugs. They obviously expected me to leap at their offer. Frankly, at this point I want the job to occupy my time and keep my mind off of other things.

"Okay, but if it becomes too much for you the offer stands."

"Thanks, I'll keep it in mind," I tell my dad.

My mom's lips press together, before saying, "Finn, Brynn is transferring to Central."

"Yeah, she told me."

"And she's going to be living with her dad."

"Yep, told me that too."

"So, I'm guessing this is the reason you two didn't get back together?"

"She's going through a lot, Mom. I'm the one thing in her life she can afford to let go of to make things a little less complicated. I hope that her circumstances will change and things won't be so crazy but in the meantime, I'm satisfied to be her friend."

"You've been Friend Zoned?" My Dad looks at me with the same pitying look Tyler had earlier today.

"Yeah, I guess you can say that. Look I WANT to be Brynn's friend. She's going through a lot and can seriously use a friend right now."

My mom looks proud of me. "She's lucky to have you."

I felt lucky to have Brynn. I always did only now I've missed my opportunity to tell her just how much she's come to mean to me, that I love her. This is not going to be easy but I have to try.

The rest of dinner was pleasant now that the cloud of animosity has been lifted. I eat, rinse my plate and get ready for work. My Dad reminds me of my appointment with the foot doctor is early the next morning.

"What time will you be in?" My mom asked as she clears the rest of the table.

"The place closes at 11:00 but I'm not sure where that puts me with Mr. Brock as I'm certain there may be a few things I'll need to do at closing. I imagine I'll be back before midnight? Not really sure."

"Alright, kiddo. See you in the A.M. then," my dad says to me but my mom still looks concerned. "Stay safe out there."

"I will, Mom." And I give her a kiss on the cheek before heading out the door.

Mike wasn't kidding when he said how busy the place gets, the moment I stepped in the door Mr. Brock was shoving me back out of it.

"Good to see you're on time, Finn. Now I've got three deliveries for you. Addresses are on the slips, top one first. Paris organizes them for you for the quickest delivery routes, so try not to get them mixed up."

I look up from the boxes and the slips to see Mike's little sister standing at the front counter. Paris is a year younger than Mike and she doesn't go to our school. She was sent to some all-girl prep school I think. She's grown up quite a bit, since the last time I'd seen her. She smiles and waves enthusiastically at me. Mr. Brock frowns at her and she laughs before getting back to work.

He shoves the boxes at me. "Don't get lost! No one likes cold food, got it?"

"Got it," I say taking the deliveries from him and hustling back out the door. From that moment on I was on the run, nonstop. I'd no sooner get in the door and Paris was sending me back out of it. It was like that all the way until nearly closing.

"You did good tonight," Paris said as she began cleaning up the pizza station.

I don't know how she does it. She runs the register, takes all the delivery and to go orders, makes the pizzas and runs the conveyor belt oven and somehow keeps me straight on all my deliveries. It was pretty amazing to watch.

"Couldn't have done it without you," I tell her.

She looks over at me with this cocky grin and says, "I know."

Her attitude makes me laugh. In fact, she is all attitude, all 5' 3" of her, from her short hair that's shaved on one side to her black combat boots, though I think she wears the boots more for protection than a fashion statement in this kitchen.

She takes after her mom with her olive skin tone and dark eyes. Her dad, however, is pure Irish. Mike is so white if you saw him standing next to his sister you'd never guess they were related let alone brother and sister.

"Have some pizza," she nods to the box on the cutting station.

"We allowed?" I ask I haven't had a break since I started and I was starving.

"Yep, I screw up at least one pizza a night. When it's returned well, it's game for anyone. Hopefully, you like sausage and peppers."

I laugh. "I've been doing nothing but smelling this food all night. I'm so hungry I'd eat my own shoe if you threw a little sauce on it."

Paris giggled. "Well, the pizza will certainly taste better than that."

I reach over to get a slice when the phone rings and hear her answer with, "Cecily's Sicilian Pizza, how can I help you? Delivery?" She looks at the clock and back at me, it was 10 of 11. I mournfully put the pizza back down, as Paris takes the order.

She makes the pizza and two cookie milkshakes and hands them to me. "The best way to get there from here is..."

I look at the slip. "Is this the right address?"

Paris flips the slip up to check. "Yep."

"Don't worry I know how to get there."

"Alright, then. See you when you get back."

Just then Mr. Brock came up from the basement wheeling a cart of freshly made dough for tomorrow ready to be pressed. He looked at the box in my hand and then the time on the wall.

"Another delivery? Make this one your last one of the night. You did good, Finn. You can head home after that one and we'll settle up tomorrow."

"Thanks, Mr. Brock. Thanks again for all your help tonight, Paris."

"Don't mention it. See you tomorrow," she says with a mock salute.

"Yep, see you tomorrow," and I was out the door in a flash.

I wind my way around the neighborhood and pull up in front of the house on the slip. I knock on the door and there she is looking rather shocked to see me.

"Hey, Brynn. You order a pizza and 2 milkshakes?" I was hoping this wasn't some kind of prank by Tyler or someone else trying to get me in or out of trouble with Brynn.

Brynn leaves me standing on the doorstep and looks over her shoulder, as she yells, "Gran, did you order pizza?"

Gran comes out of the kitchen with money in hand. "Oh, hello there Love Face, nice to see you again. Don't be rude, Brynn, invite him in. I'm certain he's tired after his first day of work."

Brynn's eyes close for second and she looks up at me. "Want to come in?"

Of course, I want to come in. What kind of stupid question was that...I thought but said, "Only if you want me to."

She takes the box and the bag from my hands saying nothing and walks away, so I follow her inside and shut the door behind me.