Asa stood at Briar's front door. He waited for what seemed like minutes, but it only took thirty seconds for the door to creak open. Briar stood there and looked at him. She saw Asa who looked like a sturdy fortress, no emotions peaking through. Asa saw the opposite in Briar. She looked hurt, even if she didn't. His mind couldn't focus.

"What?" Briar didn't want to talk.

"I'm sorry." He looked to his feet before looking back up again. "You're right."

"And?" Her eyes were wide open.

"And, there's something there. I don't know you, but something was there."

Briar stared at him. She didn't say anything. She didn't know if she should forgive him or not. Forgiveness wasn't really her thing.

"Briar?" Asa was still looking at her. "Please say something."

She was still taking him in for a moment more. "Okay."

They both stood there. Not sure what to say to each other, they fell into the depths of each others eyes. Finally one of them blinked and the loop was broken.

"Come." Briar grabbed his hand and pulled him in to her house.

Asa took the aesthetic in once again of this old home. He didn't realize how much this dark wood colour covered the house from head to toe.

Briar closed the door behind them. She looked up to Asa and he looked down to her, still not saying anything.

"Is your dad home?" He finally asked her.

"No he's at work."

"So you just skip school all the time?"

"Not all the time and you ask a lot of questions." She was loosening up.

"Sorry." Asa's breath got shallower as he kept peering at Briar.

She took his hand and brought him to the old springless couch from the day before. They still awkwardly didn't say anything. The silence a little annoying for them both. They both kept thinking about how stupid it was that they still weren't talking.

Finally Briar spoke up, "So... Should we..."

"Sure."

Briar sat closer to him now. She looked at him one more time before raising her left hand to his jaw. She brought him closer to her and pressed her lips against his. This time he was more relaxed. Asa took his hands and placed them on her waist.

In an instant, Briar pulled away. "Wait! How old are you?"

"What?" Asa was just as confused as Briar had sounded.

"I'm eighteen. I should have told you before." She looked to him biting her lip.

"I'm eighteen." He told her.

A smile of relief came across her face. "So what grade did you fail? I never though you could."

"I didn't fail. My mom kept me home an extra year. Made sure my four year old temptations wouldn't get in the way."

Briar tried so hard to keep from laughing, "Four year old temptations?"

"No I'm serious," He was trying just as hard. "I guess I really liked eating markers as a kid. It took my mom an extra year to teach me that they weren't really made to become a meal."

"So, which one tasted the best?" She still had a smile plastered on her face.

"The blue one." He changed the subject. "You said you failed."

"I didn't say that I failed. I was assuming that you did. But yeah, I failed fifth grade."

"Grades?"

"Oh not just that. I was a troublemaker."

"Now that I believe."

"You do, do you." She moved closer to him again.

She placed her hands on his jaw and met with his lips once again. She wrapped her arms around his neck as they got even closer. He placed his hands on her lower back. Briar leaned to be on top of Asa, as he laid down on the couch with his shoulders resting on the armrest. They kissed like it was the end of the world.

Taking a moment of breath, Briar looked up at him. "Do you have a..." She placed a hand on his belt.

"Briar, I'm not ready for that." They both sat up.

"It's okay. I understand." She wanted to respect him.

Asa let out a small breath, "I've killed the mood haven't I?"

"No, you haven't."

"Yes I did." He laughed.

"No seriously, I don't want to make you uncomfortable." She was playfully serious.

He took her hands and kissed her knuckles. "Thanks for understanding." He got up from the couch.

"You can't leave now."

"I don't want my parents to get worried." He grabbed his school bag and headed for the door.

Briar got up and followed him there. "Please tell me we aren't just going to keep having these make out sessions that last a half hour."

"Let me figure things out and we can have infinite make out sessions."

Asa opened the front door of the house and started out to the sidewalk. Briar hesitated for a second, but then ran out after him.

"Asa!" She ran and placed her hands on either side of his face. "Come here." She gave him one last kiss."

As they parted, Asa had a smirk on his face. He seemed to be viewing someone behind Briar. He fluffed his hair as he turned and walked away. Briar just smiled. She could have stared at him forever if she hadn't been startled.

"Holy shit!" Chris said with long clarity.

Briar jumped and turned to him. "Chris! What the hell?!"

"You kissed pretty boy." He was still in shock. "Religious, crazy, spaghetti flinging pretty boy. When did this happen?"

"Yesterday." She said quietly.

"Yesterday?"

"Yeah." Still quiet.

Chris ran and gave her a hug, twirling her in the air once. "So he doesn't have stick up his ass."

"Chris!" She punched him in the arm.

"So is this a normal thing now?"

"I don't know." Briar said as she turned around and watched Asa walk away in the distance.

They stood and watched as Asa kept walking. The sun was starting to set. Briar had nothing but him in her mind in that one moment.

She flipped like a switch and looked back at Chris, "Would you keep a secret for me?"

Chris was not expecting this, "Yes...uh... for sure."

"I think I'm going to run away."