"I'm impressed." Dr. Lewis gives me her fake, lopsided smile, her eyes bright behind the lenses of her glasses.

"Why?" I wonder, tapping 5 bitten down fingernails against my knee.

"You're mother called me this morning and told me just how responsible you were by letting her know that you needed a refill on your medication. And I'm impressed by that."

"Ok," I say, tapping my fingers faster. Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

Dr. Lewis eyes me, her deep brown irises not so bright anymore. I stop tapping.

"Can I see your hands, Shelby?"

I gulp, the slimy frog in my throat refusing to go down. "Why?" I manage to ask.

"I haven't checked them in a while, that's why..." She eyes me, causing me to squirm.

My now sweaty palms rub against the scratchy fabric of my jeans. "I'm not harming myself if that's what you want to know."

She continues to stare at me, her gaze calculating. "Then why aren't you showing me your hands?"

Sighing, I shove my hands right in front of her face, palms up. "See there's nothing there to hide." Except for the rate of my heartbeat that's picking up second by second.

Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic.

She can't see, can she?

Dr. Lewis is examining my palms closely and my heart rate quickens even some more. I wait for her to bob her head up and down in a nod before pulling my hands back, and resting them on my lap. Now my 10-bitten-down nails begin to tap anxiously, as she taps away on her iPad with long-tipped nails. Tap-tap-tap.

"Why are you so antsy today, Shelby?" Dr. Lewis questions, glancing up from her iPad.

I shrug. "Excited for lunch, I guess. It's pasta today."

She smiles. "Ah, pasta. Now you're making me hungry."

All I do is stare at her. She looks back down at her iPad and continues to type and I'm so curious to see what she's writing.

At last, she says, "I'm going to be cutting this session a little short today. You may go. I'll see you on Monday." Her eyes hold me in place. "Remember to take your pills."

I meet her gaze, bold. "Always."

I leave her office, releasing the breath I've been holding.

My feet rush me to the bathroom. Putting the lid down, I sit, breathing in and out---in and out. Once I steady my breathing, I flip my hands over, my eyes staring hard at my palms--- looking--- searching.

Barely visible, I spot the small crescent moon. It's a miracle that Dr. Lewis hasn't noticed it.

I pull out of my pocket the coverup I used this morning and removing the cap, I smear some of the tan color over the crescent moon, hiding it from view once again.

***

I sit in solitude, eating my mac and cheese. Today, it's flavorless.

Breathe in, breathe out. Repeat. Breathe in, breathe out.

Now holding the fork before my eyes, I bend 1 of the 4 prongs with 1 of my 5 fingers. I bend it back till it snaps, the small, white piece falling onto the table. Snap the second one. Snap the third. Snap the fourth.

The fork is now not a fork. I have no clue what it is. Maybe it has become a k, because it's missing the 4 (for) prongs. I can say that it's definitely all broken like me.

That's when the bell rings causing me to drop whatever is left of the fork. Students rush into the room, heading for their usual tables in small groups. I spot Levi, Katie trailing after him like a wide-eyed puppy wagging its tail back and forth happily.

My eyes roll at her and I try very, very, very hard not to snort and gag.

"Everything ok?"

My eyes now settle on Adrian, who managed to sneak up on me while I was distracted. "Katie, she's so nerve-racking, you know what I mean?"

He shrugs as he slides into the seat beside me, placing his plate of pasta and corn salad on the table.

I bite the inside of my cheek, watching him begin to eat. He seems to find his pasta extremely favorable, stuffing fork after forkful into his mouth and I find myself smiling. It's adorable to see how much he enjoys his food.

His evergreen eyes glance up from his plate and rest on me, shining oh so bright. "What?" He asks through a mouthful of food.

"Nothing," I say.

"Really?" He raises an eyebrow, wiggling it--- making me laugh. Adrian always knows how to  brighten my mood.

"You're adorable," I admit, not able to keep his gaze, my eyes cast down on the broken fork.

He's silent for a moment and I dare to steal a peek at his face, finding him grinning from ear to ear. "Just the words a guy wants to hear. Hey, you're so adorable, I could just pinch your cheeks..."

I silence him with a punch to the arm, "Oh shut up."

"I was just messing with you," he says while rubbing his arm. "Though I was also trying to make a point... guys would prefer being told that they're smoldering hot than adorable."

"Seriously?" I raise a badly plucked eyebrow at him. "Smoldering hot? Who says smoldering?"

He points his 2 thumbs at his chest. "I do."

"You do what?" Robin appears before us, Ellie right behind him.

"Nothing," Adrian and I reply at the same time.

"Hmmm," he says, taking the seat across from Adrian and Ellie takes the seat across from me.

I look at the 2 empty seats. "Where's Sierra?"

"She started tutoring," Ellie replies.

"Really? When?"

She shrugs, "A few days ago, I think."

"Oh cool." I begin to play with the necklace Adrian gave me.

He watches me, a smile brightening his breathtakingly handsome face. "I noticed that you wear it every day."

The chain slips through my fingers. "I never take it off," I admit.

"Hold on A, you got Shelby a necklace?" Ellie's watching us intently, trying hard not to smile.

"It belonged to my mother and I believed Shelby should have it." Adrian gives me a dashing grin, and mouths something that I can't quite catch.

'What?' I mouth back.

'Forget it.'

"That's so sweet," Ellie is saying and all I could think of is what Adrian mouthed. What did he mouth?

I remain silent for the rest of the lunch break, watching my friends chat while eating their meals.

"You haven't finished your mac and cheese?" Adrian acknowledges after Robin and Ellie leave the cafeteria hand in hand.

"It's my second bowl," I lie. "I was too stuffed to finish it."

He accepts my lie with a slow nod, golden strands looking like gold yarn falling into his eyes. I push them away, my hand resting on his cheek, 5 fingers spread out. He leans into it, "Want to come over to my place later? My dad got the whole Star Trek collection..."

"I'll be there."

"Good," he smiles, removing my hand from his cheek and planting a kiss on it. "I'll make sure to have a lot of popcorn ready for the lady."

I laugh. "Sounds like a plan."

The bell rings, announcing the end of our lunch break.

"I'll see you later," Adrian says, kissing my hand 1 last time.

"Can't wait till then," I smile, watching him walk off. Damn does he look good in those jeans.

Shaking my head to clear my mind, I reluctantly get up and drag my feet to the next class. Lifeskills.

***

2 warm bodies snuggle up against each other on the couch. Popcorn being crunched by 64 teeth. Crunch-crunch-crunch. Heaven on earth.

A Star Trek movie is playing on the large screen TV, but I'm not focused on it. Instead, I'm focused on how close Adrian's body is to mine, a flytrap drawing me in.

His eyes are glued to the TV, his hand paused in midair popcorn still clutched in it, waiting to resume and inch closer to his parted lips. It just stays there though suspended. Adrian is too engrossed in the movie to care.

My fingers curl around his hand, picking out the popcorn--- claiming them for myself.

"Hey," he says. Mission accomplished. I got his attention.

I smile, tossing his popcorn into my mouth, 32 teeth crunching down on them.

"Yummy," I say while licking my lips.

He looks down at the empty bowl, realizing I just ate the last of our popcorn.

"Go pop some more."

He sighs, "Fine, but this time don't eat mine."

"You weren't eating it though. That's why I did... I could hear the popcorn begging me to eat it instead."

He chuckles, wagging a finger at me. "That sharp mouth will get you into trouble one-day young lady, just wait and see."

I smirk. "It already did many times, so seems like I don't have to wait..."

He silences me with a kiss. "Keep it up and I'll keep on having to punish your sharp tongue with kisses," he says as he pulls away.

I smile. "Oh, what a terrible punishment. I better shut up then."

This gets a growl out of him and before I know it he's pulling me onto his lap, knocking the empty popcorn bowl onto the floor. All of that is forgotten though as his burning hot hands settle on my lower back and as his big, round evergreen eyes gaze into mine.

"Yes, you better shut up." And then his soft lips are on mine, his grip on me tightening.

My hands wrap themselves around his broad neck, my fingers digging into his soft hair at the nape. He growls again, a deep sound that comes from his chest. I pull away slightly and smile.

"Everything ok?"

His eyes are shadowed and I can see the desire lurking behind them, causing me to shiver.

"I promise that one day you are going to be the death of me," he whispers into my ear.

I giggle nervously. "I hope not."

"Shelby?" His voice is so, so, so low.

"Yeah?"

He opens his mouth to answer, but instead what greets my ears is a loud voice saying, "What in the world did I just walk in on?"

I scramble off of Adrian's lap so fast, I end up falling hard onto the floor. The heat won't stop rising to my cheeks, as Joel watches us from the doorway shocked.

He shakes his head... before asking, "Need a hand?"

"I got her," Adrian says. His hand appears before my face and I take it letting him pull me up onto my feet. Once I'm standing he turns to his older brother, "What do you want?" His voice sounds hostile.

Joel smirks, unphased, "I was just coming to give you your mail. Seems like you haven't responded to your last letter." He waves a crisp white envelope in the air--- back and forth, back and forth... "So they sent another one."

"Seriously." Adrian drags his hand down his face, suddenly looking extremely tired. "Why won't they give me some time to think this all through?"

"Because when it comes to this they give you no choice..."

Adrian snarls, his handsome face not so handsome at the moment. "Just shut up Joel, I don't want to deal with this right now, as you can see I have company." He points at me and I glance down at my shoes pretending that I wasn't focused on this whole situation. So curious as to what's happening. "Put it on my dresser and I'll take care of it later."

"Sure thing." Joel salutes with 2 of his fingers pressed against his forehead. "You two have fun." He winks, before swaggering out of the room.

I try to decipher the emblem stamped onto the envelope that's clutched in his hand, but his fingers are blocking most of it, so I don't get to see the whole design.

What could be inside that's so important? Something so important that Adrian must respond to as soon as possible. An envelope that's fancy enough to have an emblem...

Could it be an acceptance to a college I hadn't known he applied to?

"Sorry about that," Adrian says, drawing me back to him. I notice that he's holding the empty popcorn bowl.

"It's ok."

He gives me a soft smile, 1 that I notice doesn't seem genuine and that bothers me. "I'm going to go pop some more popcorn."

"Ok," I say.

His shoulder brushes me as he passes and I turn after him, taking hold of his hand. "Adrian."

He looks back at me. "Do you want to talk?" I ask.

2 evergreen eyes blink as 2 words are said, "About what?"

"What just happened." Like duh.

"No, not at the moment. It's nothing of importance right now."

Doesn't seem that way, I think. But all I say is, "Oh, ok."

He gives me another smile, this 1 even worse than the other and I try so, so, so hard not to grimace. He doesn't notice. "I'll be back shortly. If you want you can continue the movie without me."

"I'll wait."

And then he's gone, leaving me standing here pondering over his words. It's nothing of importance right now. Which means later on it will be. And hopefully, I'll find out what it is.