Being your high school principal's daughter is a curse I wouldn't wish upon anyone. Falling for the one student your dad dislikes more than anyone? I might as well be in a telenovela.

"He's standing right there Avery, waiting for you like a dark broody hero, go!"

My best friend Sadie nearly shoves me to our classroom door where none other than Rhett Evanson waits for us. He seems amused by our antics if the smirk on his gorgeous face is any indication. I know I'm being tested right now, what will little miss goody two-shoes do? But Principal Reynolds' daughter or not, the choice is easy.

"Got a minute Avery?" I'm powerless when it comes to him.

"Of course she does." Sadie shoves me towards him and I hear him laugh as she does so.

He gestures towards the hallway and I nod though I'm not sure how my legs manage to work.

Rhett stops by his locker, the number of which I've had memorised since our freshman year project together.

"Hey, what's up?"

He tucks his hands in his jeans pockets, looking unsure of himself for the first time since I've known him. " Congrats on Stanford, your dad mentioned it during detention." He grins sheepishly and I groan because knowing Dad's been bragging about his perfect squeaky clean daughter around Rhett is embarrassing.

"Thanks." I try to shrug but it comes across as a shoulder spasm, I'm that nervous.

"He said you were leaving soon." His eyes are cast downwards so I can't see his expression but his tone suggests that he finds the idea sad?

"I leave next month, yeah."

"Right." He finally looks at me. This time I'm definitely not imagining things as he leans just a little closer. "Avery, I just...you have to know that I like you right?"

I gape at him in utter disbelief. Is he serious?

"You do?" I squeak and he laughs, "Have you missed all my longing glances through the years?"

"But why did you never say anything?"

We both know the answer, my dad would've killed me for even thinking about dating Rhett.

"Rhett I..." The bell rings and we both ignore it. "How could you not know that I like you too? I wasn't exactly subtle."

He shrugs, smiling like crazy just like I am. "There were times when I wanted to come up to you and ask you out but you'd shut me out so quickly."

"I wanted you to" I add quickly, "...to ask me that is. I just didn't think you'd ever be interested."

"I was, I am and I couldn't let you leave without telling you how I felt." We're booth grinning like fools in the nearly empty hallway.

"I'm so happy that you did Rhett." I marvel at just how good this feels, to not be cautious and follow my heart instead of my brain. He takes my hand in his, slowly and cautiously and interlinks our fingers. "So am I."