I stood up abruptly from the stairs and quickly blurted out "I will leave you to it. I need to go to my locker anyway."

"Any last advice?"

"Make conversation with him. Just not about the menstrual cycle." I joked "Guys get really creeped out about it for some reason."

"Can we have a girl’s day tomorrow?" Lana asked, her head tilting up so that she could look at me "Just the two of us. I have really missed watching TV and eating junk food with you."

"Definitely." I agreed and offered her a smile.

I set off in a small run so that I could get away from the two men before they came over. More specifically to get away before Stone came over.

I sped walked through the corridors of the empty school. It turned out most people were not in the mood to arrive at school early and I could not blame them.

Thinking about Lana and Brennan as I scurried further away from the entrance of the school, I truly hoped that everything worked out between them.

I wanted the group to stay intact, and it was not just for the two of them. I had another selfishly confusing motive that had to do with the other giant male at the table.

Opening the door to my locker, I was about to pick up a folder when a body leaned against the wall next to me.

Chase pretended to reach out to try and give me a hug.

"Get away!" I swatted him with one of my jotters "You are all sweaty."

"I had football practise." He laughed before rubbing his arm over his forehead "Why are you so early today?"

"I had to meet Lana." I replied while taking what I needed from the small compartment before closing the locker and facing him completely "I'm sorry for what happened at the ice cream place. I hope you managed to do more of your essay."

"It is not your fault." Chase said while waving my apology off "I am actually surprised that your pet monster is not here now."

My mouth opened and then closed.

"My pet monster?" I repeated quietly.

"He is always watching you." He said like it was an observation rather than an exaggeration "He follows you around like your very own pet monster. He looks ready to rip apart anybody that comes close to you."

I had no clue what to reply to him so I changed the subject and offered him "I could send you some of my class notes on Shakespeare if you want."

Chase's attention went to something or someone over my shoulder before he replied.

"I have looked at notes online. I just can't seem to take them in." The quarterback informed before proposing "I was thinking another study session one on one would help me."

"Sure." I agreed, not thinking much about it.