“He’s quiet for a minute, then grins again. “I can’t believe you think I’m hot.” “Shut up.” “You probably faked passing out the other day, just so you could be carried in my hot, sweaty, manly arms.” “Shut up.” “I’ll bet you fantasize about me at night, right here in this bed.” “Shut up, Holder.” “You probably even…” I reach over and clamp my hand over his mouth. “You’re way hotter when you aren’t speaking.”

“You probably faked passing out the other day, just so you could be carried in my hot, sweaty, manly arms.”

“Time to go,” he says. “I already see this heading somewhere I’m too drunk to go right now. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” I jump up and run and block the window before he can leave. He stops in front of me and folds his arms over his chest. “Stay,” I say. “Please. Just lay in bed with me. We can put pillows between us and I promise not to seduce you since you’re drunk. Just stay for an hour, I don’t want you to go yet.” He immediately turns and heads back to the bed. “Okay,” he says simply. He throws himself onto my bed and pulls the covers out from beneath him. That was easy.”

“What do you do when you’re bored? You don’t haveinternet or TV. Do you just sit around all day and think about how hot I am?”

“Butterfly.What a beautiful wordWhat a delicate creature.Delicate like the cruel words that flow right out of your mouths and the food that flies right out of your hands…Does it make you feel better?Does it make you feel good ?Does picking on a girl make you more of a man?Well, I’m standing up for myselfLike I should have done beforeI’m not putting up with your Butterfly anymore."(Kiersten slides the sack off her wrist and opens it, pulling out a handful of hand-made butterflies. She takes the microphone out of the stand and begins walking down the stairs as she continues speaking.)“I’d like to extend to others what others have extended to me.”(She walks up to Mrs. Brill first and holds out a butterfly)“Butterfly you, Mrs. Brill.”(Mrs. Brill smiles at her and takes the butterfly out of her hands. Lake laughs out loud and I have to nudge her to get her to be quiet. Kiersten walks around the room, passing out butterflies to several of the students, including the three from the lunchroom.)“Butterfly you, Mark.Butterfly you, Brendan.Butterfly you, Colby.”(When she finishes passing out the butterflies, she walks back onto the stage and places the microphone back into the stand.)“I have one thing to say to youAnd I’m not referring to the bulliesOr the ones they pursue.I’m referring to those of you that just stand byThe ones who don’t take up for those of us that cryThose of you who just…turn a blind eye.After all it’s not you it’s happening toYou aren’t the one being bulliedAnd you aren’t the one being rudeIt isn’t your hand that’s throwing the foodBut…it is your mouth not speaking upIt is your feet not taking a standIt is your arm not lending a handIt is your heartNot giving a damn.So take up for yourselfTake up for your friendsI challenge you to be someoneWho doesn’t give in.Don’t give in.Don’t let them win.”

“You’re so cute when you’re jealous,” I say. She looks at me, her resolve melting with my words. I take her face in my hands and gently press my lips to hers. She sighs a quiet, defeated sigh into my mouth and relents, parting her lips for me. I run my hands down her arms and to her waist, then pull her out of the chair and on top of me as I lean back onto the bed.I place one hand on the small of her back, pressing her into me, and my other hand I run through her hair, grabbing the back of her head. I kiss her hard as I roll her onto her back, proving to her that she has absolutely nothing to be jealous of. As soon as I’m on top of her, she places her hands on my cheeks and forces my face apart from hers.“So your lips touched someone else’s lips? After our first kiss?”I fall back onto the bed beside her. “Lake, stop it. Stop thinking about it,” I say.“I can’t, Will.” She turns to me and makes that damn pouty face she knows I can’t refuse. “I need to know. In my head all I can picture is you taking some girl out on this perfect date and making her grilled cheese sandwiches and playing “would you rather” with her and sharing seriously intense moments with her, then kissing the hell out of her at the end of the night.”Her description of our first date causes me to laugh. I lean over and press my lips to her ear and whisper, “Is that what I did to you? I kissed the hell out of you?”She pulls her neck away and shoots me a glare, letting me know she isn’t backing down until she gets her way. “Fine,” I say, pulling back. “If I tell you all about it will you promise to let me kiss the hell out of you again?”“Promise,” she says.”

“You’re attracted to me?” “Oh, God,” I groan. “That’s the last thing you need for your ego.” “That’s probably true,” he laughs. “Better hurry up and insult me before my ego gets as big as yours.” “You need a hair cut,” I blurt out. “Really bad. It gets in your eyes and you squint and you’re constantly moving it out of the way like you’re Justin Bieber and it’s really distracting.”