Exposition

D+16 (Thursday)

Addie fretted all morning about how things would be between her and Brienne but, whether the other girl was really that cool or just pretending, Brienne acted as if nothing was wrong. Addie felt a pinch of disappointment at Brienne's nonchalant demeanor but put it to the back of her mind quickly. In fact, Brienne was practically gleeful since the Bush Babies had lost the second dodge ball match against the third forms. This meant that if the Dik Diks won their second match and every subsequent match – which Brienne threatened maiming if they didn't - they stood a chance of winning the dodge ball tournament.

"The Bush Babies will have to lose at least one more match for that to happen," Phoenix pointed out. "And I don't see that happening."

"Thanks, Debbie Downer," Brienne retorted.

"At the very least, we'd end up having a rematch with the Bush Babies at the finals," Phoenix offered.

A knowing smile curled on Brienne's lips. "I'm counting on it."

The bell signaling the end of lunch rang. Double chemistry was next but Mrs. Patel was absent which meant a glorious hour and a half of free time. Since the school couldn't have a bunch of unsupervised kids in the labs, they were instructed to go to the library for a study period.

Addie lost the group in the shuffle from the labs to the library. She wasn't really looking where she was going and she dumped into someone standing in front of her, her books and papers spilling to the ground.

"Watch where you're going," a shrill voice scowled. The girl was in the sixth form, she had a pinched looked and a P.E. shirt with the Bush Babies' sigil on it.

"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry," Addie said, diving down to gather her things. She couldn't tell if it was deliberate but the cleat of the older girl came down on her fingers. She was looking up to confirm the accident when someone rushed to side, helping her gather the loose pieces of paper that had flown beyond her immediate reach.

"Kieran!" Her smile was immediate, pain in her right hand forgotten.

"Here you go," he said, holding out three loose leafs.

Addie's attention was brought back to the girl in front of her who snorted loudly before walking away.

"Rude," Addie mumbled under her breath then turned to Kieran who asked if she was the one who had made the drawings.

For a moment Addie panicked. She snatched at the papers but luckily these were PG, cartoon doodles she had been between classes.

"They're really good," Kieran offered. "Can I have one?"

"Really?"

He laughed at her dumb expression. "Yes! I think you're really talented. When you become a famous artist I want to have proof that I know you before fame."

His eyes were dancing with laughter but she didn't think he was making fun of her. She let him choose the drawing he wanted and even autographed the piece for him.

"Just don't change autographs," he said, frowning a little.

"I won't."

For some reason he was suddenly nervous. She started to tell him that she had to get going when he asked her out. "I mean, if you're not doing anything Saturday afternoon. It was fun hanging out with you yesterday and I thought..."

Addie was dumbstruck. Kieran Hull was asking her out! Kieran Hull was nervous about asking her out! Is this the end of the world?

"You're not saying anything," he said, brow furrowed.

How could the answer be anything but yes? Addie realized she still wasn't saying anything when the lines on his forehead deepened and slight color appeared on his cheeks.

"Yes!" she blurted too loudly.

He startled at her enthusiasm then smiled. "Great. Let's meet at the ice-cream shop on Governor's Avenue and then go for there."

"Great!"

She watched him walk away with something of stars in her eyes. Her expression sobered when her gaze fell on Brienne. She looked...angry. Why would Brienne be angry with her?

"Hey!" Addie whispered to Brienne when they were settled around a table in the young adult section of the library. "Back there, when I was talking to Kieran, you seemed upset or something."

"What?" Brienne asked looking genuinely confused then it dawned on her. "Oh, no. I was farting and trying not to shit my pants," she explained.

A chorus of 'ew' and 'gross' rose from the table. Katha looked particularly disgusted. Brienne laughed and Addie was a cross between amused and unconvinced.

"Wait! You were talking to Kieran, Kieran Hull?" Phoenix asked.

"Yeah," Addie smiled bashfully. "He asked me out on a date."

"But isn't he -?"

"He's a really nice guy," Brienne interrupted Phoenix's protest.

Addie saw the look that passed between the two. "You know him?" she asked a little worried that there might be history between her crush and her new friend.

"We played together growing up till my parents got a divorce and my mom and I had to move to a smaller place," Brienne explained, pointedly ignoring Phoenix's wide eyes.

"You guys weren't..."

Brienne's brow furrowed as she sought to glean what Addie was trying to say. "Oh God no!" she declared definitively. "Puberty was kind to Kieran because the boy was Humpty Dumpty and that's how I'll always see him."

The conversation ended there because one of the librarian assistants came around their corner and lingered there for most of the free period.

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