"Oh my god, what are the risks?" asked Leith, half-annoyed, half-amused.

"There are many, really", answered Bash. "First of all, it might be a guy's phone number. Not that I would mind, but it would sort of crush all my fantasies. Second of all, it's been on the boys' bathroom wall from ages, now. I probably wouldn't be the first to call and she might hang up on me which would be quite awkward and would also crush all my fantasies. Do you want me to keep going?"

Leith put his hand on Bash's shoulder and looked at him solemnly.

"Bash", he said, "My brother, you have that number saved in your phone since you were fifteen. And except for that Kenna chick, that phone number is the closest thing you've had from a relationship. Which is not okay, Bash! You are seventeen!"

Leith had to speak up because Bash kept trying to interrupt him.

"You will make a man of yourself and you will call that girl and that's the end of it!"

Bash sighed. Damn. He was facing some indestructible arguments and a very stubborn Leith.

"Alright, I'll do it!", he said finally.

"I'm proud of you", Leith said, "but I'm gonna go now. If she's a naughty and it turns into phone sex, I don't want to be here."

"Shut up and leave", Bash said with a smirk.

Leith winked and left him alone. Bash opened his cell phone, went through his contacts and selected "Bash's future snog lol" – Leith had renamed it a couple months ago and somehow it had grown on Bash. He press 'call' and it started ringing. Bash took a deep breath.

"Hello?"

"Hi!", Bash said, in the manliest voice he could manage. "Did you know that your phone number has been on a boys' bathroom wall for a couple of years?"

There was a silence.

"Oh my god that would explain so many things", the girl finally said. "Do you go to French Court High?"

"Yeah"

"I knew it! It's my idiotic ex! You know what stranger; I'll give you five bucks if you go write Francis's phone number on the girls' bathroom wall surrounded by little hearts."

Bash chuckled.

"Little hearts? Girls' bathroom? That's gonna cost you more than five bucks!"

"Darn it!"

"But tell you what, you buy me a coffee and I might do it."

There was a silence. Bash's heart was beating so fast he thought he was gonna have a heart attack. Finally, the girl spoke again.

"That's a date, mysterious guy!"

"Bash. De Poitiers."

"Mary Stuart"

"Really nice to meet you… Mary Stuart."