"I think she hates me." Tom complained. "Just yesterday she punched me in the stomach and walked away."

Jackie sighed. "I think it's exactly the opposite." she replied. "Janna's...different when it comes to emotions. Either she likes you and can't admit it, or she's plotting your death."

Tom's face went pale, and Jackie punched his arm lightly.

"I'm joking." Jackie laughed. "You just need to show her that she doesn't have to be scared of romance. That sounded a lot better in my head..."

Tom took a deep breath. "You're saying I have to walk up to a girl who may or may not hate me and kiss her, aren't you?"

Jackie shrugged. "If I valued my internal organs I'd start with something a little less. So far as I know, Janna's never kissed anyone, and she'd probably murder you if you came anywhere close. Start with something...less."

Tom knew for a fact that statement wasn't true, not after that make-out session they'd shared the night they officially met at the winter formal. She'd just iced him out afterwards, like it had never happened.

Tom didn't understand why. He thought it had gone well.

"It's kind of cliché and she might make you eat it, but maybe you could start with a flower?" Jackie added.

Tom furrowed his eyebrows. "A flower?" he asked.

The flower. Oh, maybe that was it. Maybe because it was on fire...crap.

Tom looked across the hall, squinting at a girl with long blonde hair and her friend, who appeared to be whispering something to her.

The blonde girl turned, and Tom saw her face. Star.

Which meant the other girl was...

"Janna!" Tom called out, and the dark-haired girl didn't move a muscle. "Janna! We need to talk."

Janna turned around, and Tom watched as her chocolate eyes went wide.

"No, we don't." she said, obviously trying to hide behind the stack of textbooks in her arms.

Star smirked at her friend, and Janna shot her a glare.

"What do you need to talk about?" Star asked. "Do you want me to leave?"

Tom looked at his feet. "That'd be nice." he replied, and Janna turned to Star.

"Don't leave me." she hissed, but her bubbly friend skipped away in another direction. Janna started walking towards the door to the school, and Tom walked alongside her.

"What's up?" Tom asked. Janna shrugged.

"What do you mean?" she retorted nonchalantly, but from the look on her face Tom could tell she knew exactly where their conversation was going.

"Did I do something?" Tom questioned, taking the load of textbooks out of her arms. A small smile crossed her face. Maybe he was getting somewhere.

"No." Janna said. "Give me back my books."

Tom shook his head. "Not until you tell me what's going on."

Janna blew out a puff of air, ruffling her bangs. "I'm going to be late for wrestling night."

"Then I guess you'd better start talking." Tom said, reading a few of the titles of her books.

He hadn't known she was smart. Honors Trigonometry? Level 3 Spanish? As a sophomore? Tom was impressed. Why in the world did she spend so much time in detention?

"You'll think I'm stupid." Janna muttered, and Tom raised an eyebrow.

"I'm holding a 12th grade Chemistry book. Nothing would make me think you were stupid." Tom smiled, setting down the pile of books on the ground. "Come on, tell me." Janna looked at her feet, clearly embarrassed.

"Whenever I'm around you I have this weird feeling in my gut, and it always makes me feel really... awkward." Janna replied. "Are you happy now?"

Tom tilted her chin up so her eyes met his, and he gently pressed his lips up to her cheek. Janna let out a uncharacteristic small sigh, and covered her mouth. The feeling of the kiss sent chills down her spine, feeling her lips tingle as his warm breath brushed up against them. God, she wanted more, she wanted him to kiss her again like he had the night of the winter formal and to never stop. She couldn't very well just say that, though. So instead she stepped on his foot.

"What was that for?" Tom glared down at her, and Janna shrugged.

"I would be mad if I didn't love you." Tom said, and suddenly Janna felt an emotion that typically didn't run through her veins boiling inside of her, and in the spur of the moment she reached out, grabbing his shirt collar to pull him down to her height, and looking directly into his eyes.

"Say that again and I'll smack that smirk off of your stupid face." she whispered, and pulled back in shock. That wasn't what she'd wanted to say. Janna wasn't entirely sure what she'd wanted to say, but she hadn't meant to be...mean. Oh God, now he was looking at her with his fiery eyes and his perfectly arched eyebrows and it just made her want to slap his face as hard as she could.

Wait. That wasn't right.

There was another way to go about this.

Her nose accidentally brushed against his, and she felt her face heat up.

She looked up, her chocolate eyes meeting their fire red match.

And then she knew exactly what to do. She tugged on his shirt, pulling him closer and closer until his lips skimmed across hers. It sent a chill through her body, a smile lighting up her face like a Christmas tree.

Tom took a hand and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear, careful so as not to get it caught on her earrings. He moved his hand down, cupping her face and beginning to slowly caress her cheek. Tom's hands were warm, comforting in their own strange way. Her eyelashes batted as her eyes slowly closed, and she put her hand on top of his.

It was almost perfect, until Janna heard her older brother honking the horn of his rusty car, and she winced as she saw him watching her.

"I, uh..." Janna started, and Tom pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. She would have enjoyed it more if she knew her brother wasn't already staring them down.

"Same place, same time tomorrow?" Tom asked, and Janna rolled her eyes.

"If you think you can handle it." she replied, putting her hands on her hips.

"God, you're adorable." Tom replied, shaking his head, and Janna felt herself starting to blush, which she both hated and loved. She shoved her cold hands in her pockets, walking over towards the truck.

She glanced back a few times, and actually contemplated blowing a kiss in Tom's direction, which she would never have thought of doing even an hour ago.

Love was weird.