(Thursday, October 2, 2008 9:30 A.M.)

I click out of the e-mail to one of my students parents, and check the clock. Normally right now, I would be taking attendance and handing out morning work but today I have some time to waste.

I tip back in my chair and reach across my desk for the cardboard coffee cup. I eye the one next to it and decide to just do it.

For some reason on my way in this morning I pulled through the Dunkin' Donuts drive through, something I never do, and I bought not one, but two cups of coffee.

One for me.

And one for Callie.

I eye that cup and remember her story from the first day of the school year, when she swore it was her first and last experience with coffee. So why... why did I buy it for her? I'll never know.

But I did, and it's been sitting on my desk for the last twenty minutes, just waiting for me to bring it to her. I'm not sure what I'm waiting for. Well, scratch that, when I walked down the hall she wasn't here yet. But we have to be in the cafeteria for a morning meeting in about ten minutes so I'm sure she's in by now.

I stand up, tuck a pen in my pocket, pick up that cup and head for the door, stopping to flick the light switch with my forefinger as I turn into the hall.

I walk the few steps to her door and lift my hand up to tap my knuckles on the door. "Callie?"

She's sitting at her desk, plucking away at the keys and her head snaps in my direction.

"Hey Justin." She smiles and I start walking towards her.

"Good morning." is all I reply with as I set the second cup on her desk.

"What's this?" she looks from it to me, a justifiably confused expression on her face.

"Well, I stopped at Dunkin' Donuts on my way in this morning and I thought maybe you should give coffee another shot. This one's got a lid on it, so I think you're white shirt is safe." My eyes scan over her white tank top, that has some kind of print graphic on it. The good thing about a staff day is that we can dress down, and even though it's well into what most consider to be fall, it's still rather warm.

She raises an eyebrow at me and slowly reaches for the cup. "I'm trusting you." She points a finger at me and smiles. "So if something goes wrong... I'm blaming it all on you. You and your complimentary coffee."

"Callie, it's a cup of coffee. Not a bomb."

"They are one in the same my friend." I shake my head and watch her bring the cup to her lips and take a sip. Her nose crinkles up a bit and I swear it is the cutest thing. By the way, the past two and a half weeks haven't done much to curb my growing attachment to this woman.

They've been filled with little jokes and comments, unnecessary stops in her room just to see her. My feet just carry me there. Sometimes it's in the mornings, sometimes in the afternoons. Sometimes it's just random moments during the day when I know neither of us have our kids. It's really effecting my ability to get my work done, because even when I'm not the one approaching her, she will pop into my room. Which makes me think, just a little bit, that maybe it's not completely one sided.

But I haven't done this in a while. And, I'm not really sure what exactly it is that's going on here. I feel like such an asshole because on one hand, I can't get enough of making her smile, but on the other I don't know if I'm prepared to take on anything more than what it already is. Whatever that may be.

But there is something in the air between us, I know that. I'm just not really ready to find out how she feels about it.

"So...?" I ask. She gives me a look, that clearly shows she isn't completely enjoying it. I laugh.

"It's something you get used to." I say.

"It's something you get used to." She smiles and sets the cup back down on the desk. "I'm perfectly fine with my method of caffeine injection."

I roll my eyes as she picks up a light blue Diet Pepsi can from the other side of her computer and triumphantly takes a sip.

"So, are you ready for today?"

She shrugs. "Yea. Let me just grab this..." she reaches across the desk for a pen and a notebook and stands up. "... and lets go."

We walk through the halls towards the cafeteria, joining others along the way and once we reach those doors it's time to part ways to meet with our other grade teachers to talk about the curriculum.

"Do you want to hit up that sub shop for lunch?" I ask her as we walk through the double doors.

"Sure." she replies with a smile.

"Cool. Alright, I'll catch up with you in a little while then."

"Yup." she nods. "Have fun."

"You too." We exchange an unspoken agreement of 'yea right' before she heads in one direction and I in another. Kind of relieved that the table she sits at with the two other second grade teachers, is around the corner from where I am with my fellow third grade teachers. I would probably get no work done otherwise.

A few hours later I rejoin her at those doors and ask how her morning has been.

"Oh you know..." she trails off and I'm sure she's getting the same treatment I did when I first started. Everyone else throwing ideas around and the new person inadvertently forced to just follow along. I can tell by the look on her face that she really doesn't want to talk about it.

"You ready to go?" I turn the talk towards our lunch. "My car or yours?"

"Actually, I have to run down to my room and send a couple e-mails, so why don't you go ahead and get us a table and I'll meet you there." Her eyebrows raise and I can tell that she feels bad about having to say that.

"Oh. Sure." I won't readily admit that I'm a little disappointed, but at least she didn't cancel altogether. "Just do what you need to do."

"Thanks." She smiles that smile and hurries off and I pull my keys out of my pocket and exit the building.

Twenty minutes later I am sitting at a table unwrapping my sandwich and keeping an eye on the door.

Finally, just when I was beginning to think I'd been stood up when I wasn't even on a date, I see her come through the door. She waves at me and then heads to the counter to order her sandwich.

I set down my food as she makes her way over to the table.

"Have you played any Guitar Hero lately?" She laughs as she sits down. I actually blush, what an opener.

I shake my head. "Girl, we need a rematch. You just got lucky."

"I just got lucky huh? I'll have to call my mom and let her know." She giggles and I grin.

"I'm sure she'll be more than happy to hear that." I reply and then the laughter gives way to a comfortable silence as we eat, knowing there is only so much time we have before we need to get back to work.

"Are you looking forward to that conference?" I ask after a while. She sets down her sandwich and shrugs.

"I don't know. It's something new so I don't really know what to expect."

"Yea, it's not so bad. I'm just glad to have company this time. I had to drive out to Jackson for one last year and one of the other teachers was supposed to come with me. But his wife went into labor so I ended up going alone."

"Aw..." she gives a typical girl reaction and I groan.

"Oh shut up." She laughs. "My cousin had a baby a few months ago, a little boy and he is such a cutie. But, my mother is on my case now. Telling me to meet a man and get married and give her grandchildren."

"Yea, I've gotten those speeches from my mom too. Not so much any more because I haven't dated in a while but..." This is getting into dangerous territory. "But she had that monologue down."

We share a laugh and I assume that the conversation is over and I shove the last bite of my sandwich into my mouth. Thankful for that small favor.

"Speaking of that." She grins. "I find it hard to believe that you don't have someone. I mean, I know it's a small town, but there are women in it." She bobs her head up and down as if she's confirming her statement.

"Callie... I don't think you quite understand the dynamics of a small town." Yea, I guess there are single women in the town, but I just can't picture myself with any of them. I'm just not interested.

My elbows rest on the table, something I was raised not to do but oh well, and I hold my hands out palms down as if I'm bracing her and myself for what I'm about to say. Not that it is really all that monumental.

"The stereotype had to come from somewhere. There's a reason behind it. High-school sweethearts marry off at graduation. They get their local jobs and start popping out babies. The girls that don't submit to that stigma head to the cities to search for something more..." I swallow the knot that formed in my throat at those words and hope she didn't notice before continuing, "...the guys that are left hang around here getting drunk, and falling into the trap of monotony. I'm the odd-man-out and you are the first girl to flee to the backwoods instead of fighting your way out." I chuckle and drop my hands to the table, sliding one over to grab my drink and take a sip.

"Well then hot-shot, what happened? Why didn't you marry your high-school sweetheart? I'm sure you had one." She raises an eyebrow at me, not in a mocking way just as though she is genuinely interested and my even though I just took a drink my mouth goes dry and I feel my whole body tense up. This is not good.

My mind scrambles to throw some words together and I bide some time by clearing my throat. "I... it just didn't work out." I know that's a lame answer, but I don't like to talk about Jenn with my buddies, let alone Callie. I hope she'll accept it and just move on.

"Oh." She replies and I look up to see her staring at me, a look on her face that clearly shows my reaction has confused her. I suddenly panic and I just can't leave it like that. She probably thinks that I was some prick who left her in the dust. Words start spilling out of my mouth and it takes a second for me to gain control of them.

"She moved to California and I think she's married to some basketball player now. I..." I stutter and start gathering up my garbage. "I'm sorry I just really don't want to..." God I sound like such a loser.

"Well, she's certainly missing out." Callie interrupts me, probably out of pity and blatant desire to head off the pitiful ramble I was heading towards, but I am so thankful that she does.

I need a change of subject. Unfortunately I find that in one of the stupidest questions I could possibly ask. "What about you? Are you seeing anyone?"

And now I sound like I'm hitting on her. Am I?

"No. Other than the teachers in the building, the only men I've met are, well you... and your friends. And as far as I know the only one who's single is you." She shrugs and stands up. I follow suit, both of us silently agreeing that it's time to head back to school.

"Ahh." What else can I respond with. Nothing really. We walk side by side across the parking lot in the direction of our cars and the lazy small talk continues. As we come to a stop next to her car, I don't even know what we're talking about anymore I'm completely mesmerized by the movement of her lips and Jenn is the furthest thing from my mind.

I think I just said something about her moving out here again, something I am very happy about, have I mentioned that?

"Yea and I don't regret it one bit. I wouldn't have met you... and even worse, you wouldn't have met me." She grins, and I think she's just made some joke that I should probably laugh at but something else comes to mind.

"Yes. That would have been horrible." I reply softly, and I am well aware that I'm staring right into her eyes and I can't help but notice how beautiful they are. Usually I'm so caught up in her smile, but damn. Her eyes are beautiful, everything I know about her so far is just...

Without thinking I step forward and my hands cup her jaw and I lower my lips to hers. And I suddenly appreciate her mouth in it's entirety, instead of just viewing that smile that drives me crazy.

I can feel her tense up, but as I tilt my head and pull away only to mold my lips to hers again she relaxes and starts to respond.

But when I feel her hands reach up to wrap around my wrists, my brain suddenly takes over and I release her and step back.

One of her hands touches her slightly swollen lips and her shocked eyes lock with mine.

I immediately start to apologize but she cuts me off. "We, we have to get back to the school. I'll see you later." she stammers and pulls open her car door and climbs in. She quickly gives me an awkward, polite smile and then avoids my stare as she starts up the car and drives off.

I know I really screwed up. I shake my head and curse at myself before making the few steps to my car. I rip open the door and get in, my foot resting on the step; one hand on the steering wheel and the other against my forehead as I lean back against the seat.

I can't believe I just did that. I really am an idiot. But damn it all, if that wasn't one hell of a kiss.

When my pass came in you dropped the ball
It didn't change the way I feel
My Dear, I went for the steal, maybe it was rushed