“So why’d you bring so much homework here with you?” Justin asked, going into his closet and grabbing a hoodie.

Trace sat down in one of the armchairs Justin had in his room. “I’m really behind in all of it.”

Justin came back into the room and pulled his sweatshirt over his head. “Why don’t’ you do it while you’re there?”

Trace laughed and shook his head. “Living on campus in a co-ed dorm is way too distracting.”

“How’re the girls?”

Trace grinned and stretched out his legs in front of him. “Amazing. Hot and smart. Perfect combo. I can’t get anything done with them around.”

Justin laid on his back on his bed. “Lucky.”

“I hear Kate’s been setting you up on dates again.”

He rolled his eyes. “She was. I’m not letting her do it anymore. She’s lousy at it.”

“Well you’re no better. When’s the last time you went on a date without Kate’s help?”

“Been awhile I guess. I don’t think I’m really into going out with someone I don’t know.”

Trace laughed. “So who’s the girl?”

“What?”

“Man, I’ve heard that line form you more than once and it’s always been before you start dating some girl. So who is it?”

Justin closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “Someone you really, really wouldn’t expect.”

Trace began to smile. “Kate?”

“No.”

Trace sat up straighter. “Brenna?”

Justin didn’t say anything and opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling.

“Brenna?!” Trace repeated, a little louder.

“It’s complicated,” Justin finally mumbled.

“What’s going on? Have you guys hooked up? Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“We didn’t hook up. She doesn’t even know.”

“You haven’t said anything?”

“It’s complicated.”

“What’d complicated? Is she seeing someone else?”

“No.”

“Does she not feel the same?”

“I dunno.”

“So you like her and she’s completely clueless.”

“Pretty much.”

“So how’d this all start? When did you start liking her?”

“It’s probably been a few weeks at least. We’ve just spent so much time together over the past six months that it’s hard to not feel something.”

“Oh, that’s bullshit, J. You’ve spent lots of time around girls before and not gotten crushes on them. There’s gotta be something about Brenna.”

“Of course there’s something about her. It’s Brenna. She’s…she’s just…you know.”

“Clearly I don’t or I wouldn’t have to ask.”

He sighed. “She gets me. She understands me. She’s not fake at all. She’s not all caught up in her looks and she’s sweet. Not sweet enough to be annoying, but just the right amount.”

“Okay, I didn’t ask for a novel,” Trace cut him off. “Kate says Brenna’s the female version of you. Maybe that’s why you like her.”

“It’s more than that. Being around Bren makes me feel like I’m home. It’s just so comfortable.”

Trace smirked and Justin frowned.

“Shut up. I don’t know how to describe it without sounding stupid.”

“So you and Brenna, huh?” Trace asked after a minute of silence.

“It’s not…gonna happen, Trace.”

“Why not?”

“Because she’s my PA. It’s like if I got together with Kate. It would get way too messy.”

“How?”

“What if we got together and then we broke up? It wouldn’t work.”

“So you like her, you know her, she makes you feel at “home”,” Trace made quotation marks with his fingers and Justin rolled his eyes. “And that’s it. You’re not gonna do anything?”

“What else should I do?”

“Make a move. Ask her out.”

“I can’t. It won’t work.”

“That’s a good attitude, J.”

“Well, this sucks, man. What am I supposed to do? And who even knows if she feels the same way. It would just be my luck that she wouldn’t feel the same and it would be all awkward.”

“You’ve always said you’re good at reading people.”

“I can’t read her. At least not for this.” He laid his arm across his forehead and stared up at the ceiling.

“I could ask her.”

“That wouldn’t work. You’re way too obvious.”

“Well are gonna get over this then?”

He sighed. “I dunno.”

“And what happens if it doesn’t go away?”

“I dunno,” he repeated sullenly. “Shit, this sucks.”

“You know what, just go for it. If she says no, she says no. What’s there to lose?”

“A lot. She’s a good PA. I don’t want to mess that up by making it uncomfortable. And you know it would be.”

Trace let out a laugh. “This is like an episode of Dawson’s Creek. You realize that, right?”

“Oh, I realize it. I can’t help it though. I just really, really like her.”

“Like who?”

Justin shot up from laying on the bed to see Kate standing in the doorway. “What are you doing up here?”

“I was trying to find you guys. Who do you really, really like.”

Justin exchanged a look with Trace and then went over and pulled Kate into the room fully, closing the door behind her. He gave her a push towards the bed and she sat down on the edge of it.

“So what’s the big secret?”

Justin glanced over at Trace again and Trace stood up and came over.

“You really can’t say anything. At all.”

She looked between them. “Okay…” she said slowly.

“I mean it, Kate.”

“I won’t say anything. I can keep a secret. Who’s the girl?”

Justin hesitated and ran his hand over the top of his head. “Brenna.”

“What?!” Kate immediately stood up and Justin and Trace each put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back to sitting on the bed. “You like Brenna?!”

“Shut up!” he hissed. “She might hear you!”

“She’s downstairs,” Kate lowered her voice a bit. “You like her?!”

He sighed. “You can’t say anything, Kate.”

“I won’t. When did this start? She’s never said anything.”

“She doesn’t know. Nothing’s starting and nothing will.”

“Wait, so she’s never said anything?” Trace cut in. “But do you think she’s into Justin?”

Justin looked at Kate expectantly.

“Uh…I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve never been looking for it.

“You could go ask her.”

“No!” Justin jumped in. “No one is gonna ask her anything. None of this is leaving this room.”

Kate frowned. “Well when are you going to ask her out then?”

He groaned. “I’m not.”

“Why?”

“He says it’ll get too messy,” Trace said. “I say go for it.”

“You two would be cute together,” Kate said. “And you guys already know each other so well and you live together.” She smiled. “It would be so cute!”

Justin sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. “Can we just drop it, please?”

“This is too big to drop,” Kate said. “This is like…like…”

“Dawson’s Creek?” Trace supplied with a laugh.

Kate laughed. “A bit.”

“Can we stop with the Dawson’s Creek?” Justin asked. “Let’s drop it.”

“You really can’t just expect us to drop this, Justin,” Kate said. “Two best friends falling for each other?”

“Well Justin is,” Trace said. “We don’t know about Brenna.”

“Let me ask her,” Kate said. “I’ll be discrete.”

Justin raised his head to look at her. “No.”

“Please?” she asked, drawing out the word.

“No,” he repeated. “You guys are incapable of being discrete and she’ll know something’s up.”

“You’re giving her too much credit,” Trace said. “She can be a little,” he made a whistling noise and made the motion of something going over his head.

“That doesn’t change the fact that you guys are about as discrete as an elephant. Just please, please, PLEASE don’t say anything.”

With a sigh, Brenna went upstairs, in search of Kate. Kate had gone up to find Justin and Trace and after waiting for ten minutes, she decided to find out where Kate had gone.

The door to Justin’s room was closed but she could hear voices from inside. She went over and knocked on the door and the voices stopped immediately. The door flew open and revealed Trace standing there and Justin and Kate sitting on the bed. All of them stared at her with wide eyes. It was silent for a long moment.

“Yes?” Trace finally asked.

“Um, I was just wondering where you guys all were. I was going to go to the mall. Does anyone want to come?”

“I will,” Kate said, standing up.

Brenna watched in interest as Trace, Justin, and Kate all exchanged looks. Kate and Justin seemed to be having a silent battle between them.

“If you’re busy…”

“No, let’s go,” Kate said. “I wanted to get some new shoes.”

“Kate…” Justin said and she waved her hand in his direction.

“I know, I know. Come on, Bren.”

Brenna followed Kate downstairs. “What was that all about?”

“What?” Kate asked casually.

Brenna gestured upstairs. “That. You, Justin, Trace.”

“Hmm, I think you’re imagining things, Bren. Everything’s totally normal. Totally normal.” She grabbed her purse. “Let’s take my car.”

Brenna went with Kate outside to her car and they got in. Brenna did up her seatbelt and when she looked up, she found Kate smiling at her.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Kate said, turning the key and starting the engine.

“Okay,” Brenna said slowly. “So where do you want to go for shoes?”

“I don’t know. There’re lots of places in the mall though. I’m sure I’ll find something. What are you looking for?”

“I wanted to get some ideas for a Halloween costume for that party we’re going to.”

“Crap, I forgot about that. I’ve got to think something up too.”

Twenty minutes later, Brenna was sitting down on one of the couches in a shoe store, watching as Kate tried on shoes.

“So you’re gonna help me cook dinner tomorrow night, right?” Kate asked, strapping on a pair of shoes. “Tyler keeps saying that he doesn’t trust my cooking ability.”

“Yeah. It won’t just be us three, will it?”

“Nope. Drew’s coming over too. That’s okay?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. It’ll be fun.”

“What do you think of these shoes?”

“They’re alright. A little slutty.”

“Yeah, red stilettos tend to do that.” Kate leaned down to take off the shoes. “So are you hanging out with Justin tonight?”

“I’m not sure. If he’s home, I guess.”

Kate opened a shoebox and pulled out some black boots. “Bren, can I ask you something? About Justin?”

Brenna put the stilettos back in their box. “Sure.”

“Have you guys ever kissed?”

“Me and Justin?” Brenna asked, surprised. “Why?”

“Just wondering.”

“Um…once. He kissed me once.”

Kate raised her eyebrows. “Really? When?”

“The day me and Drew broke up.” Brenna saw Kate’s look. “No, it wasn’t like that. I was crying and he was trying to make me feel better.”

“Pretty interesting way to make someone feel better.”

“It was just like a friendship thing.”

“I see.” Kate walked over to a mirror and looked at her feet. “I like these.”

“Me too. They look good with those pants.”

“I think I’ll get them.” Kate came over and sat on the couch so she could take off the shoes. “You know, me and Justin kissed once.”

Brenna looked over at her. “You did? When?”

“Last year. One drunken game of truth or dare. Trace dared me to make out with Justin for two minutes.”

“He’s never said anything about that.”

Kate shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal.” She lowered her voice a bit. “He’s a damn good kisser though. That was a good two minutes.”

Brenna laughed. “Okay.”

“Serious. You should try it sometime.”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, Kate. I’ll get right on that,” she said, beginning to wonder if her friend had gone off the deep end.