“We can move into the den now,” Sara said leading the way to the den.

“You could get lost in here,” Brian said trying to lighten up the mood.

Sara sighed. Like she hadn’t heard that one before. “Yeah, it is a big house but not that big.”

Brian’s eyes grew huge when he saw the den. It had a big screen tv, a dvd player, vcr, surround sound and an awesome cd player. There was a huge couch and two recliners, another fire place and pictures everywhere.

“Someone must be quite a photographer,” Brian said looking at all the pictures. Most of them were of Sara again.

“My mom was,” Sara said sitting down on one end of the couch. She picked up the packet and waited a little too impatiently for him to sit down so they could get to work.

“Was?” Brian asked sitting down on the other end of the couch.

Sara’s eyes didn’t meet his gaze and Brian felt sorry for her when she said,” she died when I was five.”

“Sorry,” Brian said softly.

“It was a long time ago,” Sara said then hurried to change the subject. “Now about this project. If you don’t want to do it, I’ll do it all. I know she said together but you are so busy with your...sport and I just come home so...yeah.”

Brian sighed. “Normally I’d take you up on the offer but I’m already failing algebra and I can’t afford to get caught not helping on this assignment. It’s not like we’re really married and have to solve these problems.”

“Should be easy, we already disagreed on our first problem to solve,” Sara said tossing the packet on the couch between them.

“If you’d just see it my way we wouldn’t have this problem,” Brian explained.

“If you’d see it my way we wouldn’t have this problem,” Sara argued. “We can’t afford to take money out of a college fund. Shelby needs that. Our vacation fund doesn’t.”

“I happen to believe family vacations are an important part of life and shouldn’t be set aside. We have plenty of time to save for her college fund,” Brian said.

“You take family vacations,” Sara said surprised.

“Uh...what, huh?” Brian said confused with the change in subject.

“Your family takes vacations together?” Sara asked again.

Brian nodded. “Every year, we go camping together at the same campground every year. It’s about 200 miles north, close to Tampa.”

Sara was biting at her lower lip and looked like she was incredibly interested in what he was saying. “What are they like?”

“I think they are fun. You spend a lot of one on one time with each other. It’s probably why my family is so close,” Brian explained. “Don’t you and your father take vacations together.”

Sara shook her head. “No, my dad is really busy. Every year he sends me to Maine to our summer house but he only joins me there for a week.” When she saw the pity in Brian’s eyes she felt her back stiffen. “Don’t feel sorry for me. As you and most of the school say, I’m a pampered princess.”

Brian felt his face flush. For some reason, after getting to know here, the nickname didn’t seem to fit. “I’m sorry about that. I just...I.”

Sara stood up and went to the fire place to grab the remote control that turned it on. “Oh, I know what you meant. It’s how everybody sees me.” She went to sit back down. “Back to the assignment. You explained your reasoning, an I explain mine?”

Brian nodded, he was actually curious about why she felt so strongly about a three year olds college education.

“My mom had a huge college education fund from her grandpa on her dads side and when her mom learned about it, she became greedy. It was a huge sum of money and she only began to spend it on emergencies but then slowly began spending it on everything,” Sara said. “When my mom went to college, she had less than 3,000 dollars.”

“But, we won’t do that,” Brian said. “It’s just pretend.”

“I just...don’t want to do that to a real or pretend daughter,” Sara said.

Brian groaned. “We’re never going to work through this.”

Sara surprised him by sitting up really quick. “I got it! I got it! I am such a genius!”

Brian couldn’t stop a grin from spreading, Sara looked like a little girl who had just woken up on Christmas. “Hey, smart one, how ‘bout letting me in on your brilliant idea?”

“Oh, yeah,” Sara said turning to face him. “Mrs. Krux told us to compromise, well we obviously aren’t going to change our minds since we both seem pretty stubborn. So lets compromise and take half from the vacation and half from Shelby’s college fund.”

Brian sat there staring at her which began to get very uncomfortable. “What?”

Don’t you like my, idea?” Sara asked.

“Yeah, I do,” Brian said. “It solves the problem and pleases both of us.” He stood up and stretched his arms out. “I guess it’s time for me to head home. My mom’s probably freaking out.”

Sara smiled as she walked him to the front door. “I’ll see ya tomorrow.”

Brian nodded and walked out into the night. He got into his car and drove away already planning the night ahead. It would be must him a can of pop, plate of cookies, and his algebra book. He would be ready for that test on Friday if it killed him.

Dani waved goodbye to her mom who was talking on the phone about her latest diet. Her mom was already a twig but she always thought she was overweight. She always thought Dani was overweight.

She was just opening up the driver side door when a car pulled into her driveway. It was AJ, her home ec. partner.

AJ McLean, was basically known as the school bully. He dressed in the same basic clothes each day. Jeans and a t-shirt with his favorite rock bands on them. He was gorgeous with his brown hair with blonde tips, brown eyes and his smile. But most parents forbade their daughters to see him. He was bad news. Some even thought he did drugs but nobody knew for sure.

“Can I help you?” Dani asked coldly.

“Actually, yeah you can Ice queen,” AJ said smiling. “I forgot my way to school and I was hoping I could give you a ride and you’d show me the way.”

“That was the lamest thing I’ve ever hear,” Dani said glaring at him. “And no, I’ll be driving my car to school, you can follow behind me but that’s it.”

AJ shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll take what I can get,” he said smiling.

“Fine, I’m stopping for gas on the way,” Dani said getting into her car.

She pulled into Conoco and grabbed her wallet before she got out of the car. AJ stood there pumping her gas. He gave her a smile and waved.

“What are you doing?” Dani asked glaring at him.

“Pumping your gas, I never let a lady pump her own gas,” AJ said looking at the total on the pump. “How much do you want put in?”

“Fill it,” Dani said confused. Her brained screamed for her to make him go away but he wasn’t really doing anything wrong. Besides, Dani hated pumping gas.

She went inside to pay and was surprised when AJ also began cleaning her windshield. He was just finishing up when she walked outside. “Thank you,” Dani said sounding really unsure. “It was really nice...of you.”

“Don’t sound so surprised, I’m a nice guy,” AJ said leaning against her drivers side door.”

Dani rolled her eyes. “Now you’re just being annoying again. Can you please move?”

“Has anyone ever told you how cute you look when you’re annoyed? Your eyes have green specks in them and your nostrils flare out,” AJ said bringing his hand to her face. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

Dani was still standing there was as he walked back to his car, started it and began to pull away. “I thought you needed help going to school!” She yelled.

“I’ve been going to this school for four years now, that was just an excuse to be near you,” AJ said giving her a wink.

Dani groaned. She had known that but had been helpless to deny him. He would have followed her anyway. He was that stubborn.

She arrived at school in under ten minutes with a little bit of speeding. Sara was waiting at her locker, not patiently.

“Where were you?” Sara asked.

“I had to fill my car with gas and I had an unexpected visitor this morning,” Dani said rolling her eyes.

“Who?” Sara asked.

“AJ McLean,” Dani said.

“What did he want?” Sara asked sounding funny.

“To see me,” Dani said. “He’s my partner for that marriage project.”

”Oh,” Sara said. “I would say I feel bad for you but you don’t sound all that disappointed.”

“I was yesterday,” Dani said closing her locker door. “But today, after talking to him this morning, he doesn’t seem that bad.”

“There’s rumors he’s been in jail,” Sara said laughing at the look on Dani’s face.

“And you listen to everything you hear,” Dani said walking to her first hour.

“I heard it from you!” Sara said smiling.

Dani chuckled. ‘Whatever, see ya in home ec,” she said walking into her Astronomy class.

Sara turned and started towards her Algebra III class. She couldn’t afford to be late, she’d end up with detention again.