Peter left Math class as tired as ever but thinking of the girl who sat behind him, Therese. He knew he should have been thinking about his girlfriend Gina, but he couldn’t help himself. Every free brain cell he had was focused on Therese.

Two boys made fun of Therese as she walked by the stairwell, Peter saw Therese brush it off, but he couldn’t let it go. “Shut up.” said Peter to the two guys.

“What the fuck are you going to do about it?” asked one of the guys as he shoved Peter.

Peter looked around, elbowed the guy in the side of the head, grabbed the guy and then threw him into the stairwell. The student who attacked Peter flopped against the wall drooling. Peter grabbed the other guy and stuck his pen in his throat, as he drug him to his friend.

“A minute after I walk out of here, you’re going to get your friend some help, and tell everyone how he fell down the stairs. If you ever say anything different, I’m going to shove this pen in and twist it around in your throat making a giant hole so you spend the rest of your life breathing out of the opening I make. Do you understand?” said Peter calmly.

“I’m sorry.” said the other guy as he cried.

“I didn’t ask if you were sorry, I asked if you understood.” said Peter, stabbing the pen in further. Peter grabbed the other guy and pulled him over so they blocked his fallen friend as students hurried by late to class and unaware.

“I understand.” said the boy. Peter believed him because he had wet his pants.

“If you double-cross me, I will kill you and there is no place on earth you can go where a guy like me can’t find you. I’d kill you now, but it’s hard to hide bodies and go to class on time.” said Peter, releasing the other guy, and walking away to his next class. The pen to his throat didn’t scare the other student as much as how calm Peter was in doing it. He knew Peter had done worse before.

Peter was going to Gina’s that night, but he still couldn’t get Therese off his mind.

“Get away from me.” said Gina as she shoved Peter off her and threw a pillow at him. Peter stood puzzled and confused, they’d had sex a few times before and both had enjoyed it.

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“What happened?” asked Peter.

“You called me Therese, asshole!” shouted Gina, as she started dressing.

“Did I?” asked Peter.

“Yes you did, you called me Therese! The girl in math class? Are you fucking her too?” shouted Gina.

“No, I have never even talked to her.” said Peter. Gina realized Peter really was confused, and she quit yelling but dressed herself and threw Peter his clothes.

“Just get out of here before my mom comes home. We’re over Peter. You seem to be the only one of us who doesn’t know you like her. I’ve seen the way you look at her, I thought maybe I was just paranoid, but now I know I wasn’t.” said Gina.

“Your brother is waking up, I hear him crying.” said Peter as he heard the baby waking up in the next room. The one thing Gina liked most about Peter was how genuinely nice he was to her baby, even if she had never corrected his assumption it was her brother. This just further reinforced him actually being unaware he liked Therese. Gina’s heart ached, but she wasn’t a bad person, she just wanted someone to actually stay with her for once.

“Get out of here Peter, you need to figure yourself out.” said Gina as she walked him out the front door.

Peter drove confused to the Cowffee Cup. Erin and Vivo had offered to watch his daughter so he could go out a couple times a week. All Peter could think on the drive there was that Gina was right, he was in love with the girl he had never talked to.

“You’re back early, everything go okay? Vivo’s watching Ana in the office.” said Erin.

“I really don’t know.” said Peter. Erin grabbed a bottle of juice and set it on the bar by the stools for Peter, he walked over, thanked her, sat down, and drank some.

“I quit being psychic hours ago. Why don’t you just tell me?” said Erin. Peter spilled his guys about everything.

“Peter, this is a second chance, the violence can’t happen, it will attract attention, you can’t do that to us. Please find another way.” pleaded Erin.

“I stay out of every fight, but that’s just it, this girl, Therese, she just tears at me inside. The first time I saw her, it’s like time stood still. She is amazing, beautiful, smart, kind. I think the first moment we met is engraved in me forever.” said Peter, shoving his face into his hands out of frustration.

“You want the friend or the big sister answer?” asked Erin.

“Both,” said Peter.

“The big sister says you need to focus on completing your education like you promised Ben. I think you know that needs to be your priority and we both know why.” said Erin.

“And?” asked Peter.

“The friend says you should be with the other girl and not here. If she is that special, go for it, what do you know about her?” asked Erin.

“She walks to school, she eats alone, I don’t get it, she’s beautiful but like the other kids make fun of her, I think they must resent that she’s perfectly fine in her own world. She is like so above everything.” said Peter.

“Do you think she likes you?” asked Erin.

“She kicks my feet to wake me up when I fall asleep in class.” said Peter.

“That could be serious then.” teased Erin. “Do something nice for her, girls like that. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks, the kind girls are few and far between.” advised Erin.