Ashley sighed, twisting a piece of her long chestnut hair around a finger as she waited for French class to begin. She wished that there was some way to go back to the previous school year, this first day of high school stuff was hard. High school was not the best time of your life, of this she was sure. It was only fourth hour and Ashley already felt traumatized.
?This class is going to be such a snore,? whispered a boy, who had for some unknown reason chosen to sit by Ashley.

She agreed, but didn?t care to discuss it with him. Something about him irked her.
A moment later, the boy leaned closer, and tickling her ear with his breath, asked ?Did you hear me??
Ashley nodded, nothing more, and listened as the teacher, Madam Laurent, talked about how challenging French would be to learn.
The annoyingly determined boy wrote her a note that said, ?My name?s Bryan. And you are??

?I?m a person who wants to be left the heck alone.?

?You sure are a feisty one. Seriously though, what?s your name??

?Be Quiet?

?Odd name, but I like it.?

?Thanks. But I meant shut up.?

?Oh. Well I couldn?t hear the sarcasm in your voice, since this is a note.?

?Just leave me alone. Please.?

?No, I think I like bothering you.?

?Great well, I?m going to stop replying.?

?Okay. I?ll just blabber on and on, on this paper.?

?You do that. I won?t read it anyways.?

After she passed the note back to him Ashley was determined to not read a word more that he wrote. But when Bryan placed the note under her elbow she couldn?t help letting her eyes grace the page.

?I think you are reading it. Ha-ha?

?I did read this. Kay? Ya happy now??

?Extremely so.?

?Yay for you.?

??

?So what grade are you in??

?Oh so now we?re in a normal conversation? And you?re acting like you haven?t been trying to get me to stop writing??

?I suppose.?

?Okay then. As long as we?re clear?I?m a freshman.?

?Me too.?

?I figured, I mean you don?t look a day over 8.?

?Shut up.?

?Nope. I like teasing you.?

Ashley sighed, why am I passing note with a complete stranger? It isn?t as if I have a crush on him, she thought, although he is cute.

?I don?t like this. You idiot.?

?Thanks. I just love being called an idiot, especially by pretty girls.?

?Ah you?re such a charmer. NOT. What do you tease them and make them cry, then kiss them and make it better or something??

?I never thought of it that way, but I suppose you could put it that way. Although I?ve never made a girl cry. Unless you?re about to cry or something??

?As if, you aren?t that good at being a jerk.?

?Really??

?Yep. I bet I can be more of a jerk than you.?

?Prove it.?

?Okay. You?re ugly, and annoying, and stupid, so leave me alone! Keep your stupid paper to yourself!?

Ashley really hoped he didn?t listen to her, she was finding passing notes with Bryan to be quite the experience.

Bryan didn?t pass the note back quickly so Ashley started to listen to Madam Laurent.

?Now I?ll pass out the syllabuses and I?ll give you all free time to talk.? Madam said.

The class erupted in noise, including a certain someone?s annoying voice.

?I really wanna know your name.? Bryan told her.

?Well I really don?t want to tell you it,? Ashley grinned wide as she spoke.

?What if I were to ask you out on a date? Would that change whether you?ll tell me your name or not??

?I don?t think I?m that cheap. Although I might be curious enough about going out with you that I?d tell.? Ashley replied.

?Okay them. In the interest of science, I must know,? he paused and cleared his throat, ?You wanna go on a date and tell me your name??

Ashley sighed, knowing she?s lose her bet to her little brother Donald, if she said yes.

?Yeah, sure. Why not?? She said, a date with a hot guy was worth the ten bucks she?d have to pay her brother.

?Okay so what?s your name then?? He asked.

?Ashley,? she told him, feeling silly. She had said yes to a date, then told him her name, that was a weird order for things to go in.

?Ashley what?? He asked.

?I think for now you only get to know my first name. Last name wasn?t part of the deal.? She told him.

He laughed, ?Gotcha. So it?s Ashley No Name then.?

?Sure. I?ll go with that.? She grinned.

The teacher then, walked up, handed each of them a syllabus, and walked to the next table.

?So, would tonight work for our date?? Bryan asked Ashley.

?I suppose. Although I don?t see what I?m getting out of this deal. I mean you get to know my name and you get the pleasure of a date with me.? Ashley said in a light tone.

?I dunno, I think what you get is a date with me.? He paused, ?Although I?m sure you just have boys knocking at your door to court you.?

Ashley giggled, ?To court me? What is this, the eighteen hundreds??

?No, I was just trying to be funny,? Bryan sighed, ?Apparently humor is lost on you.?

?No, you?re just not funny,? she told him.

?Oh, gee thanks. Are you this nice to all the guys you date, or am I special somehow,? Bryan asked.

?You are special,? She paused, ?in an egotistical a** sort of way.?

?Ouch. That hurts. And such language from a lady.? Bryan teased.

?Well what do expect. You?ve bothered me all hour. Here it is the first day of school, when I should be seizing the opportunity to make new friends, and you blabber on forever.?

?Hey you talked back, you could have annoyed me Bee. Or you could have moved seats. But you didn?t, you kept talking to me.?

?Why did you call me Bee? And what was I supposed to do?? Ashley fake sighed and finged horror, ?Up and move. What would Madam Laurent have thought?? She paused then said, ?She would have thought I was crazy, that?s what!?

?You are crazy. But I?d still love to go out with you. If not tonight then some other time.? Bryan said, then laughed, ?Oh and Bee is what you first told me your name is, as in Be Quiet.?

?Okay. Tonight, then. When, and where?? Ashley asked warily noting that she was falling back into her old patterns.

?I was thinking I could pick you up on my bicycle at your house. But I guess we could just meet at the mall,? He said.

?Oh, sure. A bike ride would be fun. And then a movie at the mall?? Ashley asked.

?Okay. Could you write your address down for me?? He asked.

?Yeah, here it is,? Ashley said, writing it down on a piece of notebook paper.

?How about seven??

?Seven is fine.?

?Great.?

?Just so you know, Bryan, I don?t do second dates. I do first dates. That?s it.? Ashley paused, ?Well rarely I do second dates. But those guys were real special.?

Bryan tried not to look to worried, tried to sound okay with that, as he asked, ?Special, like egotistical a** special? Or special, like nice guy special??

?Um, more nice guy special.? Ashley said, hating that she always had to bring this up. It was just that she didn?t want any guy to think he actually stood half a chance of getting her as a girlfriend.

?Oh, okay,? Bryan said. He tried to think of a comeback. He considered saying, ?So I should make this date count,? or ?Well I?m a player myself,? but the former was dorky, and latter wasn?t true.

Since Bryan liked to tell the truth, and didn?t want to sound stupid, he kept his mouth shut.

?So, you?re okay with that?? Ashley asked, nervously, for many a time the plans had been canceled at this point in the conversation.

?Yeah. It?s fine,? He paused, then decided to not mince his words, ?Actually to be honest it?s not okay, but I?ll act like it is.?

?Hum, well I guess that?ll work. You probably don?t want me to tell you how many boys I?ve kissed.? Ashley said.

?No, I?m interested to know.? Bryan said, semi-convincingly.

?Six. And only one kiss with a guy.? Ashley told him.

He stared at Ashley for a long moment, ?And do you stay friends with any of these guys??

?No, usually we both go our separate ways,? She paused, ?You know to date a lot of other people.?

?Oh.? Bryan felt himself deflate a bit. Maybe Ashley had been right when she said that the first day of high school was the day for making friends, not flirting.

Now he had wasted a class period with the flirting.

?But we can try being friends.? Ashley said, ?I mean lots of friends have kissed each other one little time.?

?Okay. But here?s my thought, why don?t we just skip the kissing thing and just be friends, nothing more ever?? Bryan didn?t like that idea, anymore than he knew Ashley would, but he felt as if he should suggest it.

?I dunno. Let?s talk later, the bell?s about to ring.? Ashley tore another piece of paper from her binder, and scribbled something quickly.

When the bell rang she put the paper in his hand and raced from the room. Bryan looked down to see ?My Phone Number, call me tonight before seven? and the number written in girly handwriting.

Bryan sighed; liking this girl was more than he had bargained for.