Frowning, he shook his head at me. "I know money is tight for you. You didn't have to get me anything."

Pressing myself against his back, I shoved his shoulders towards the table. "I got a good deal, it didn't cost me much and it's sort of a present for both of us."

Slowly walking towards the gift, he turned his head back to me and grinned devilishly. "Is it handcuffs? Did you get the furry kind? Because those feel really nice against your-"

I smacked his back and turned his head away from me, so that he couldn't see the blush spreading over my cheeks. "No!" I felt him chuckling as he picked up his gift, but my head was busy imagining him locked to my bed...naked. I guess that would be one way to keep him near me. Rolling my eyes, I contained a sigh. And of course he'd had enough experience with handcuffs that he had a style preference.

Still laughing a little, he pulled the tissues out of the bag. When he got to the actual present, he pulled it out and looked back at me, confused. "What's this?"

Now I laughed as I moved around to stand beside him. "Well, I know you're a little behind on the times, but they call that a cell phone. It works just like your corded one...but you can walk around with it." Leaning in, I whispered, "You can even use it outside."

Giving me a dry look, he shook his head. "I know what it is...what's it for?"

Smiling, I pulled a matching one out of my jacket pocket slung over a nearby chair. "It's so we can keep in touch while you're gone. So you can always get a hold of me, and I can get a hold of you." I shrugged, feeling my throat starting to close up. "So we can try and stay close...even though we'll be really far apart."

I watched his eyes search mine as he swallowed a few times, like his throat was closing up a little too. Nodding, he leaned in and kissed me. "I love it, thank you."

I closed my eyes as we kissed a few times, savoring every second that his skin was on mine. Pulling back from me, his breath a little heavier, his eyes slightly hooded, his gaze focused on my mouth. I got the distinct impression that if he didn't have to take me to school in a few minutes, he would have swept me up and taken me to my bedroom. And even though I knew school was important and I needed to focus on my final year, I wanted him to.

His eyes flashing up to mine, he gave me a breathtaking grin. "Can I sext you on it?"

I blinked at his question then felt my cheeks flame red hot again. Not giving him an answer, I smacked his shoulder and grabbed my jacket. Just as he was chuckling, tucking his new phone away in his leather jacket pocket, I heard a bedroom door open. Kellan turned towards the sound, ready to greet Anna, but who stepped out of the door was not my sister. They also were not dressed.

Scratching his freely swinging man parts, Griffin yawned and squinted at us. "Dude, what are doing here so early?"

I immediately looked away from the bare nak*d man. Kellan smirked and shook his head. "It's ten thirty, Griffin."

I heard Griffin snort but didn't look back at him. "I know, man, it's f**king earlier than shit." Kellan looked down on me and rolled his eyes. Anything before eleven was practically the crack of dawn for Griffin. I wanted to roll my eyes as well, but I heard Griffin coming closer to us. I froze. I seriously wanted to scream at him to get some clothes on.

Yawning again, Griffin lazily said, "Hey, Matt wanted me to tell you that if you miss another rehearsal, he's tossing you from the band."

Kellan looked back up at Griffin and raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Laughing lightly, he shook his head. "Tell him I'll be there." Looking down at me again, Kellan shrugged. "I guess my head has been other places lately."

I saw Griffin's hand come out to push back Kellan's shoulder, but I refused to look at the nudist. "Well zip your head back in your pants and get back in the game. We need you on board."

Sighing, Kellan looked up at him. "I'm on board, Griff. I'll be there, okay."

"You better."

Just as it sounded like Griffin was turning to leave, I watched Kellan shake his head, his lips twisting. "Hey, Griff? You mind not walking around my girlfriend's place buck nak*d? I'd really prefer her only staring at my junk, if you don't mind."

My eyes widening, I inadvertently looked back at Griffin. Smirking at me, he took himself in hand. "Dude, if she's peeking at another man's schlong, then that's between the two of you." Raising his eyebrows at Kellan, he shook his blond head. "The Hulk needs to breathe."

Kellan bit his lip, struggling to not laugh. I had no such luck with my control and had to slap a hand over my mouth. Griffin glared at both of us, then sauntered back to Anna's room. Once the door was closed again, Kellan burst out laughing. I joined him, the tears springing into my eyes gladly obscuring the afterimage of Griffin's pierced manhood.

Between giggles, I managed to laugh out, "The Hulk? Does it turn green when it grows?"

Holding in his stomach, Kellan shook his head. "Oh God, I hope not. Come on, let's get out of here before we find out."

Grabbing my book bag, we hastily escaped from where we could hear Griffin start to wake up Anna. Once in the hall, our laughter slowly subsided. When I could breathe without giggling, I smiled over at Kellan. "Thank you for trying. Seeing Griffin in all his glory...will be one of the things that I definitely won't miss."

Slinging his arm over my shoulders, Kellan shook his head. Still laughing over his ass of a band mate, he said, "I wish I could say the same, but the green mutant's coming with me."

Laughing a little myself, I raised an eyebrow at him. "You have any...nicknames?"

Kellan gave me a charmingly crooked smile. "None that I've given myself, but from what I've heard said in the bedroom, it would probably be something like, 'The Oh-God-yes-harder-faster-don't-you-dare-stop-yes-fuck-me-now-you're-freaking-amazing Machine'." He shrugged. "But that's kind of a mouthful."

Frowning, I elbowed him in the stomach and shrugged his arm off of me. Sometimes he could be just as much of a jackass as Griffin...almost, anyway. Laughing, he came up behind me and spun me around. As I squealed in protest, he lifted me up over his shoulder and smacked my bottom. "I'm just joking. Come on, let's get you to class." As I squirmed against him, he added, "Maybe while you're learning, I'll go get some of those handcuffs...then you can give me a better nickname."

I stiffened in his arms, wondering if he was serious about that; his only response was to laugh.

After depositing me at my place of higher learning, Kellan went off to go do...whatever he did while I was in school. Maybe think of new ways to mortify me. Hopefully he really was joking about the handcuffs.

Over the past weeks I'd gotten to know some of the other graduating English majors and I met up with a few of them before my Critical Practice class. It was an intense course and we'd all agreed to meet early and study for an hour before we went in. Sitting in a group of six or seven like-minded individuals, contemplating the importance of interpretive practices when studying literature and culture, I felt more like my own person, with my own hopes and dreams, and less like one of Kellan's entourage. It made me feel whole, complete, and made the process of him leaving slightly less nerve-wracking. Slightly...I still wasn't ready for that day to come.

The nearly two hour course was a brain burner, and by the time it was over, I was grateful for my slightly easier ethics class. Even if ethics brought Candy...and not the apple-flavored kind. Gritting my teeth, I did what I did nearly every day when I walked into the classroom-I ignored her and her friends. It was fairly easy to do since she'd started ignoring me too. After her failed attempt to make me jealous enough to break up with Kellan, she seemed to give up on it. Either that or she was busy plotting and scheming a more masterful plan than merely spreading gossip. I liked to believe the woman had more important things to do with her time, though.

Quickly absorbed in the lecture, I forgot about all about Candy sitting a few rows in front of me with her friends. Once the class was over, I grabbed up all of my stuff and went over the paper I was going to write tonight during slow times on my shift. The teacher was having us do a paper on the ethical responsibility of various websites. I was thinking of doing mine on a popular medical advice site, showing the importance of giving potential patients the correct information.

Already outlining my debate in my head, I bumped into Kellan in the hallway. Grabbing my shoulders, he held me in place in front of him. Lost in thought, I blinked at him stupidly for a second before smiling and engulfing him in a hug. "Hey, you're picking me up inside."

Laughing at my obvious comment, he scruffed up his hair with his hand. "Yeah, it's pouring out there. I thought I'd go for a swim instead of waiting in my car." I cringed away from the water droplets flicking me and he laughed a little more.

Looping my arm through his, I smiled and leaned into his side. "Well, I'm glad you did. I can run my idea for a paper by you...even though you'll probably have no idea what I'm talking about." I smiled, knowing that Kellan rarely went near a computer, let alone searched the internet.

He grinned as we started walking away. "Hit me."

Just as I began my speech, I was jostled so harshly that I was knocked a step away from Kellan. Frowning, I glanced over at the rude person who thought they ruled the hallway. Flaming red curls met my eye as Candy snidely glared back at me. Sighing, I rolled my eyes and reattached myself to Kellan. He didn't let me, though. His eyes narrowing at her, he mumbled, "Stay here a second," then strode over to where she was eyeing him with pleasantly curled lips.

Irritated, but curious too, I stopped where he'd asked and watched him approach her and her friends. Tina and Genevieve looked about ready to faint as he stepped up to them. I figured it was the closest they'd ever actually been to him. Kellan, however, looked about ready to rip somebody's head off. Glaring at the trio, he finally rested his eyes on Candy. She backed up a step as his dark expression settled on her.

Grabbing her arm, he leaned into her face, whispering something heatedly. I didn't know what he was saying, but Candy's eyes widened. Shaking her head, she started muttering something and pointed at Tina. Tina put her hands in the air and started sputtering something too when Kellan's glare swung around to her. Releasing Candy's arm, Kellan said something to the three of them that had them quickly nodding and scurrying off.

Straightening as they left, Kellan turned and faced me with a perfectly normal smile, like nothing odd had just happened. He walked back to me and grabbed my hand. He started pulling me towards the doors, whistling as he did. Raising an eyebrow at him, I waited for an explanation. When he didn't give one, I cleared my throat. Looking down on me, he shrugged. "What?"

Pointing to the doors we were approaching, the window wet from the downpour he'd mentioned, I indicated where Candy had fled. "What was that all about?"

Smiling charmingly, he shrugged. "I just let them know that it wouldn't be prudent for them to spread anymore lies about me, and suggested that they leave you alone."

Grinning, he opened the door for me and moved aside so I could step through. Narrowing my eyes at him, I prepared to step past him into the downpour. They'd seemed pretty startled by whatever he'd said, so my mind was running over a list of threats that he could have used. I'd seen Kellan's anger several times before and he could be intimidating when he wanted to be. I figured they really would leave me alone for the remainder of the school year.