Then I plastered a smile on and turned to my lab partner. “You ready for this?”

“Uhh…how about you take the lead on this one? I did all the fun stuff with the moldy Jell-O.”

My forehead wrinkled at the memory of it, so I nodded. “Works for me. But you’re going to have to help, you know? Earn your grade,” I teased, which caused him to pale. “Aww, Jeremy, don’t be nervous.” I picked up the forceps and snapped them in front of his face.

He scowled. “You’re a pain in my ass.”

A smirk played on my lips as I leaned in close. “That may be true, but you love me anyway,” I said.

“It’s my curse,” he muttered, but I didn’t miss the slow smile that crossed his lips.

“Whatever. You’re totally blessed to have me and you know it.”

He looked up, and a stupid strand of hair fell into his eyes. Then his lips twitched. “I know,” he answered softly.

My heart fluttered, and I had to get away. Not that it would be anything more than a momentary relief. Jeremy was never far enough away for me to stop thinking about.

“I’m going to get the specimen,” I said.

This time, I broke the moment. As I walked away, I mentally berated myself. I needed to stop thinking that these moments were even anything. I really needed to stop watching Dawson’s Creek and comparing them to us. I mean, look how it had turned out for them. That heartbreaking episode had ruined everything. Their romance. Their friendship. One mistake and it had all been for nothing. They were strangers now. I didn’t want that for me and Jeremy.

I didn’t even want Jeremy.

Did I?

Was I really comparing myself to fictional characters? God, I had to stop watching television.

“Ms. Sullivan, are you ready for this?” Mr. Turoff asked as I approached him.

Mr. Turoff was probably the coolest teacher I’d ever had. He made science fun and exciting. One time, he’d even lit a lab table on fire. I don’t recall what the lesson was, but it was definitely one of the coolest things I’d ever seen in school.

“I think so. But I’m not so sure about the star wide receiver,” I said, glancing back to where Jeremy was fiddling with the hem of his T-shirt.

Mr. Turoff let out a booming laugh and shook his head. “Then it’s a good thing he has you, isn’t it? Have fun,” he told me as he handed me my subject.

My nose wrinkled at the lifeless little green creature in my hands. But I resigned myself to the fact that there was a reason for this lesson, even if I had no idea what it was. Trust me, I wasn’t at all thrilled about this part of the curriculum, but I wasn’t squeamish by any means. Jeremy clearly was by the way his face turned green when I returned.

It was probably wrong to think about how adorable he was when he was nervous. I studied him for a quick beat. His eyes, hooded with consternation, were unblinking as beads of sweat dotted his creased forehead. The corners of his lips were drawn in a tight line, turned down at the ends. I knew it was time to put him out of his misery. While I might have been okay with spit shakes for all those years, that didn’t mean I was ready to let him vomit on my favorite pair of tennis shoes.

“You know I love you, right? Just as much as you love me?” I asked.

His mouth twitched as he turned to me. “Enough to always let me use the nun-chucks even though you suck with the sword?”

I laughed. “Exactly.” As I donned my safety goggles and handed him the instruction manual, I took pity on the way he was shaking. Leaning closer, I lowered my voice. “And just like always, I’m giving in. You be the guide. I’ll be the cutter. Sound good?”

The green tint washed away, and he nodded profusely and pulled me in for a warm hug, holding me close to his solid chest. “Oh, thank God. I thought I was going to have to start offering sexual favors or something.”

I pulled my head back but remained in his arms. “Dammit. I guess I should’ve held out a little while longer. I mean, I’ve seen how good you are at strokin’, but man, some hands-on experience might be nice, too.”

The boldness of my words surprised both of us. I bit my lip and waited for him to respond.

“If you really wanted that, Sierra, all you had to do was ask. And way to keep a guy in misery. If I’d have known a little strokin’ would’ve gotten me out of this, I would have offered weeks ago.”

I was frozen at his implication. I couldn’t tell if we were still kidding or stepping over a line that had never been breached. And then a goofy grin crossed his lips. He was kidding, of course. I should’ve known. That’s how Jeremy was. How we were. Always teasing. Never serious. As much as I’d always loved the dynamic, I was starting to hate it, too.

“But seriously, Sierra. Thank you. I love you. You’re the best.”

It was probably cliché, but I think another little part of me fell for Jeremy Banks right then and there. We’d said those three little words countless times. This was different, though. This time, those words brought on a whole flock of butterflies. This time, I wanted to rise on my tiptoes and kiss his lips.

A throat cleared, and I turned to see Mr. Turoff’s head inclined towards us, a single eyebrow lifted and his lips cocked in a lopsided, knowing smile. I jumped back from Jeremy and picked up the scalpel. His brow was raised, and a rush of embarrassment surged through me that my teacher had witnessed the interaction.

I turned my concentration to the little amphibian lying on my table. With less-than-expert precision, I placed the scalpel on the skin and held my breath all the way through the first incision. Surprisingly, it didn’t freak me out. When I glanced over at Jeremy, he wasn’t even paying attention. Rolling my eyes, I looked back down.

“What’s next?” I asked him.

A burst of exhilaration passed through me as he led me through the next few steps.

“Oh my God!” I declared. A thrilling sensation washed over me when the bones snapped beneath my fingertips.

“What?!” Jeremy asked, sounding distressed. He was holding his hands over his eyes, watching me through a tiny slit between his fingers.

“That was… that was amazing,” I breathed out.

“What?!” he repeated, his eyes widening behind his hands.

“Cutting into the sternum… It was…so freaking cool!” I exclaimed. “The crack and the pop. I feel so in control right now.”

The rest of the class went by rather quickly. I was lost in the dissection of that frog, fascinated with every step. Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t about to apply to medical school or anything, and it was probably the last time I’d ever cut anything open. Still, it was such a rush. I hadn’t even realized I was in such deep concentration until the taste of blood tore me from my examination.

I cursed and wiped the lip I’d bitten into, looking up to find Jeremy staring at me. His eyebrows were lifted, one slightly more than the other, while his eyes were focused on me, watching intently. I didn't miss the way his lips were parted or how his face was flushed. So I narrowed my eyes and lifted the safety goggles up on my head.

“What? Do I have frog guts on me or something?”

He cleared his throat and shook his head as if trying to erase a thought. “Umm. No. No, you’re good. I’ve just never seen you so focused before. You were in your element. As gross as this whole thing is, I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

My eyes widened, and my heart starting beating erratically. I told myself to calm down and not read too much into it. I needed to change the subject.

Taking the scalpel, I pointed to two bean-shaped organs inside the frog. “Congratulations, Daddy. It’s a boy! Check out the testes on this guy!”

He paled again.

This time, I was the moment ruiner, and I hated myself for it.

Freaking frog testes.