Bonfires in Morgan's backyard with the usual group normally meant deep talks or sober thoughts you wouldn't voice without the cover of nightfall. This time, Brad and Nick were with us and like normal high school kids, there had to be a couple set up. Brad really wanted Nick and me to get together and wasn't afraid to make it obvious. Brows were raised, winks were thrown, and kisses were blown.

While sitting around the fire, Brad and Nick decided it would be a good idea to assign everyone a spirit animal in a ritualistic fashion. Obviously, a fire presented itself as something to dance around before the spirit animals were designated, so that's exactly what Brad and Nick did. Morgan never turned down an opportunity to be loud, so she joined and it was all fun and games. Meaningless sounds were being tossed back and forth across the fire like a hot potato until it was my turn to be crowned with a title. Bowed heads and silence preceded Brad whispering, "Black Panther." Cheering and other noises were shouted at the moon and we all celebrated our new identities. Pretty soon we were all headed home for the night.

Brad obviously wasn't about to give up his dream of getting Nick and me together by the end of that night. So Brad and Nick were in the car ahead of my sister and me. When we pulled up to a red light there were no other cars around and the next thing I know, Nick was out of his car waving for me to do the same. My sister yelled, "Get out! He wants you to go to him!" The pressure was on to make it to him before the stop light turned green, so I went to him the fastest way I knew how; I ran. As I closed the distance between us there was about an arm's length between him and me when I slipped on a pile of pebbles and found myself literally falling for him. Fortunately, he caught me and I avoided road rash on my face. I was so embarrassed after that, so I decided it would be a good idea to give him a quick thanks-for-not-letting-me-fall-on-my-face hug and run back to my car.

And I never saw Nick again.