Shit. Shit.

Well, double shit.

We stare at each other for a second.

Crap. This is gonna look bad.

I've got to think of something quick.

Work, brain, work!

I see Danny's binoculars on the floor, half hidden beneath a sock, and I grab them. Then I spy his little telescope on a shelf next to an old Punt, Pass and Kick trophy. I jump up quick and sweep it onto his bed.

All this, while he walks over to the door and unlocks it.

I am amazing and brilliant, I think.

Especially considering the fact that for the last two hours, my brain has been nothing but mush.

Danny's mom bursts into the room.

She sees me sitting on his bed and grimaces, like she'd walked in on us naked.

She seems kinda angry, as she turns to Danny and says, “What's going on? Why are you and JJ in here with the door locked and the lights off?”

Although her voice is stern, there's a slight panic in it. I can only imagine what she thinks we were doing.

I mean she could be partially right. But what was going on was, you know, only for academical (I'm not sure if that's a real word or not) purposes.

REALLY!

However, I don't think we could explain it that way.

Danny stands there. I know he is thinking, BUSTED! I can tell he hasn't come up with a plausible excuse, and I certainly can't let him get into trouble.

He was only helping out his friend.

And he was really, really, really helpful.

So I lie easily, “We were just spying on Phillip, Mrs. D.” I hold up the binoculars innocently and point across the street toward Phillip's window. Thank God, Phillip is sitting at his desk doing something on his computer.

She walks to the window and looks over at Phillip.

I give Danny a hopeful glance.

He winks back at me.

“Okay, so why was the door locked?”

“Um, well,” I lie some more, “so no one came in and blew our cover. You can see how the hall light just lit this room up.” I sweep my arms out into a circle. I'm kind of getting into this.

Danny and I even duck when Phillip glances, seemingly on cue, our way. I knew Phillip could read my mind because I have been sending him telepathic messages to do just that!

Only I hope he wasn't reading my mind earlier, I'm not sure I would want him to know the things I might have been thinking about Danny.

Uh, yeah.

“He keeps looking over here. He might know it's us.” Danny whispers, like he's afraid Phillip can hear us. “We've been sending him secret admirer Instant Messages.”

I go further with Danny's lie, laugh and say, “It's been pretty hilarious because he's been trying to juggle between our messages and his girlfriend's.”

But then I glance at Danny's computer and suddenly realize it is not even turned on.

Shit!

I need to come up with something good to get her out of here fast!

Oh. I've got it. “We also caught him perusing some fairly entertaining websites.”

I don't say, As, in porn, but the way I have my eyebrows raised and a big grin on my face, I'm pretty sure she gets my drift because all of a sudden her face goes white and she looks embarrassed.

Apparently this was way too much information.

“Fine,” she says. “I'll leave the lights off, but the door stays open.” Thankfully, she goes back downstairs. Probably straight to the phone to call Mrs. Mac and get Phillip in trouble.

“Thanks,” Danny says, blowing out a big breath of air. “I couldn't come up with a good excuse. My mind was just blank.”

“Well, you caught up quick. The ducking was brilliant.”

“What can I say?” Danny high fives me. “We're a good team.”

A good kissing team is what I'm thinking, but I doubt that's what he's referring to.

“Um, I suppose I better get home. I uh, didn't leave a note or anything. I mean, I, uh, didn't expect this to take so long.”

Funny, I didn't feel at all embarrassed when we were making out, but I feel a little awkward now. Part of me wants to run and hide, the other part of me wants to lock the world away, so I can kiss him some more.

You know, for practice's sake only!

“Come on, I'll walk you home,” Danny says, not the least bit awkwardly.

I follow him down the stairs and out the door.

“Uh, thanks for that and everything. I, um,” I stutter and wring my hands. “Danny, do you think I did okay? I mean, will I do alright on my date?”

“You know, I don't think so, Jay.” He shakes his head and hangs it in apparent sorrow.

I look shocked at that boy.

Then he continues with a sly grin, “It may take many more, long, grueling hours of practice for you to get it right. But,” he raises his hand to his heart, “I can tell you're committed to learning, so I'll just have to take one for the team and give you some more private lessons.”

I stare at that goofy boy.

“You know what they say, practice makes perfect. Let's see, how about every day after school?”

“Um, you have football practice,” I reply with a DUH in my voice.

“Damn,” he says, moving his arm in an 'aw shucks' fashion and snapping his fingers.

“But hey, you know, anything for a friend.”

“Danny, you are so noble, but I think you'd better go to practice. You can't play for the Huskers someday if you don't.” I look him in those beautiful blue eyes. It's almost too bad I kept my eyes closed while I was kissing him. “Seriously though, thank you. I was so freaked out when I got to your house, and now I'm like totally relaxed.”

“Ah, yeah,” Danny laughs, “two straight hours of kissing will do that.”

“It didn't seem like that long,” I say, shaking my head in disbelief.

“Never does. Um, let's not, you know, mention this to anyone.”

“DUH.”

“I doubt Brittany would approve of my tutoring you in this particular subject,” he laughs, referring to his sorta girlfriend.

“I think you're probably right. And you should know that I appreciate your selflessness in my time of need.”

“You'll do fine on your date.” He kisses me on the cheek, throws his arm around my shoulder, and says in a practiced Southern drawl, “JayJay dar-lin', when you're ready ta move on past kissin' and want ta do some more practicin', you just come and see ol' Uncle Danny. Any time. Keep it in the family, Luv.”

Oh jeez, now he's British.

I just shake my head at him. He really cracks me up.

“You're sick. You know that?”

“Yeah, well, that's why you love me,” is his smart ass reply.

We are at my front porch now and I just smile, shake my head at that boy, and walk in my front door.

Up in my room, I lie on my bed and close my eyes. My lips feel all tingly. In fact, I feel like we're still kissing. I think it's kind of like when you've been on a boat all day and even though you're off it, you still can feel it rocking.

I'm really looking forward to my date now.

When Phillip calls me at ten o'clock for our nightly phone call, I tell him I have a headache and am going to sleep. I don't want to ruin the way I feel with mindless conversation.

Danny, Phillip and I are sitting on the hood of Phillip's car in the parking lot of the baseball field, drinking and eating sunflower seeds. The salt's burning my lips, but it doesn't stop me from sucking it off the seeds. I had an early softball game, and then stayed to watch the boys' baseball game against Park City, a neighboring small town. Everyone else has left, so the lot is dark and deserted.

We haven't left because we are still trying to figure out what we're going to do tonight.