She threw off her book bag, which landed with a thud! on the cafeteria table and opened her favorite book by Nora Roberts. “Yes, finally, dear one, just you and—”

“Who on earth are you talking to, Kiana?” A boy of tan skin and dark brown eyes asked behind Kiana. She sighs, rolls her eyes, and turns to look at him.

“Of course I wasn’t talking to you,” Kiana says coldly, then continues, “I was talking to my—”

“Book?” He raised his eyebrows, while trying not to laugh. “Yeah, why is it that you read such rubbish?”

She looked scandalous. “Excuse me, but this ‘rubbish’ is not ‘rubbish’ at all! It is a piece of hard work and creativity brought together to entertain people into their imaginations!” Now, he started to laugh. “It is not funny, Brennan!” She, too, nearly laughed.

He shook his head, before sitting closely next to her. “Ya know, books play very hard with your emotions.” He said, trying to be serious, but laughing it off.

“Heh, heh, you have me laughing hard-ly!” Kiana moved back to her book just as he put his arm around her and grabbed the book with his hand. “Hey! Not nice! Besides, books are emotionally challenging to resist.”

“Mm-hmm, yeah, if you want to PMS, then be my guest, but it isn’t that great to hear.”

“Books don’t PMS and people READ these because they can feel the character’s feelings!” She protested.

“Well, then, if you’re so ‘absorbed’ into defending this then, why don’t you describe your case in dramatic details,” he said, snickering at her.

“First of all, I wish you could take your arm off my back, second of all, of course, I will do the honors in describing my side of the story,” she paused, as he did as she was told. Then, she cleared her throat, and began her defense. “Books are living fantasies and true stories that fulfill wondrous hopes and dreams! Their pages want to scream at your fingers and drag your imagination into the story!” He was silent for a moment, then, he laughed, long and hard, as she gave him a deadpanned look. “What are you laughing at now?” She demanded to know.

“This is complete nonsense! You have officially...lost...your mind!” He taps on her forehead, right as she smacks his hand away.

“Oh, is it now?” She licks her lips, as if venom would escape soon. “I suppose if they had football in them, you would read them?”

“Hey, don’t you go bringing in football into this!” He warns.

“Ya know, there are books about football...just like there are books about anything.”

“But that’s different—”

In a baby tone she says, “Oh-ho, so now we’re getting somewhere! I see that you can’t find the likes of regular books, but you can find the likes of a book that contains football in it!” She laughs at herself for catching his weak spot. He is silent for a moment.

“Tell you what,” He pauses, holding strongly back a smile, “Books are just a bunch of words on pages! How could you get so defensive about it?”

“Defensive? Defensive! I, for one, do not get defensive! I am on the offense!” He snickers at her use of “football terms”. Brennan didn’t pay attention as she went on. “—and concluding, I cannot believe you!”

“For what?”

“I don’t know...really.”

“Well, seriously, me neither...” He rubs his neck. “Well, now that we’re settled down...I just want you to know I love it when you get mad.” He smiles.

“Really? That’s swe—” Her face frowns. “What are you talking about?!”