"Connor!" I called over my shoulder, pulling my hat free from my khaki pants and cramming it on my head. Twisting it sideways I added, "I'm going out!"

Connor peeked his head from around the couch. "All right, bro." He grinned and saluted me. "See you around, Rob."

I gave a quick nod and shut the door behind me. Keys jingling as I swung the keyring around a finger, I pushed open the door out of our housing building and onto the steps leading to the grassy green campus grounds of the University of Wisconsin.

Humming quietly to myself, I dug my hands into my pockets and walked around aimlessly, the sunlight causing me to squint slightly. Imagine that, at school with no classes and absolutely nothing to do. If I had to pick, I'd definitely choose the college life over high school madness, although it would be way cool if the guys and I could've gone to one university together... even if it would mean wreaking havoc all year-round.

"Yo, Robbie!"

I turned around, still walking, only backwards this time. "What up, Jere?" I called back, cupping my hands around my mouth.

He came jogging towards me from the library. "Not much," he said breathlessly, his hands on his hips as he tried to catch his breath.

"Yeah, same," I replied, turning around to walk properly... only I was knocked backwards a few paces as I crashed into someone--hard.

"S-sorry... wasn't watching where I was going," a girl said, already kneeling down on the ground, picking up her belongings.

I knelt down beside her and handed her last book. "Here. I guess I'm guilty of that too-- not looking to see where I was headin', I mean."

"Thanks," she said with a grin, taking the book and looking at me square in the eye before standing up straight and saying hurriedly, "Well, I must get going--I have to return these to the library." She smiled and carried on her way to the big building from which Jere had just come. I was speechless.

Jeremy beamed, waved her off and looked at me. "That was polite. You didn't even say 'bye' to her."

I blinked and said to him incredulously, "Jeremy... do you know who that was?"

He gave me a confused look. "What, you two've already met? Didn't seem like it."

I acted as if I hadn't heard him and continued, "That was Ashlee Moore. But people just call her Ash these days."

"So you two have met!" he said with a grin.

I shook my head. "Not technically."

He laughed. "Ohhh, so you're her stalker. Good call--she's hawt."

I smirked and replied, "Believe what you want, Jere. But I sure am not her stalker. It's not my scene."

"So how do you know her? She obviously didn't seem to recognize your face."

He finally backed me into a corner and I knew I wouldn't be able to weasel my way out of this one. "I, uh..." I stammered. "I had his MAJOR crush on her back in high school. That's all."

Jeremy grinned and said, "Ohhhh.... she was your crush! Well, what happened?"

I frowned slightly. "Nothing, obviously."

"What a nice little reunion, then."

"If you say so."

About forty years later he dropped the Ash subject and started me about my newfound fame from being on Brendan's TV show.

"You should've called me, man. That way I could have had my own little fan base," he remarked as we shuffled our way into the cafeteria.

"So you can what, break little girls' hearts all over the nation?"

"And your point is?" He laughed when he saw the look on my face. "Tons of other celebs do it all the time!"

The conversation went on in this manner until we were finally seated at a booth with two cartons of fries (my not-so-favorite kind of food, but Jeremy had offered to pay for the both of us) and two large sodas.

"So how's your summer been? How're things with whatsherface?" I asked him through a mouthful of ketchup and fries.

"If you must know, we broke up. Whoo-hoo, my summer was great," Jere said, his words dripping in sarcasm at his last comment. "She was too clingy and needy anyway." He scrunched up his face and said in a whiny tone of voice, "Jeeeeremy, let's go out someplace. I'm so bored... Jeremy, where are you going? And with whom? Not that Carrie girl, I hope!"

I laughed along with him, but froze almost instantly. I cleared my throat loudly and mumbled, "Um, Jere... Jere!!"

He gave me a look and looked over his shoulder just as ice cold chocolate shake oozed onto his head from a cup. It was Nika, his ex.

Giving us a satisfied smirk, she stomped off, her gaggle of friends rejoining her once she had approached the exit out of the cafeteria.

I grinned at Jeremy. "I'm sorry, Jere, but.. you really had it coming. I don't think anyone in Russia heard you carrying on like that. Which is a good thing. You sounded like nails scraping down a chalkboard."

"Ha, ha. Very funny." And with that he got up and rushed over to the bathroom to wash all of the shake off.

Man, do I love fries.