nothings gonna change my world

"What are you doing with my backpack?" Her question burned through Brick's ears.

"Well, you're the one who left it in my car," Brick looked hurt as if he'd done something wrong. "Should I look inside it?"

"No," Harley blurted and snatched her backpack from him. She was straight-lipped as if it were none of his business.

"Oh, I guess my Christmas gift must be in there," he humored her. "I can't believe you didn't even notice."

"Everything is on my phone these days," she told him. She even showed him the pocket in the back of her debit card.

He nodded as he followed her into the school. He really wondered-

"Are you keeping something from me?"

"What?" She turned to him as if they were in a very bad mystery. She made a face of disgust. How could he?

Brick smiled with a sigh. "Harley, I didn't look in the backpack, OK?" 

Harley kept quiet as she went on to class. Brick dropped back to his locker and Mercer stepped into view.

"I really wished I'd looked in her backpack," he said to Mercer as he was grabbing his assignment for his next class.

"But that's her personal space." Mercer looked at him blankly.

"Yeah, I know, but..but she's so suspicious."

"Suspicious?" Mercer was straight-lipped but kept wincing at Brick as if he'd lost it this time.

"Oh, you have the perfect boyfriend. You never have to worry about anything," Brick tilted his head as he slammed his locker shut.

"That's not so," Mercer said. "Nobody's perfect. He's been a couch potato most of his life, or have you forgotten that?" They walked together. "Everybody's always going through something. You know, you've got it made. She's always there for you."

"I know." Brick nodded. He didn't want to think about anything going wrong, but suddenly it felt as if everything was off-kilter. He couldn't think what it could be.