[She bumps her hip against him, and he leans in a bit, keeping a bit of touch between them. It's hard to say why, except that she's fun to be around, and he wants to be closer. (For a moment, it feels somewhat uncharacteristic, that need -- but he doesn't think too much about it.)

There's some fondness in his tone as he chuckles, responding to her words.] I'll have to keep trying.

[Which is both teasing and honest. He does like a challenge.]

Closer to the latter, but I think it's a metaphorical thing. Younger grades are called lower, middle grades are called middle, and older grades are called higher. [A beat.] Although I'm sure some high schools are on mountains, too.