I am making a two tier cake for the first time and have never taken a class, and this cake is due on Friday, so I don't have time to...my question is what is the best technique for stacking two tiers, and securing them?? Thanks.

What you want to do is to put your lower tier on a cake round (cardboard round that goes in between the tiers) and then take your next size up cake round and lay it in the center of your bottom tier and press lightly (you can do this with parchment or wax paper as well) to let you know where your top tier will go. Now place 4 dowels about one inch in towards the center of the ring you just made with the round/paper. Trim off the dowels to the top of the cake. Put your next tier onto a cake round as well and then place the tier on top of your bottom round which has the dowels to hold up th top tier. The top tier is not resting on the bottom tier, it's resting on the dowels. With just a two tier cake you won't need a center dowel that goes all the way thru the cakes to the cake board but if you ever decide to go higher you will want to consider a center dowel.

HTH.
Cat

Do a search on here for stacking, there is lots of information on here than can help you better than I can. I am a learning mess in the process.
Good Luck

HEre's a link to the wilton site with various methods of stacking that I'm sure you will find very helpful: http://www.wilton.com/cakes/tiered-cakes/