Her lips wrapped around it hesitantly as his hand went through her hair in comfort, he sighed lightly as they made eye contact. She smiled warmly at him before closing her eyes and sucking lightly. He'd never thought of her like this, let alone see her actually in front of him performing that unholy act that made him want to kiss her neck even more. They both sighed, one out of satisfaction and the other in search of tranquility.

She moved her hair to the side as she opened her eyes to look at him again. It swiftly went over her right shoulder, falling with a certain type of pace that seemed seductive in the heat of the moment. Her hair was like cherries and the fire in her fingertips. He once hated how the color made her features look, now, as she sucked and traced the small curvatures of his v-line, he was captivated.

"Careful now," he whispered as she detached her swollen lips. He brought her face up to his and lightly pressed a kiss to her lips as she breathed in harshly, only to soon let the smoke into his lungs as she reciprocated.

The smoke of the cigarette lingered between their mouths as if there was fire on their tongues, "Careful," she whispered back as her throat began to burn, "I don't think this is what friends are supposed to be doing," the cigarette rested playfully in between her index and her middle finger as she hugged his naked body closer under the thin white sheet. His arm over her shoulder, he sighed as he looked at the door.

He hummed playfully, taking the cigarette and taking a more confident drag than she had, "Oh, but I'm your boyfriend right now."

"I could kick you out right now if you want me to. Taking your tone, you do."

He hummed again, his eyebrow twitching noticeably as an intrusive thought spun like a broken record in his mind like her smoke dawdled his torn lip. "Let me appreciate the moment," He detached and blew upward, his jawline relaxing as he did so. His neck extending as he let the smoke release undaunted, loves bites on every inch of his pale skin she could see on his chest. One, in particular, on the side of his neck she realized he wouldn't be able to get rid of with cosmetics. "You're a soul sucker," he chuckled lightly as her hands consciously went to his neck to trace the mark.

She gave a small smirk, "I know."

He picked up one of her legs to put on top his body, she giggled as he did so. He squeezed her thigh, wanting to go higher but knew what Theresa had done. He groaned in disgust that the woman had even crossed his mind during that moment, "Theresa wouldn't take too kindly to this," he mumbled, thinking of where to smash the cigarette.

She took the cigarette, she hummed. Low, in an almost unintentional purr. "Theresa could die," her words were like an unwanted fly in a closed space. The vibrations of the room were violent for a second before she sighed again and put the cigarette in between his lips. He stared, amused. She smiled again, happiness falling flat to display itself in her eyes.

"It was worth is," she kissed his chest as he sucked again, her kisses were peppered as she felt his skin get warm again. She playfully pinched his side once he began to look for a hair tie to fix her hair. He squirmed unexpectedly, "Ow!" before slapping her directly on her forehead.

She laughed loudly before pretending to have been hurt, she winced more at the slapping sound than the hit. "Prick."

He attempted to insult, spluttering, "Bitch."

"Say it again," her eyebrows furrowed as she raised her head from his chest.

He mumbled, avoiding eye contact, "Bitch."

She squinted, he backed up onto the wall. Sitting up, she challenged him. He voiced his distraught through 'oh no's and 'I didn't mean it's. She liked the way he instantly cowered the moment she showed even the slightest signal of displeasure. She moved closer to his face, noses grazing for a millisecond.

She hummed something curious. A low tone from the bottom of her throat that made his bottom lip quiver. She decided to test him, secretly enjoying the bullying for once, "Oh c'mon, Richard," she whispered, looking down at his lips before making eye contact a second time. A small smirk wavered, "Where's that confidence you claim to have? Are you scared?" he shook his head, putting the cigarette in a cup he hadn't realized was nearby until he nervously took his surroundings. "Something tells me you're scared."

"Something tells me you're getting a kick out of my humiliation."

"I am?" she pouted sarcastically. "Hadn't noticed. Not over the sound of the saliva forming at the back of your throat. Let's see," she grabbed his chin and gently pried his mouth open, index finger trailing his bottom lip with fully dilated eyes. "You might be right Richie, I think this bitch makes you wish you hadn't called her that."

"I'll say it again."

She opened his mouth even more, shifting to get on top of him over the sheet. "Be my guest," she indulged her finger in his mouth. His lips wrapped around her like she'd done to the cigarette, eyes going soft in desperation. His eye contact was unbreakable, small whimpers soon leaving his lips as she hummed. He sucked as she gripped onto his hair, "Good boy."

He voiced his rising hormones through a louder hum, "Slapping my face? Richie, I know you know better."

Every joke has a fraction of a truth.

"I don't."

"Oh," she removed her finger from his mouth, a trail of saliva connecting them. A hard slap struck his right cheek, he gasped loudly. A small smirk now invading his features, he looked up at her devilishly. Sigrid's eyes widened for a second, hesitant to extend the joke. She played with his hair, thinking of what to say next, "Hasn't anyone taught you manners?"

Richard shook his head, smirk widening knowing the game she was trying to play and how he could win before she even suggested game-player number two. He looked her over, "I suppose you would?"

Richard's hands grabbed her sides as his eyes gleamed at the new aggressiveness. It was exactly what they both needed, Richard to feel in his comfort-zone being bossed around and Sigrid having someone say yes to her every word.

Richard could do that, she'd make his knees shake and there'd always be that fun of hidden hatred that made them test each other.

Bambi Bambi Bambi

The voice invaded every corner of her cranium, leaving a sour taste on her tongue and making her oxygen poisonous.

Richard was so easy.

How far would you go to be in control?

His head tucked in eagerness as his fingers pinched and twirled. Her head slacked backwards with a sensual gasp, she cried out silently. His name almost a mantra, her skin being his new scripture.

Sigrid attempted to kiss the side of his neck as she forced his head back up, overwhelmed. Their lips read differently, Sigrid's with determination and Richard's with incitement. Conflict rising in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to vomit. She wanted to rip his hair out. She wanted to scream.

Her eyes closed once more, "What should I call you?" he breathed out.

Silence.

"This is so wrong," in a whisper, left her lips after contemplation.

Silence.

"You like all things wrong. We could forget about this. You don't need me."

"I need you, Richie. Just not like that," she kissed his jawline before moving to look at him in the eyes. "Not right now."

Their agreement was silent.

They put each other's clothes back on. Sigrid pretending his hands were Charlie's, and Richard pretending things could've gone different after those wonderful minutes he made out to be more than was. He grabbed his cheek.

He was sore at the face just as her gap was.

He smiled.

She smiled.

"Friends?"

He rolled his eyes.

She quirked an eyebrow.

"We really need to find a new definition for what we think 'friends' are."

She opened the door, he stepped out but he didn't want to leave, "I see what Charlie likes about you. You're captivating," he mumbled, looking down at his feet. "Insanely captivating and I'd hate myself for falling right in."

"Then don't."

She blinked.

He let it consume him.

"I'll see you at dinner."

walked with the girls surrounding him, a grin on his face and an overconfident display of manliness by putting his hands in his pockets. Stephen sat in the library with a book in front of himself cracked to page three-hundred ninety-four, reading about werewolves. Maeve, who was on Gerard's right side had already told the girls she'd try to pursue him. He, the majority of the time, replied to the girl on his left. Valerie.

Stephen flipped his page as Gerard walked in, he playfully told the girls to remain quiet as he picked up his pace to scare Stephen. Stephen, having quick reflexes, hit him with the closest book he had the moment he got tapped on the shoulder. "Gerard!" he hissed. "I'm trying to read, don't scare me like that. Half of the English language just completely left my head."

"Sorry," Gerard stifled. "I brought a couple friends if that's not a problem."

Gerard looked over at the girls and stood up to pull out chairs, Stephen was too busy looking at Gerard to notice the girls walking toward his table, "I don't need more people to tutor. I've got more than I need for that car I wanted and it's starting to stress me out enough with Charlie on my back. Can you please tell them to-

"Hello," Maeve said in a normal tone. He turned around in disbelief, he laughed nervously before fixing his glasses and extending his hand.

"H-hello."

"I'll leave you to it," he patted Stephen's shoulder, going to the back of the library. Stephen spluttered at him to come back but he only walked faster. Gerard looked around for Peter Benjamin's backpack and the hollow book. Fretful.

"Come on," he hissed as he cracked the book open. The keys were missing, it was completely empty. He looked through the other hollow books Peter had snuck in. Finally he found all the way at the bottom between shelves La Peste by Albert Camus. He opened it and sighed, shaky hands as he held what Peter Benjamin claimed he'd thrown away.

He looked around guiltily before shoving it in his pocket. Trying to act normal, he walked back to the group of girls. He found himself laughing at their jokes, Peter Benjamin becoming a back thought.

It was harder than he thought it was going to be.

His mouth was completely dry and he wanted nothing more than to storm out of that library and confront Peter Benjamin about lying.

looked over at Richard in confusion as he tried hiding in the shower. Over the years, the boys had grown to become comfortable around each other but Richard looked so anxious he seemed to be on the verge of running out with a head full of shampooed hair. He hit Knox with his loofa to get him to look in his direction, "What? I'm trying to get soap out of my eyes."

"Boo," he retorted quickly before going to his original inquiry, "What's up with Cameron? He's in that corner over there like someone just smacked his ass and called him Molly."

"Eh."

"Full sentences please."

"I don't know. He's been bitchy all day."

"Nice explanation."

"Thank you, now can I get back to recovering my vision?"

"Sure."

Charlie quickly got the conditioner out of his hair and wrapped a towel around his waist. It was loose, hanging just enough to cover him like a skirt. "Anderson!" he walked to the mirrors, ruffling his friends hair who had been previously combing it over with a brush. Todd scowled slightly at Charlie before suddenly dropping the features on his face. If it were glass, his expression would've shattered into a million pieces by his feet. He looked away from Charlie and straight at the mirror with a deep gulp.

"Hi Charlie, need hair gel?"

"Oh no thanks, I hate hair gel," he dismissed, "I've got a question for you."

"Nothing sexual again, right? I could only endure so much bullying."

Charlie sighed while rolling his eyes, "The gods have frowned upon me for that joke I made earlier, so no."

"Thank god."

"Literally," he laughed, "Anyways, I was wondering if you knew anything about what's up with Richard. He's been pretty off and quiet...he's always got something to say so I find it a little peculiar why he's running from all of us. Knox says he's been bitchy all day."

"He's had a lot on his mind lately," Todd lied right through his teeth, "You should check up on him though. Something's...off, for sure. Knox, Petey, and I were playing monopoly earlier and I think he heard him screaming a couple doors down. Do you think..." he licked his lips nervously, "he's getting bullied or something? That'd explain why he's hiding his face."

Why was he covering for Sigrid?

Charlie hadn't thought about it like that, he frowned. They both turned in Richard's direction once more. They both got a view of his back, pale yet having strikes of red from fingernails. Richard lathered his back to hide it, Todd shook his head and closed his gel bowl. "Whatever it is, I think it should be his decision to tell us...or you know, wait until someone gets caught."

Charlie had never heard Todd so conflicted. He knew something, that much he was sure of.

Everyone eventually gathered around the mirrors to fix their hair. Richard being absent as Stephen shaved the nonexistent hairs on his chin and Gerard messed around with the foam. Neil and Todd looked at them amused as they began to fight with the shaving cream, making a mess out of their once fresh strawberry-smelling hair. Knox had left a while ago to wait in the car, today was Chet Danburry's party.

"Hey Neil."

"Yes, my love?" Neil whispered loud enough for him to hear, fixing the fabric that had raised on his boyfriends thigh.

"What do you do when you know something others don't?" horrible whisperer. Gerard had overheard. It piqued interest.

"Like what?"

"Like..." Todd looked down at his twiddling thumbs. "S-someone cheating?" those words didn't sound right together. Both Neil and Gerard's eyes widened. Todd quickly filled the space by adding, "On a test."

"Snitching isn't an option that's for sure. I'd just try to figure out how they got the answer, that way I wouldn't feel the need to cry every time we get a pop quiz."

Charlie exited the locker room without telling anyone a thing. Possibly in search of Richard, for Sigrid, or a sign of sanity. He couldn't pinpoint it. His feet moved in a pitter-patter, reminding him of those yellow-suedes he once thought were a repulsive color and he'd missed squinting at. She didn't wear them anymore.

Peter Benjamin was in the middle of a conversation with his friend Stick, who left after they gave each other brief summaries of From Whom The Bell Tolls and bet whoever finished Don Quixote first would get twenty dollars. He overheard the boys fighting over the foam and decided to walk to their side of the locker room. "P.B, I was wondering where you were!" Gerard called out happily. Peter looked back at him, fixing his white shirt. A smile did not form his features.

"Other side. Stick owes me twenty dollars soon. I've been wanting to go out into town for ice cream, who's ready for that trip with me?"

Gerard was the first to answer, Stephen following and then Todd. Neil was the only one that remained quiet, he gave in the moment Todd nudged him. "Great! I'll make sure to get my reading glasses for Don Quixote. Also, is there a meeting tonight? I wasn't clear on whether or not we had them every day."

"Uh, yeah," Todd spoke for Neil, getting a glare he didn't bother to acknowledge. "We don't usually have our meetings in the dorms though, we'd be too loud and we'd get caught. So, how about you wait for us and we'll teach you the route to the cave?"

"Oh, the cave. I know the cave."

"Of course you do," Neil said under his breath, standing up. Todd glared at Neil. Who sarcastically smiled and picked up his towel.

"Heard that," Peter reminded. Gerard laughed, something of a wheeze that made Stephen stifle. Stephen tapped the razor on the sink to dust off the hairs at the same time Charlie opened the door to his dorm room. Richard was by the window with a spoon he had stolen from Charlie's stash of snacks trying to balance it on the outside of their window. Once it was balanced he would close the window and wait for it to become cold. He'd go to the kitchens so the hassle would diminish but the idea of getting caught made his fingers prune with sweat.

"Richard, what the hell are you doing?"

He turned around with a girly scream, grabbing his chest dramatically once he realized it was Charlie. He stuttered, "Nothing."

"Nothing, what do you mean nothing? I see you clear as daylight balancing that spoon on the window."

"Then why do you ask?"

Charlie walked toward the window. Richard fixed his turtleneck as he consciously looked at Charlie, "Why do you need a cold spoon anyways? Is there nothing you could do around here to have some fun anymore?"

"I've thought of one thing but you wouldn't like it."

"I'd like anything that gets you out of this room and instantly gives me free time."

Charlie took the spoon and closed the window. Richard sighed in annoyance before throwing himself on his bed.

"Are you going to the meeting today? I noticed you missed the last one, what's up with that? You've been off."

"Off? You mean to tell me there's a time where you enjoy my presence enough to notice the way I act?"

"You're my roommate, I haven't got a choice but to pick up on the weird things you do," he rolled his eyes. "You were gone when I came back from touring the girls, which is out of the ordinary because you always take that nap and I always have to drain out your mumbling with music. I missed...being annoyed."

"I'll annoy you tomorrow."

"Where were you today?"

"Tending to my taboo garden at the back of the school."

Charlie laughed sarcastically, Richard sighed.

"I was trying to get out of one of my classes," the new lie struck like lightning, "You know, my grades are starting to suffer and I can't see that helping me out in college for obvious reasons. So I was trying to get out of one of my classes, and when Nolan said no I was trying to find tutors. I found one, she's amazing."

"She?"

"Yeah."

He winced inwardly. He hated this feeling. Absolute guilt.

"Her name's Lori, I met her today. I doubted her for a second and she really showed me how wrong I was. I'm lucky to...have her as a tutor. I was about to ask Stephen for a moment there."

Sigrid Taylor. Taylor. Lori's short for Taylor, right?

Right.

the other end of the school, Peter examined Gerard as he applied the shaving cream to his face. Neil and Todd had left earlier than the rest of the boys to go on their daily walk. It was only them and Stephen, who was picking up his things as well, "How long does it take you to shave?"

Gerard filled his sink with water and took out his razor from his bag, setting in on the left side and sighing, "Not that long but you ought to get back out there. I'll see you in a couple minutes, yeah?"