~

Sheila stares at me before dragging her eyes to Gray, who was seated next to me. She opens her mouth to say something, but no words come out.

My dad is standing behind her, folding his arms like a bodyguard. "Did you guys...sleep together?" Sheila finally asks, pointing an accusing finger at both of us.

"Sleep together- how?" Gray narrows his eyes and purses his lips.

Sheila folds her arms and crosses her legs, a bleak expression on her face. Her attention is drawn to my wrist, and she snaps her brows in confusion.

"What happened to your wrist?" She asks with a frown. Her question draws my dad's attention, and he gives me a quizzical look.

"Nothing, " I shake my head and tuck my hand behind my back.

Dad tilts his head and furrows his brows. "Lose the bandage, Dove, " He commands.

"Why does she have a bandage on her wrists, " Shelia asks Gray.

"She does?" Gray asks with a raised brow. He leans back to stare at my hands and shake his head at his mother. "Didn't notice."

Sheila sighs and rubs her temple. "Are you two dating?"

"Yes."

"No."

Gray glances at me before he lowers his gaze to the ground. "I guess not, " he mutters. "But I really like her, " He raises his head to stare at his mother.

"I thought you said it was just a fling, " Dad directs his question at me.

Gray tilts his head to me, and I could see the hurt flash through his eyes. I instantly grab his hand and intertwine it with mine before returning my gaze to my dad.

"I lied. I really like him too, " I announce. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Gray's lips curl up into a smile.

"Wait. Wait. Wait, " Shelia raises her hands, tilting her head to stare at my dad. "You knew?"

At that moment, Chloe and Harry burst into the living room, carrying some bags. "Do you need help, baby? " Dad gasp, running to help Chloe with her baggage, hence avoiding Shelia's question.

"Mum, I was going to tell you after I ask her out officially, " Gray says, his grip on my hands tightening.

Sheila sighs and bites her lips, her eyes darting between our faces and entwined hands. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" She says to Gray, gesturing towards the stairs with a nod as she gets up.

My heart drops at the thought of Shelia's refusal of our relationship. Gray pats my hand gently and gives me a small smile.

"I'll be back, " he whispers in my ear and walks away with his mum.

Dad was helping Chloe with their bags up the stairs, choosing to completely ignore the rest of us. My anxiety and curiosity get the best of me, and before I knew it, I was up the stairs, next to Gray's room with my ears pressed to the door, eavesdropping.

"I thought you said you didn't do relationship?" I hear Shelia ask her son, audaciously.

"That was before I met Kelch, " Gray deadpans.

"You just met her a few months ago, " Shelia points out, her voice clear and firm.

Gray is silent for a while before he speaks again. "I've known her for a long time, mom."

Sheila lets out an exasperated sigh, and I imagine her pacing around the room.

"Mom, I really, really like her, " Gray says with a small laugh, and my sinking heart begins to swell again.

"You guys can't do this. I'm with her father, " Shelia replies. The second sentence was so low, and I almost didn't hear it.

"That doesn't matter. It doesn't make Kelch and I related. Besides, Dave isn't her biological father, " Gray replies, and I could hear the impatience in his voice.

"Don't say that, " Shelia scolds him.

"Mom, " Gray's deep voice comes out low. "I've always done everything you've wanted. I came here because of you, " He says, and I supposed 'here' meant living in my house.

"But with Kelch. I just can't give her up, " He adds in a softer voice.

I pull my ear away from the room, clutching my chest, a big smile sat comfortably on my face. To some extent, I could understand Shelia's concerns, but I was happy Gray was ready to fight for us.

For me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wrap myself with my light pink duvet and crank up the Ac in my room. With my bag of Doritos in hand, I get ready to binge-watch seasons of Teenwolf while fawning over Scott and Stiles.

Scott and Stiles have the best Bromance to ever exist. Quote me on that.

My room door flings open, and Fawn and Elliot come crashing in.

Elliot had a box of pizza in one hand and a big bottle of coke in the other. Fawn jumps on me without warning and engulfs me into a big bear hug.

"Ohmigosh, Dove. I was so scared when you disappeared, " She whines, inspecting my body for scars.

She looks at my bandaged wrists and gasp. "Did they do this?"

"I'm fine, " I laugh, watching as Elliot struggle to place the pizza on my cluttered desk with one hand.

"Just place the coke bottle on the ground and clear the desk, " Fawn rolls her eyes at him before walking to help him.

"I was trying to multitask, " Elliot huffs as Fawn grabs the pizza from him.

"Yeah, and how did that work out, " Fawn places her hands on her hips.

Multiple footsteps are heard coming up the stairs, and my door jerks open again.

"Yes, Yes. I've arrived, " Zyair announces, walking into my room with- Shocker, a box of pizza too.

Don't get me wrong, I was grateful, but couldn't they have bought me something else?

Chocolates. Cake.

Behind him was Aaron, Gray, and- Ashley.

Ashley had her eyes on the ground, and her hands intertwined with Zyair's.

Immediately Zyair sees Fawn, he drops Ashley's hands, but it was too late. Fawn had already seen it.

"We didn't know you guys would be here, " Aaron pats Fawn's shoulder before jumping on my bed and crossing his legs on mine.

"I tried to stop them from coming, but they were really persuasive, " Gray apologizes to me, swatting Aaron's leg away from mine.

I was overwhelmed with all the attention. I had thought I wanted to spend some time alone, but their presence made me rethink my decision.

"We wanted to uh.., " Fawn swallows, trying her hardest to avoid Zyair's eyes. "We wanted to cheer Dove up."

I didn't know what was going on with her and Zyair, but I knew she felt awkward staying in a room with Zyair and Ashley.

"Ashley couldn't sleep without knowing you were okay, " Zyair speaks up for Ashley. "So, I brought her along, hope you don't mind."

"I didn't know Ashley needed a mouthpiece to talk for her, " Gray chuckles, folding his arms across her chest.

Ashley gives Gray a pointed glare. "I'll go. I've seen that you're okay, " She points at me and turns to leave.

Ashley is my oldest friend, and it made me feel really good that she was still worried about me despite what we've gone through. I didn't want to make her feel bad about coming to see me. I didn't want anyone to feel bad.

"No, wait, " I call out to her. "I was about to watch a movie. We could all watch it together. I mean my bed is small, but we can work something-, "

"I'm taking the bean bag, " Zyair cuts me off and jumps on the white bean bag in the corner of my room.

"And I'm on the bed, " Aaron adds, making himself comfortable on my bed. "Elliot, " He pats the space next to him.

Elliot grins and grabs a box of pizza before he lays next to Aaron. Fawn turns my swivel chair and seats on it, while Ashley walks to my closet to grab a spare duvet.

She lays it on the floor and yanks my pillow away from a whiny Aaron before she sits on the duvet. That was something we used to do when we were still friends.

My dad used to help us make forts when we were much younger, making us accustomed to the floor. As we grew older, we didn't have time for forts anymore, so we just lay duvets on the floor to have our little girls night out.

"Pass me the remote, would you?" Zyair points to an amused Gray.

These children had just made themselves comfortable in our house and left us hanging.

"Why is it so cold in here, " Aaron shudders and pulls my duvet up to his neck, snuggling closer to Elliot.

Gray rests his hands on my shoulders and wraps his arms around my neck. "Want to get out of here?" He whispers in my ear, his hot minty breath fanning my neck.

Yes, I do.

"Nah. I don't want to leave them hanging. That would be rude, " I say reluctantly, gesturing towards the guys in my room.

"Okay. So we watch a movie, then we ditch, " He whispers, biting my earlobes gently. I nod and rub his arms.

"Ugh, " Zyair sticks his tongue out. "Can you guys stop having talk-sex in front of us, " He rolls his eyes at us.

Talk-sex? Zyair was really the weirdest friend I had.

I realize I had been biting my lips and grinning like an idiot.

"Two can play at that game, " Aaron smirks. Before we know it, he grabs Elliot's face and kisses him.

"Urgh. gross, " Zyair fakes gags, his face scrunched up in disgust. "You lot are disgusting."

"What? Like you've never made out or had sex?" Elliot chuckles, pulling away from Aaron.

"Sex? What's that? Is that some kind of pet?" Zyair raises his brow, tugging at his earlobes.

Both Ashley and Fawn look at him with raised eyebrows. Zyair notices the look from both of them and sinks back into his seat.

"Can't I make a joke again, " he mutters to himself and takes a long sip from his can of beer.

Gray hides his face behind my ear, laughing to himself, while I hide my laugh with my hands.

"Can we watch a movie, please, " Zyair breaks the silence again, and everyone burst out laughing at his voice.

Aaron's laugh is the loudest as he falls the ground, clutching his stomach. It wasn't that funny, but Aaron's contagious laugh kept me laughing till tears fall from my eyes.

"Stop laughing, " Zyair throws a pillow at Aaron, who was on the floor, still clutching his stomach.

"I remembered three days ago when-, " Zyair cuts Aaron off by jumping on him and wrestling him to the ground.

Gray pulls away from me, his laugh harder than before, resting on his knees for support.

"Shut the fuck up, " Zyair covers Aaron's weird and incessant laughter with his hands.

The whole scene was so funny with Aaron's weird loud laughter making everyone laugh harder.

Moments like this were one of a kind. I can't remember the last time all my favorite people were gathered in the same room, laughing over the simplest things.

Moments like this hardly happened, but when they do, I make sure to cherish them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I walk into school on Monday morning, feeling like a new person. Well- not new- I just felt better.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Gray and I would be going our first official date on Saturday or the repairing friendship between Ashley and me or the one in a million movie night I had with my friends. Last but not least, maybe it's because I survived a near-death experience.

The thought of Luca made me shiver down to my bones. I really pray I never have to see him again.

Gray walks me to my locker, refusing to let me out of his sights. "You know you're acting like an overprotective boyfriend, " I laugh at him.

"If only you'd give me the title of your boyfriend, " He sighs, leaning on the locker next to mine.

My mind was screaming just ask me to be your girlfriend, but my outer body replies with a shrug.

Zyair and Aaron walk up to us, and they all corner me as Zyair pulls out a paper from his bag.

"I made a little schedule for how we are going to take turns protecting her, " he says, looking down at the crumpled paper in his hands.

Gray facepalms himself, and Aaron lets out an exasperated sigh.

"What?" Zyair asks, and his face drops, genuine hurt flashing across his face.

"We didn't tell her yet, " Gray explains.

"And you're not going to. I'm not walking around school with all of you at the same time," I shake my head and grab my books.

"I asked for their help just in case, due to extremely important circumstances- " Gray exaggerates. "I'm not available to be around you."

I laugh and shake my head. "We're in school. I'm fine. I don't need a babysitter, " I say.

"Yeah, but-, " Gray stops mid-sentence, his expression switching to rage as his blue eyes darken in a split second, anger evidently flowing through them.

There was only one thing that could get him to change that quick in school. Only one person.

I snap my head, and my eyes settle on Luca, walking through the hallway with a cast on his arm and a smile on his face.

And next to him was-

Fuck. Not him.

Gray curls his hands into a fist, and I place my hand on him to stop him. I shake my head softly, and he releases his fist to entwine our hands.

"Gray. Dove, " The golden hair Australian boy draws out with his thick accent.

Aussie was the one next to Luca. He had a backpack on his shoulders, which could only mean one thing- he was going to be a student here.

"Dove, you didn't leave without saying goodbye, " Aussie smiles, chewing on gum.

I could feel the student's eyes on us as Aussie and Luca come to a halt in front of us.

"Let's be civil, " Luca grin, holding his good arm out to Gray.

I narrow my eyes at him, wondering where he was getting at.

"Fucking sore loser. Didn't you know not to show your face here again?" Aaron snarls, his glare fixated on Luca.

"Loser? I haven't even started, " Luca laughs.

He stops laughing, and lets his dark hooded eyes settle on Gray. "This is just the beginning."

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