Mondays weren't my favourite day. At all. But after this exhausting weekend more than ever I would have done almost anything to add another day to recover. I promised myself I wouldn't let Taylor fool me again into helping her babysit. Four-year-olds could be really hyperactive, and if you added the sugar rush to it you got a killer mix.

Killer for us, of course, the parents were pleased with how happy they exited the party.

Never again.

That plus the new article they want this week and the constant stress since my father failed to call us this Saturday got me crawling through the hallways like a zombie. Not even the concealer was able to fully cover the dark bags under my eyes. He was on a mission, they wouldn't even tell us where. But every two, three weeks at most he video call us. This week he hadn't.

Not Saturday.

Nor Sunday.

Nor today.

What if something bad had happened? They hadn't advised us about anything going wrong but neither about it going well. What if he was hurt? Unconscious somewhere? Captured by some militant group that would-

No, I pressed my lids forcefully closing my locker. The hallway and students around me felt like a buzz and the air was heavy. Don't go there.

God knows where they'd sent him. Maybe they don't have good coverage, or he was busy. It needn't to be because something bad. It also wasn't the first time he delayed contacting for whatever reasons. Occupational hazards. But usually there was Matt to be a moral support.

Now I had to be the strong one for the twins and I wasn't a strong person. Everything in me wanted to cry, but I couldn't and my heart clenched more and more through the weekend with the unleashed tears that only built more the stress.

I erased all my thoughts on it as I stepped into the classroom and focused on Kevin, who raised his head as soon as I dropped my things on the desk beside him. "Hi," he smiled hesitantly. "You know, I've been told I'm not supposed to ask, but are you okay?"

"Why?" I fell on the chair with a sigh. "Don't the dark bags under my eyes said enough?"

"They say you haven't slept well." he pursed his lips. "Do you know that professionals say you need to sleep eight hour minimum? It lowers your body pressure and puts you in a better mood."

"Uh," I groaned leaning my head on my arms over the table. "Now you sound like my mother."

"Wise women, she is." Kev smiled, tapping with his pen on the perfectly neat and prepared notebook. Had I mentioned the teacher wasn't even here? Most of the students were still yet to arrive, sprawled across the place, but there he was. The perfect student. No wonder why my mother and any adult liked him so much. Tay's parents were on cloud nine with him.

I, tho, huffed at his comment. "Please, you're talking about the same woman that believes Matt is being a role model student when being thousands of miles from here."

"Well, maybe he is?"

My eyes rolled at it's own accord and my lids felt heavy. I wished I had that eight-hour-sleep. "Then you're as gullible as she is. If he didn't behave here, why would he out?"

Well, don't get it wrong. Matt was a good student, and helped a lot at home with chores and stuff. But if even here, right under my mother's nose, he managed to throw well known parties and be one of the biggest players in Roosevelt High, what's for him not to do that far?

Kevin was shaking his head, amused when there was a shuffling sound before us and someone stepped in front our double desk. My spine straightened at the soft voice. "Hey."

No.

No no no-

On the window behind Kevin I saw a hint of blond hair and my stomach tightened. I'd literally been crushing on him for years and now that I had a wake up call and want to move on, now he did want to get close? Lately I'd felt like I had to watch over my shoulder at every turn.

I didn't want to turn and greet him. The light good mood -if there was any- that Kevin managed to approach was fading fast. Not looking up once I leaned a bit more into Kev and hissed. "Pretend like you're talking to me."

"I am talking to you." he whispered back, confused, and I narrowed my eyes at his lack of cooperation.

"Em, you guys know I can hear you right?"

I sighed. Where, here goes nothing. Tiredly I lifted my head from my arms and willed myself to look up at Justin. He was standing there, almost awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other, but when our eyes met he managed a small smile.

Unluckily for him, I wasn't falling that easy. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been in this class since September, remember?" he replied softly and his sweet tone only seemed to irk me further.

"Yeah, but you sit at the back. With your friends. You know the ones there looking this way and that would tell you know who." I could feel their stares burning my nape and he grimaced at Karen's mention. He'd never approached me like this, in public, before. We did sit together in History but that was a teacher's choice. So him being here couldn't be good and I was done with Justin's double-face games.

"You are my friend." he frowned as if he didn't get why I was being this sharp and I scoffed, struggling not to laugh out loud.

"Okay."

"Hailey, I-" But whatever he was about to say didn't get pass his mouth because in that moment the teacher stepped in the room, saving the moment. Never had I been this happy to see Mr Sholbert. His presence forced the students to move to their seats. Justin's lips pressed into a thin line, gave me one last frustrated look before finally moving as well. "We'll talk later."

I rather not.

Avoiding Justin was harder than it looks. Not only we share a couple more classes, but he also seemed to have broken his internal bond of not interacting within the eyeshot of any other Roosevelt student and that made things trickier not to have this 'talk'...

Either way, what on earth would he want to talk about?

He had enough time to talk when I thought he was going to choose me and he still decided to stick with his girlfriend. Fine. Okay, I get it. Now he should let me get over it without making it this much complicated.

So I was having lunch at the bleachers, by myself in hopes I could clear my mind. Not only free from Justin but also getting rid of the destructive thoughts of the million possibilities on why wouldn't my father be unable to contact us. Why why why?

My mind overflowed and I pushed my knees on the bench, hugging them and pressing my face, but the flow of bad thoughts didn't stop-

"Ah, I thought it was you."

I looked up, startled at the sudden voice, just to see Nate climbing on the bleachers. A different pang yet ravishing as well hit my chest at our last encounter's memory, but I struggled to push it back.

He got on the row under mine and leaned on the back of the bench before me, smirking. "And here I thought you'd be at the grand declaration with the rest of the student body?"

"Grand declaration?" I asked, confused.

"Apparently Jeremy O'Connel had convinced half the team to help him proposed to Rita Miller."

"Rita Miller? Isn't she dating someone already?"

Nate shrugged, amused. "That didn't stop him, now did it?"

"Guess not..." I eyed him warily and noticed he was clad in black sweatpants and a zip-up hoody, all of which embellished with the school's crest and his player number 9 in gold. I could tell by his disheveled hair and slightly damp skin that he was training or running not too long ago. The more I stay in his presence the more I was reminded of last weekend and I didn't need that right now. So instead I wrinkled my nose. "You should go shower."

"Uh, yeah." he glanced down at his attired and brought one hand up to his hair. "I was training."

"I can tell." I mumbled, turning my head to press my cheek on my knees and held them tighter, hoping he'll get the hint and leave me. After all, he did last Saturday, didn't he?

I don't know why it affected me so much that Nate flew, but waking up to cold sheets wasn't a nice pill to swallow. Especially when I let him stay even after how he'd treated me in his place. But the morning after when I woke up the door was ajar, Olly was still snoring loudly and Letty -that we'd let hidden behind the barn so it wasn't seen from the house- was gone. I wasn't even expecting him to come in the first place, and he acted like a jerk, so him being gone shouldn't disappoint me like this.

The only explanation was a quick text.

: I was requested home.

Liar!

He wasn't requested anywhere. He just didn't want to face me after how intimate things turned.

Making out? He was all into it. No questions asked. Now, when it comes to personal stuff, to emotional shit like that night when he was a drunk mess... that he couldn't deal with. And the fact that he was now acting like it never even happen, like nothing was wrong...

It wasn't a surprise Nate had such an active social life. What makes literally no sense that he got upset when I teased him about me having someone else and at the same time he was going on with Trish, Nadia and who knows who else.

And it bothered me.

More than it should.

Especially when Instagram existed and it was easy to know who attend yesterday's Seth's friendly gathering...

But he wasn't one to take the hint -or at least he was really good at bluntly ignoring them.

The bench dipped a bit under a new weight and I knew he'd sit by my side. And for some reason him staying churned my guts in both a bad and a very good way.

"Hey, is this yours?" without looking I could tell by the sounds he'd picked up my barely touched turkey sandwich.

"I don't want it."

"You don't? But it looks so yummy."

I shrugged, my stomach couldn't be more closed right now so eating wasn't an option. "You can have it, then. I don't mind."

I heard him pulling down the wrapper and munching a bite. "Yep, it is yummy." I rolled my eyes at his mouth-full answer, at least one of us was appreciating my mother's work. I felt him poking my arm. "Now, what's up with you?"

"Nothing."

"Yeah, like I would believe that." there was another poke and I shrugged my arm, tingles burning the skin where he touched all the way to my chest. "You wouldn't be this sulking over nothing."

"I'm not."

"I know you're not, that's why I'm asking why are you." another freaking poke. "Come on, just tell me."

"Would you stop?" I turned and caught his hand just as he was about to poke me again, sending him a glare, but he just smirked when our eyes met, taking another generous bite of the sandwich.

"Why would I?"

"Because it's annoying."

"So?"

I groaned, everything was becoming too much, I tried to keep pushing it down, but I felt like about to explode. My father, my stress, Justin and now Nate too.

"I came here to be alone, Nate. I'm not in the mood."

"Why?"

"Because! Okay!" I slumped back into the bench, hating how harsh I sounded but unable to stop it. "Look, I don't want to be mean to you so why don't you go? I'm done with everything. And I'm already busy avoiding one person, so, please."

Glaring at the field before us I took deep breaths to regain my cool, disappointed in myself for snapping at him when it wasn't his fault I been accumulating stress for three days straight. Not fully at least. But from the corner of my eyes, I could see he didn't move to leave. Was he masochist? I was being a bitch and the worst is that I knew it, but he remained sitting there, just a couple feet from me.

Seconds stretched painfully, and he balled the now empty wrapper as we watched the track team stretching at the hem of the field and the cheer squad getting too at the base of the bleachers. I could easily spot Nadia's platinum blond even from the distance and my heart squeezed. Great. I bet she was an easier 'just kissing' partner, less messed up.

I bet she didn't get upset when he left her in the middle of the night according to this no attachment deal.

I bet their encounter at Seth's gathering wasn't this dramatic and that they-

"Who are you avoiding?" Nate's soft voice broke my chaotic thoughts for the second time in a row and I almost cringed.

"No one." but he wasn't buying that.

"Is it Ames?" there was a dark hint in his voice, something on the verge of concern and anger that got my guts churning. "Has he done something? 'Cause you know I can take him down."

My heart pounded wildly at his words. "I just... Don't mind me." I crossed my arm, sighing for umpteenth time today. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, I'm stressed."

"I can tell." he mimicked my previous response at his appearance and I rolled my eyes, my chest a bit lighter at his taunt.

I could feel his eyes on the side of my face, but I still refusing to meet his gaze, too ashamed of my reaction and confused at the whole situation. He watched me for a couple of seconds as I internally prayed he wouldn't pry more and to my luck he shrugged, tossing the balled wrapped to the bin at the end of the row.

Impressive.

"You know." he shifted closer, surprising me by sliding one arm behind my back and the other along my thigh pulling to cover the remaining distance. "I can make you feel better." he bit playfully my earlobe and a shudder of fire ran down my spine immediately, surprising enough, just that made my previous problems feel far. Suddenly all I could focus on was his lips and the way his palm caressed my leg up and pulled me even closer by the waist.

"Ugh, no you still need to shower." I giggled, but he wasn't gross like that at all, just a bit altered which as much as I didn't want to admit it made him sexier. But Nate groaned in protest and pressed his mouth on the sensitive spot where my jaw meets the neck just as the faint sound of the bell rang from the main building.

"Now?" he scoffed in frustration and I couldn't help, but smile ruffling his hair slightly. I was weird how much calmer I felt now only by him touching me. A sweet balsam for a deeper problem, but right now it worked.

"And you still yet to shower. Tsk Tsk."

His eyes narrowed, but he was more amused than anything. "I got a free period, smart-ass. Now let's go. I'll walk you to class."

"You will?" I frowned, but didn't protest as he tugged me after him and off the bleachers.

He waved the cheer squad monotonously, not giving special attention to certain blond and that just increased my pulse.

He was walking me to class.

That's not exactly something friends do, right?

I mean yeah he act like a moron last weekend, but why did I feel so light-headed with him now?

I didn't even remember my problems as I made it through the half empty hallways with his arm over my shoulder 'till we turned the corner and saw Justin waiting in my locker.

Fuck, now what?

He was casually turning his head this way and will be seeing me in four, three, two-

I was mentally balancing the possibility of faking a stroke when suddenly Nate shifted from beside me and the world spun. A cold surface pressed against my back and I gasped went I suddenly found myself sandwiched between the lockers and the quarterback, earning us the curious glances of the few students passing by. So close his warmth and lovely scent mixing with mine in a way that got my heart speeding.

"What-"

"Shh." he hushed just in my ear and the warm breath elicited goosebumps on my neck. "Go with it." and I couldn't prevent the shiver when his lips grazed the sensitive skin under it, tracing a hot path down my jaw and neck.

What the hell?

My face burned and I felt hot all over, and so puzzled I couldn't even react. He was leaning closer, the arm he was using to support himself in the locker blocking my view of Justin. As if sensing my thoughts, Nate sucked gently a soft spot and an involuntary gasp escaped me, half way to a moan. I blushed more angry when I felt his smirk there and fisted the sides of his shirt.

"Nate." I hissed, but he moved up to my jaw again, sending a whole new wave of shivers to melt my nerves.

"Hold on..." and then suddenly he move away. "See? Done." he stepped away, leaving me cold at the lost of his body. "He's gone."

And he was. No sign of Justin in the hallway. "You..." my fingers lifted to gingerly cared the hypersensitive spot and almost made me flinch as the realization and shame hit me. He'd given me a hickey. "W-why would you do that?"

But he only smirked proudly. "He's the one you're avoiding, isn't he?" I pulled the hem of my shirt up, but he swayed my hand away. "Now, what's even the point if you're not showing it?"

"Uh, now I got History with him." I whined mortified, but he just rose a brow.

"Let him see it and he'll get the idea." I shook my head and covered it anyway. Nate shrugged. " I can give you another." and leaned making my heart skipped a beat.

"No!" but it came out as a giggle as I cupped his face midway to stop him. "I-I have to go to class."

"Okay." His eyes brightened and he laughed, the musical sound filled my chest. "Let's go."

I picked my things and he did walk me to class, and left with a wink ignoring the baffled glances and leaving me to deal with them on my own. Oh, God.

Trying my best to keep my dignity I walked to our shared desk, returning Justin's hard gaze with my unbothered one. Or at least I hope I looked unbothered, I was pretty sure my left lid was about to tic.

"So you are together." I didn't respond, placing my things on the desk and he scoffed. "Haven't you seen Nadia's stories yesterday?"

Yes, I have.

My chest clenched at the memory of how cozy they were in Seth's background. But under Justin attentive stare I wouldn't let it shown. Why did he care, anyways? So I applied more pressure in the hold on the strands of my bag and narrowed my eyes at him, lifting my chin.

"That's none of your business."

"You can't seriously be mad at me but accept that. He's a fuckboy. Everyone knows it." he glanced around, controlling no one was listening and leaned closer, hissing so only I could hear it. "You'll be another notch in his belt but won't wait for me to break up with Karen?"

My blood boiled in anger. How dare he?!

"I did wait, Justin." I spat and he flinched. "For way too long. And as for Nate," I took a deep breath, my pulse drumming in my ears. I squared my shoulders and hardened my glare at his dumbfounded expression. "That's none of your business."

"Hailey-"