❝Don't go look at me with that look in your eye❞

- Marshmello, Anne-marie, Friends.

"That skirt is too short," Tanner told me Monday morning, eyeing the red and black plaid skirt I wore.

"Come on, don't ruin this. I planned this outfit in my head since the day I got them," I dropped my backpack on the counter and opened the cupboard to take out a bowl.

"It's way too high up above your knee. You can't possibly pick up your pencil if it falls," he pushed a box of Cheerios to me.

"In other words?" I poured some milk into the bowl before adding the cereal into it.

"You have to change the skirt."

"Yes sir," I rolled my eyes.

"Is Kaleb picking you up today? Or do I have to take you to school?"

"I get the feeling you might have to," I told him.

"Alright hurry up with your breakfast, then. Don't want to be late on the first day of resumption."

Sometimes, it felt like Tanner was my father. Yes, he could be playful and goofy, but some days, I wondered what got into him. He would be so serious and somewhat strict.

My school, Ridgeview High was almost a fifteen-minute drive from here, without the traffic. If I was unlucky to meet the traffic, I would get to school in twenty five to thirty minutes.

Trying to gobble up my breakfast, my phone vibrated. I picked it up, swiping across the screen and seeing a text from Kaleb pop up.

**

I finished my cereal, went in to change my outfit entirely before replying Kaleb's text.

*That's fine. Tanner's dropping me off x.*

"Now, that's a better looking dress you have on," my big brother said, a smile on his face as he walked into the kitchen.

I'd changed into a short wine flare gown Kaleb had particularly told me to get. The idiot said I'd look like a princess in it.

"You look like a princess," I heard Tanner say and I groaned, rolling my eyes. What was it with these dudes and princesses?

"Can we go now?" I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulders.

"I mean, I always taught you to say thanks, but have you taken all you need for today?"

"Yes sir, I have," I tiredly rolled my eyes.

If I wasn't careful, they'd be popping out one day because of he and Kaleb.

"Don't forget. Arrive at your classes early, be nice, turn off your phone, no boys yet, it's only the first day..." Tanner went on and on and I couldn't tell him to stop, but then, these were rules I'd been hearing ever since I started high school.

I always attended my classes, not very early sometimes and I was nice to whoever was nice to me. And my phone? I never turned it off because Kaleb and I liked to mess around in class with our phones, and did he say boys? I wondered if he knew I was yet to crush on any guy.

"... if you feel sick, go straight to the nurse—"

"Love you, brother," I interrupted, kissing his cheek and immediately getting down from the car

"Hey, and don't forget to check out that bakery after school!" He called after me and I turned around to blow him a kiss.

I looked around the parking lot for Kaleb's Chevrolet, trying to see if he had gotten to school, and surely, I saw it parked in the spot he liked parking in, except the car wasn't empty. I could see he and Sydney in the car and I didn't need anyone to tell me they were snogging , so I turned and walked into the school building.

You see, I still got lonely in school sometimes. I couldn't be with Kaleb all the time, because even if I didn't like his girlfriend, I still respected the fact that he was in a relationship, and that left me alone, especially since he was majorly my only friend. Sometimes, I might have to third wheel during lunch, and when I didn't feel in the mood for Sydney's taunts and rude remarks, I just sat with a few acquaintances.

So, the idea for this session was to get myself an actual friend. I could talk to Harper, maybe? She was in pretty much all my classes and she was still the friendliest out of every other person I knew.

After waving back to people who waved hello to me, I made my way to my locker, opening my combination lock and putting a few books in it. It was only a new term and schedules didn't change, so I took out my phone from my backpack, checking the time. I had about twenty minutes before classes started.

Biting my lip and looking out down the hallway, other students chatted noisily and in groups and Kaleb was nowhere to be found.

"Renée?"

I tore my gaze away from the hallway and looked to the person in front of me.

The cute face, tall build, dark hair with a quiff almost similar to Kaleb's, signature grey T-shirt.

"Hey there, Logan," I chuckled, playfully jabbing at his ribs.

"Hi," he chuckled lightly, adjusting his backpack. "It's good to see you again, bubbles."

Logan and I had been friends for almost two years. He was pretty attractive and I knew girls tried to get his attention. A ton of them. I mean, he played basketball— he was on the same team as Kaleb. Some girls only joined the cheerleading squad because they wanted to feel that close to him, but then, he seemed to have a crush on me. I knew he did, for God's sake, he called me bubbles because he thought I was vibrant and energetic. He could be cheeky and he was sophisticated but he was without a doubt, unpretentious and funny. The truth was, I really wished I could feel the same way he felt for me, but I didn't.

In fact, my incapability to crush on anyone was beyond me. At a time, I was going to think I was gay, but no one just ever seemed to catch my eye. It baffled Kaleb, but he usually teased me about it, saying I wasn't from this world.

"It's good to see you too. How did your holiday go?"

He shrugged, "Same old. I mean, surely, yours went great because you look good," he said a bit shyly.

There. Those words were supposed to make me feel shivers up my spine, right? Especially coming from this fine specimen. Supposed to make me feel butterflies in my stomach.

But I felt nothing. Nada. Zilch.

Oh God, did I have a problem?

"Thank you, Logan—" I started to say when Kaleb walked up to us, did a handshake with Logan, both of them calling themselves by their last names as they did so. Then Kaleb turned to me, "When did you get here?"

Logan looked at me, a smile on his face, "So, I'll see you around, yeah?"

"Sure," I smiled back, nodding and then, he walked away.

"What were you talking about with Carter?" Kaleb asked, referring to Logan.

"I didn't get to answer your first question, now did I?" I rolled my eyes, playfully and he let out a breath, "Yeah, when did you get here?"

"Minutes ago. Tanner dropped me off," I clutched my books to me.

"Yeah, I know I saw his car, I was in the parking lot, then, you should have come to meet me."

"I was going to," I chuckled. "Then I saw something I didn't want to witness up close," I paused. "You know, just thinking about it, I probably should have smashed your window."

"Yeah, and then, you would need some smashing too," he said, unamused.

"Ew," I cringed, then he looked at me and we burst out laughing.

"I miss the younger, innocent Rae, you're a damn perv now," he shoved my head under his arm, ruffling my hair.

"Jeez, Kaleb, we're in school!" I tried to be serious but ended up laughing.

He finally released me, laughing as I scowled, pushing my hair away from my face and fixing it up.

The bell rang and as Kaleb and I made our way to English, he pulled a bag of nacho cheese Doritos from his bag, ripped it open and put one in his mouth.

"Isn't it too early for that?" I asked at the same time, reaching to take one.

"A guy's gotta eat," he chewed on it. "I bet you already had breakfast, foodie."

"A girl's still gotta eat," I grinned before taking another Dorito.

"Yeah, eat like an elephant," he grinned back. "And hey, you didn't tell me how last night went."

I tried to listen in English. I believed I was, anyway. Kaleb sat across me, his eyes on our teacher, Mr. Bonner, who we mostly called Mr. Boner, but knowing Kaleb well, I knew he was thinking about basketball, food, his phone or... Sydney who sat beside him or at the back sometimes. Thankfully, she was at the back today.

I could never compare myself with Kaleb when it came to academics. Kaleb was smart. Super smart.

All he had to do was run his eyes through a page for a few seconds and he would tell you everything you need to know, but me, I had to be extremely focused to study. Bright light on, phone away and an absolutely quiet environment. Even with all these, I still felt betrayed when I saw my test results.

My grades were low, but Kaleb never rubbed it in my face. He would go over topics I didn't understand with me and try to help me study.

He honestly was the best friend I could ever ask for.

●