I let out a large huff of air as I plopped down at the kitchen table, letting my backpack fall lazily off of my arm and onto the floor.

"Morning, my love!" My mother called from behind me. I turned to watch her as she continued making breakfast with a way too cheerful look on her face.

"Morning," I replied, giving her a half-smile. That's the best I can manage on a school day.

"Where's Carson?"

I shrugged while fighting back a yawn, "I think he's coming."

"Good, good, breakfast is just about ready. We've got plenty of time before school and-"

My mother's rant was cut off as Carson rushed into the kitchen, balancing three different textbooks in his hand all while trying to stuff a crumpled piece of paper into his backpack. He brushed past me, kissing my head, and took his seat on my right.

"Good morning, Carson!" My mother greeted.

She practically skipped over to us with a pan, placing a stack of pancakes on each of our plates, and placing down a bowl of mixed fruits on the table. Carson poured out orange juice for me and him, while my mother returned back to the stove with the empty pan.

"Where is your father?" She asked, not really directing the question at me. "I told him what time breakfast was the least he could do-"

She interrupted herself with a sigh before moving to the entrance of the kitchen and yelling "ANTHONY!" at the top of her lungs.

"Mom, it's really not a big deal."

Her attention snapped back onto me, as I popped a strawberry into my mouth.

"But it is! It's the first day of your last year of high school!" She came back over to the table, standing behind me with her hands on top of my head, patting down my hair. "I remember when you first started kindergarten, you had your hair in little pigtails and were wearing those cute pink, sparkly sandals with the-"

"Okay, Mom. That's enough."

"And you, Carson!" She exclaimed, moving onto him. She grabbed hold of his face, startling him, as he gulped down the mouthful she had caused him to choke on, "Oh you've gotten so handsome. A beautiful young man you've become."

"Mom, if you're gonna cry, can you move away from the food?"

She clicked her tongue at me, but finally gave it a rest, as she settled into her own seat on my other side. My dad walked in a few moments later, holding out his phone in front of him, absorbed in whatever news article he was reading this morning.

"Morning, Dad."

"Morning," He responded curtly. He shoved his phone into his pocket as he sat down across from me.

"Dad, I-"

"Hold that thought, Maddie," My father interrupted, before turning to Carson. "Did you catch the show last night?"

Carson grinned, glancing at me for a moment to make sure I noticed how my dad completely ignored me to talk to him, before responding, "Oh yeah, you were right. I thought for sure-"

"What show?" I asked, interrupting them.

My father turned his attention back to me, "Oh, you wouldn't like it Madeline."

Carson stifled a laugh as my father went back to him, ready to continue their apparently private conversation. I rolled my eyes and slumped back into my seat, watching the two of them out of narrowed eyes as they laughed, all while trying to ignore my mom as she pestered me about what I was wearing.

"Maddie, honestly, it's the first day of your last year!" She exclaimed. If I hear that phrase one more time I might just punch someone. "The least you could do is brush your hair."

"I did brush my hair."

"Oh," She said, staring at the top of my head. "Well, then it looks lovely."

I shoved as much food as I could in my mouth to avoid having to answer my mother's questions about my classes, the soccer team, and anything else she could think of relating to senior year.

"So, any big plans for the last year?" My father asked Carson loudly. At the sound of the words "last year," my mother's fork clattered against the plate, as she rested her head against he hand and sighed in a really overdramatic way.

"Good going, Dad," I groaned, as I waited for the sentimentalities to pour out from my mother.

"To think my baby's going to be in college next year!" She cried. "I'm going to have an empty nest!"

Carson nudged me, sticking out his watch for me to see, "We gotta get going, or we're going to be late."

I shoved a few more forkfuls into my mouth before sliding out of my chair and grabbing my backpack, hurrying behind Carson.

"Bye Mom, bye Dad!"

I sighed as we reached Carson's car and climbed into it. "You're welcome," He said.

"What for?"

"For getting us out of there. We still have a half hour before class, and now we don't have to watch your dad try to console your mother for the third time today."

"Speaking of my dad, what's the show you both watched last night?"

Carson laughed before shaking his head, "Oh, I can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

He shook his head again, "I just can't."

"Carson?"

He looked over at me, studying my gaze for only a quick second, before returning his eyes to the road and tensing up. I leaned over in my seat, placing my hand on his knee as he took a sharp inhale. I let my lips hover over him for a moment before kissing him teasingly in the spot behind his ear. He leaned away from me– as if trying to escape, but only exposing his neck more– as I trailed my lips down to the base of his neck. His knuckles grew white around the steering wheel.

"Tell me," I demanded in a whisper against his skin as I bit him right next to his Adam's apple. He tilted up his head defiantly, determined not to respond.

I steadily rubbed my hand up and down his leg as I continued to bite and kiss his neck. I could feel him sinking in his seat as he tried his best to ignore me completely.

"Tell me," I said again. He mumbled something incoherent under his breath.

"What was that?"

Carson sighed before repeating himself, only slighter louder. "We watch Love Island."

* * *

Carson looked himself over again in the vanity mirror, tugging at the collar of his shirt, while I sat impatiently in the passenger's seat, watching as more and more students started to arrive to campus and hurry into the school.

After five minutes had passed, I spoke up, "Are you done yet?"

He glared at me, but took the key out of the ignition and moved to get out of the car. I followed suit and grabbed my bag from the backseat.

I met Carson in front of the car, and found him still playing with the collar of his shirt. I rolled my eyes but grabbed the collar and fixed it for him. "There," I said. "Now leave it alone."

He placed one of his hands on his neck, running his fingers over the skin, trying to locate each of the places where his skin was bruised or raised.

"There's no way they're not noticeable," He argued.

"They're not that bad."

He looked unsatisfied with my answer, as if I was lying to him. Which I was. Most of the marks I had left really weren't that noticeable. However, the one to the side of his Adam's apple was quite hard to miss.

"I think I have a thing of concealer in your car. If you want I can cover it up."

He shook his head, "No, it's fine."

"You sure?"

He nodded. "May I ask why your makeup is even in my car?"

I shrugged, "Being with you has taught me to keep concealer handy. That and turtlenecks."

He chuckled as he grabbed my hand and began walking us toward the school building. Once we had climbed the steps to the top, and before I could open one of the doors, he pulled me off to the side.

"Wait, before we go in-"

"Carson, we're going to be late."

"Yeah, yeah, just hold on a minute," He responded before grabbing my chin and pressing his lips into mine. The kiss was rough, and I tried to pull away from him, but before I could, he had already moved on from my lips and was making his way down my neck.

"Carson, what the hell are you doing?" I asked, clawing my hands into his shoulders. The longer he occupied himself above my collarbone, the more certain I grew of what he was trying to accomplish.

I felt a tight pinch, as he bit my neck and sucked the skin into his mouth. After half a minute passed, he pulled away, wiping his red and swollen lips with his thumb. He stared at my neck, which I'm sure was now adorned with a very bright red mark, and smiled as he admired his work.

"Seriously?" I asked.

His hands had found the hem of my shirt, and he pulled down on it tightly, leaving more of my neck and collarbone exposed, as if to ensure I couldn't hide the mark. He nodded his head, the same stupidly smug smile on his face, "Seriously."

* * *

I entered the classroom just as the bell rung, signaling the start of class. I found Dylan and Jason on the opposite side of the room, an empty desk in between them saved for me. They were completely ignorant to the bell as they leaned over the empty desk to exchange conversation with each other.

They quieted down once I sat down in the desk. "Cutting it awfully close, aren't we?" Dylan asked.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, hush up, Mom."

"Maddie, how could you be grumpy today?" Jason demanded. "It's the first day of our last year!"

"I'm actually going to punch you."

"No, you're not," Dylan commanded. I scowled at him.

The teacher walked in a few minutes later, way too eager for the start of another school year. She started her lecture by going over the syllabus and a few other things, most of which no one really paid attention to.

"Oh, by the way, Mads," Dylan whispered, looking up to the teacher's desk to ensure she couldn't see him talking. "Dumb and dumber already got themselves detention today."

"I'm gonna guess you mean and Jason and Zach?" I asked. Dylan nodded.

"Hey!" Jason said. "I'm not that dumb."

"Right," Dylan said, rolling his eyes.

I turned to look at Jason in confusion, "This school year has been in session for less than thirty minutes. What the hell could you two have already done to get detention?"

Jason chuckled to himself before responding, "We got here a little early this morning."

"What the hell does that mean?" I asked.

"Well, I went inside to do morning announcements," He said smugly. "And Zach stayed outside to give this school... a little spice."

"Carry on," I said, hesitantly eyeing them over.

"I rapped the national anthem to the tune of WAP," Jason started.

"And Zach hung a pair of the principal's underwear up on the flagpole," Dylan continued.

"Should I even ask how you managed to get a pair of the principal's underwear?"

Dylan and Jason exchanged a look before shivering and shaking their heads. "I think it's best if you don't know."

"And what was your involvement in this?" I asked Dylan. "I can't imagine you helped them."

He shook his head, "I had no idea what they were planning, but Jason texted me last night to come early this morning. I certainly wasn't expecting to have to force him away from the loudspeaker."

"Hey, you could've joined in," Jason defended. "WAP is a duet, after all."

Dylan glared at Jason threateningly, as if resisting to smack him. "You're ridiculous."

"You're just upset you didn't come up with the prank first."

"Yes, J, because my goal in life is definitely to get a detention on the first day back," Dylan rolled his eyes.

"Precisely. So how are you going to get a detention?"

Dylan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Jason, you're as thick as it gets. I don't actually want a detention."

"No shit," Jason responded, rolling his eyes. "But it'll be boring without you, so you have to get detention, too."

"I'll get a detention for you, J," I offered.

Jason turned to look at me, scrunching his face up in thought before shaking his head. "Nah."

"Why not?" I asked, offended.

"Well, remember last time you were in detention?"

My thoughts flashed back to Dylan screaming at Carson and I on the last day of school.

"That was hardly my fault. I'd say it was Dylan's."

Jason shook his head, "Dylan was the life of the party. Detention flew by because of him."

I rolled my eyes and tuned him out as he continued to pester Dylan about getting a detention until the bell finally rung and we all shuffled out of the classroom.