"I loved you more than you'll ever know. A part of me died when I let you go." —Lifehouse.

••

"Okay, have a nice day, guys." Mr. Blake says as we climb out of his car.

Blaze's aloofness is present yet again as he doesn't bother to return his father's farewell.

"Thanks for the ride, Mr. Xander." I smile politely, and he nods.

"Sure, dear. I'll see you kids another time," he beams as he starts up his engine and reverses out of the parking lot.

I hurry to catch up with a long-striding Blaze, who has his knapsack hanging off his shoulder. He's wearing a simple blue T-shirt and a pair of grey shorts. His hair is unkempt and based on observation while we were getting ready to leave this morning, Blaze does comb his hair but he has an unhealthy habit of running his hand through it as soon as it is tidy.

"Blaze, wait up." I finally catch up to him and frown. "Why are you walking so fast?"

Normally he's the one who would be racing to keep in line with my hasty walking. What a turn of the tables.

"To get away from that man," he mutters.

"You've been mad at him since this morning; what did he do?" I lift the straps of my knapsack higher onto my shoulders, while I crane my neck to gaze up at him.

"Have you ever considered the possibility that my dad likes your mom?" He says as we turn the corner in the direction of our English class.

My forehead pleats in confusion. "Well...yeah he does. I mean, they seem like good friends."

"No not in that way, I mean like he's possibly in love or something. I know I am not an expert when it comes to feelings, but I have seen my dad look at women he liked in the past with the same look he does your mom."

I make a face, chewing on my lip. "Um, I don't think he likes her that way. He's probably just being polite. Plus, my mom can't get over my dad."

Blaze stops his tracks and turns to me. "Do you know the saying, 'out of sight, out of mind?'"

I nod. "Yeah..."

"Well, sometimes when a woman doesn't see the man she loves anymore and a new man comes along, she will grab on to that new interest. Especially if he's what she's using to heal herself."

He has a point; that does sound possible, to be honest. And my mom kind of trusts Mr. Blake a bit too much.

I sigh. "Mm...you're right. But I don't think they like each other that way..."

Here I am, trying to convince myself.

"Yeah, and that explains why she left her daughter at his house despite being such a strict parent. My take is that they communicate a lot, and something is going on, Harmony."

Based on how Mr. Blake felt great about my being around Blaze yesterday, I don't think he would think of dating my mom, knowing that would break us up.

"I don't know. I just think that maybe they have so much in common so they feel they can confide in each other, although that is dangerous. But my mom loves my dad, and I doubt she would ever—" My speech trails off when my eyes drift to a group of girls at the corner of the hall.

They are all giving me the stink eyes while whispering among themselves. It takes me literally one second to realize that they are the very same girls who were making crude remarks about me at the concert last week.

I swallow the lump in my throat, and Blaze's brows furrow. "What?"

"Those girls at the—"

He begins to turn his head to locate them, and I grab onto his face, shifting it back to me. "Blaze, you don't look right away." I chuckle.

He laughs. "I don't give a shit."

I release him, awkwardly shifting as I can feel their sharp eyes on us. It feels so uncomfortable.

"What are they doing?" He asks.

I sigh. "They are looking at me with a nasty stare, and I can tell they are saying bad things."

Blaze shrugs lightly. "Who cares? They're just jealous because you're pretty. The fact that they have to talk bad about someone else means they are insecure."

"I think they hate that we are together."

This time, Blaze darts his eyes to the group, and I don't stop him. After scanning the crew of five girls who are waving flirtatiously at him, he turns his gaze back to me.

"Oh, Jessica and her friends."

"You know them?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Just the one with the purple hair. Heard she shagged half of the male population at Jaxton."

I gape. "Really?"

He nods. "Yep, are they still looking?"

I glance at them for a quick second, not wanting it to seem like their glares of hatred affect me. "Yeah...they are."

"Okay, let's give them something to look at it then."

A smirk rises on Blaze's face, and before I can ask what he means, he closes the little distance between us and wraps his arms around my body.

My face is red while I gaze up at him. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think?" He brings me in closer to him until our bodies are pressing up against each other. "I am giving them a scene worth watching."

He leans his head down and presses his lips against mine in a sweet kiss. His mouth feels soft and warm, and I place my palms on his waists while he deepens it.

His hands reach around to grip my butt in his palms, and I jolt at the contact, earning a chuckle from him just before he breaks away. I have to purse my lips to keep back an unsatisfied moan. I want more.

He smiles down at my crimson face. "Are they still there?"

I steal a glance, and the girls are walking away quite lividly. I smile and shake my head. "They're gone."

"Well, good riddance." He grins, and his head comes in to collide our lips again.

"Whew! Get a room you two, damn!" A voice makes us break the kiss to see an overly dramatic James dancing his way over to us. "I like what I am seeing. I like it; I like it."

I chuckle softly.

April is behind him, smiling as she approaches us. "Wow. It appears you both are serious about this whole thing, huh?" She crosses her arms. "Kissing in the hallway and all. I need a relationship similar to this one."

"Baby, I can give you all that and so much more." James coos, reaching down on one knee in a proposal position.

April steps back awkwardly. "James, get up."

"Marry me, April," he says dramatically, opening his arms widely, and Blaze chuckles and pulls his friend up by the collar.

"Stop being an annoying fucker; don't you have class?"

"Yeah, but I can't manage Mr. Kristopher and his runny nose this morning, so I'll skip his lecture for today; do you guys have class?"

"Yeah, English," I reply, and James frowns.

"Damn, I wanted us to go Karaoke or something."

"The weekend has just ended, and you already want to get away from Homewood." April rolls her eyes. "Harmony, how did you spend your weekend, sweetie?"

At my hometown, then Blaze's house where we quarreled, made out, then slept together.

"Um, in my hometown, then my mom and I went to dinner..." I awkwardly glance at Blaze, and he scratches his neck with the same strange expression before changing the topic.

"So explain to me why you and James just came from the same direction, my dear cousin."

April doesn't look guilty as she merely shrugs her shoulders. "I saw him in the hallway."

Blaze smirks. "Mm. Right."

Her eyes grow a bit wider, and she crosses her arms. "What do you mean 'mm, right"?"

He shrugs. "Nothing. I meant nothing at all..."

James looks guilty while running a hand through his hair, and the secret fact that they slept together last year flashes across my mind.

Does Blaze know something?

"Anyway, guys, I am running late for my class." I chime in.

Blaze frowns. "I was hoping you'd forget that we have a class so we can spend the day in your dorm room."

"Me? Forget that we have class? I need my degree, Blaze and you do too, come. See you, James; bye April." I grasp Blaze's arm and pull him away in the direction of our English class.

••

April smiles and shakes her head while she watches Harmony and Blaze walk away.

Her cousin has come a long way, and she's proud to see him opening himself to someone without the intent of deception.

She's proud of him.

A cautious James attempts to throw his arm around her, but she moves away with a sharp glare. "James, don't do that."

He frowns, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Blaze and Harmony are gone now, so don't keep up the act."

She scrunches her brows. "Which act?"

He whines like a spoiled child, and April cannot help finding his antics a little adorable. She would never admit to that, though.

"I know you want me, April, stop playing."

"James, please do not take what happened last year at that party seriously; we were just drunk."

For once, James is stripped of all jovialness as he lets out a sigh. "Do you feel that way? Because I could tell you were sober enough to know what we were doing."

Her cheeks tinge to a bright red, and he bravely stares into her orbs with the same level of confidence his roommate possesses.

She quickly breaks eye-contact. "I have class, see you around," she mutters, hastily turning away and leaving.

••

"After you..." Blaze smiles at Harmony as he opens the glass door that leads to the lecture theatre.

She beams. "Thank you, gentleman."

He chuckles as she steps in, then follows behind her, closing the door as soon as he does.

Maddie stands by the corner in front of the lecture hall, a black hood covering her head. Her glare is dark as she holds a black bottle in her hand. She begins moving in the direction of the class when someone grips her hand firmly.

"Ow!" She hisses, but her gaze softens when she realizes it's just her brother.

"What are you doing here, Maddie? You're not supposed to be at school." Malcolm narrows his eyes at his defiant sibling.

She swallows and pushes the bottle behind her, but he notices the ominous action and grabs her wrist. "Let me see what that is."

"No, Mal." She whines, attempting to free herself, but Malcolm manages to pull her hand and grab the bottle from her grip.

She covers her eyes with her palms while he reads the label with furrowed brows.

"Strong acid?" His eyes widen immediately, and he looks at her in awe. "What are you doing with a bottle of acid, Maddie?"

She frowns and looks away. "Nothing. Don't be inquisitive."

"Tell me!"

"It's for my chemistry project," she hisses. "Give it back!"

"You are not supposed to be at school. The doctor said you should stay away from Homewood, so why are you here, with a bottle of acid at that?"

"I already said that it is for a project; do you not hear well, Mal?"

Malcolm isn't convinced as he glares at her, then the shocking revelation comes home to him. "Are you planning to hurt someone with this? Someone like Blaze?"

She crosses her arms against her chest. "Why would I hurt Blaze? I wouldn't; I love him too much."

"Then whom? Huh? Who are you planning to hurt?!"

She lowers her eyes, and Mal forks his fingers through his hair. "Tell me now, Maddie!"

"That bitch!" She shrieks. "Harmony fucking Skye! I want to burn her so bad Blaze won't want her anymore m! I will damage her face so irreversibly, that she'll end up killing herself when she sees how ugly she has become. Blaze will be mine and mine only!"

"Fuck!" Malcolm presses a palm over his mouth, her outburst and psychotic scheme confirming that she has definitely lost it. He didn't want to believe that, but now he has no choice. "Come, I am calling mom. You know you will never step foot in this school ever again, right? You ruined your chance."

He grips her arm, and she tries to resist, but he tightens his hold so painfully she squeals. "Stop holding me like this!"

"I am calling mom right now; you are losing it!"

He pulls her away from the area while she hits his wrist, ordering him to free her, but Malcolm knows better now.

~