Dedicated to ceilingflower for being a brill friend and reader here on wattpad. I've recently started reading 'The Death Cheaters Club' and it's amazing! Go and check her work out C:

"I've got to say, Levi and Ruby, I am not impressed." Mr Morris stands before us with his arms crossed as he stares disapprovingly down at the piece of work we've just handed in to him. To say the least, our homework is pretty bad. Yesterday, after I got home, my mind had been a wandering, chaotic mess for the remainder of the day. I'd completely forgotten the whole reason why we'd gone to the library. And by the time I had, it was morning and too late.

I guess that Levi also forgot because his own notes don't like they been added to since the little work we actually had done.

"I expect this to be redone," Mr Morris says firmly, readjusting his over-sized tortoise shell glasses. "By tomorrow." The way he stresses the last word warns us that there are no exceptions.

I don't even bother sighing or doing anything in retaliation as he walks towards the next table to see their work. We deserve it.

So far, this Geography lesson has been a bit of a disaster. In fact, this whole school day has. So far, I've been getting out of my way trying to confront what happened yesterday. Every time I see Levi I start babbling about something as random as the weather or James Tolley's new haircut and Levi just listens to me quietly along with the others who all look at me like I've gone mad.

A silence settles between us both once Mr Morris is out of earshot. Neither of us knows what to say.

Levi clears his throat. "About yesterday," he says, in a low and almost apprehensive voice. "We don't need to mention it."

As much as he tries to sound casual, there's no denying that there's something there, in his voice. I look and see all the signs of Levi attempting to act nonchalant but there's something in his eyes which tells me doesn't want to write yesterday off as a meaningless time we happened to kiss in the library.

I swallow and that overwhelming sensation returns again. The one I felt yesterday that grips my insides and sends each thought colliding into another.

I realise that I'm not ready. I'm not ready to approach whatever this may be between us and I hate myself for it. I hate the way I'm taking a breath and nodding and telling Levi, "Ok."

I hate the look in his eyes when I say that word, the barely there hurt as he nods, barely inclining his head, before saying, "Ok," in return.

I walk back to my desk before slumping onto my seat. Thalia Willis doesn't bother to even look at me I sit down, as she's nothing but my Geography partner, all our conversations are limited to the work. Today, I couldn't be more thankful for that.

Especially when Imogen's staring at me so suspiciously. She's doing it even now. I glance over at her and see she's already scrutinising me, her hazel eyes as powerful as the worlds' strongest X-ray. I hastily look away.

The last thing I need is Imogen finding out what's happened between Levi and me. It would only end with her either threatening to do in Elle or planning our wedding.

Mr Morris starts the lesson properly, introducing the title for today's work. I immediately scrawl it down, determined to be focused from now on. Our exams are only a few months away now, and every bit of my focus has to go towards them. I think of the grades I want to get and my stomach twinges in nervousness. I have to focus and get the best I can and most definitely not get distracted. Least of all by Levi.

While I attempt to direct all my attention towards what Mr Morris is explaining, I find it increasingly hard to do so. Especially when in the corner of my eye I can see Shannon Bailey leaning across her desk to tap Levi on the shoulder.

I give a fleeting look away from Mr Morris and see that she's pointing to a pencil that she's dropped onto the floor. Shannon leans in close and whispers something, the words too quiet for me to hear. Levi then reaches towards the floor to the pick the pencil up and hands it back to her. Shannon whispers an audible 'thank you' and as she does so, she leans in and gently presses her hand against his arm.

I'm surprised at the flare of jealousy that shoots up within me as I completely abandon concentrating on whatever Mr Morris is saying. I shouldn't be reacting so badly, I'm not even surprised by the way Shannon titters loudly at whatever Levi says to her as her hand remains on his shoulder. I should be used to this. It's not like I've forgotten the way girls are around Levi. The way they talk about him excitedly and find excuses to touch him and laugh too hard at his jokes.

I shouldn't care. Because that's just the way it is.

So why do I feel like I want to get hold of Shannon's long, brown ponytail and pull?

I take a deep breath and look towards the front of the classroom again, taking another moment to forget what happened yesterday. I need to focus.

I watch Levi's lips tilt up in a smile as he nods at Shannon before turning back in his seat. That smile.

I shut my eyes.

He is going to be the bloody death of me.

My attention's finally brought back to the lesson at hand all due to one word: 'Exams.' If butterflies are reserved for excitement, then bats must be set aside for dread. It doesn't take a lot for panic to rise up in my throat like bile when exams come up.

I gulp down the feeling of apprehension and instead try and calm myself. For mocks this year I did well, more than well. I think back to January, how the month had seemed all exams, stressful deadlines and who knows what.

I curse, attempting to put the boy out of my mind. I really don't need this, I really can't afford to think about Levi Parker when I've got all of this on my plate. And for the rest of the lesson, I don't let myself down. I avoid every imploring, and slightly threatening, look Imogen sends me throughout the class, I ignore Shannon's laughter that still rings from the other side of the classroom, and I ignore him.

By the time the bell rings, I've already packed up my things since I'd finished the work early. And by the time everyone else has packed away their things, I'm already out of the door. And walking. Fast.

In these five minutes I have to spare before I have to go eat my lunch with the others, I allow myself some time to think.

I hate how I've lost control. I want my mind to be collected and calm again. It needs to be with exams and more exams and... Granddad.

As I hurry quickly down the corridor, my mind's consumed by these thoughts. I don't even notice the upcoming figure before me until I collide into him, sending both of our books and folders toppling to the ground. I look up, already spluttering an apology, when I stop dead.

Ryan glowers back at me. I shut my mouth and look quickly back down at the mess of our books and folders before dropping to the ground and hastily retrieving them whilst muttering an apology. A few seconds pass before he stoops down, helping me pick everything up.

We both rise and then we're both standing there. The weighed silence and our tense bodies make things, to say the least, awkward. Eventually, I hand Ryan his folder and he passes over my textbook.

I clear my throat before raising my face to look at him again. He looks different. How, in a short amount of time, can someone change so much?

Ryan's midnight black hair isn't brushed so neatly anymore, it's curlier, longer and messier. It suits him. And his eyes. They're that same, bright cerise blue only now they're different from when I last saw them. They looked tired, upset and angry. Now, his glare melts away and he's looking at me almost like he used to, almost like I'm his friend.

"Thanks," I say, glancing back at the books in my arms. "I didn't really see where I was going." The words are stuttered, each one hesitant and pitchy.

Ryan ignores what I've just said. His gaze leaves my books and travels up to my eyes, searching them. "What's wrong?" His voice sounds blank, almost. I don't miss the touch of concern tinging them.

"What?" I ask, confused.

Ryan's shrugs, unsure what to say. I realise he's caught between being coolly indifferent and caring. "Have you been crying? You look upset."

My hand reaches up and my fingers brush the lower lashes of one of my eyes. I'm surprised to feel they're wet. "Oh."

I duck my head down and proceed to wipe my eyes, surprised to find that I'm nearly crying and mortified that Ryan of all people noticed before me.

"Ruby, what's wrong?" Ryan asks, and this time his voice is filled with worry. There's nothing I want more right now than for him not to care. He shouldn't be concerned, not after what I did to him. Guilt swells in my chest, heavy and blooming.

"I'm fine," I say thickly, when we both know that I'm clearly not. Nothing feels right anymore. Everything seems to be both slowly and quickly spiralling out my control. And here's the person who should care the least about me, standing right before me.

I've got to make it right.

I turn my face up to meet his eyes. "Ryan..." I don't quite know where to start. "I'm sorry."

He blinks in surprise as he stares at me, evidently not expecting the apology.

"I'm sorry about everything. I hate what I did to you." I'm faintly aware of how my face is flushing redder with each word yet I don't care. I need him to know.

Ryan opens his mouth as if to reply before he closes it. I inhale quickly before going on again. "If I could turn back time and somehow fix things, believe me I would. I'd do anything to change the way things turned out, I would do anything not to have hurt you because you're the person who least deserves to ever be hurt."

I'm not sure quite what to say after that.

Ryan gives me a sad, sweet smile. "I've missed you, you know. And not like that before you get any ideas. I've missed us being friends."

He sits on the windowsill behind us and we watch people rushing by as they attempt to get the most out of their break.

"You kind of broke my heart Ruby," Ryan says quietly. My own heart splinters at this. But then he gives my arm a small nudge. "But the brilliant thing I've learned about being in love at seventeen is that what we had wasn't it. That there's so much more still to come."

And now Ryan looks at me seriously. "I don't know what you're upset about but I've noticed these past couple of months you've not been alright. And whatever it is you're going through, just know that it'll be ok. This isn't it."

I sit on the windowsill quietly, unsure what to say. It should be me consoling him, not the other way round. But that's the thing about Ryan. He's kind and caring and selfless in a way that's rare and brilliant.

I feel my eyes welling up again and I don't even know what I'm muttering, through the nonsense words streaming out of me I attempt another apology and Ryan nods.

We both get up and I'm sniffling, embarrassingly loudly and he hands me a tissue.

"Thanks," I mutter and give a watery smile. "Honestly, thank you."

"Don't mention it." Ryan shakes his head before sending me a grin. "Are you sure you're ok?"

I nod, I nod in my most convincing way and Ryan believes it. Well, I think he does. He gives me a bright grin, and to my surprise, a quick hug before soon jogging after someone who's calling after him.

I desperately want to believe the lie I've just told him. I desperately want to be ok.