She doesn't see me. She's reaching, putting things into her locker, standing at the top of her toes sometimes, her hair swaying when she comes back down.

I love her.

"Hey," I walked up beside her.

"Leo," she turned to me.

"I miss you."

"I haven't gone anywhere."

"You weren't with me..."

Heather pouted, touched enough to want to touch me. Her arms wrapped around my waist cautiously, and she tilted her head up.

"You didn't call."

"Neither did you." She looks at me like that wasn't a good enough excuse. "I didn't know if you wanted me to."

"I told you I wasn't mad."

"You were."

"...I'm not anymore."

"No?" I asked, and she shook her head. "I'm sorry that you found out like that...but thank you for keeping me out of trouble."

"You don't have to thank me."

"Yes, I do. You're always helping me out, and I'm always pissing you off."

"Hm..." Heather smiled, "I think it's the other way around."

"Oh, you piss me off?" I smirked. "Yeah, you do."

"Only because I can."

"Because I let you."

"Because you love me."

Damn right.

I kiss her and smile, then kiss her some more. We're melting together, making it as easy as possible to soak each other in. My tongue missed tasting whatever sweet-flavored gloss was on her lips last. I kiss her until she tastes like me.

"Wanna come over today?" I asked.

"To do what exactly?"

"Whatever you want."

Heather smirks, "Can you guess what I want?

I cocked an eyebrow, "One of the two things I have to offer?"

"Yes, and I already have shirts," she says seductively and tries to back away to leave.

I pulled her right back in front of me.

"You say that to me now so I have to be hard in all my classes, huh?"

"Poor thing," her hand trails down until it's over my dick. "Is this making it worse?"

I quickly catch her hand and bring it back up. "Yes, it is."

"Oh, it is?" She tried to do it again, making me hold both of her hands in mine.

"You're cruel."

She laughed, "I'm only trying to help." I wanted to laugh too, but my eyes shifted away from her. Heather follows my gaze to Danny walking by, he glances at me and then shakes his head. "Something wrong?"

I shrug, "It's just Danny."

"Didn't you come with him?"

"No."

"Are you in a fight?" She asked obliviously, and I choose not to respond. "What?" Heather questioned my silence.

I feel bad that she's innocently worried about what goes on with me and Danny when we're fighting about her— and not even in the way guys usually fight over girls, we're fighting because he'd prefer if I dated someone closer to home.

"Nothing, butterfly." She raised an eyebrow. I sigh, "He's not the biggest fan of Heather Blakely."

"...he doesn't...like me?"

"He doesn't like anyone."

"That's not true."

"Not literally, but it's mostly true."

"Should I do something?"

"Like what?"

"I can get him something maybe?"

"Is that what you do when people don't like you, butterfly?"

"If I want them to like me...yes."

"That wouldn't work on Danny. He'd like you even less. Just forget about it, he'll get over it."

"He's mad at you because of me. I don't want to come between you-"

"You won't, I swear we're still cool. It's nothing. Me and Danny can't get rid of each other ever." Heather nods, but I can see it in her face that she's taking this to heart. "Butterfly..." I sigh. She looks down to avoid eye contact, and I lift her chin up. "You can be sad now, but later I'm going to fuck a smile onto your face. That's a promise."

Heather's eyes widen, "Shh," she covers my mouth and looks around to see who heard.

I chuckle before moving her hand, "I promise you."

"People can hear you," she pretends not to be amused.

"You're lucky they won't be able to hear you."

"Shut up," she kisses me so I can't say anything else. "I'll see you after class, okay?"

"Okay."

"I love you."

"Mhm," I smile arrogantly and nod.

She walks off happy...happy because of me. Heather looks over her shoulder before she's gone just to smile again.

I love her.

"Good work, Jace, I'm proud of you," Ms. Pierce puts the quiz down on my desk, a big 92% written at the top of the paper.

"Thank you."

she moves on to the desk behind me.

"Remember, Daniel, Tuesdays and Thursdays there's a study group in the library after school."

I turn to look at his paper.

67%.

"You used the wrong formula for number one," I tell him. "I had a lot of time to study while I was gone, so-"

"What the fuck do you want, rat?"

"Rat?"

"You think everyone doesn't know it was you?"

I smiled, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"The locker search, cocksucker. Get sober and then snitch on the people you were just buying from?"

"...to be fair, I only wanted your friend in trouble, but two birds one stone, am I right?" He glared at me. "Not funny from your side, I get that."

Daniel shook his head, "Get out of my face."

"We don't have to be friends...I doubt we have anything in common, but I'm trying this new thing where I mend burned bridges." Therapist recommended.

"We never had a goddamn bridge."

"A tightrope then. It's much easier to start with people I've never had bridges with."

Daniel crosses his arms, "You gonna mend your bridge with Leo?"

"No, if the ground is lava— I'm glad he has no bridge."

"You know, you've got some balls acting like Heather's dirty for letting one of us slip it to her when you were slipping into Rayanne."

"I didn't sleep with Rayanne."

I only know her because she was dating Ryan's dealer...or sleeping with him.

"She said the same thing," he smirked, "but in a way that would make me think you did."

"Well, she's lying."

"So you did screw her."

"No-"

"Hypocrite."

I huff and scowl at him, "Tell Leonardo I said 'hello,' would you?"

He laughed at me as I grabbed my stuff and moved away from him.

It's not like I'll ever need to be on his good side.

But I always thought it was better to be "nothing" to someone rather than disliked by them.

I was wrong.

"Hey, man," I sit in the chair next to Trevor.

"Do I know you?"

"Trevor...come on."

"No autographs today, try again next time."

"I'm sorry. I've been terrible this whole year...I haven't been your friend."

He scoffed, "As if I need your friendship."

"I need yours. I always have...you know that." He shrugged and looked at a girl he'd rather be sitting with. "Third grade when I was afraid of passing out my birthday invitations, and you took them and told me you would make sure to only invite the cool people."

"Yes, you really needed me when we were 9."

"Sixth grade when my first girlfriend ever tried to dump me for you, and you called her ugly and then dated her sister."

"While this trip down memory lane is oh so magical— I preferred my previous destination."

"Summer before high school when those seniors were going to let you hang out with them, and you said you wouldn't unless I could come too...they said they didn't know who I was, and you told them I was your best friend."

"Are you reaching a point soon?"

I sigh..."I'll be at Visconti on Friday night, if you can make it...your name will be on the reservation."

"Have fun dining alone," he said indifferently. "Whoever you are."

"Are we taking the long way to chorus?" I ask when Nancy makes a turn down the wrong hall.

"No, I have to return this textbook to Mr. Faust's class before I forget and carry it around another day."

"Oh, I'll wait for you." He basically has a restraining order against me— and by that I mean we run in the other direction whenever we see each other.

"Come with me..." she laughed awkwardly.

"I can't, I actually have somewhere to be-"

"Didn't you used to have his class?"

"Yes, but some teachers are better for different students. Not everyone's learning style is the same."

She raises an eyebrow, "There was some hearsay that you and Mr. Faust got caught...in action after hours."

"That's a lie," I scoffed.

She shrugs, "figures, Mr. Faust said it was a lie."

"...What did he say exactly?"

"Nothing specific...only to not believe everything you hear just because the lie is more interesting than the truth."

I hear footsteps coming down the hall, and I look past Nancy...only to see Alex walking toward us.

Now it's too late for him to turn back...

"Hello..." he nodded.

Nancy smiles at him and hands him the textbook. "I finally brought it back. I didn't mean to keep it so long."

"I can't imagine you did, It's a heavy book," he presses his lips together and waves the book to say goodbye.

"Wow..." Nancy says as he walks off, "He could have at least spoken to you."

She starts to look at me suspiciously, and I feel the nerves creeping up my body enough to make my hands shake

"Truth is— I had my counselor switch me into a different English class because I saw Mr. Faust at the ballet with a lady he introduced to me as his date, but then I caught him here in his classroom with someone else."

Her eyes widen. "A teacher?"

"I couldn't make out the face...but I'm pretty sure I saw a skirt...that looked a little too similar to our uniforms. Not that I'm accusing him of anything...but maybe I'm not the one there should be hearsay about, that's all."

"He was with a student?" She relishes the gossip. "God, I knew he was weird. Young teachers are notorious for sleeping with students."

"Yes?" I say from my bed after I hear knocking.

The door opens and my parents smile at me, "You have a guest."

"Elizabeth," I say in greeting.

She was escorted up here by both of them because they can tell this isn't an ordinary house call although I haven't spoken a word about her.

It's slightly embarrassing that she's meeting them like this.

"They're nice," Elizabeth says once we're alone. "Not what I expected..."

"Aren't parents always that way toward outsiders?"

"Yeah, but..."

"They are nice, if they weren't, the passive aggressiveness would be ill fit." And I'd be a meaner person. "Does it bother you that I live with my parents?"

She shakes her head, "I'd live with mine had I not been kicked out as soon as I turned 18."

"Why is that?"

"They never wanted me there to begin with."

"I'm sorry that you had to mature faster than you were ready to."

"I can say the same for you. It doesn't seem like you were ever allowed to be a kid."

"My choice."

"is it?" I jokingly roll my eyes and choose to take her question rhetorically. "Aren't you curious as to why I'm here?"

"No. I'm here, so you're here. I think that happens when people like each other."

"Fair enough...but...there's other things that happen when people like each other."

"I'm listening..."

"I want to try something with you."

"...what, Elizabeth?"

"You can say 'no,' but I was thinking about it...thinking about the things I like, and the things you like..." she pulls silk-ties from her purse, "and I thought maybe we'd like this."

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

I chuckle, "When did you buy those?"

"I was out a couple days ago and walked past this...special store, and I saw these."

"And they made you think of me?" She tried to hide her smile as she nodded. "Okay."

"Really?"

Yes, because that was the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me.

"What do you need me to do?"

She stops to think for a moment as if she didn't expect to get this far.

"...Take your shirt off."

"Easy enough," I pull the shirt over my head. She stares at me for a while, and I start to wonder if she'd prefer for me to take over— like usually.

"On the bed now." Elizabeth points to where she wants me. Very close to the headboard, as I expected.

She comes over and straddles my waist while I hold back a smirk. It gives me a rush to think that there's a part of her that will always need me to scratch this itch inside of her.

She stops giving orders and simply grabs my wrists to wrap the ties around.

Part of the reason I agreed was the fact that I expected the ties to be loose and easily undone. That is not the case. Elizabeth ties my wrists to the bedposts very securely. "What are you, a Boy Scout?"

"My dad likes to hunt. He taught me a few tricks."

"If only he knew what you'd do with that knowledge."

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," she said smugly as she placed a blindfold over my eyes.

"I'm not sure about this."

"You'd do it to me without a second thought."

I can't argue with that.

"Do we need a safe word?"

She laughs as if I'm joking. "What do you think is about to happen?"

You don't have half the imagination I would have if you were tied up.

With my eyes covered, I used the feel of her body heat to know she was about to kiss me. Her lips brush over mine, and I lick them to show that I can tease back. Even restrained, I'm still the one who leads.

I don't like when she pulls away, I don't like that I couldn't grab her and bring her back, but she has the upper hand and now hers are pulling down my pants.

All I have is anticipation.

She touches me lightly...gliding her fingers over various parts of my body. I picture her looking at me, getting to stare without me seeing her do it.

A condom gets rolled onto me.

Oh?

I raise my eyebrows, we've never gone this far before but-

She slides down, and a breath passes my lips while Elizabeth draws one in like we're exchanging air. Her hands are on my shoulders for leverage as she lifts up and then comes back down again.

Good God.

The ties keep me from guiding her, and holding her, just touching her— I pull them so hard it's a surprise they don't snap.

I've never had sex this delicately. She's moving so softly, lovingly even. If I weren't strung up and blindfolded, this could be mistaken for the stuff out of misty-eyed romance novels.

Her hands have a tender grip on me, and she's gently moaning...nice and sweet like the prettiest song I've ever heard— it makes me ravenous.

"Faster," I demand.

"No," she replies.

My head falls back in frustration and pleasure. How can what I want be in reach and yet so damn far.

I took for granted the times I could have had her at my mercy. Every torturously good movement she makes reminds me that I could have absolutely devastated her.

She does well on top, beautifully well...

But if I were under her the way I plan to be— these ties would need to be around her mouth.

I curse and let out a groan, despite the painfully slow grinding and bouncing, I can't help but give in to my need to cum.

Elizabeth giggles happily when I start moaning more. She kisses my skin, leaving hot marks wherever her lips grazed. The slowness only made the build-up stronger, and I can't handle the intensity without getting a little lightheaded from not being able to control my breathing.

I mutter her name like the end of a prayer. She lets me jerk up to connect with her harder, right until I'm on the brink of explosion

And then she stops.

Now I know what game we're really playing.

I ball my fists but don't say a word. She wants me to complain, protest, plead...beg. If I can't have the satisfaction, neither can you.

When my body calms, she starts rocking back and forth on me, slipping it in and out of herself knowing she gets to cum as many times as she wants and whenever she sees fit.

I at least want to see her...I've seen her scantily dressed but never fully bare. The biggest punishment here is feeling her naked breasts graze me but not being able to touch them.

I can't mask when I get close again. Elizabeth tenses on top of me, and the tightness isn't denied a few groans— even when I steady my breath, she can feel what I feel, and once more...she stops.

Damn it.

A low growl comes out of my throat, and my wrists strain against the ties again.

"Elizabeth."

She laughs, taking the blindfold off to see just how irritated I am.

"Try not to forget that eventually...you'll have to untie me."

"Remember that day when you were over here tutoring me, and you asked what I wanted to do after we graduate?" Leo asks as we're sat on the stairs of the fire escape.

"I think so."

"The day I kind of almost kissed you, and you kind of almost let me."

"But Danny came in."

"So you do remember," he smirks.

I sigh at the memory, "I was disappointed that you didn't kiss me, I hoped that you would." The nerve of him to have grabbed me the way he did just for every second to be wasted.

"That's funny since that was the day you made me really think you didn't like me."

"Oh..." I say guiltily. "Is that why you're asking?"

"No," he pecks my lips. "It's because I figured out what I want to do after we graduate."

"Tell me," I said excitedly.

"I'm still not going to college...I have to work with my hands, but you know how you called me on my 'savior complex' or whatever?"

"Yes..."

"I might as well save people who want to be saved. I can be a firefighter or an EMT...or something like that."

"You want to be the hero everyone needs," I tease. "You'd be amazing."

"Think so?"

"I know I'd feel safer with you out there."

He leans in closer to me, "And then with my awesome job and all, I could find a pretty rich girl to marry."

"Find her? Where would she be?"

"Somewhere close, if she wants to be found."

A smile comes across my face..."You'd marry me?"

He scoffs, "Who said anything about you? I'm thinking Audrey might get over the whole 'she's rich and I'm not' thing by then."

"Hm," I tilt my head in thought, "I don't see that happening for her."

"No? Okay, what about you then?"

"Don't know...I might be free," I shrugged.

"You better be free."

"You better come find me."

His lips find mine, leading by example.

Making out on a fire escape feels right, it feels Leo. He wrapped me in his jacket, of course and pulled me into him.

Our lips stayed together even after he attempted to break away. It wasn't enough, so I whined and he kissed me harder. He's learned to treat me like I have a quota to fill on affection, as a result, I'm given an endless supply of kisses...a bounty of him.

I push his hair back after setting him free. "We've become every annoying couple thinking they're going to get married."

"Well, I don't know what you did to me, but I can't see myself without you now."

"I don't want you to."