"That was just jerkish and rude, I'll go right over there and tell Mr. "Lord of the Manor" he can't treat you like something to dismiss."

Emma looked ready to kill the moment Olive sat back down beside her and had Olive not felt so crummy, she would have been flattered how readily her best friend stuck up for her.

"Don't. It's okay..."

She could feel tears stinging her eyes and struggled to swallow past the lump in her throat. She felt silly, it was nothing to get upset about, surely. She was being foolish and overreacting again.

Emma shook her head.

"No it jolly well isn't okay. How long has he been acting like that again with you?"

"I don't know...not long at all. It's just weird. I'm being silly." Olive sniffed and then drew in a long breath to steady herself, at least while they were on the bus.

Enoch was hard to read and unpredictable at the best of times but he'd warmed up to her so much more and more over the last few months, even in public he was slowly but surely easing up. His sudden coldness towards Olive had come on so suddenly it seemed harsh. He'd all but ignored her all day and hadn't even come into the cafeteria at lunch at all. She'd tried to text him to see if everything was alright after he'd all but run away from them night before and, unsurprising now, he hadn't responded at all. It kind of stung how suddenly he would brush her off. If he was in a bad mood, she could normally tell right away, but he didn't seem angry so much as just distant, more so than ever. He was hiding again. He had told her it wasn't her that was the problem but Olive was less than convinced as uncomfortable as he seemed around her suddenly.

He just needed a few days to cool off. That was probably it. A little space, and she would happily give that to him if that's what Enoch wanted.

But Enoch was little different the next day, or even the day after. He barely said two words to her even in Biology, that weren't directly related to the subject, only glared at anyone who so much as looked at their bench. While he spoke many in mumbled words and grunts when she tried to start a conversation with him, one little reassurance Olive had was that he was at least looking at her. She would catch him staring at her sometimes, over the bench or out of the corner of her eye, much like he had done in the early weeks they'd been going out. But the moment she smiled at him or asked him what it was, he would firmly mutter that it was nothing and everything was fine. It was certainly not fine.

If he would just tell her why, even if Enoch had changed his mind, which would have genuinely shocked her given their recent behaviour before whatever it was that was wrong had hit like a wave, she would rather he told her. But no. If he had, surely that would be clear. Olive didn't even want to think about that chance, it upset her too much.

Emma repeated her offer to scold him into the next life with a vengeance every few hours or so that the wedge that had been driven between Enoch and Olive grew wider. But it wasn't until Enoch, after two days, finally decided to join them at the same table again that she did.

"Well looks who's decided to join us today. What's changed, Enoch?"

"Shut up, Nullings." Enoch only growled and Olive's head shot up in surprise as he actually took a seat with them again. At least he wasn't so mad he was completely against them. He sat right across from her, despite the empty spot on her left, but for a moment she caught his blue eyes again.

He didn't look away straight away, surely that was a sign things were getting a little better. Maybe. Save for his eyes, Enoch's expression was almost unreadable but Olive could see something alive behind their gaze, and the smallest, ever so slight twitch in his jaw that would have gone unnoticed to anyone else.

"Enoch, I..."

"Why don't you sit with Olive, Enoch?"

Emma's voice was a little strained, like a rubber band stretched out as she tried too hard to be nicer. Olive closed her eyes and shook her head. Emma definitely was doing it for her sake, but if anything, it was going to annoy him more.

"What's that s'posed ta mean, Emma?"

"She is your girlfriend, isn't she? You could actually treat her like it."

"Emma, please don't." Olive's eyes flew open again in time to watch Enoch's shoulders hunch under his jumper at Emma's choice of words.

"No, I will. He's been awful to you and he should know that-"

"-I 'aven't been awful." Enoch interrupted and for a moment everyone's attention turned to Millard who had stifled an ungracious snort behind his hand. "What?"

"You have. But that's none of my business."

"That's right, it ain't. So butt out. Olive? 'ave I been awful?"

It wasn't so much a genuine question that he wanted to know the answer to. Enoch was expecting a certain answer, and Olive could see that plainer than day that he just hoped she'd say no so everyone would stop pushing him. She wanted them to stop to. Emma meant well, and she could see by the way Hugh was shaking his head across the table at Enoch that he was definitely siding with Emma, and he'd been distant and uncomfortable where he had, and should have, been comfortable with her. Of course she was upset.

"Well...I wouldn't say awful..." She looked away from him and down at the table, drawing in a breath to try and steady it.

"See? It's fine."

"I...forgot something, excuse me." Olive stood up and without any further excuse, hurried to leave the room before she couldn't hold back the tear threatening to slip away with the next blink. She could hear someone snap a 'Nice one!', more than likely at Enoch but she didn't care at the moment.

She got halfway down the empty corridor towards the bathrooms before she stopped and leaned against the wall. She didn't want to cry, and sometimes she hated being as sensitive as she was. It seemed foolish and silly to cry over a boy who was really just being exactly what he usually was to everyone else. Olive sniffed and reached up to rub her eyes as she heard footsteps coming towards her. It was probably just Emma, or Fiona, and part of her hoped it was, but then she looked up and her heart stopped. Of all people, she hadn't been expecting Enoch right now. Was she relieved? She didn't really want him to see her crying, he'd only be more uncomfortable.

"Well if ya gonna cry about it..."

"Oh that's a great start, Enoch." She wiped her eyes hurriedly and turned around. Then his fingers closed around her wrist and she felt her heart skip. He'd not so much as touched her hand in days. She let him turn her around. "...Yes?"

She didn't really expect him to apologise for anything. 'Sorry' was not a word that frequented Enoch's vocabulary. All the same, she kind of hoped maybe he would stop acting the way he had been now. His face was stony as ever but at least he was close to her, and looking her in the eye. This time it was her gaze which faltered first.

"I already told ya, ya ain't the problem, didn't I?"

"Well when you're hardly saying a word to me, and clearly don't want to spend anymore time with me, what do you expect me to think?" Olive blurted out, and for once, didn't regret her tongue getting away from her.

"Well I don't bloody know, I just don't feel like goin' nowhere."

"Well then you could talk to me. Tell me what it is and maybe it'll actually help-"

"No ya can't. Why d'ya fink I wouldn't tell ya?" Enoch dropped her hand and Olive was suddenly more aware of how close he was again.

She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to make sense of whatever words Enoch was just throwing out. "Okay, either I can help...or I'm the problem. It doesn't work both ways, Enoch. If you're changing your mind th-"

" 'oo said I'm changin' my mind?"

"Well it certainly seems that way." Hesitantly, Olive reached for one of his hands and Enoch for once didn't jerk it right away. "Please let me in, Enoch..."

She watched as he looked over his shoulder and swallowed nervously. His cool blue eyes flickered back to hers and down towards her lips and back up again.

"If I was changin' my mind would I do this?"

Then he had tugged on her hand and pulled her closer to him and his lips were hard against hers. It wasn't a sweet kiss, or gentle at all, but it was something tangible and real even if it only lasted a few seconds before someone cleared their throat.

Enoch immediately let go of Olive's hand and they both turned, every inch the guilty couple, to see Miss Peregrine, of all members of the staff, standing right in the middle of the corridor with her arms crossed and one booted foot tapping on the floor as she stared at them sternly.

"That is not the kind of behaviour I expect to be seeing in the school halls, gracious me, of all students!"

"Sorry, Miss. Peregrine..." Olive blushed a furious red while Enoch sighed beside her and stubbornly looked at the wall.

"Don't let me catch that again or you'll both see some consequences." The Head of the school cocked her head a little to the side, not at all unlike a bird and frowned sternly at the pair of them until Enoch had taken a definite step away from Olive. "Good."

Olive immediately turned back to Enoch the moment the Headmistress rounded the corner and stared at him. Now she was more confused than ever, albeit, slightly reassured.

"But...what-"

"I said ya ain't the problem." She was certain she saw his tongue dart out to lick his lips for half a moment before Enoch pursed them and seemed to chew over his words carefully. "Maybe the reason, but not the problem. Come over after school...maybe I'll explain it."

xxxXxxx

Enoch didn't say anything until Olive hopped off the bus at his stop behind him and had jogged to catch up where he was already walking down the block.

"Your parents won't mind?"

"Sod it if they do." Enoch scoffed and barely glanced at her as Olive caught him up. "Anyway, they'll be gone away for the weekend by now. 'pparently they still trust me a little. Dunno 'ow much, but..."

"Then do you really think-"

"Don't get 'ypocritical on me now, Olive. Ya want me ta talk ta ya or not?" Enoch stopped in his tracks and frowned at her. Olive looked back down at the pavement before sighing and lifting her gaze. He very much had a point. If he was actually going to talk to her, and explain himself, there was no way she was going to stop him.

It might have been her imagination, but she could have sworn Enoch's hand was shaking slightly as he turned his key in the lock and let them inside. For the first time, Olive wasn't just hurriedly rushed through the house on a beeline to Enoch's bedroom, which now sounded slightly odd when she thought of it like that. Enoch all but barrelled ahead but Olive lingered in the corridor where she now saw pictures on the wall.

She peered into the first doorway down the hall which was the kitchen and dining and had such a friendly, well lit vibe that it was hard to believe that Enoch lived here. His bedroom was probably the only room in the house that fitted him, unsurprisingly.

Olive heard a dull thump of a bag being dropped somewhere and was about to follow him when a picture mounted on the wall just inside the open doorway to the kitchen caught her eye. She couldn't help the fond smile that crept over her face. Enoch didn't strike her at all as someone who enjoyed taking pictures and the several times she had tried to convince him when they were alone to take a picture with her, he had either scowled unpleasantly or flat out refused.

But this was not recent by any means, in fact he couldn't have been older than six or seven but it might have been the cutest thing Olive had ever seen in her life. Enoch had evidently always been as pale as he was and even a good ten years ago at least he had the strange circles around his eyes though they weren't nearly as prominent as they were now. His dark hair was neatly combed, though still with a definite curl to it and trimmed close at the sides and perhaps the best part, was the suspenders. It could have been a portrait of a school boy from the 40's or something for how Enoch looked on whatever occasion it was.

"What are you doi-oh bloody 'ell..."

Olive jumped, she hadn't even heard him coming and then suddenly he was behind her shoulder.

"Enoch, it's adorable."

"Might be many fings but that isn't one. 'owever bloomin' old I am. I 'ate that picture, maybe it'll conveniently disappear..."

As she turned around, smiling once again like nothing was wrong at all for a minute, Olive knew she wasn't mistaken to see a hint of red on his cheeks.

"Okay, sorry...I won't mention it again. However cute you were." She tried to lessen her grin. "...what is it, Enoch? You'll still tell me, right?"

"Since you're 'ere..." He muttered and turned his back. Olive could see him run a hand over his face and he was suddenly agitated again, pacing the room like a caged tiger as the floorboards creaked underfoot. She set her bag down and walked over to the kitchen table to take a seat and give him space if he wanted it.

"I don't bloody well wanna 'ave this conversation but...I probably owe ya somefin'..."

She wasn't going to argue with that. If Enoch was reaching out enough to offer an explanation for his behaviour then she wasn't going to resist him. She'd been so sure he was getting uncomfortable having a girlfriend around that he was putting that wall back but after his assurance, reliable or not, she had no idea anymore.

"Enoch...you know if you can tell anyone what's going on, it's me."

"I wasn' 'bout ta let Emma Bloom make me apologise but...I know I was a jerk runnin' off like that. I know I've been one."

"Well...maybe a little..."

"No, not a bloody little, I was because I was tryin' ta be one." Enoch snapped and for a moment his whole face twisted into a mask of self loathing. "Ya don' deserve that. Oh for-"

"Enoch, what's the matter?" Olive stood up, suddenly alarmed by how torn he looked. It was rather like a wounded animal, like he wanted to tell her but at the same time, he really didn't. "Is it your dad? Is he why you're suddenly all...distant again?"

"No. I can always deal wiv that."

"Then-"

"I was scared, okay? For 'eaven's sake don't repeat that." Enoch had turned around and set his back to her but Olive could hear his fingers drumming tensely on the countertop he stood at. He spoke suddenly, interrupting her with words that came out sharply and in a rush. Olive froze.

"Because I fink I love you, alright?"