I have made a big decision to turn this book into PAST TENSE! So here you go⤵️

I had spent the whole weekend lying in the same sweats. Not only drowning in pity but also self pity. The only time I got up was to go to the bathroom to either be sick through my mouth or.. well, down there.

Gross. I know.

Mom had gotten really worried for my health and came home from work to take me to the hospital. Luckily I got the all-clear and was given some medication to help subside the excruciating pain in my stomach. I had managed to call up the girls and they told me they were in as much pain as I was. Least we were going through this together and it wasn't just me.

Monday had rolled around and I felt well enough to go to school. Mom had said that it was okay for me to take the day off but I knew I couldn't really. I didn't like missing days because when I did, amazing and exciting things would end happen. I remembered missing a day back as a freshman and that one day I missed, my whole school ended up having a band coming in to play. It was such a shame that I had missed it so ever since then I hadn't taken a day off — apart from when I went out with Theo.

I pulled on a casual white tee, some black flares and a pink and white knitted cardigan that had small flowers knitted into it. I raked my hairbrush through my knotty hair and tied it up into a high ponytail. I managed to put on some makeup but I still felt like I could vomit at any awakening second.

"Willow!" I heard my Mom shout from the bottom of the stairs. I walked over to the door and swung it open. "Yes?"

"Are you sure you feel better to be going to school?" She asked. "You know you can take the day off sweetheart."

I felt my stomach rumble but I tried to cover up the sound by clearing my throat loudly. "It's fine. I feel better now. The medication has really helped." I replied, my voice sounding shaky and uncertain.

She paused for a few seconds. "Alright darling." She said. "If you feel ill, call me and I'll come and get you."

I smiled. "Okay, Mom. I love you." I ran down the stairs and wrapped my arms around her waist. "Have a good day at work."

Her arms came around and trapped me into a warm hug. She rested her chin on top of my head and smiled into my hair. "I love you too. Remember to call me if you feel any little bit of sickness."

I laughed into the hug and pulled back. "I will! Now go and work!" I said and she nodded, picking up her black shoulder bag.

Before she closed the front door behind her, she peeked her head around the door. "Don't forget to call if you feel ill." Before I could say something, the door shut behind her. I laughed into my hands.

Dear God.

I shook my head and walked back upstairs to grab my bag from my bed. My stomach hadn't quite settled but I definitely felt a lot better. Better from throwing up everywhere. I was never going to let Charlotte cook anything for me ever again.

Before I knew it, I was arriving at school. I carefully parked my car and swung my bag on to my shoulder. I locked my car and started to walk away from my car when there was a loud sound of an engine roaring. It sounded as if it was coming closer and closer. Every repeating second.

I stilled in my place and watched as the recognisable shiny blue color of a mustang was driving straight into a parking spot next to mine. I stared at it and blinked a couple times, feeling my stomach squirming much more. Maybe I was sick. Too stick to stay at school today. Yeah. I was going to go ho-

"Oh- hey." Theo said as soon as he saw me. He slammed his car door shut and swung his backpack onto his shoulder. I stared up at him, blinking.

Was he talking to me? Me as in Willow Anderson? And in the school grounds too..?

"Hi?" I replied, slightly taken aback. He combed a hand through his dark brown hair and I stared in confusion. Why on earth is he speaking to me? Especially in front of everyone who was staring in as much confusion as I was.

Theo laughed at my uncertainty but I just gulped. I snatched myself out of my recurring thoughts and I realised how handsome he really looked today — like everyday. I tried to keep my head up the equator since he was wearing a pair of shorts. Even though I wasn't looking down, I could tell he had a tattoo on his thigh.

"You coming or not?" His questioned made me jump back into reality. He was looking back at me, a brow arched up in question.

I stared at him like he had just told me his grandma died. He waved me over to follow him to which my legs just followed on behind him. I was now walking beside Theo Willis.

That was a normal occurrence you'd see..

I just so happened to look down and my eyes caught sight of his leg as his shorts raised with every long stride he took, revealing a tattoo of a campus and a random tree that was cleverly merged together into one design. I never expected for something like that to look so good, but on him, it did. Holy cow and shitting fuck was he hot.

"Is this a good idea to be walking next to each other? You know, considering your ex and all." I said and Theo looked down at me. My breath caught in my throat as I saw that he was really looking at me; it wasn't just a quick glance or a look. But it was a proper one. His green eyes were really bright and pretty.

He chortled. "She isn't my ex." He said bluntly, opening the school doors. I realised I blurted that out — were they still together, then?

Theo swung open the double doors and I tried not to notice that his arm was keeping it open for me.

I wasn't going to comment on it because I was pretending I wasn't looking.

As we both came inside I looked up at him, genuinely confused. "She isn't your ex? So are you two still together?" I asked.

He dragged his tongue along his lower lip, nudging his lip ring, then he chuckled. "There is no us. Never was. It's just a load of rumours and I was never with her romantically."

I furrowed my brows. "Oh." I stared around the school corridor, ignoring the looks that were given to us. "So, what was between the two of you then?"

He scoffed, looking down at me. "Why so nosy?"

My eyes widened at his words and I coughed. "Sorry I didn't m-"

"It's cool." He said. "I never dated Stephanie and never will. What was between was just purely, fun." He struggled on the last word and I wondered why.

"Fun?"

He rolled his eyes. "Sex. It was just sex between us Willow." He said breathlessly and I stared up at him wide eyed. I could feel my cheeks heating up with warmth. "Understand that or do you want me to show you a demonstration?" He asked cockily and I could feel my cheeks flush with redness.

"No! No. I-I'm good thanks." I stuttered and I could feel my heart beat faster. Why was my heartbeat so damn loud?

He snorted. "Cool."

Cool.

Cool.

"Cool." I said. Deep inside my stomach I could feel my stomach exploding with butterflies. It was either that he was standing right next to me looking well, looking his usual self which was handsome and, hot. Or it was the recent conversation we just endured. I never expected to be talking along the subject of sex with Theo bloody Willis.

Did I mention it was with Theo Willis?

I didn't know where we were going but I followed him anyway. I cleared my throat and spoke up. "About our project.." I started and Theo hummed in response. He paid no mind to the girls who were swooning effortlessly over him. "We don't have much time to come up with it and then actually do it."

He looked down, his eyes hooded and I gulped. He was really hot. What a mother fucker he was for being so handsome. "How long do we have?"

I choked at his question. What did he mean, how long do we have? What are we going to d-

"Get your head out the gutter." He chortled. "I meant how long do we have until we have till we present it?"

"Well excuse me for thinking that when you-" I stopped myself, realising how stupid I must look to him. I stared down at the floor. Fuck I needed to get myself together. "Erm, we have less than a month until we present it." I replied with a slightly shaky voice and I could tell he caught on to that because he sniggered. He liked laughing at me and I gave him perfectly good excuses to do just that.

"We still have loads of time I don't know what you're worrying about." He said and he opened a door to a classroom. I watched in confusion.

"Wait- we have business class together?" Is that why he wanted to walk with me because we had the same class?

"Last time I checked you were in this class, so-"

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes and wandered inside. "Don't be smart with me."

"Got it m'lady." His words had me freeze on the spot. "Why'd you stop?" He asked and pushed forwards, his arm slightly grazing mine. I shivered at the feeling.

I needed to get myself together but it was hard when he made me feel weird inside. I disliked it. I didn't want to act like the rest of the girls in this school who were obsessed with him.

I wanted to be me..but somehow I felt different.

"Good morning Willow, and-" Ms Gill paused, pushing on her glasses that were in her hand. "Theo?" Ms Gill glanced down at me and then back at Theo. "Please take a seat. You will be working in your pairs today so sit together." She said breathlessly and I cursed to myself mentally.

Of course I had to sit next to him.

Theo didn't seem bothered by that though, he just went over to the back and pulled out his seat. I walked over and blushed as soon as he casually pulled out a seat for me. No words said.

That was normal for people to do right?

"Thanks." I said quietly and sat in the chair, putting my bag down next to me. I tried to look down at the table to hide the obvious red tint on my cheeks but that didn't go unnoticed.

He chuckled and I snapped my head to look at him. "What?"

He leant back in his chair, his legs spread far apart as he got comfortable. "Oh nothing." He shrugged

I narrowed my eyes at him. "No. Tell me."

He looked over at me and looked at me with a flint in his eyes. "You really want to know?" He tilted his head sideways partly and all I could do was nod at him.

"It find it funny how flustered you get." He said teasingly and he grinned.

My cheeks immediately flamed. Holy shit. His green eyes stared right into mine and I didn't even know how long we were looking at each other. I felt warmth travel throughout the whole of my body and I couldn't stop it, but when he was close to me and staring at me. Suddenly he clenched his jaw and stared forwards, his eyes leaving mine in seconds.

He was right. I did get flustered easily but one thing he didn't know, was that I was getting flustered because of him.

"I don't get flustered." I muttered and he nodded his head firmly. My body temperature told me I was lying.

"Yes you do." He said without looking at me.

"I do not." I said more firmer than before. I watched him cross his arms over his chest making his biceps bulge. I wondered if he did that on purpose.

"You do." He chuckled. "Look at yourself." He turned to look at me and I stayed silent. I felt like a hot radiator.

"So what? It's just warm today." I reasoned, shrugging, but he then pulled a face at me as if he was judging me hard.

"It's hot all the time and you don't look like that every day." He said and I stared at him weirdly. I turned in my seat, almost accepting his words when I realised what it sounded like.

"Do you look at me in school?" I furrowed my brows at him curiously. He rolled his eyes.

"Stop. You couldn't be more wrong." He rolled his eyes again. I shrugged. Maybe I was wrong.

Some silence fell between us and I nibbled on my lip, turning my head discreetly. "No. I'm being serious." His words caught me off-guard and I jolted slightly. Did he see me?

♔♔

"Did you hear?" Angel asked and I stared at her blankly.

"No. I don't get told anything." I replied and she snorted.

"There's another party at Marcus' next weekend. His parents are out of on business apparently." Angel shrugged and my forehead creased.

"Didn't he already have a party like, not that long ago?" I asked and Angel nodded.

"Yep. I heard that his parents don't come home that often. It's kinda sad." She sighed. "But anyways. Do you want to go to that party?" She asked and latched her arm with mine as we walked down the corridor.

I groaned and looked at her as if I was about to cry. "Do I have to?"

She looked at me like I was stupid. "Erm yes. I'm not going by myself, duh!"

"Aren't the other girls going to come?" I asked and Angel shook her head, frowning.

"Nope. Angel doesn't want to go because she's scared to get found out by her Mom and then Charlotte's away all weekend. Which leaves us two." She winked and I groaned louder.

"Fine." I rolled my eyes. "But it's your fault if anything bad happens to me." I pointed at her and she nodded her head firmly then saluting.

"I didn't buy pepper spray for nothing." She patted her bag and latched her arm back around mine as we wandered off to class. "Let's go. I wanna go say hi to my favourite teacher."

We made our way to English class when we suddenly saw some girl — we couldn't see from behind the door — talking to Mrs Cleveland. There was a small window that we could see through but not enough to name a name. "Who's that?" I asked and Angel stood up on her tippy toes. I immediately grabbed her by her shoulders and pushed her back down. "Get down! They'll see you!"

"It's fine! They won't. Their backs are turned on us now." She stood back up, gesturing for me to do the same. "Have a look."

So I did. I stood up on my tippy toes and glanced through the glass. There was a dark haired girl who was slender, standing beside Mrs Cleveland. Mrs Cleveland was pointing to a seat and it was the seat next to mine.

Me and Angel shared a look at each other.

My eyes had never widened so much and my heart had never beat faster. This girl spun around on her heel. Everything she did, how she acted, reminded me of someone.

It was Stephanie the bitch.

A/N: