"If it's meant to be, it'll be. Baby, just let it be." —Bebe Rexha ft. Florida Georgia.

My forehead is pressed up against his as I venture to close the small space left between us. Mr. Todd is gazing up at me through his wet streaks of hair, but I am unable to construe his facial expression because my mind is filled with this unfamiliar desire to feel his mouth against mine.

I just need to feel his lips. Just this once.

I allow my eyes to flutter shut as I gingerly push my lips forward, our noses almost touching as I strengthen my grip around his nape.

But then a composed voice, transporting four simple words breaks through my senses.

"What are you doing?"

I freeze, and as if my brain has regained its function, I take a second to ask myself the same question.

Kelly Young, what the fucking-fuck are you doing?

I open my eyes, and my history teacher is gawking at me in pure bewilderment.

I clear my throat bashfully, unwrapping my arms and pointing to the umbrella behind him. "The umbrella. I was just trying to get the umbrella..."

That makes no sense!

He tilts his head to the side, and I reach a hand around him, our cheeks almost touching as I grab my only escape route. I stay down for a while, steering my head in the opposite direction as I shut my eyes in shame. Fuck.

"Mia is the only one at my house right now; I'll need to take you home quickly." He begins to stand up, and I jam my teeth in my lip, the feeling of humiliation that often visits me slowly reappearing with great intensity. Shit. I pray to God he hasn't caught on to what I was trying to do. I mean, my excuse was sloppy but I hope it was enough.

What the hell is wrong with me?! Why would I do that?!

"You can use my umbrella. The car is over there."

I stand up from my squatting position and nod my head, trailing my gaze to his parked car on the left side of the street.

He jams his hands in his pockets and begins to lead the way, not seeming to mind the heavy showers of rain.

I follow him with his umbrella aloft my head, observing his soaked T-shirt that is clinging to his body, the muscles in his back printing through the material. His joggers are wet too, and I feel responsible for this somehow.

My legs move on their own as I run-up to his side. He slightly jerks at my sudden appearance, and I raise the umbrella higher, trying to share it for the both of us.

My short limb struggles to keep it above both our heads though, and he notices this.

"It's alright. We are almost at the car."

I crane my neck to look up. "I know, but I want us to share it." The corner of my lips lifts a bit.

He stares down at me silently, the raindrops and the squeaky noises caused by my wet socks filling the gap. From this angle, he appears at least a foot taller than usual, and his eyes are more alluring for some reason, causing butterflies to erupt in my stomach.

Before they can completely pull me into their capacity, he takes the umbrella from my grasp with a simple answer. "Alright."

Satisfied with his agreement, I look away from him and push my hands in the pockets of my sweater. I feel a soft smile coming on, and I hang my head to hide it. It feels good to know that he came out here in search of me. I appreciate that he deemed it fit to apologize, though sometimes I feel as if I deserve the words of chastisement I get from people. I really make things hard for those around me.

We arrive at his car, and he digs into his pocket for his key then presses a button to unlock all the sections. I am now standing in front of him, cooped up under the small shelter we have. He stretches a hand around me to open the door, and my breath gets caught in my lungs since his chest is lightly pressing into my back.

"The door is gonna open, so don't stay too close to it."

I instinctively take a step back, but my butt ends up connecting with his groin. I recall his...thing that I touched earlier today—the scary size of it, and quickly sprint forward as the door sways open, climbing into the front seat almost on all fours.

It's so silly to be scared of a natural body part. But it didn't feel natural at all.

He stares at me, confused, before he decides not to say anything and just closes the door.

My notebook is lying on the dashboard, and I register that I left it behind at his house. I redeem it and open my bag, stuffing it into the wide compartment as he climbs into his side of the car.

I look over at him as he starts up his engine. "Um...do you have an extra shirt or anything?"

He pulls his attention to me, laps of his damp hair lying over his forehead. "Why?"

I look down at my lap, afraid to reveal that I am causing a river on his mat. "I am wet...and I am wetting your car seat."

His eyes slump to the water dripping from my skirt, and he looks away, his response delaying as he shifts comfortably. "It's okay. We are both wet."

The words propel me to glance over at him. That's new...and refreshing.

I say nothing else as he steps on the gas and drives off.

••

The car ride home was quiet, and Mr. Todd stayed by the curb until he was sure I had gotten inside my house. He was just trying to be a good teacher, I would suppose, or perhaps it was an act of making up for yelling at me during our tutoring session. The latter is unlikely, since the first time he had dropped me home, he had exercised the same solicitousness.

My parents aren't home yet as I shut my door behind me, and Caroline is sitting on the couch, laughing at a show she's watching on Tv.

"Goodnight." I smile.

"Goodnight, Kel. Everything alright?" She calls over her shoulders.

I nod my head while lazily moving toward the staircase. "Yeah, just tired."

And embarrassed. I can't believe I just tried to kiss my darn teacher. I need a cold shower that can hopefully pull me back to my senses. I must have thought I was starring in some romance movie for a second there.

As I walk down the hallway to get to my room, I notice that my brother's door is wide open. I catch a glimpse of him standing in the mirror while fixing the cuff of his shirt. My brows furrow as I backtrack, peeking in from behind the sill as my eyes zoom in on his clothes.

The fuck?! He's wearing Mr. Todd's shirt!

"What are you doing?" My eyes tear open as I plod over to him, and he smiles as he fastens his neck button.

"Goodnight to you too; I am going on a date. Wish me luck." He waggles his eyebrows, and I ogle him from head to toe.

"Have you lost your mind? Take it off." I frown. "Take it off now."

He narrows his eyes. "Take off what?"

"The darn shirt!"

His confused expression doesn't falter as he cocks his head. "Why?"

Why. Oh. How do I explain the fact that I have Mr. Todd's shirt in my possession? It would create some form of misunderstanding, and I wouldn't want to give Kevin another piece of information to taunt me with. He already thinks I have feelings for the man. I don't intend on making it worse.

"It's dad's shirt, so you can't tell me whether or not to wear it. Don't be rude." He hisses, and I gulp.

"D-did you wash it?" I question.

Yeah, I am nuts. I was planning on not washing this shirt ever, wanting Mr. Todd's manly scent to stay on it for as long as it possibly can. Please do not ask why; I've got no idea either.

"Duh. Would I be wearing the shirt if it wasn't?"

Um, yes.

"What? Does it smell?" He tries to push his arm under my nose, but I grimace and move away.

"Stop, dude. And it is not dad's shirt, you idiot." I grumble the last part, but he makes it out.

"Yes, it is."

"It is not."

"Yes, it is. I'm going to go ask him." He begins to walk away, and I quickly grab onto his bicep, drawing him back.

"Way-way-wait. It's okay. It's his. It's his shirt, asshole. Just wear it, wear the damn shirt."

He shrugs victoriously, fixing his collar in the mirror. "Exactly."

I send the nuisance a glare of irritation before turning away to leave his room.

How on earth did he find that shirt, by the way? That damn weasel.

All the built-up exhaustion comes down on me as I get to my room and crash onto my back. It feels good to finally be home; outside is freezing and the warmth of my room hugs me like a cozy blanket.

I gaze up at the ceiling as my mind replays the earlier incident with my history teacher.

Once again, my heart increases its velocity at the fresh memory.

Why did I do that? Why did I try to kiss him? I am starting to believe I really have a crush on him, as Mia had said earlier. But that cannot be the case; I have hated that man from the very first moment we've met. There is no way I could be having romantic emotions for him. It's just not possible.

Sleep. I need to sleep. Maybe I'll feel better in the morning.

••

"Kelly! I can't believe you dragged me here with you! We have history class in an hour." Derrick frowns as we stand at the gates of Graysville High School.

My need to assist Mia dwelled on my mind the moment I woke up. Alongside the embarrassing moment last night where I tried to kiss my teacher. Apparently, sleep didn't aid my case and only made the thoughts more frequent.

It's almost lunch period now, and I left my Literature class earlier so we could arrive just in time for Graysville's break session. Lucky for me, Derrick drove today so getting here wasn't a hard task.

"I don't know what you're doing or why we're here, but I won't lie, this is cool as shit! I feel like I am in one of those detective movies." He grins while rubbing his chin, and I laugh.

"Don't ever say I have never done anything for you. I've made you a star, dude. A star!"

"It's lunchtime now; let's go in." He announces, and we make our way through the gates of the school. The security stops us and asks us a few questions and we present a half-lie, saying we came to visit a friend of ours. He easily lets us through, and we exchange grins as we set out to find the school's field. The institution has a modern infrastructure but isn't a large one, and so it won't be hard to find the place we want to get to.

A group of girls is congregated there, sitting on some old benches and crates. Derrick and I stand at a corner that leads to a hall as I retrieve my cellphone from my skirt pocket. I effortlessly locate the girl who Mia had shown to me. She told me her name was Celeste, and to make my job a lot easier she's currently firing up a cancer stick. Rude kids.

"How old are these girls?" Derrick gapes.

"Twelve, thirteen." I press my cell against his chest and he holds it quickly. "Video this, aight? You want a movie; imma give you one."

He looks at me in confusion as I step back, shooting him two playful gun fingers before almost twisting my foot off a small step.

"Be careful." Derrick chuckles, and I turn away and approach the batch of girls.

"Howdy, ladies!"

The group that consists of four girls turn their attention in my direction. Eyebrows scrunch, and glances are exchanged as I steadily advance toward them.

"Mind if I get some of that?" I flash my teeth.

One of the girls with blonde hair narrows her eyes, a cigarette perched between her skinny fingers. "Who are you?"

Celeste—the leader of the pack—is sizing me up from head to toe, taking in my attire as she coils a leg over the other. "You're not from here."

"Nope!" I crash on an available crate, smiling widely. "My sister goes here. I just got suspended from school, so I just dropped by to burn some time. My mom will kill me if I go home now." I grit my teeth for extra effect.

The girls look at each other again, skeptically, and my eyes focus on the poles they are each holding between their fingers.

"Oh yeah? Well, what were you suspended for?" A brunette questions and my fake smile falters.

I scratch my head, sieving through my thoughts. "For-uh-ah, smol—smoking."

"Smoking?" She raises a brow.

"Yeah, smoking." My confidence returns. "They caught me smoking in the girl's bathroom."

Celeste shifts a little, straightening her spine. "Well...what was it that busted you? The sprinklers?"

"Yeah. Those damn, bloody sprinklers. Hate them so much." I punch the air; a bit too dramatically. I gather myself and push my hair from my eyes. Calm down, Kelly. It's not the time for your hyperactivity.

"Yes. You know, the same thing almost happened to us yesterday." The brunette reveals.

Well, this is easier than I thought.

I pretend to be shocked. "Woah. Really? How come?"

Celeste flashes her friend a look, probably warning her not to speak further. Distrusting me.

"It's alright." I try to assure them. "I am not a good student neither. I keep messing up school, my grades suck, and I space out in my classes. It affects me emotionally because I don't know how to do better. I mean, I am trying but I keep failing." I smile a little, knowing that parts of it are coming from a place deep down.

It works, and Celeste loosens up again. "Oh. Well, we were smoking in the bathrooms yesterday..." She begins to light up a cigarette, then extends it to me. "Here, have a smoke."

Fucking hell! I don't even know how to smoke this thing!

I try to hide my tenseness, my eyes glancing in Derrick's direction. He's hiding behind the wall with the phone hoisted up, and he's laughing! He's actually laughing at my predicament! That Judas!

I slip it between my lips and take a draw, excessively coughing as I hunch over. Shit! How do they inhale that stuff?

Celeste narrows her eyes as she takes it from my hand. "You don't seem like a smoker."

I slap my chest, battling to locate my voice. "Ah-sometimes I forget how to inhale properly; does that happen to you guys sometimes?" They shake their heads. "No? Oh well, I guess I am still a beginner." I chuckle nervously, but they are now watching me quietly. It makes me wonder if they're picking up on my falsity, so I clear my throat and try to switch the topic.

"So, what happened when you guys got caught? I thought you would have gotten a suspension like me, no?"

The brunette shrugs. "Well, we wouldn't know because we pinned it on a girl we know here."

Celeste chuckles. "Yeah, that little freak-girl. If she weren't so quiet and stand-offish, we wouldn't have done it, but she acts like she's better than everyone else."

"Oh." I nod my head. "What's the name of this girl?"

Celeste flips her dark hair over her shoulders, her green eyes squinting slightly. "Why would you want to know?"

"Is her name Brittany? Because I know a Brittany with said qualities." I smile, and one of the girls tries to offer me a cigarette, but I discreetly turn it down.

"No. Her name's Mia. Her parents are rich as fuck."

Language, kid.

I look heavenward with a finger on my chin, pretending to ponder. "Oh, Mia, Mia. You mean...Mia Todd?"

Celeste looks at me from the corner of her eyes. "Yes...how do you know her surname?"

"Because..." I smile cockily as I slowly stand up from the crate. I swing to her. "She's my teacher's niece, a fellow Army—I am talking about BTS by the way—and we share the same husband. Lee Min-ho."

One of the girls screws her face up. "Who's Lee Min-ho?"

"Never mind that. The point is that...you girls...JUST. GOT. BUSTED!" I laugh boisterously, and they all look confused as I spin in my stance, dancing while chanting, "🎶you girls got busted, you girls got busted..." I break it down to the floor. "you girls got busted, you girls got busted...🎶"

"Is the show over? Can I press stop on the recording?" Derrick approaches me, still videoing the scene with a wide grin on his face.

The girls' mouths are now on the floor as they gawk at me in awe.

"Yes, yes. Let me see." I grin as I peer down at the screen. "Wow, you shot this beautifully. It feels so 3D."

"You bitch!" Celeste stands up, and I smile.

"See you in the Principal's office."

••

"I can't believe you lied, Celeste."

The lady who I saw Mr. Todd conversing with on my first visit here is glowering at the group of girls, and I bite my lip to suppress my snickering.

We are now standing in her office, and my eyes find Mia as she stands across the room. I subtly send her a thumbs up, and her features soften as she smiles.

"All of you, I will be calling your parents, and you are in some serious trouble. I hope you know that!"

I can't contain my laughter. I swing my face in the opposite direction, cackling, while the girls glare at me menacingly.

The Principal turns her attention to Mia and remorse covers her ageable face. "I am genuinely sorry, Mia. I will contact your uncle and your parents and let them know, alright?"

Mia nods, and then her eyes trail to me again. I grin toothily, and she sends me another beam of gratitude.

••

"...you should have seen her face! She was so mad." I laugh as Mia walks me to the gates of the school where Derrick is parked and waiting.

"Yeah, she almost had a heart attack." She giggles. "Her eyes were so glossy as if she was close to crying. I have never seen Celeste that nervous. It was super cool, though. Thank you, Kelly."

I fan her off playfully. "Don't mention it. It's alright." I tuck my hands in the pockets of my skirt, idly staring at my shoes.

Stopping in her tracks, she grips my arm, and I halt my strides and turn to her. "Yeah?"

She braces her waists, squinting her eyes from the midday sun. "I kind of overheard what my uncle said yesterday during your tutoring session. I hope you know that you're amazing. You have a good heart, and you're very smart."

The compliments send me soaring through the galaxy. I have to take a minute to absorb them. "Thank you, Mia."

She nods her head.

"And, um. Promise me something."

"Sure." She nods again, readily.

"Don't tell him what I did today, okay?"

She looks confused. "Why?"

"I don't think he'd be happy about it. He wants me to focus on my studies."

"Oh." She looks down for a while, thinking on it before she looks back up with a lopsided smile. "I won't tell him."

"Thanks." I beam.

"Kel!"

We both look to see Derrick outside his car, beckoning that I come quickly.

Mia twists her lips with interest, looking from him to me. "Who's he?"

"My friend. Derrick." My lips turn up.

"Oh." A faint blush appears on her face, and she gazes in his direction again. "He's hot."