15 Which?

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"I love you!"

"What?" I blink at Kiley who bursts out laughing.

"I mean... Alex! Movie night with Alex! I so love you!" She squeals. She... loves me? For what? Getting my ass out on a date with her best friend from life? "I can't believe you guys are for real! I can't believe he actually likes you! He has never, ever, liked any girls, he said they were either too boring or overly interesting. We have to tell the rest!" She blabbers on and on and I think I might get a headache soon.

I shake my head confusingly and put my hands up to silence her, "Slow down. Slow down!" I take in a deep breath and continue, "So you're saying, it's impressive of me, to date Alex, and because of this, you are going to show me off and tell everyone of my 'success'?"

"Don't be daft! This is amazing! You could put it in that way too... but in a good way, okay?" I nod in reply and she claps her hands together. "Alright! Off you go! Break's over, time for work!"

"Why do I have a feeling... that the reason behind why you are only eager for me to get to my next class, is because Alex is in my next class." And happens that Mason is in it too.

"The probability of that is fifty over hundred, now get to it!" She slams her hands on our table and shakes the items on it. Several people glance over. I blush and look away from them, standing quickly as I make my way to my next class. English literature.

The opposite of hate is love, appreciation, not tolerance. If hate is cold, then love is warm, tolerance is neutral. If you want to melt ice, be warm. If you want to combat hate then love with a passion. Love is patient it is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking. It is not easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongdoings.

Love is an emotion that in time becomes part of the oxygen you require to breathe. Any form of removal of it, the emotions will then begin to choke you. It kills you slowly like... like a rope, tied to your neck, it strangles the breath out of you.

Some rope feels like they have spikes on, it scrapes one's neck with that burning feeling, like when you fall down a slope and drag your knee on your way down, skinning your wound clean.

Then the blood pours out, like the oxygen pouring out of you as you breathe your last that wasn't really your last. Your lungs just keep fighting for air that the rope keeps stealing, and you want to cry as you land at the bottom of the slope but you're just too shocked at the impact to react.

Literature lessons are the times I get to pour out my emotions. I'm not a writer, I don't plan to be one either, but writing is like a leisure activity for me.

I hand up my essay to my very much surprised teacher. I am the first to complete my essay topic on love and I am quickly dismissed by my teacher's satisfied expression. I catch Mason's eyes across the class. He looks down and I look away from him. My eyes quickly finds Alex's. He smiles and gives me a thumbs up. He puts up a hand to signal to me that he is almost done with his essay too. I smile back and nod quickly. I move back up to my desk slowly to grab my stuff. Alex stands from his seat, in a hot manner, and hands up his essay to our teacher. The teacher smiles up at him and he gives our teacher a small bow.

Alex jogs back to his seat and snatches up his duffel bag, moving toward the door with me. I could've sworn someone was staring at us. "So. My literature girl, where would you please to go?" Alex takes me by the hand and laughs as he jokes about my literature intelligence.

"Stop it! I hate literature!" Alex tends to fluster me all the time. I am like a balloon popped by Alex's sharp but sweet words.

Alex raises his eyebrow. "Now is that true? From my view, you are now officially Miss Denim's favorite! Whatever you wrote in there certainly caught her attention." Alex laughs at my wide eyes and I push his hand away.

I fake a British accent and snort, "Absurd! Miss Denim obviously like you!"

Alex eyes squeezes shut as he cackles up in laughter, "Miss Denim huh? Did that nickname grow into you now? Oh dear! It's all my fault!" The back of his hand goes to his forehead and I laugh at his dramatic pose.

"Shut up!" I laugh and Alex pulls me towards him by the waist. "I can't pee in my pants right now!"

"Sure you can! I'd like to see your bottom half." He teases me and I freeze as his hands slaps my ass. All of a sudden, I am picking up my pace and my face drains of its color. Alex catches up with me, "Sky?" His expression is filled with guilt and regret.

"I'm fine." I mumble.

Alex looks at me but I look away, "Okay. You wanna get ice cream or something?" Alex offers but I decline, "No. I'm busy today, sorry."

Alex looked a little disappointed but that look soon dissipates and turns into a hopeful one, "It's okay then, another time?"

"Sure." I look back in front of me. I hear Alex sighing before he says, "Okay. Goodbye then."

"Yea, see you tomorrow." I look back at him and offer him a smile. He returns one and walks off. I inhale sharply just as Henryk's car pulls up. Once again, the crowd surrounds him and it hasn't gotten smaller, it got bigger.

—————

"What's wrong?" Henryk looks at me to the right.

I don't look at him but I reply, "Nothing."

"I know it's not nothing and I know you'll hate me if I'm going to tell you right now that we are going to Anna's house." He seems to shrink down in size and prepares for my huge fit, but I don't have the strength for it.

"Okay." I simply reply.

Henryk stares at me, too shocked for a second, taking in the information. "Concentrate on the road!" I scold him.

"Yes, it's just... you're serious?" He looks at me one last time before staring intensively at the road.

I nod.

I hope he sees it and I know he does because I catch him smile, and he doesn't say anything.

Not long after, Henryk pulls up into Anna's driveway. A cheery Anna greets us at her huge doorstep. "Henryk! Skyla! So good to see you both again!" We walk up to her house with her hands outstretched.

"As for you." Henryk grants her a peck on the lips and I look away hurriedly suddenly feeling awkward. I hear Anna reprimanding him softly and she laughs, "Come on in." Anna steps aside allowing us to enter the house.

"I'm surprised you came." Anna tells me after Henryk announces that he needed to use the restroom.

"Me too." I admit.

Anna clears her throat before saying, "Henryk says you're not the type to... erm... how do you put it?" She fiddles with her fingers as she trails off.

"I don't mingle. If that's what you mean." I offer some help and Anna clicks her tongue. "Ah right!" she recalls and she smiles, but I don't return one.

Henryk exits the toilet and claps his hands together once he sees us, "So, what do my girls want to eat?" Anna smiles and walks over to him.

"Come on! My mother baked this lovely dish called Shepherds' Pie. I want you both to try it!" Anna takes my hand excitedly and hurried to the kitchen.

A lovely aroma fills my nostrils and I inhale it. Mm... smells so good.

As Anna takes out the food, the door slams open and Anna almost drops the dish in her hands. Henryk rushes to her side immediately and I glance at the wide opened door.

A figure stands there, frozen. He stares at me for a long time and I stand rooted at my spot, unable to speak or move.

Mason glares hard at me. "How dare you." He growls through gritted teeth.

"How dare what?" Henryk frowns and I whip my head around to glare at him. "Oh... the chemistry..." Henryk resumes and I give him a nasty look. He slams his mouth shut and I look back at Mason, but he has already left the room.

"Just a sec." I tell Anna who nods. I hurry to follow after Mason but Anna stops me to tell me something.

"Listen. I've never seen Mason this mad. I wasn't sure if I should've invited him, but you see... I didn't have a choice because—"

I interrupt her before she could get a chance to complete her sentence, "Because his mum died. Yes I know." Anna nods solemnly and sighs, "I just don't want you to get hurt, alright? When Mason is furious, it's never good, he can say some really horrid things."

I nod and head off.

I remember his room. The one with a high five that I hate so much. His door is open, to my surprise and I walk in calling his name.

No reply.

Then suddenly someone says, "Get out." I hear the wind blowing, it messes my hair and I wonder why the wind is so strong in here. It should've been worse outside.

"No. I want to know what you meant." I walk in and the person standing before me, not on the ground, looks back at me with a piercing look and I want to scream at the sight.

A 'thud' sound, like someone collapsing onto the floor echoes throughout the room and a blood curdling scream erupts from my throat, "No, Mason! Help!" My heart stops and the world stops spinning.