2 Chapter 2

"This is so not a good idea." Fawn said, as she stood beside me, nervously fumbling around as she scanned the hallway. I opened the locker and placed the letter on top of a book, trying to adjust its angle.

"God! Nothings gonna happen. Chill." I said, as I go on adjusting the letter's position to find the perfect place where it can be seen. "What if he understands that it was us who did it?" She asks anxiously, as I roll my eyes. "No ones gonna find out Fawn." I say, sighing and standing up.

"Are you sure this is going to work? What if it goes wrong?"Fawn asks, making me stop momentarily. "One thing that boys this age cares about is their reputation. I don't mind if he loses it a bit." I say to her with a smirk. She nods and reaches for the letter."Okay okay fine. Let me just read it one last time. I wanna see if I've missed something."

She takes out the letter and open it, and I stand next to her, reading it for what felt like the hundredth time.

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* Hey Ryan! I hope you're having fun. I already miss you baby. I miss the way you touched me, I can still feel your warmth in my bed. I can't wait to do what we did last night. Lets try some new positions tonight okay? Its so sad that a handsome boy like you at your age can't produce Testosterones. But its okay baby, daddy here will help you. I can help fix your broken weenie. My wife won't be here tonight as well, another shift it seems, so you can come over. You already know our passcode ;D

Love you babes,

Ps. When are you going to come out to everyone? I can't wait to introduce you to everyone! I wanna meet all your friends! *

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We laugh again, reading the ridiculous letter we had just made up. "I really wanna see his expression when he reads this!" I say, as I wipe tears from my eyes from laughing too hard.

She nods, a silly grin on her face as she closes the letter and hands it back to me. I take it from her, and try to place the letter in the same position as before. Just as I was about to close the locker, I see a movement from the corner of my eye.

We both stand still, trying to think of what to do. I slowly turn my head , trying to make out the figure standing. There, at the end of the corridor, stood a boy. He was wearing a hoodie, a light blue ripped jeans that were ripped at the knee and some Timberlands. He was clutching a yellow knapsack on his shoulder, as this other hand was in his pocket. His black hoodie covered his face, making it hard to make out his features.

I felt shivers pass through my body, as I understood that he was staring at us. I felt Fawn slowly step back, her voice hushed."Oh my god. I think he saw us."I slowly shut the locker, trying my best to act calm, but my shaking legs said otherwise.

I bit my lip nervously, as I hushed down my voice,"Act natural. He might not know what happened. Act as if this locker is ours." I tell her, and saw her slowly nod.

In a matter of seconds, Fawn suddenly acted as if the locker was hers, opening it and acting as if she was taking out the books for the next class. I stood frozen, my body not moving.Even if I was the one who suggested the plan, I was far from doing it, as I stood on the spot , my legs quaking as my eyes were fixed on his.

I heard Fawn hiss from behind me,as she shut the locker."What the hell are you doing, you idiot! Act natural!"She hisses at me, as I nod. I turn around and start walking away from the boy, not sure if I was even going in the right direction.

I felt Fawn rush up to me, sighing loudly,"Walk properly dumb ass. You look like you're gonna poop any second!" I was too nervous to tell her a comeback,as I still felt the boys gaze on my back.

I quickly took a right turn, walking towards the sickroom. I open the door without another moment of hesitation, feeling Fawn right behind me. The second she closed the door, I drop down on the floor, letting out a huge sigh.

"Holy shit. What just happened?"Fawn says, looking flabbergasted as she stood in the same spot with her hands on her head. I look at her, and we start laughing, not believing that we just did something so stupid.

Suddenly footsteps approach us, and I look up. "What are you girls doing here?"Amberly, the kind nurse asks us. I quickly stand up , and we both glance at each other, unable to come up with an excuse.

"Umm..We just..We were just-"I start , but I start stuttering as Amberly looked over at me. Since the day I had started school, I had always known Amberly. She was like a mother figure , always looking out for me. She and her husband could not have children, so in place , she saw me as one of her own. It made it even harder for me to lie to her when she was so caring.

Fawn quickly stepped up,"Hazel didn't feel that good in class. I just came here to drop her. I have to get back to class now."Fawn said. I quickly whipped my head towards her, staring at her with shock. Fawn didn't look at me in the eye, knowing that if she would , I would make her repent.

"Oh , is it your panic attacks? Did it happen again?" Amberly asks, as she stepped forward to check my temperature. I glance over at Fawn and then back to Amberly, and I nod slowly.Besides my friends, only Amberly knew about my panic attacks, and I trusted her with it as much as I trusted them.

"Come here. Let's get you to bed."She said, as she gently helped me to lie on a bed. I kick off my shoes and drop my bag on the floor, lying flat on the bed. Fawn stood beside me, as she watched me with her arms crossed over her chest.

Amberly came back to my side, a glass of water on one hand and pills in the other."Here have this. Lie down for a while okay? Don't move around."she said to me. I nod and take the pills from her, popping them in my mouth and drowning it with water.

Fawn takes the cup from me and places it on the bedside table , as I wipe off the excess water near my mouth. I lie down on the bed and stare at the ceiling. I see Amberly stand next to Fawn , as they both talk in hushed tones. She finally looks over to me, her hands in her pocket, as she says,"Isn't this the third time this week Hazel?"

I look at her and nod, biting the inside of my cheek. Amberly looked like she was thinking something, her brows furrowed up. "Hazel , did you tell your parents about this?" She asks me,her eyes focused on mine. I gulp nervously.

"Uh yea. I did . I told them two days back." I tell her, the lie evident from the tone of my voice. She looks at me sternly, and I hold a breath, knowing that she found out my lie and was going to call me out for it. She then nods, as if she believed me.

"Well then that's great. I'm happy you've finally decided to tell them."She says, as she nods with her lips pursed. Fawn looks at me sharply, her eyes telling me to confess, but I silently plead to keep it shut. She sighs and looks away, her head turned to the other side.

Amberly looks over at Fawn , and tilts her head."Why are you here? Don't you have to go back to class?"she said, her eyebrows lifted up and a small smirk on her lips. Fawn looked like she had gotten caught, as she glances over to me. I shrug back to her, not sure if I could help her this time.

She slowly nods , her lips pressed, looking defeated."Yea. I was going to go now."Fawn says, as she grabs her bag and slings it over her shoulder. Amberly smiled, and nodded at her,"Well what are you waiting for? Go on then!"

Fawn sighs loudly, as slowly looks over at me over her shoulder sadly. I give her back the same expression, both of us saddened by the fact of the other. Fawn dramatically holds out her hand towards me,"I'll see you soon Hazel. I'll come back for you." I nod and wipe a fake tear, playing along with her. "Go now. Live your life. Don't wait for me." I say, as I hold out my hand towards her, the both of us grabbing the others hand and holding it tightly. Amberly laughed."What is this? A soap opera? Shoo. Go off to class."She slowly pushes Fawn from the back , making her head out the door as our hands break from the other.

After she finally left, Amberly closed the door and walked towards me. She came and sat in the bed next to mine, as she massaged her neck. " I wish I was your age. I could have done more stuff if I had known adult life was gonna be like this."She said, as she kept massaging her shoulders.

I laughed and shook my head. "Your not even that old Amberly, you're just in your forties. You still have your whole life ahead of you!"I say, as she smiles. "I might have my whole life to do whatever else I want to do, but the time I missed will never come back. My high school days were the best in my life. Partying till 4 in the morning, running away from the cops with my friends, constant road trips, sleepovers....everything. I miss those days so much." She said , looking nostalgic.

I smile , and slowly nod. She looks at me, and warmly smiles back."That's why Hazel, the age you are at now , is the best in your life. I'm not saying you should always do extreme things, but sometimes you gotta let yourself free. Break the rules. Have fun. Fall in love." She says, as I listen to her intently.

I was never a person who went extreme. Yes , I may have done some things that made me get in trouble, and I guess the most nerve- racking thing I had ever done was the letter prank on Ryan. And considering what other teenagers do, it wasn't even that much.

I was an introvert in real life, only sticking to my close friends , showing my true self to only those whom I trusted. But seeing Amberly talk to me about her past, it made me realise how much I might have missed out.

Hearing her say those things shocked me first, the constant partying, breaking the boundaries, throwing yourself, everything made my mind blow. But after I saw how happy she looked, the way her eyes crinkled up when thinking about her schooldays, it made me wonder if what I had done all this while was right. Never crossing the boundaries, never gone to an actual high school party, never having even been in a relationship, it made me think how much I've been missing out on.

Amberly came over to me, and slowly took my hands, squeezing it slowly with her warm hands. I looked at her, and she slowly smiled,"Sweetie, I know that you don't want to get in trouble and want to graduate from here with good results, but if you think about your school life years from now, what would you have to recall?" I bit my lip, looking down at the sheets.

What would I have to recall? Umm...maybe my friends...Or my classmates...or-

Nothing, there was nothing else. Nothing that would make me reminisce about my past. I never did anything, always staying within line, scared of doing things that would affect my future. But because of it, I would have no memories, nothing that would make me laugh or cry .

I realised then how much I had wasted my time. How much I could have done with my friends. How much I had missed.

No more, I wasn't going to waste it any more. I wasted my time as much as I had before, but now I would try to make worth of the time I have left. Obviously, I wouldn't start doing extreme stuff, since I still wasn't completely brave. I was a coward , yes. But now I was going to try a bit more braver.

Take one more step.

Take a leap.

I was going to change , for the better.

Amberly squeezed my hand once more, giving me a knowing smile before standing up."I'll be in the bed next to yours. Call me if you need anything okay?" she said, as she walked over to the next bed and draw the curtain between us.

I looked back up at the ceiling and sighed. Damn. I was useless. I was no fun, always staying withing the rules.

Have I ever tried to break a rule? Even one?

No matter how much I thought, nothing came to my mind. I scoffed. Geez, I really was a goody-two shoes. Even the good ones in the class might have done something that made them rebellious.

But not me. I had nothing on me. Not a single thing that made me feel proud.

I sighed again, my lips pressed tightly.

Now no matter what happened , I was going to change.

I heard a phone ring, and I turned to face Amberly's bed. I heard her talking in a hushed tone, as if she had something going on. The curtain suddenly swiped open, Amberly popping her head out as she held the phone.

"Hazel. I have to make a call right now. I'll be out okay. Call me if you need anything." She said, in a rushed tone. I quickly nodded. She closed the curtain and I heard her walk out of the room, closing the door quickly.

I was left in the room, just staring at the ceiling and my surroundings for a long time. After a while, I felt bored, and I sat up. I reached out to my bag on the floor, grabbing it and starting to search for my phone.

I scrunched my face in disgust as my books piled out. Ugh , I just wanted to throw them away. I felt something on my hand and I looked to see an open pack of Cheetos.

Right. I forgot about it after buying it yesterday. I grinned cheerfully, looking at the treasure I had just found. What better than just a pack of chips all for myself! I finally found my phone , and took it out.

I scroll through my playlist, searching for that one song in my head. I finally settle on WINTER BEAR of Kim Taehyung. I lower the volume down a bit, so it was the perfect sound . I place the phone on the bed, and start eating the cheetos.

As his deep soulful voice sang, I naturally felt myself relax . There was always something about BTS's ballads, whether it was in Japanese or Korean. They always managed to hit our heart strings, tugging it as they sang.

Hearing V sing, something broke inside of me. It always happened whenever I listened to this song. Maybe it was the simple lyrics, or it was the aura of the song, or maybe it was he himself who made me feel like this.

I sighed louder, wondering when I would ever be able to see them . I had never gone to any one of their concerts, never had any of their official merchandise, never been able to even breath the same air. Damn it,I was even born in the wrong country!

I sighed loudly, knowing no matter what I would do, the closest I would get to see them was through a screen. I looked up , trying to think what I had done wrong in my past life to be so unlucky.

Suddenly , I heard the door opening and footsteps approaching. I saw a figure walking towards the bed next to me and placing down a bag on the bed. I tried to look who it was , but the white curtains only showed me the figure.

Ah right, it was Amberly. Did she already finish talking? I look back down, grabbing my phone to change the song. I heard a thud and looked up , seeing the figure sit on the bed removing their shoes.

Amberly liked bulky shoes? Wow, I didn't know that. She was always the type to wear comfy converses. I guess she wanted a change then.

I saw the figure lying on the bed, their legs reaching out of the bed. Was Amberly this tall? I looked at myself, stretching my legs to reach the end of the bed, but my short legs couldn't reach it.

Ugh...even my height was so less. I really was gifted huh?

I stop moving around, realising if anyone saw me right now, I would be looking like a chicken stretching its legs. I sigh and look towards the bed, seeing the person lying still.

"Amberly?" I called out quietly, trying to see whether she was awake or not. I see the figure move slightly, as if reacting to my voice. "Umm... is it okay if I keep the song or should I switch it off?" I ask her quietly, wondering if what I was doing was annoying.

Of course you're annoying, you idiot! What person would like if someone kept talking while they were resting?

I grab my phone and lower the volume, the song barely audible. I sigh in disappointment. I hear her shift suddenly, and I look over to see her sit upright.

I instantly feel nervous,as I feel the figure look at me through the curtain. I sit upright, suddenly feeling something wasn't right. The person on that bed, it wasn't Amberly. Amberly wasn't that tall, and she certainly wasn't a silent person. She was a person who loved interacting, even if she was dead tired.

I hear the person clear their throat,"Umm...you can keep it." the slightly deep male voice said. I stop , sitting still. The person wasn't Amberly.

It was a boy. It was a BOY Hazel!!!

My mind started racing. Oh my god, was I disturbing a random boy who just wanted to sleep? Oh my goddd.

I hear the boy clear his throat again, as if contemplating to talk to me."I meant the song. You can keep it." He said quietly.

My mind went blank, not knowing what to say. Right , the song. He asked me to keep the song. I scramble to grab my phone, keeping EUPHORIA. I increase the volume, the sound radiating in the empty room.

I wasn't even listening to the song, my gaze fixed on the figure of the boy in front of me, as I watch him slowly nod his head along with music.

What the hell is wrong with me? Here I am, sitting with a boy whom I don't even know how he looks like, listening to music. For all I know, he could be a pervert.

But something about him said me otherwise. He didn't feel dangerous, or even talkative. Something about his aura made me feel calm, like he was a person who kept to himself, not letting others in. He looked like he was the shy and quiet type, the ones who don't ask questions.

"Were you the one who opened that locker?"he asked me suddenly. I widen my eyes in shock. Okay, so I was wrong. He does ask questions. I think of what to say, my mind reeling with thoughts.Oh god, was it the boy from the hallway? We're screwed.

Crap crap crap crap crap...I got caught. Oh god. We were gonna get in so much trouble.

I struggle to think of what to say to him, my heart beating faster. He was going to threaten us, I knew it. Oh god. What have I done? Just when I did something rebellious, I get caught. Great.

I bite my lip, my eyes frantically searching for a way to escape. He suddenly stands up, and starts walking towards me. Just before I think he was going to open the curtain and call me out, he stops.

I stop moving as well, confused. What the hell?

"I don't wanna scare you." he says, his voice quiet. My eyebrows shoot up, completely baffled. He doesn't want me to get scared? What the hell is wrong with him?

"I'm not gonna tell anyone, if that's what you're thinking."he says,still standing behind the curtain. He wasn't going to tell anyone? Huh? Why?

He takes another step , but quickly steps back. "I just wanted to talk to you." He says. I sit still, unable to process what he had just said. He wanted to talk to me. He wanted to talk to me?? WHY???

I scrunch my eyebrows up in confusion, thinking if I had ever met this person before. No . There was no way I would forget a person with a voice as handsome as his.

It wasn't even the voice. Accent. It was his accent! Where have I heard it before?Was it Scottish? No. Maybe Irish? No, it wasn't that either. Maybe it was British? No way, I would recognise that accent from anywhere because of all the dramas I've watched.

Then what was it? Which accent was it? Think think think...

I widen my eyes in realisation, as I suddenly remembered.

Australian. He was Australian.

Holy crap. I was a sucker for guys with Australian accents. It could be seen with my bias too in Stray Kids, Bang Chan being an Aussie.

"You probably won't remember me, so lets start with our introductions." he said, his hand reaching out to the curtain.

My heart started beating faster, thumping loudly against my chest, as I waited to see the person behind the curtain.

In one swift motion, the curtain between us was drawn, my eyes instantly on the gorgeous green eyed boy.

His dark black bangs were falling over his forehead, his lips in a small smirk, as his green eyes glazed over my frame.

My heart was hammering so loudly against my chest, almost as if it was going to break free any second, as his emerald green eyes stared into my brown's.

Shit shit shit shit shit. Why did he have to be good looking. Oh god.

I suddenly realised the Cheetos crisps were near my mouth, as if I had an orange moustache. Oh god, why do I look like this?

I quickly try to brush off the crumbs from me, my cheeks flaming. I look up to see him, only finding him staring at me with a soft smile. My heart rammed against my chest, my cheeks growing redder.

He cleared his throat, looking away from me for a moment. His cheeks were tinted with a light hue of pink, but he suddenly looked back at me, making my breath stop. "Luca."he says suddenly. I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion. "W-What?" I mutter confused.

"My name. Its Luca. Luca Everertt."he says, his deep voice giving me goosebumps. Damn it, even his voice was hot!

He keeps looking at me, as if he was expecting me to say something. I raise my eyebrows. "What about yours? What's your name?" He asks me, a teasing smile on his lips.

I blush harder. Of course he asked for you name you dumb ass!

"Uh.. Hazel. Hazel Faith." I say, my voice quiet. He smiles , his stunning green eyes still not leaving my frame. I look away, unable to face him. Why does he keep looking at me?

He walks over to me, standing right in front of me. He stretches out his hand, the other inside his pocket. He smiled towards me, his lips tugging softly against his porcelain white skin.

"Hi Hazel. I hope we can be friends from now on." He says, his hand stretched out towards me as his eyes twinkled.

Did he just....Oh my god...did he just ask me to be friends? Oh crap... That's not gonna work for me with him looking like a Greek god.

But I just nodded, smiling as I took his hand, shaking it."Yea. I would like that!"

Something inside of me said it wasn't gonna last long, but I just shrugged it off, liking it the way it was now.

This was the first step. I was setting myself free now.

I was doing it.