I hadn't spoke to Billie since walking away at the car park. I wanted to call him, but the temptation was dangerous and instead I deleted his number. My grades slipped again at school, and with no one even surprised this time I didn't care.

I was angry. I was somewhat disappointed and upset. I felt like all I needed was to talk to him in person. To talk everything through because that's all I wanted. Maybe it was for the best we didn't though.

I was back to being a little shit. No one was shocked really, it was expected. Which maybe I liked.

"This class is such fucking bullshit," I mumbled to myself, scratching my name in the desk with the end of my pen. Which I broke from frustration, so now it has pointy shards of plastic.

"I miss Mr Armstrong," Vee replied, over hearing me mutter.

"I was hoping she was dead," I said in a deadly tone, looking up at the teacher who was just sat at the desk.

"Little harsh,"

"Maybe so, but I don't take it back,"

"I can't believe he was just a supply for a while. I really thought he was our new teacher- he never even mentioned it was only for a while,"

"He sucks,"

"Dont lie, you miss him over this old bat,"

I miss him over anyone. But he still sucks.

I gave her a head tilt shrugging one shoulder as if to say 'maybe'.

We had our music test next week. The one I had studied my ass off for.

I still wasn't sure what I was gonna do with it. Would it be worth trying? Even if I did get a good percentage it's not like I'll get that CD. But maybe it's shouldn't be for the CD and myself instead. And maybe probably just for Billie anyway who actually gave a shit when I was slipping in school.

Now I feel worse.

Maybe he had good points.

Finally, the bell rang. I jumped slightly at the noise before I grabbed my bag. And everyone flooded out into the halls.

I looked around, over heads trying to find Esmes bucket hat. The same one she always wore every day, the white one with black doodles on.

"Boo!"

I spun around, letting a sequel come out my lips from the reaction of someone grabbing my shoulders.

"Jesus- I didn't scare you that much did I?"

"Shut up Esme," I rolled my eyes as we walked together down the hall ways.

"So how was music?"

"I hated every second of it. I can't believe she's back,"

"Do you miss your old music teacher?"

"Over her I do, yeah,"

"Maybe when she dies he'll come back?" She gave me an unsure smile and a shrug to follow.

I snorted slightly. "Yeah right, she'll never die,"

We walked to our lockers, opening them in sync as the conversation carried on.

"She'll have to die one day- hey, want me to assassinate her-"

"-don't say things like that out loud in school you idiot!"

"Just an idea,"

I shoved a few things around in my locker, throwing in my backpack before something from the top fell out.

A plastic sound was made as the object hit the hall ways floor.

"You dropped something,"

"Thanks Sherlock homes." I rolled my eyes, before stepping back as I looked on the floor. "Hey- where did it go?"

"I thought you already had this?" Esme asked me, I looked up at her to see her holding something in her hand as she looked closely at it.

It was a CD.

It was the CD.

On the back was the three in jackets walking down a street. But how had I gotten this? How had it made its way into my locker?

I snatched it off confused. "Give me that!"

And surely enough, I was right. It was the warning CD Billie had promised me if I had reached a certain score on the test I hadn't even done yet.

I opened it with caution, praying it was going to be one of those stupid un funny jokes where he reminds me of the tally board.

And it wasn't. There was a CD in the case. It looked almost new. Untouched.

"How did that get in there?" Esme asked confused slightly, as she looked in my locker.

I quickly kicked it shut in case there was anything else in there, the door nearly catching her nose as it slammed shut making a loud noise. "Keep out,"

"Jeez- I was only looking Mal,"

I ignored her looking at the CD on a whole. Front and back, inside, at the CD before I placed it back in my locker and shut the door.

At the end of the day, when the last class had ended, I stopped by my locker grabbing the CD taking it home.

I got back, went straight up the stairs and into my room. Sitting on my bed as I popped the case open again, holding the CD in my hand.

I looked back at the distorted reflection the back of it showed. But my mind wandered a lot.

Did I want to listen to this? Did I deserve to listen to it? I hadn't done what I promised? Did I really want to hear Billie singing when I wouldn't even call him? Not that I could.

Maybe I did deserve it. Why else would I of been given it?

I could only think that Billie was the one to put it in. No one else would've had this. Maybe he left a few things back at his classroom? And whilst picking them up he decided? Or maybe he had one last meeting about his leaving? I couldn't know for sure unless I was to ask, but he had given it me. Which made it mine.

I finally pushed the CD into the CD slot, pressing a few buttons as I sat back down in my own silence.

Waiting for the first song of the track to play.

I held the excitement in. I was so ready to listen to this Cd. To every single song it held on it.

But yet? When the first song started to play... I rushed to the CD player and I ejected the disk out.

The music stopped of course, the disk shortly being spitted back out as it fell in my hand.

I took great caution placing it back in its case. I clicked it in. "I don't even deserve to listen to this yet," I mumbled to myself, before placing the Cd on my shelf. Hoping it wouldn't tempt me to put it on if it was there and out of my sight.

~

I pinched the bridge of my nose frustrated, staring down at the question.

Sighing again, I looked up away from the paper and at everyone else in the room. Who seemed to have known what they were doing, because half of them were writing.

I just couldn't remember what that word meant. I know... I learnt it with Billie. But I can't remember now.

I hadn't listened to the cd. I decided if I didn't get at least over ninety percent on this test like I had originally agreed with him, then I didn't want to. Or not exactly I didn't want to, but I didn't deserve to.

I put my hand up, frustrated. My old music teacher, whose name I didn't even remember myself. Sighed.

"Yes again Mallory?"

"How long do we have left?"

"You asked me that five minutes ago. Take five away from what I last told you,"

"I don't remember what you.... last told me,"

"Ten minutes Mallory!"

"Okay okay! Jeez...." I widened my eyes looking away from the angry women and back down at my sheet.

For the majority of this test, I had rambled on about something. It really was just a stab in the dark because I'm not sure if I was rambling on about the right thing or not.

If I was, I'd say I have a pretty good chance of at least reaching close to ninety. But if not, I'm completely fucked.

The clock ticked in the silence, I turned to look at it. The second hand was stuck around the two. They can't even fix a clock this school.

Time seemed to drag along, like nails on a chalk board. But finally, as I doodled on the back of my hand, the time limit had been surpassed and I was able to breath. Figurely speaking.

"I hate music." I mumbled dropping my pen to the paper, as Vee came back from where she had even moved whilst doing the test. Grabbing her bag.

"You tell me this every lesson-"

"-Really?"

"Well... you use to. You didn't so much with Mr Armstrong. But now again you do,"

"Maybe that was cause I didn't hate music when we had Mr Armstrong, not this decaying idiot," I sighed looking at the teacher. Who was sat lazily at her desk whilst other students came over to hand her their paper. She took them one by one, as I heard Vee snigger lightly at the insult I threw in.

I can't believe he never even told me it was a temporary thing. I can't believe there was many things he didn't tell me. If only I hadn't deleted his number, maybe I could've rung up and apologised.

Although I was never one to apologise, and I thought that saying sorry even when you're not just for someone was something I thought I would absolutely never do. I would go past my ever moral to give him a call... cause I mean it's not like I've already broke half of them already for him.

Finally I handed my test in, grabbed my bag as we all made our way out the classroom and into the crowded halls.

~

I walked around the school through the halls in aiming less circles, I was trying to figure out where Esme had gone. She wasn't at the locker.

I kept my eyes on my phone, before I bumped into someone stumbling back slightly. "Fucking watch where you're going," I angrily hissed, not looking up as I walked around the person.

"Maybe you shouldn't of been looking at your phone then,"

I knew the voice, it was Tyler. Easily told.

I looked straight up, thinking about things he was the one who started this. He made me lash out, then Billie got mad. Then when he left we argued about what happened in the car park. So all my blame was easily shoved on to Tyler.

"Fuck off," I grunted. Putting my phone in my back Jean pocket.

"How sweet,"

"Stop fucking testing me Tyler,"

"Wouldn't want another test would you,"

"I swear to god I'll-"

"-Mal!"

I froze.

Tyler sniggered under his breath.

And I just... froze.

Was that really him?

I slowly, turned around. Rotating my body to find him stood on the other end of the hallway.

His black hair a mess. Hanging in his eyes. He had a red tie on today, with a black short sleeved button up. His obvious choice of black jeans, and the converse to go with.

Meeting his eyes he was on the other end of the halls. I knew it was him, but I couldn't see him too well, with my shifty vision.

I just stared for a moment, confused. Looking at him confused. I thought he left. He did leave, I watched him. So why is he back? Surely he's not- right?

Finally, after swallowing my nerves and untying my tongue, I spoke. "Y...eah?"

"Mr Wilson's office," he ordered, not sounding too friendly himself. I'm not sure if he was having a bad day- or he was still angry. Although I didn't really think he had a reason at this point.

"What! Why!"

"Now,"

A/N: Chapter sixteen for you guys on my sixteenth birthday! I hope you all are enjoying this book btw, please let me know what you think on the characters and the story line. Stay safe and wear a mask <33