"And you're studying so hard because...?" Esme asked confused as she hovered over my left shoulder, watching my scrawly hand writing fill up the lined pages of A4 paper in front of me.

I dropped the pen frustratedly before spinning around in my chair, Esme took a quick step back realising I was stressing out and was probably about to take it out on her. "You're distracting me Esme," I grunted, pulling back the urge to scream.

"Why are you trying so hard? Since when have you cared?"

"Since now!"

"I mean- look at you-" she moved closer to my desk looking over at everything. "-taking notes, Re writing paragraphs, diagrams are those- flash cards?"

I snatched the flash cards off my desk and up my shirt. "No,"

"What has gotten into you, this isn't like you at all. Mallory you're scaring me,"

"Oh please, don't be stupid. Now are you going to help?"

"Help?" She snorted. "With what? Looks like you've got all of this under control,"

I grunted again pulling the flash cards that were written on brightly coloured paper, tied together with an elastic, back out from my shirt. Tossing them over to Esme.

She tried to catch them, pushing them up in the air as she flung her arms around for a second before they landed in her hand. She looked down at the cards after taking off the elastic. Examining them as she mumbled. "Wow... you really went all out with these,"

"Esme, do you plan on helping me?"

"No ma'am," she smiled.

"Then leave,"

Her smile slipped away. Trying her hardest to resist the urge to scrunch up her face in confusion. "Leave?" She repeated, like she hadn't heard me.

"Uhuh, leave,"

"You're kicking me out your room?"

"Esme I'm trying to do work and you're just- distracting me. You're not helping and you don't plan on so yeah... maybe it's best you should leave so I can study,"

She nodded. Pressing her tongue on the inside of her cheek. But she didn't move or go anywhere. She didn't leave.

"Esme? Did you get that?" I asked her.

She nodded again. With a smile this time. The sort of smile that said 'I see what's going on here' so her lips didn't have to.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

She wiped the smile of her face. "Like what?"

"Like you think you know something,"

"Well... I think I do,"

"What? What do you think you know?"

"He bribed you, didn't he?"

I paused. Pretending to laugh. "Who are we- who are we even talking about? Pshhh! I'm unbribale,"

"It's Mr Armstrong. I know it is. It always has been. You never cared for school until he showed up. You hated music so much you tried to drop it multiple times, now look at you with your flash cards,"

"You leave my flash cards out of this!"

"So he did bribe you?"

"No!"

"What's he got over your head Mallory? C'mon, what is it? No home work for a semester? Test answers to another subject? Is he helping you on a prank with another teacher?"

"He's not got anything over my head Esme, nothing," I tried to make clear. But she didn't look like she was buying my bullshit.

"You're tied around that teachers finger like a ribbon,"

"No I am not!"

"Like a pink! Prissy little ribbon,"

"Take that back!"

"You're wrapped right around it. Doing all your work, No more detentions, extra work, staying behind on purpose! Seriously Mal- what did he bribe you with?" She squinted her eyes as if she was trying to read me. And although I was selling my whole bad ass reputation for one CD, even I still knew I wasn't readable. Not by Esme anyway.

I squirmed under her gaze. Resisting the urge to break. So instead. I got out of my chair and walked over to her as I began to get push her out of my room.

"Hey! Hey what are you doing!?" She asked me trying to push me back, but as we made our way down the stairs she walked down them faster to avoid anything dangerous happening.

"You're leaving,"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are." I grabbed the handle to the front door and pushed it down, opening the door as I pushed her through with my other hand. "Bye!"

"Mallory wait I do-"

I cut her off slamming the door. Hearing her grunt loudly in annoyance.

I put my eye to the peep hole, she had already began making her way back to her own house where she couldn't annoy me. And I could get some work done.

I made my way back up the stairs and to my now silent room, seeming too silent with out Esme. Who normally did help me or at least give me company while I 'pretended' to help myself.

There was no Billie either. It's not like he could just show up when he pleased like I would've secretly liked, since he was my teacher.

*click*

I widened my eyes hearing a clink noise, turning to the window.

It was broad day light out side, there were some clouds but not many. It must've been a good day to go outside instead of being stuck in my room studying like a nerd. No offence to them I guess.

I walked over to my window, grabbing the bottom as I lifted it up to look down.

"I was trying to ring you!"

"What are you doing here?" I giggled slightly staring down at Billie.

"Busy?"

"Studying,"

"Can it wait?"

"I'm studying for you Billie Joe-"

"-c'mon! Take a break,"

"Maybe later-"

"-later? It's gonna be night lat-" He cut himself off, seeing some sort of advantage of it being night as he smiled before nodding. "-yeah... alright, so can I take you somewhere later?"

"Where to?"

"Just trust me, I swear you'll like it,"

"I'm pretty sure you said we should keep our feelings secr-"

"-I say a lot of things, just say yes?"

Although he was down below standing up and looking at me on the grass, and with my shitty vision I couldn't see him all that well as I would've liked to. I could still make out the big puppy dog eyes and the way he battered his eye lashes at me, urging at me to just agree and trust him.

Which I wanted to. But I would've had to sneak out- and for a teacher? That's next level. I've never really hung out with Billie unless it was a studying lesson at home, detention or in class.

But I wanted to see him out of school. As him. Not as Mr Armstrong. But as Billie Joe. It would be nice to actually hear about his personal life- and even be a part of it.

Which made me realise. He's not just asking me to come out with him later on. He's asking me to be apart of his personal life. Which must mean- he really does care for me in some ways. Even if it's just a bit.

That thought made me feel better for wanting to say yes. That he wanted me to.

So? I said it. "Of course,"

~

"This is so incredibly dumb," Billie mumbled waiting for me down below at the grass.

I straddled on to the pipe slowly making me way down as I made a 'pshhh' noise. "It's genuis,"

"And if you fall?"

"I never fall,"

"You do this often?"

Finally, I felt my converse reach ground. I shifted my body weight to my legs letting go off the pipe, which I used as an escape root climbing down it since it was next to my window and ended in the drain beside my house, and dusting the muck and such off my hands. After, I swerved around to look over at Billie, a grin on my lips. "Are you really surprised?"

"I can't say I am I guess." He chuckled slightly, pulling his car keys out of his pocket. He held them up where I could see them, the devious smile on his face was back as he jingled them. "Shall we?"

"Well I didn't plan on walking,"

We made our way to his car. It was a sleek, black- very clean- and huge car. The kind of car that said 'hey! Look at me and my money!'. Or the kind of car that would be owned to someone who was definitely more than wealthy.

I was, and never have been, a car type of person. I didn't know the type of car the way some other people did. But all I knew was it looked expensive. Too expensive for me to say the least.

He got in, as I also climbed in after to the passengers seat.

"So where are we going exactly?" I asked Billie, but my eyes were fixed on the seat belt as I pulled it over myself and clicked it in beside the car seat. As I heard it click, I looked back over at Billie who was still doing his.

"You'll see,"

Was I really tied around his finger like a ribbon? Really? I looked over at him, struggling to do his seat belt like a young child.

I know he was my teacher, although he definitely looked like one of the youngest teachers here, but at times he acted like a child. Like now.

He frustratedly continued to smack the tongue on the belt on to the buckle. Missing more times than I would've thought.

He looked down at it annoyedly, slightly sticking his tongue out from the corner of his lips trying to concentrate before-

-*click*

He finally did it.

He looked straight up at me with a smile, an overly happy smile to say all he did was put his safety belt on.

Maybe I was tied around his finger a little.

It was actually super nice in a weird way to be with Billie, forgetting about all of the school work and behavioural problems.

We played the radio full blast, despite it being dark and we was probably driving down a lot of streets where a lot of people were trying to get rest, with the car windows rolled down and screaming the lyrics. I didn't even realised how much of a similar taste we had in music.

After a fun drive, he parked and turned to look at me. "We're here,"

"I'm nervous,"

"Why?"

"I've literally just let you take me to a mystery spot at night with no one knowing where I am- I could potentially die tonight-"

"-Oh please, you won't die,"

"Sounds like something a murderer would say..."

"Well it's really nothing special- in fact it's nothing at all, just c'mon." He explained weirdly before opening the car door and getting out.

I sat for a second. In the silence before I shrugged and left the car too, already feeling use to the cold air since we had the windows rolled down. But it only impacting a little more being actually in it.

He parked somewhere that seemed quiet, no other cars were around so he was able to park on the side of the road before he offered out his hand for me.

I took it, knowing I shouldn't of, as he lead me over a land of grass.

"I feel like you really are gonna murder me,"

"I'm not, don't worry,"

We carried on walking, as he yanked me up a grass hill. And then he stopped, and turned to me.

"Are we done walking? That hill just killed my legs," I whined.

"It wasn't even a big hill,"

"Billie I'm not made for walking up hills,"

"Well yes, we are here,"

I closed my eyes and smiled In satisfaction. Before I dropped to the grass and sat down. Billie laughed before also sitting down as I laid back on the grass.

It was dark, and not really cold. The air was still, pretty much a still night all around. Not much movemnet of anything. Not even Billie.

There were the odd fire flies buzzing around, that my mind confused with stars thinking 'is that a shooting star?'. But it never was.

I hadn't even realised that Billie had also laid back, I looked over at him as he looked at the sky.

To say 'I'm here with my teacher' would make things weird. But he didn't even feel like my teacher at all- I mean... he's a super young teacher- you can tell by his looks. That's probably why all the female teachers are on him. Like my English teacher.

"I've never heard you this quiet," Billie spoke up, I was still looking at him but his eyes were up on the black sky. "What are you thinking?"

"School. How lame is that?"

"As your teacher?" He asked as he finally turned his head, I saw the grass slightly ticking his cheek as he looked back at me. "Pretty lame,"

I laughed looking back up at the sky. "Thanks,"

"No problem,"

"Well what are you thinking about?"

"Me?"

"Yes Billie," I giggled slightly. Looking back over at him as I felt the grass tickle my cheek. "You,"

"I'm thinking about school,"

"Didn't you just say that was-"

"-I'm a teacher,"

"Yeah but I'm a student?"

"Alright fine, we're lame together,"

I looked back up at the sky. The stars just noticeable, the more I looked... the more I realised were there. "I like that,"

"You nervous for your test?"

"I wish you would just give me the CD out of kindness,"

"But it's a win win situation- it's perfect. I know what I'm doing,"

"I'm glad you do. I'm gonna fail this test. I'm trying so hard but I don't understand anything. I hate music,"

"Then why did you pick it?"

"I thought it would just be messing around on instruments all the time and pissing around with friends. I didn't realise there was real work involved,"

"Sounds about right," he chuckled.

It felt nice to be laying here with Billie, seeing in him a new light. But it could never work out between us.

"So what does this count as?" I asked him.

"What do you mean?"

"This, y'know? Us right now. Being right here... what does this count as?"

"What you mean like... us hanging out?"

"Well yeah,"

"I mean... it can count as a date if you want it to count as one," I heard him say.

I sat up, so I was no longer laying back. And I turned my back so I was looking over at Billie, who's hands were under his head as he looked straight back at me. "Do you want it to count as a date?"

He laughed, moving his hands and sitting up too. His face was merely just close to mine. So he whispered, there was no need to talk any louder than a whisper... the rest of the world was quiet and so was I for once. Wanting to listen to what he had to say.

"I don't mind it being a date if you don't," He gave a little smile, not an eager one... but a sweet one. The kind that, although I was in the middle of nowhere at dark, made me feel safe.

"I don't mind either," I smiled back, mine just being a little bigger than his. But I couldn't help myself.

"So I guess.... correct me if I'm wrong, but I guess that makes this..."

"...a date," I finished off.

The night went on, and as it did he opened up to me more as a person. I found out more about him instead of his job. And it was nice, he even found out more about me besides me being a 'troubled student'.

But there was one point, we was laughing over something and our faces got close. We stopped laughing, and we ended up just... sorta looking at each other.

It felt like a moment where we should of kissed. But we didn't. We just kept silent.

His eyes flickered from every single detail on my face, studying me like I was something important. Or like there was something there he had to, or wanted, to memorise.

Billies hair, from laughing so much, had slightly frizzed becoming messy. Black strands of hair, wire thin, hung in front of his forehead. Just stopping near his eyebrows as they were fixed in a raised position.

There was a way he was looking at me. It was something along the lines of sympathy and another thing. But it wasn't a pure expression, so it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

But his eyes were still choosing between my left and my right to stare at.

"Mallory," I felt the coldness of his breath tickle my face.

"Yeah?"

"Y'know what I said the other day?" He continued to whisper. "That whole taking our feelings. Packing them up and keeping them a secret thing?"

"Yeah...?"

"I don't want to do that-"

"-but-"

"-but I don't want to risk anything here,"

I was silent or a moment. Trying to understand what that meant before I whispered back "I understand,"

"How do you even feel about me Mal?"

"Haven't I told you?"

"You wasn't direct, you tend to run in circles instead of getting to the point," he smiled boyishly.

I rolled my eyes, before answering. "I like you Billie, y'know I do,"

"You do?"

"Course, it's just... sorta a awkward situation we're in,"

He nodded in agreement. "But do you think it could work?"

"Maybe? It's just the whole teacher thing. Although I still think you have potential as a singer,"

He rolled his eyes and smiled at the mention once again of his band. "That part of my life is over,"

"It shouldn't be... y'know, you should really think about that. You were doing good, you all seemed to have talent that's now just being wasted on- on nothing. It's a waste of a gift. You can't just throw that shit away- not a lot of people get the opportunity to make it big Billie,"

He nodded slowly, understandingly. Like he understood that exactly what it was I meant. "I know- I just- I don't know if it's that easy on picking back up where it was left. Me, Mike and Tre haven't even talked in years- it's too random to bring up now,"

"It's not random. Why waste your life seeing the snotty, asshole side of teenagers when instead you can be blasting through their speakers giving them a new meaning?"

His eyes flickered away for the first time since they set on me. He with drew his bottom lip under his teeth slightly biting down on it as his eyes stayed fixed on the grass over my shoulder. I must've been smarter than I realised- because mistake me if I'm wrong- but I think I got to him.

But he stayed quiet while he continued to stare into space.

"Billie?"

His eyes immediately came back to mine. "Yeah?"

"You went quiet,"

"Y'know... to say you act and take pride in thinking your dumb. You're smarter than you think,"

I snorted slightly. "Yeah right,"

"You're especially good with encouraging people too,"

"Does that mean you'll go back to singing?"

"No,"

I sighed.

"But I'll probably think about it more,"

I pulled a sad face slightly at him, but it only made him chuckle before he leaned in and kissed my cheek. Which meant my sad expression dropped as I didn't realise anything like that was coming- not that I was complaining at all.

"Coulda been the lips, but y'know," I looked away shrugging slightly, feeling a little too nervous to say it while looking straight at him.

"If you say so,"

Being confused, I turned to look at him before I felt him kiss me. On the lips this time. And once again, there was no complaints.

I thought about how awesome it would be if he actually considered thinking about singing again. I could see he wanted to. It was obvious too that he hated being a teacher.

Maybe he just didn't know how to pick up from where he left off like he said.

But if it was now playing on his mind, maybe he would take it into consideration. Like I had with everything he had ever said about studying.

If he thought more about it, maybe he would see the many better positives of that life style. Or at least decide if he believed he had the talents to do it again. Or if he believed in himself.

Sometimes that's all it takes, to decide if you actually believe in yourself.

But maybe he already decided the moment he looked away from my eyes. Even sitting in the dark out here, on the grass beneath the stars.

Sometimes the hardest decisions are made under the moon.