I sat besides Esme in English, carefully watching my English teacher write some nonsense on the board as I leaned closer to Esme. "I don't get this shit,"

"Well," She started. "We're basically just-"

"-I don't want you to explain it to me you Idiot. When's the lesson over?"

"Like," She paused looking over at the clock. For a long time actually. "I don't know,"

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I don't know,"

"There's a clock right there Esme,"

"Yeah... but I-"

"-You can tell the time? Can't you Esme...?"

"Ermmm..."

"Esme we have twenty two minutes left." I sighed moving back from being so close to her in my chair as our English teacher spun around to face the class.

"Right..." She muttered. "I was gonna say that,"

The English teacher began to speak explaining through what she wrote as the rest of us copied the words from the board and into our books in front of us, before I heard a knock on the classroom door.

I looked up becoming easily distracted.

"Come in," Miss Davis shouted to the person on the other side of the classroom door.

The door opened as I realised the majority of the people in the class also look up to see who it was. Obviously a knock is normally never anything interesting, but in a boring lesson someone could drop a pen and it would make you wanna look up.

There he was. Mr smug. Mr I know your game and I can play it too. Mr you do know you're failing your grades. Mr not a pushback apparently. Mr Detention for you even though you hardly did fuck all. Mr Armstrong. The music teacher with a knob on the centre of his forehead... but interestingly enough the only teacher who sparked my interest.

"Hey look who it is." Esme teased punching my arm lightly. For some odd reason I felt myself get a little embarrassed as I instantly began to swat her arm away with both hands.

"Shut up you knob!" I whispered annoyed to her, before looking back at Mr Armstrong who leaned casually on the doorway of the classroom, with his black polo shirt, skinny jeans and messy black hair. It was nice to see he hadn't noticed me in the room yet, and that wasn't sarcastic.

"Oh hi there Mr Armstrong." Miss Davis smiled to him as she repeatedly twirled the same bit of her scraggily blonde hair around her finger.

Was she- did she have a crush on him?

"Hi," He half smiled to her. "I was wondering if you have any spare green text books in here for my next class?"

Ah, that's right.

Since our school was... in the nicest way possible... shit. Some classrooms were used for double purposes. The teachers will tell you its clever and a save of money, but I think if they're charging us so much for those shitty lunches surely we can have a few more classrooms dedicated to just one subject.

Mine and Esme's English class also doubled as a music room. Hence the trolley we all ignored in the back stacked with tambourines, hand drums, maracas, triangles and so forth.

"C-course Mr Armstrong." She stuttered as she stopped playing with her hair and straightened up her once bad posture. "I'll get a student to send them to you class in a moment once I've done explaining this,"

He nodded and gave her another smile as if to say thanks before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.

Y'know what, I prefer his normal grin over that devious fucking smirk.

I zoned out rocking back and forth on my chair chewing the top of my pen as the teacher carried on explaining. I'm not quite sure what my eyes were focusing on but my mind was every place else. That was until I realised the teachers sudden change of tone as she spoke again, as I tuned in.

"So who's gonna take these books to Mr Armstrong's class then?" She sighed as she keeled down and took in her hand a stack of green music text books from the cupboard. She got back to her feet standing up straight with them long around at the class. "Who knows where his class is?"

"Ooh! Mallory does!" Esme spoke up nudging my chair that was currently only balancing on its back two legs. Nearly making me and the chair lose balanced I straightened my legs quickly and lifted my body up as the chair safety landed back on all four legs.

"You dick I nearly fell off!" I angrily scowled to her as the rest of the class laughed at my near accident.

I wasn't unpopular, I was sort of popular in the wrong way. My name was known well around the school by mostly everyone because of my behaviour, but I did not hang around with any of the kids you would class as popular. Not that they had ever invited me to or anything, I hardly really spoke to them they just knew of me.

I had a few friends. I liked my circle small. And for me there was a thick line between friends and acquaintances. And the friends I did have didn't stick around often. Cause I 'ticked 'em off.'

"Mallory what have I said about watching what you say." Miss Davis sighed dropping the books in front of me on my desk causing a loud thud.

I looked up at her over the stack of books confused. "No thanks miss, I don't need a booster for my seat,"

"Very funny, go take them to Mr Armstrong's class would you?"

"Why me?"

She looked around the class before slightly leaning forward over the stack of books as she whispered to me. "Just take them, and I'll let that detention for inappropriate language slip," she bribed.

I grunted lightly looking at the pile of books. I did not want to go into that assholes class, but I also did not want another detention. Especially for calling Esme a dick which she is. "Deal," I sighed pushing my chair back and standing up. She smiled at me before walking away as Esme helped me stack the books in my arms.

After the books were stacked, I gave Esme one last death stare before leaving the classroom. As I made my way down the school halls with a heavy amount of books in both arms.

I turned down the hall as I just managed to spot Mr Armstrong's door over the pile of books blocking my vision. If my arms weren't completely begging me to put these books down I probably would've took forever just standing outside of his class contemplating whether its worth the detention or not.

I kicked his door open since my hands were holding the stack of books, the sound bought his attention as he looked up from writing whatever down and saw me. I could hardly see him over the books.

I finally dropped the stack of books on his desk as it created a large thud. And he looked up at me, realising now who brought him the books.

"There." I said looking over at him. "The text books you wanted,"

"How nice of you to drop them on to my desk." He commented as he stood up. He took the text books in his hands and moved them over to another empty desk where he left them.

"Was my choice of placement not good enough?"

"What? Right on my desk while I'm working? believe it or not no," He said back sarcastically. "I'm guessing its just a coincidence you brought them me after telling me you wanted another detention yesterday,"

I felt my face heat up slightly as I scoffed. "You wish! I had no choice actually. The teacher blackmailed me..."

"Oh I'm sure she did." He said closely behind me before sitting back in his chair.

I folded my arms over my chest as I looked down at him, he carried on writing on some papers before realising I was staring. Finally looking up with a face of confusion. "What?" He asked me.

"Well?"

"Well...?"

"Did you not get raised with mannors?"

he chuckled slightly to himself. "I see, you want a thank you?"

"Indeed I do, do y'know how much it hurts your arms walking from my classroom to yours with those bloody things?"

"Oh I'm sure you're in absolute and agonising pain Miss Valentine,"

"Mallory,"

"What?"

"My name is Mallory. Not Miss Valentine,"

"Congratulations and I'm Billie Joe," He smiled fakely up at me.

I grunted lightly uncrossing my arms as I sighed looking at him exhaustedly. "Just say thank you,"

"Not so much a smartass now are you?"

"C'mon it's a basic human trait to say your pleases and your thank yous when someone goes out their way to do something that benefits you,"

"Well I don't really feeeeel like being polite right now,"

"Fine." I smiled turning around. I walked over and picked back up the stack of books from the desk as I began to make my way out the classroom.

"No you don't you little shit." I heard him say before jumping up and running to do the door as I spun around with the books in my arms. He barricaded the door which meant with both my hands full and in use my exit out of the classroom was cut off.

I giggled out of no where at his fast action of him leaping over his desk just in order not to let me leave with his books. "Mr Armstrong, you seem to be in my way," I commented still laughing slightly.

"Oh really?" He asked. "Shame isn't it, looks like you can't leave,"

"You don't want me to leave?"

"Not with my textbooks no,"

"Just say thank you and I can put them back,"

"Make me,"

I looked around the room slowly. Trying to think of something... anything really. Until I realised the fire exit push door right at the back. I turned my head back around to the teacher before grinning and making a run for the fire exit door.

I heard him run behind me before feeling his arms wrap around my waist from behind as he picked me off the ground. I let out a squeak as the books dropped from my grip and spilt all over the floor.

"Put me down!" I giggled kicking my legs around for freedom, all though I wasn't sure if I really wanted it.

"Remember, basic human trait for manners? Say please,"

"Please! Please just put me down!"

"Hmmm... do I still have to say thank you?"

"Yes its manners!" I laughed.

"I'm not letting you down then,"

"This is ridiculous,"

"I don't know," He said as I felt him shrug his shoulders. "I'm having fun,"

"My teachers gonna wonder why I'm taking so long, She already hates me enough." I told him as I gave up moving and kicking.

"I cant blame her,"

"Oh I'm not that bad of a student,"

"I would say different." He told me finally dropping me to the ground before picking back up the text books I dropped.

"You've only had me for one class,"

He stood back up with a few of the texts books in his hands. "And one detention," He reminded me leaning in before walking away and dropping the books on another random desk.

I followed behind him as I carried on trying to make my point. "I'm actually a really good student when I wanna be,"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah,"

"Is that why you tried to run away with my text books?" He asked me spinning around to face me.

"Technically they aren't yours. You're borrowing them, and no. I attempted to do that because you wouldn't thank me,"

"I didn't need to thank you,"

"I brought the books for you,"

"Yeah cause you wanted to see me," He teased.

"I- No- I- yo- no I did not!" I stammered.

"Enjoy staring at me huh?"

"No, you're not exactly a sight for the eyes,"

"I think you're lying,"

"You wish I was lying,"

"Do I now?" He raised an eyebrow stepping closer to me.

I nodded trying not to stutter, trying to supress another blush from making its way on my face.

"And whys that?" He asked.

"I- I- I don't bloody well know,"

He stopped walking as he stood right in front of me. He was short, but I was shorter.

"I see you aren't exactly tall yourself either- are you Miss Valentine," He told me.

"I-Its Mallory,"

"How about love instead?"

"Works for me,"