A/n: That's the guy who plays Haden singing the song I make him sing in this chapter😉. Romance isn't dead in my books💀. High key wishing I posted this on chapter eighteen since the song is 18.... get it?

*winks with both eyes*

"Make our hands one hand. Make our hearts one heart. Make of our vows one last vow. Only death will part us now." - West Side Story

The short break I had quickly ended, and soon we were back in to school. People looked at me weirdly, but for the first time, they actually had a legit reason to look at me this way. The big bandage over my forehead drew a lot of attention and to be quite honest, it was quite embarrassing.

Haden suggested me painting it the color of my skin but I think that would only make it look weirder. I'd look like an extra on the walking dead if I did that.

I tried to brush my hair so I could cover part of the hideous white patch on my head, but it failed effortlessly. I probably looked like I belonged in an insane asylum, but at this point, I just didn't even care.

Autumn called me freaking out last night because she and Haden were apparently going to be the first group to do their projects. They'd finished in a nick of time, and it was a miracle they did.

I was almost embarrassed for them. I had no idea what either one of them were doing but Derek had his money on a sex tape.

"I mean, how creative do you really think they are?", he said, "creative sexually, but that's about it."

My feet thumped on the hallway floor as I walked to the lunch room, my notebook pressed to my chest. I'd worked so hard on the project I was doing for Derek and I could only hope he loved it.

Nerves were starting to settle in the pit of my stomach and I was trying to not freak the fuck out. I didn't understand why teachers made us do stuff like this anyways. It just seemed so unimportant.

I heard grunting and saw Haden trying to shove a guitar in his locker. He looked pissed.

"What are you doing?" I question, approaching him with one of my hands in my pocket and he only frowns even more while taking a look at his situation.

"I can't get my fucking guitar in the locker. I was storing it in coaches room but that's half way across the school."

He sighs disappointedly as if his world was ending. He was being almost as dramatic as Autumn and I smirked at him deviously.

"What do you need a guitar for anyways, Haden?"

My smirk only widens when he starts to blush, scratching the back of his neck.

"I-I-," he swallows, "none of your business. Just help me figure out a solution, you're supposed to be smart." He snaps finally, shooting me a glare while I laugh at him.

Awww, don't tell me Haden was actually going to do something romantic for once in his life. To say I was impressed would be an understatement.

"Did you think about maybe putting it into Mrs. Kentwood's class instead of trying to shove it into this thin ass locker when it obviously won't fit?" I raise an eyebrow at him while he shuffles nervously.

"Glad you're useful for something," he mutters pathetically, slamming his locker shut and sending me a gracious smile before leaving.

That kid was so fucking weird but I adored it.

Finally I get to the lunchroom and seeing Derek sitting at our table by himself. His grin widens when he sees me and I grin back at him.

"Where's Autumn?"

"She had to run somewhere for something to do with her project. The girl was practically in tears when she sprinted out of here," he answers sheepishly before taking a sip of his root beer.

Just him saying that put the image right into my head. That was Autumn, alright. She certainly was a perfectionist.

"Sounds like her. Haden was trying to shove a guitar into his small ass locker. What the hell are we going to do with them?" I question, stealing a few fries from his plate and he shrugs his shoulders.

"They have the weirdest relationship ever. I honestly can't wait till they just get married and have babies," he smiles.

I smile at the thought of it but it makes me sad too. Would I even be alive to see them get married? Autumn and I used to talk all the time about being each other's Maid of Honor, but I didn't even know if I'd live long enough to be hers.
**
Lunch ends quickly with neither Autumn or Haden returning. I wouldn't be surprised if Haden ended up spending most of his time in the bathroom. He always got sick whenever we had to do things like this.

I remember before a poetry project in the seventh grade, he managed to plug every single toilet in the boy's bathroom. Derek told me the floor had basically turned into a slip and slide and I didn't even want to know what the hell that meant.

When we walk into the class, Haden is standing there nervously with Mrs. Kentwood who's trying to calm him down.

Derek and I exchange knowing glances when Autumn walks in minutes later wth a red face and a cart full of stuff wrapped in tinfoil.

The sound of clapping hands makes us turn to Mrs. Kentwood who's smiling up front and looking very pleased.

"Okay, the first group we have today is Autumn and Haden. You two can choose between the two of you who will present first. I expect the class to give these two their undivided attention or you will be asked to leave my classroom."

When Mrs. Kentwood finishes speaking, Autumn pushes Haden out first. He shoots her a glare before looking back at us nervously and smiling.

"Um, hey. My name is Haden and my partner was Autumn."

The paper he holds in his hand trembles slightly as he tries to swallow down his nerves. He was so nervous, it was becoming comical. I always wondered how someone who loves attention as much as he did got nervous in situations like this.

"So, I learned a lot about Autumn over the last few weeks. She and I have been kind of close, but I didn't want to cross any lines or whatever you um- call it because I didn't want to get hurt. Now I realized that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to get hurt by Autumn, because then at least I know my love- or whatever, is real."

Gasps ring out around the class room and I smirk to myself. My child was growing the hell up and I couldn't be more proud.

Haden's face had turned an unusual shade of pink and he couldn't stop fiddling with his dreads. Autumn was looking at him in awe, and for a moment I thought she was going to burst into tears.

"So, the project was to basically determine if our partner was a dreamer or whatever. I feel like with Autumn, it depends. She's a realist when it comes to herself. She's always so serious about everything and thinks things through. Then when it comes to her friends, and me, it's like she dreams for us. She pushes us to reach our goals and doesn't make them seem un- realistic when we want to reach them," he lets its out a deep breath, finally setting his piece of paper down.

He strides over to the guitar I never knew he had that's sitting in the corner and stands awkwardly.

"Um, Autumn's favorite song is 18 by One Erection or whatever that band is called, so for my creative part of the project, I'm going to sing it and play it."

He starts to play the chords and my mouth drops open. I shoot at Derek and find that he's already looking at me with his mouth wide open.

"I got a heart"

He starts to sing and my mouth drops even more. Since when did Haden learn how to fucking sing? Since when did he learn to play the guitar? Since when did he memorize a fucking One Direction song?

His voice was was the closest thing I've ever heard to something being angelic. He closes his eyes when he sings, just playing the chords and singing the song soothingly.

Autumn stands in the corner with red eyes and a tissue in her hand. The girl was trying so hard not to cry and I was proud of her. This has got to be a new record.

When he finishes, the class erupts into cheers.

"That's my boy!" Derek yells and I roll my eyes at him.

Haden smirks at the compliments being thrown his way, acting cocky again. The class clown had returned to his own ways as he bows.

"No flash photography, please!" he says to a kid with a phone out again and I roll my eyes again.

Maybe Derek was right. I did roll my eyes a lot.

Next is Autumn's turn. She fits the true definition of a bashful blonde when she stands up there, her own paper shaking in her hand.

"Hey guys, I'm Autumn. My partner was Haden." Her voice is quiet and I can tell she's nervous. She coughs, trying to make herself louder.

"So, as he said, we practically grew up with each other. I thought I knew him pretty well, but I was wrong. Everyone makes Haden out to be this funny guy who's a great athlete. I don't think people see how he's also very smart and gifted at other things, like singing. That was something I only recently learned to, when he sang me to sleep one night when I had the flu."

A chorus of awes ring out from the classroom as Haden smirks and bows, acting like the little heathen he is.

"Haden is definitely a dreamer. He reaches for the stars, no matter how weird or out there whatever he wants is. He encourages me to reach for the stars too. He gets me to not be so serious all the time, and that's just one of the reasons why I love him."

She smiles at him, placing her own paper down and bending down to grab the cart.

"For my creative part, I learned how to cook with Haden's mom while he was at basketball practice. I made collard greens, cornbread, fried chicken, Mac & cheese, rolls, red velvet cake, sweet potato pie and peach cobbler. I also have Kool-aid for the drink." She stands to the side and lets us all admire everything she's prepared.

I bite back a laugh. I can tell she did this because of Haden's teasing but by the scent, she and Haden's mom did a damn good job. You could smell the diabetes in the air.

With quickness, she makes everyone a plate and I was damn right. Everything tastes amazingly fattening and I smile at her. Haden has his arm wrapped around her and is looking at her in awe.

I turn my head to the side, and once again find Derek looking at me the same way.

FUCK I love Haden and Autumn. Someone commented last chapter and was like can they please have a spin off?

DON'T TEMPT ME, YOU GUYS.

Anyways, this book is deadàss almost over and it's making me soft.

I'm coming out with a new one tomorrow though so prepare yourself. 🤣

HAVE A GOOD NIGHT