Devin stacked red plastic cups in the middle of the dining room table then plopped down in a chair and waited for the pizza and drinks to be delivered and everyone to arrive. He hoped Trechial would come though he doubted it not after their last conversation. His mind drifted to their last conversation a week ago, the moment he came clean about kissing Sadie.

They stood behind the school building, the distant chatter of students fading into the background as they hustled to their next class. The fridged air bit at his fingers that were shoved inside of his red hoodie. The dark grey clouds clued them to that of oncoming snow.

Trechial stood a few feet away, arms crossed, her Walkman headphones still hanging around her neck. By the concerned look on her face, she knew something was up. She always did.

His fingers curled into fists inside his hoodie. Man was he nervous, his heart slammed against his chest and his palms drew up condensation. He exhaled sharply, "I—" The word stuck in his throat. He swallowed hard, then tried again. "I gotta tell you something."

Her brows lifted but she said nothing.

"When I was at the retreat... I, uh..." He dropped his gaze, staring at the cracks in the pavement. "I kissed Sadie."

Silence stretched between them. Her eye twitched and she swallowed. Concern shifted into disappointment.

"I wasn't in a good place," he rushed out, his voice uneven. "After... you know, everything with my parents and suic--. I was just trying to feel... something." His jaw clenched.  It was hard to use the S-word. He still couldn't believe he tried to do it. 

"The kiss didn't mean anything. Sadie didn't mean anything. It was in the moment and she kissed me and I—But—"

Trechial remained frozen, her breath visible in the cold. He couldn't tell if she wanted to run or beat the crap out of him.

He rubbed the back of his neck, fingers brushing the frayed strap of his backpack. "I didn't want you to hear it from someone else," he said, quieter now. "I know we were," His throat tightened. "And I—"

He didn't know what else to say so he waited for her to say something. Anything.

Her gaze had become distant, staring past him as if he weren't there. "I know better than anyone how messed up you were, Tae. I was there, remember?" Her voice was even, almost detached. She looked up at the sky, then back at him, her expression unreadable. "You wanted to feel something?" she said flatly. "You pushed me away—you shut me out—but now you're telling me that you needed to feel something—and with another girl?"

Her lips pressed together in a thin line. "She made you feel something? I guess I didn't." The last words came out calloused and tart.

"It was a mistake, Trechial, and I regret it. I swear."

She let out a breath, shaking her head. "I bet,"

Trechial turned away from him, her movements swift as if she had already decided to leave before he spoke. He instinctively reached for her gloved hand, but she stepped out of reach before he could grasp it. When she finally looked back, her expression was eerily calm, but her eyes—her eyes burned with disgust. "Stay the hell away from me," she bit out, before walking off, leaving him standing there.

He took a deep breath, his neck tensing as he watched her go

**

Trechial and Maylee stood outside Devin's door, the cold wind freezing her bones. Maylee rang the bell. Trechial's nerves spiked and she instinctively turned to leave. But Maylee wasn't having it. She grabbed Trechial by the hood of her coat and yanked her best friend back around.

Trechial groaned inwardly, her palms already sweaty. She couldn't believe she let Maylee talk her into going to the group study at Devin's house. She was an idiot and so was Maylee. But then Sadie entered her mind, blue eyes, red hair, pretty. She was now annoyed.

"Ugh, if Sadie breathes in my direction, I swear I'm going to slap her," Trechial muttered, arms crossed.

Maylee smirked, totally unfazed. "Don't do that. Devin will know you're jealous."

Trechial shot her a look. "I'm not jealous of her."

"You are, and it's painfully obvious," Maylee replied, patting her on the shoulder.

The door cracked open, and there she was—Sadie sized them up like she was Secret Service. Trechial bit the inside of her cheek, but she managed to keep her cool.

"Why the heck are you answering the door? You don't live here," Maylee barked.

Sadie opened the door a smidge more and leaned against the doorframe "Who are you?"

White puffs of air cam through Maylees flaring nostrils. "Who the hell are you? And why the hell are you answering the door?" 

Just as things were about to escalate, Devin's arm appeared around the door and he opened it. "Move," he said, his voice tinged with irritation. Trechial almost smiled. At least he wasn't charmed by Sadie's act.

Sadie sighed, rolling her eyes. "Fine, whatever. I was just messing with your friends."

Maylee sucked her teeth. "You almost got punched in the face. 'Messing with us' doesn't look so fun now, does it?"

Trechialcovered her mouth with a fist trying not to laugh. Maylee was a firecracker nothing more nothing less

Devin opened the door wider, and Trechial's organs almost collapsed. He stood there in front of her, in silver-framed glasses perfectly perched on his nose, a black hoodie, and matching sweats. Black strands toppled over his forehead; Devin Liao was insanely mouth-watering and he know it. Trechial looked away before he caught her drooling over him in those darn glasses. He was right she definitely had a fetish.  And even though she knew not to chance stealing another peak at him she did it anyway and found his eyes locked on her. The world around them seemed to fade. It was just the two of them now—Devin and Trechial. An airy sensation warmed her body. She couldn't look away, not even if she wanted to. His gaze was steady, unnerving. For a moment, everything else disappeared.

Maylee cleared her throat and Trechial snapped out of the impaled trance Devin held her captive in. She regained her composure,  "Can we come in, or do we need to show IDs to your bodyguard?" Trechial asked, sarcasm clinging onto every word.

Devin nodded his two-tones never leaving her as he moved aside, letting them in. As Maylee walked past Sadie, she faked a punch. Sadie didn't flinch but instead picked invisible lint off her blue sweater unfazed.

It was going to be an interesting study group. Trechial thought brushing past Devin.

The dining room buzzed with soft conversations, the scratch of pencils against paper filling the space. The overhead light cast a warm glow over the polished wooden table, now buried under open textbooks, scattered notes, and half-empty soda cans.

Devin slouched in his chair, tapping his pencil against the edge of his notebook as he watched Trechial and Archie lean over a math problem together.

She was way too close.

And Archie was way too comfortable.

Trechial tucked a curl behind her ear and nodded as Archie scribbled something in her notebook, grinning like the goofball he was.

"Ohhh," she said, tilting her head. "I get it now! You make it sound so easy."

"It is. It's all a matter of finding the complex equations." Archie said his Steve Urkel voice irritated Devin even more.

Tired of the bs he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Archie, you always this helpful, or just when Trechial asks?"

Trechial didn't even look up from her paper. "Why, are you jealous?"

Devin scoffed. "Nah, I just didn't know third-grade crushes were still a thing."

Trechial's head snapped up, her dark brown eyes narrowing. "And I didn't know retreat kisses were either, but here we are."

Trey and Maylee nearly choked on their laughter, while Archie just kept scribbling like he didn't hear a thing. Smart move.

Sadie chose that moment to lean into Devin's side, brushing against him as she ran a finger down his arm. "You know," she purred, "the kiss we shared was real—meaningful."

Devin barely glanced at her. "It was two seconds and you kissed me," 

Sadie blinked, clearly expecting more. Devin turned his fury back to Trechial who peered at Archie. 

"Maybe I'll date Archie, he doesn't seem like the type to betray the trust of a girl he likes,"  A sly smile crept up her lips.

Archie whipped his head up to her and then to Devin. He was finally tuned in to what was going on around him.

"Archie is generous, kind, and cute. Unlike some douchebag I know."

Devin arched a brow, "Don't you have a boyfriend?"

"Don't you have a girlfriend? We all know that you can't go a second without sticking your damn tongue down some girls throat."

Devin's cheeks burned. Trechial was pissing him off the more she spoke. He had apologized to her though he felt like he didn't have too. And now she was using the one guy Devin was a smidge jealous of to piss him off. Fine. She wanted a battle he'd give her a war.

"Devin is a good kisser. I don't think anyone would mind if he searched their mouth like Christopher Columbus." Sadie chimed in raking her fingernails through her red hair.

Devin and Trechial glared at her before turning their wrath on each other.

Why in the hell was Sadie there? Oh, right she overheard a conversation he and Trey had about having a study group at his house to get Trechial over there

Trechial rolled her eyes and chuckled sardonically, "I'm sure he'll pass down those same diseases to his flunkies that Christoper Columbus had that wiped out a certain sect of indigenous people."

"Damn," Maylee uttered.

Devin scoffed, "We'll we both know that you'll catch whatever diseases I have being that I plan to stick my tongue down your throat and other places."

Trechial eyes touched her hairline.

Trey wiped a tear from his eye. "Yo, I can't breathe."

Maylee grinned. "This is better than Jerry Springer."

Trechial slammed her hands on the table and stood up, "In your douchebag dreams."

"In you're reality," Devin said standing up too.

Devin held her gaze, letting the silence stretch. "Let's end this,"

"How?"

"Im going to beat Archie's ass."

Archie choked on his spit. Panic constricted his face, "Wait, what? I didn't do anything! You're a bully, Devin!"

Devin started towards Archie, rolling up his sleeves, "And you're in danger."

Trechial leaped into action blocking Devin as he rounded the table and pushed him back. "Okay, fine! Let's talk."

Devin smirked, satisfied. "Oh, so now you wanna talk to me?"

Trechial glared at him, her fingers digging into his sleeve. "You are such a jerk, Tae."

Devin tilted his head, waiting.

Trechial exhaled sharply. "Fine! Let's go." She stomped toward the hallway.

Devin grinned, "That's what I thought."

Maylee and Trey burst into laughter even harder.

Trey wiped his eyes. "Dude really threatened violence just to get his girl alone."

Maylee shook her head, "And it worked."

Devin followed Trechial out.

Sometimes, you just had to force a conversation.

Thank you for being patient. My life has been hectic for the better part of two years so thank you all. This chapter isn't edited yet so bare with the mistakes in the detail. Im working on the final chapters too. I hope to be finished by the summer.