On Monday we worked on our plan. It was simple, get people to start rumors about us. I knew people these days are more interested in others' life than themselves.

During lunch, Emily and I went inside the bathroom and saw two of the stalls filled. I glanced at Emily, she gave thumbs up and I nodded.

"What's going on with you and Jax?!" Emily loudly asked so the girls in there could listen.

"Oh, nothing," I yelled back. I faced the stalls and leaned my hip toward the sink behind me. "This vacation we coincidentally met in Hawaii, and we fooled around a bit. Then the vacations ended, and we got back to our lives."

"What's with him flirting with you now?"

I looked back at the stalls and yelled. "Guess he couldn't get enough of me and now is desperate to date me!"

"Oh. Wow!" Emily almost giggled. She covered her mouth with her hands to stop and looked at me with her twinkling brown eyes.

"Yeah, and I'm not giving in that easily. He has to beg me to get me." I giggled and gestured for Emily to leave.

"That was fun." She laughed, coming out of the bathroom with me.

"And it's just the beginning," I smirked.

Jax and I flirted with each other around everyone. In the last period, he and I were at my locker when I saw Ivy and Noah coming toward the hallway.

"Ivy is coming here," I whispered and leaned my back to my locker. Jax stood in front of me and put one hand on the locker above my head, leaning in and the other on his waist.

"How's this?" He questioned, darting his blue eyes into my hazel ones.

"Perfect," I whispered and fake giggled loudly, putting my hand on his shoulder. "Oh Jax, you're so funny!" I gushed.

"Well, what can I say?" He gave a high-pitched laugh, running his fingers through his light brown hair. I blinked at him.

"You're terrible at acting." I sternly said.

"What else do you want me to do?" He whispered, looking nervous and I sighed.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Ivy and Noah getting closer. "I'll see you tomorrow." I winked and left him with them.

The face Ivy made when I winked was so satisfying and at that moment I knew I made the right decision.

* * * * *

My plan worked epically and from the next day rumors went out about Jax and me, and oh boy, they went to another level.

Some talked that Jax and I intentionally went on vacations, some said Jax got me pregnant, and even that we eloped. I rolled my eyes at them.

People are so stupid these days.

One of my favorites was that Ivy came between Jax and me, breaking us apart. That was the only true one. Everyone was aware of our friendship and how the group formed and broke.

I entered my Home Economics class and went to sit on my usual seat, waiting for Emily. I loved this class because we get to cook. The first few weeks are boring because the teacher babbled about the theory stuff. I had Home Ec. class on Tuesday and Thursday every week before lunch.

I peeked at Miss Maddox, our teacher, whose head was buried in a magazine. I rolled my eyes at her. For some reason she hated me, I thought she was jealous because she had no sense of fashion and I had.

Miss Mad was a blonde with her hair always wrapped in a tight bun and wore thin wired glasses, which she kept on the tip of her nose. The long gown type of old fabric dress she wore gave me shivers. I hoped she would pass me on this subject and not take her frustrations out on me.

I placed my bag down and when I heard movement beside me, I turned in my seat to scold Emily.

"Why do you come so late, Em-" I halted in mid-sentence when I saw a boy sitting next to me.

That's not Emily.

Emily was a girl with brown eyes and brown hair, which was usually in a ponytail or braid. She was definitely not the blond boy with gorgeous green eyes, who was sitting next to me at this moment.

"Noah..." I whispered his name. He looked at me intensely. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm in this class." He shrugged like it wasn't a big deal that after three years he came and sat down next to me.

I didn't even know he was in this class! How could I not see him here last week? Maybe I was so busy thinking about Jax and his deal.

I glanced around my class and saw guilty-looking Emily sitting behind with Noah's friend, Darren. He was dating the viper, aka Vanessa. I wondered how he was still alive after being with a poisonous creature.

Turning in my seat again, I side glanced at Noah and studied him. He has changed so much. The cute haircut he had were grown and a few blond locks fell on his forehead. A straight perfect nose that made every girl jealous. Sharp jaw, that may cut anything, and his now broad shoulders and muscular arms.

Noah's a great-looking guy and still single. He went on dates with a few girls and never got a girlfriend.

What? I am the Queen Bee, I know every gossip that ran around Pinewood High.

I peeked at his face again and saw him already watching me. My eyes went round for a second, but I composed myself and I raised my eyebrow. "What?" Acting like he didn't catch me.

"What do you mean what?" He frowned. "You are the one staring at me."

"Pst!" I scoffed, turning my head. "Why would I stare at you, Noah." I covered my face with my hair so he wouldn't see my flushed face.

Great! He caught me checking him out!

Why was I even checking him out?

"Are you dating Jax?" He asked out of the blue.

"Why are you asking me that?" I questioned without looking at him, scrolling through my phone.

"Because I heard rumors going on and I don't believe in them. But I have seen you both together, so that's why I'm asking you."

I shrugged, not giving him an answer, and Miss Maddox stood from her seat starting the class.

Good save Miss Mad.

The class continued, and I zoned out thinking about the boy sitting next to me. He said nothing after that and I wondered why he was asking me that.

It's weird how my conversations are starting with my old fellows.

"Are you going to answer me?" Noah asked again after a few minutes.

"I have nothing to say." I glimpsed at him.

"You haven't talked to us in years and now you're suddenly dating Jax? It feels suspicious, Lexi." I whirled my head towards him as he bored his eyes into mine.

It has been so long since I heard him say my name. Noah never called me Lex when we were kids. Even though I asked him so many times. He would always call me Lexi, saying that it was a good name and suited me perfectly. He hated whenever Jax would call me Lex.

"I'm not dating Jax," I replied, looking straight into his eyes.

I didn't know why I said that. I was supposed to say yes, even if it was fake. I never lied to Noah before, guess it was a habit to tell him the truth.

"Ok." He nodded his head and turned toward the teacher while I continued to look at him.

Noah has always been the trustee and believed in everything you tell him. He never judged you like others, and would always listen.

"You sat next to me after all these years, just to ask me that?" I accused, somehow a little hurt.

He got his answer, now what? Will he not talk to me again?

"I-it's not t-that." He always stuttered whenever he was nervous. "I-I tried to t-talk before, but y-you were the o-one who pushed me."

Before I could say anything, Miss Mad slammed her thick book on her desk, narrowing her eyes at me.

"From next week we will start our practical and you'll do it in pairs. The one sitting to your left is your partner-" I raised my hand, but she ignored me and continued. "And no, you can't change partners." She glared at me. "My class, my rules."

The bell rang, and she dismissed our class sitting on her chair again.

"Guess now you're stuck with me," Noah grunted, looking at me hurt. He put his bag on his shoulder and left.

Did he think I was asking to change partners? Shit!

This was all Miss Mad's fault. I wanted to ask her what type of practical we'll be doing, not changing partners.

"I'm so sorry, Lexi." Emily came from behind, apologizing. "I was about to sit with you, but his friend kidnapped me and took me to the back." She explained, looking guilty.

"It's alright, Em." I smiled, getting up from my seat, and walked toward our lockers.

I was honestly happy to get Noah as my partner, but he thought the opposite.

* * * * *