Frazer: I miss you already. Sent at 5:05pm

Me: It's been half an hour. Sent at 5:06pm

Frazer: Half an hour too long. Sent at 5:06pm

Me: Well, I've got bad news for you. You've got another 14 and a half hours until you see me again. Sent at 5:07pm

Frazer: I might just die. Sent at 5:07pm

Me: I don't think you will. Sent at 5:08pm

Frazer: I might. Sent at 5:08pm

Frazer: Though it seems you are fine. You don't miss me at all... Sent at 5:09pm

Me: It's easy to fill the hole when I have videos and recordings of you singing. Sent at 5:10pm

Frazer: This is ridiculously unfair. Send me a picture of you now. Sent at 5:10pm

I started to type a teasing response when, "Emilia Isabella McClure."

My head snapped up to meet my father's disappointed gaze over the table. "Yes?" I replied.

"Put the phone down. Whatever it is can last half an hour until dinner is over."

Apparently he can't, I thought, but instead chose to lower my phone before it was confiscated. "Sorry," I mumbled.

"What is so interesting on there? Did you find a new book?"

"Um... no. Just texting someone."

"Texting?" Archie piped up. "But you don't know anyone other than F—"

"Archer," dad interrupted my brother's sentence. "You know we don't mention him anymore."

"Actually," I mumbled, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks as I recalled the theatrics of last weekend and second-hand agony I had put my brother and father through as I cried my eyes out, "Frazer and I made up."

My dad's gaze narrowed and then he shook his head. "I'll never understand how kids can so quickly forget fights."

"Well... turns out it was all a miscommunication, so..." The face burned even hotter at the thought of explaining to my dad I was now dating Frazer. Saying those words seemed impossible, so I hoped we could dodge it for a little longer.

Though, to my dismay, he wasn't about to drop the topic. "His confession in front of the school to another girl was a miscommunication?" my father deadpanned.

"Mhmm."

"So the song was... just fictional?"

"Well... no."

"Then how have you two..." The puzzle piece finally seemed to slot into place. "You two are not to be alone together anymore."

"Dad... Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not being ridiculous. What father would I be if I let my daughter hang out alone with a boy?"

"You've let us hang out before. And we've never been alone alone before. His mum has always been home."

"But he drives you to and from school!"

"You think something will happen in his car?"

"Back in my day, that was the place for things to happen."

My eyes narrowed. "Oh, so it was okay when you did it, but not okay—"

"You're my little girl." Though I could see even he didn't believe in his front, we both knew his reluctance was going to persist.

"I understand your worries, dad, but I'm only ever alone with him during the day. Nothing would happen during broad daylight. Use some sense. Plus we just started dating. As if I'm going to..." I paused, remembering my little brother was present at the table before I said the next part of my sentence, "Do anything untoward straight away. If he and I ever reach that point, I promise I'll be safe. But can we please hold off this talk right now? It's way too soon."

Seeming to realise the time and place as well, dad glanced at Archie before nodding. "Fine. But once the streetlights are on, you're not to be alone with him, okay? And if his mum isn't home, you aren't at his home."

"Noted."

A few awkward moments of silence passed as we shovelled food into our mouths, struggling to find a new topic to discuss.

Then Archie finally piped up, "Were you two talking about sex?"

Dad's head whipped towards Archie in horror, and I couldn't help giggling as my father had to fluster his way around another awkward topic.

◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷

"Morning," Frazer grinned from ear to ear as I climbed into his car the next day.

"Morning," I shyly mumbled back, thinking about how we had already greeted each other via text when we got up an hour ago. And how we had facetimed late into the night until I had eventually fallen asleep.

I had barely buckled in when I heard Frazer's seatbelt unclick, his face leaning into my side of the car, eyes zeroing in on my mouth.

Mirroring yesterday's events, I shifted back away from him.

He pouted, hurt flickering across his face again. "It's a new day and your face is far removed from tears and snot, so what—"

"Dad is watching," I whispered.

Our heads both turned towards my house. "I don't see him anywhere."

"He said he would be," I murmured, eyes searching for his head peering around a curtain somewhere, also unable to locate him.

"But he's not."

"Do you want me to take the bus?" During our call last night, I had given Frazer the play-by-play about my silence suddenly over dinner and dad's warnings about forbidding me getting rides with Frazer if he spotted us doing anything in his car.

"No," he grumbled before leaning back into his seat, buckling in, and putting the car in reverse. "I guess I can wait until we're at school."

Though when we got to school, thanks to the massive line up of traffic on the way due to roadworks, we barely had time to bid each other goodbye. Leaping out of his car, we gave each other a squeeze of the hand as the bell song was in full swing when we pulled up. Then we took off to other sides of the school to our respective classes.

◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷

I ran into Frazer not far from my Maths room during the first break, and he greeted me with, "I was hoping to pick you up from class. But my damn peers didn't know how to shut their mouths."

Flustered by the comment, I replied, "You don't need to go out of your way... We found each other."

"That's beside the point, goose."

"How am I a goose this ti—"

Yet my words disappeared as his hand grabbed mine, our fingers entwining as he pulled me closer. Heat rose to my face as those around us paused, pointing and whispering about the now-famous Frazer Young.

"That's who the song was about?"

"Her? Really?"

"Oh my gosh, it was about Snappy Em?"

"She's not even that pretty."

Though their complaints drowned into the background as he leaned close to me to whisper in my ear, "I want to steal every minute of your time, Emilia McClure. As long as you'll have me, I want to be right by your side as much as possible."

At first, the whispered hate was easy to ignore when his green gaze was locked on me and he professed such affection and longing. I stupidly thought I'd be able to pretend the opinions of others were insignificant forever as I was high in my cloud of puppy love.

Frazer dragged me away from the crowd, oblivious to our onlookers as he went on to explain, "I didn't bring lunch today so we will have to stop by the canteen. Can I get you anything?"

"No, I brought lunch."

He smiled in response and gave my hand one last squeeze before letting go and joining the line. When he returned to my side five minutes later, strawberry milk was thrusted towards me.

"What—"

"I couldn't help myself," he stated.

Though I stared at him in confusion. "I haven't had one of these since, like, primary school. I used to love these." And back then I'd drink them all the time. What were the chances he'd pick the right flavour?

Yet then he said, "I recall."

"You recall?"

Though he was already walking away, ears red and face hidden from me as I hurried after him.

"How do you recall?" I pestered, wanting to grab his arm but not having the confidence that he had to reach for him.

"I just... do."

"But it was forever ago... And we only really noticed each other this year."

"I never said that..."

"Then..." But I didn't know what to say, think, or feel as hope, joy, and guilt consumed me.

"It's no big deal... It's just... This isn't the first time I've had a crush on you is all." His face was so red now as he desperately tried to feign nonchalance.

I stared at him in disbelief and my feet came to a stop.

When he realised I was no longer walking beside him, he turned to look at me sheepishly. "Have I weirded you out?"

I shook my head. "All this time, have you..." I couldn't get the full question out of my mouth.

But that didn't matter. Because, "No. I let go of all hopes that you'd look back at me once high school started. Well, that's not quite true. Every now and then when we shared some classes I'd start thinking how cute you are. But I never could bring myself to talk to you. Especially when everyone who tried to approach you was... Anyway. Look, it's not like you're the only girl I've ever had a crush on. I..."

My eyebrows shot up.

"What am I saying?" he continued to ramble. "That's not something you tell your girlfriend, you drongo." He turned on his heel and started walking again.

Unable to contain myself, a snort exited my mouth and I chased after him. Seeing him become a blabbing mess scared away the nerves that had previously struck me, which was why, when I caught up, I hooked my arm around his and leaned into him. "You're adorable," I commented.

"Don't tease me."

"I'm not trying to. I'm just saying... You're cute and I like you."

He threw me a sheepish smile before then blurting, "I'm sorry for the whole 'liked other girls' thing. I wasn't trying to upset you or make you jealous... or downplay how I feel about you. Like, clearly I'm crazy about you. I've never written a song about other girls or hung out with any as much as you and—"

"Fraze," I cut him off as we finally reached the music block.

"Yeah?" he squeaked back.

"It's okay. I know. You like me now and no one else and that's all that matters. Though it is adorable that you've liked me before."

"I wish I never let that slip. Then you'd still think I'm smooth and cool." He forwarded into the building.

"That ship sailed the moment I found out you wrote that song about me."

"How?"

"Because you forgot to tell me the most important part: that I'm your best friend. Or at least gaze at the girl you're serenading so that she gets it."

"Serenading," he scoffed before he pushed the door open.

I wanted to retort, but I held my tongue in case we had company. Though as we entered the music room, I looked around to find, "We're alone."

"We are," he smiled at me, hands starting to reach for me.

Though I sidestepped him and instead grabbed the guitar, forcing it into his outstretched hands. "Now serenade me," I smirked.

"Serenade you?" he repeated before shaking his head. "I still don't think that's quite what I was—"

But I already had my phone out. "'Serenade: a piece of music sung or played in the open air, typically by a man at night under the window of his beloved.'"

"We weren't in open air, nor was I under a window, nor was it night."

"But you sang for me and I'm your beloved?"

"... yes."

"Then it partially applies. Sing for me. Please?"

He sighed and accepted the guitar from my hands. "What song?"

"My song."

His gaze narrowed as he tuned the guitar. "If you wanted to hear that one then you should have stayed for the performance."

"If you wanted me to hear your confession then you should have—"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. But... I still feel awkward about that."

"Do you really want Kevin to be the last person who sang it to me?"

His hands paused in tuning and head snapped upwards. "He sang my song to you? What's he playing at?"

"It was his way of getting me to talk to you."

His lips had pursed in displeasure, but we both knew he couldn't be too mad. Kevin's stunt did force us to finally reconcile.

"So do you really want me to have heard him sing it last?"

"No," he grumbled, then started plucking at the strings, taking much longer with the intro than I recall him doing so last week.

I shifted closer to him, a small smile pulling at my lips as I tilted my head and freely adored him, with all the rights I now had as his 'beloved'. "You've sung for me before, Fraze," I reminded him. "And now I know your love songs are for me, and now you know I'm more than happy to hear them. In fact, I crave them. So don't be afraid and let me hear your confession as it was meant to go."

Frazer deliberated for a moment before asking, "What do I get if I sing it?"

"My heart?" I responded.

"Are you implying I don't already have that?"

"... You do." I sighed as I tried to think of another thing I could offer, when it finally hit me. "I know something you really want and that I requested must be special for our first time. Serenading me would most definitely make it special."

His lips turned up as his gaze flickered down to my mouth. "Deal," he breathed before glancing back up at my eyes.

Then his melodic voice finally caressed my ears with the tune he wrote just for me, his eyes never leaving mine the whole time as his words wound their way around and through my heart. Until there was just me and him. Until there was only him.

"There's something 'bout the way, you look at me..."