Run.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of half of the day, I could make out the visible signs of relief on my classmate's faces as they stood up to enjoy one of the few free periods we had assigned for the week. Being seniors was more work than show. Sure, calling ourselves the graduating class had its own ring to it but there was no gain without pain, after all. The teachers were squeezing every last drop of energy out of us with assignments, papers, surprise quizzes and what not. It was nice to get a free period right before lunch which came up to a promising two hours of rest.

I started packing my bag pretty fast, knowing that dad would be expecting me to make it home. Knowing him, he wouldn't have listened to anything I'd said before and would be trying to cook something up himself but considering his lack of culinary skills, I was more afraid he'd burn down the house by the time I made it back.

"You're in a rush."

I glanced up mid-way through tossing my pens and ruler into an empty pocket of my bag, smiling at Damien's raised eyebrow. We'd spent most of the day together and it surely had lifted his spirits but the sight of me eager to leave didn't bode so well with him.

"Yeah," I said, zipping my bag to a close. "Dad's sick and I promised I'd make it home during the off we had today so I could make him some lunch."

"Will he be alright? Do you need me to come along?" Damien's eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"Not at all," I smiled, waving away his worries. "It's nothing major. Besides, I've been keeping you all to myself today so you should probably catch up with your bros." I gestured over at Leo and Nick at the other end of the class. Nick was talking animatedly about something but the excitement was lost on Leo, who was staring over at us, his lips turning downward into a tiny frown. He'd kept a long face all of today and barely talked to me, even when we'd all sat together for first break. When I'd tried to get him alone, he'd muttered something about a Student Council meeting and run off (although, I later came to find out that he wasn't lying about it). We'd left things on a very...open note. I needed to talk to him, and his way of tactfully keeping away from me but glaring me down whenever I spent time with Damien wasn't quite appreciated.

I held his gaze, narrowing my eyes when I realized just how determined he was to win this stare-off. His blue eyes were cold and though we were several feet apart, practically burned into my own. To my regret, I was the first to break it off as Damien caught my attention once again, and from the corner of my eyes, I could see Leo's frown deepen.

"Will you be joining us for lunch or coming straight for the class after?"

My unyielding gaze softened as my eyes settled on Damien's face. He was tugging on the strap of his bag like a child, while the other hand raced through his unruly hair. The last couple girls leaving the class openly ogled at his adorable display of childish cuteness. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and answered his question.

"I'll be coming directly to class. Better to stay with dad for as long as I can."

Damien smiled warmly at me.

"You're a good daughter."

I winked. "Only the best."

Footsteps approached us and we both turned to see Leo and Nick.

"Ready for lunch?" Nick asked, brightly as ever.

"Yeah but May's going home to take care of her dad so..." Damien jutted his head toward the door. "I think we should go find us a place at the cafeteria before the spots run out."

"Good idea. We'll see you later May." Nick and Damien shot me twin smiles before heading out of the class room. Leo was quick to follow but I grabbed his arm, securing it in a tight hold that caused a slight noise of protest to burst out his lips. The boys stopped near the doorway and looked back to see Leo staring me down, trying to wrench free from my hold.

"Uh...Leo? What-"

"I need to have a talk with pretty boy here," I said casually. Damien, utterly oblivious, nodded. Nick, on the other hand, looked a tiny bit suspicious. "It's about AP Spanish. You guys go ahead. He'll join you soon enough." It looked good enough to convince him as he muttered an indifferent 'okay' and left the room with Damien, shutting the door behind him. I let out my breath and shifted my attention to Leo who was still looking at me with a whole lot of distaste on his face.

"We need to talk," I said firmly, tightening my hold on his hand as he put up a bigger fight.

"It can wait. I'm hungry."

"No, Leo. It can't."

"What about your dad?" he countered. I raised my eyebrows at him. Was he seriously using my dad's health as an excuse to get away from me himself? A prick of irritation stung me and I glared at him.

"I've got a whole two hours to make it home. This," I gestured the space between the two of us, "will only take five minutes." I dropped my hold on him and crossed my arms over my chest, trying to look as annoyed as I possibly could. "What's been up with you? You've barely talked to me since..." An irrepressible heat rose up in my cheeks. "Since Christmas."

Leo slid his hands into the pockets of the red hoodie he wore. "I've just been busy."

"With what?"

"What is with your persistent habit of wanting to know everything that's going on in my life? I'm not entitled to tell you."

I stepped back, a wave of hurt slapping me across the face at his words. Leo seemed to regret what he'd said instantly. He made a move to correct himself but I turned my back on him and started to reach for my bag, seeing as I was clearly not wanted here. Before I could wrap my hand around the strap to sling it over my shoulder and bolt this empty, yet stifling room, Leo stopped me.

"I didn't mean that."

His words were painted with shame as his hand curled around my wrist, pulling me back to look at him. His blue depths swum with regret and his cheeks, previously a pale tone had flushed in embarrassment.

"You know I didn't mean that. I just..."

"You just what, Leo?" I snapped. Turning full way to face him, I stepped closer and half-shouted at him. "You just can't handle facing me anymore? After all that happened between us, if this is how you want to leave it between us, then fine. Go ahead. All I wanted to do was talk to you. To know what this was," I pressed a hand against his chest, feeling the thrumming of his heart beat dangerously against his ribs. The sensation made my heart flutter but I didn't let it show as I shoved him back, hard, ignoring the shock that flit across his face.

"To know where we are now. But if you're too chicken to own up to how you feel, then-"

Leo cut the distance between us with two intentful steps and before I could stop him, his lips came crashing down on mine. I froze, my eyes growing in shock before they fluttered to a close of their own accord as Leo's hands trailed down my waist, his touch gentler than the way his mouth claimed my own. On instinct, I stepped closer and wound my arms around his shoulders, my hands running through his hair. All thoughts of anger, frustration and confronting him shot out of my head, replaced by an uncontrollable desire to just kiss him and feel him against me. I didn't want to let go. Not when his lips bruised mine with the kind of passion I'd only read about in books, and definitely not when he whispered my name against my mouth in a ragged, broken gasp that had me aching all over. It was wrong in a way. I just let go of everything in one second of weakness, just so I could kiss him but it felt so very right.

He backed me up against my desk, my bag falling to a loud clutter on the ground at the hard contact. Leo lifted me off the ground and onto the surface without taking his lips off mine. I smiled when he said my name again, whispered it so tenderly and touched the strands of my hair that framed my face as if it were an apology for all he'd done. And my smile widened as he moved in between my legs, securing his hands on my hips and kissed me harder. My legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer in than I'd ever let myself dream he'd be.

And that's why I didn't stop him. Because for the first time in forever, reality was just as beautiful as a dream. I didn't stop him, not even when I felt like my heart was going to burst through my chest and destroy all of me in the best possible way. Not even when he tried to stop himself, to look into my eyes and say the 'sorry' he meant with his all beautiful, oh-so-kiss-worthy mouth. Not even when the door jerked open and a very loud gasp broke through the air, shattering everything that had built in one, disastrous second.

Leo sprang apart, whirling around as he started to fix himself. If his ruffled hair and oddly frantic blue eyes didn't give him away, the bruised redness of both our lips certainly did as we stared, mortified, at the petrified statue of Nick.

He had seen us.

A silence permeated the air, thick with discomfort and unease as we all looked at each other. Leo and I didn't dare to make eye contact as we settled our worried gazes on Nick who looked like he wanted to run away but couldn't move his feet to do so.

"I just-" he cleared his throat, his voice coming out way squeaker than intended. "My phone." With one shaking finger, he pointed to his desk. "I left my phone but um-" His gaze shot between the two of us before he let out a nervous laugh that resembled choking. "Kids these days are way too dependent on technology. It's always CandyCrush or TempleRun or something or the other."

Nick was rambling. And not very well either, judging by the whole 'deer caught in headlights' look he was giving us.

"I mean, if you want to run, why run through a temple, right? Why not go to the gym? I mean, that way, at least you'd lose a few pounds. So uh-"

Nick stepped back, his back hitting the door and he winced at the contact but didn't let up his tirade.

"-that's what I'm going to do now." He stared at me, cheeks blushing. "Run."

The sound of squeaky screeching of sneakers against the floors followed by very loud footsteps racing down the hall followed. Leo and I were still, trying to process what had just happened but he came around to his senses faster than I did and started to go after Nick, but not before stopping at the doorway and saying, in a voice though controlled, teetered on the edge of desire, "This isn't over."

With a final, piercing stare, Leo ran after his best friend, leaving me alone in the room to collect my thoughts, and myself.

--- CHAPTER END ---

Merry Christmas, everyone! <3

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