"I am telling you; she is the one!" I heard the whispers growing louder as I stepped in the hallway.

"You've got to be kidding me. There's no way Gus would hook up with someone like her. He likes them hot!" Another one said, and I fought the urge to slap myself in front of the crowd that was growing around the lockers.

Row three, locker number four... That's the one! I hit the passcode as the locker turns open. I push my textbooks, notes, a couple of postcards, and a baby Yoda figurine into it when I felt a sudden jolt in my arm. I turn around to see a pair of blue eyes pinning me down against my locker.

"Oh God! Not today." I groaned as Sam stood, wearing a teal blue flannel and ripped, black denim. His hair was pushed to a side, and from what I could make out, his eyes looked tired. Did he not get enough sleep or something?

"Hi." Sam said, looking straight into my eyes.

"I don't have the energy to deal with your half ass jokes, Sam. It's the first day and I don't wanna be late!" I said, pulling out a thick journal from the stack, as I gripped tighter on my bag's strap.

"I am not here to make fun of you. I want to talk a few things out." He said, and I furrowed my brows at him.

"About what?" I asked. And then it hit me. Did he hear the rumors too?

"Did you, and Augustus-"

"It's none of your business. Stay out of it!" I jerked my arm off his grip. Walking faster, hoping he doesn't follow me around. What business does he have pestering about my dating life? We hardly know each other! Perhaps, he wanted to know all the spicy details. It wasn't the first time I was getting manipulated by a guy. Or two. All I needed was a will power stronger than my bra strap, and the resilience of a tampon, and I will encompass this jeopardy on my own.

"Marley, wait!" I could hear him in the background and then all the sounds died as I turned in the corridor.

I reached for the schedule I had pre-planned after all the ruckus yesterday. First lecture: Chemistry 102-Organic Compounds. All I had to do was figure out where the chemistry lab was. A few turns and twists later, the stupid school guide landed me in a dark space with no mentions of the lab. I should have just asked someone while I was at it!

I turned around, planning to walk all the way back when I heard a faint humming. The voice turned sweet, backed by guitar music and I couldn't help but follow the rhythm as it lead to a rusty door in the corridor. The doorknob didn't turn when I reached for it. Perhaps, it was bolted from the inside. I placed my ear close to the door to listen to it closely.

'Half of my heart
Is yet to heal,
Whole of myself
not enough love to seal.
Midsummer dreams
Haunting me like nightmares,
A broken soul,
Waiting for a warm embrace.
I haven't given up on love,
But love has
Lost its faith in me.
Oh, I haven't thought about leaving it all,
But all of myself has left me with...
Nothing,
Nothing...
Oh nothing,
Nothing at all!'

I hadn't heard the song before. From what I could listen, it seemed like an original. A rather beautiful one. The artist sang with all of their soul, and the melody rained sorrow.

'Half of my heart,
Knows the blame is my deal,
Yet I see her and forget
How to breathe.
Am I to blame,
Now that I lost her,
Or am I to be pitied
For I always longed for her.
And now she's gone,
Nothing's left with me,
It hurts all night
Hurts all of me,
She said there's going to be sunrise
But now that she's gone
Even the stars show up sparsely,
Who am I to blame,
My heart, myself, my tears,
I haven't given up on love,
But love has given up on me,
All of me,
All through me,
With nothing,
Oh, nothing
Nothing at all!'

By the time the song ended and the guitar strings were unplucked, I felt tears trickling down my cheeks. Fuck. I was going to be late for the class, crying like an idiot.

"There you are!" I turned around to see Sam, infuriated. Holding a pile of books himself as he walked towards me. I rubbed my eyes, hoping the tears don't give me away.

"Marley..." He said, and then froze in his step. His eyes softened and he walked closer till all I could see was him. I gulped the lump in my throat.

"Why are you crying?" He asked, his fingers brushed down my cheek, and I could feel the wet trail left behind the tear.

"None of your business. Why are you following me?" I retorted, hoping to sound seriously pissed, but my voice cracked midway.

"Easy there." He said, using his free arm to rub my back.

I flinch under his touch and he retracted his hand, being more mindful of what he was doing.

"Sorry. I- I wasn't thinking." He said, and my eyes met his.

"Why are you here?" I asked out of desperation. Seriously, it was getting a hell lot annoying now.

"Because I want to know the truth about Gus and you." His lips pursued into a line.

"Why are you making a big deal out of it? It's nothing. And well, it definitely doesn't concern you. Shit happens all the time!" I said, hoping he leaves. And maybe I will follow him silently and get out of the dead-end. I hope the teacher doesn't notice my tardiness for getting late on the first day!

"It isn't nothing." He pushed me to the wall, pinning me with his body.

"Stop pinning me around random walls, Sam! It fucking hurts!" I complained as he looked at me pissed.

"Then stop trying to run away all the damn time!"

"Why are you making a fuss out of it?" I stared in his blue eyes.

"Because this is going to stir up a new war. And I don't want to get pulled into this thing. This is serious, Marley. This stuff is serious!" He said solemnly.

"What?" I was lowkey afraid of surprises. This was scarier.

"Weston High isn't an easy game. It either breaks you, or makes you. Don't hang around Augustus. Okay?" His Adam's apple quaked as he said Gus's name.

"Okay." I nodded, and he reached for my hand. His fingers laced around mine, and instinctively I started walking, following him. Sam was the knight in shining armor? Maybe in my wildest dreams. Or not. Weston High wasn't an easy game. It wasn't something I was oblivious to. But hearing it from Sam had an uneasy shift to that thought. Was there more to it than what I already heard of?

"And... I do care." Sam murmured, walking me into the corridor as we stopped right out of the Chemistry lab.

"Mrs. Murthy is a tough one. Good luck on the first day!" He winked, as I stood a little lost, and a little moved by everything that happened.

"If you aren't getting in, get out of the way, I don't to be any more late on the first day!" I heard the whining, and turned around to see Gus. Dressed in all black, holding a Chemistry journal as his curls cover the best part of his forehead.

How am I going to encompass this storm? Just how? This will surely take more than a tampon's resilience. How about something safer...A condom? I gulped.