━

MAY WAS TWO WEEKS FROM ENDING, and it had been about a month since spring break. meaning school would end at the very beginning of june; the first.

miles and audrey had been quite comfortable with having projects done at the library or at his house, but audrey never let him come over to his house.

he wasn't sure why, but he respected her privacy anyway.

all he wanted to see what it looked like, the color, the style, anything.

after all, a girl's room can give a lot away about her personality.

anyways, getting back to the important thoughts that everyone had; school was ending.

seniors were getting prepped and ready for their highschool graduation, juniors were studying and applying for colleges, sophomores were making plans to drive to the beaches nearby, and freshmans were simply relieved to have overcome the year.

that being said, school was becoming a rush. everyone just wanted to be done with it already. lines for lunch became longer, assignments became shorter. freedom was so close, yet so far.

"ugh, we've come so close to the end of the year, finally i can tan without having to worry about bio assignments." lilith said, looking at her nails that she'd just gotten done for summer. the three of them stood in line for lunch.

"i know, it's so nice to not have the pressure of school anymore. i'll have so much more time to build my lego's and paint." audrey huffed, crossing her arms over her breezy blue top.

with it, she wore white ruffled skirt to match the summer theme she was going for, and gold necklaces layered her collarbone.

"okay, lily you're slaying that tube top. i'm surprised you haven't gotten dress coded yet." marina said, "i feel like a beach lifeguard, and i'm talking about the guy ones." she yawned.

"rina, you have a tanktop, you'll be fine." audrey hummed, "and she's right w–HOLY SHIT REMEMBER MS. IBUE," audrey laughed, as marina's jaw dropped. "mrs. ibuprofen, mrs. ADVIL." she coughed out.

"GOODBYEE," lilith laughed aloud, "she dress coded you on the last day of school because of your tube top." audrey chuckled.

"i'm wearing this to the beach, no excuses." she winked, "oh, that reminds me." she said, pulling out her phone. "i'm going to see my mom in chicago for a few weeks, so we're planning for the beach, like next week?"

"next week?" audrey asked, "that's–yeah, sure next weeks fine for me." she mumbled. as lilith continued on, "well i invited some sophomores, you guys can invite whoever you want."

"i already invited aarman and dalylah." marina replied, "audrey? anyone you wanna tag along with?" lilith turned to the girl, who looked past them; lost in thought.

"earth to audrey?" lilith asked, snapping in front of her face, "are you alright?" she asked the girl, who snapped out of the trance, "me–i'm fine. who? oh, aarman, if aarman's not there i can't go."

"why not?" lilith asked, "that's her cousin dude," marina replied, "oh yeahhh," the girl nodded, "well he's already coming."

"anyone elseee?" marina asked, shimmying closer to audrey, who stood still. "no, nobody." audrey simply said, knowing where she was taking this.

"well isn't there just one, helpful person?" lilith asked, prodding further, "wh–you two are both in on this?" audrey asked, "why wouldn't we be. we haven't met him all year."

"i don't even know who you're talking about." the girl huffed, crossing her arms as she progressed along with the line, closer to the front.

"oh, you know exactly who we're talking about." marina walked closer, "we haven't seen your tutor friend alll year, and we sure haven't forgotten about that cute secret admirer of yours."

"i don't have eyes for my tutor, you idiots." audrey rolled her eyes, "the secret admirer's a whole other dream." she smiled, "HAH!" marina yelled, slamming her hand on lilith's shoulder.

"we got her, lily." she carefully nodded, "you haven't cracked down on who it is?" lilith asked, "nope, i like the little mystery of it. i just imagine he's like my dream boyfriend." audrey smiled up at the ceiling.

"that's kinda smart actually.." lilith trailed off, as marina turned back to audrey. "not the point, where's the tutor, you at least know him right?" she asked the girl, "yeah.."

"what's he sound like?" lilith asked eagerly as audrey stared back in confusion. "his voice sounds nice, i'm not sure what to describe it as." audrey tilted her head in confusion walking forward as the line progressed. "does he go here?" lilith asked again.

just as audrey was about to respond, she felt a hand firmly grip her shoulder just enough to grab her attention.

"hey, i've been looking for you everywhere." miles simply said, his face inches from hers, "i got you some papers i thought would help for the test on friday." he muttered, handing her a folder with a paper clip on it.

"we can work on them later at the cafe when you want." he suggested, his gaze flickering from her hair to her eyes. he tried to look everywhere, anywhere but her friends.

"i–uh, sure, that's fine. yeah," she nodded as miles nodded back in response, "alright then, see you around." he smiled at her then lilith and marina, "nice outfit by the way." he whispered in her ear, before walking away.

"holy shit." marina said, standing there absolutely flabberghasted. "okay it's really, not that complica–"

"that's him?!" lilith squealed, jumping up a bit clapping her hands, "yes, that's him." audrey sighed, fighting a smile.

"he's cute, damn." lilith smirked at her, hip bumbing her as audrey side eye-ing the girl with a smile. "of course you think that."

"i've been looking for you everywhere?" marina repeated, her arms crossed as her jaw hung low. "see you around?" she added.

"cute outfit by the way." marina yelled, "bitch, he has the hots for you like nobody i've ever seen." she announced as lilith nodded. audrey forcefully rolled her eyes.

"you were stuttering, hella around him." marina taunted, lightly hitting the girl's arm as they walked a few steps forward, the line progressing to the front.

"oh shut up, i was not stuttering." audrey scoffed, as marina cleared her throat; "i–uh, sUrE, tHaT sOuNds gReAt, mY LovELy fUtuRe vAmPire bOyfriEnd."

"i didn't even say that!" audrey reasoned, as marina shimmied.

audrey shoved marina out of the way, desperate to hide her smile. she did tend to catch feelings very easily. well, more like her eyes caught feelings easily.

"i don't even know him!" audrey reasoned, turning around with an expression so difficult to comprehend. it wasn't a smile, but it wasn't a scowl.

"sure, that never stopped you." marina winked, "i swear i'm going to single-handedly strangle you whilst eating my lunch." audrey sighed, pinching her temples.

"i think he has instagram." lilith intervened, "were you actually on there the entire time." audrey asked, standing as if she had been waiting in line for a roller costar at a theme park for a half hour.

"yes, well i was texting rylie, but then i decided to see if she could find him. she can find anyone, so she found him." lilith smiled, putting on her best fake-innocent look.

"sure, sure you don't even know his name, there's no way she found him." audrey rolled her eyes, turning her head to fight another grin.

"okay audrey, you barely know him but you know enough about him to know that you like him." marina smirked at her best friend, looking at the girl who was trying anything and everything she could to hide her expression from her friends.

"just admit you caught feelings," marina smirked, "whyyyyy,"

marina sighed, looking at lilith with a knowing look. audrey was experience phase one of having a crush.

denial.

"whatever, you lovesick man-hater."

━

as the week progressed, audrey seriously considered rechecking herself around miles.

did she like him?

it wasn't the first time that she was torn between two people.

first the perfect scenario of a secret admirer, and then a tutor, who goes to her school and he's cute?!

well, in this case; you could even say two and a half.

she still hadn't completely lost feelings for–

"audrey!" she heard a voice call as she waited on the sidewalk. "hey, miles." she nervously said, her fingers digging into her backpack's straps.

"ready to go?" he said, as he noticed the girl's hesitant behavior, he followed her gaze as he watched her scan the parking lot.

"what are we looking for?" he quietly asked, as she shook her head, taking his hand as she led them out of the lot.

"nothing, don't worry about it." she quickly said, as they walked down the side walk. miles couldn't help but look down at her holding his hand, and further below at her frilly skirt as well.

"so i was thinking, since the year's winding down.." miles hummed, as they walked inside the cool cafe. "do you really wanna keep this going?" he asked, "i mean i won't trouble you if you don't want to do this anymore, i wouldn't blame you."

"nonono, i do." she nodded, as she took off her bag, "okay, great." he sighed, with a smile. "do you?" she asked, as he nodded, "of course. you're a friend to me now, and i wouldn't ever say no to a friend."

she stared at him blankly, her cheeks heating up slightly at his words. "thanks miles, i could say the same to you," she smiled as she rested her chin on her interlocked fingers.

"say it then." he leaned in closer, "mmm, i don't know if i feel like it." she taunted, as he raised a brow. "how about for a coffee?"

"anything for a coffee." she said, "you're the best friend everrr," she sang, tilting her head as he got up from his seat.

"be back soon, dree." he chuckled as he walked over to the counter. meanwhile, audrey checked through her backpack for her notebook, and pulled out the note the secret admirer had given her today.

i went to the garden of love,
and saw what i never had seen:
a chapel was built in the midst,
where i used to play on the green.

and the gates of this chapel were shut,
and 'thou shalt not' writ over the door;
so i turn'd to the garden of love,
that so many sweet flowers bore.

and I saw it was filled with graves,
and tomb-stones where flowers should be:
and priests in black gowns, were walking their rounds,
and binding with briars, my joys & desires.

- ♡

she smiled softly at the light yellow paper in her hands. she looked up, folding it carefully as she put it back into her bag.

she yawned, glancing at the window before glancing at miles.

"what the fuck." audrey said, her jaw hanging low as she quickly turned her head back to the window.

there stood marina and lilith, peeking into the coffee shop.

audrey stared at them in pure shock and disbelief before she quickly looked back to miles who had just placed the order for their drinks.

"you know, i always knew it was that guy." marina softly said, as lilith looked at her in confusion. "no you didn't." lilith laughed, "no, he was always around her."

lilith took a moment before soaking up the girls words, recalling every moments she'd seen the familiar boy. "oh shit." lilith said, her jaw hung agape as she laughed, "you're right!"

"yeah, i know. she would always see him and go walk away somewhere." marina hummed, "i thought he was a creep at first." she said, "and then you told me you liked him."

"yeah, now that you mention it, audrey was so tense over the day i spilled the news." lilith nodded to herself, "it's alright, he's all for her. i can tell." lilith simply said, smiling as she opened her phone.

she quickly clicked some pictures of the two. as marina laughed at audrey's mean look through the shop.

"audrey, are you alright?" miles asked, as audrey angrily slurped her drink. miles had ordered her go-to; caramel ribbon crunch.

"i'm fine. let's get to work." she quickly said, as she set her drink down, covering the side of her face with one hand.

the last thing she wanted to do, was bring attention to her psycho friends.

"princess, we don't have work." miles chuckled, "r-right." she simply said, playing it off that they were here to hangout, and that he'd called her princess.

"miles," she quickly whispered, opening her notebook. "hmm?" he looked up from his phone, setting down his drink as well.

"audrey you don't need your notebook we're not–"

"miles," she sternly said, "yes ma'am." he mumbled, as he watched her scribble down some words.

she pursed her lips as she carefully glanced past miles before sliding the notebook towards the boy.

' marina and lilith are in the window outside, left to you, but kinda behind you '

he looked up to the girl, not moving his head once. "again?" he sighed, as the girl nodded quietly.

"so what do we do?" he mumbled, tapping the pen against the notebook as if he were teaching her something. "just pretend you're teaching me, or like–"

just then, the girls walked into the coffee shop, sitting down at a table across from them. thank god it was busier today.

"it's fine, i'll just do that." miles said, shifting closer to the girl. he wrote down some brainless jokes, and audrey looked at him, completely unamused.

"you're kidding me." she said, "what? you want actual math, fine."

"no, dude if you make me laugh, it'll seem like we're having fun." audrey explained, as if he was supposed to know that from the start. "isn't that what we came here to have?" he asked.

"miles, i hate to break this to you buddy," audrey sighed, trying her best to ignore what she could feel was her friends' stare. "but we're not having any of that today."

"and why not?" he crossed his arms, looking at her and the notebook. "because, then it'll seem like–"

she sighed, closing her eyes before looking back to him. "like we're having a date." she simply said, giving him a sarcastic smile.

"and what makes that so dangerous, princess?" he asked, pushing himself off the seat as he leaned closer to the girl. she tried to ignore the feeling of her friends seeing them this close, and actually being this close.

"you idiot, they're psychos." audrey finally said, "they'll snap thirty pictures, and show my future husband and my kids and tell them i had side hoes."

"well i'm sure your future husband wouldn't mind." he said in a nonchalant tone, smiling with a cocky look on his face. "says who?" audrey tilted her head.

"your future hus–"

suddenly a loud clattering sound could be heard across the shop, lilith had dropped her phone and some dishes as marina snapped a photo in their direction.

while marina held it down and posed as if it were a selfie, her flash when off when she took the picture, going off again.

"they're such collateral morons, it deteriorates my brain cells." audrey simply said, as the shop regained it's busy noises. "it's kinda funny." miles laughed, as audrey rolled her eyes with a smile.

"they're all i've got." she shrugged with a shoulder, "ouch." he mumbled, "awhh, i'm sorry, i almost forgot." she said, scooting closer to him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"sorry, best friend ever." she smiled up at him from his left shoulder. "what happened to, don't make it look like a date?" he simply said, kissing her wrist.

"wh–shit–" she quickly pulled her arms down, leaning forward to see if lilith and marina had seen.

she was relieved to see they were squealing about something, until marina showed her phone to lilith, and a picture of audrey hugging miles was on it.

of course, how could they miss it.

"they got a picture didn't they?" miles stiffled a laugh, sipping the last of the drink in his cup as she nodded glumly.

"they're gonna put it on AHS couples." she groaned, "they have instagram couple pages?" he eagerly asked, trying not to get excited over the minor comment she made.

miles and audrey.

audrey and miles.

together? as a couple?

someone dial 911, because miles was about to faint.

"yeah, they do," the girl huffed, crossing her arms. "they're so embarrassing sometimes." she mumbled, "i'm sorry miles, i know you wanted to hangout."

"it's totally fine, i really don't care. i've had plenty of fun." he winked, bringing her hand up to his lips as he pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

"you're in on this, aren't you?" she asked, "in on what?" he asked, his brows knit together as his smile faded. "nevermind, they wouldn't talk to you." she smiled, laughing a bit at his sudden concern.

"i don't know if that's a good thing, or bad." he simply shrugged.

━

as the sun began to set, lilith and marina left together, as per usual.

miles and audrey calmed down after that, having their own fun and hanging out together carelessly as the time for them to go home got closer and closer.

"see you tomorrow." audrey smiled up at the boy as she pressed a small kiss to his cheek, "tomorrows saturday." he said, with a boyish grin as he tried to ignore the feeling that coursed through him.

"yeah, i know dummy. i'll be there for flora." she said, as he stepped down from the sidewalk, onto the gravel of the parking lot.

"not for me?" he asked innocently, "nope. i was here for you today." she smiled at him as a honk could be heard through the small parking lot.

audrey smiled to herself as she got on her bike. "sorry, see you tomorrow, bye!" miles waved as he got into kate's car.

"bye!" she laughed as the yellow car drove away.

━

heyyy

i've been working on this & DLB recently, pretty much switching back & forth so idk if i'll be updating as much. i honestly just like to write a whole bunch in one day & then publish it whenever i want but lately i don't have much written. 😭 

still, we'll see about it ANYWAYSSS hope u guys enjoyed this chapter, I REALLY DID 😻

genuinely, marina & lilith are literally like my two best friends irl, i wrote them to be JUSSSS like them so if you're reading this HEYYY i hope u know who u areee 

byee see you guys never!

no im kidding i'll be back next chapter ;)

TOODLE