Highschool ends and so will this.

Home time.

I watched the clock from second to second, all class. The last bell would ring in 36 secs...35..34...

"Phoenix! note!" Someone hissed from behind me, distracting me. I felt their hand bump mine. I took the note offered.

Confused, I glanced down, as Mr Harris started packing away his own things.

I unfolded it, dreading the contents.

"Stay away from Caspian." -JJ

I rolled my eyes, like I wasn't trying Jetta Jamieson.

I wrote a stiff reply as the bell rang. Refolding the note, I made a show of leaving it on the desk, flickering my eyes towards Jetta, then the desk. She followed my gaze towards my hand and the note.

I then slung my bag over my shoulder and strode from the room, as others began to shuffle out.

But what I didn't see was who had been waiting between me and Jetta unobserved, in our interaction and, with a slight of the hand, had managed to snatch the note before Jetta could, without notice or suspicion.

Caspian POV

Caspain found himself smiling as he pulled the note from his pocket. He had to know who she'd been passing notes with, what she had left for them to find. He leaned against the brick gym wall, unfolding the note. His blood ran cold.

He felt a muscle flicker in his jaw as he clenched his teeth. Jetta had to get a clue.

No wonder Phoenix wanted nothing to do with him, she'd already been warned off him on the first day.

Running a hand through his hair, he felt his temper rise.

"Fuckin' bitch." He snarled, as Tye and Dylan came round the corner, pausing mid step, I snapped my eyes towards the movement.

"Ahh bad time?" Tye tried hesitantly. I calmed my face, shoving the note back into my pocket and shook my head.

" Everything is fine." I replied calmly.

Both guys nodded, looking unconvinced, but didn't push it any further.

We all fell into step, heading towards the parking lot, being born in January. I'd started a year later, so I was one of the only 19 year olds in my year level and that had its perks, one being my full licence.

As we reached my car, I caught a glimpse of Phoenix getting on the bus. Dylan slid into the passenger seat of my car, when Tye interrupted my thoughts.

"Hey guys I'm gonna catch the bus tonight, I've gotta catch up with some stuff at home." He said as he looked towards the same bus Phoenix had just boarded. For the first time, it annoyed me that her and Tye were neighbors.

"Yeah no worries Tye." I shrugged, keeping my emotions in check. I was being ridiculous.

"Cool, see ya guys." He waved as he jogged off, just catching the bus before the door closed.

I turned towards my own car, sliding into the driver's seat, catching Dylan looking with a raised eyebrow.

"So..Advance English hey?" He asked.

I kept my face forward watching the bus pull away into traffic, shrugging.

" The only other class not full was Ms Kelly's gardening club," I replied. Dylan sucked his teeth in annoyance.

"Bullshit, Mr Goodalls' French class was free?" He countered. I moved my gaze to look at him. He knew I was already taking one required language class and I hated Mr Goodall. Dylan huffed but said nothing more, instead looking out the window.

I started the car, sliding it into reverse. I exited the parking spot and then changed into first, heading out the carpark.

I paused at the exit, right towards town or left towards Tye's?

I knew where I wanted to go but turned right, heading to town, towards the local hangout.

Phoenix's POV

"Can I sit here?" Asked a deep husky voice, I looked up, biting my lip as I'd been concentrating on my phone, as I died again in my online FPS.

Tye stood there bent in the aisle of the bus. I nodded, before moving my bag off the seat.

He grinned, sliding into the seat next to me, his too big frame compressed the space. He wiggled before finally deciding something.

"Can you lean forward?" he asked. I pulled my eyes from my phone again, looking. I knew how this was gonna go.

I pulled my earbuds from my ears and exited my game and leaned forward as Tye slid his arm behind me, laying it across my shoulders.

He leaned into me for a second, his lips against my ear.

"Sorry Nix, Too much of me for such a small seat, and not enough of you to fill a whole seat." He chuckled, his voice raspy and flirty, I pushed against him, such an i***t.

"Stop it you idiot." I grumbled, my face warming. "I said meet me at home, you didn't have to take the bus." I finished, as his gaze caught my own.

He smiled as if he knew a secret I didn't, then shrugged, glancing around the bus, catching a cute girl from the year below looking at him, he flashed a cheeky grin, causing her to giggle and look away.

"I didn't drive to school. I got a lift with Caspian and Dylan, so I caught the bus to save him dropping me off." He explained with a bored tone.

I stilled, with a frown.

"Then you went to the milkbar this morning?" I asked.

He looked at me confused, shaking his head.

"No I didn't.." He paused and then blinked as if catching up. "Caspian and Dylan went before picking me up, were you there? Did something happen?" He asked with a worried expression. I smiled at his concern.

"Nah, just thought we missed each other." I bumped into him gently, he smiled, tightening his grip around my shoulders.

I leaned into him as we got lost in our own thoughts for the rest of the trip.

Caspain POV

I slumped in one of the booths, in the game hall, with Dylan and his flavor of the week across from me, not paying any attention to my surroundings. I didn't see her approach until that sickly smell of roses poured into my nostrils, causing me to pause and look up from my phone.

Dylan waggled his eyebrows at me, all I could think was, I don't want to deal with her today.

Without meeting her eyes, I caught Ethan's gaze from across the room. He lifted his chin towards the blonde, still waiting for me to acknowledge her. I nodded and with a heavy sigh I could feel from here, he ditched his pool cue and shuffled over.

I finally looked up at Jetta who stood waiting, her eyes sparkling with anticipation of an invitation to sit down, but before she could ask, Ethan pushed passed her, I scooted over for him to slide in next to me.

Her expression faltered but she lifted her chin and stayed where she was.

"So Cas -" I cut her off right there.

"It's Caspian to you, don't try to seem closer than we are." I quickly returned, she pales but nods, smiles again, before starting to continue, when Ethan cuts in.

I could hug him some days, as my foul mood only increased at that short interaction, I find myself thinking about Phoenix once again. She'd called me Casper and though she had't stayed for me to correct her, I hadn't hated it.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, it was a msg from Tye.

'Hey, I'll drive to school tomorrow, gonna give my neighbor Nix a lift.'

I didn't react until I realized he was taking Phoenix to school. A feeling stirred in my gut was this jealousy? f**k no.

I barely knew the girl, but the way she'd always held my attention since my first day of high school, had it changed into something more dangerous? I thought about swapping classes and the way she made my day brighten.

Maybe it had.

As I went to reply, another notification ping over the top of the text. It was on the school gossip board. I usually ignored them, but I saw Tye tagged, so without thinking, I opened it.

There, pinned with the hashtag #firstdaylove, was a photo of Tye and Phoenix on the school bus, with Tye's arm slung over her shoulders as he whispered something in her ear that she smiled at with downcast eyes.

Something rose in my throat.

Yep, I was jealous, and seething.

Phoenix POV

I got off the bus with Tye on my heels, he waved at the girls and they shrieked as he went, causing the bus driver to grumble.

I smiled, he'd always been a good looking guy and popular with the girls, but it never went to his head. I walked slowly, smiling as I went, when I felt his hands on my shoulders.

"Hey!" I spun around, I smirked.

A surprised Tye paused, looking down at me, he raised his hands in surrender, I nodded and turned around, as he fell into step beside me.

We reached my house, which was empty. Both my parents were still at work. My brother would be out at the local hang out hangout, so the only ones home would be us and my dog Ceberus, whom Tye didn't get along with.

Ceberus knew he intimidated Tye. The Black BulliexMastiff was midnight black with two glowing green eyes that matched my own. He was a beautiful work of art, but an ill-tempered, egotistical asshole of a dog.

I chuckled as Cerebus could be seen looking through the back door, causing Tye to duck up the stairs ahead of me as I chuckled.

He repeatedly asked why I didn't get a lab or retriever instead, and as I told him before, it didn't suit me, and after catching me sneaking out one night, he had to agree.

Because I was a two-sided coin that was polished at school and tainted everywhere else.

As I reached my room, I found Tye sitting at the desk in my gaming chair, his eyes alight with appreciation.

"Is this the New season Club Limited Xcel?" He asked with childhood excitement. I nodded.

"Oooohhh I'm so jealous!" He inspected it closer, as I took a seat on my bed.

After a minute, he paused, and swung around, still seated.

"Hey, you want a lift to school tomorrow? I heard you were late today?" He asked cautiously.

I nodded.

" Yeah, that'd be good." I smiled, he nodded, before fidgeting. "I heard Caspain covered for you, and told the art teacher that you'd be late."

I frowned, this wasn't known to me, he looked up like a puppy with sad eyes, asking me something I couldn't understand.

"This is news to me." I offered, he nodded, then smiled, pulling out his phone.

"I'll tell the boys." He said quickly, but I could tell he wanted to tell Caspian. Had something happened between them?

He barely sent the text, and within 5 minutes he had a reply.

He opened it then frowned, then looked up. With restraint he asked.

"Did you want to ride with the boys tomorrow instead? They said they have room for both of us," he asked.

With all 3 of some of the school's most popular boys, outside of the athletes, I shook my head.

"Nah I'd rather not." I replied, "but if you wanna go wi-" I continued, before Tye cut in.

"No I wanted to umm..take my car for a run anyway." He finished, I nodded and he sent a reply. The phone beeped again instantly, he looked down, his face switching from annoyed to smug, he looked over his phone at me.

When my phone beeped, I pulled it from my pocket and looked down to find a forwarded link. Unlocking my phone, I opened it.

Covering my mouth as I gasped, I looked at the photo on the screen. Tye and I looked like a couple. My eyes met his, his entertained one meeting mine of horror.

He laughed long and heartily, before getting down on one knee, ready to make this relationship official?" He asked, a twinkle in his eye, he took off his dress ring and offered it to me.

I tried not to laugh.

"Phoenix?" He asked. I smiled but shook my head.

"I apologise, Tye, but at this time I cannot return your affections nor accept them." I replied, he looked away, his expression smiling but unreadable, he sighed, then put his ring back on.

"I accept at this time, but not completely." He returned with a smile. I nodded as something heavy settled in my heart, at his gaze.