I had never skipped school before, and I never thought that I would but I did and a lot of people seemed to be concerned about that move, especially the teachers. I got scolded for missing lessons in every class I went to, including gym class and I wasn't even good in that class.

I assumed that Adrian had not come to school because he got stabbed and everything but he proved me wrong when I met him on my way to physics class. He looked really tired.

"Thought you weren't gonna to come." I said, walking beside him in the crowded hallway.

"Me too." He said in a lazy tone, he had his hands in his pockets and his eyes were fixed to where we were going.

He looked kinda depressed.

We reached physics class and I fist his jacket, pulling him beside the entrance of the class. He glared at my hand and I immediately let go of him.

Mood much?

"Are you okay?" I felt concerned about him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He leaned against the wall and sighed restlessly, Never meeting my eyes.

He was clearly lying, he couldn't even hide it.

"Emily, fucking finally." I heard Charlie's voice approaching from behind me, I snapped my head to look at him.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Adrian murmured to himself.

I did not know what made Charlie think that it was okay for him to hold my hand while a guy I claimed to be my boyfriend was standing right beside me but he did.

"For fuck's sake, Emily, I was so worried about you, where were you yesterday?" He asked me, clearly ignoring Adrian.

I froze, I didn't know what to respond, Adrian thought that I was too hung up on Charlie and Charlie thought that we were now cool with each other. Therefore I had to be very sensitive about the response I was going to give him.

"I uhm-"

"I don't think it's any of your business about what she does and doesn't do with her life but to answer your question, she was with me. Are you going to ask what we were doing? Cause I'm willing to tell you about that too." Adrian's voice was as cold as ice.

"I wasn't talking to you, man." Charlie finally looked at Adrian, I started to feel anxious for some unknown reason.

"Oh but I was definitely talking to you, dipshit." Adrian hissed, I managed to wreck my hand out of Charlie's hold, turning around and looking at Adrian who was murdering Charlie with his eyes. Charlie took a step closer to Adrian and looked him straight in the eye.

"What'd you say to me you little shit?" Charlie was literally poking around Adrian's last nerve at that point. Their tension gave me the creeps.

People were starting to stare too.

"I called you a dipshit, what? are you gonna hit me and then call your little guardian angels from the offices and the locker rooms to defend you? Or are you going to stop being a pussy and actually fight me, man to man." It sounded more like a dare in my ears. A very stupid dare.

Charlie kept staring at Adrian, more like debating on which one it was going to be.

I so desperately needed to hear the sound of that bell.

I hated being the center of attention and people were already whispering about how two guys were fighting over me. Which was somehow surreal.

I decided to hold Adrian's arm, "C'mon Adrian, he's not worth it." I started to pull him away from Charlie. But he was really standing his ground.

"Sound familiar?" Adrian smirked at Charlie, reminding him of the same words I said to Charlie on the day we broke up.

"Dude, seriously?" I gritted my teeth, angrily whispering to him.

"Yes, seriously," He whispered back, I had no choice but to wrap my arm around him and drag him away from Charlie. He flinched a little. Shit, I forgot he was hurt.

"Stay away from her asshole, I'm fucking serious." He warned to Charlie while I was dragging him away from the crowd.

"Seriously Adrian, stop it." I demanded. The bell went off and everyone started going to their classes.

"Let go of me." He shoved my arm away and I ceased my steps while he continued walking.

"What is your fucking problem?" I asked him, he stopped walking and turned around.

"Problem?" He acted clueless. I scooted towards him and lowered my tone.

"Yeah dude-"

"Adrian, not dude." He corrected me.

"Whatever, that was a little out of line don't you think?" I asked him, he chuckled looking elsewhere then back at me.

"Why? How? Because I told him to stay away from you?" He asked curiously.

"No, because you were literally daring him to start a fucking fight with you." I growled.

"Yeah, I am not having this pointless conversation with you right now." He tried to walk away from me.

"Mr Mackey." Mr Montgomery was walking towards us. "And Ms Bennett." He added when he noticed me. "To my office, right now if you will." He said, Adrian and I followed behind him as he led the way to his office.

He opened the office door and opened it wider for us to pass through, we walked inside and he shut the door behind us. Adrian and I took our seats infront of Mr Montgomery's desk.

"So tell me, where were you two yesterday." He sat down and leaned back on his chair.

Feeling scared, I gulped, having teachers ask me that question was okay but the principal? That was another level.

I waited for Adrian to answer the question first but he was quiet and didn't look like someone who was about to open his mouth.

I really did not get him, we were good the previous day but he turned into a total stranger the next day.

I spoke too soon about him being nice to me.

"I uhm, got busy at home yesterday because my Dad went on a business trip and I was just busy." I stuttered and shivered while I lied.

"Okay and you?" He turned to Adrian. I let out a breath.

"I've been skipping school since sophomore year and you've never called to ask this stupid question because you don't give a shit so just ask what you really want to ask." Adrian rudely spoke to Mr Montgomery.

"Language, Mr Mackey." He warned.

"It's actually Adrian, don't call me Mr Mackey." He whispered the last part.

"Okay, Adrian, want me to be honest?" Mr Montgomery leaned his hands on the table.

"Yes please." Adrian slouched in his seat.

"Emily here is one of our best students and guess what? Her grades are slipping, I asked her teachers why and you know what they all said?" He asked Adrian.

"Please do tell, I'm dying to know." He said sarcastically rolling his eyes. I found myself smiling at that.

"They said she's being influenced by Adrian Mackey." He said, looking back and forth between us.

"Of course they did." Adrian sighed.

"But I'm not being influenced by Adrian or anybody else for that matter." I defended.

"You're only saying that because you don't know it Emily, bright kids like you actually have a bright future." He said. I furrowed my brows at him.

Did he really just say that out loud?

"And kids like me will end up selling popcorn at the mall or sleeping with rats in the streets." Adrian's face hardened.

"That's not what I said." The principal shook his head at Adrian.

"You fucking meant it, bro, we all know you meant it."

"Kid, don't put words in my mouth and Emily, if I were you I'd stay away from trouble makers like this one." He pointed to Adrian while looking at me.

"Got that Emily? Stay away from dumb kids like me, dullness is contagious now. I'm sure she gets it so can we like go to class now?" He was tapping his foot on the floor and his fists were clenched on his lap.

He looked like he was seconds away from flipping out.

"Adrian." I placed my hand on his, he swayed his hand away.

"You have to sign here for the school trip before you go, both your parents paid for it." He placed a piece of paper and a pen in front of us. I picked the pen and signed.

"Can we go?" Adrian asked Mr Montgomery after I was done signing.

"You're not going to sign?" He asked Adrian.

"Dumb fucked up kids don't go on fancy trips or didn't you hear?" He dropped his eyes on the piece of paper.

Mr Montgomery sighed, "Language."

"Oh I'm sorry, I meant I'm not going on your FUCKING trip." He went full slow-mo on the word fucking. Mr Montgomery looked really pissed.

"Jesus, Adrian." I face palmed.

"That's it, detention for you after classes." Mr Montgomery snapped at Adrian.

"Oh no, not detention." He mimicked some kind of a squeaky tone as he rolled his eyes. "Can we please go now? Wait, shit I'm sorry I didn't mean to involve the school princess in my business, I meant can I go now?" He emphasized on I and pointed at his chest. I rolled my eyes at his drama.

Mr Montgomery just nodded yes and Adrian immediately got up to leave the room, after I heard the door shut I also stood up and looked at the man sitting before me.

"I really didn't like the way you spoke to him, he's a human being with feelings and it really shouldn't be any of your business as to who I hang out with. Respectfully." I said before rushing out of the office, I spotted Adrian walking out the school exit doors.

"Damnit." I sprinted after him.

Passing through the heavy doors, my eyes roamed around the school parking lot. I saw him smoking a cigarette by his car. I jogged towards him.

"I see you've decided to skip yet another class." My tone was breathy.

"I see you've decided not to stay away from me." He released a puff of smoke on my face which made him look so hot. Damn him.

Focus, Emily.

"Except I can't." I whispered to myself.

"What was that?" He asked.

I awkwardly cleared my throat, "I said you should come with me on that trip, who knows maybe we might have fake sex."

"Cut it out, Emily." He opened his car door and sat on the driver's seat.

I held the door open, "No, Adrian listen, I can't go alone, Charlie and his bitches will be all over me and I simply can't afford shit like that."

"You really have to get over Charlie and learn to fight back against those bitches." He placed the cigarette on his lips, I snapped it and tossed it away. I felt like it was distracting me.

"I know and I will but only if you are there." I said.

He sighed and glanced up at me, "First of all, never do that ever again." He pointed at the cigarette which was now on the ground, "And secondly, I really don't like the fact that you're a control freak."

"I am not."

"Okay."

"Okay what? you'll go?"

"Okay I'll think about it." He said. I groaned frustratedly.

"Think about it?" I questioned.

"Yes Emily, it's either that or I say no." He said irritatedly looking up at me.

I felt so defeated, "Okay fine, think about it then."