1.1 | daunting medleys

twenty-eight | molten gold

Tabitha had been undeniably cheerful all morning, and it confused Oliver beyond belief.

She greeted him with a smile and a wave when he'd first saw her, letting her arms brush against his, multiple times and now, she had the softest smile playing on her lips as they waited for Miss Garcia's English lit class to begin. Their teacher was nowhere to be seen and the class had clumped together in tiny groups to chatter lowly. Oliver paid no attention to them, he'd instead been watching Tabitha and her blonde friend chatter about something that caused Tabitha to puff her cheeks indignantly.

The distinct hum of conversation around him paused and was replaced with a very awkward silence when Aiden, Tabitha's ex boyfriend walked into the class. It bothered Oliver a lot whenever he saw Aiden look at Tabitha with fondness in his eyes. It bothered him when he realized that at one point, Tabitha loved this boy. Everyone watched him trudge, with dark circles and an ashy complexion, to the nearest open seat, which was the seat directly beside Tabitha's.

There was a rumor going around the school that Aiden had slept with his ex girlfriend at a party that he threw, and judging by the guilty look he gave Tabitha, it didn't seem like a rumor. Oliver knew that Tabitha was aware of the newest development as she didn't spare him a glance and continued talking animatedly with her friend - then again, Tabitha had always given him the cold shoulder.

From his seat at the back of the class, Oliver could see everything that happened, especially the way Tabitha tried everything not to pay attention to Aiden and his petulant look. His attention on her was paused when he received a text message, the notification was loud and caused everyone who sat at the back to look at him weirdly. Tabitha's seat wasn't far from his and she set her eyes for the first time since Oliver walked into the class.

Something about the happiness in her eyes seemed empty and shallow, it did not have the intended effect, instead it made him uncomfortable to see feigned glee. Tabitha deserved all the happiness in the world, she deserved to have her beautiful eyes light up with real joy, and not this that made her look dull and broken.

Tabitha smiled at him, and Oliver could see how badly swollen her eyes were, despite the makeup. He tilted his head in scrutiny and she looked away, her eyes still as dull and sad as they were when he called her yesterday. Aiden caught her smile to him and he stared hatefully at the very innocent Oliver.

He stood up and sat beside Oliver, his eyes never leaving Tabitha's, as if to gauge her expression. She reacted, when she saw him beside Oliver, by glaring at Aiden and looking away to her amused friend. Oliver smiled, because that was the most animated thing he'd ever seen Tabitha do since he met her.

"You like her." Aiden stated. Oliver didn't react, just brought out his phone and saw that Axel was the one who texted that he had arrived and was in class but his teacher was absent as well. Oliver replied that he would meet him in second period as they both shared that class.

Aiden was slowly getting angry. "I'm fucking talking to you. You. Like. Tabitha, don't you?" Then a smirk overtook his face when he noticed Oliver's fists clenching against his phone. Oliver hated how smug Aiden was getting from his silence. He really didn't want to answer the question, considering how confused he still was about her.

"If you know, then why are you bothering me?" Oliver replied. What he felt for Tabitha confused him. He wasn't sure of if he liked her the way a teenage boy would like a girl or when she was the very thought that occupied his mind, when she was the reason why he was awake at 2am, and he couldn't help but write about the way her eyes glinted in the sunlight or how the clouds gathered to avoid giving her discomfort.

"Because I understand you. It's not that hard to like her. However, the reason I'm here is to tell you to stay the fuck away from her. She is mine. Tabitha and I have been in love with each other since freshman year and you can't change that, no matter how many times you refuse to leave her alone. I will win her back. It's just a matter of time, I do not need you confusing her." He spat lowly, his blue eyes washed with hatred, his voice wasn't as loud that it would cause weird looks, it was just low enough for Oliver's ears. Oliver didn't reply immediately, his eyes were still firmly locked on Tabitha and the way she fiddled with her hair, giggling when her friend had started talking.