What we've always been.

10. Yep. Peachy.

CHAPTER SONG: Teenage Dirtbag- Wheatus

Corey

The school hall is a buzz with laughter and chatter as volunteers run around setting up clothing drives. There's booths run by students in every corner where people can donate. The place is decorated in yellow and orange banners and steamers dangling from the ceiling.

Alec and I cut through them and I exchange the occasional greetings with people as we do. Alec looks sick all of a sudden, he doesn't do well in crowds. A fact I don't even think his noticed about himself yet. When we were kids he used to get so scared he would hyperventilate and sometimes throw up all over himself.

Memories like those always make me feel this terrible mixture of anger and hurt. I walk beside Alec and my hand brushes over his.

"You okay?" I ask him.

He looks at me and fakes a smile before nodding.

"Yep. Peachy." He says.

I nod deciding to let him say what he needs to to calm himself down. We reach the main booth and find Heather Dinklage sitting there. She has dyed black hair and three piercings in her nose and another six in her ears. She's dressed in a black fluff skirt with her signature goth make-up and black lip.

Heathers always hated me since I broke up with her sister a while ago. She looks through me but smiles at Alec.

"Hi, you guys volunteers?" She asks.

"Yep." I answer, Heather doesn't even blink to acknowledge my existence.

She starts swiping on her tablet while a group of boys runs across the hall chasing each other.

"I don't see your names here." Heather says looking up at Alec.

"We kinda signed up last minute." He explains.

Heather checks again and shrugs.

"I'm sorry but you're not here." She says.

"Alec!" Charlie Todd runs up to us smiling like a puppy.

I realise now he was one half of the pair of boys who were chasing each other.

"Heather." He smiles at her and she rolls her eyes playfully. Sure, him you acknowledge while I'm basically invisible. Charlie puts his arm around Alec who blushes like a school girl making my chest burn with acid. "Hey Alec, you made it."

"Heather can't find our names on the volunteer list. Guess you forgot to add us to it huh?" I tell Charlie.

"Oh shit, that's right I did. I'm sorry." He looks at Alec who shakes his head.

"It's okay." He says glaring at me. "You were super busy."

"Yeah, I hear tag has become a professional sport." I add.

Charlie looks up and laughs like that joke wasn't about him.

"Heather sweetling, can't you make an except just this once." Charlie begs.

"Charlie this event was planned weeks in advance, we can't just change things now." Heather says.

Charlie leans on the table and smiles at her. Asshole I think watching him attempt to charm Heather.

"I know for a fact that we're down three sets of hands after Johnny, Kira and Beck had to cancel because the whole stomach bug thing. We need the help." Charlie says.

Heather groans and looks at Alec, he smiles shyly and it seems to tug at Heathers heart strings as effectively as it does mine.

"Fine." She concedes. "But we only have one spare t-shirt."