Hi,

Chapter 13

June and I sit together on the bus as it quickly fills up, and a wave of nervousness washes over me when I spot William and his friend—who also happens to be my friend—walking in. They get closer, and to my annoyance, William nods toward the seat directly behind us. They slide into their seats, and June politely greets both of them, prompting me to follow suit out of fear of being impolite. I turn to wave at them.

"Hey, what's up?"

They nod, and I can see William is about to respond, but I turn away before he can. I lean back, close my eyes, and think, "This will suck." A crowd of people I've been trying to avoid is within arm's reach, and drama seems inevitable. Why the fuck am I here? 

I open my eyes and come to a realisation, my eyes seem to always drawn to trouble. In fact, right as I open them they land on Nathan stepping onto the bus. 

Nathan looks darker than usual. His tired, heavy-lidded eyes and the shadows under them suggest a long, rough night. His messy hair only makes him look annoyingly attractive. Marco is just ahead, he galnces back at Nathan to say something to him that makes Nathan crack one of those rare smiles. He nods, and Marco's gaze drifts to June, who squeaks and waves back with way too much energy. Of course, that would happen.

Marco and Nathan stop right in front of us, and I can feel Nathan's eyes on me. I pretend not to notice, silently hoping they'll magically disapear.

"Hey, Marc," June beams, clearly thrilled.

"Sup, June," Marco replies with his usual sweetness. "Mind if we sit here?"

June nods, and Marco starts stowing his bags in the racks above the seats next to us. Nathan, meanwhile, leans closer, his voice low and raspy.

"Morning, sweetie."

I look up, my pulse quickening—not out of excitement, but from pure confusion and frustration. His voice sounds deeper than usual and I hate what it's doing to me.

"You get it? You smelled so sweet yesterday, like cherry Coke," Nathan adds, his gaze flicking briefly to William behind me. "My favorite taste."

I glance back at William, his jaw clenched, staring Nathan down. The tension is almost suffocating. Our eyes meet for a second, and William's expression hardens before he looks away. With a frustrated sigh, I slump back in my seat, knowing full well this is just on par with Nathan's little games.

Nathan and Marco take their seats, Nathan has the window seat, Marco the aisle one so that June and him can talk. Wich they are already doing. 

I sit there thinking I haven't even told June about what happened after the whole Lexi soda incident from yesterday. I was planning to do it on the way to the camp out, but now I can't—not with William lurking behind me, ready to pick up on anything that would make him hate me more—and Nathan, who'd gloat if he ever knew how much I still think about it. The memory of his eyes, the way they burned with something more when I pulled off my shirt, flashes in my mind again. That same look I caught in his eyes when we were in that class on the assembly morning. 

I can't even look at June without having a clear sight at Nathan.

Against my better judgment, I steal a glance at Nathan. He is leaning casually on the seat in front, chatting with the girl diagonally across. It's not just chatting; it's obvious flirting. Her laughter is too high-pitched, too frequent, and her hair—perfect curls framing her annoyingly pretty face—dances as she laughs. My stomach twists, and I hate it. I hate feeling jealous. But I am.

Nathan must sense me watching because he glances over, catches my gaze. A slow, knowing smirk spreads across his face before he turns back to her. I watch as he tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, leans in to whisper something in her ear that makes her blush and giggle. The jealousy hits hard, and I hate myself for caring, for even watching him.