"Elia, can I look over your messages with this mystery guy? I want to do a progress check." Alex asked, before school started. They were hanging outside waiting for the bell to ring and sitting on the steps to the entrance.

"Huh? Oh sure." Elia handed her device over. "His name is Eros by the way. Not mystery guy."

"I'm not going remember that, but whatever." Alex shrugged, laughing. Her grin faded as soon as she started reading the messages.

"What's wrong?" Elia frowned, glancing over Alex's shoulder.

The redhead leapt to her feet, exasperation hanging from her sigh. She threw her hands up in disappointment.

"Elia, you made puns! Puns!" Alex exclaimed.

"So? They're hilarious." Elia grinned.

"They are the worst form of humor. Everyone knows that. You're the only one who finds them funny." Alex groaned. She held the phone in front of Elia's face. "See? Even Mr. Mystery agrees with me."

"Uh what are the two of you talking about?" Their classmate, Miles, inquired as he approached them. He smiled at Elia, who was still sitting. He pulled one hand out of the pockets of his hoodie to give her a calm wave. "Hey, Elia."

Elia beamed back, while Alex scowled. "Is it cause I got a boyfriend? I still exist you know!"

"Sorry. Hey, Alex!" Miles shrugged.

"Better." The girl nodded. "Hey, Miles, how do you feel about puns?"

The teenaged boy wrinkled his nose with disgust. "Please, don't tell me you have some to test on me. Cause I've had more than enough puns for a lifetime."

Alex gave Elia a look that clearly said, I told you so, but it was Elia's turn to throw her hands in the air.

"Puns are awesome! They're classic humor!"

"They're really not. I mean it's not like Shakespeare would use something as lame as puns." Alex commented.

"Actually he did-" Elia began.

"Miles!" Jesse examined, strolling over to the dark skinned boy and the girls. He flung his arm around his buddy's shoulder. Miles stiffened. Besides Cecily there was only one person Jesse could stand was Miles. The coolest guy and the nicest girl we're the only people Jesse could oddly tolerate.

"Hey, Jesse." Miles said.

"Hey, Alex, Elia, mind if I steal Miles from you?" Jesse grinned. He didn't wait for an answer before dragging Miles away. "Sorry! Doing it anyway!"

"So," Alex nudged Elia with her elbow as soon as the guys were out of earshot. "Miles is kind of cute, huh?"

"Huh? I guess."

As if by uttering these words you could summon a demon known as Cecily Hunter. Except she was too sweet to actually be a convincing demon unless she was just acting her entire life. She sped over.

"Oh my goodness!" Cecily exclaimed. "Do you like-"

"Shush! Lower your voice." Alex hissed.

"Sorry!" Cecily squeaked. "

"And I never said I liked him or anything. I just said he's kind of cute! Lots of guys are kind of cute. Finn's kind of cute. Jesse's kind of cute. Daniel's- Sorry." Elia said as she saw the look on her friend's face.

"Yeah you should be." Alex grumbled, a smirk paradoxically crossing her face.

"It's fine." Cecily waved her off. "I know my boy is a hot piece of tail."

"Cecily!" Elia gaped. The other girl simply shrugged.

"Back on topic, before Cecily starts trying to set you up with someone-"

"You want to talk about puns some more?" Elia wondered.

Cecily scrunched up her nose, like Miles had. "You were really talking about puns? That seems random."

Alex ignored her. "Sort of. Elia, you're trying to get him to fall in love with you. Puns are going to drive him away!"

"Well you asked me to do this because I'm an appealing person! I'm just being myself." Elia threw her hands up.

"Yeah, but this isn't what I meant!"

"And what am I supposed to do once I get him to fall for me? Break his heart cause I was manipulating him for your project?" Elia said.

"Can't back out now. You promised."

"Wait!" Cecily interjected. "What are you talking about? What's going on?"

Elia and Alex shared a look. Should they tell Cecily? Alex sighed.

"She's helping me with a project. Basically she has to try to get this random guy to fall for her in a month over text." She explained.

Cecily clapped her hands together. "Aw! That sounds like the plot to a romantic comedy. I can just see it now! You'll meet and fall in love and get married-"

Elia coughed, a subtle sign for Cecily to stop talking.

"Who's the guy?" She continued.

"We don't know. The only person who knows is Daniel and he doesn't get to know that it's Elia who's helping me with this. Cecily, you can't say anything." Alex explained.

Cecily nodded and pretended to zip her lips. "Got it. I won't say a word."

"Thanks. And, Elia, just try to be a little more..."

"Flirty?"

"Attractive."

"Ouch."

"So you really don't know who this guy is?" Cecily wondered.

"Not a clue. All I know is that he likes English, he hates puns, and he's going by Eros." Elia informed.

"That's adorable!" Cecily squealed. "So it still could totally be Miles."

"Cecily!"