"Pushing me further, pulling me closer, some sorta chemistry
I think I'm addicted to the title, 'you and me'."
....

Star is right. Sometimes we do need music.

I'm having a really bad day and the only thing saving me from having a breakdown in the middle of school is the variety of pop songs I've been listening to for practically the entire day.

I've been exploring a lot of Stray kids songs and I absolutely love their music. They're so unique and I just can't get tired of their songs no matter how many times I listen to it.

“la-la-la-la…rock 'n' roll, we dancing 'til we fall
No stopping, here we go, 24-7 keep it going on…” I sing as I place my text books into my locker and shut it with a sigh. I don't have classes at the moment so I'm free for a whole hour.

I feel very lonely yet I'm the one who’s doing my best to avoid every single person who comes up to talk to me.

Why am I like this?

I stroll past a few classes to get to the bathroom. I'm not even halfway there yet when I feel the sleeve of my t-shirt being yanked from the right.

“Yeah…life is so goo– woah!”

I'm pulled into a dark, dingy space and I feel something soft and warm over my mouth.

My first thought is I'm finally getting kidnapped. Finally.

Until I hear Star’s sarcastic voice over the ringing in my ears. My heart relaxes and begins to race simultaneously…if that's possible.

“Yeah just keep screaming like a little girl let the whole school think you're being kidnapped or something…” she whispers before letting go of me.

I retreat in the claustrophobic room and after a few seconds of getting used to the darkness and recognising the faint smell of bleach, I realise we're in the janitor's closet. Classic.

“So I'm not being kidnapped?!”

She sticks her hands into her hoodie pocket and looks at me like the idiot that I am.

Then it hits me, she doesn't talk to me in school. Why is she talking to me now? And why here?

“This is the only place…and time we can talk today…” she starts to explain and I have to turn my headphones off because I can't be listening to chk chk boom and be having this conversation at the same time.

“What do you mean?” I ask as I recline against a shelf, trying my best not to glance at the mop standing sexily beside me.

“I…” she begins and then takes a deep breath. “My best friends can't know I'm hanging out with you.”

“Why…?” I ask slowly.

“Because…they'll hate both of us.”

“Huh?”

She takes a deep breath and I make myself more comfortable with the mop because I sense it will be a long speech.

“Well…see, Sam got taken off the basketball team,” she begins and my heart drops. The amazing player whose spot I ‘stole’ is Star's best friend? “and you just came but you're automatically in his spot. And basketball is like…the thing he loves most in this world. Well…besides Emily. But anyway, he already yaps about how much he hates you for stealing his dream from him and if that isn't enough, Emily likes you. Like she's head over heels. She can't stop talking about you and…it's frustrating. Like…she knew you even before you started at school…and I did but I didn't know it was you. And when I found out I didn't know how to tell you because it was all weird and if she finds out we've been hanging out a lot, like even before school started…she's gonna feel betrayed.”

I run my hands over my face and blink for a moment.
“This is bad.”

“Yes…it is.”

“Why didn't you tell me this before?”

“I don't know…I was scared.”

“Oh? Of what?” I say, a smile pulling at my lips. I don't know what gets into me. I push myself off the shelf I'm leaning on and walk slowly towards her.

She retreats as I advance until there's no place for her to retreat further into. She's trying to act nonchalant but I can tell she's nervous.

“What are you doing Jordan?” She raises a brow at me.

Why is she not as affected as I am being this close to each other?

“Well I asked you a question…” I point out, placing my hands at either side of her head.

I swear I am not usually this flirty. I could never pull off the sexy bad boy thing that girls die for in romance novels. I just don't know what got into me.

“Yeah…from right over there…”

Is it just me or does it look like she's blushing? And why isn't she pushing me away?

“Jesus Christ Star…” I moan as I crash into the shelf of supplies behind me. Luckily, only a few rolls of tissue fall to the ground. “You could've just said go back.” I rub my my back softly to ease the pain.

“I tried to…” she answers with an eye roll. “anyway…I'm scared of losing you…that's what.”

“Aww…” I coo, still running the spot at my back where it collided with the edge of the shelf. “That's cute.”

She looks away for a moment, probably to hide the blush on her face.

“So do you understand why we can't talk here?”

“Yeah, yeah…but we can talk now…”

“Nah, too risky. I have to make sure I don't get caught with you because people will talk…being friends with…Kyle made me a lot more popular in school so I have to be extra careful.”

There's that name again. And from the way she talks about him…I doubt the story concerning them ending in kisses and roses.

She checks the time on her phone before looking back up at me.

She gives me a small smile before surprising me with a hug. My heart warms at her gesture and I can't help but wrap my hands around her.

She pulls back a little bit, not entirely breaking the hug and looks up at me, her big brown eyes glowing in the darkness.

“I love hanging out with you Jordan.”

My stomach does a little somersault and I bite my lips to stop myself from smiling too much.

“Me too.”

There's a pause and then a moment of confusion and misunderstanding. Then we both burst out laughing and break apart entirely as a result.

“I meant I love hanging out with you too. I swear I'm not a narcissist.”

She laughs harder at the terrified look on my face and then clamps her mouth with her palm, her eyes bulging out of their sockets.

“It's fine. I doubt anyone heard us. We should go…I leave first.”

I open the door slowly and poke my head out. Coast is clear. I take a step forward to leave and she calls my name softly.

“Yeah.”

“I got that.”

***

I can't take off the smile that had been plastered on my face for the rest of the day.

Why does she make me so happy?

Unfortunately, the smile is wiped off my face a few minutes after school ends.

“Hi Jordi!” Emily sings as she skips to my locker and plants herself behind me. Oh Lord, she even has a nickname for me now? When did we agree on this?

I have to plaster on a fake smile because I don't want to be rude but seriously…this girl is so annoying. How is Star even best friends with her?

“Hi Emily,” I drawl.

“How are you? How's your day going? Come on fill me in.”

Does she think we're friends or something? I have to mentally roll my eyes and sigh.

“My day was…kinda nice.” A real smile comes on my face as I remember the time I spent in the janitor's closet, then vanishes almost immediately when she asks me to elaborate.

“I'd love to darling…but I really have to run to basketball practice so I won't be late.”

She pouts and I throw her a consolatory wink before shutting my locker and hurrying off to the auditorium.

“You're five seconds late,” George, the heaviest dude in the team tells me as I arrive and the other members cackle in response.

“Ha-ha, very funny,” I murmur as I drop my backpack on a bench. They're all quiet for a moment.

The space around me darkens suddenly and when I look up…they're all gathered around me.

“Now listen up pretty face…you better do the best you can possibly do in this team or you get ready for trouble. We lost our best player and you're the apparent replacement. We're all upset about it so don't.mess.this.up.”

I swallow, staring at them unblinkingly.

“Oh and also…you better learn to roll with your teammates. That whole loner boy nonsense ain't gonna help you.”

I nod and they all disperse just in time. Coach walks in.

“Alright boys…get into formation, let's begin!”

Okay so now who's next? Who's the next person my fucking existence bothers?