A/N: I've entered my other bxb story - You are the Answer - in the Wattys. Check it out and give it some love please? I'd really appreciate that!

Link to YATA in the comments. And yes, you've guessed it: the quote on the picture is from YATA.

*****

Nathaniel's POV

I watched the sea of students part as our Principal - an imposing ex-jock in his forties who easily towered over most adults - made his way towards us. He was already halfway through the hallway when my sister - who was significantly calmer than I was - looked down at the boy she'd struck.

"I suggest you scramble up and take a hike."

"I will do no such thing," Matthew protested from the floor, putting pressure on his lip with his palm. The Principal had conquered a third of the hallway and was frowning.

"You hit me and you'll face the consequences of that."

"If you insist." She shrugged. "While I'm in the office, I might tell the Principal what you did on a certain Tuesday afternoon."

Matthew's face paled. His eyes and moth rounded and his hand fall into his lap. I turned to Hunter, but he seemed just as clueless; he'd tilted his head sideways, his gaze darting from Val to the boy before her and back to my twin.

"You... You wouldn't," Matthew whispered.

"Stick around and you'll see," my sister smiled.

In an instant, the boy was on his feet and hurrying off in the opposite direction from which our Principle came from; when the man arrived, he didn't even know our religious classmate had been there.

"Vallery Reed." The ex-athlete crossed his arms over his chest; he seemed to take up space for two people with his wide shoulders and legs apart. "Why am I not surprised?"

I was amazed by how poised my sister was. I knew the Principal was not a physical threat - I was sure he would never hit a student - but he was quite intimidating with his size alone. Now combine that with the power of his position and the fact that by now he probably had our parents on speed dial...

"What did you do this time?"

"Why do you think I did anything, Jam?" My sister fluttered her eyelashes.

"It's Mr. Jefferson or Principal Jefferson," the man corrected. "And it's because all of the students that are now scattering were looking at you until a moment ago."

"Maybe I just told a very interesting story," she suggested, her tone free of worry, while I felt sweat drops form on my forehead. My throat was dry, but I was afraid to gulp; I wanted to appear as if everything was normal. Hunter was doing a good job at that; he'd leaned on the lockers and was playing with his phone.

"Would you like to tell me that story?"

"But it was a naughty story; I'd feel uncomfortable telling it to an adult," my sister simpered; our Principal was not impressed. "Now, unless you have something on me or would like to lecture me on the Jam/Mr. Jefferson issue, can we go to class? I mean, we wouldn't want to miss that, do we, bro?"

"N-no, no, no." I shook my head so fast, I got dizzy.

The Principal leaned down so his eyes and Val's were on the same level, which, in his case, pretty much meant he bent in half.

"Don't think I'll leave this matter unresolved. I'll be asking around and you better pray your classmates aren't snitches. You pissed more than one person off in this school, Vallery."

"Are Principals allowed to say 'pissed'?" My sister asked.

Mr. Jefferson sighed and straightened.

"Get to your respective classes," he said with a shake of his head and the three of us were off.

"Why do you have to antagonize him?" I scolded as soon as we were out of earshot.

"Oh, you mean the Jam thing?" My sister waived with her right arm. "His name is Jamal, isn't it?"

"You know what I mean," I insisted.

"I'm heading left from here," Hunter interrupted us. "Do I get a kiss or did you have enough public display of affection for today?"

"Of course you can get a kiss," I muttered and took a step towards him. He smirked - a gesture that still had the power to make me blush - and leaned down to kiss me. Slowly. Intoxicatingly. It gave me the courage to finish the school day instead of running back home and hiding in my room.

"But before I go," he turned to Val, "I want to know what you have on preacher boy."

I looked at my sister as well; she was grinning.

"Once upon a Tuesday," she began, "while going to the gym, I saw Matthew coming my way. He hadn't noticed me yet, so I strategically retreated behind a fence."

"You hid?" I asked.

"Strategically retreated. Anyway, he was walking down the sidewalk when he suddenly stopped and stared at a house. Naturally, I got curious so I left my strategic retreat," she emphasized the last two words, "to see what caught his eye. Turns out, he was staring at this huge, curtains-free window that offered a view to a half-naked chick preparing a snack. You should've seen his face when he realized I was standing right next to him!" Her grin was so wide that her mouth covered a third of her face.

"So, you are blackmailing him?" I shook my head.

"You know I prefer to call it an agreement that is mutually beneficial for both parties involved. In this case, we'd silently agreed that I won't tell about him playing Peeping Tom and he won't rat me out about hitting him. Or whatever else I do to him later."

"Vallery!"
"Might do." She raised her hand before her, palms facing me. "I meant to say 'might do'. Shouldn't we get to class? The late bell rang five minutes ago."

*****

When I walked into the classroom and all eyes turned to me, I was aware it had nothing to do with the fact that I was late. Even our teacher must had heard what had happened in the hallway because she acted as if me entering her lesson almost ten minutes after it had started didn't warrant so much as a disapproving shake of her head. I wasn't sure what upset me more: the fact that by now the whole school - staff included - knew about Hunter and me or the notion that if one teacher knew about Vallery hitting Matthew, then Principal Jefferson was to find out about it too and soon.

Both of those concerns melted as I took my seat - up until this moment moving automatically - and looked at the person beside me.

Irene.

It was the first time I'd seen her since yesterday and I hadn't had a chance to talk to her on the phone as she didn't answer it. I wondered if I should move to another seat, but concluded that it was too late; our classmates were still sneaking glances at me, taking in my every move. If I sat somewhere else, they'd have yet another thing to gossip about: the gay boy being at odds with his ex girlfriend.

I hadn't realized that my relationship with Hunt could affect Irene in that way as well; that people would talk about her being my ex and pester her with questions on whether she'd suspected anything while we'd been an item.

"I got your SMS." Her whispering surprised me, the fact that she was actually speaking to me surprised me, but what she uttered next bewildered me to such an extent that I puzzled over whether I'd imagined it:

"Thank you."

"F-for what? I stuttered quietly.

"That you paid me the courtesy to give me a heads up about today with your text."

"You weren't picking up your phone," I noted guiltily. I really wished I'd told her instead of writing her a message.

"I didn't want to talk to you back then." Her voice was even.

"And now? Are things between us alright now?"

I needed her to give me a positive reply. That would mean one thing less to worry about. And I could use a friend, I could use one more shoulder to lean on.

Was it selfish of me to think that way?

"No." I'd been standing until now but I slumped in my chair. She kept looking ahead at the white board. "But give me time and we'll see."

*****

Hunter's POV

"I cannot believe you are a fag."

His words brought a smirk to my lips. Great distrust, some disgust and confusion - probably because Colin was too high to completely comprehend his sister's report on what he'd missed by skipping classes - I found the mixture of all those emotions amusing.

"He told you, bro, and several times," Lyn leaned her head back on the tree trunk. It was the same tree we gathered under at pretty much every lunch break. I would be spending mine with Natty today, but he'd gone to the Principal's office along with Val. I supposed the dude had finally found out what had taken place in the hallway of the school he was in charge of. I'd mused over waiting for the twins outside his office, but had reconsidered: this was giving me an opportunity to convince people to leave Nat alone without his disapproving stares at my methods for achieving that. Besides, he was safe with Vallery and a boy from their group of friends who seemed to keep his fellow jocks under control.

Was it Dustin?

Yeah, that was his name. Val had mentioned him a few times and I couldn't blame her; he seemed decent and with his athletic built, he was total eye candy. His body was much fitter than Nathaniel's and yet I had no intention to come on to him. It was funny how being serious about someone made you notice the good looks of others without wanting to drag them into your bed.

"So are you?" Colin asked once more just as I lit my cigarette.

His sister groaned.

"It's not like he hadn't told you that before!"

"I thought he was joking!" The brother shouted in response. That was the annoying thing about these siblings: they tended to raise their voices at each other a little too often to please the ears.

"So..."

"Yes," I replied before he questioned again.

"Dude, how can you fuck dudes? It's so..." His face contorted. "Gross."

"Want to give me a kiss?" I teased, doing my best not to gag from my own proposal. Junkies with bloodshot eyes and yellow teeth were definitely not my type.

"I'm outta here." He got off the ground and tottered away towards the school exit. He hadn't taken a single class today.

"It's not like you'll be missed!" Lyn screamed after him.

I nodded in agreement.

*****

A/N: Funny thing about this chapter - I almost wrote "fluttered her eyebrows"; I know Val can be crafty, but I think that's a little above her abilities.

So what say you about how she got away... for a while? Do you think she'd be punished?

Any thoughts on Irene's reaction?

Would it be easier for Nat now that she's given him some hope they could once again be friends?

Support this chapter with a VOTE if you enjoyed it and please check out You are the Answer (link in comments)!

Have a great time wattpading, you funky monkeys <3