When I look into your eyes
I wanna breathe you in to get me high
Crawl into this space inside your mind
Just leave me there, leave me there
Now you got me wanting more
I felt religion with you on the floor
The holy word that I've been waiting for
Baby stay with me, stay with me

∞

The sounds of trackpads clicking is all that can be heard in Mr Roland's Biology classroom. My eyes flicker diagonally to Tim, across to Jake and left to Brett.

Beside me is Lucas, the other side, Aiden.

Often my favourite part of the day is Biology. Partly because it's me and the boys, whom like talking about anything but the secrets of other people.

In other words, no gossip. Unless Brett and I are feeling shady enough.

Also, Bio is one of my best subjects. I like that it is vastly different from the biggest part of my life; performing. It makes me feel close to my oldest sister as well seeing as she is a distinguished scientist.

It was also a place I could adjure Tim in constantly. This was another one of his 'zones'. 

Currently we are playing Kahoots; a live quiz game the teacher made on our topic. A question will appear on the smartBoard, with four answers. On our own screens the coloured shapes beside the four answers on the board will appear. The fastest to click the right answer gets the most points.

On the board after each question it shows the top five students.

A question about plant cells appears and I spear the answer like I'm hunter chasing dinner. Slowly, the rest of the confused students choose themselves, some trying to cheat and others looking tearfully on at their depleting grade, until all twenty-two of us have answered.

"It's the blue one, right?" Brett whispers towards me, his eyes wide in fear. I stare at him blankly to build up the fear, then shake my head with a solemn look.

"Green," I say, just before the correct answer flashes up. Green. Yep.

A range of 'Yes!'s and 'Oh man!'s spread through the room. I watch my screen as it informs me of my position.

You are now in 2nd place, behind Ekard Mit!

Oh yeah, we enter a username at the start. On the smartBoard, the leaderboard shows the whole group in the top five, though Brett has dropped considerably.

1st - Ekard Mit

2nd - Prima Ballerina

3rd - Peter File

4th - Batman

5th - Brett Is A Bronie

The class begin giggling; whether it's 'Peter File' or 'Brett is a Bronie', I don't know. Jake is 'Brett Is A Bronie' (My Little Pony fanboy), Brett is Batman, Tim is obviously Ekard Mit and Lucas is Peter File.

"Why did I let you keep that?" Mr Roland murmurs.

"Because you love me sir," Lucas replies with a grin. Roland shakes his head and ignores one of his more wild students. 

I frown at the screen with a competitive glint that flicks over to Tim. He gives me a small smile. If I beat him to this answer, I'll win.

"Alright, last one," Roland says, before he clicks ahead. The question is on the size of a nucleus in a cell. The answers are revealed and I read them all as fast as I can, before selecting the one.

I look over my screen at Tim, who is already looking at me. It's always been a competition between us in class. Unless it's maths; he always wins there.

The usual reaction happens when the answer is revealed. I grin, because I'm right. When Mr Roland moves on, Tim is revealed as the winner.

"Darn," I snap quietly, closing my eyes to calm down. I hear Tim laughing which is music to my ears.

"Foiled again, Adelaide."

"I'm aware sir," I reply to Mr Roland.

The bell rings and the class are standing up, practically out the door as Mr Roland is shouting at the top of his voice about homework.

I pile my stuff up and lift it, following Lucas and Jake out. Brett, Aiden and Tim go the opposite direction to their lockers.

"Glad to see you two talking the way you are," Jake says.

"I guess," I smile, as I reach my locker. I begin opening it when Lucas starts throwing shade.

"You're really forgiving him after what he did?" He asks. Jake frowns at him.

"He didn't really do anything," he says honestly, clearly challenging Lucas who probably shrugs.

"Just saying. I wouldn't forgive someone for dumping me."

"Great, I'll let Milan know," I say sarcastically. He seems to not care about the threat, making Jake give me a weary look which he gets in return.

After we go to their lockers, we make our way to the group for lunch. I sit beside Bambi, who is alone having got here first.

"How was Bio?" She yawns.

"Tim beat me again. How was maths?"

"It's maths. What do you think?" She replies boredly. Alone she tends to close up, but with friends and Aiden escpecially she's a little more eccentric.

Jake and Lucas return, Jake handing me the juice I asked him for. The others show up one by one. I somehow end up seated between Milan and Tim.

{We don't have to wait all night, 'Cause I can feel you in my blood}

"Where's McKenzie today?" Rylie asks.

"Away," Perrie answers. Ugh, good.

"What's wrong with her?" Someone continues. I don't care about who or the question, so I zone out completely.

I sip on my juice and accidentally make eye contact with my sister across the room. Her eyes are as wide as headlights and she could not be more obvious. Her friend Kasey jabs her with her elbow, making Ellery turn around to laugh.

Then she looks back at me, holds up five fingers and jerks her head towards the door. I nod back. Meet her outside in five minutes.

"So did you hear about Showcase?" Rylie begins, mainly directed at me. I give her a dull look over the stupid question which makes her recoil into herself.

"Of course she did," Lucas cuts in. "Performing arts Queen."

"Yeah yeah... Is your sister organising the dance section?"

"Of course."

"What's needed for it?" She asks, shovelling Cafeteria carbonara into her mouth. I sigh and reach into my inside jacket pocket.

I hand her the sheet my sister gave me earlier.

Gotham Performing Arts Showcase: Dance Category

- Junior Section -

•Ballet: Single solo, duo, group

•Contemporary: Single solo, duo, female duo, male duo, group

•Hip hop: Duo, concentrated group, group (seniors incl.)

"Wow," someone mumbles, as the paper gets passed around.

"I know. My sister's choreographing most of the dances."

"When are auditions?" Milan asks. I nearly tell her not to worry. She can't dance.

"In a few weeks. You planning on going for something?" I ask lightly, managing to draw back the shade.

"The contemporary solo," she replies. I see Rylie and Perrie smirk at each other cruelly. It's funny; they have no talent whatsoever apart from a little bit of line memory for drama, yet they think they can go around talking bull.

"Something funny?" I snap. Both of them look at me with wide eyes, frightened from being caught. They look in the opposite direction. I look to Bambi. "You?"

She gives a little shrug but there is something different in her eye. 

"Probably the groups," she responds. Aiden gives her a look similar to hers. It's like, discomfort. He and I both know Bam should go for the solo. Not Milan.

I take my paper back and stand up, walking away without saying anything. I wander towards where Ellery was, moving through groups of juniors and seniors who part for me. The outside air hits me in the face like a brick. It's cold; I suppose Christmas is close.

"What do you want?" I ask, sipping my juice and sitting next to my sister on a bench. The outside of the cafeteria is quiet.

"They want the package tomorrow night," she says lowly, staring at the grass.

"Tomorrow?" I whisper, shuffling closer to her, "But we're still missing one crystal."

"I know, I know. There's a meeting point and time. Twelve at the pier downtown."

"Fine. Still, the last crystal is still in the mayor's vault. How do we get that?"

Ell looks around the yard, making sure no one would hear. "I'm going to steal it tonight. I'll trance him and have him hand it over. No choice."

"You don't want help? What if the Ba-"

"Adelaide?" I nearly jump when Tim is suddenly emerging from the cafeteria doors, walking out into the cold. He looks directly at me. "We were worried. You disappeared. Are you okay?"

Ellery glances at me, to Tim, then back at me.

"I'm just gonna...go," she says awkwardly, slipping off the bench with a sly smirk on her face. Just as I thank her internally for not saying anything stupid, she opens her big trap.

"Keep it G-rated!"

"Ellery!"

She is giggling like a lunatic and sprinting away, screeching bye sophomores! I glare at the invisible trail she leaves behind and remind myself to rat her out to mama for the next thing she does. Tim is laughing softly as he drops beside me.

"Something wrong?" He asks, sounding sympathetic when I fold my arms and stare above his head. When he smiles at me I feel elevated, like I used to.

"Remember when we were best friends, before the whole relationship thing happened?" I suddenly find myself questioning. I want to take it back, but he smiles again.

"I think about it a lot. Things were fun back then," he says wistfully, voice nearly dying near the end like he's getting lost in the memory of study dates and hidden jokes.

"Same... I miss it."

He flinches, no smile now. I want to tell him that I miss him specifically but that might scare him off.

"Remember that charity event last year in the city?" He begins, starting to chuckle.

"I'll remember that forever! We had so much fun. I still owe you for funding the whole thing..."

It makes me think of my little sister. Still sick. Still in her bed. Still hooked up to every machine that can keep her alive. We were funding cure efforts for her illness.

"You'll repay me one day," he jokes. I smile at that, one leg folding over the other. "How is she?"

The words are like a twisting knife. Something bad being made worse. Asking about it never helps it, it just makes me picture my fragile little sister unconscious in her bed. My smile drops. I keep a hard stare at the grass.

"The same."

Don't. Don't. Do not... Ugh, oh great.

I try to laugh as little tears gather in the corners of my eyes.

"Oh man-... Adelaide I'm sorry," Tim suddenly panics, gulping as his hands flail around, not knowing what to do. I laugh nervously. How embarrassing... And what a perfect opportunity.

So I play it off.  

"It's fine," I assure softly, lips twitching into a coy smile as I stare at my lap. I claw at my eyes with my jacket sleeve. "Anyway. It's stupid for me to cry. I'm not the one who's sick. I shouldn't be-"

Suddenly Tim is sliding across the bench towards me. I freeze, completely still when he begins reaching out. Is he...? Did that plan really just work?

A shiver spreads across my arms as he wraps his around my shoulders, pulling me in tightly.

"Sorry," he says again. 

All I can do is lean in to him. 

∞

I just want us to unite
Feel the needle on my forty-five
Live like we are running out of time
Just take me there, take me there
Grind you down into my bones
You're the magic dust that gets me stoned
You're the hallelujah on my throne
Baby stay with me, stay with me