"'Cause I've got a jet black heart, and there's a hurricane underneath it,
trying to keep us apart..."
___

"Hey, you talked to Dina lately?"

"Fuck no. Next question."

"Damn..." Chris' laughter fills her iPhone speakers as he walks across campus during their video chat--and he watches her run around her bedroom, getting ready for school.

She laughs. "No more questions? A'ight. Cool."

"Oh, no," Chris grins, "You can't get rid of me yet. Tobe told me you weren't talking to Paige. What's that about?"

"I--" She shakes her head, throwing things into her tote with more force. "I dunno, man. You know how extra your sister is."

"Not just one. Both of 'em."

"Har-Har. Bitch."

"See what'm saying? Extra."

"Boy, bye."

"Ah, c'mon, girl," he laughs again, "I'm telling the truth. I know you better than you know you--"

"Honestly, if you're not gonna be helpful--"

"Alright, already," Chris replies, caving at once -- and Royce is glad. "Shit. I can't mess with y'all anymore? Fuck."

"S'what you get," comes his sister's response. And while Christian mutters something about not being kept in the loop of things anyway, Royce shakes her head, "And I hate to interrupt whatever conversation you're over there having by yourself," she chuckles, "but I've got to get to school."

"You still driving Mom's car?"

"When she lets me," Royce groans. "When's Dad gonna spring on my new car, huh?"

"Turn seventeen first."

"Wow."

"What? I don't see why--"

"Okay," she shakes her head, grabbing her tote from the bed and pulling her phone from the charger, "I hate to interrupt this fun-fest but," she pauses, "I've got to get to school, man."

"Since when do you care this much about getting to school on time?"

"I--" And Royce starts blushing for no reason except for... "Doesn't matter."

"Mhm," Christian purses his lips, "You tryna see some boy, huh?"

"What! I--No!"

"Right," he continues to shake his head, and although she can't see, she can feel it. "S. M. H."

"God, you're a weirdo. Almost weirder than Tobe."

"Leave my boy outta this," Chris retorts. "And who is it, Royce? Who's the boy?"

"What?" She plays in her hair, "What boy? Who? What're boys, exactly?"

"Girl, I swear--Don't you pull that shit and play dumb with me--"

"Alright, alright! It's..." She lowers her voice, "It's Calum."

"Who?"

"Calum," she raises her voice a little bit, keeping her door closed to her room so she can finish this conversation. "Calum Hood."

"But...For real?"

"Yes for real," she scoffs. "Why?"

"I mean...'Cause Paige told me, but I didn't believe her."

"Shit--! See, you're just like her, aren't you?"

"What? What the fuck're you talking about? You know I'm not Paige."

She flicks her eyes to the ceiling, "Yeah, but y'all are so fucking caught up in this boy's fake reputation you can't actually see who he really is."

"Fake?" Chris snorts. "Don't think that shit's fake, but okay," and Royce knows that most of the things people are saying is real but damn -- can't she catch a break, today? "Alright. Do you."

"Godammit, Chris! I swear, between you and Paige..." She sighs. "Honestly, can't you just be happy for me?"

And Chris pauses.

"Royce?"

"What?"

"He..." Another pause. "He makes you happy?"

"I--" And Royce softens. She didn't expect that. "Yeah, Chris. He does."

Chris hums. "Heard mom's invited him over. For dinner."

"Oh my god," and on that note, Royce slaps a hand to her face, falling onto her bed; she's gonna be late to school today, apparently. "Chris, honestly, mom is pushing this dinner on me like a--"

"Mom?" He laughs. "Honestly, if I could get down for that I would be there too."

She gasps. "Why?"

"'Cause, Roycie. C'mon," he chuckles. "Everyone wants to meet your new boyfriend."
___

Royce parks her mom's car off at the end of the lot, in between Kenn's shiny black Mercedes and Lola's Range Rover.

It was odd, she noticed, to have her friends park so far from the entry gates of the school. These spots over on this side of the lot were typically reserved for Michael.

And when Calum could drive, Calum.

She laughs at the thought. It had been so long since he could legally drive she's almost forgotten when he did.

Scratch that, she'll never forget that night he drove her home--that night she got too drunk at that stupid party.

She grabs for her tote, anxious to get to class because he's going to be there and...

Chill.

Jesus Christ -- Chill, Royce.

She takes a deep breath, but dammit. It sucked liking someone. Crushes and relationships and shit...it was just too much.

As she slams the Volvo door, she hops from the car and can hear the first bell. She's late. It's misty and rainy. What a great day.

And she pulls up her hood, shielding her hair from the moisture in the air, and hikes her bag upon her shoulder. She's walking fast, trying not to get wet, when all of a sudden two large hands plant themselves on her waist and spin her around in the middle of the parking lot.

"Royce, we need to talk."

"Ooh," she grins, her happiness radiating through her as she immediately recognizes that voice. "A serious talk. You, talking. This is either about to be really important, or we're about to break up."

"We're not about to break up," he states firmly, and Royce feels like she might explode with happiness or something ridiculous.

She plants her hands on her hips. "I like this serious you," she says, leaning against him and liking how he hasn't taken his hands from her waist. "I like the you who talks to me."

And Calum bites his lip and Royce thinks she might jump him right here outside of the school.

She doesn't, though.

And she doesn't, mainly because he's staring at her beneath a tightly furrowed brow and Royce immediately realizes. "There's something wrong."

"What?" His eyes widen at once. "No there's not."

"Remember," she sighs impatiently, "you're a shit liar."

"There's nothing wrong," he repeats. "I just--"

She hikes a brow. "You just...?"

"Have you," he leads her inside, out of the light rain. "Have you ever made someone a promise, and you knew it might hurt someone else, this thing you're supposed to do, but you--"

"Is this about Michael?" She asks, as they enter the halls. "Wait--That's his name, right?"

"Yeah--"

"So, it's about him?"

"Yeah--Wait, no! No, Royce. That's his name but it's not about him."

"So, it's about--"

"Dude, I didn't think it was true."

"Me either."

"She's really dating that loser."

Royce shuts her mouth, her brow furrowing.

"What?" Calum asks at once. "What's wrong?"

"D'you...You hear that?"

"Hear what, Royce?"

"Listen!"

"I heard her sister wasn't even speaking to her."

"I heard her family was gonna disown her."

"Seriously?"

"Ya--'Cause, who does that? Like, okay, I get sleeping with him, but dating? What the fuck is that, a rebellious phase?"

"Maybe!" Royce screams--literally yelling--into the faces of the students around her, staring at her, talking about her.

"Royce," Calum begins.

Her glare is hard, and it's pointed at a particular group of cheerleaders and jocks gathered into a huddle around the lockers.

"Oh," a blonde stutters. "Hey--Hey, Royce."

"Yeah, girl."

"Hi."

"Fuck, is it time for first period, already?"

"Yeah, guys..." And like that, the group takes off, disbanding down the hallways. "Let's go."

She spins around, her glare hard as she eyes her boyfriend. "You fucking hear that?"

Calum purses his lips. "S'kinda the shit I hear every day, Royce."

"And," she gasps, "how the hell could you be so calm?"

He shrugs. "Because in a year, I'll be out of this shit hole," he states. And he blinks overhead, "Just ignore it, Royce."

Royce tries to ignore it.

But, she's not like Calum.

She just can't.

All day, she hears the soft whispers and snide remarks and all day she notices the sideways glances and stares being thrown her way in the halls, in class, at breaks--and it doesn't stop there, either. When she's with Lola or Kennedy, it's like this gossip is magnified.

"Heard they got kicked off the cheerleading squad."

"I heard they do coke now."

"Figures. Fucking around with their 'boyfriends.'"

It was wild.

It was like Royce was swimming in some kind of alternate haze, where people were talking shit and she couldn't do anything about it. She wanted to fight everyone, but she couldn't. It was her and her friends against the whole school, and what pissed her off the most was that her own sister didn't even have her fucking back.

And as Royce thinks this thought--as she stews in her anger throughout the day, the more furious she becomes.

Paige could easily shut this down if she wanted to. She was the head cheerleader. She was the Paige Greene. She was the head of this social pyramid at St. Augustine's. Whatever a Greene said, goes, and apparently, Paige had been silent.

And that was seriously pissing Royce off.

"Guys, I...I'm gonna kill her."

"Let it go, Royce," Kennedy says, as Royce rants about why she's so fucking pissed with her sister, grabbing her lunch from her locker. "Seriously. In a few weeks, it'll all blow over--"

"Ha!" Lola exclaims, rolling her eyes. "Says the girl who's all smiles and rainbows."

Kennedy snorts. "What's that supposed to mean, Lola?"

"Oh, come on, Kenn. Ever since the boys paid you back you've been a different person. Nothing could bring you down, bitch."

"Maybe 'cause this bitch won't get grounded for life. Think it through, girl."

"Guys!" Royce interrupts. "Let's keep this about me and my family drama right now, thanks."

"And maybe we won't get kicked off the cheer squad," Lola mutters. "That'd be nice, too."

It's Royce's turn to gasp. "Excuse me?"

"Right," Kennedy nods, "You weren't there. Jesy and Jade think us on the squad is 'bad for the image of the team,'" she adds with air quotes. "So they can both go suck a hairy clit."

"No," Royce exclaims. "They can't fucking do that--"

"If they take a vote and all those other following bitches say so, then technically," she pauses, "they can."

Royce blinks, even more angry than she thought she could be today. 

"Oh," she shakes her head, "Oh fuck no," and she grabs her lunch. "C'mon, guys."

"Oh shit," Kennedy says. "What's about to go down, girl?"

"We," she grits, "have to talk to Paige."

And she stalks in the direction of the cafeteria. 

The cheerleaders are sitting at their usual table. 

Where they always sit. 

Where Royce and Kennedy and Lola used to sit. 

Until lunchtime was taken up by Calum and Ashton and Luke. 

"So," Lola begins, as they approach, "I don't think they're gonna let us sit there, today--"

Royce doesn't hear this, though. She slides across from her sister at the table, and as it falls silent, she glares at Paige. "Getcha ass up 'cause we gotta talk."

Paige shrugs. "Talk about what?"

"Oh," Royce barks out a laugh, "You really wanna do this here, Paigey? In front of all your fake-ass friends?"

"Fake...?" A blonde begins. "That's kind of a harsh accusation, Royce--"

"Bitch?" Royce sneers, "Shut the fuck up, 'cause I do not remember inviting you into this, Perrie."

"I was just--"

"Just what? 'Cause if you weren't just about to shave your mustache before 5th period, I really don't wanna hear about it," she spits, "Thanks."

"You know," and Paige shrugs, "maybe you don't have to be so rude, sis," and she narrows her eyes and lowers her voice, leaning across the table, "Funny how you choose now to say something to me since you've been ignoring me at home."

"That's such fucking bullshit."

"Language, babe," Paige reaches for her drink. "You know mom hates when you cuss."

"Shut the fuck up," Royce exclaims, snatching the soda before her sister can grab it. "I swear to fucking god, if you don't stop--"

"What?" Paige sneers. "Looking out for you? I'm the one who fucking told you this shit would happen! I told you not to mess with that idiot and now what? Now. What," she shrugs, scoffing. "This is what you fucking get."

"What? What I get? Why's it gotta be a fucking punishment? You're not my parent, Paige!"

"I care about you! Unlike some drugged-out boy, I actually love you!"

"You can't tell me that if you don't know him!"

"I know enough," Paige retorts, and she scowls, "And what the fuck, you always do this."

Royce gasps, "Do what?"

"This type shit. You get mad at me or you get mad at Chris from trying to keep stuff from you--you get mad 'cause we're trying to protect you from shit, and now that you've fucked up after I explicitly told you this would happen, you want me to wave the big sister card and--"

"Guys!"

And the girls continue to glare at each other, but their conversation is halted by Tobe. He's standing at the table, lunch tray in his hand, staring between the two girls in disbelief.

"Royce. Paige. Both of you just shut the fuck up," he exclaims. "This is not the time."

"You know what," Paige throws up her hands. "Tobe's right--"

"Ya' damn right I'm right."

"--I'm done. I've said what I've got to say," Paige declares. "You're a big girl, Roycie. That's what you say, anyway."

Tobe rolls his eyes as Royce fumes at the table. "Come on," he groans "Fucking Christ, Paige."

"What?" and she waves her hand dismissively. "She's gonna do what she wants, since I," and she lifts her hands, "'don't treat her like an adult.'"

"Fuckin'--" Tobe rolls his eyes. "Shut up, Paige!"

Now, she gasps. "What the hell, Tobe? You just came over here to take Royce's side?"

"No, but you're being a bitch for no fucking reason!"

"Thank you!"

"You always take Royce's side for everything!" Paige snaps. "What'd you even come over here for? To jump to the rescue with your 'let's all be friends' bullshit?"

"So," Tobe shakes his head, "Imma ignore that for the sake of my sanity," he replies. "'Cause whatever you're arguing about right now can't be that serious."

"Right," Royce sneers, her glare pointed at her sister. And she rises from the table, "So tell Paige to stop being such a bitch to my boyfriend."

"Calum?" Tobe chokes. "That's what this's about? Calum?" 

Paige lifts her brows. "You might wanna listen, Royce."

"Paige," Tobe sputters, "How fucking hypocritical are you?"

And Paige blinks like she's been slapped, her attention on her brother. "What the fuck're you saying?"

"Dude!" He shakes his head out of pure disbelief. "You like Z--"

"Wow."

And everyone turns as Jesy and Jade approach the table with their lunches. 

"This is such a reality show."

"Piss off, Jesy," Lola retorts. "Can't you see some people are in the middle of something."

"Yeah, I see," Jesy nods, slipping into the seat Royce had once occupied, "It's a Greene family shit show."

Paige gasps, "Jes!"

"Ha ha," But, Royce laughs, "Good one, Jes!"

And she pops the lid on Paige's drink, tossing the whole soda in Jesy's face.

__

Royce Greene has never had detention.

Never.

Ever.

Ever.

She only knew about it, mostly through movies and television. She knew Chris had been to detention once, but that was when he was in 9th grade, and Royce didn't even really know why he'd gone. She'd been too young and oblivious.

But now, she sits in the visual arts room, standing in front of rows and rows of paintbrushes, all of them dry and caked with color.

All of them she's now forced to clean.

She ties her hair into a bun and rolls up her starched white sleeves and stares at the seemingly infinite number of paint brushes.

And she sighs.

"Fuck."

"So much for being a good girl, huh?"

She turns, a smile threatening to break across her face. "What're you doing here?"

Calum shrugs, waltzing nonchalantly into the empty classroom. "Heard this cute girl from my AP got detention."

"You heard right," she laughs. "Unfortunately."

"S'cool," he shrugs. "I always knew she was kind of a badass."

"Thanks to some idiot who keeps corrupting her."

"Nah," he grins, dragging a stool towards her and pulling her against him. "She's just proving this theory I've got."

Royce almost chokes. "What theory?"

"That she's actually a bad girl," he grins, and something about that statement makes Royce kind of laugh.

"Actually, she's a good girl," she clarifies. "Her boyfriend is just a bad boy."

"Nah. She's always been bad."

"Lies!"

"You know what they say, babe. Good girls are actually bad girls," he shrugs nonchalantly. "They just haven't been caught yet."

"That is literally straight bullshit. You definitely just made it up."

"I made it up, but you're proving my point."

Royce laughs, and as she laughs she sighs. "You're a fucking mess, dude."

"So're you," he grins. "And it kinda makes me happy."

"Happy?" She shakes her head. "Shameful..."

"What? It makes me feel better," he smiles, pulling her into his lap, "that you're more like me than I thought."

She snorts. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"That," he wets his lips, "like...I think I'm like, here," he says, and he lifts one of his hands from her waist and suspends it, eye level. "But you," he chuckles, "are like," and he moves his hand, raising it way above his head, "here."

"Wow, I'm so not."

"But, you really are, Royce," he says, and Royce refrains from laughing because she looks into his eyes, realizing at once that he's not kidding. 

"You're serious?"

"Yeah," he replies. "You're like...I dunno. Well, I do know," he nods. "You're not the girl who does this shit. I'm used to detentions," he grins. "You," he shakes his head, "you don't live this life, dude."

She laughs, now. "But, you haven't been in detention for a minute, have you?"

"Not since that community service," he sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thank god that shit's done."

"See?" She kisses his nose. "In weird ways, I guess we've been--"

"Corrupting each other?" 

"Nah," she shakes her head. "More like, helping each other see life differently," she replies. "'Cause you haven't been in trouble lately, and I've..."

He snorts. "You've been hanging out with me and my fucked up friends."

"I've," she corrects, "been realizing what's important," she nods. "More important than the grades and shit, anyway..." She smiles, "Some relationships are worth..."

And she stops. 

And Calum's smile fades. "Wait, what? What were you gonna--"

"Cal..." And Royce jumps to her feet, grabbing his hands, dragging him from the stool, "You gotta go."

He's on his feet as he too hears the approaching footsteps in the hall.

He nods. "Call me when you're done, yeah?"

"Yeah."

And he kisses her quickly, "Have fun," he sings, before jogging out the opposite door.

Just as the teacher returns.

With Zayn Malik.

"...and you can assist Ms. Greene with the cleaning. It should give you ample time to think about what you've done."

And again, Royce was alone.

Partially.

Because this time, she was with Zayn.

He takes a look at her and smirks.

He shakes out of his leather jacket. "I know you."

She grins. "I know you."

"Yeah," he grins, tongue lingering between his lips. "What's up, kid?"

"Pshh...this shit."

He chuckles, nodding. And he picks up a bucket of brushes and joins her at the sinks. "Last I heard you didn't get detention."

"Guess I'm fucking everyone's perception up today," and Royce eyes him beneath her bangs, "What're you doing in here?"

"What?" He gasps. "You mean, I can't just be in here 'cause I like cleaning paint?"

"Ha. Ha. Ha."

He giggles--and his giggle is really quite cute. It doesn't match with his inked body and dark exterior. "Was tagging the gym," he grins, that adorable giggle fading into a sly grin. "Coach said it was 'vandalism,' but the walls in there are so fucking boring."

Royce laughs. "They're so white."

"And plain, yeah?" He replies, joining her in laughter.

"Just like this fucking school."

"S'what I thought, anyway."

Zayn shakes his head. "They were only pissed 'cause they caught me smoking," he adds with a shrug. "But, that's not my fault either. S'an addiction."

She hums, "And that's just not something you can control."

"Exactly!"

They laugh.

And Royce almost forgets she's had a fucking shitty day and that she's cleaning caked paint out of old paint brushes.

"I can't believe I'm fucking doing this shit," she murmurs.

"Hey," he says, "fuck it. We'll be done at five."

"Two damn hours from now."

"Time flies when you're having fun."

Royce laughs again.

"Wait," he chuckles, "you never told me what you were in here for," he snorts. "I swear, I can't believe you got detention."

"Guess this good girl is really bad," she mutters.

"Not based on what I heard," Zayn replies amusedly. "Paige said you were good at everything, yeah?"

"Oh," she snorts. "Did she now."

"Like, yeah, actually," he nods, reaching for more brushes. "You were pretty and smart and athletic and...and yeah," Zayn says. "You hung the fucking moon too, huh?"

Royce snorts again. "I threw a drink in her best friend's face."

"Seriously?"

"So we're not exactly on good terms right now."

"You and the friend?" Zayn asks. "Or you and Paige?"

She side-eyes him. "Take a guess."

"Both, then."

"Pretty fucking much."

"Hey," Zayn shrugs, "it'll all blow over."

"Right," Royce rolls her eyes, watching the colors mix in the sink, "You sound like my optimistic best friend."

Zayn laughs. "Promise," he nods. "Fisher'll get a new car, or fuck somebody new, and the whole school'll be talking about that, instead," he eyes her through bright brown eyes, "Promise."

She snorts. "You sound so sure about that shit."

"'Cause I am," he laughs, "Happened to me."

"Sure. Okay," Royce snorts, shaking her head.

"Really," he bumps her lightly. "You should hear the shit people used to say about me," he chuckles. "I fucking swear...They still do, honestly, but not as much. S'like I'm the black sheep of my grade or some shit."

"What?" Royce gasps. "You?"

"The 'bad boy' or whatever," he clicks his teeth, "Dumb shit."

Royce jams her tongue against her cheek. She wasn't about to call her sister outside of her  name, but what a fucking hypocritical b--

"Your sister, too."

"Huh?" She's jarred from her thoughts. "What?"

"Paige, yeah? She'll get over it."

"In ten years, maybe."

"Nah," Zayn chuckles. "But, you're really funny, you know that?"

Royce reaches for more brushes, "One of my few positive traits."

"Sounds like you got more than a few according to Paige," and as Royce rolls her eyes, Zayn flicks water her way. "She loves you. Can't shut up about you when we're together."

And all of a sudden, Royce is back to assuming her role as the nosey younger sister, "So...you like her?"

He ducks his head. "I mean..."

"S'okay," Royce giggles. "She's mad about you, boy."

"Really?" He asks. "You think so?"

Royce nods. "And if she can see past your reputation, she might make a pretty good girlfriend."

___

but are y'all ready for this next chapter though or...?
(*chuckles evilly*)

jet black heart || 5 seconds of summer