''If I had to choose, it'd be maroon.''

Devin practically breaks her neck when tearing her view from the inside to look at Hannah Baker incredulously. ''Really? I would've gone for olive green.''

She shrugs her shoulders while leaned against the locker. They were talking about the collection of suede Puma sneakers and apparently, the girls had polar opinions of colors. ''It could be because those are our complimentary colors.''

''Oh,'' Devin drawls out. ''Maroon would definitely make the blue in your eyes pop.''

Just then, a group girls were passing by snickering at the two brunettes invested in a conversation of their own.

''Sounds like anything can make Hannah pop.''

Devin's smiled diminished into a snarl. ''I also have fists that can get ready to pop-'' She took a step forward to the trio, causing them to take a step back in fright. But she was pulled back by Hannah simply tugging at her wrist.

''Don't,'' She breathes out. ''They're not worth it.''

The same on who made the cruel comment the first time around scoffs and shrugs her shoulders. ''That's probably what Justin said afterwards.''

With one harsh pull, Devin tears her wrist away from Hannah's grip and charged for her. ''I think not, bi-'' She groans when her body jolts back, soon levitating off of the ground while the girls ran down the hallway.

Once they turned the corner, she soon felt the floor again. She turns to find Clay Jensen standing next to an weary Hannah Baker, hugging herself against the locker while Jeffery Atkins stood at ease in front of her.

''Devs,'' Hannah shakes her head at her. ''Seriously, you need to stop. People are going to talk, there's no point in fighting it.''

She turns to find Clay standing behind her, which caused her to breathe a sigh through her nostrils and turn back around with the shake of her head. She walks past Devin, muttering, ''I'll see you later.''

She furrows her brows at her just as she passed and watch her descend down the crowded hallway that Tuesday morning. She turns back to the guys and huffs. ''I feel so bad.''

''I can't believe Justin would do that,'' Jeff shakes his head. ''I knew he was a dick, but this is just a new low.''

''Yeah,'' She mumbles. She looks over at Clay Jensen who stood uninterested in the conversation, from what it seemed. Raising a brow and folding her arms, she calls curiously, ''Clay?''

He switches his gaze from somewhere down the hall and at her. ''Yeah?''

''What's with you?'' She scans his tense physique up and down. ''You're acting weirder than usual.''

''Just-'' He inhales deeply. ''Nothing. I'm gonna head to class.''

Jeffery Atkins gapes at him, utterly confused as Devin was when he makes an abrupt entrance. They look at each other with furrowed brows.

Tilting her head to the side, she asks, ''When did we become the ones with no problem?''

He shrugs his shoulders and breathes out, ''Beats me.'' He lifts an arm up while stepping forward. He wraps that arm around her shoulder and kept walking. She walked along side of him, sliding an arm around his back.

''Looks like you and Hannah are on good terms,'' Jeff mentions.

''Not just good,'' She points out his error in observation. ''Great. We talked for three hours yesterday, and get this-'' Her voice dropped a couple of octaves. ''They didn't do what everyone is thinking.''

''Oh thank god,'' He mumbles. ''Than what happened?''

''I'll fill you in third bell,'' She smiles softly.

''Alright, see you later,'' He reaches down and pecks her on the cheek. ''And stay out of trouble.''

''No promises.''

He shoots her a pointed look that she responds by nothing but a wide grin.

She walks into Mr. O'Connor's English class a few minutes later and rolled her eyes at the sight of Zach Dempsey sitting in his regular seat besides her's.

He perks up in his seat once he's seen her walk in and follow her every movements till she sat next to him. She was going through her bag for her English notebook and at least a colored pen when Zach calls out, ''Dev.''

She swivels in her seat and flatly responds, ''Only my friends can call me Dev.''

''Oh, come on,'' He shakes his head vigorously. ''Don't do that. It's not even that bad.''

Her eye twitched at his oblivion to the talk around the halls. ''Are you playing stupid or are you really that stupid?'' She shakes her head and craned her neck forward. ''It is so bad, that even though she deleted all of her social media accounts and apps all together, she's going to have to change her number soon because people are harassing her that much. Not to mention I almost got in a fight with three girls just now because they decided to make fun of her.''

She scoffs. ''So run it by me again, how exactly is any of this remotely funny? Cause I'm not laughing, and neither is Hannah.''

He swallows deeply. ''We're all meeting up at Bryce to-''

Opening her notebook, she waves him off. ''Have fun.''

''You're not coming?''

She looks up with brows furrowed and nostrils flared, furiously. ''I don't even want to look at your face, what makes you think I would want to smoke with you guys later?''

''But, you always-''

''Yeah, well,'' She shrugs her shoulders. ''Maybe I should cut back.''

''Devin, please,'' He begs. ''You know I consider you as a sister-''

She didn't bother to look at him this time around as she spoke, ''That's funny because it doesn't feel that way.'' She pursed her lips. ''I know how you treat your actual sister, Zach, and I know you would never let her get high with you.''

She taps her pen against the desk repeatedly. ''This was a real eye opener,'' She turns to find his fallen features written with nothing but disappointment. This couldn't be happening to him. ''And now I'm realizing that, that brother and sister bullshit was nothing but a meaningless title.''

× × ×

''Wow.''

''I know,'' Devin nods in agreement.

''What a little bitch,'' Jeff mumbles under his breath.

Devin Greene and Jeffery Atkins sat in the library third period in their regular spot, dishing over the details Hannah had confided in her the day before about outburst of affairs with Justin Foley.

''A little bitch who didn't get laid and made it seem like he did,'' She tisked. ''Sad case.''

''How was first period?'' He fiddles with his pencil as he asks this. ''I know you had Zach.''

''I cut him off,'' She simply tells him. ''He's not someone I should really trust.''

''Oh,'' He mumbles again.

She snickers. ''Don't make that face, you and I both know you could care less about him. You just want to hear if I yelled at him.''

''Did you?''

She giggles. ''No. Close, but no.''

''Damn.''

She laughs again, causing him to stare at him in awe with a smile.

''Hey, guys,'' Fiona cheers when entering their small corner. She slings her bag on the table and grins brightly. ''What's going on?''

Jeff leans forward and folds his arms on the edge of the table. ''Nothing much. Why'd you come so late?''

She shrugs her shoulders while pulling out her chair to sit in. ''I was caught up with Cece in the bathroom.''

''Cece?'' Jeff furrows his brows.

''Priscilla,'' She clarifies as she digs through her bag. ''Did you guys hear about that girl who got sloppy on the slide?''

Devin straightens her back, her features growing stern. Jeff glanced back at her before looking at Fiona, who was still occupied with taking out her studies for the hour. ''I even got a picture of it. It's so sick.''

''Fiona,'' Jeff calls.

''I don't understand how some girls don't have the decency to respect themselves-''

''Fiona, shut up,'' Jeff demands, his anger slowly rising.

She peers away from the inside of her book bag and looked at him, astonished. ''Excuse me?''

''That girl,'' Devin mocked. ''Has name, and it's Hannah Baker. And you don't even know her nor the story, so who are you to judge?''

Fiona's face blank. ''Oh,'' She cooes. ''Was that the girl we were sitting with at Friday's game?''

Jeff nods his head.

Realization soon hits Fiona.

''Wait, so if you're all like, super close, what's the story?''

Devin jerks her head back. ''It's none of her business.'' It wasn't just the fact that Devin didn't like Fiona, it had more to due with Hannah's wishes. She felt it'd be best not to reveal the real story because nobody would listen. No matter how many times Devin fought her on it, she had to respect what Hannah wanted.

She shrugs her shoulders. ''Fine, it's your friend looks bad at the end of the day anyway.''

''Okay,'' Jeff shakes his head. ''That's not cool.''

''I didn't mean for it-''

Devin raised a hand and pursed her lips. ''Save it, no one cares at this point.''

Devin plugged in her headphones and started surfing the web while Jeff focused back on his studies, leaving Fiona speechless.

× × ×

Hannah Baker was sitting by herself in the table she's been sitting at for the past couple of weeks. Devin and Jeff walked off the lunch line with their trays in their hands when they noticed her.

She looks back at him and cocks her head. ''Go ahead, we'll be there in a few.''

He nods his head, the two departing in two different directions.

She slowly approached, her dull brown eyes never leaving the back of her head until she took a seat across from her. ''Hey,'' She softly greets.

''Hi.''

Devin folds her arms on the table. ''What are you doing over here by yourself?''

She shrugs her shoulders. ''I was waiting for you.''

''Dude,'' She giggles. ''Come on.''

Devin stands up and picks up her tray. Hannah stood as well, asking, ''Where are we going?''

''A little trip down memory lane.''

Hannah follows Devin, who lead her back to their original table.

''Oh,'' Hannah shakes her head vigorously as Devin took her seat across from Jeff. ''I don't know.''

''Hey,'' Jeff raised a brow. ''You're not going through this alone. We won't let you.''