''Welcome back to the first day of school.''

The small echo of the bell ringing was left in the hallow ends of the school hallway while those who attended Liberty High that Thursday morning was sitting in their assigned homeroom class.

Apparently, Devin Greene was stuck in Ms. Bradley's class again, given that the adult decided to bump up a grade this following year.

The brunette had her chin resting in the palm of her hand as she spoke.

''Congrats, to all of you sitting in this very room. You're a Junior now. Your second to last step before reaching full adulthood.''

Devin's gaze wandered around the room until she spotted Jeff Atkins, staring right at her.

Her lips fell apart as she straightened her posture in her seat. It's been three months since the two last seen each other, much less spoke to each other since that day of the cook out.

A lot can happen over three months.

She pursed her lips when he was the first to look away.

''However, adulthood isn't easy. Neither is getting there. Let it be known that this year, will be the most important year of your educational career.''

Devin rolls her eyes and sighs.

''Didn't they say Freshman year was our most important year?'' Zach Dempsey mumbles beside her, which caused her to giggle.

''Though, today is the first day,'' Mrs. Bradley turns to face the class from the back of the room. ''Let's start off easy. We'll do a nice ice breaker before I hand out the syllabus.''

''Oh god,'' Devin mumbles.

''Everyone should know two truths and a lie-''

The class up roared into a bored, ''Yeah.''

''Great,'' She clapped her hands together. ''Who would like to start us off?'' She hums while looking around. Nobody wanted to participate. ''You have five seconds before I start picking.''

Devin's social anxiety kicked in, causing her to nudge Zach by the arm. ''Raise your hand.''

He chuckles, knowing Devin was never good with being the center of attention during class. ''No way, Devs.''

''Zach says he wants to do it,'' Devin calls out to Mrs. Bradley.

''Ms. Greene, tell us two truths and one lie,'' Mrs. Bradley kindly requested. Devin gapes at her while Zach held a hand up to his mouth to block out his obnoxious laughter.

''Fine, um..'' She taps her index finger against the desk. ''I have a brother, I live with my dad and I have two stitches.''

Mrs. Bradley held her arms out and looks around. ''Any guesses? I say it's the stitches.''

''What do you think, Jeff?'' Pratters questions aloud. Instantly, the tension grew. ''You know her more than any of us.''

''That's enough,'' Mrs. Bradley scolds. ''This is a game for all of us in order to get to know each other.''

''It's been three years!'' Zach exclaims incredulously. Devin laughs. ''For god sake, half us just wanna graduate just to get away from the same people.''

''Enough,'' The teacher demanded. ''Mr. Atkins, would you like to take a guess?''

''Uh..'' He shrugs his shoulders. ''The stitches?''

Zach snorts at his answer. Devin playfully slaps his arm, quietly shushing him.

''Mr. Dempsey.''

''I'm sorry,'' He apologizes. Yet, his goofy grin displayed his more truer emotions. That he wasn't really sorry. ''But, I'll take a guess. Which is living with her dad.''

Devin peeks a glance over at Jeff who was cracking his knuckles. He wanted to take a guess at that, but three months feels like forever. He didn't know what aspects of her life changed during their summer break.

She looks back at Zach and nods.

''What?'' Mrs. Bradley gasp. ''You really have two stitches?'' Devin hums her response. ''Where?''

''On my chin and eyebrows.''

Some of the students in the class winced.

''Ooh, how'd you get it in your brows?'' Pratters asks, intrigued by the gory details already.

''When I was younger, my mom had left to get the new mattress and I was jumping on the old one. So while she was gone, I ended up falling off of the bed, face first.''

''You're so dumb,'' Zach laughs.

''Shut up,'' Devin giggles, laughing along with him.

× × ×

Devin felt the comfortable routine of returning to the back end of the library later that morning, with the hateful old hag sitting behind the reception desk.

Once she appeared at her usual table, she froze instantly at the sight of Jeff sitting in his same seat.

Of course they had to have their free period together.

''What are you doing here?'' She asks.

He looks up from his notes. ''It's says Study Hall takes place in the library on my schedule, so, based on common sense-''

She raised a hand to silence him. ''I mean, what are you doing on my end of the library?''

''You can't own an end of the library, remember?''

She snarls at the Latino who had his head bowed, hiding the taunting smirk on his lips. She walks around the table, slinging her bag on top of the surface before taking a seat.

She began surfing through her bag for one of her folders after taking out her laptop, all the while Jeff Atkins stared at her through his lashes.

He couldn't help it. She looked so much more mature than she did a couple of months back. She wore a light pound of make up and dressed more casual than she did before. Some may even call it aesthetic.

She wore a matching two piece set. It was red leggings and a hooded crop top with two white stripes going down the side. The fitting material shown her body's natural curves in all the right places.

She had lost some weight over the summer.

''What?''

Jeff enters back into the realm of reality to find Devin Greene blinking rapidly at him.

''Nothing.''

A corner of her lip twitched into a smirk as she scoffs. ''Sure didn't look like nothing.'' Just when she pulls out her Trigonometry notebook, she mumbles, ''But, I say less.''

Furrowing his brows, he opened his mouth to retaliate, but he couldn't even get a word out once Zach came strolling in the back corner. He held the global history pass tight in his grasp.

Devin looks up and grins instantly. ''Shaking my head, Dempsey. It's the first day and you're already skipping with the bathroom pass.''

He opened his arms wide. ''It's never too late to start early, am I right?''

Devin giggles softly as she stands up to envelope herself into a hug.

''What class is this?'' Zach questions, glancing down at Jeffery Atkins. The boy had no shame to look away, he wanted them to know he was paying attention.

''Study hall.'' She sucks in her bottom lip and folds her arms across her chest.

He cranes his neck forward. ''Are you serious?'' Bopping her head, she hums. ''What the fuck, why didn't Ms. Anthilly give me a class like this?''

''Because you're not a good noodle like me.''

''Ha!'' He laughed. ''The day Spongebob finally gets his drivers license is the day you're considered a good noodle.''

''Considered?'' Devin giggles. ''Never that.''

Devin walks around him and motions him to follow her. ''Come on. Let's walk around for a bit.''

The brunette was already on her way towards the receptions desk to retrieve the bathroom pass to even notice Zach Dempsey lagging behind.

Jeff sighs, annoyed by his glares. ''What, Zach?''

He heaves a dry chuckle from his chest before shaking his head and walking off.

Devin straightens her physique after leaning over to sign out in the notebook and grabs the pass, turning to find Zach finally approaching her.

Furrowing her brows, she questions softly, ''You okay?''

''Yeah,'' He mumbles. ''It's just-.. Can I just punch him?''

Her features grew stern. ''No, Zach.''

''I just don't understand why he would do that to you,'' He shakes his head vigorously. ''I want you to be happy.''

She didn't realize it herself, that the boy's charming word's grew a sweet smile on her lips. She linked an arm with his and began walking. ''I am happy. I moved so far on from Jeff that everything doesn't even matter.''

''Don't say that,'' He looks down at her. ''If you something makes you feel a sort of way, than it does matter, Devs. Don't ever hold back, no matter how stupid or pointless it may be.''

''You know, for a dumb jock, you're pretty damn wise.''

× × ×

One leg bounced under the lunch table while he was clicking his teeth. Jeff Atkins was pist. He kept trying to look away from the scene of Devin Greene and Zach Dempsey enjoying each other's company alone together, later that afternoon.

He shouldn't be this mad. He's the one who left her. But he couldn't help it. Especially with his reasons why.

''Kind of weird.'' Jeff's gaze snapped towards Tony Padilla, who was occupying the seat across from him and Clay Jensen, who was taking the seat next to him. The second Tony sat down, his head pretty much blocked his view of Devin and Zach, which is what he needed.

Any longer and there was a good chance he was going to explode.

''You know,'' Clay raised a brow. ''Devin and Zach.-''

Tony blinked his eyes wide, tilting his head towards Jeff as is his way of silencing him. It was a rough topic to mention.

''Sorry.''

Jeff shakes his head and looks down at his tray. ''It's fine. It doesn't phase me.''

''Really?'' Tony scrunched his lips to the side. ''Because I'm pretty sure if looks could kill, one and two would be deceased.''

''I just don't get it,'' Jeff leans forward with interest. ''It hasn't even been that long since we broke up and she's already diving back into another relationship?''

Clay tilts his head to the side. ''Technically, we don't know if they're in a relationship.''

''Huh?''

''Devin and Zach?'' He shakes his head. ''There's rumors that they're going out, but we don't know for sure. It could be just like how you and her used to be.''

''And look where we ended up,'' Jeff exasperates.

''I don't think she'll repeat what you guys used to have,'' Tony disagrees. ''I mean, I don't know about you guys, but it's pretty tiring to just impress somebody. But a full on relationship? Especially as long as yours? Nah.''

Tony takes a sip of his water. ''From what I hear, Devin's tolerance level is too low to handle something like that again. Considering.. you know.''

''Yeah,'' Clay shifts in his seat to turn to Jeff. ''Why did you break up with her?''

Tony flattened his lips into a straight line. ''Way to be subtle, Clay.''

''It doesn't matter,'' He waves the guys off.

''The whole school would disagree with you on that one,'' Clay contradicts.

''Okay, well the reason is nobody's business but Devin and I,'' He fires.

''So why doesn't Devin know?'' Tony questions almost quietly. He was trying to be neutral about the situation, but it was hard to oppose the right to wrong.

''Because,-'' He sighs. ''It's too late.''

Tony shakes his head. ''It's never to late to own up to the plate.''

''Plus, I'm sure she's still not immune to your Atkins charm,'' Clay nods his head and grins. ''So, you got this.''

His Atkins charm, why didn't he think of that sooner? It was the perfect way to see if things were truly too little too late with Devin Greene.