"now you're friendzone--"

"O-Oh, I'm not his g-girl," I stuttered, panicking, my face radiating a full red colour as all the attention was directed to me. Three pairs of eyes stared back at me and I can't even handle one pair.

Suddenly, Jett snapped out of his bedazzled gaze and a smirk pulled on his face. "Not bad Carson. Your girl's got potential."

"I--W-What?"

"Jett," Carson shot warningly.

"Just a few tweaks in the fashion section and you're good," Jett continued, using his finger and thumb to show the tiny amount of space.

"Jett," Carson seethed.

"Other than that, she's cool." Jett shrugged.

"Jett," Carson said so coldly that Jett had to stop and look at him. "We're friends."

Jett chuckled loosely. "There's no need to cover it up."

"Jett."

"We get it. You want your privacy."

"Jett! We're friends."

Jett paused and shot Carson a quizzical glance as if sending their own silent messages, while I stood there half traumatised and extremely confused. I'd almost forgotten May was even with us because she'd been so quiet, watching the event fold before her.

After a millisecond, Jett opened his mouth again and I winced when he said, "How about Iris and May go have a girl chat to get to know each other while Carson and I catch up a little."

I didn't know whether there was a secret meaning behind his words but even if there was, May seemed to have understood because she slowly advanced in my direction. She gave me a warm smile, if it was fake then she did a fantastic job at hiding it. Placing her right hand on my shoulder, she pushed me lightly towards another direction. I didn't know what to do so I allowed her to lead me, only sparing one last glance at Carson to see him shoot me an apologetic look.

"So..." I heard May speak beside me but I didn't dare peek up. Now that I was standing directly next to May, I could actually see the height difference between us. I was five foot one or two and she was at least five foot ten. "Sorry about having to meet like that. Jett's very oblivious to the world around him and he's really blunt."

I just nodded, keeping my eyes straight, examining the area as we walked around the back of the school. There was only grass and trees here, they were planted in front of the fence and followed the metal bars as they surrounded the school.

May stopped, forcing me to stop too. She walked so that she stood in front of me and held out her hand. "Can we start over? I don't want you to hate me. I'm May."

I timid smile tugged at my lips, shaking her hand for a second before pulling back, afraid that she would find my sweaty hands unwelcoming. "Iris."

"So...have you started studying for the Modern History exam? It's this Friday," May asked as we continued strolling around the grass area. Usually, I'd be extremely paranoid and anxious about getting into trouble by a teacher but from the few years I had been here, not one single teacher spared a glance in this part of the school.

My eyes were so busy jumping around from tree to tree that I didn't register her question until several silent seconds later. "Y-Yeah, but how did you know it was this Friday?" I thought different classes had the exam on the day that their teacher allocated. How would May know?

"What are you talking about?" She furrowed her brows, "I'm in your class. Mr Lim, you know? The short Asian teacher." She flattened out her palm and hung it around her chin, emphasising the teacher's height. Now I felt horrible because that means that we had been in the same classes for two years and I had never noticed. I mentally facepalmed and tried to picture the classroom, trying to find May.

"I sit at the front, in the left corner," May added. "It's closer to the door so I get out faster than everyone else." She joked with a smile but I couldn't laugh at it because the guilt was overflooding. And all this time, I thought I was observant and clearly I wasn't.

May noticed my silence so she spoke, "Don't worry about it. We've never been assigned in a group together and we don't sit in the same social circle so it's fine."

"I feel so bad. I've been in that class for two years. I also sit at the back, where I can see everyone's heads," I said and shook my head.

"No need to feel bad, I've seen you a few times, but you're always scribbling something down and never looking up," May said, a small grin stretching over her face. "And because you sit at the back, all you can see are people's heads."

"I guess so, but I still feel bad," I confessed, twisting my fingers together.

"Stop feeling bad, honestly, I'm not offended. Do you know how many stares I get just because Jett's my boyfriend? I mean, get a life, people!" She exclaimed and I couldn't help but let out a few giggles too. In the brief four minutes walking with May, I had already grown comfortable speaking with her and was very proud that no more stutters had left my lips. My brain believes that it should save them for Carson and Jett.

"Now that I think of it, I remember my first year of dating Jett was filled with so many rumours, I thought my ears would explode," May sighed. "Literally random people swarmed around me, asking me the most ridiculous questions. Are you paying him? Is this a dare? A bet? Some girl actually had the nerve to ask what he was like in bed. The safest sex is a marriage ring and I haven't got that yet."

All the recent memories flashed by and I realised May had gone through the same as me, but they seemed more severe.

"How did you stop the rumours?" I asked, one reason because I was curious and I might as well ask the person who has had the first-hand experience.

"I couldn't. Some nights, I would cry myself to sleep. Some days, it was so bad that I skipped school." She paused and smiled warmly. "But it wasn't bad because Jett was always lying next to me and was the one who suggested we escape from this place."

"Did the rumours stop at all?" I questioned. I wasn't a big fan of gossip at the school, if people were loud enough, then I would overhear it, otherwise, I wouldn't voluntarily sneak around like a devious snake trying to find secrets.

"The died down eventually after a year and a half when they realised that Jett and I were a legit couple who actually loved each other."

I nodded, not knowing what to say.

"Let's change the subject, it went all weird and emotional." May waved her hand as to say 'move on now'.

I let out a small laugh, "Okay."

"Favourite song?"

"I'm not sure. At the moment it might be 'Play that Song' by Train but next week it will probably be something else," I answered.

"Oh, I know that song! What about favourite...movie?"

"A Walk to Remember," I smiled sheepishly.

"Holy shit!" She exclaimed, a Cheshire grin on her face, before realisation replaced it, "I hate that movie! I cry every time! Even during the middle."

 "Favourite artist?"

"Tough one." She paused. "5 Seconds of Summer."

"They're all right."

"What do you mean they're all right? They have the best songs!" May asserted and I smiled at her enthusiasm.

"I don't know. I don't really like any musicians," I said, almost tripping over a pebble.

"You don't usually wear heels, do you?"

I shook my head vigorously. "Never. I haven't touched them in years. I didn't know where my mum put my converse and I was late so I grabbed the first thing there."

May laughed heartily. "I do that sometimes but I don't mind heels. It's just that I don't need them. I'm like five foot ten, almost Jett's height."

"Is there anyone else you hang with during lunch or just Jett?" I asked.

She tilted her head, thinking. "No, well I talk with Carson but that's about it. What about you?"

"No one. I don't have any friends." I gave her a small smile.

"Aren't we your friends?"

"I don't know."

"Well, we are. All three of us, Carson, Jett and I," May announced affirmatively.

A warm feeling spread through my chest and body, something unknown and something I'd never felt before.

I had friends.

Real friends.

"It's been five minutes, I think the boys should be done, let's go back," May suggested, hooking her arm through mine as we began trotting back to the bench.

A little while later, the bench was in my sight and the two boys seemed to be in an argument especially with the vigorous hand gestures and open-mouthed yelling.

Jett's back was facing us but Carson was almost hiding behind him, because of the angle we were standing at, but the closer we got to them, I could begin to see Carson again.

Now Jett was doing more of the yelling, "You stupid ass! You lied to her again? Now you're friendzone--"

Before he could finish his sentence, Carson's large hand clamped over his mouth.

Carson nodded his head towards us and Jett turned around with awareness. "Right. How was the girl's chat?"

"Good," May replied and I nodded in agreement. "How was the boy's chat?"

"Not so good. Carson's got a heap of girl problems." Jett shook his head sympathetically and patted Carson's shoulder.

Carson shoved Jett's hand off. "I do not."

May grinned. "We all know you do." 

a/n: vote and comment x