There was a buzz in the school courtyard. News that shook the student body to their core. Friends rushed to form their groups and whisper to each other. The conversations spilled into the school building, taking over every corner of the school. The group were entering their history class, the gossip not escaping their notice. 

"Bro, it's the craziest sh*t I ever heard", said Luke, talking to Kenny. 

"My sister literally rushed home to tell me when she found out", said Kenny. "I bet you anything she's gonna put it in the school paper."

Luke looked over at Zee, who was getting her textbook out. He turned back to Kenny, lowering his voice. "Do you think she knew before us?"

Kenny shrugged. "Wouldn't surprise me."

Elliott walked past Zee, instinctively pulling out a small packet of cookies. He knew she'd just reject him again, but the gesture had become part of his routine. He gripped his palm around the cookies, pressing them into his hand. 

"What, no cookies today?", asked Zee.

Elliott had to point to himself, unsure if she was talking to him. When Zee nodded, Elliott loosened his grip on the packet. 

"Uh... yeah", he replied. "Here, they're um, chocolate chip cookies."

He moved to place the packet on the table, before stopping when Zee opened up her hand instead. He froze for a few seconds, questioning whether he was supposed to put the packet in her hand or if she was just pranking him. He wasn't really sure why he thought the latter. The possibility of Zee actually being nice to him just never really crossed his mind. 

"Why are you buffering?", she questioned, snapping Elliott back into reality. He placed the packet in her hand. 

"Thanks", she said.  "Did your mum like the flowers?"

"Oh. Yeah she did. She took about a million pictures of them and told all her friends about it", he replied, rolling his eyes, a tinge of red appearing on his face. "She's so embarrassing."

To Elliott's surprise, Zee chuckled at this. 

"Mums love everything their children do."

Before Elliott could respond, Aahan ran into the room. He shut the door with such urgency, that the students fell silent. 

"Ok, what is going on today?", asked Aahan. "I passed a group of girls in the hallway who ran up to each other and screamed as one— like one united scream, and then they started whispering furiously about something."

"You mean you haven't heard?", questioned Rowan. 

"Heard what?", asked Aahan. 

"Alex and Naomi... they've broken up", answered Eloise. 

Neither Alex nor Naomi were not in any of Aahan's history classes, but he had heard that they were two of the most popular students. Paige also mentioned something once, about them being a symbol for true love among the students. Everyone looked up to their relationship, and many couples broke up because they couldn't match the kind of love that Alex and Naomi had. 

"I still can't believe it", said Elliott. "I mean, it was posted all over social media yesterday, but I thought it was just lies, you know?"

"We all agree that it's Naomi's fault, right?", asked Kenny. 

"Hold up, why is it her fault?", asked Eloise. 

"Everyone's saying she cheated on him with Max Evergreen", replied Kenny. 

"Isn't Max his best friend?", asked Spencer. 

"I don't really follow along to gossip, but I hope that's not true", said Irene. "That's a horrible thing to do to a friend."

"She didn't", said Zee, surprising everyone. 

"How do you know?", asked Eloise. 

"Ain't it obvious? She's always got her nose in everyone's business", said James. 

Zee just rolled her eyes at him. "Max is with Aurelia", she said, instantly regretting it when she remembered Atlas was in the room. She quickly glanced over at him, frowning when she saw him look down at the floor. 

"That doesn't mean anything", said James. "He could've cheated on her too."

Zee wanted to defend her friend. Max might not be her favourite person, but he never seemed like the type to cheat. He genuinely liked Aurelia. Still, Zee didn't trust anyone completely, so maybe there was some truth to what James said. Right now though, Zee was more concerned about not saying something that could upset Atlas. He might act like he was over Aurelia, but Zee saw first hand how much they liked each other when they were together. 

"I don't think all of this gossip is doing anyone any favours", said Aahan. "It's just a teenage break up, it'll be over by tomorrow."

Eloise shook her head. "I don't think so. Naomi's in pieces, bless her. She wouldn't even talk to anyone this morning."

"Alex is a wreck too", said Spencer. 

"You speak to Alex? Isn't he one of the popular guys though?", questioned Aahan.
"I mean, no offence, but I just never really had you down as someone who is in that crowd."

"I'm not", said Spencer. "Apparently his dad and Zeke were best friends when they were younger, and the news kind of made them reconnect. He went over to Alex's house yesterday and made me go with him for moral support."

"Moral support?", questioned Rowan. 

"I think he was just a bit nervous about meeting him again after all these years", said Spencer. "But yeah, I don't see this thing blowing over any time soon."

Aahan couldn't help but chuckle at how earth shattering this break up seemed to be. It reminded him of his school days, when every little issue seemed like it would bring about the end of the world. Aahan wasn't sure how many school sweethearts from his secondary school were still together now, but he was sure he could count them on one hand. 

"All of this may seem like groundbreaking news now, but I promise you, ten years from now no one will remember this", said Aahan. 

"How can you say that?", asked Atlas. "Alex and Naomi have been together since year seven. You can't forget about a love that strong."

"Love?", questioned Aahan. "Listen here guys... love looks different for everyone. Like, love for a parent. Love for a sibling."

"Yeah, but that's always going to be there", said Eloise. "It's the romantic kind of love that's harder to find."

"Therefore... what? It's more important?", questioned Aahan. "Alright then. What does love mean to you all?"

"Ugh, I hate talking about soppy stuff", said Luke. "All any of the girls in our year care about is going on dates and getting gifts from their boyfriends."

"Hey, that's not true", said Eloise. 

"When I think about love, I guess I think about my parents", said Atlas. "It's kind of hard to explain, but it felt like they never stopped loving each other. Even when they argued. I mean, it was probably because they knew time was precious, what with my dad being in the army and everything."

"It's nice to know you grew up surrounded by so much love", said Aahan. 

Atlas nodded. "They were the ones who made me believe that everyone's got a soulmate."

"See, that's what confuses me", said Spencer. "The idea that there's just one person out there for everyone. Does that mean my dad was my mum's person, or Zeke?"

"Why can't it be both of them?", questioned Irene. "I mean, soulmates don't even need to just be romantic. Do they?"

Aahan shrugged. "Everyone has a different view of love."

"I have to say, I like Atlas' view of love", said Rowan. 

"You're awfully quiet over there Elliott", said Aahan. "Got any views you'd like to share?"

"Uh... yeah. I think romantic love comes and goes. The love between family? That's what stays."

A small smile appeared on Zee's face as she nodded. She was surprised that she agreed with Elliott on this, especially since he seemed to have his fair share of girlfriends in the past. 

"Don't get me wrong, being in a relationship is cool, but family is way more important", clarified Elliott. 

"Still, no matter what you think love is like, I think we can all agree that this situation with Alex and Naomi sucks", said Eloise. 

¤¤¤

In the reception, the Reception Crew were dealing with an apparently unwell Naomi. She had left her previous lesson, saying she felt sick. Nalini was no doctor, but the most pressing concern for her was the redness of Naomi's eyes. 

"Are you sure you don't want to just wait it out and see how you feel later?", asked Nalini. 

Naomi shook her head. "I'd rather be anywhere else but here right now."

Nalini's face softened. "I know, sweetheart. It can't be easy to hear everyone talk about you, but you shouldn't let them stop you from your education."

Naomi exhaled shakily, her bottom lip trembling a little. "I just wanna go home."

Nalini nodded. "Ok, I'll call your mum and dad now to see if they can pick you up."

After calling Naomi's parents, Nalini closed the office door. She frowned as she shook her head. 

"This gossip isn't going to stop any time soon, is it?", asked Nalini. 

"I've only been here six months but even I can tell you that's right. School pupils can be ruthless", said Jax. 

"Poor Naomi. And Alex. They really were young love's dream", said Nalini. "Your first proper break up is always the hardest."

"I'm not so sure about that", said Ruby. "Of course, the first one is hard, but relationships tend to get more meaningful as you get older. The stakes are suddenly so much higher."

All the talk about relationships today, and the inspection drama, made Ruby reflect on her own relationships. Well, one in particular. 

TWELVE YEARS AGO.

The Holland & Acorn pub was busier than usual. Music blared from a nearby speaker. Blue and purple bunting was hung around the pub, with a large 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' banner stuck on one of the walls. People laughed and talked together, indicating that most of the people knew each other. A short, slightly chubby man was surrounded by people, most of whom were wishing him happy birthday. He had a fluorescent green jacket over a white top, with matching green trousers and boots on.

A young woman, who was twenty three, was sat by the counter, thanking the barman for her drink. She had curly black hair styled into a small afro, which was parted with more on the left side. She had an orange low cut blouse on, which was tucked into her black flared trousers. She opted for black heeled boots. Her makeup was very subtle, apart from her plum lipstick. 

A handsome man, around the same age as the woman, approached the counter. He had a black polo shirt on, with the sleeves pulled up to show off his slightly muscular arms. He had blue denim jeans on and white trainers. His mousy brown hair was wavy—bordering on curly. His beard area was stubbly, possibly suggesting that he had shaved recently, but not that recent as it was growing back.

The man glanced at the young woman, his eyes widening a little as he took in her beauty. He watched as she took a small sip of her drink. 

"Take a picture, it will last longer", said the woman, surprising the man. 

He chuckled nervously. "Ah, you got me there. Sorry. I was just... admiring your beauty."

The woman turned to face him, and the man instantly felt his heart stop for just a second. Her eyes were so intense. Not her eyes, so to speak, but her eye contact. Now that he could see her face clearly, he struggled to find words, let alone string them into sentences. 

"Well, does my admirer at least have a name?"

"Uh, y-yeah...", he started, before clearing his throat. "Yes. It's Michael."

The woman nodded. "I'm Ruby."

¤¤¤

At lunch, Zee and Aurelia were in the canteen. The break up was still fresh on everyone's mind, but Zee was more concerned about how her friend was handling the news that Max might be involved. Irene was also sitting with them. She was hesitant at first, mainly because she didn't know Aurelia that well, but she had gotten a little closer to Zee since inviting her over. 

"I know for a fact Max wasn't with her", said Aurelia. "I heard Alex was the one who was cheating anyway."

"I don't know why everyone's making it their mission to know what happened. We shouldn't be prying into other people's lives", said Irene. 

Aurelia smiled, before clicking her fingers and pointing at Irene. 

"I like you, Irene", she said. "I can't stand all the people who are so bothered about drama."

"So you're not going to ask Max if there's any truth to the drama?", asked Zee.

Aurelia shook his head. "Nope. I trust him."

"What, completely?", questioned Zee. 

"Yeah. Love is about trust."

This day was very confusing for Irene. Everyone was sharing their thoughts on love and none of them really seemed to resonate with her. The only person she ever truly loved was her dad. And then there was Rowan. But what kind of love was that? And why were there so many different kinds? Why was everyone so obsessed about two people's relationship?

It just didn't make sense. 

"It's still sad though. I mean, I know you're not a romantic Zee, but you have to admit they were cute together", said Aurelia. 

Zee barely registered Aurelia's voice, because she was too busy watching Atlas. He was with Max, which worried her the most. It made sense for Max to come over to see Aurelia, but that meant Atlas would probably join him. Zee wasn't sure if Atlas was ready to see Aurelia be affectionate with someone else. 

"Rory!", called out Max, using the nickname Aurelia only ever let Zee call her by. 

"Hey babe!", she beamed, pulling him into the empty space next to her. He leaned in for a kiss. 

That surprised Zee. She wasn't expecting Aurelia to be ok with him using that nickname. She heard the shuffling of feet beside her, and remembered Atlas was there. She frowned when she saw him looking at Aurelia and Max. They started whispering to each other and looking into each other's eyes, like they were the only people in the room. 

It made Zee feel sick. 

Irene may have been struggling with all of the lovey dovey energy in the school today, and while she might not fully understand it, she did understand that Zee and Atlas seemed uncomfortable. She quickly packed her lunch away. 

"Zee? Atlas? Do you want to go over the history homework together?", asked Irene. 

Both Atlas and Zee were well aware that Aahan hadn't set them any homework, even though he really should've because oh boy were they behind. Recognising Irene's kind gesture, Atlas gave her a warm smile, before nodding. Zee grabbed her bag and stood up, turning back just in time to see Aurelia and Max lean in for another kiss. Zee quickly walked away, wanting to leave before Atlas had to see any more of that. 

"Hey Irene... thanks for the assist", said Atlas. 

The two girls could see that Atlas was trying his best not to be bothered. 

"Oh, I gotta say, it's really cool that you two are hanging out", said Atlas. 

Normally, Zee would've just rolled her eyes and dismissed his comment, but she didn't have the heart to do that right now. She looked over at Irene, who smiled at her. 

"Yeah... it's been nice", said Zee. 

"I usually eat lunch alone, or with Rowan, so it was nice to eat with you for a change", said Irene. 

She may have been trying to help distract Atlas, but she truly believed in what she said. She loved her own company, and Rowan's company was ten times better, but she enjoyed spending time with Zee. Sure, they were the only two people in the school who knew about each other's home lives, but that made their budding friendship even more special. Well, Irene wasn't sure if it was a proper friendship yet, but there was no denying that the two shared a bond. 

Irene found a quiet spot in the courtyard, underneath one of the trees. As she set up, Atlas turned to Zee. Zee had felt his eyes on her a few times when they were walking out of the building, but she didn't say anything. 

"Zee? Can I, uh, can I say something?"

"Depends. Is it going to annoy me?"

"Probably", admitted Atlas. 

Zee sighed, crossing her arms. "What is it?"

"I, um, I just wanted to say I'm proud of you."

Zee's eyes widened. She scoffed. "Proud of me?"

Atlas nodded. "Yeah. I know you hate when I say you should try opening up and making friends other than Aurelia... but you did it. And you chose Irene. She's one of the nicest people in this school. I kind of wanna warn her about your sarcasm but I mean, she knows who you are at this point. But yeah, it's just really nice to see you... you know, actually letting yourself be happy. 

Irene wasn't the only person Zee was starting to let in. Atlas was one of the people that, in theory, deserved Zee's full transparency the most. She hated to admit it, and part of her was still firmly in denial about it, but she cared an awful lot about Atlas. She didn't feel the need to please him—she didn't feel that with most people, but she did atleast want to make sure he was happy. 

"Atlas, listen", she started, still questioning whether she should continue or not. "Aurelia's great. Of course she is, she's my best friend. But she was wrong to break up with you. Well, not entirely. Her feelings for you just, kind of, fizzled out and she did the right thing by telling you the truth."

Zee paused, an uneasy feeling crawling around in the pit of her stomach.

"What I mean is, she lost someone really great when she dumped you. Don't be upset that she's moved on. You're going to find someone that likes everything about you, Atlas. That's the person you should be focused on finding one day. Not Aurelia."

Zee maintained eye contact with Atlas for about three more seconds before looking away, the awkwardness getting to her. She walked over to Irene, who was sipping on her carton of orange juice as she read through her history notes. A stunned Atlas just stood there, trying to process everything that Zee said. 

Zee was right. His relationship with Aurelia was in the past. All Atlas could do was focus on the present, and his future. Besides, as well as heartbreak, Aurelia also gave him Zee. Her friendship was really important to him. 

He'd find his person one day. 

But there was so much more in his life to look forward to besides getting another girlfriend. 

¤¤¤

"Wait, so you've recently started working as a receptionist?", questioned Michael. "Ok, please tell me you have some horror stories to share?"

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Oh, don't tell me you're a fan of petty gossip."

Michael shrugged, a small smile on his face. "What can I say? Obsessing over the weight of someone else's problems helps distract me from my own. Sue me."

Ruby couldn't help but chuckle at his self-deprecating humour.

"Well... I know for a fact that teachers hear their fair share of secrets too."

Michael smirked. "Oh! So now you want to hear some petty gossip?"

Ruby shook her head. "No. I'm just saying... my job isn't all that interesting or fun."

"Well... you certainly seem interesting."

Ruby raised her eyebrows, the corners of her lips forming a teasing smile.

"Is that so?"

Michael nodded, taking one step closer to her.  Ruby was well aware of his growing closeness to her. Of his nervous foot tapping. Of the way he moved his hand closer to hers.

"Do you think I'm interesting?", he questioned.

"Hm. The jury's still out, I'm afraid", she teased.

Michael chuckled. "You can be the interesting one and I'll be the fun one."

"Oh, so you think you're fun now?"

"Well... dance with me and find out."

Ruby liked to have control. She liked to have a schedule. A set way of doing things. She liked to have a firm grip on her life, and every situation she found herself in.

But she could see the hopeful glint in Michael's eyes, and the dazzling smile he gave her.

So just this once... she loosened the reigns.

___

Hi.

Gossip is very common in schools! Nothing really stays a secret for long, unfortunately. Break ups are hard for anyone, but trying to navigate it at such a young age, along with school and your social life, is even more difficult.

The break up did lead to Aahan asking some pretty deep questions! We learned a lot about how the group view love. A lot of what we look for in relationships ourselves, comes from what we are exposed to from a young age. Spencer's response to Atlas' view on love felt very in character for him, but please let me know if you think the same! Is there a specific view that resonated with you the most? I really liked exploring the group's views on love. What did you think about it?

Irene's questioning her feelings more, and while she doesn't fully understand them, she knows she doesn't view love the same way as most of her peers. We got to see more of her being an awesome friend, not just to Rowan this time!

Atlas has decided to put Aurelia in his past. Zee was very open and honest with him. I really enjoy writing their scenes. What do you think of them?

What are your thoughts on this chapter?

We also got a flashback to when Ruby and Michael first met! They have a lot of history between them, and you'll get to see more of it as their storyline progresses. What did you think of it?

starryeyedturtle

DoodleYeet

LeMystical-Puffle

ejsandfarkleslovebot

Tornado-Jockey