"So, like, is Diego your boyfriend?" Calum asks on the car ride to school.

"What?" I ask, trying to sound as shocked as possible. Nate and Benji look at each other in the backseat and roll their eyes.

"Diego-is he your boyfriend?" Calum repeats and I make a noise of disgust.

"No, he's my friend," I retort.

"Are you sure?" he asks and I look at him.

"Yes, I'm sure," I reply.

"I was just asking..." he mutters. "I wouldn't tell mom and dad."

"No, Calum, me and Diego are not dating," I explain. "Now can we just drop it?"

He shrugs and I glare out the window, listening as my two younger brothers snicker and giggle in the backseat. I'd turn and glare at them if it wouldn't make things more obvious. We get to school and I rush out of the car, only to be beckoned by Diego and friends. I hesitate slightly. Will it be awkward? The whole situation is fresh and the last thing I want is to be treated differently.

"Come on! I'm hungry!" Quincy calls and I sigh before speeding over to them. They're all surrounding Diego's bike and he's leaning up against it. Once I reach them, we all share short greetings before heading in the direction of the diner. Diego goes to put his arm around my shoulder but I stop him.

"My brothers," I whisper and instead, he places his palm on my head.

"To make sure you don't get hit by a car," he tells me as he guides me across the street behind everyone else. I roll my eyes at him but repress the urge to smile.

"We're just getting your coffee and then we're going to class," I tell him and he smirks at me.

"Okay," he replies.

"Okay?" I say.

"Yeah, I love it when you tell me what to do," he says with a grin and I roll my eyes even harder.

We enter the diner and he places his order. He smiles widely at me as we wait. "What?" I ask when he won't stop staring at me.

"Nothing," he replies and it's my turn to look at him. His coffee is delivered and we tell everyone else that we'll see them later.

"Let's go," I say as I grab his arm and drag him in the direction of the school. I'm still gripping his forearm as we wait to cross and he maneuvers so our hands interlock. I don't complain and instead, begin swinging our arms. We cross the street and basically jog to class. I break apart our hands as I open the door and we enter, just as the late bell rings.

I stand in confusion for a second when I see Diana sitting with some other girl. She nods at the projector with wide eyes and I look. I'm assuming seats have been changed. My eyes scan the screen for my name and I blink a few times when I see it. Orion. Roman. I look to Diego to see if he noticed it. He hasn't. He's still looking for his name. His name is written in at the table in front of me. I watch as he continues looking and I can see on his face when he finds my name.

"Oh..." he says as stares at the board.

"Take your seats," our teacher says and Diego and I walk side by side towards our tables. He walks to the table before mine and sits down next to his lab partner, a particularly intelligent girl who I have a couple AP classes with. I look at Roman, who's sitting as relaxed as ever with his legs stretched out in front of him and his arms resting on the table. He sees me and grins as if he knows the trouble he's stirring up.

"Well, fancy seeing you here," he comments as I sit down tensely. My back is as straight as a stick and I'm pressed against the lab table.

"Hello," I greet him dryly.

"How are you?" he asks curiously.

"I'm fine," I answer, trying to be as casual as possible. My eyes are trained on my bag as I dig around for my notebook.

"What are the odds," he starts, "that we get seated next to each other?"

"Not as slim as you think; I mean, there are only about 26 students in this class," I respond, which gets a laugh out of him.

"I know, but we just met the other day and it's like...fate," he trails flirtatiously and Diego coughs from his seat in front of me.

"Looks like the lesson is starting," I say and he quiets down but I feel his gaze on me.

I'm not surprised that it's another lab. After having it briefly explained to us, we get to work. Roman is an average partner- better than Diana, at least, who I see across the room trying her best not to participate in the lab. He starts making conversation and I try my best to dodge it but he asks the question I was scared he would.

"Did you ever fix things with that boy?" he questions and I practically snap my neck to look at him. "The one that you were upset about on Friday?"

"Uh, yeah," I say quietly in an attempt to hint at him to lower his voice. My eyes dart to Diego to see if he's listening. I look back to Roman, whose eyebrows are settled in the middle of his forehead as he looks between me and Diego suspiciously. My face reddens as I duck my head and turn my attention back to our project.

As we reach the last few minutes of class, Roman starts talking again. "I'm not going to be here next class to help with the lab report and I was just wondering if you want to work on it outside of class," he suggests.

"Um..." I trail, unsure of what to say. I don't want to get stuck writing the whole thing by myself but I don't want to be around him if it isn't absolutely necessary. 

"I promise it's not a date," he says with a smile.

"Okay," I say. "But it has to be tomorrow after school."

I notice Diego shifting in his chair and Roman smiles at me. "Okay, I'll text you," he notes.

"Alright," I respond and he grins at me.

"You're supposed to say, 'but you don't have my number,'" he explains and I offer a weak shrug. On his accord, we exchange numbers and I turn to walk to my next class. Diego is waiting for me with a curious look on his face.

He looks over my shoulder at Roman before locking eyes with me. "You guys hanging out or something?" he inquires as we walk in the direction of my class.

"We're writing our lab report tomorrow after school," I explain to Diego.

"Where?" he asks.

"I'm not quite sure," I reply. "I just gave him my number so we're going to make that plan later."

"Cool..." he says awkwardly.

"I'm going to suggest the library," I tell him in an attempt to comfort him.

We eventually reach my class and he smiles at me but I can tell he's a bit anxious.

+++

All of yesterday and for the majority of today, I was worrying about having to work alongside Roman. Now that it's time to actually do the project, I feel as though I'm going to have a breakdown before we even get to the school's library. We agreed to meet at my locker to walk to the library together, a suggestion that he proposed that I didn't bother shooting down.

"So you and Diego, huh?" he asks as I rearrange the contents of my locker in search of my textbook. I look to my left at him with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, so?" I respond and my face burns. This is the first time I'm claiming him.

"Hmm..." he nods as he watches me. I avoid his gaze as I distract myself in my locker. "So he's the one that made you cry?"

"It's not really your business," I retort.

"You're right, it's not. But you did cry on me...literally," he responds.

"I apologized for that," I reply. "We're here to work on our lab project, not my love life." I close my locker and lead the way to the library.

It's silent for a moment before he speaks again. "Love life...so you love him?"

"What are you even talking about?" I retort as I roll my eyes.

"So you don't love him?" he asks.

"It's not your business," I reply. 

"I'm just trying to weigh my chances," he responds and I turn around to glare at him and he offers me a grin. "I'm joking. It was a bad joke, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was," I retort.

We finally reach the library and he jumps ahead and opens the door for me. I quietly thank him as I enter. I lead the way to the study room we booked and settle into a seat on the opposite side of the room. I take my laptop out of my bag and wait or him to mimic my actions. When he doesn't retrieve his laptop, I quirk an eyebrow. "Where's your laptop?"

"I don't have it today," he responds.

"You knew to bring it," I retort and he shrugs.

"I forgot," he informs me. "Can I look on with you?"

"Whatever," I reply after heaving a noisy sigh. He chuckles in response to my dramatic noise. He comes around to my side of the table and pulls a chair up beside me. Before he sits down, I pointedly shove it a few inches away. This petty action gets a laugh from him as he takes a seat. His hands are up defensively as he stares at me and I simply roll my eyes and return to my laptop.

Our collaboration is going well until my phone starts to ring. I look at the screen and turn to Roman when I see that it's Diego. "One second," I reply as I slide to pick up.

"Hey," I greet him.

"Hey, how are things going?" he asks.

"They're going good," I say. "Why? What's up?"

"You just weren't texting back so I wanted to make sure you weren't hurt or something," he explains.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just trying to get this assignment done," I reply, a little unnerved by the intensity at which Roman's listening.

"Tell him I said hi," Roman replies with a smirk and I roll my eyes at him.

"Anyway, I'm going to let you go. We're almost done," I tell Diego.

"Okay, text me if he does anything weird," he says. "Do you need a ride home?"

"No, Calum said he's going to get me," I say after I laugh at the beginning of his response.

"Okay," he replies. We hang up and I feel Roman's gaze on me.

"Does he know about me?" he asks and I look at him. "Never mind, you're not going to tell me, right?"

"You're right," I retort. "I'm not." I quickly text my brother about picking me up. Once I press send, my attention goes directly back to the lab report. "Anyway..."

We manage to finish a rough draft of the lab report, which is more than enough for me to work with. I'll rule out another meeting to create a final draft and just do all the editing myself. "Share that document with me," he insists and I begin to do so.

"What's your email?" I ask.

"R-o-m-a-n," he starts and cuts off. I turn around to tell him to hurry up only to find that he's inches away from my face. His green eyes are staring into mine and his lips are pulled back in an amused smirk. I immediately turn back around, hating myself for the way my stomach flutters. It's completely misled. Just because a cute boy is in my space does not mean I'm attracted to him. Get it together.

"Back up," I say as I readjust my hands on my computer.

"Sorry, I just had to make sure you were typing it right," he starts, "wouldn't want it to get sent to the wrong person."

"R-o-m-a-n, what's next?" I reply, quickly changing the conversation.

He finishes telling me his email and I pack up at lightning speed. I'm hightailing it out of the library but he keeps up the pace with me. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he starts.

"I told you I am with Diego. You still pursued me. You're creepy," I tell him bluntly as I continue my brisk walk.

"I'm really sorry. I don't mean to be. I'm just a flirt and I-I just didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he apologizes and I look at him and sigh.

"It's fine," I respond.

"You know, ever since you left the party, I couldn't stop thinking about you," he replies and I glare at him. "Not like that. I was just wondering if you were okay."

"I am," I assure him.

"I know that now. It just seemed like fate that you left your key with me and that we got seated together," he responds as he holds open the door leading to the parking lot.

I sigh even louder. "I'm with Diego," I explain for what feels like the fiftieth time.

"No, I know, I just-look, I'm not coming onto you. I'm just explaining why I've been acting weird. I misinterpreted the signs and I've overstepped. I'm sorry," he replies. "Can we be friends? Maybe?"

"I honestly don't know," I respond.

He nods as he kicks at the ground. "So he does know about me..."

"Yeah..." I trail, "he does. And I'm not going to even ask if he'd be upset if we were friends because knowing him, he'd tell me to go for it and he'd be hurt the entire time."

"It makes sense," he replies. "I guess I'll just value our time as lab partners."

I chuckle and nod. "You do that, Roman."

"Do you need a ride home?" he asks and I shake my head.

"My brother's on the way," I reply.

"Okay, I'll see you," he says as he begins to walk away. He stops and turns around. "Can I say something really quick?"

"What?" I semi-yell back.

He gives me a childish smirk as he opens his mouth. "I'm a much better kisser than I showed the other day. I just thought I'd let you know. I'll leave you with that information."

"Goodbye, Roman!" I call as I roll my eyes.

+++

I look at my phone to find that Calum texted me over an hour ago letting me know he won't be able to pick me up. I sigh and sway from foot to foot. I text Diego and luckily, he replies immediately. I ask him to meet me at the diner across from the school. Soon enough, I hear the sound of his bike pulling into the parking lot.

"Hi," I greet him with a small smile.

"Hey," he says with a growing grin. He pulls me into a hug and buries his head in my hair.

"I hope you're hungry," I reply. "This date is on me."

"You didn't tell me it was a date. I would've dressed better," he replies as he looks down at his outfit. He has dark blue jeans on, grey sneakers, and a grey hoodie on.

"You look good," I tell him with a flirtatious smile. I grab the strings of his hoodie and twiddle them in my fingers. "Let's go inside."

He lightly holds my hip as he follows me up the steps and into the diner. We take our usual seats and wait for menus. When we get them, we quickly skim them before placing our orders. I settle for a fried chicken sandwich and he gets a cheeseburger with cheese fries (which we're sharing regardless of whether he wants to or not). We play the waiting game as we sit across from each other. It's silent for a few minutes and I just stare at him, trying to think of something to say. While wondering what's going on in his head, I'm simultaneously admiring his beauty.

"So how was your day?" he asks me and I press my lips together.

"It was okay, a bit long. How was yours?" I reply.

"It was good...also long, but good for the most part," he responds with a smile.

I wait for him to bring it up but silence fills the air for the next few minutes. He stares at me and I'm back to wondering about his thoughts. He smiles at me and I return it, but feel a sense of sadness in my stomach. How bad did I hurt him that he can't even mention Roman's name? Our silence is disrupted by the waitress delivering our food. The quick service is credited to the empty diner and I thank her before turning my attention back to Diego.

"So how was it?" he asks as he slides the fries between us. I didn't even have to tell him. I shrug.

"It was okay. The report is finished for the most part," I reply. "I'm going to edit it later on tonight."

"Did he try anything?" Diego asks casually.

"Kind of," I answer honestly and his eyebrows shoot up as he sips his chocolate milkshake.

"Did you...enjoy it?" he asks and I narrow my eyes at him. Before I can reply, he starts speaking again. "I'm only asking because I don't want you to feel tied down. I-I...I don't want you to feel like you're missing out on life because you're with me."

I want to cry out in frustration. Didn't we just discuss this? I hate myself for making him feel insecure. I open and close my mouth a few times, trying to figure out the right words to use. "I don't feel tied down, Diego, not in the slightest. I like you more than I've liked anyone...ever. And everyone always says that these feelings are scary but I don't think so. I trust you with my heart and I know you won't hurt me. I wish I could go back and have never even talked to Roman. I wish I could take it all back. I wish I didn't hurt you. I wish I was better at showing my feelings so you wouldn't feel so out of loop.  Diego, I like you. I really, really like you."

He bites back a smile as he looks at me. He tosses the fry he was holding at me. That's his unspoken way of saying that he understands. "Besides, Roman's cute. He's funny. But he's not you. No one could be you, trust me."

"So tell me how you rejected him..." Diego says as he gives me a satisfied smile. I roll my eyes but I engage in conversation.

When we finish eating, I pay and Diego tips the waitress. We head outside and he looks at me. "Am I dropping you off at home?" he asks as he plops the helmet onto my head and begins tying it.

"Is your dad home?" I respond. His eyebrows rise and fall suggestively and I punch his arm. "I'm asking because I don't want him to get suspicious and then tell my parents."

"My dad is not home," he replies. "Come on."

I get on the back of the motorcycle and wrap my arms around his back, sighing contentedly. I could do this for a while.