Elliott and I returned to school the next day despite his avid protests. I had to drag him out of Logan's spare bed, push him in the bathroom then chuck in his clothes.

I was sat in history, a class I had without Elliott, when Ella approached the topic of my existence.

"I can't believe she's still showing her face around here," she mumbled under her breath as she walked past. She then turned to a crony who was walking alongside her. "Did you hear? Evie's going to ask my brother out! How gross is that?"

My curiosity got the best of me. I pushed my hair over my face and pulled my hood over my head. Following them, I listened in.

"Evie? Who's that?" The friend asked. I could sense the fear in her voice. When you were friends with Ella, there was always a chance you'd be ditched for the newest pretty girl.

"My friend!" Ella exclaimed as if the girl was bonkers for not knowing. I rolled my eyes, leaning on the wall opposite them as they stopped at a locker. I pretended to play on my phone, although I was peeking up at them.

"That's pretty gross, Ella," her friend agreed with a curt nod. "But your brother is kind of hot, isn't he?"

"Ew!"

"Anyway, what about that Luna girl? I thought he liked her."

Ella scoffed. "As if. She's an ugly bitch anyway. She killed my parents, Hannah!"

"Oh, yeah," Hannah said awkwardly, remembering that I'd been blamed for that incident. "What a freak. Hopefully Elliott says yes to your friend, Ella."

"I hope so, for his sake," Ella laughed, flicking her hair obnoxiously. Her voice echoed down the corridor as the bell went. I stayed put. "He could do with dating one of my friends, you know. To lead him back on the right track, away from freaks like Luna Adams."

I sniggered. They both looked up at me and I ducked under my phone, tapping it furiously as if I were texting. They swished their hair over their shoulders in sync and walked down the hall again, heels clicking against the floor.

I could still hear them but I headed to my lesson anyway. It just so happened to be the same way they were headed.

"She's ugly," Hannah announced as Ella giggled along to her words.

"I know!" Ella squealed, excited to be gossiping about me. "She wears makeup, but she looks like she's never seen it in her life."

"Why would someone like Elliott be interested in a girl like her?"

"Probably because her mum died in that crash too," Ella chuckled to herself. For a moment, her true self was obvious before she caked over it with a smile. "I think Elliott feels sorry for her. But if her mum didn't go through a red light, none of this would have happened, would it?"

Her words stang even though they were true. I choked out, my breath hitching in my throat. They turned around just as I fell to the floor in a heap, sobbing. It hit me so, so hard. I couldn't control myself.

If this my life was perfectly crafted, I would have had a parent or loving boyfriend to go and cry to, but I had no one. I was left stranded in the hall alone.

Only I wasn't. Ella had scurried off after seeing the mess that was me on the floor but Hannah approached me quietly.

"Luna?" She called out. Her cheeks flushed red instantly. "Um, those things I was saying - I just want you to know that I didn't mean them. I can't argue with Ella."

I coughed, tears spluttering over my cheeks. "It's okay," I managed to say. "I don't care."

Only I did, and if I didn't, I wouldn't have found myself crying until my throat burned.

"Do you want me to go grab Elliott?" Hannah offered politely, helping me up with a manicured hand. She led me to a bench nearby and sat me down there.

"Um, yeah, thanks."

"You just wait here, okay? I'll be back soon. I'll say the nurse said you need him to be there."

"Thanks."

She left and about ten minutes later, Elliott rushed down the hall on his own.

"Luna," he yelled out as he suspired heavier than I thought possible, resting his hands on his knees. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I mumbled as I hid my face. Ella was right. I looked like I'd never seen makeup in my life, and crying makes everything worse.

"Why are you hiding your face?"

I pulled my sleeves over my fists and covered my face with them, embarrassed. "I don't look good, El."

"What? Lu, you're beautiful."

My heart raced. Surely, positively, he didn't mean it like that. He was just being a friend.

Like always.

Only I couldn't convince myself that anymore.

"I'm not, El."

"Don't be stupid."

"I am stupid."

"For god's sake, Luna!" Elliott shouted. I lurched back, hitting my head on the lockers. I cried out in pain, crippling over into a ball on the bench.

He rushed to my side. His fingertips reached out for my hood and I was too mesmerised by the way that his eyes met mine to refuse. Elliott continued to push my hair out of my eyes after my hood fell softly against my back.

His hand curved around the back of my head. "Thank god, you're not bleeding."

I smiled weakly. "Oops."

"What're you like, eh, Lu?" Elliott murmured as he gently brushed his fingers through my hair. It tangled in a few places but was still relaxing.

I closed my eyes briefly, enjoying the moment. I opened them to see Elliott grinning at me in amusement.

"You're beautiful, Luna."

I shook my head profusely. Elliott gripped my skull softly, turning it into a nod. Glaring at him, I gripped his wrist.

"Take me home, El," I ordered him as I leaned into his arms, which invited me in for a hug. Instead of embracing me, he lifted me up into a bridal style position and carried me straight out of the doors to our school.

"You've made me so bad," he chuckled more to himself than me as we left. I smiled into him.

"I could say the same about you."

He scoffed. "No, you couldn't. I'm such an innocent guy."

I burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Elliott frowned at me, his dark brows furrowing.

"Not funny, Luna."

"Shut up, you know it's hilarious."

"Not sure I'd go that far."

"Thank you, Elliott," I whispered into his neck as he approached my house. He put me down and I shoved my hand in my pocket, retrieving my keys and jingling them.

"It's okay, Luna," Elliott responded with an eyebrow raise and within seconds he'd disappeared down my driveway, out of sight.