"Peyton!" Miss Carter shouts from down the hall, making me turn to her, "Follow me."

I run up to her side to walk with her, "Where we going?"

"Well, Miss Keane isn't at school today so I'm helping with the play. I also believe that you're helping with it too."

I groan, "I was hoping you had forgotten about that."

"I'm teacher and we remember everything."

I push the drama door open to the classroom to hear Chloe speaking to the class.

"My mum's quit the play so there isn't going to be a show." She says sadly, flopping her arms to her sides.

"Not if we've got anything to do with it." Miss Carter smiles as we walk in.

"Peyton!" Nas and Missy squeal and I walk over to them, leaning on the table between them.

"Right, who's going to bring me up to speed?" Miss Carter asks, moving closer to us all.

None of the girls say anything, just look in the opposite direction to her.

"Anyone?" She glances at me, "Do you know, Peyton?"

I hold my arms up in a surrender, "I'll be honest, I haven't been paying attention so I have no clue."

"It's dress rehearsal, Miss." Hayley tells her, while putting in some earrings.

"Yeah, I can see that, Hayley." Miss Carter chuckles, "What I mean is, do you all know what you're doing?"

Once again the class is silent  and I can't help but laugh at everyone's clueless' faces.

"I've got my work cut out here." Miss mumbles, looking at the book in her hand.

"It's not our fault, Miss." Candice speaks up, slightly annoyed, "Shakespeare's dead boring."

Miss clicks her tongue, "Aw, well, it's just as well he's got you to bring his words to life, isn't it, Candice? Finish with your wigs and make up and stuff and I'll see you on stage in ten minutes."

Miss Bird waltzes in, passing a bunch of flowers to Hayley before storming off again.

I raise an eyebrow, "They from Riz?"

"Yeah. Says he's sorry." She smiles gently, looking at the paper note connected to the bouquet.

Miss Carter leaves while Missy walks over to her sister, snatching the bite away from her to look at it.

"One poxy bunch of flowers. Is that all it takes?" She scoffs.

"Well, I love him, so..." Hayley shrugs, glaring up at Missy.

"After everything he's done?!"

"He said sorry, didn't he?"

"So what happened when he does it again? Cos he will, you know!" Missy snaps, raising her voice.

"I'm sick of you telling me what to do. Just stay out of my business." Hayley rises from her seat.

"Ugh. You two deserve each other." Missy stomps back over to her seat, snatching her bag and coat off it before running out.

Nas and I look at each other, the same look of confusion on our faces.

"I think we should just leave her." Nas says gently, "She'll hate us for bothering her."

I nod, "Yeah and the last thing I need is to fall out with another person."

She sighs, applying her mascara, "Let me guess, Cory."

I fake gasp jokingly, "How'd you know?"

She rubs her chin, laughing slightly, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that everyone knows he spread that thing of Hayley around."

"Do you think I should break up with him for it?"

She shakes her head, "Do you?"

"No. But..." I trail off, fiddling with my rings.

"But nothing. If you don't want it, then don't do it. Simple as. You two are made for each other, literally. Plus, it's a measly thing to break up over."

I sigh, running my fingers through my hair, "Fair point, I'm just a massive over-thinker."

She chuckles, "Oh, believe me, I know. Once you thought I hated you because I didn't speak to you for a day, when in reality, I had just lost my phone."

I scoff, "That was pathetic, I must admit. But I've got better at it, kinda. I only really overthink now when it comes to Cory, because of how he loved to sleep around."

"I completely understand where you're coming from, it just needs to stop." She smiles, holding back a laugh while patting my knee.

"Thanks, Nas. Really inspiring." I roll my eyes sarcastically.

Miss Carter walks back into the room, looking slightly more confused than last time.

I push off the table, "Miss, are we still doing the dress rehearsal or not?"

She shakes her head sadly, "No, we can't do it without the main character. But, instead, we can do Mr Quereshi's memorial done because we've found a new tree. So, can everyone head outside, please?"

I purse my lips, turning around to Nas, holding my arm out, "Right, come on then."

She jumps off the table, hooking her arm in my mine and we walk out the door, the rest of the drama class following glumly.

We all pushed through the double doors leading outside, joining up with the rest of the school. Nas and I push through, stopping in the middle for a bit more warmth.

"We better not be stood out here for as long as last time." I grumble, my teeth already staring to chatter.

A hand grabs my free one and pulls me roughly away from Nas, causing me to pump into a few younger students.

"Oi, who— Oh, it's you." I sigh, looking up at Cory's eager eyes, "What do you want?"

"To talk."

I raise an eyebrow, "Right now? His fucking funeral is about to start. There's a time and a place, Cory, and this... isn't it."

He holds back from rolling his eyes and instead just turns his head away for a second, "It'll be a while until they start. Okay? So, just listen to me. Please, Pey."

I lick my lips, "Fine. Talk."

"Don't hate me. I didn't mean for it to get spread round the whole fucking school."

I laugh, "Sure you didn't. You're not fooling me."

"Hey, be mad at Riz. He shouldn't have told me in the first place," He smirks, scratching the back of my neck, "I have a past of spreading information around."

I hum in agreement, nodding my head slowly, "Look, Cory. I don't completely hate you, but I am mad at you."

He sighs in relief, looking forward, "Oh, alright, that's fine then. You forgive pretty quickly when it comes to me."

I roll my jaw, holding back from profusely cussing at him loudly and most likely smacking him, "You... bastard."

All of a sudden, all the students go silent as we watch Mr Nawaz pick up the tree and slowly lower it into the hole in the turf.

"I have been thinking a lot about Mr Quereshi." Miss Keane starts, clutching a tissue in her fist, "And what he'd want his legacy to be."

I swear she wasn't at school... must've just come in for this, I guess.

"So, if I can ask you to do anything, it's to look out for each other." She continues sadly as soil is placed over the roots, "Be kind. Fight for what's right. And never let anyone or anything hold you back."

"Live life like he would. Smile. Open your eyes. Love. And go on." She sniffs, wiping her cheeks before stepping back beside Miss Carter.

The quests and other teachers start to head down the stairs before giving us all instructions to go back in inside out of the freezing cold.

Nas slides to my side as Cory falls behind to join Dan and Naveed.

"You two talked it out?" She asks, hooking her arm in mine again.

I nod, "Yeah, kinda."

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sorry i haven't updated in so long