On an early afternoon, I found myself reading at the back of the classroom, by the window. The stiffness of the chair and the pitter patter that echoed across the room had me sighing for the past hour as nothing would soothe away the chilling cold. It was break time and I had to strip away my jacket since, contrary to their habit, my classmates were amassed before the dusty fan. They were quite a funny sight with their tired limbs melting over the chairs and drowsy palms waving before their sweaty faces. Their glistening skin reminded me of those dunes in the middle of the desert, so red that the wind could have blown them away. But they stayed, only stretching every now and then for a half-hearted complaint.

It had been a nice morning, with the lilac sky slowly turning pastel as I traced my way back to school. The birds prayed in unison over swaying branches, soft feathers drowning in warm hues of ochre. It was beautifully cold, pertinently heart-wrenching, and I had hugged the collar of my coat closer. By nine in the morning, the swishing hush had become part of the background and even the teachers, with their stern faces, appeared drained of all energy as they wiped at their foreheads. I kept the scarf wrapped around my neck.

I was used to the furrowed brows and the lips tugged down. I was used to the creases and the whispers. I was used to it all.

There was suddenly a pat on my shoulder and I found myself staring into muddy skies. Immediately, I turned the book over and straightened into my seat. It had been a good morning, but it had yet to become an amazing day. I was hoping it did. "Hello!"

Fingers found each other beneath the desk, pinching and biting and scarring like beasts. My gaze found its way down, to the white crossed shoes that had swallowed her feet. "Hey, you came... I-I'm glad."

"Of course, I would. Aren't you hot in all those layers?"

"No. I l-like the heat. It doesn't b-bother me."

An eyebrow was quirked up but flappy lips remained sealed. She was wearing knee-length socks and not one button was undone from her shirt; I clearly wasn't the only one not affected as much. But there was more than could meet the eye and I caught glimpse of a bottle of iced water in her backpack. Then, she was dropping into the opposite chair, head dropping over the book.

"Hectic day?" I asked once I realized that she had no intention of waking up any time soon. Already, heads were turning this way and, reflexively, I leaned away. But unlike the first few days, the whispering kept to a minimum, as did the staring. Or maybe, I was just getting used to that as well.

"I had an argument with a guy earlier." The mumbling pulled my attention back to rosy cheeks and I realized that strands of her hair had been blown over her face. I could reach my hand forward and card them away. But I could also let it be. In the end, I grabbed a spare copybook and chose to use it as hand-fan. There was the glimpse of a smile, soon replaced by a pout. "He was snapping pictures of me during Art class. He didn't want to delete the photos though and he denied everything in front of the teacher."

There was a pause, one that didn't go unnoticed. But I chose silence over words, finding it wise not to jump to conclusions. If it bothered her, she did not show it.

"I wouldn't have said anything but I've been seeing him around a lot this week. And, I don't know... it just has me anxious. Do you know what I mean? Was I wrong?"

"Who is supposed to answer this? The tutor or the boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend. Cause I missed him." she grinned, eyes open ever so slightly to shoot me a wink. It was cute how her puffy cheeks dipped in the middle, her moonlit skin almost glowing against the blue of her shirt. Outside, the sky growled and cried harder.

"I missed you too," I whispered inaudibly, granting her a quick smile. There was this uneasiness in my chest however and it would not fade away. "And... your boyfriend thinks m-maybe it's best if he looks into i-it instead."

Thick beads raced each other down the window pane, merging and slipping. It was indeed a hot day but everything seemed so cold out there. It had me quivering in my seat, beneath the sleeves and the stares.

"It's not that bad, I think. I don't even know if I'm being followed and-"

"If you don't like it, then it shouldn't be happening." I hoped the guilt in my eyes weren't showing as the words filled the space between us. Maybe she'd blame it on my timidity or concern and, hopefully, she wouldn't question my inability to meet her gaze. "But it'd be easier for me to make it stop."

"And why is that?"

I didn't reply.

***

The bench at the top right corner was not exactly the best but it had, at least, the benefit of being less crowded. The view wasn't that bad either as it gave onto the blooming flamboyant of the parking lot. Okay, maybe it was a little dusty but still, bearable.

A lady gowned in all black sat a few rows below, the closest person to me until Josh's arrival. The wrinkle-less coat draped over her shoulders seemed to hide all of her features but the porcelain skin of her face and hands. She even wore one of those thick sunglasses, the type that took over most of her face. And I imagined her eyes a deep shade of purple, glowing amidst the silvery rays of a moonlit sky. The thin strands of caramel that curled over her shoulders were neatly tugged back with a simple elastic band. Yet, the ends came out as rough and thick, untamed for whatever reason. It was intriguing, even more as the minutes passed and neither her arms nor her legs uncrossed.

"It's rude to stare." I heard over my shoulders, catching sight of a hideous yellow shirt. "Now that you have a girlfriend, maybe take some lessons on how to behave in society."

"The only rude thing here is you in that shirt. How many times do I have to tell you not to-"

"Yeah, yeah! But I'm still going to wear it. Find yourself a new best friend, if you're that embarrassed." came the half-hearted protest. I rolled my eyes at that, attention shifting back to the strange lady while he settled beside me. She glanced back once, seemingly at us, though it was hard to tell with those sunglasses. When she regained her previous posture, her shoulders were obviously more tensed. But before the sprouts of suspicions could grow into more, my attention was pulled to a dense envelope. "Might be a little tricky to find one as helpful though."

Strange lady and splashing sounds were forgotten as my fingers ripped open the seal to unveil a burst of colors. My thoughts were confirmed and I picked the first photograph. It was a blurry shot, one emphasizing too much on glassy eyes. Yet, it conveyed clearly the surprise and fear that must have been felt at that moment.

"You were right; it was Sebastian," explained Josh, presenting a folded page on which was a list of locations. One, in particular, had been highlighted five times and there was no mistaking the link. "He uploaded the pics by groups of nine, with three hours difference. It started around three, at school, and then he did the rest at his place. He always logged in an hour earlier, most probably to edit everything out. Gary said Sebastian wanted him to do it at first. But Gary failed Maths last year so he's been attending tuitions all afternoon."

"Any witness?" I asked, noticing a rather pertinent photo. While the lighting seemed to hint towards the middle of the day, the clock behind the silhouette pointed at it just being ten o'clock. And there was not much to go about, except for the fact that the second silhouette was clearly hunched over a book. It had to have been during class.

"Julien saw him at the library around three and a few of Cherry's friends mentioned the incident online. His name showed up a few times but, as a few mentioned, he never showed the photos so it could have been anything. Although, we now know that really was the case."

Sure enough, it was not that unusual of an incident and Sebastian, as innocent as he appeared with his cherry-flavored lollipop, was far from incapable of handling such a situation. After all, that had been exactly why he'd been recruited in the first place. It was a decision I was starting to regret.

"I'll talk to him." There were more photos in the envelope, most of which that vaguely seemed recent and familiar. But I really didn't have the mind to look at them at the moment. If there was anything I'd gathered by then, it was that things were not going to be solved easily.

"No, no, no!" tsked Josh, creases adorning the middle of his forehead. "You need to shut that thing down. I've told you from the start, it was a bad idea. Not only is it an infringement of privacy but she said it herself Lucas, she could get hurt."

"I'll reason him in one way or another. But he won't hurt her, I'm sure of that."

"No, you won't hurt her. But Sebastian isn't you and what happened yesterday, it could be ten times worse." he paused for a moment, gaze moving to the side of the pool where I knew Cherry's group was. A flash of guilt shadowed his face but it was gone quicker than it had appeared. "I admit it, your intentions were naive and innocent. Now though, she's relying on you and you can't ignore that just because you feel bad for a couple of obsessed kids."

"I know that!" I argued back, voice loud despite the lump in my throat. "But I also understand how they feel. The least I can do is not steal away the one thing that makes them feel important."

The atmosphere had grown tensed within seconds and would have probably stayed so if it were not for a particular shout. I finally turned to the pool, towards the closer edge, where a familiar figure was clad in a yellow towel and waved energetically. Needless to say, she had successfully caught everyone's attention. As surprising as it may sound, I had grown used to it.

"Wait for me by the gate in fifteen minutes. I'll be quick."

From the corner of my eyes, I could see the lady in black moving out of her seat and, not long after, so was Josh. His face was unreadable but the glint in his eyes was enough to let me know that the conversation was far from over. All he did though, as feeble hands straightened the front of his jacket, was to give me one last warning.

"You're already lying about your relationship, don't risk it with something as stupid as this."

Those words stayed on my mind as I looped my fingers with Cherry's, the two of us squished in one of the back seats of the afternoon bus. The sky had darkened considerably and the number of pedestrians began to thin out. As much as we'd been waiting for that moment, I just couldn't shake my thoughts off of this. Somewhere, at the back of my mind, I knew Josh was right. Yet, call it my naive faith and ego, I wasn't ready to accept it.

"You've been awfully silent." yawned a tiny voice, with which came a sudden weight on my shoulder. I looked down at the still damp hair, noting the lit device in her hand. The screen was filled with words, a quick glance informing me that it was an article about the upcoming Olympics closing ceremony. I didn't read further.

"Sorry, you were saying?"

"What's been bothering you?"  No hint of judgment, yet again. It was just casual talk, the type that always calmed me down.

"Nothing. How was your session today? What did the coach say?"

"Still can't do the competition but he's willing to give me till next month."

"What about the exams?" I questioned as my thumb drew circles over her palm. "And your father? What did he say about it?"

"We're not sure about the nationals. But if I do get in, I could get a scholarship in sports. Because of that, dad doesn't want to take any decision until he's back. So... for now, I'm waiting." she explained, lowering the phone and snuggling closer. "Plus, that's why I got myself a tutor."

"About that, do you think we should really be lying?"

"It's not a lie; it's half of a truth." she corrected, head pulling back just enough so I could meet those starry orbs. "And you agreed to this."

"Yeah but, maybe... No, nevermind. Forget about it."

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" I didn't like the obvious concern in her gaze, how her lower lip was rolled between her teeth. "It's been only a week but... we're together now. It's okay for you to tell me things, especially the bad ones. I can't always help you but I'll try my best... You know that."

"I thought the whole pre-girlfriend thing was so you wouldn't be acting like a real one."

"Oh, please! I'm so not acting like your girlfriend."

"You're using me as a pillow and I'm pretty sure we're holding hands right now."

"Oh no, you're not going there!"

I enjoyed it; the simplicity of those moments and how everything just seemed right. It was the peaceful quiescence that lingered at the horizon, the little things that didn't have to mean anything, and simply the happiness of being able to live it all. The hesitation and anxiety of those first days had slowly but surely yielded their place. All because of that easy-going smile, those reassuring words, and that gentle gaze. It had still felt quite surreal then; as if it would all just fade away at one point or another. Except, it turned out better than any dream and it certainly couldn't be real.

She was there, though; smile as bright as the white specks that fill the universe. I could feel the soft skin of her tiny fingers wrapped around my own. Then, there was that heavy, calm pound in my chest that only her could cause. It was ridiculously overwhelming and blissful. I couldn't help but smile back.

"You're definitely friend-zoned here, buddy!"

"How so?"

"For one, you don't have a nickname and every boyfriend has to have one. That's like the golden rule of every relationship or something. Two, friends hold hands all the time and there's nothing wrong with that, mister. Plus,  you still haven't-"

"I haven't what?"

The subtle lean did not go unnoticed and neither did the sudden glint of mischief in her gaze. In books, they talk of a sudden shift in the air, of those sparks and tingles, and of the butterflies. Somehow, I felt it but also, it was so much more. And I had expected a hint of fear, some kind of panic for the first time. There was none. It just seemed-

"Excuse me, young man!" I blinked at the rather rough pressure on my arm, eyes not quite focusing on black-pitched eyes. A pinch on my arm did the trick though and I was surprised to found myself facing porcelain skin and caramel hair. The black, thick coat had been stripped away, only to reveal a black high-neck blouse. I didn't know what to make of the melodious voice seeking attention or of this abrupt change in circumstances. "My memory card happened to fall and slide under your seat. Would you please pick it up for me? I'll be getting off soon."

It was Cherry that shook me out of my reverie once again, unloading me of the burden of my backpack with lightly shivering hands. She seemed as shaken up as I felt, eyes not quite meeting mine as she played with the zipper. The realization dawned on me then and I quickly bent over to retrieve said memory card. The latter happened to be stuck to the sole of my shoe, doodled over with blue marker. The hexagonal shape mildly reminded me of something. I couldn't quite figure out how.

I found the two making small talk when I straightened back up, Cherry's fingers still busy with the zipper while the lady sat close to my seat. They both smiled at me, either oddly bearing a resemblance to a deer caught in headlights before the memory card was snatched out of my hands. I did find the woman's haste suspicious then, a palm discreetly squeezing Cherry's shoulder in thanks before leaving the bus. But I soon locked away those thoughts, finding them unfounded and irrational. After all, if Cherry looked so embarrassed, it had to be for the very explanation that had me staring outside for the rest of the ride. Lack of fear, my foot!