A/N: Hey guys! Welcome to my new story. This isn't going to be a particularly long story. If you haven't already guessed by the title, it's going to be set over seven days, and it will be seven chapters. Quite a bit of love triangle drama going on, but overall it's just teenagers being teenagers, Enjoy!
"I'm telling you, Delaney is a walking fashion disaster, "My best friend complains from beside me as we sit in our final class for the day.
I remove the thermometer I'm holding from the test tube of stearic acid in front of us as her melodic voice drifts over. "Have you seen those things she calls shoes?"
Rosalya makes a gagging noise as she adjusts her grip on the test tube, and then straightens the large safety glasses over her nose with her other hand. When she flicks her silver hair back over her shoulder I let out an ungraceful snort.
"How many cats do you think she owns?"
A bubble of laughter escapes Rosa's lips as she says, "At least eleven,"
I glance at the door to the classroom which our Science teacher, Ms Delaney, has just disappeared through at the urgent request of the Principle, and purse my lips into a tight line.
"Remind me again why we chose Science as our elective this year?"
Of all the classes that Sweet Amoris offers, Science is by far the worst. And our evil dictator of a teacher makes the lessons at least a million times more unbearable.
I'm not even exaggerating.
It's no secret that Ms Delaney hates me. I swear she gave me a C+ on my last test on purpose, when it was at least A material.
HonestIy, I would rather take Gym class with Mr Boris over this – and I hate sports. Plus I'm pretty sure that Mr Boris is in love with half the female students, and that's just plain disgusting.
When I turn back to our experiment, Rosalya is grinning at me knowingly – her golden eyes glinting with her own particular brand of mischief. I swear that nothing escapes this girls notice, much to my dismay.
"I distinctly remember you saying something along the lines of 'I'm picking whatever class Castiel chooses,'"
My face flushes red, and I would have smacked her for that ridiculous high-pitched imitation of me, had she not been holding the test tube in a beaker of boiling water. Instead, I snarl darkly.
"Fat load of good that did,"
Rosalya agrees with a click of her tongue and narrows her cat-like eyes across the room. "Why you put up with that morons antics, I will never know."
I glance at the 'moron' in question and ignore Rosa's disapproving glare. A few strands of Castiels scarlet hair falls over his face as he leans to adjust the dial on the Bunsen burner he and Kentin are working with, and something in my stomach flitters at the sight. Science class is one of the few times that he ties his longer hair back.
How on earth does he always look so flawless? Like it's nothing at all to wake up in the morning and look that goddam good everyday…
"Close your mouth, you're drooling," Rosa teases, but I ignore her.
Kentin is seated beside Castiel with his arms crossed over his chest, looking like he'd much rather be suffering through one of Mr Faraizes' coma-inducing History classes then this. He says something to Castiel, which earns a snappy response from the other boy, and I can't help but let out an amused breath.
How Ms Delaneys test landed the two of them as lab partners, I have no idea. Kentin is a complete and utter sweetheart – most of the time – and never fails to keep his emotions written all over his face. That is until Castiel comes along, with his attitude and bad temper, and seems to ignite some sort of weird, personal competition between them on who can be the biggest jerk.
I have to admit, however, that Kentin isn't exactly the sharpest pencil in the box. And while Castiel has more than enough brains to excel in any class he chooses, I know he'd much rather skip school altogether.
Apples and oranges, those two.
It's a wonder they haven't killed each other yet.
"Come on, Rosa," I'm saying to my best friend as I gesture to the boys table with a wave, "Look at him. He's just so… so?"
"Idiotic? Condescending? Arrogant?"Rosalya offers, her smile dripping with mock sweetness, and I glare at her darkly.
"Okay, walking dictionary, I already know you don't like him."
"That's the understatement of the century," She corrects me, and I roll my violet eyes at her, but still she's carrying on. "Maybe if he did something useful, other than whine about oh, I don't know, everything, and run around chasing every other girl who catches his eye, then he'd stand a chance at gaining my approval."
Her words wash over me, and I know deep down that she's infuriatingly right. But he's so much more than that. I try my best to hold back the bite in my tone.
"Maybe you just don't see what I see,"
Rosalya scoffs loudly and dismisses the accusation with a wave of her hand. I can't help but giggle at her dramatics. As much as she is an utter pain in my butt, she never fails to make me laugh.
I'd been at Sweet Amoris High School for a few months now, and I'm finally losing the feeling of being the new kid, thanks to the amazing friends I've made here. Something about this place just clicks with me, and it had never been an issue for me to adjust to the change in school.
Rosalya and I were a little stand-offish with each other at first, but the more time we spent together, the more we began to realise just how similar we are. Fashion, boys and music take up the majority of our conversations.
And then along came Alexy, completing our trio with his crazy old school music, which is almost as wild as his fashion sense and taste in guys. The three of us have been inseparable ever since.
But then there's Castiel...
It had been hard getting to know him at first. God knows that he keeps a wall around himself about a hundred feet high, and his temper would scare off even the most determined.
But every now and then, he'll let that wall down, and that's when I see who he truly is. And I can't deny that I like what I see. That under that tough exterior lies someone who is good, and caring, and just a little bit vulnerable.
Castiel looks up, notices me gawking at him stupidly, and throws me a careless wink. Flustered, I turn back to our work in a desperate attempt to keep my concentration.
Oh my God! He'll never let me live this down…
I dip the thermometer into the acid again and make a note of the temperature, which my face seems to be competing with if the flush I can feel creeping up my neck is any indication. If Rosa has noticed, so far she hasn't said anything.
"Candy, you wouldn't by chance have a pen I can borrow?" I'm distracted from our exhilarating project by a low voice, and I turn to find Lysander peering down at me. His eyes, one emerald green and the other a wolf-like yellow, are focused softly on my own, and his usual Victorian-style clothes are covered by a white lab coat.
He looks a little flustered, and something in my chest tightens at the sight of him. I shiver, though I'm sure it's only because the classroom is forever set to an arctic-cold temperature.
At least that's what I tell myself.
"Let me guess – you lost yours?" I bite on my lower lip to keep from giggling, and Lysander grins sheepishly and runs a hand through the long, raven ends of his hair.
"Actually, I wasn't paying attention and it melted on the Bunsen burner,"
He gestures with his hand to the table across from ours where his lab partner, Capucine, is holding up a melted, sticky mess of plastic and making a disgusted face.
I lower my eyebrows and pluck a pen from its case. "Here you go, Lys."
He smiles at me gratefully before returning to his desk, and I don't realise that I'm watching him, until Rosalya nudges me in the arm roughly.
With a small sigh, I turn to my best friend, who's smiling at me knowingly, and I roll my violet eyes at her for the umpteenth time that morning.
"Rosa,no,"
"Come on, Candy! Lys is totally into you," She argues before turning her full lips into a pout. "Are you blind? Do you need your eyes checked?"
I ignore her ridiculous questions and shrug my shoulders while turning the dial on our Bunsen burner to regulate the heat. Even the thought that Lysander could like me of all people is completely absurd.
"We're just friends, that's all." I protest, and Rosa prods at my cheek with a manicured finger.
"Yeah? Then why are you blushing?"
"I'm not blush-"
"You totally are! Oh my God… you like him, right?"
I sneak a glance past her to where Lysander is writing notes while Capucine blabbers in his ear about something completely unrelated. It's true that Lysander's an amazing guy. He's confident, without the cockiness. Sweet and sensitive, with a low, burning fire that smoulders through his usual calm every now and then. Not to mention he's totally gorgeous.
Wait, what?
I stare at Rosalya pointedly, my teeth gritted as I whisper between them. "Rosa, you know that it's not Lysander that I like."
She grimaces, and I resist the urge to pull her hair.
"Anyway, I always thought it was you that Lysander liked," I say to Rosalya, holding back the bite in my tone. She frowns at me.
"Me? No way. I mean, we've always been close, but I've been dating Leigh since I was fifteen. Lysander's like my brother, you know?"
"Mmhmm," I say in answer, and Rosa smacks me on the arm with a metal spoon.
We struggle through the rest of class – well, I should say that I struggled through Rosa's verbal list of reasons why I should abandon my crush on Castiel and go for Lysander instead – and finally, when the bell signalling the end of classes rings loudly, we all but kidnap Alexy from his table and head out into the courtyard.
The lingering heat of the afternoon hits us as we walk into the fresh air, and Alexy – my other sad excuse for a best friend – grabs me around the waist with both arms and chirps, "You, my love, are going to be ecstatic when I tell you the news."
I stare at the boy pointedly, disentangling myself from his long arms. More excitable puppy then teenage boy, when Alexy transferred to Sweet Amoris he swiftly earned himself the title of King of gossip.
"Go on, then," I say with a click of my tongue and he pouts in disappointment.
"You're no fun! Get excited, will you?"
I ruffle a hand through his cobalt hair playfully, and he grabs me by the wrist, grinning impishly.
"So, my parents are out of town this weekend. I'm thinking party, right?"
Typical Alexy, always wanting to be the life of the party.
Even better when it's his own.
Rosalya squeals at this information and claps her hands together. "I'm picking the music! And you know that I can persuade Leigh to buy our drinks."
"If anyone has control of the music, dearest, it will be me."
I let the two squabble between themselves as I enjoy the last of the sunshine. Spring is in full force, and it's without a doubt my favourite time of year. I close my eyes, attempting to enjoy the remnants of the day, but between the excited chattering of the students exiting the school gates, and the arguing of my two best friends, I'm failing miserably.
A low voice hums in my ear and my eyes snap open in terror – the butterflies in my stomach lurching into an absolute, chronic mess.
"Hey girly. Couldn't keep your eyes off me in class, huh?" Castiel says with a dark smirk as he swings an arm around my shoulders, and I narrow my eyes at him. The way his scarlet hair flawlessly falls into his eyes is so unfair.
And why does he always smell so amazing?
"You wish, Cas."
I manage to keep my voice somewhat steady, though he simply raises his eyebrows in amusement. "Well, I was going to offer to walk you home, but if you're gonna be like that…"
He pretends to walk away, but I catch up and punch him in the arm playfully and can't help but let a small smile slide onto my lips.
"You are such a pain in the arse."
"Ah, you love it."
He falls into step beside me and I don't miss the looks of utter distaste that Rosalya and Alexy are shooting the pair of us. I ignore their glares, offering them a hasty goodbye before Castiel and I walk out the school gates together. We collect a couple of odd glances from our classmates, but I try my best to ignore them.
He removes his arm from around me and shoves his hands into his pockets instead. Immediately, I find myself missing his warmth.
"So, how's things with Kentin?" I ask, mostly to distract myself, and Castiel lets out a bark of laughter.
"That pip-squeak?He wouldn't know a beaker from a broomstick," He stops. "Or are you going to tell me off for talking about your friend like that?"
"He's more Alexy's friend," I say as I bite on my bottom lip nervously.
"Friend, or victim?"
I laugh and give him a playful push. "Don't be mean, Cas."
My house isn't far from the school, and as we approach the edge of the park across from my apartment. I know it's stupid, but I wish we had more time to spend together. Time where it's just the two of us, and he can let down those walls and be who he really is.
Castiel stops and rubs his neck anxiously.
"So, Candy, I was thinking. How 'bout after practice tomorrow… you, me?"
I can already feel my face burning, but I fold my arms across my chest in mock seriousness. No way am I going to let him see how much he gets to me.
"Are you asking me out, Castiel?"
He grins darkly, and throws me a sideways glance. "Slow down girly… maybe we can hang out, that's all."
I purse my lips, pretending to think as I tap a finger against my chin.
"I guess I can fit you into my schedule,"
Castiel lets out a bark of laughter and I turn to head across the road to my house, but a hand on my arm stops me.
"What, no goodbye kiss?"
I stifle a small yelp as Castiel pulls me into him, grinning down at me devilishly. My heart thumps a furious rhythm in my chest, and I barely manage to squeak.
"In your dreams, maybe,"
Smooth, Candy...
"Come on," He teases, though I when tip-toe up to peck him on the cheek he turns into me abruptly and before I know it, his lips are on mine.
I pull away quickly – shocked and speechless. I was definitely not expecting that. Not that it isn't what I want...
Oh God, he's totally going to think that I'm not into him...
Castiel merely throws me a playful smirk before turning and walking off, shouting, "See you tomorrow, trouble," over his shoulder.
I cross the street to my house, barely able to keep the stupid grin off my face as I duck through the front door. As soon as I'm hidden inside I linger in the hallway, leaning back against the front door as I giggle quietly to myself.
"Candy…"
Oh, no…
I adjust my bag over my shoulder and tip-toe into the lounge room where my Dad is sitting on the couch - his iPad balanced on his lap as he taps on the screen.
"How was school?" He asks, not looking up from his work.
"Oh, er, it was fine..."
At this he stops, adjusting the glasses that perch on his nose as he looks at me sternly.
"You and that boy seem to be getting far too close lately."
At this moment my Mum enters from the kitchen, balancing her laptop in her hands.
"Oooo which one?"
"The red head,"
I blush furiously. "Dad, you were spying on me!"
He at least has the decency to look sheepish at this. "I wouldn't call it spying, exactly..."
"Leave her alone, darling," Mom tuts at him, waving him over so she can sit on the sofa beside him. "Don't you remember what you were like at seventeen?"
"Okay... I'm leaving now," I say, mortified, as I back out of the room, before turning and running up the stairs where I burst into my bedroom, shutting the door quickly before any more embarrassing questions are thrown my way.
With a sigh, I drop my bag onto my desk chair before falling back onto my bed and pulling my phone from my pocket. Immediately I'm met with a message from my friend, Priya.
So, you and Cas huh?
I almost laugh out loud as I tap a reply to her. Of course Priya would have noticed the two of us leaving school together. That girl is far too clever for her own good.
What can I say? I'm a magnet for trouble...
My phone beeps again after a minute.
Too right ;)
Priya and I message for a while, and it reminds me how easy it is to talk to her. She had only been at Sweet Amoris for a few short weeks, since her family settled down after years of constant travel. I love her confidence, and how absolutely nothing gets her down. I find her fast becoming a good friend.
My ringtone goes off, and I pick up my phone.
Lysander.
I giggle at the picture that I've set for his profile. In it I'm poking out my tongue at the camera, while he winks at it from beside me. I answer the call with a tap on the screen.
"Hey, Lys,"
"Candy, Hi... I hope this isn't a bad time,"
"No, it's fine. What's up?"
"I was wondering if you'd like to come to the bands' practice tomorrow," He hesitates. "We have some new songs. I'd like to hear what you think of them.
"Of course," I smile, even though he can't see. "I'll be there."
"Great. See you tomorrow."
"See you,"
I tap a finger on the screen to end the call, and smile softly. I don't know if Lysander prefers a phone call, or if he simply hasn't figured out the oh-so complicated task of text messaging yet.
Probably both.
I fall back against my pillow with a huff, forgetting the phone call and letting my mind drift over what happened with Castiel that afternoon instead. My mind feels like it's in a constant state of torture whenever I think of him. I'm sure that he likes me, the flirtations are more than enough proof of that. But still I wonder what his intentions are exactly, and why he's never made a move to take anything further with me.
During dinner that night , I can't concentrate on anything but the feeling of Castiels lips on mine.
But when I fall asleep... I'm falling, falling, falling into eyes of green and gold.
