The most annoying, obnoxious, insubordinate, loud, dense boy in school was also the most damn attractive one I'd ever seen. He was a year younger than me, a sophomore, and he liked to cause enough trouble so that everyone in the school knew him. He needn't worry - we all did. He was so like the Bad Touch Trio - three notoriously troublemaking students in my year - that most of the rest of the school was just waiting for him to pick up two sidekicks and become the next Gilbert Weillschmidt. It wouldn't take much, honestly. He always wore his shirt untucked, his tie was usually extremely loose, and his hair was atrocious, sticking up in strange places, especially one curl that refused to find its rightful place on his head. He instantly put an end to the stereotype that people who wear glasses must be intelligent, with his erratic and completely illogical, if not psychotic, behavior. Throwing school supplies, mocking teachers, and being an overall delinquent, there was no way that the Student Council president, valedictorian and general rule-follower should be in love with Alfred Jones. But for some reason, I was. He was amazing to me, in the way he held himself and made himself out to be so confident. HE was the hero! ...according to him. I couldn't deny he was good-looking. He was extremely so, even with his untidy hair and even untidier dressing habits. But his blue eyes...well, those were eyes you could get lost in. And his cheeks, when he blushed, out of happiness or self-consciousness (which was rare) or even anger, were so strangely endearing to me. He was so strong, and confident. He stood up for any kid who got bullied, regardless of age, gender or social class. He would even go up against his own friends on the American football and baseball teams to rescue a little nerdy freshman. I guess he really was a hero...

But I'd never talked to Alfred. He had friends - his nearly-invisibile twin brother Matthew; Matthew's boyfriend Francis; the strange girl Elizaveta and her quiet, socially awkward friend Kiku; and he'd even managed to make acquaintance with rather quiet students like Toris. Somehow, Alfred was always the middle-man, like I was always the outcast. I led everyone, because I was capable. The rest followed, because they were incapable. That was my perspective on life until I met Alfred. Or, rather, learned of Alfred. I'd never actually talked with him... He was unapproachable to me, which should have been strange, as I should have been "top-dog" or whatever Alfred would say. But Alfred gave me a different view on the hierarchy of high school. I wasn't the king despised by his subjects, I was the elected ruler who paid no attention to the people. I'd worked very, VERY hard to get to my position of power, and I made the decisions for my fellow students and our school, but I never took the time to stop and...smell the roses, you could say. I let things come to me, I took care of them, and I never thought of the personal aspect of anything. But that's all that Alfred was, was personal. He was emotional, empathetic, understanding, helpful and really just a wonderful person. I almost resented him for being so wonderful and unapproachable.

But one day, I approached him. Or rather, we approached each other on accident. All right, all right, we knocked into each other in the hallway.

I was rounding at the corner at the same time he was, and my eyes were trained on the student council meeting schedule, his on his cell phone screen. I was running late to class due to a brief talk with my English teacher about the report I'd turned in two days too early, and had a note to get into my next class. Who knows why Alfred was in the hallway, but I assumed it was cutting class. That would figure. Bloody delinquent.

"Whoa, hey, sorry, man!" Alfred immediately apologized, picking up his cell phone that had fallen on the floor. I readjusted the papers in my hands and coughed awkwardly, feeling my face flush. He stood up and a look of recognation dawned on Alfred's face. "Hey...it's Arthur, right?" he asked with a crooked grin.

"Erm...er, yes. Yes, it is," I replied, trying to regain my composure. "And what are you doing out of class?" I demanded, my voice breaking once. I decided using authority was the best way to go. Show him who I was.

"Oh..." Alfred said, rubbing his neck and looking down, his grin turning into more of a guilty grimace. "Well...uh, I had to go to the bathroom, and...I...Oh! I forgot to turn my cell phone off before school this morning! And it went off just now! So I pulled it out of my pocket to turn it off before going to class."

"You realize you'll be written up for being tardy?" I said loftily, pulling off the tone very well and covering up my rapidly beating heart. "And that it would have been smarter to go to class and ask PERMISSION to go to the lavatory first?"

Alfred shifted. "Well...yeah..."

Here was where things would get fun. I may not have been able to cook for rubbish, but I could act. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't write you up right now."

Alfred looked up at me, and I was a little surprised to see a very light blush on his cheeks. It wasn't as deep as my own embarrassed but somewhat thrilled hue, but it was there. "Please don't? I was just turning it off. See? Here," he handed his phone out to me, and I took it tenatively, my hand shaking the tiniest bit. Looking at the screen, I could clearly see that it was just the wallpaper - a picture of Alfred and his brother smiling for the camera that Alfred was holding. But I wasn't completely stupid. I clicked the envelope icon that opened his messages and glanced at the top message, sent to "Mattie" at 12:02, just two minutes ago.

"Mm-hmm," I said sardonically, lifting an eyebrow. "You were just turning it off. What did you have to tell your brother so badly that it was worth cutting in class and potentially getting in very big trouble?"

Out of my peripheral vision, I could see Alfred's eyes widen in horror. "Uh, dude, PLEASE don't look at that, I'm serious!"

"What? Planning your next act of disobedience?" Disregarding Alfred's pleads, I opened the message. I could barely read it considering the manner in which it was written, but I made it out well enough.

"Bt bro he dsnt evn kno im aliv. Im jst anthr stdnt, he prbly dsnt evn kno my name. Its hard 2 luv som1 who dsnt kno u exist. Y dos he havta b so dam hot?"

Knowing I'd read the message, Alfred face-palmed, looking completely mortified. He groaned a little, shifting his weight. "Well!" he muttered. "That's a great way for him to get to know you. All in two minutes he finds out you're a dork, you're gay, and you're in love. That's a wonderful way to meet someone, totally."

"What are you going on about?" I snapped, pressing the 'end' button and handing his phone back to him. I felt extremely annoyed with Alfred, now that I knew he was taken. All I wanted was to get out of his sight and find some half-respectable boy and settle down in the way that society as a whole found disgusting. But I wasn't going to let him go, now, without writing him up. That would be his revenge for breaking my heart in the same day that we first talked. I'd KNOWN it was a bad idea to follow after him... I'd KNOWN it was a bad idea to get involved with him... But had I stayed away like the responsible person I pretended to be? No, of course not. That would be smart.

"Love is just...love is spontanous and stupid. You know?" Alfred asked suddenly, taking his phone back and straightening up. "It's completely...weird. You plan for one thing and it's ruined, or it just doesn't go the way you planned, or the other person doesn't understand. And then there are the times that the person you love doesn't know you exist. Or knows you by nothing but your reputation that's been pretty much ruined by stupid pranks and occasional bad behavior. And you've never, EVER spoken to them, and then you do and you screw it up. I'd give anything for a second chance. But I'll never get one. First impressions are everything. And I've ruined mine. So, I guess I'll be taking my tardy slip from you and heading to class to get yelled at."

"Erm... Wh-Why are you telling me this, exactly?" I asked, my face hotter.

"Well, you have the right to know, since I'm talking about you," Alfred admitted, his voice never getting any softer or embarrassed, but his face red as an apple.

My face got even hotter. "Y-You're - m-me? What the bloody hell are you going on about?" I asked hysterically. "You were talking about the person you were in love with! I've never even met you! Not formally, anyway!"

"When you know, you know, okay?" Alfred asked, looking down again. "You just - you wouldn't understand." He began to walk away, probably heading toward his class, but by pure, dumb instinct, I grabbed his arm.

"Wait."

"Let go," Alfred muttered dejectedly.

"No, wait," I insisted. "Please."

At this, Alfred turned. He raised an eyebrow.

"What if..." I began. Unable to finish, I took a breath and tried to start again. "What if...I told you that...I DID understand...?"

"You're in love?" he asked, looking unsurprised and thoroughly disappointed. "I'm...happy for you, man. Good luck."

"No, I-" Alfred started to walk away again, jerking his arm free, but I reached forward again, catching his hand. "Wait, you git! I understand being in love with someone you're never talked to. Okay?"

He turned around again, looking at our joined hands and then at my face. "Okay..."

"So...do you understand?"

Alfred looked at me blankly. "Understand what?"

I sighed. "What - what I'm trying to say."

"Um. No."

I sighed again, in exasperation, embarrassment and frustration. "I - I feel the same way as you do." There was no change in Alfred's expression. "About...you," I finally admitted, hanging my head.

Alfred gasped, and the small part of my mind that wasn't concentrated on my embarrassment and what an idiot I was was rolling its eyes at how thick this bloke was. The hand that was held within mine squeezed it, showing some response. Then with his free hand, he lifted up my face. I wanted to move his hand away, but that small part of me liked where it was, and I kept it there. He looked right into my eyes, blue into green, and they flicked back and forth between mine. He was grinning again, that same crooked, cocky smile. And I knew him. He wasn't that boy I'd seen in the hallways, or expected the worst from anymore. He was Alfred, who I was undeniably in love with, even if we'd never had a talk that wasn't about him cutting class, and who I'd very much like to be with. He was so different from anyone I'd ever met because he was one person who I loved, and who I admired, even if he was a dolt.

"Are you...serious? No joke?"

I shook my head a little. "No," I murmured. "No joke."

Alfred looked the happiest I'd ever seen him. Then he looked around the hallway, paranoid, and began to lead me away.

"Erm, wh-where are we going?" I asked, flustered.

"I've wanted to do something for a very long time, and I don't want the school security cameras getting a front-row seat," he laughed.

That didn't exactly answer my question, but ignoring that, I cautiously followed Alfred into the boys' restroom. Alfred let go of my hand, tossing his backpack onto the floor, and I followed suit, resting my pack against his.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're dead sexy?" smirked Alfred, taking my hand again and pulling me close. My face became even redder, and before I could make any kind of move to answer, he kissed me - not tenderly, not roughly, but...passionately? Yes, passionately. I kissed him back, our lips moving together in sync. He slowly walked me back against the wall, and he laced our fingers on one hand, his other hand on my waist. This wasn't my first kiss - I won't get into that - but by far my best, and most intimate. I didn't feel the pressure of a dare, or teasing in his lips. It was just us, and it meant something, and that was beautiful. His tongue crept covertly into my mouth and I accepted it as he leaned in closer to me. His teeth nipped my lower lip on accident, and my hand shot up to his chest to pull him closer to me by his shirt. I felt him smile, and I did, too, not enough to separate us. When he pulled back after a minute or so, I was disappointed and elated at the same time, a confusing blend of emotions. He seemed to feel the same way as he smiled down at me, blue eyes partially closed. We panted, catching our breaths, and I didn't feel awkward in the least as we continued to cling to each other against the bathroom wall. Perhaps not the most sanitary place to snog, but it had certainly worked for our purposes. My hand that was fisted in his shirt smoothed out against his chest, feeling, rather than grabbing. He rubbed his thumb in circles on the back of my hand in a calming gesture. When we were both breathing at a reasonable rate, Alfred leaned in again and pressed his lips to mine gently for a few long seconds and hummed a little. Then he pressed his forehead against mine, looking into my eyes and smiling.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I...love you, too," I whispered back, embarrassed again.

He smirked again. "You are adorable when you blush," he said emphatically.

Staring into his eyes as I was made me incredibly self-conscious after a moment, so I glanced away, coughing once awkwardly. "Well...we should, er, get to class, shouldn't we?" I murmured, regretting my words the moment I'd said them.

Alfred just chuckled. "Probably," he agreed to my surprise. "Think you could write me a pass, Mr. President?" he asked flirtaciously.

I smiled a bit. "I believe I can make an exception for your rule-breaking this time... The question is if you'll let me go so I can get a pen."

"Hmm..." Alfred mused thoughtfully. I looked into his eyes again and found him looking amused and a little disappointed. "I guess I'll have to, huh?" He took a step back, releasing my hand and my waist, and I let go of his shirt. I quickly got out a hall pass and a pen and scribbled "Student Council business" and my signature on it, then handed the note to Alfred.

"Thanks," he smiled.

I nodded in acknowledgement and picked up our bags, handing his over. I was feeling quite awkward again at this point, now that we weren't close, and I was rather eager to get to class so I could leave this behind and figure out what it meant. But Alfred had other ideas.

"Um, Arthur?" he asked when I was a few steps to the door.

"Yes?"

"Well...what does this mean, now? Like...for us? If there is one?" He sounded so self-conscious and unsure that it surprised me, but it also made him more endearing.

"Oh. Well, erm... I...I don't really know. Wh-what were you expecting out of this?" I asked hesitantly, having no idea how I was supposed to respond to this.

He sighed, his cheeks pink again. "I don't know. All I know is... I just want to kiss you again." I looked at him, considering, and he looked a little sheepish.

I hesitated, then walked over to him, pen in hand, and quickly wrote my mobile number on his hand. Alfred laughed once. Then I straightened up and kissed him quickly in a spurt of boldness, just a peck on the lips. He looked surprised, but happily so, and he smiled wider when I took a step back.

"Call me," I told him. "We need to get to know each other."

He grinned. "Will do! Guess I'll see ya later." He bent down and kissed my cheek, then left, throwing his backpack strap over his shoulder. I waited a moment to compose myself, then I left, too, going to class.

I had no trouble once inside the room. I told my teacher I'd been talking to my English teacher and working on Student Council business and she let me right off the hook. But I wasn't completely out of the water yet. I could feel eyes on me as I sat down, and I knew there were people in this class that knew me well enough to notice my red face and dreamy trance. But it almost didn't matter to me. I took my seat and began working on the worksheet, only half-paying attention. After a minute or two, I felt a buzz in my pocket. Surprised, and horribly embarrassed that I hadn't turned my phone off before school this morning, I opened the text message, from an unknown number.

"Hey, artie! 3 Jst bord & i wnted 2 giv u my #. Mayb we cud hang out aftr skool 2day? O, & mattie says hi. :)"

Oh, goodness. Hiding my phone from the teacher's view, and hopefully that of the other students, I texted back to the best of my ability. "First, your English is atrocious. Would it kill you to go to class once in a while? Second, well...okay. Meet me by the flagpole after school. Third, hello, Matthew."

A few minutes passed, and then I got a reply.

"Sweet! Cant w8 2 c u! lol. Ill wrk on my english 4 u. K? I love you."

I blushed. He had the decency to spell it out... Quickly, I sent back, "I love you, too." Then I shut off my phone. Maybe I was in love with a delinquent, but I wasn't getting in trouble for it. I would just enjoy it.

Later, we met at the flagpole. I formally met Alfred's brother Matthew and I walked home with them after first clearing it with my parents. We did homework and talked, and I got to know both of them. I realized, with a short amount of time, that it hadn't been love I'd been feeling for Alfred, but infatuation. However, after a while, it did become love after all. I enjoyed Alfred's company more than I could express, and when we got more...intimate...life couldn't possibly get better. Alfred eventually learned to text with a little more consideration to the English language, and I learned to let loose. Just a bit. Day by day, I began to understand the phrase "my better half" more clearly. Where I was monotonous and always careful, Alfred was exciting and spontanous. Where I was rule-loving and obedient, Alfred was a risk-taker and bold. We fought ALL the time, but would always kiss and make up not long after. Alfred became my best friend and the love of my life.

"Hey, babe," Alfred greeted me, kissing my cheek as he sat down at the breakfast table one morning. His hair was horribly messy, and his McDonalds pajama pants (why would they make those?) were wrinkled.

I smiled. I loved him. But he was still a bloody delinquent.