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"Morning Mara," Alfie grinned as Mara walked into the classroom. Mara eyed him suspiciously, her dark eye brows furrowing.

"Hey Alfie," she greeted. She walked past him to get to her seat at the front, but he stuck his foot out easily, leaning against the table. She tripped forward, but he stuck out an arm, to catch her, making it look like an innocent accident. And as he helped her up, he whispered into her ear.

"I like a good secret as much as the next guy, Mara. If Jerome's told you something by accident that I should know, I think you should tell me so that I can help him. Help me, to help you, to help him."

Mara turned to him stiffly, partly admiring him for facing things head on "Alfie, what makes you think he told me the secrets by accident?"

Alfie raised his eye brows slightly "You mean to tell me, Jerome prefers you over me? Me, his best friend? Jerome and Clarke? A-dog and J-Miester? And why would he do tha-…ooohhhhhh…." He trailed off. It clicked it suddenly fit into his mind. He knew exactly why Jerome had been acting the way he had been acting. And suddenly he felt the terrible need to apologize to Mara. "Sorry, Mara. You're right. I'm over reacting. Of course Jerome would trust you! Everyone would trust you! Sorry, here, let me," he pulled her chair out for her, Mara sat down, watching him carefully.

"Thanks…Alfie…."

Jerome had been thinking about the note while he sat at the back of the class. Well, he had been trying not to think about the note, but in the end, that was all he could focus on. So he was very grateful when he saw Mara walk into the room. She was always something complex enough for him to keep his mind off everything else. Whenever he looked at her he was filled with so many different thoughts and emotions that he couldn't think about anything straight.

So he almost leapt out of his seat when he saw Alfie put his foot out on purpose to trip up Mara. He was probably the only person in the room, maybe even the school who would have been able to tell. But come on, Jerome had trained this kid himself. And he could have sworn Alfie whispered something into Mara's ear, something that made Mara worry. Which seemed odd, as Alfie never normally said things to make people react like that, he could make them sick, disgusted, laugh, but no, never worried.

"Hey Alfie," Jerome said when Alfie came to sit beside him. Turning his head slightly to face his best friend. "What were you doing with, Jaffray?"

Alfie just smiled at him stupidly, a huge grin making the side of his face crinkle in joy. And he leaned forward, so that no one else could see what he was about to whisper by reading his lips "You love, Mara,"

Jerome's eyes widened a crack, but that was because he wasn't expecting it, normally he would have been able to hide that quite quickly, but this was…out of the blue "What? Mara? Are you out of your mind, Alfie?" and he managed a realistic laugh, but he wasn't laughing at Alfie, he was laughing at himself. Was he so obvious that even Alfie had picked it up?

When really he was he opposite, he was so good, that only Alfie had picked it up.

Jerome Clarke underestimated his best friend, because when Alfie turned away, obviously not believing Jerome's lie, he knew that Jerome must have liked Mara for a very long time, maybe ever since they met.

Line Break

"Girl let me love you!" Alfie screeched out, singing along to the song. Amber slapped him on the arm

"Alfie! Stop it! You're embarrassing me!"

"I'm embarrassing you?" Alfie asked in utter disbelief. They were walking along the field back to the house, and Amber's entire blazer was covered with pink ribbon, you couldn't even see the burgundy anymore. Then he brightened up slightly "Amber?"

"Yes?"

"You know…the prom at the end of term?" he asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets after rolling up his sleeves. He kicked at the grass as they walked.

"Yes," Amber nodded, having a sneaking suspicion of where he was going with this, but not wanting to say anything, because she wasn't quite sure.

"If you and Mick were to break up…you would have to find someone to go with, right?"

"Well…" Amber thought about it for a moment, before nodding her head "Well….yes I suppose I would have too. I mean as future Prom Queen I would have to have a date, it's all very social you know,"

"I know…then, how about a deal. If I can make you hug me within the next ten minutes, then, if you and Mick break up before Prom, me and you have to go together," Of course it didn't even occur to Alfie, who thought he was being very smart and witty, that he might find someone else to go with, or that maybe he might have gone off Amber slightly by then.

"Deal," Amber smiled, thinking she had finished the whole thing. That she would never have to worry about Alfie's terrible flirting skills again. They turned the corner, and there was a young girl holding a pure white Puppy.

"I bought you a puppy," Alfie smiled, the girl walked towards Amber, and handed her over. Amber's eyes widened

"Oh my gosh! ALFIE! You didn't!" she leaned over and hugged him tightly, not realising that she had just broken the deal, but Alfie knew, and Alfie would remember.

"You really like her?" he asked hopefully, handing the young girl five pounds and shooing her away.

"Yes! And awww! It's a her! Does my little cutie -wutie have a name?"

"Yes, her name's Becca, with two c's. Don't spell it with a c and a k, she will just get crazy."

"Okay, then," Amber smiled, not at all disturbing, kissing the white bundle on the nose "Hello Becca with two c's. You are adorable! And I'm going to show you your new home," and she walked quickly towards the house, far too happy to mind Alfie's arm around her waist.

Far too absorbed in the little bundle of joy to notice Mick's eyes following the couple. His knuckles turning white.

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