A short but loving new update for you guys! I know it's not much, but I wanted to give you guys something as I'm writing between classes. I hope you guys enjoy this!

Much love, mates!

"You're joking."

"No!" Toby gave me a disbelievable look as I rolled up the sleeves of my jacket. "Why would I be joking about this, Tobes?"

"I have no clue! But do you expect me to believe the fact that you just walked up to the girl you've been gushing about since we were freshman and just talk to her and give her a hand?" Toby gave me a skeptical look as a small chuckle was starting to escape him. "Dude, you would start babbling like a fucking dork at the mere thought of her being at another one of the hospital's charity events and stuff." I felt my face flush as I gave him a half-hearted glare in reply. "What? Am I wrong? I distinctively remember a certain lover boy gushing about the blue hair streaked punk girl in a pink dress dancing to Papa Skull."

"Bite me."

"Why would I need to when Claire seemingly is made to?" I nearly choked on the breath I suddenly took as I started to cough in response.

"God christ you're going to kill me."

"Before you even get a date with your soulmate?" Toby just chuckled in reply as he slapped his hand onto my back, only causing the coughing to worsen. "That's one hell of a way to go, mind you. Dying from choking on your own air while thinking of your soulmate? You would be the first to succeed in it honestly." My coughs died down as I gave Toby a glare in reply.

"Fuck you."

"I would say what came to mind, but just saying biting is her job caused that reaction? I don't think saying it with this would be very bright of me. Nuñez might kill me before even knowing my name." My eyes only widened as I realized what exactly the smaller teen was suggesting. My face only flushing as I had the sudden desire to hide away in my jacket and never come out again.

"You're going to kill me, Tobes. Shut up."

"What's weird though," I gave Toby a curious look as a more serious tone took over his voice. "How did she even knew you existed? It's not like we talk in class much or anything besides one another. Not like we're rather popular either despite how many times I've tried to change that for us." I shrugged a little bit as I just adjusted the strap on my bag.

"She just said that we have a few classes together. Why would she not know me at that point?" I gave Toby a confused look as we started heading toward Strickler's class together. "Why? Do you think there's something more or something?" My best friend only gave me a smirk as his voice came out in a low whisper as we turned the corner not too far away from our history class.

"I'm starting to think your little soulmate might have had a little crush on you herself." I felt even more confused as it seemed to be that Toby was trying to add one and one together to get fish.

"What in the hell are you talking about, Tobes?"

"Do you know anything about her marking?

"Besides that it's mechanics-based? Not much. Why?"

"I'm just saying," Toby gave me a smirk as we turned to enter our history class. "She sounded a bit hopeful that she was right on you being her S.M." I stopped suddenly as I looked over toward Claire's desk to see she was seemingly waiting for me to enter. My attention completely being engulfed with her as my heart fluttered in my chest.

Hopeful? For me to be her soulmate?

I felt a soft smile engulf my face as my heart skipped a beat.

If only that was true.

"You met him? You've gotta be pulling my leg, C-Bomb!" I just smiled as I continued sketching in my history notebook. A small sloppy sketch of an image that has been burnt into my mind since first thing this morning. "When do I get to inspect him for ya? Even if he's your S.M, I need to make sure he's good enough for you." I just rolled my eyes at Mary's comment as I just continued shading the small rose part of the graphite sketch.

Looks nothing like the original, but it'll do.

My smile widened a little as I looked over the nearly finished project. A showcasing of a very poorly redone version of Jim's soulmate marking staring up at me. It wasn't as striking as he was when I first saw it, but it'll do until I can see it again. The image has been floating around my mind for what felt like years. The seemingly Hamlet-inspired skull with what was my favorite line in all of Shakespeare scrawled under it in sharp feather pen inspired calligraphy being the main two pieces that stuck me deep within my core as I laid my pencil down and smiled at Mary.

But it really shouldn't be having this big of an effect on me, right?

"So? Do I know him? What's he like? What's his name? Is he a theater nerd like you? That would be cool! We could finally have enough guys for once!"

"First, yes, you know him. We actually have this class with him. Two, I don't know much about him yet, but he's always been a sweet guy from what I've seen." A felt a smirk appear on my face as I decided to play a little game with Mary's curiosity. "And three? How about you try to guess?" A spark of curiosity took over Mary as she started scanning the room with a determined gleam in her eyes.

"Bet. Okay. Is it Logan?"

"Nope."

"Seamus?"

"Colder."

"Please tell me it's not Steve." I gave her a quirked eyebrow in reply as I crossed my arms over my chest defensively.

"Do you think I would be as calm as I am right now if it was Steve of all people?" Mary blinked for a second before giving me a soft reply.

"True." She looked back over the classroom that was slowly filling with students before turning her attention toward me again. "Eli?"

"Would it help if I told you where his marking is?" Mary gave me an ecstatic smile as she nearly slammed her hands onto her desk.

"Yes! Give!" I just laughed in reply to her eagerness as I unfolded my arms and rolled up the sleeves to my blazer. My hand wrapping around my forearm, right above my wrist where I knew Jim's marking was.

"Right here."

"So someone with a jacket, more than likely, huh?" I nodded my head as I peaked toward the door. Already knowing that the boy in question wasn't even in the room yet as she tried her best to spew out names.

But her voice went silent to me as I saw him enter the room.

I would never admit it out loud to anyone, but I had a small crush on the blue-eyed boy since I first moved to Arcadia. He was the bashful son of a doctor that my mother teasingly said that if I would have better luck ending up with him than finding my soulmate.

But despite having always had faith in my marking, much unlike my mother, I felt somehow okay with the idea in question.

I still remember how he looked the first time I saw him. His neatly combed hair that seemed to bother him more than the oversized black blazer he was wearing. An electric blue button-down that was only a few shades lighter than his eyes popping out around his collar was matched with a pitch-black tie to seemingly tie the shirt to the rest of his dark suit. His skin was pale but not in a sickening way with the slight blush I could make out despite the dark lighting in the crowded hospital cafeteria.

My smile only widened as blue eyes met mine before I saw a familiar soft smile being sent toward me.

A rather unique setting for unknowingly meeting your soulmate.

I watched as Jim scanned the room a little before walking up toward my desk that was sitting not too far away from the front door.

But I would never change meeting him for anything else.

"Hi." I couldn't help but giggle a little at the gentleness that resided in his voice.

"Hi to you too." He gave me a lopsided grin that I always thought was probably the most endearing feature of the taller boy but was most definitely a lot more addictive now than it ever was before. He looked down toward his feet for a second, the normal bashfulness that was Jim Lake Junior coming back into full swing as I could only smile like a fool in reply.

This is my soulmate. An anxious bashful fool who I wouldn't change for the whole world, honestly.

"To your seats, everyone." I watched as Jim visibly jumped at Strickler's sudden words.

"Talk to you in a little bit?" I nodded my head as my smile could only widen in reply.

"Definitely."

"Mr. Lake."

"On it! Sorry." Jim jumped a little bit before pulling away from our conversation with a shy smile and made his way to his desk at the opposite side of the room by the window. My eyes followed him as he just gave me a small wave that I reciprocated with ease.

"No fucking way." I looked over toward Mary who now had her jaw dropped nearly to the top of her chest. I just gave her an uneven grin as I went back to the drawing I was doing before. My pencil twirling between my fingers before coming to a rest between my thumb and index.

"Game over, I guess." I gave her a smirk as I turned my attention toward Mr. Strickler who went on to present the next lesson to the class.

I turned my head slightly so I could look over toward where Jim was sitting. A large sloppy grin taking over the pale boy's face as he seemed ready to take on anything at that moment.

Good thing for me though. The game is just beginning.