Mortal Enemies

by agentpizza

Things don't get any easier for April Preston, especially when moving to a new neighborhood means meeting Rodrick Heffley, a self-proclaimed awesome bad boy who is extremely annoying and stubborn. These two people are mortal enemies. But some things change right? (RodrickxOC)

37. Days With You

CHAPTER 37: Days With You

Slowly, I opened my eyes. Streaks of light were visible on the desk beside my bed as they pierced through the window. I figured it was morning already, but the sun hasn't completely risen yet because it wasn't that bright. The clock on the desk confirmed just that.

Still sleepy, I turned to the other side. That's when I realized that he was still there.

Rodrick.

He was fast asleep, one of his arms was under his head, the other draped lazily around my waist. I looked up at him and remembered what happened last night.

Since we had nothing else to do, we decided to watch another movie. He kept his arm around me and I just rested my head comfortably on his shoulder. But halfway through, I was getting really sleepy already. Rodrick must have felt that I was starting to doze off, because my head kept falling onto his chest. I just kept waking up again—no, I kept trying to keep myself awake.

"You can go ahead and sleep if you want," he said in gentle way.

"I'm wide awake, can't you see?" I looked at him, making my eyes wider.

He gave a laugh and reached forward to turn off the laptop. I tried to protest and say that I wasn't sleepy at all and we should just finish the movie, but he shushed me and placed the laptop on my desk.

Then he adjusted both of us so we were already lying on bed. He pulled the blanket up, and held me close. "Just sleep, while I'm here," he said.

I looked up, gazed at his face while I lay there in his arms. "But you have to leave in a while. I should wait—"

"I'll wait for you to doze off, then I'll go." He pulled me closer, in a comforting hug, while his hands ran through my hair.

I said no more and just hugged him back, wrapping one arm around his waist and burying my face in his chest. His whole presence was warm—it was what had kept me warm throughout the winter. I hoped then that this warmth would stay just as close, that it would last for a long, long time.

"Rodrick?" I said, though I wasn't sure if he heard me.

"Yeah?" he pulled back a little so he can look down and see me.

"This isn't so bad for a first date." I smiled. "It's perfect."

He smiled back, leaned closer, and kissed my forehead before pulling me into an embrace again.

He lied about leaving when I fall asleep. I smiled at the thought as I looked at him during that early morning. I didn't want to wake him up. I wanted to stay in his arms longer. But I knew he had to go before my parents woke up.

"Rodrick," I whispered, shaking his arm. He didn't budge. I always knew it was hard to wake him up. "Rodrick, it's morning already."

He shifted, but didn't open his eyes. I pushed myself upwards a little so my face was in front of his. I propped up one arm and stared at his face for a moment. "Rodrick, wake up," I whispered, leaning closer to his ear. He groaned, which meant he was awake already. "You have to get up," I said.

Then I felt his arms wrap around my waist as he nuzzled into my neck. "Can't we just stay like this?" he asked, voice hoarse and groggy.

"You stink, Heffley. Go home and take a bath," I joked.

"Oh do I?" he teased, only hugging me tighter and pulling himself closer.

I mustered a laugh as I tried to pull away. "Rodriiick, you have to go, at least before the sun's completely up."

He sighed and let go, staring at the ceiling. "You're right." Then he looked at me with a smile. It was just like that for a moment. Then he pecked my cheek like he did the night before, and quickly got up from bed.

"Rodrick!" I called him out with a smile, a hand on my cheek where his lips had been a second ago.

He was already on his way to the bedroom door, walking backwards while he wore his coat. "Let's go."

I tried to hide that smile, and I followed him to the door. "Stop doing that."

"What?" We made our way downstairs. Luckily, both of my parents were still asleep as we sneaked out.

"Stealing kisses," I said.

He didn't respond until we were already walking past the living room. "I can't help it." He smirked. "But if you hate it that much, I'll stop."

We got to the door. "I don't hate it, it's just that..." I trailed off, not knowing how to explain myself. I looked down as I opened the door for him.

Rodrick pinched my cheek before he stepped outside. "You're cute." I shook my head as my lips curved into a smile. I looked at him again before he left. "See you tomorrow," he said, then turned away and ran to his house.

. . . . . . . . . .

First day of school. Again.

It felt like a forever ago when I first walked in this place, not knowing anyone except a few friends from my summer job, and an annoying neighbor, who, ironically, was now my boyfriend.

It was all the same, but somehow a little different.

see you at school, read the message he sent me that morning. I smiled at my phone as I walked into the classroom where my first class would take place.

"April!" an excited voice called. Claire. She was just as enthusiastic as she was when I first met her.

I looked up to see Claire running towards me. "Hey!"

"I missed you!" she exclaimed, hugging me tight.

I hugged her back. During the break, I didn't really get the chance to talk to her, or any of my friends for that matter, "Missed you too! How was your vacation?"

"Oh, it was great!" She then went on to talk about how she spent time visiting tourist spots with her family. My eyes darted to the door from time to time as I listened.

"That does sound exciting," I said, even though I probably absorbed only half of what she said. I glanced at the door again. No sign of Rodrick yet. I didn't know his exact class schedule, but he did tell me we were having our first class together.

"How about you? Anything special happened during the holidays?" she asked wih an enthusiastic grin, interrupting my train of thought.

"Me?" I was caught off guard by her question, thinking if she somehow knew about the recent developments between me and Rodrick. "U-Uh... My parents and I went to a ski resort," I said, observing her reaction.

She seemed happy for me but not at all suspicious about anything. Whew!

We then took our seats on the second row. Claire sat to my right, and some other student had already occupied the seat to my left.

I checked the time on my phone. It wasn't long before the teacher would arrive, and Rodrick still wasn't there. Is he running late again? I was about to send him a message when I felt a poke on my shoulder.

I turned. The person who had just passed by sat right behind me. Rodrick. He flashed a smile and winked at me as he settled on his seat.

I faced forward again, trying to hide a smile as I sent him quick text that read, Congratulations for not being late! Right then, the teacher entered the room and I instantly kept my phone.

The morning classes were a breeze. Claire was in all three, while Rodrick was in the first two. Before we knew it, the bell rang for lunch time.

Claire's face lit up while she gathered her things. "Can't wait to see Mae and Olivia again!"

I nodded in agreement. "Hey, I'll just drop my stuff at my locker. I'll see you at the cafeteria."

She agreed, and I made my way to my locker. I didn't know Mae's and Olivia's schedules just yet. As for Anne, well, I didn't really care. I had no idea if she still talked to my other friends, but since she had acted up back during the Winter Dance, I was convinced she had already cut off her friendship with me.

Once I got to my locker, I dropped off my notebooks for the morning classes, and took what I needed for my next class after lunch.

"Psst."

I peeked behind the locker door and saw Rodrick leaning right beside it. That brought a smile to my face. "Hey. How's your class?"

He groaned. "Boring."

I shook my head and gave a laugh as I closed the door of my locker. "It's the first day and you're bored already. You gotta focus."

"This is your fault," he said.

"My fault? How is it my fault?" I started walking, and he followed, catching to walk right beside me.

He leaned closer and said, "Can't stop thinking of you. You're distracting me."

I suppressed a smile and pushed him playfully. "That's not my problem, and definitely not my fault."

He laughed. "But it's true!" He moved closer again, and this time, whispered, "I missed youuu." He tried to hold my hand but I put swiftly avoided it.

"Already?" I teased, crossing my arms. "We were literally in the same classroom less than 2 hours ago."

He whined. "But we weren't together in the last hour. And it's not like we talked. It's not like I can put my arm around you like this." He did what he just said. Right there. In the hallway full of students.

Conscious of the surroundings, I immediately shook his arm off. "Not here, Rodrick."

He looked confused. "What? Why not?"

"Other people might notice," I whispered.

He frowned, and it seemed like he was getting impatient. "So what? It's not like we're making ou—"

I cut him off by pulling him into an empty classroom we just passed by.

He slipped both of his hands in his pockets and sighed. "What's up, April? Tell me."

"Well, I haven't exactly told my friends about us," I said. "So I was worried that someone might see and tell them."

He nodded, staring at his shoes. Then he looked up and asked, "Why? Are you embarrassed or—"

I shook my head "No, no, no. Nothing like that. It's just... I want it to come from me. I don't know how to bring it up just yet, and when I should."

I tried to read his face. He didn't look angry, which was a good thing. "Okay, I understand." he said. "I realized I haven't told my friends about us either." He scratched the back of his head, a sheepish smile spreading on his face.

"So... Given that, can we keep this a secret first? Only until I've mentioned it to them."

He thought about it for a second. Then his smile turned into a smirk. "Secret dating, huh. Oooh, the thrill. Sure."

I rolled my eyes and a slapped his arm lightly. "This isn't a movie, Rodrick. Promise?" I raised my pinkie in front of him.

He raised an index finger. "On one condition."

I crossed my arms. "And what's that?"

He spread his arms.

I sighed, trying really hard not to smile. I took a step closer and allowed him to pull me into a tight and warm embrace. I hugged him back as well. "You're being ridiculously clingy, you know that?"

"I'm not. I just missed you," he said.

I was still adjusting to this kind of Rodrick. No complaints, though. I liked it anyway, and, not to be that clingy girlfriend, but I kind of missed him too. "No more being too clingy in school after this," I told him.

He pulled back, with one arm still wrapped around me, and he raised his pinkie too. "I promise."

I raised mine as well and we sealed the deal.

"Okay, I gotta go." I stepped back, and he let go of me. "My friends are waiting for me."

"Wait." He stopped me by holding my hand right before I opened the door. "I have to treat you lunch, remember?"

I narrowed my eyes. I had no idea what he was talking about. "What? Why?"

He gave a laugh. "You don't remember our bet that night after the dance?"

I thought hard for a second. As much as that night was so memorable, so much things have happened since, that I couldn't remember a specific bet we made. "We made a bet?"

"Yeah, while we were on the way back from the diner. If you fall asleep, you treat me food when we get back to school. If you don't, I treat you food. You didn't doze off, so I owe you."

"Ohhhh, that one!" How did he even remember that?

"So, let's eat." He let go of my hand and walked past me to open the door. We started making our way to the cafeteria. "What do you want?"

"Hmm, can you just treat me later? Not now. I'll catch up with my friends."

He rolled his eyes. "Psh, fine."

"Don't get too jealous or selfish now. I haven't seen them for a month." I patted his shoulder when we reached the entrance. "See you later!"

He shook his head as I walked away to find my friends. When I glanced back at Rodrick, he had this tiny smirk on his face. He waved and then proceeded to search for his friends as well.

"April, here!" I heard Claire's voice from a distance.

I jogged over to their table where she, Olivia, and Mae were seated. We exchanged hugs and sat down again. It felt like forever since I last got to talk to them. So much had happened already. So much. I should let them know soon.

"Aren't you getting food?" Claire asked, glancing at their food and then at me.

"Oh, right." I excused myself and quickly went to buy food. Good thing the line wasn't that long anymore. Soon enough, I was back on the table with a sandwich and a small carton of milk.

They were in the middle of sharing what they did over the winter break. Well, it was mostly Claire who did the talking. Olivia said she and her family stayed with their relatives out of town. Mae, on the other hand, was surprisingly more quiet than she usually was.

"Mae, you okay?" Olivia asked, with a smile that quickly disappeared. She noticed it too. "You're usually more talkative than I am."

She forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just..." We all went quiet, hoping that nothing bad had happened to her. She cleared her throat and put her hands together and stared at them for a while before looking back at us. "I... My family and I are moving. Th-This is the last time I'm seeing you guys. I'm only here today to get some documents and requirements." She looked down again.

We were all silent for a moment. The energy definitely dropped.

"But... why?" Claire sounded really sad.

"My dad got promoted, but he was reassigned to another state—"

"That's good news for your dad. It's a huge opportunity for your family." Olivia tried to cheer her up, giving her a pat on the back.

"I'm... I'm so sorry if it was so sudden. I found out a few days before Christmas, and I wanted to let you guys know, but I didn't want to disturb you during your vacation," Mae explained further, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"Hey, don't feel so bad. We'll keep in touch. We're all just one call away, you know," I said, reaching out to hold her hand. Even though Mae and I weren't exactly the closest in the group, I could feel her sadness. I went through something similar months back, when I had to leave the life I knew to move to Plainview. "You're gonna have to adjust, but knowing you, Mae, You'll be fine."

"April's right. Don't worry. Everything will be okay," Olivia said.

Claire got up from her seat and went to Mae to give her a hug from behind. "I'm gonna miss you! You can call or text me every day and I'll reply no matter what."

We all moved in closer for a group hug. It was the only thing we could do.

Mae gave a laugh, a tear falling. "Thank you. All of you. You're the best." She looked at each of us with a smile on her face.

We all moved back to our seats, a little emotional about what just happened. Everyone wiped a tear away, sniffled here and there.

"By the way, does Matt know about it already?" Claire asked her.

The smile on Mae's face disappeared again. She nodded. "Yeah, I told him after Christmas."

"What happened?"

She shrugged. "He said it would probably be better if we just broke up." She drank water, and then sighed. "So we did."

"Ugh." Olivia rolled her eyes. "They always say it's hard, but they don't even try." She shook her head as she continued eating. It was probably similar for her and James.

"I know right?" Mae looked down at her fingers. It seemed that she really liked Matt. I just didn't know if Matt liked her just as much. She then cleared her throat and sat up. "But I'm fine. I'll get over him." It sounded like she was reassuring herself.

"You're better off without him, and always we're here for you, so don't worry!" said Claire. Olivia and I agreed.

Mae smiled again. "Okay! Enough about me. How about you, April?" she said, looking at me.

"Me?" I didn't know why she suddenly picked me as the next topic.

"What did you do during vacation?"

"Oh." After hearing all about Mae's dilemma, it didn't feel right to tell them about me and Rodrick. Not yet. I'd have to mention it some other time. "Nothing interesting. I just went to a ski resort with my family before New Year. That's about it." I shrugged and took a bite of my sandwich.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch break, we all hugged each other again and said our goodbyes to Mae. We definitely weren't in high spirits after that, but we still had to deal with the rest of the day because, well, we didn't really have a choice.

Olivia was in two of my afternoon classes that day. Rodrick was in the last one. Unfortunately, Anne was too.

The moment she entered the room and noticed Rodrick and I sitting next to each other, she glared at me and made sure to pick the seat farthest from us.

Personally, I didn't know what her problem was. Rodrick and I weren't even talking in the first place. He was literally slumped over the table, taking a nap while the teacher hasn't arrived yet, and I was just browsing the History textbook we were supposed to use for that class.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" The teacher came in, and I had to slap Rodrick's arm to jolt him awake.

When the bell rang after class, everyone rushed to pack their things, excited to go home. I was about to exit the room when someone bumped me strongly, causing the books I was carrying to fall to the ground.

"Oops," the voice said mockingly. I turned. Anne had her hand over her mouth as she acted all surprised. "You should watch where you're going."

"I think you should be the one watching where you're going, Anne." It was Rodrick. He spoke calmly, yet at the same time dead serious.

Anne rolled her eyes and strutted out of the room. I shook my head and bent down to pick up my things.

Rodrick quickly helped me out. "You okay?" He took the book that was still lying on the floor, and even the one I was already holding.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, as he helped me stand up.

"The heck is her problem?" With a frown, he looked to the direction Anne went, while we walked out of the room.

"No idea." I shrugged, and then held a palm out to ask for my books.

He didn't give them back. He just carried them on one arm as we made our way to my locker. "I thought you guys were friends."

"We were. I don't even know what happened. She was nice—"

Rodrick scoffed. "Nice?"

I nodded. "She was, when I met her. Then some time later, she stopped hanging out with us, started ignoring me, and now she's... like that."

"If something like that happens again, tell me. Okay?"

I glanced at him for a second and fought the urge to smile. "I will."

When we got to my locker, he gave me back my books. I returned them to the locker and only took what I needed.

"So, where do you want to eat?" Rodrick asked.

"Hmm... Pizza?" I suggested with an excited smile on my face, while I closed the locker door.

He nodded. "Pizza it is."

We started walking to the parking lot. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Claire calling.

"April, let's hang out! Where are you? Olivia and I will go there," she said.

"Uh..." I glanced at Rodrick, who had his eyebrows raised. "Sorry, I can't. I have plans. I'll join next time! You guys have fun!" Then I ended the call before she could ask more questions.

. . . . . . . . . .

"Wow, these combos really are the best." I was halfway through the meal I ordered.

"Heck yeah." Rodrick stuffed pizza in his mouth, then pasta, then some chicken. I watched him, and almost laughed at how he looked. "What?" he asked, mouth full.

I shook my head, still suppressing my laugh. "You look like a rabbit." He was about to say something back when I stopped him. "Don't talk when your mouth is full."

He rolled his eyes and made sure to swallow everything before talking. "You're the one who started it, calling me a rabbit."

"What, rabbits are cute!"

He leaned in a little closer, a hand under his chin. "So you're saying I'm cute?"

For some reason, I felt like teasing him back. I leaned forward too, taking a closer look at his face. I tilted my head to think, and then sat up straight again. "Hmm... I take it back." I then focused on slicing my chicken.

"Whatever." He took another huge bite of pizza, and two bites of chicken.

"Eat slowly, will you? You might end up with a stomachache." I told him, and he just shrugged it off.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I checked, and it was Claire. Again. Rodrick looked up from his food, and just beckoned me to answer it.

That's what I did. "Hey, Claire. What's up?"

Her loud voice rang in my ears. "April! Where are you? You can still hang out with us. We're still here at the—"

"Uh, I..." I glanced at Rodrick for a second, who just raised his eyebrows, probably wondering why Claire called for a second time. "I really can't Claire. My parents asked me to run some errands. It might be late by the time I finish."

"Oh. Okay then. Stay safe!" She sounded a bit disappointed, even though she tried to sound cheerful. We said goodbye to each other then hung up. I felt bad about lying to her, but at the same time I would have felt bad if I chose to leave Rodrick hanging here.

"Claire?" Rodrick asked, after he finished up what was left of his food. I nodded. "Why'd she call?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. She just asked if I can still go and hang out with them today."

"If you have to go, it's okay." His arms were folded on the table as he relaxed after eating. "Really."

"No, it's fine. I can hang out with them some other time." I raised up my fork with pasta, pausing right before it reached my mouth. "Besides, we planned this first. And I wanna spend time with you since we were busy the whole day." I then ate with a smile.

Rodrick's lip curved slightly, but he hid it immediately. I noticed his cheeks reddened, though. He cleared his throat in an attempt to cover it all up. "So... You haven't told them?"

I shook my head. "I was supposed to, but I delayed it because Mae told us that she's moving, and she only went to school to get some requirements."

"Oh. She's leaving? Suddenly? Damn, are you girls okay?" He leaned a little closer with a concerned look on his face.

I nodded, though I was looking down. "Yeah, yeah. We're fine. It's just sad, but we all promised to keep in touch, so everything's okay."

Rodrick reached across the table and just held my other hand. A simple, but a very comforting gesture. Despite his annoying habits, he had really changed a lot over the past few months. Things like this made me appreciate him even more, like him even more.

"Thanks," I said.

"Wait, doesn't she have a boyfriend? That dude? I forgot his name." He tilted his head up, trying to remember. He still hadn't let go of my hand, which was okay with me.

"Yeah, Matt. They broke up though."

"What? Why?"

"Long-distance relationship. They said it was too hard to maintain," I shared. "It's a bummer. She liked him a lot."

"Man, that sucks." He then placed his other hand under his chin, elbow propped up on the table as he watched me finish my food. "Can't really blame them though. That kind of arrangement is really hard."

"Well, it is, but they could have at least tried." Then I looked at him, narrowing my eyes. I set my fork down and leaned forward to ask a question. "If something like that happens to us, what would you do?"

He looked at me as if I just said something absurd. "You're joking right?" He then broke eye contact and took a sip from his soda. I just waited until he looked at me again. I raised my eyebrows, and he understood that I was actually waiting for an answer. "I haven't thought about it, because it's not gonna happen anytime soon, right?" He really was the type of person who focuses on the present.

"No, but I'm just curious about what you think." I honestly haven't thought about it too, and I wasn't worried about it or anything. Perhaps it was too early to talk about it—we've only been together for what, 2 days? But I just wanted to know his opinion. "Suppose I'm moving in a month or so. What should we do? Do you think.. we should break up?"

He stared at me for a few seconds, and then at the ceiling, thinking about his answer. I got a little nervous about what he would say. Was he the type to let go that easily if it wasn't convenient? Or was he the type to stay and try to work it out?

He sighed. "Honestly, I think it's gonna be hard." He stared at the food left on my plate, and I don't think he even meant to. He was just trying to look somewhere else. Meanwhile, I thought, Well, sooner or later I might have to accept that we might be apart. I tried not to worry about it, though. It's not like I was really moving, and nobody knew what was going to happen. I was deep in thought, until he said, "But I don't want to lose you."

I melted into a smile as he fixed his gaze on my eyes. I nodded. "Same."

He then raised my hand—the one he was still holding—to his lips and planted a kiss on the back of my palm.

. . . . . . . . . .

The days passed. There weren't really any problems, except that I still couldn't find the right moment to tell my friends about me and Rodrick. Usually we were talking about something else. There were times we weren't complete, because of homework or because Claire ate with Ethan or because I only spent half of lunch time with them to meet Rodrick somewhere in the school.

One time when I told myself, Okay. I'm gonna tell them today, for real, the three of us ended up talking about other students in our classes, until the conversation led to Anne.

"I have two classes with her," Olivia said. "She acts like she doesn't know me, so it's not that hard to ignore her too."

"I have one class with her, and she glares at me whenever she leaves the room. I don't get it. I didn't even do anything to her." I didn't tell them about that time when Anne intentionally bumped me on the first day of class. It didn't happen again so it wasn't necessary to bother them with it.

Claire sighed. "I don't understand her."

"You guys don't wonder why she doesn't eat with us anymore?" I asked.

Claire shook her head. "Well, sometimes I'm still upset about it. But ever since she ditched us, I try not to think about it. Besides, I have you guys. And Ethan."

I nodded. Claire has always been the one who focused on the brighter side of things. I then turned to Olivia. "I thought you two are close?"

"We were. Just a little. She talked to me most out of the four of us, but we weren't best friends or anything. And she doesn't talk to me anymore, so whatever," she said nonchalantly. "She probably forgot about about us over the winter break, since she's back with her original clique."

The bell rang soon after that, and we had to go to our classes. I totally missed the opportunity to tell them. Again.

Over the first week of school, I found out that had more classes with Claire and Olivia compared to last semester, which was great, and definitely made up for all our missed bonding over the vacation. On the flip side, Rodrick and I had fewer classes together. At first, we were both upset about it since we couldn't see each other as much as we could in the past. Eventually, I realized it was better that way, to avoid distractions in class and so we don't get sick of each other easily. That was the topic of our conversation on a Sunday night when Rodrick called, and I could almost see him roll his eyes.

"There's really nothing we can do about it." I was sitting on my bed, holding my phone up to my ear. "Besides, this is probably for the best. We don't want to get tired of seeing each other so easily."

He groaned on the other end of the line. "Who the heck says I'm gonna get tired of seeing you?"

My heart probably skipped a beat. But I didn't let him know that. "Stop being so cheesy."

I heard him whine. "Ugh, this sucks!"

I laid on my stomach, absentmindedly drawing circles on the bed with my free hand. "Rodrick, we literally live two houses away from each other. And we don't have to see each other every single day—"

"But still!" he interrupted, then paused. "How am I gonna copy your homework now?"

I shook my head and snorted. "Oh please, even if we had all classes together, I'm not going to let you copy my homework."

"I know, I'm just kidding." He laughed. When I didn't make a sound, he stopped. "Hey. I was joking, okay?"

My lips were pressed to a smile as I kept quiet. I knew he was joking, but it was also just fun messing with him.

He sounded a bit more worried after that. "April, I was joking. I'm sorry, please don't ignore me."

"You're so annoying," I answered.

"I know, but you like me anyway."

I almost didn't notice that the edge of my lip had curled into a tiny smirk. I nodded, even though I knew he can't see me. "Yeah. why do I like you?," I muttered somewhat sarcastically as I looked down at the fabric of my bedsheet.

Then there were a few seconds of silence, and we only heard each other breathing. It felt as if he was just right next to me, like those days we were talking or watching a movie. I wondered what he was thinking, what he was doing while we talked. Perhaps he was staring at the ceiling, with an arm at the back of his head and a smile on his face, or maybe was he sitting on the floor, leaning on the bed as he fiddled with his drumsticks, or his guitar. I never knew for sure.

"I miss you," he said suddenly, voice low and longing.

I rolled over so that my back was now on the bed. I couldn't help but smile. "I miss you too."

"Can we eat lunch together tomorrow?" he asked. "Please?"

Our agreement to keep this whole relationship a secret for now came to mind. I would have asked him how, or where we'd eat. I might have said no, if I thought about it too much. But I didn't, because honestly, I wanted to spend time with him too. "Yeah, okay."

The next day, I got a message from Rodrick right after I left the room of my 3rd class. where are you?

Claire was still with me, so I replied quickly. On my way to the caf to get food.

"Hmm, I wonder what the menu is today," Claire said.

I felt my phone vibrate again. Rodrick must have replied already. "I-I don't think I can eat with you and Olivia today."

She just hummed and then nodded. "Homework?"

"Uh, yeah. Homework. I'll just buy something and go."

"No prob! I'll just see you later then." She smiled as we entered the cafeteria. She went ahead to get food, waving as she left. One thing about me and my friends: we don't ask lots of questions, unless it seems like a super important thing.

I checked my phone to see Rodrick's reply. i'm here in the caf.

"Psst." I heard from behind me. I turned around, and it was Rodrick.

"What are you doing here?" I half-whispered. Perhaps I was panicking a little.

"I'm getting food. I need to eat, you know? " He pointed to the line casually.

"What, are we gonna eat here? We can't eat here, I told you that." A lot of students were passing by. Claire was on her way to line up and Olivia was just sitting a few feet away.

He leaned in closer, hands slipping into the pockets of his jeans. "I'm just. Getting. Food." Then he smiled and walked past me.

I heaved a sigh as he left. I followed and lined up as well, when I got another text from him.

Rodrick: what do you want? i can get it for you
Me: I'm already in line. I'll just buy it myself.
Rodrick: ok. i'll just wait for you outside the caf

He then left the line, putting his phone in his pocket and carrying a paper bag. He then walked across the cafeteria, only stopping midway to greet his friends.

"Ma'am?" the lunch lady called, for the second time, I realized. Apparently I was too busy watching Rodrick and didn't notice I was already next in line.

"Oh, sorry. Just a sandwich please, and milk," I said. "For to-go."

After getting my food, I made my way to the exit. Just outside the doors was Rodrick, leaning on the wall.

"I'm here. Did you wait long?" I approached him, but not too close.

He looked up and shook his head. "Nah. Let's go."

I let him lead the way and just walked alongside him. There weren't many places in the school to eat lunch at aside from the cafeteria. When we met during the first week, we ate at the bleachers of the open court, because it was one of our favorite places to hang out. However, it was too cold, we ended up finishing our food quickly and running back inside. It wasn't a good idea, really, especially during winter.

Soon enough, Rodrick stopped in front of an empty classroom and opened the door. I followed him in.

"Are you sure we're allowed to eat here?" I asked.

"Yeah, why not? Nobody uses this room during lunch. It's all good." He dragged a chair closer to another and took a seat on that one.

I walked to the empty chair beside him. "Well, at least it's not freezing here." I sat down.

True enough, we were able to eat in peace. Nobody barged in, and it wasn't rowdy like the cafeteria. It was just us enjoying each other's company and catching up. When it got too quiet, I looked up and realized Rodrick was just watching me with a smile on his face.

I couldn't help but blush. I put my hand on his face and pushed him away.

"What!" He laughed, and wrapped his hand around my wrist to pull my hand away.

"Not too close," I warned, pointing a finger at him.

It went like that as weeks passed, and we were already getting used to keeping our relationship a secret. Sneaking around school became a piece of cake. Sometimes we ate in that empty classroom. Sometimes we ate separately with our friends, and then met at the library to finish our homework or to just talk. Whenever we bumped into each other while we were with other friends, we just smiled and nodded, like how classmates or acquaintances would do. When he didn't have band practice, Rodrick usually went to my house after school, especially when he needed help in some classes, like Math.

"Ugh, I really don't get it!" He whined, impatience getting to him as he tried to solve the problem for the third time and still got it wrong.

I took one of my scratch papers and moved my chair closer to his, so I could explain it again, more carefully this time. "You have to assign a variable for each. Let's say David is x, and Kath is y. If David is 4 years older than Kath, and their ages added together is 24, then x plus y is equal to 24. Then you have to..." I continued step-by-step while showing him how to solve the problem.

"Therefore, x is 14. When you add that up, you get 24! There. Did you get it?" I drew a box around the final answers. He didn't reply. "Rodrick, are you listeni—"

I looked up. That's when I realized we were sitting close to each other. Really close.

Rodrick's arm was resting on the top rail of my chair, and his face was literally a few inches from mine. The way he stared at me didn't help at all. He then reached out towards my face with his other hand, and slowly tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Then his hand lingered. His fingers gently brushed my jaw, my cheeks, as he gazed at my face, eyes flickering from mine to my lips.

A warm feeling began to pool in my stomach. My breath caught in my throat, and my heart threatened to burst out of my chest. I tried to keep my eyes fixed on his, but as he started leaning in, I just couldn't.

He closed the distance between us, and pressed his lips onto mine. It was soft and sweet. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to melt into it. We haven't kissed since that night during New Year, outside the cabins, under the moonlight. That felt like ages ago, and I didn't know I was missing it, craving it until this very moment. Rodrick probably was too.

His other hand made it to the back of my neck as he pushed further in, gradually getting more desperate. There I was, enveloped in his presence, in his warmth, fully giving in. I clutched on to the sides of his shirt, and my hands made it to his chest as I pulled myself even closer to him. I was drawn to him. His breath, his touch made me shudder, made my heart pound.

It went on like that for a few more moments. And then, out of breath, I pulled away first. Rodrick chased, but realized I had stopped.

"You weren't listening," I said, still panting. I wrapped my arms around his neck and broke into a smile.

His hands found my waist as he shook his head. "No." He leaned in again and planted a chaste kiss on my lips. "I wasn't." And another. "I'm sorry." And another. Forehead then resting on mine, he looked straight into my eyes, and smiled back. He kissed me one more time, and then pulled back to scan the papers on the dining table. "Where were we again?"

. . . . . . . . . .

Weekends. The days of the week that every high school student looked forward to.

Since school started, weekends became more precious for me and Rodrick, especially Saturdays. Though we almost always had homework over the supposedly 2-day rest period, we did our best to finish them as soon as we can, so we could rest or spend time together.

Sometimes the homework piled up though, so we had no choice but to stay at home and do them. A few times, Rodrick asked if he could come over. I said no, because my parents were home, and it was hard to focus on finishing homework in the living room with them lounging around there. So then, he always made sure to call. Sometimes he even turned on FaceTime. That clingy bastard (not complaining, though).

"You do realize not all of our homework is the same, and you can't copy my answers?" I joked the first time he made a video call.

He scoffed. "I know that." He realized his face was too close to the camera (I had to restrain a laugh), so he set his phone on the table.

"So what are we even video calling for?" I raised an eyebrow.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm a little more productive when I do homework with you?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "That's probably all in your mind. But okay, whatever." I placed the phone on the table, making my water bottle its makeshift stand.

Time usually passed slowly on these virtual study dates, as we switched from finishing one homework to another. It was quiet, except for some music from the playlists we shared to each other. When it got too silent, I couldn't help but glance—no, stare—at Rodrick on that tiny screen.

He was so focused, scribbling on paper, then tilting his head and scratching his temple with the end of his pen. His brows would furrow when he was thinking hard of what to type next for his papers. At times, he would look upward to the ceiling for answers, or suddenly the typing would stop as he just stared blankly at the screen of his laptop. And I would repress a giggle.

He had changed. He used to do everything last minute, but nowadays, there were even times he finished first before I did (and of course, he teased me about this). It was so cute and attractive seeing him put so much more effort in these things. I always ended up smiling, until he himself glanced at the camera, which always made me look away instantly, scramble for my things, and act like I wasn't watching him or anything. From my peripheral vision, though, I noticed a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. I was just thankful he didn't make any annoying side comment.

Virtual study dates on weekends also meant, getting sidetracked. A lot. Especially when Rodrick would suddenly decide to show a random object in his room, or a new trick he could do with his pencil, or one of us would ask a random question, which ultimately led to a whole other conversation. It would take a few more minutes for us to snap out of it and get back to work. He had changed, but he was still the same Rodrick I knew. The same Rodrick who became my friend, and so much more than that.

When we had actual free time, Rodrick would call me and ask if I wanted to go to the mall, or to the park, or to the diner, or even just for a drive around the neighborhood. Sometimes I was the one who asked. As long as none of us had prior commitments, it was usually a go.

Thankfully, Rodrick didn't get any more touchy as the weeks passed, especially in public. However, his sweet gestures never fell short—holding my hand, tucking it in his coat pocket whenever it got cold, making sure I wasn't cold generally, surprising me with a gift I didn't even notice he bought, always choosing the right things to say to make me feel better when I'm not, or to just make me laugh. Simple, sweet, thoughtful little things. There was even a time he cooked for me (It... wasn't so bad, but let's not talk about that anymore).

One thing I made sure never to miss was Löded Diper's gigs every other Saturday at the resto-bar.

We always went there together. He picked me up at my house and drove to the place, then I usually left him with his band mates to set up and do whatever they had to before the show began. Their band always played the first act since they weren't that popular yet, so they had to prepare once we got there. During their first gig after the night the resto-bar had opened, I actually asked Rodrick if his friends already knew about us.

"I haven't told them yet because of what we agreed on," he said. I just nodded in understanding. Then he added, "But by now, I think they know you're special to me."

I hid a smile when I heard that from him. They probably did. I was the only girl Rodrick ever invited to their band practice that one time, and to their gigs.

The second time they had an appearance there, Rodrick and I came in holding hands while we talked about something. We didn't know that his two friends were already backstage. We immediately let go once we realized they were there, but there was no way they didn't see it. I even noticed Chris nudge Ben's arm. They didn't bring it up though and just proceeded to set up.

When it was time for them to perform, I went over to the center to get the best view. Even though they weren't famous yet, they always made a lasting impact, and they only got better at every time. I wasn't really a big fan of theirs before, but now I was starting to appreciate them more. I was pretty sure the other people were too, because the response was always positive.

And Rodrick, he radiated with joy whenever he and his band started playing. Music was always something he held close to his heart, and when this opportunity came, it was definitely a big deal for him. Seeing him up there in his element always made me proud of and happy for him.

After they finished their entire set on that second Saturday gig, I went to them at the bar and gave them an applause.

"You guys were amazing. Congrats!" I said.

"Thanks April. Love the support!" Chris replied.

"Well, she is our number 1 fan," Ben joked. I just rolled my eyes at that.

Rodrick walked closer to me, but he didn't say anything and just smiled.

"Uh, we'll be right back. Bathroom." Chris excused themselves, and dragged Ben along who insisted that he didn't even need to go to the bathroom. I shook my head and let out a laugh.

"So what do you really think?" Rodrick asked, taking my hand since the two were out of sight anyway. We made our way to the table reserved for the band, where their food was going to be served.

"I'm telling the truth! You guys just keep improving, I swear." I sat down.

"Really? So you're a fan of our music genre now?"

I paused to think. "That, I'm still not sure about."

He just nodded, understanding but seemingly a tiny bit disappointed, though he probably expected my answer anyway.

"But," I said and leaned closer to whisper to him. "I am a big fan of the drummer from Löded Diper."

He shook his head and smirked. "Oh yeah?"

"Mhm. In fact..." I let go of his hand and dug up something from my bag. "I got him a little something." I raised a tiny box with a ribbon on top, and handed it to him.

His eyes widened, not expecting this mini surprise. "Woah! What's this for? Why are you giving me a gift?" He took it and shook the box near his ear.

I smiled. "Nothing, really. It's just, you know, I'm happy that you're happy while performing so I just wanted to give you something. And you've given me gifts too for no reason."

He just stared at the box in his hands for a second, and then suddenly pulled me in for a hug. "Thank you," he said.

"Haha, you're welcome." I patted his back. "What are you waiting for? Open it."

He let go and started opening the box. A tiny object that looked like an electric guitar was inside.

"Ooh, what's this?" He picked it up from the box and examined it. "What does it—woah!" He accidentally pulled the neck and revealed it to be a flash drive. "WOAH!"

I spotted it when I went to the mall with Claire and Olivia a few days before. It reminded me of Rodrick, so I bought it immediately. "It's not much, but—"

"It's freakin cool!" He sounded really excited about it. After connecting and disconnecting the tiny guitar's neck and body a few more times with a huge beam on his face, he put it back together and carefully placed it in the box. "I love it. Thanks, April." He gave me a quick hug.

I flashed a warm smile when he pulled back. "Well I didn't actually expect that you'd like it that much."

"I do. And coincidentally, I actually do need a new flash drive. My old one's full already."

"That's not a coincidence." I leaned closer and pretended I was sharing a secret. "I read your mind, you know."

"Ha-ha. Very funny," he replied as he booped my nose.

Not long after, Ben and Chris came back. The food was served as well, and we all had dinner together (just a regular one, no booze and all because the owner decided he had to set his boundaries). They started thinking of songs they could play on their next appearance. Later on, we all just ended up sharing random stories and laughing out loud while we finished the food.

As I laughed at one of the jokes Rodrick mentioned, I caught a glimpse of someone seated on another table not far from ours. Someone I knew.

It was Anne. And she was glaring right at me.