It was in one of the small breaks between classes that Rosaline ran into Leo.

"Estas bien?" was the first thing he asked her with concern, his brow furrowed.

"En ingles por favor?" said Rosaline in a thick accent that showed she didn't know much Spanish. Leo laughed.

"I asked if you were okay."

"Oh." She said clearly not surprised. "I am quite alright. At least, I am in one piece." Leo snorted.

"Right, just like you were one piece when that car almost ran over you."

"It was the car's fault for getting in my way." She said seriously holding her palms up.

"And it was amber's fault for getting in your way. Honestly, if it hadn't been for moi, then I think she would sport a black eye." Said Leo lightly and rosie recognized that he was trying to make her calm down. Something that wasn't easy, her shoulders slumped and her she brought her both hands to her elbows as if she were hugging herself. She had to stop losing her temper like this. The fact that she could lose her temper if she wanted to didn't mean it was okay.

"What's going on between you and him?" Rosie didn't have to think very much to know that he meant Lysander. She blushed as Leo's lips curled momentarily before going back to normal

"Nothing." She said more to herself than to leo.

"Nothing, huh?" he said looking at her sideways, seriously. "he shows you around school, he reads your notebook, I think he would have punched Amber in the face if it hadn't been for Rosalya and melody."

"I don't think he would have." Said Rosaline doubtfully.

She's so blind. thought Leo.

"Sure he wouldn't. Sure, he wasn't going to. Honestly, you should have seen his face but I bet you've been doing that a lot?" rosaline sputtered.

"I…have not…" leo laughed softly. "just kidding." Rosaline huffed.

"Good…because I haven't been staring at him." Leo rolled his eyes and she punched him on the arm. Leo threw his hands up. For a girl she did have strong punch. They walked in silence for while.

"Leo, about this morning…" Leo sighed, of course she expected an apology. She deserved it in this case.

"It was my fault I'm sorry." He said looking at her.

"No, Leo. It was my fault I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. It wasn't fair, I'm sorry for being nosy." Leo stopped in his tracks at looked at Rosaline with utmost surprise. Why was she apologizing? It had been his fault after all.

"Truce?" said Rosaline. Leo nodded and she gave him a rare bright smile. Not a sarcastic smile, nor a wistful nor fake as if she was pretending she was happy. No this time she was smiling with simple and pure light. Her eyes crinkled by the sides. He felt as if he understood why Lysander and Alexy liked her so much.

"How did you know? That I like Alexy."

"So you do like him." She said surprised by her correct guess. Leo rolled his eyes.

"I saw you two snog when I was passing by to shut the speakers during the party. Do me a favor, Leo. Next time use a room."

"Was it that unpleasant?" asked leo.

"It's just…I have never seen two boys kissing." She said against her will. Leo was surprised.

"No? Where have you been living, girl? Under a hut?" Rosaline looked at him ruefully.

"Something like that."

"You're hiding something." Said Leo. Rosaline tensed and her expression became guarded. She peered into the hallway.

"Yes." Unlike Lysander Leo was a nosy person and he had no regrets in being one so he asked.

"Why?" Rosie was quiet for a long time.

"I don't like talking about my past." She said finally.

"Not even Alexy." Her eyes softened and Leo felt a horrible pang of jealousy.

"Not even him." She looked squarely at Leo. "we all have secrets." And Leo for a moment feared that she knew his secret. The secret he had been trying to cover up his whole life.

"Got to go to class." said Rosaline interrupting Leo's thoughts.

"And I suppose you don't know where it is." She smirked.

"I think I forgot." She said innocently.

"Which class is it?"

"Mr. Johansson." Leo's eyebrows rose so high that they almost disappeared into his forehead.

"All the girls know their way to his class." She raised an eyebrow.

"I know, it's quite funny."

"perhaps you could ask Lysander to show you where the class is. Imagine the expression of the girls and Johansson's." he said wiggling his eyebrows.

"Why would Mr. Johansson be surprised?" she said trying to avoid a nasty retort.

"Cause' all the girls are so busy swooning over him that they don't notice the other males. If he sees a girl swooning over someone else he will do all he can to attract your attention. Not that I don't understand you, the silver haired boy is quite hot." Rosaline blushed.

"Leo, I am not in love with him." Leo regarded her thoughtfully.

"No?"

"No we've just met."

"Ah, I forgot you didn't believe in love at first sight but you still believe in chemistry at first sight?" She rolled her eyes.

"It's not the same thing."

Sure it's not. thought Leo. But soon enough you'll realize and it will be hard.

Leo wasn't even remotely aware that he had exactly the point, like a dart stuck into the very center of a bull's eye.

Alexy wasn't used to be stared. No, he was used to being stared at but not used to be stared by Leo. It was so…flirty. There wasn't any other word to describe it really. How one look from Leo would simply disarm him and have him wanting to run to him and just…well, kiss him. It didn't help that the two were fighting, that they were in class and that he was still getting distracted in class.

Normally, it was….

He shook his head and grief washed over him like a open wound. It had been 3 months and yet, he couldn't help but feel the loss everyday. The loud presence, the pale blue eyes and the inky black hair. He bit down his lip hard and blinked tears away and looked at Madame Chantal she was stalking about how the quality of the cloth was essential for making a good piece of clothing. He had been taking detailed notes on what to do but nothing, not even class could help him but feel Leo's gaze on him. He wondered how was it that that boy could have entered with scholarship to the college. He sure as hell didn't look intelligent. He looked more like a hot guy that would fuck you, lift you and then break your heart and Alexy had enough of broken hearts for a while.

When the bell had rang he gathered his things as fast as he could and practically ran out of the corridor as far as away as it was possible from Leo as he could manage. When he had reached down the steps Rosie was there walking lightly he ran over to her.

"Rosie." He said and the girl turned around looking alarmed. Upon seeing his face she frowned and said.

"I thought you and Leo were going to go to the shops by the East part of the town." Alexy started cursing. Of course, now of all times he had to spend time with Leo.

"There has been a change of plans." He said stubbornly and Rosie peered over his shoulder.

"I think there is someone that rather disagrees with you." Lexi didn't have to turn around to see that it was Leo and when a familiar hand was on his shoulder he couldn't repress a shiver.

"So there you were." He turned and was completely bewildred when he turned and saw Leo smiling. It was quite scary. Not the smile itself, well that too but the meaning of the smile. It meant that he wasn't going to let him escape. Not for a long time. He looked at Rosie with pleading eyes but Rosie utterly oblivious as always said.

"I'll see you later then. Happy Shopping." And with that she left. Alexy was hopelessly staring after her, his eyes darted form place to place trying to search for an excuse but nope, there was nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. He was stuck with Leo, for the rest of the day. Almost 6 hours, 6 hours were enough to…

"Well should we get going?" Alexy scowled which Leo took as a affirmative answer and started walking grabbing Alexy's hand.

It was going to be a long, long afternoon.

It had turned out to be quite fun, more fun than Alexy had expected they had gone from shop to shop looking for cloth, clothes, accessories, shoes and much, much more. Leo had let go of his hand when he had seen that Alexy wasn't going to attempt to escape from him.

After 300 dollars spent, and a great deal walked they had both decided to sit down in the park near the mall at the center of the city. The sun was starting to come down staining the sky with shades of dark orange and deep blood red. They sat down at one of the benches, none of them said anything for some time until Alexy started to talk.

"Leo." The raven haired boy bobbed his head to him and Alexy felt his heart stutter in his chest but he willed it to stop.

"Yes?" and for the first time he wasn't smiling arrogantly or eyeing him lazily. He was looking at him seriously.

"I…" he swallowed bile and strengthen his resolution. "I can't continue having what we have."

"and what do we have?" He asked arching an eyebrow delicately and Alexy's resolve almost melted. Almost.

"This…this…fooling around and kissing and… and having sex carelessly. Whatever it is I can't."

"And what if…" Leo began but Alexy stopped him with a hand.

"Please." And it was that single word said with so much pleading that Leo stopped. "I can't be in a relationship right now. Not a romantic one at least. Not now. I'm sorry Leo, I just can't. I want us to be friends from now on." Leo looked at him shocked, his mask of seriousness gone, hurt beginning to appear in his eyes. Alexy got his things, kissed Leo in the cheek and walked away.

He though that Leo was going to chase him, to stop him but he did neither instead he just stood there staring shocked at the bench.

Leo sat on his bench in a state of shock for at least 10 minutes. Then the sense of realization came over to him and he felt like he was about to throw up. He had been rejected.

He had been rejected.

Never, in 18 years of his short life had someone denied him something. Whatever he wanted, he got and he didn't even have to throw a tantrum about it. And now that he hadn't gotten what he wanted he wasn't even angry, or sad or anything. He was just…shocked. Shocked and…shocked there was no other word for it.

He must have looked like a stupid person for all the passerby's because all of them turned to give him a suspicious look, Leo hadn't realized that he was carrying a duck in his hand and it was squeaking under his grip until it suddenly sank it's teeth on his hand, which brought Leo back to consciousness and started cursing outrageously and at great volumes until someone talked to him.

"Ah, causing public ruckus Leo. Why does that not surprise me?" he turned around and looked at the source of the voice. Full mouth and black eyes lit up like coals.

Nico.