School for me was going great. I was part of the high school hokey team, had made plenty of new friends and was aceing all of my classes.

In other words, I was the most prepared thirteen-year-old in the world! Nothing was going to make me crash again – ER, at least I hoped.

But that was the crazy thing about life, huh? HA HA! It was always SURPRISING ME with the way I felt and interpreted stuff.

~x~

"Okay, okay!" Joy said as she stood at the control panel for emotions, "We are going to ACE this assignment like we always do!"

"Yay!" Every other emotion cheered, with Sadness waving a sad flag and murmuring, "...yay,"

"Okay!" Anxiety quickly butted in, pressing her screen up and showing all the possible outcomes, "If we work all night till bed we have a ninety per cent chance of getting that A plus, instead of the usual A!"

"Or, OR," Joy added fast, pressing the screen back into the pad and touching Anxiety's tight tense shoulders to calm the orange emotion down, "We can work till EIGHT, and then wind down by watching our favourite show,"

"That sounds good," Sadness agreed quickly, almost making a smile – but it was a very sad one.

"Ooookay!" Anxiety then continued fast, "But that means we have to down, like, five energy drinks to get it done so fast!"

"No promblemo!" Joy concluded, and everyone looked through Riley's eyes to see what the teacher had put up on the board, "Nothing is going to distract us, nothing-"

~x~

The moment I saw him, my heart jumped. I was looking at the cutest guy I had ever seen. A new student who had joined my class year.

~x~

"WHO IS THAT?!"

All the emotions turned to Disgust as she asked this loudly, her eyes wide and almost looking intoxicated.

"It's just a guy," Joy said quickly, trying to ignore the fluttering feeling she was feeling in her core now. All the feelings were.

"It's NOT just some guy," Disgust continued, gawking at him like he was the first boy to ever exist, "He's different... HE'S-"

"Perfect!"

Everyone paused when a soft male voice said this. The emotions all turned around, seeing a new feeling had come into the control room... a dark maroon male with hearts in his eyes instead of pupils, and curly pink hair.

"Who are you?" Joy asked quickly, suspiciously and the new emotion only laughed, sauntering over to the control pad and only pressing one button.

~x~

I think I'm in love...

~x~

All the emotions jumped when that thought Riley had echoed throughout her whole nervous system and brain.

"I," The maroon emotion continued with a small grin and a wink of his eye, "Am love."

"HUH?!" All the emotions gaped at once and Love only laughed at them in a soft chuckle.

"Yup... love..."

"But Riley can't be in love!" Joy said fast, looking through Riley's eyes but all of a sudden it was like Riley's vision had become tinted with pink.

~x~

I sighed heavily the moment I saw him... my heart thudded hard in my chest and I sat up straighter, waiting for the teacher to tell us all his name.

"My name is Bradley," The cute boy proclaimed, "I just moved here from Australia..."

~x~

"Oh my gosh! He's Australian!" Disgust said with a crushing delirious voice, and Joy just shrugged, asking.

"So?"

"He probably has like a six-pack!" Disgust continued, fanning herself with her green hand as she got all excited inside.

"Let me," Love said and touched the control pad softly.

~x~

At that moment I felt my heart calm down a bit, my whole body relaxing as I slumped forward on my desk, my hands holding my head as I watched him talk and introduce himself to us all.

"Go take a desk, Bradley," Our English teacher told him and he nodded weakly, before scanning over the class, looking for a free chair.

~x~

"Please sit with us!" Anxiety begged, shaking apart in desperate eagerness, "PLEASE!"

~x~

I watched as he took the desk beside me, and I couldn't help but glance a look at him, my eyes dashing down shyly as I sighed heavily under my breath.

~x~

"Yes!" Envy screamed in delight and everyone watched intensely the screen to see what would happen next.

~x~

As the teacher went over her lesson for the day, I kept glancing across at Bradley, and I think he knew because he finally said to me when class was ending.

"Can you believe the amount of work they expect us to do?"

~x~

"He's talking to us!" Disgust AND Anxiety yelled together, not knowing what button to push to reply to him with.

Again the control pad lit up dark maroon.

~x~

I sighed weakly, looking at Bradley with warm calm eyes and I responded, "I know, right? I'm going to like, work for two hours tonight just to stay on top of things,"

"You mean, for the assignment?"

"Uh huh,"

"Say, do you want to be partners?"

"Partners?!"

~x~

"He means WORKING PARTNERS!" Disgust yelled, blushing herself with the mixed-up understanding that was rushing through all the corners of Riley's brain. Love only chuckled at this, just pressing lightly another button, and they all watched as Riley perked back up.

~x~

"Sure! I-I mean... cool."

~x~

Ennui had tapped the pad app on her phone, adding in the low cool dip to Riley's reply.

~x~

"Cool," Bradley said back, giving a small wink and added on fast, "So... I'll come over tonight?"

~x~

"TONIGHT?!" Fear yelled, finally stepping in and shaking the control pad around.

"Wow," Love said simply, folding his arms apprehensively before concluding, "You guys REALLY do have no idea how to handle courtship... do you?"

"HA HA!" Joy laughed loudly then, eyeing up Love and his calm coolness to the situation, "Of course WE do."

"Right..." He just responded with a slight shrug and pressed another small button.

~x~

"OF COURSE!" I yelled in delight, before blushing madly at my loud response.

~x~

Embarrassment was slamming his head to the pad in utter horror and shame.

~x~

"I-I mean... sure, cool."

"Cool..."

Bradley quickly pulled out his phone and we swapped numbers that instant.

"Thanks, Riley..." He said with another wink and I had to hold in my deep sigh this time – he couldn't know how much I really liked him.

"It's cool," I said calmly and he waved goodbye as he headed for his next class which was different to mine.

When he was out of sight, I finally let out my huge delighted sigh, my eyes lidding in peace and harmony.

~x~

"Okay, everyone!" Joy said, delighted to be back in the driver's seat, "Next class! C'mon!"

All the emotions nodded their heads, getting into place as Riley almost nearly skipped to the gym – her favourite subject – P.E.

"Make sure we're not smelling!" Disgust said quickly.

~x~

I smelt my armpits fast, almost gagging before covering them over with deodorant. We were playing basketball today, and I was IN THE ZONE!

~x~

"What should we wear tonight?" Disgust quickly discussed with the other emotions, Joy watching the screen and enjoying every moment we were on the court.

"Well, it has to be pretty," Anxiety said fast but added, "But not trampy or too full on."

"Well, we DO want him to get the hint that WE like him!" Disgust proclaimed and all the other emotions agreed.

~x~

I began to grin widely as I thought of Bradley... this warm feeling inside I had never felt before.

~x~

While everyone else was discussing the plan for tonight, Love only stood by the panel, holding down a lever that was making Riley's stomach act in the most peculiar way.

"What are you doing?"

Joy glanced over to him and watched as pink butterflies seemed to float off of Love's being.

"Just making her feel..."

"But WE all do that...?"

"I mean," He continued lightly, gazing through Riley's eyes and Love smiled warmly, "I mean, for him..."

Joy creased her eyebrows together confused – and just a little bit worried.

"Why would you make her feel for someone else?"

"Because I LOVE, Joy..." He responded, smiling a soft grin up both corners of his mouth, "And love has to be given... not kept locked up."

~x~

I didn't know why, but I just couldn't get Bradley out of my head. I almost missed a shot at the hoop because I kept thinking of him and that made me so giddy inside.

But WHAT if he didn't like me that way...? What if he was going to put ME in the friend zone?

~x~

"Sadness!" Joy yelled suddenly at the sad emotion for pressing a button, "She was so happy A moment ago! Why make her have doubts?!"

~x~

I shook this thought off fast though, as I said to myself quietly, "Whatever he thinks of me, I will be cool with... I just want him to be happy,"

~x~

Everyone stared over at Love, as he and Joy stood close together at the pad and then all of a sudden a maroon and yellow memory ball was created and rolled to the huge collection of memories for the day. But this ball was different... it was shining more brightly than any other and the group of emotions knew then that it was a CORE memory.

"Why is THIS a core memory?" Disgust asked, and the ball slipped into its place with the other core memories as a new island of personality began to spring up in the distance... and IT was HUGE!

On the island, there was a giant red love heart, with an arrow piercing through it and everyone stared at it, gobsmacked.

"What is it?" Disgust asked quickly and Love placed his arm on her and Joy's shoulders.

"It's the Island of Love! Deep Selfless TRUE LOVE!"

"And...?" Disgust asked on.

"It will help Riley traverse the crazy seas of love, romance and finding HER soulmate!"

~x~

I was sitting back at the bench after knocking off someone and being called out for a penalty.

I didn't mind though, as I kept going over all the interactions I had had with Bradley that day in my head... and all I felt was euphoric inside... and totally TOTALLY smitten.

As I went to my next class that day, I found out quickly that Bradley was in this class too, and he waved at me gently before taking the seat next to me again.

"Miss me?" He joked and I laughed so hard, I actually snorted a bit – MY CHEEKS WENT PINK DRASTICALLY!

~x~

Embarrassment was again smashing his face to the control pad.

~x~

"I'm that funny?" Bradley then teased to me and I shook my head desperately fast but he only let out a small chuckle himself before the two of us turned our eyes back to the teacher who was talking to us all.

I tried so hard to pay attention but her voice dragged in my ears and I held my pen tightly – so tightly it actually snapped in half from the pressure of my grip.

~x~

"Can we just GO already!?" Anger yelled in fury, and Ennui nodded her head long head in agreement,

"Oui! This woman should take a course in BEING INTERESTING!"

~x~

The final bell rang then all across the school grounds and everyone began to get up, putting their books and tablets away in their bags, I rushed to get mine in and I caught up to Bradley as he began to leave the room as well.

"Well, I'll see you tonight," He said calmly with a smooth grin and I nodded fast.

"Yeah! Yeah! What time?"

"How about six?"

~x~

"SIX!" Disgust gasped, not believing this to be true.

Anxiety, however, lunged over the pad and slammed her hand onto a big button.

~x~

"Six? YES!" I said, smiling instantly and stepping away from him just a little, "I'll text you MY address!"

"Cool," Bradley replied, smiling at me and I smiled back, "Cool..."

"See ya!" I finally said, finishing our interaction and I turned the other way to get to my bus before it was too late.

~x~

"Well, THAT turned out great!" Joy proclaimed this as a win and everyone cheered – everyone... except Love.

"Love... what's wrong?" Sadness quickly asked him, concerned and he slowly looked at her, before back at the memories that were mainly maroon in colour as they had been flooding in the last half hour.

He shook himself about a little bit, trying to get rid of a niggling feeling.

~x~

What if he's just using me...?

~x~

He listened closely as Riley thought this question in her head, the girl sitting down by herself and finally thinking over all the things that had happened that day.

Love, himself, had the same doubt... the same doubt.

"Why do you think he'd use us?" Joy asked him, so confused, "All our interactions today have been PERFECT!"

"I know..." Love responded to her, and a blue and maroon memory ball joined the rest of them, "It was perfect. And it will never be as perfect as a beginning can be..."

"Huh?!" Everyone asked Love confused. He just shrugged... the butterflies still floating around him.

~x~

I gulped heavily as I sat there by myself and I closed my eyes, just wanting to think things over, but all I could think of was HIM.

I hope he likes me too... I thought sadly to myself, I really hope he does...