The next day of school, I was high as a kite – IN HAPPINESS! Not from weed.

I walked in a jolly stroll to the main school building, my school bag on my back and a smile on my mouth.

It was a sunny day, but also had a bit of a chill in the air.

My hands gripped my bag's sleeves tightly, my sneakers crunching the leaves that were on the ground.

I slowly glanced ahead, seeing if I could spot Bradley or even just my group of friends.

But I froze up that second when I saw HIM talking to a couple of girls.

My heart began to beat quickly. It thumped in my chest.

I thought he liked me?

~x~

"What is he doing?!" Disgust cried out in horror, "Like seriously?! WHAT is he doing?!"

~x~

I began to walk over to him, but my legs with trembling and unsteady. I knew these two girls, they were part of the school basketball team.

I now hated basketball even more.

~x~

Anger was just about to slam his fist onto a button, but Love ran before him, trying to stop him but instead, both slammed their hands to the control pad.

~x~

I quickly stood up straight, trying to walk casually over to them and I just nudged Bradley on his arm. He looked around at me and a big smile grew fast on his lips.

"Riley!" He said with the biggest grin ever, "These two are in our year as well."

~x~

"Really, Bradley?" Disgust said disgusted, "That's your excuse?!"

~x~

"Oh, I know," I said, my teeth almost clenched as I spoke these words, "You two are on the basketball team?"

"Yep," The blonde girl of the two said in glee, rolling back eagerly on her feet soles, "And aren't you on the hockey team?"

"Well, I mean," I said shyly now, glancing my eyes down to the ground before smiling slightly and nodding my head, "Yeah, the only second freshman to be on the team in school history."

"Wow!" Bradley cooed and I blushed slightly, my smile growing bigger up both sides of my cheeks.

~x~

There was a maroon ball that rolled out now and all the emotions watched it roll to the other memories.

"She has trust," Is all Love said, and everyone looked at him confused.

"Huh?!" Joy blurted out lost, and Love just grinned, as the screen tinted pink again and Riley seemed to be at ease.

~x~

"Should we head to class?" Bradley asked us all then and the three of us girls nodded to him. I don't know why, but I got a sense that the two girls liked Bradley the way I liked him.

He was kind, down to earth, and just cool to be around.

I now knew I wasn't the only one to see him this way.

We all chattered away eagerly as we reached our classroom, and I waited to see where Bradley would sit, but the two other girls quickly sat at each side of him. So I reluctantly sat at a desk behind him.

~x~

"Those girls are trying to steal Bradley from us!" Sadness cried and Anger shook his head hard, ramming his hand to a button.

~x~

I hated those girls right now. I hated them.

I tried to ignore them as class started up and the teacher went about explaining the Math equation to us.

I gripped my pen hard, pressing it with force onto my copybook.

My teeth were grinding together, my body was tense with anger.

"Riley?"

I jumped up when the teacher called my name and I quickly looked up at her, sweat almost beading on my brow.

"Y-yes?" I said to her nervously.

"What is the correct answer to this equation?"

"Oh, um-" I said fast and looked back down to my copybook, seeing a symbol I had drawn without paying attention so I said in return, "Love heart?"

The whole class erupted into giggles, and Bradley looked behind at me, seeing if I was okay or not.

I was NOT.

My cheeks went bright red and the teacher shook her head to me, saying in return.

"No, Riley... it is not 'Love heart',"

~x~

Embarrassment and Disgust were mortified.

"How could we say 'LOVE HEART?' of ALL things?!" Disgust lamented in complete torture, "We just made a fool of ourselves!"

~x~

I wanted to slam my head to my desk in such horror of what my answer had been.

The teacher waved to the class to shut up and stop with their giddy laughing.

I kept quiet for the rest of the classes until break came and I saw my hockey team friends having lunch in the cafeteria.

I wanted to join them, but when I looked on ahead, I saw Bradley just getting his lunch from the canteen as he looked about to sit down. I waved at him quickly but he never seemed to see me as he saw the two girls from earlier stand up from their lunch table and call him over.

Bradley...?

~x~

Everyone was panicking now, not understanding at all what was happening.

"Should we join our friends or join Bradley?" Joy asked as if this was an ultimatum.

Anxiety took control right then and slid a lever upwards.

~x~

I began to walk to Bradley's table, but I could hear my friends call over to me.

"Hey, Riley! Over here!"

I gave them a nervous half wave, nodding my head nervously but sat down on the seat next to Bradley and I was so tense, I almost had goosebumps on my pale skin.

"Hey, Riley," Bradley said to me with a wink and a smile, "I was hoping to see you today."

"Huh..?" I asked back confused and he only chuckled, nudging me as he directed me over to the girls and guys that were sitting at his table.

"We're going to the park after school to play basketball."

~x~

"Why does it have to be BASKETBALL!?" Anger yelled.

~x~

I frowned when I heard this.

"Wanna come?"

~x~

"But we have homework tonight!" Sadness said so full of deep sorrow, "Our assignment is due this Friday!"

~x~

"Oh, Bradley... I would love to," I said to him, but felt sadness in my heart and soul, "But I have an assignment to work on."

"Oh..." He said, sounding surprised but also upset to hear this, "Maybe then, another time?"

~x~

"NO!"

All the emotions looked at Love as he yelled this desperately, reaching over the control panel and slamming his hand onto a big white button.

~x~

"But I guess... I can do it later?"

"Great!" Bradley said in glee and gave me a side hug. I blushed at his touch and I went to pull out my lunch. A salad sandwich.

I munched on it, keeping quiet in myself as the group of teenagers talked at the table among themselves.

I was just in relief that I was with Bradley, and would be able to spend more time with him after school.

~x~

"But what about homework tonight?" Anxiety asked worried, and no one knew what to say to that.

Finally, Love spoke up as he replied.

"There will always be homework, but there may not always be Bradley,"

Everyone slowly agreed, and Joy only stood still, looking through the screen at what Riley was seeing.

She didn't know what to think... things were getting all muddled up and changing on the spot... this wasn't normal.

But this love, this was romance.

This was new and no one yet knew what would come of this.

If Bradley really liked Riley... or just saw her as a passing fling.

~x~

I had stayed mostly quiet at lunchtime but as I headed to my locker for the day I bumped into Valentina, and she looked at me with a smile, asking with a grin.

"Where have you been today, Minnesota?"

"Oh, I, um-" I said back, trying to sort out my words, "I just wanted to hang out with the new boy."

"New boy?" Valentina chuckled, bobbing her eyebrow, "Or new possible boyfriend?"

I grew so pink in the face, as I tried to cover her laughing mouth with my hand but she pushed me away and I said in desperation.

"Please, tell no one this!"

She smiled at me giddily and nodded her head, crossing around her heart with her finger.

"You have my word."

~x~

"Ah!" Joy said in happiness at the moment between Riley and Valentina, "She is SUCH a good friend!"
All the other emotions nodded in agreement.

~x~

I watched Valentina walk away, waving goodbye to me and I eagerly waved back at her.

As I began packing my bag for today I felt a tap on my shoulder and I spun around, knocking into the boy behind me – the two of us nearly falling over on ourselves.

I quickly got my baring, helping the other person up as well. But when I looked up to see who it was, my body froze.

It was Bradley!

~x~

Embarrassment was rolling back and forth on the control pad.

~x~

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!" I yelled at him, giving him my hand to steady him as well.

"You nearly have me falling head over heels for you," He teased back and I was lost for words.

~x~

"SAY SOMETHING!" Disgust demanded.

~x~

"More like... head over FEET!"

~x~

Embarrassment was slamming his fists to the pad.

~x~

I wanted to kill myself right then.

Bradley, however, only laughed at this and swung his arm over my shoulder, making me blush like mad.

"Wanna get heading for the park?"

"Yes! I mean, yep... sure, whatever."

~x~

Ennui was tapping her control pad ap in the background as she lazed on her couch.

~x~

Bradley gave me such a big delighted smile, before picking up his own bag and we headed out of the building, seeing his new friends waiting for us at the door.

When I saw those two girls again, I felt rage in my heart.

~x~

"I HATE those two!" Envy declared, glaring at them through Riley's eyes.

~x~

"Ready to go?" One of the boys asked easily and everyone said, 'Yep!'.

We all walked out of the school in a big group and made our way to the closest park.

When we reached it we headed for the free-to-use court and everyone dropped down their bags. I did as well, nervously as I sat at a bench and watched as the others got out a basketball and about seven people hit the court.

"Riley!" Bradley called to me as I was just getting a school book out to study for a bit, "We have odd numbers for the teams! Can you play?"

~x~

"What is he DOING to us?!" Joy said in despair, Riley looking nervously down at her book, "We HAVE to study!"

Suddenly another maroon ball was made as Love had touched something, which in turn made Riley stand up.

~x~

Okay, I'll do it for him.

~x~

A few more maroon balls were made.

~x~

I came into the court and lifted my hands up, indicating for the girl with the ball to pass it to me. She gave me a dark grin, tossing the ball over to me and I headed for the team that needed the extra player.

~x~

"But we suck at basketball!" Sadness said, almost pulling out her blue hair in despair.

Joy and Anger then both reached for the panel and gold and red mixed balls came rolling out.

~x~

I am going to do my best!

I thought this determined now and walked to the team I was on, seeing Bradley was on it too.

Great!

The two opposing teams got into the centre of the court before the ball was thrown up and I jumped high, slamming it with my hand – the ball went bouncing to one of my teammates and the game was in motion.

It was a dizzying game, as the ball was tossed from player to player, all hands trying to get it.

We got the first two points, but the other team caught up fast and before we knew it we had been playing for half an hour.

The sky was turning red as afternoon became evening.

I shot the ball for the last time as it rolled around the edge of the hoop.

It FINALLY dropped in through it and my team won by just two points!

Everyone cheered, Bradley hugging me before spinning me around in the air in joy.

~x~

All the emotions were riding high, the balls all covered with gold and maroon colours.

~x~

But seconds later I realized something.

"CRAP!" I yelled, running out of the court and picking up my school bag, "It's SEVEN O CLOCK! I HAVE TO GO!"

"Oh?" Bradley asked me surprised, before picking up his own bag, "Do you want me to walk with you?"

~x~

"Does he want to walk with us?" Anger asked, almost ironically, "Of course we do!"

~x~

"Yeah, I mean... if you want,"

Bradley gave a quick wave goodbye to the gang and nodded to me with a warm smile.

"I want."

I felt like I was flying high on that kite again, and he came by my side as we headed to my house which was about a twenty-minute walk from here.

"So, did you enjoy your day?"

I grinned.

~x~

"Does he even have to ask?" Disgust said, but she was delighted all the same. Love pressed another button and the whole room filled up with a warm glow.

~x~

"I did... cause I was with you,"

Bradley smiled shyly at us now, nodding his head as a small blush brushed his cheeks.

"I did too," He said to me, giving me a soft nudge, "Cause of you too."

I smiled warmer before I saw my house in the distance and I felt a heavy lump in my throat as I knew.

My parents are gonna kill me.

But it was worth it.

I hoped...