Secrets Don't Make Friends

October walked to school the following Monday, half-expecting William to greet her at the front doors, offer to take her books and walk her to class while attempting to chat her up. She was mildly surprised to see that Beckett wasn't at her locker with a steady smirk on his face, but she was taken off guard by the piece of paper taped to her locker. A rose was stuck between the clasp of the combination lock; October snatched the rose and ripped the note off her locker, reading through it quickly.

October - I'm sorry if I upset you last week. Maybe I could make it up to you? How about lunch in the courtyard? I'll be waiting there - xo. wb

October sighed and couldn't help the smile that formed on her face. She shook her head and placed the note, along with the rose, on the top shelf of her locker. She was considering taking him up on his offer, but she was still really unsure of William. No guy had ever taken such a liking to her as William had shown. Well, there was Jason, which is why October was so weary. He had acted in a very similar manner to how William was now, and that proved to be a door she would never like to open again.

Lunch quickly approached and October fidgeted with nerves. She was still undecided if she was going to eat lunch with Beckett or not. And as the bell rang dismissing students for lunch, butterflies attacked her stomach making it almost impossible for her to breathe properly. She shuffled out of the classroom, slowly making her way to the cafeteria.

In the crowded lunch room, William was no where to be seen, which mean that he was outside since October was the last of students to walk in the cafeteria. The closer she got to the courtyard doors, the higher her nerves spiked and the more she has the urge to run in the opposite direction. But October stopped just before the double doors, staring out the window. She could see William sitting at a table in the middle of the courtyard, chewing on an apple.

It was then October made up her mind. Pushing the doors opened, she stepped out into the courtyard, making an effort not to look at William, and turned left to the football bleachers.

William took a bite of his apple, watching October walk to her normal spot in the bleachers. He didn't expect her to sit with him, but he figured it would be worth a shot to try. And even though he didn't expect her to eat lunch with him, he still couldn't help but feel slightly rejected. Something about October triggered something in Will's mind that craved for her approval. He wanter her to feel safe with him, to feel like she could confide in him. Looking up at her in the bleachers he took one last bite of his apple before walking into the cafeteria, throwing away the core of the fruit.

The rest of the day passed slowly and it seemed as if the hours since lunch had been purposefully slowed down to annoy William. He glared at the clock, tapping his pencil agitated on the desk. As the second hand neared the twelve, William scooped his books in his arms and stood up, walking to the classroom door.

"Mr Beckett!" the teacher called. "The bell has not rung."

Just as William passed under the frame, the last bell of the day rang and a smug smirk appeared on his face. Just down the hall, William could see October open her locker to pull the note and rose off the top of her locker. Unfortunately though, Jason had walked up behind her, pulling the rose out of her hand. William's eyes narrowed as he watched Jason tease October thinking that he was acting like a five year old with the way he treated her.

William walked straight to the pair and snatched the rose out of Jason's hand, who looked up at William with resentment. Handing the rose back to October, Will turned to Jason whose face was beginning to turn red. Much to William's displeasure, the moment October took the rose back, she took off down the hallway walking out of the big double doors. Frowning William looked back at Jason.

"You know, teasing girls is quite unattractive. Maybe if we were back in middle school, teasing October would have made you look like a bad ass. But now, it just makes you look like an asshole," William shot at Jason before following October out of the building.

Once outside, William looked around the school yard and saw October just crossing the street to the adjacent neighborhood. Without a second thought he took off across the grounds trying to reach her before she turned the corner. He called out her name and saw her pause to turn around on the street corner. Quickly looking down the street for cars William shot across the road walk and stopped in front of her, trying to catch his breath.

When he looked up, he saw October looking down at him with an amused smile stretched across her lips. He stood up to his full height and watched the smile falter slightly before she turned and walked around the corner.

"Hey, I just wanted to aplogize for Jason be—" William stopped talking when October turned around, sending him a sharp look.

"Listen, I don't need you apologizing for him, alright? Jason's a big boy; if he's sorry, he'll say it to my face. But it's been a year, and I still havent heard one apology fall from is lips. So don't do it for him, alright?" October whipped the words from her mouth faster than Speed Racer. It stunned William for a second, freezing him in place.

October looked William up and down before hiking her bag on her shoulder and walking away. But she didn't get very far before she stopped walking and doubled back, standing in William's face. She looked him right in the eye, searching them intently.

"Can I ask you a question?" she spoke smoothly, not blinking an eye. William nodded, shrugging lightly. October gave him another questioning look. "Why are you so determined to talk to me?"

William didn't hesitate. "Because I like you." October blinked, shocked.

She narrowed her eyes, setting her jaw tight. "Why? I'm nothing special."

"I find you interesting," he said, taking a step back. "There's something about you that draws me to you, and I want to be your friend. Is that a crime?"

October crossed her arms across her chest before shaking her head. William allowed a smirk to stretch on his lips. "So, I take it you liked the rose?" He watched her fight back the smile that tried to show on her face. "And I really do want to make it up to you for freaking you out last week."

William watched as October bit her lip, thinking intently about the answer. Her eyes still showed that she didn't completely trust him; he was willing to anything to help her see that he wasn't playing around. The longer October thought about her answer, the more nervous and anxious Will became. Finally, October slid her bag up her shoulder once more, licking her lips.

"I'll think about it."