"Your Lies Keep You Alive.."

Amira

"In an electrochemical reaction..",sitting in chemisty playing Words With Friends on my phone,"For example,aluminum is a.."

Riley was besting me. 74 to 45.

"..electrons will be transferred from aluminum atoms..",Hykell drowned on and on.

I had only put down my phone for a bit when the screen flashed.

Sex.

I couldn't fight the smile off my face and typed back Positions.

The score was almost even until Riley buzzed back Cowgirl.

Had to bite my lip to keep myself from laughing,I glanced at the teacher who had yet to realize that half the students were asleep or texting.

Even after I swaped my tiles all I could come up with was Now.

That got me 5 points.

I was confused when my phone lit up with a text message.

Riley,of course.

'Is that an invitation? ;)'

I actually did laugh for that one,but only because I saw him waving at me through the little glass window in the door.

It seemed like he was never in class.

Lucky!

"Uh..Mr. Hykell?",he looked up at me in surprise.

"Yes?".

How was I going to get out of this?

"Umm...I'm not feeling so well..could I be excused?I think Toms paying me a visit",I held my stomach for dramatization.

Way to make a male teacher so uncomfortable that he let's you skip class.

I almost pounced on Riley when I got out.

He caught me,"Oh Amira nice to see you too.Nice performance".

I smiled,"Stick around kid you could learn a thing or two from me".

"You know I'm not all that great a kisser,wanna start there?",he winked at me.

I almost blushed,"I wouldn't admit that to anyone else".

"Boo!Some friend you are".

"Boo your mom",I shot at him.

"Boo yours!".

I stopped,"I don't have one".

He stopped too,"Me either".

We turned and looked at each other before bursting out laughing.

"C'mon I wanna show you something",he laced our fingers together and pulled me down the corridors.

Riley had me running around the football field,ducking under the bleachers when a staff member passed by,and jumping bushes to avoid sprinklers.

The sun was murder and I was so glad I'd decided to wear shorts today.

Needless to say,I was laughing the entire way through.

I don't ever remember having this much fun.

We came to a breathless stop in front of a painted brick wall.

"This..is what..you..wanted to..show me?",I breathed out.

He laughed,"N-no..I..already..showed you".

"What?".

He stood up straight,"I showed you how to have fun in school".

I just blinked and shoved him without thinking,"You're lame!".

"Woah woah woah",he raised his hands and smirked,"No shoving.I can't hit a girl".

I laughed,"Why not?You look like one!".

"Low blow!!!!!".

"Come at me,bro",I challenged.

He crossed his arms,"I don't wanna!".

I fake coughed,"Pussy".

Riley glared at me but I could see the hint of a smile,"Fuck you".

"Take me then!".

I didn't even have to throw some fake insult out that time.In a split second I was sandwiched between Riley and the wall,my arms pinned above my head.

His lips dangerously close to mine.

"Any last words?",he whispered huskily.

A little voice at the back of my mind was screaming 'Kiss me! Kiss me! Kiss me! KIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSS MEEEEEEE!'

Without any other words coming to mind,I had no choice but to just scream.

So he kissed me.

And I kissed him back.



Ronnie

"I can't believe you actually stayed still long enough for these pictures to be taken",Brett joked,"It's almost amazing".

Sassi,the girl who assisted Imani and had something secretive with Derek,popped in,"Practically had to rip them off each other after the 3rd hour".

"Ahh Sassi,where's Imani?",Brett took something from Sassi and motioned for her to sit down.

"She'll be in soon enough,she had some 'bussiness' to take care of".

Ryan laughed,"What kinda 'bussiness'?".

Sassi looked at Derek who looked at Ryan and all laughed,"Oh that kind of bussiness".

I didn't like the insinuation so I frowned and looked away from them.

Even Brett laughed,"Leave her be,she's a good girl".

When Imani,finally,walked in she was running her fingers through her hair with one hand and pulling her shorts down with the other.

Why did she have to look so beautiful in everything she wore?

Mika took one look at her and laughed which made everyone else in the room laugh.

"What?",Imani wore confusion so well.

"Come in Mani,sit down",Sassi patted the empty space next to her.

Imani eyed her carefully,"Pervert".

Sassi's eyes went wide,"I wha-how'd you know?".

"I know you and apparently so does Derek",Imani pulled a black shirt out of her bag and tossed it at him,"Do be more careful next time.I've yet to find a condom".

Derek and Sassi both burned bright red and I didn't stop myself from joining in on the howls.

"Children calm down!",Brett spoke over us.

We all hushed down.

I caught Imani staring at me though.

She smiled and mouthed,'Hi Ronnie'.

I smiled back,'Hi Imani'.

She did the same with the rest of the guys but it felt special between us.

Brett clapped his hands together and we all turned to pay attention,I felt like a kid back in school."We got our annual Battle of the Bands picnic this Saturday:tickets are sold out,everything that had to be done was done and this is just me reminding you to be ready to give it your all".

"Because we're representing Epitath,we know,we know",Ryan joked.

Bret chuckled,"We got alot of the major labels joining us this year and most of the Epitath family will be there".

Sassi raised her hand and Derek chuckled,"Brett not that we're not ecstatic about the whole thing but why exactly are Mani and I here?".

"Glad you asked",Brett started,"Sassi you are one of the best coordinaters I have ever had the pleasure of working with so I need your help getting things done such as making sure the crew gets everything set up with time".

"And me?",Imani asked.

She looked so shy,though she wasn't.The glint of trouble in her eyes was always a give away.

"You Imani have got a way with people,I've never seen anything like it.You can make anyone smile,have them climbing over themselves just to get to you and I need someone exactly like that to host the picnic".

"Host?As in be onstage and-".

Brett smiled,"Announce bands and entertain the audience.Yes,exactly".

She clapped her hands happily,"That sounds like so much fun".

" 'aven't yeh been teh a show befor' love?",Jacky asked.

She blushed when he spoke to her,something I didn't appreciate. "Well yeah,but I've never hosted one".

He smiled at her," 'm shurr yeh'll do fine".

She blushed again and mumbled a thanks.

"Now remember you all have to be there early at 6 o clock.Sharp".

Imani and Sassi dropped jaws,"6...pm?".

We laughed at their obvious hopefullness.

"6am lovelies",Mika told them.

They exchanged looks,"Am?...as in morning?".

Brett smiled,"Yes.Is that a problem?".

They grinned,"Of course not".

"How do you do that?",Ryan leaned against the table.

The girls looked at him,"Do what?".

He rubbed his face,"Creepy".

Which made them giggle.

Which made me smile.

Which brought a memory to mind.

Which made me realize...

Imani still doesn't remember me.