[attr="class","wjoshpost"]Josuette was entirely unfocused. Neatly straightened on her desk was her new phone, faced down, and constantly within her peripheral vision. She stared at the teacher watching them move, but their words felt muddled, the purpose surrounding her vacant of meaning.

It had been so important for her to attend this school, to rise up from poverty and forge her own future. But now, she couldn't concentrate on anything... but him. A boy who was different from her. He was not obsessive...he was not out of control.



She sighed and lowered against the desk, feeling entirely unmotivated. Why couldn't she will away these feelings. Josuette glared forward, no longer looking at anything in particular.

She knew he had texted her, had come to her door, purchased her phone. But she couldn't forgive him for questioning such a thing. Especially since she knew how men looked at women. He was supposed to be different...or at least that's what her foolish mind had conjured up.

She thought him cute, but he was just a child, a kid that wasn't ready for a real relationship. He was spoiled, and threw tantrums! She sat upright suddenly drawing a few students eyes to her, but her mind was unraveling.

Brendon had questioned her behavior, while she excused his. He yelled often, grew frustrated so easily, hit things. Yes, he was not cute, he was just a poorly mannered teen.

It made her feel better, but no matter the direct of her thoughts, her eyes still returned to the phone with the same want she held since he had left the SilverBranch dormitory. She wanted him near.

'...I won't let him hurt me again. I won't let him see my desperation any more.' She thought to herself, as her brows drew upward and emotion touched her chest. Suddenly a bitter breath of amusement parted from her lips when the irony of what she had been trying to do dawned on her.

She had wanted to make him desperate for her... but that was always just a reflection of herself. With another low breath she lowered back down against her desk, and just rested there waiting for the remainder of the day to end.

She was pathetic.

[attr="class","wjoshpost"]A breath parted from her as she woke abruptly, her head immediately turning to her roommate's bed which lay empty and unused. She wasn't certain why...but Aoife had stopped returning to her dorm. Josuette rolled onto her back, draping a hand over her eyes that felt dry from her restless night.

Reaching for her phone she looked to see if Brendon had texted her, but only his messages from yesterday remained. Frowning she bought up the picture he had taken for his contact image and silently she admired it.

What would it be like to kiss him? To feel his arms drawn around her? She brought the phone to her chest, holding it close to her heart as she fantasied with sad emerald eyes.

He thought the worst of her. Her gaze suddenly burned as she recalled their fight. It was her own fault, she had made him think such things.

A very small part of her wanted to hide away, to stay within the confines of her dorm alone. Looking to her phone once more, she started at the undelivered messages she had sent to Aoife. She didn't dislike her roommate, so her lack of company unsettled her. Perhaps the young girl had her own problems as well.

Sitting upright, she wrote a message for her roommate, something small, and set it neatly atop her pillow. Then she readied herself for the day ahead.

The young sophomore arrived within the classroom early. She had been hoping to be the first, but somehow another student had arrived before her. Regardless, she positioned herself near one of the large windows.

With her arms crossed, she leaned against the wall, peering out the window and to the front door as she waited. Gradually more and more students that weren't Brendon arrived and she was beginning to believe...he wouldn't come.

But as always she was being illogical, it was still early and right on cue to her maddening thoughts...he arrived.

Seeing him always had the same effect on her, she felt starved of him, and that hunger gripped her tightly. Obsession, it was a loathsome disease. Frowning she forced her gaze to the window, felting the salty taste of his previous implications of her interest in him.

Josuette had promised herself that she would no longer be desperate for him. That she wouldn't expose herself in a way that made him question if she just treated all males the same.

The thought alone was enough to make her dig her nails into the skin of her arm. She hadn't realized how deeply angry she was still about the whole thing. Her emotions were so unpredictable with that Redal Boy.

[attr="class","wjoshpost"]She saw the way he looked solely for her, and how he grew guarded once more...yet still approached her. She felt a bloom of yearning within her chest and it caused her to exhale slowly. Her emotions were such a mess.

"I was supposed to help show you around the school." He complained, and her mouth twitched with the hint of a smile. Why was he like this? Always playing his coy little boy games. But for every moment of peace she felt with him...she kept being reminded of what he had asked her. That caused her expression to quickly shift.

"Let's not pretend yesterday didn't happen Mr. Redal." She steeled her emotions looking to him with intense emerald eyes. "I'm still upset with you." Josuette was honest, her eyes gliding over the other students within the classroom. "But I suppose—" she mocked slightly, eyes drawing back to him as she exhaled a breath of air. "I'm more upset with myself."

She still longed for him, and that kept her forever vulnerable to him.

[attr="class","wjoshpost"]Brendon had not changed an inkling since they had first met. He was still that fiery teenage boy. He reminded her of his apology, and made it rather clear that's all he thought was needed. Whatever expression she may have had disappeared, replaced with a distant one. "And I'm giving you that tour today."

He didn't understand...he didn't understand how much he had hurt her. Josuette's jawline tightened as she looked away from him, gazing upon the autumn leaves slowly withering away.

"...I like this season." She forced herself to say, to share...to pretend that everything would be okay. "It's like the land is bathed in gold." Her gaze softened, autumn, deer, gold...all things she had always been drawn to.

[attr="class","wjoshpost"]Within the corner of her eye she saw Brendon turn his head, peering out the very same window as her. She wished he'd step closer so she could feel his warmth and take in his handsome scent. She still remembered leaning over the bench to grab his phone, and the brief contact they had. She wanted to know so much about him...

"The weather was nicer yesterday." Brendon began, his tone haughty as he added that they could have had a nice day yesterday. Her jawline suddenly tightened as she jerked her head towards him, features filled with a pure anger at his insensitive desire to continue bringing Monday up.



Her lips parted as though to say something sharp however she was interrupted by the homeroom teacher clasping her hands as the bell rang. "All right! Let's do our attendance first." She smiled, adjusting her thick rimmed glasses as she began reading out names. It seemed she allowed the students the freedom to lounge wherever they pleased in this class.

[attr="class","wjoshpost"]Brendon's reaction to her icy glare was immediate, but he was not one to be submissive. She could mentally see his hackles rising in defense. However, they both had a moment to collect their tempers when the teacher began going over names.

"Adara Rosamel, Aryn Ellery..."

Silently, her eyes drew to each student as they were called, her mind on nothing in particular. She didn't want to be upset, angry, she wanted to be devoid of all feelings.

"I—I'm sorry," he grumbled beside her, but she remained unyielding. That is...until he...gave her more. Josuette felt herself calming then and she was thankful for what he said...that he was—in his own terrible way— trying.


"Brendon Redal," the teacher called to him next, and she watched the way he tensed, the way his mouth moved as he spoke dark curt reply. Her features softened and she looked...content.

"Chise Sumeragi...Josuette Ardel."

"...Here," she replied quietly, her eyes never once leaving the boy beside her.

[attr="class","wjoshpost"]Brendon grew flustered, staring her down in that intense yet cute way of his. But soon his own gaze drew to the window and with a stubborn voice he admitted that he too liked autumn. Only to complain about it shortly after. She exhaled a laugh, her eyes showing her smile more than her lips.

She opened her mouth to give an unconscious reply, but what she was going to say was...no longer appropriate. The brief laughter in her eyes faded, and her expression grew serious once more.

"We have that in common, intriguing," she replied her tone stiff, green irises now resting on the teacher who finished going through the names of the freshmen next. "All right, we've got some exciting news Autumns Masquerade is coming up, and we have a special event of an escape game at a real haunted house!" The teacher set some papers down, students immediately buzzing into chatter.



Josuette immediately drew her eyes to Brendon, turning her back towards the teacher to press her shoulder against the wall. With her arms crossed she peered down at him. "What are you dressing up as for Halloween?"

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MADE BY ADIRA FOR JOSUETTE ARDEL ♥