1

"God! Do you ever shut the fuck up, Pearson?"

"Fuck you, Palmer."

"You probably wish you could!"

Jason's nose crinkled distastefully. His glare on Nicole could burn holes through her flesh—nothing about their bickering remotely new. "Are you fucking stupid? I'd want anyone or anything but you."

At his comment, Nicole's lip curled almost smugly. She quirked an eyebrow. "Nobody is saying anything about wanting me—but you, Jason." 

"Oh, for the love of—"

Parker, a friend of Jason's, appeared. He grabbed the boy by his arm and yanked him away from Nicole. "Would you guys cut it the fuck out!" Shoving Jason back, he glanced between the pair, almost appearing disappointed. "Seriously. Calm down, you're making a scene." 

Nicole rolled her eyes as she slunk back in her chair, tossing Jason a scowl before looking at Parker. "How about—you tell your asshole of a friend to stay the fuck away from me." The anger Jason typically provoked within Nicole could nearly make her see red, blood turning like acid as it ran through her veins. Nobody quite got under her skin the way Jason did. 

Frankly, it ran both ways. 

"Gladly," Jason spat, shoving Parker off before he turned to walk away. 

Parker sighed as he turned to look at Nicole. His eyes narrowed on the girl as he tried to understand what it was about the pair. 

"What do you want, Evans?" Nicole asked tiredly. Considering she didn't have a grain of patience to deal with Jason, she surely knew she'd have even less for his friends. 

"Nothing." With the shake of his head, Parker head off. No need to fuel her up even more. 

Having known each other their whole lives, Nicole and Jason's hatred for one other ran oceans deep. They could hardly stand the sight of each other, little less be trusted to be left alone in the same room. 

Then came Parker Evans. A friend of Jason's who Nicole had also known nearly her whole life. He and Nicole didn't share many words with one other; an odd head nod in acknowledgement was sometimes shared when necessary. They held nothing against one other but were far from being anything remotely close to friends. 

Logan Maxwell, the third in their quartet. As far as Nicole knew, Logan was the only decent and tolerable one. Much quieter than the others, down to earth and humble—Logan was an old soul with young eyes.

Then came along Seth Lee who was just as terrible as Jason, if not worse—at least in Nicole's opinion. A mere look shared between the two would always be a glare. There was no particular reason for their mutual hatred for one other; Nicole just knew that Seth was another alpha-male douchebag that she wanted nothing to do with.

"You alright, Nikki?" Serena, Nicole's best friend, slipped into the empty seat beside her in the cafeteria. She peered at Nicole carefully, having sensed something was wrong. 

A headache piecing, limbs heavy with exhaustion; Nicole muffled out an incoherent groan-like noise in response. And it's only Monday.

"Just tired." 

"New Girl marathon tonight?" Serena quipped cheerfully. 

"I think I just need a nap—" Nicole dropped her head to rest in the palm of her hand, eyelids heavy. "I didn't get much sleep last night." 

"And if it isn't my favourite blonde."

Nicole dropped her head on the table, hitting her forehead against the wood multiple times. She didn't need to look to know who the irking voice belonged to.

Jason smirked down at Serena, hand resting on the table as he leaned.

"Sure you're not mistaking me from whatever bimbo you brought home last week?" Serena retorted, quirking an eyebrow at the boy.

Jason's smirk shifted into a grimace. He debated whether he wanted to get into this—ultimately deciding to save his breath. Really, he just couldn't stand Serena's high-pitched voice. Shaking his head at the girls, he walked off to seat himself at his usual table.

"What's with Palmer today?" Seth asked as Jason sat down across. Seth leaned back in his seat, eyes fixated on the dark-haired girl across the cafeteria who seemed more down in the dumps than normal.

"Who cares?" Jason grumbled, rolling his eyes. "It's peaceful without her snippy little comments anyways?"

"You act as though you aren't the one egging her on all the time," Parker said.

"It's not my fault she can't take a joke," Jason muttered, slouching back tiredly. "She needs to loosen up—perhaps calm down once in a while. She's always so... mad."

Logan shifted his gaze over to the girl they spoke of, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. He hummed as he bit into his apple. "She doesn't look mad. More—tired, really."

Head resting in her the palm of her hand, Nicole slightly stabbed at her tuna salad with the fork she held—looking like she had no intention of eating it. She blankly nodded her head along to whatever Serena was rambling on about but the words didn't quite make it through her ears.

She sat there but her mind seemed entirely elsewhere.

Admittedly, it was unusual. Nicole did seem off, like something was weighing on her.

Parker glanced between Jason who picked at his sandwich and Seth—who was still staring at Nicole. An amused little smirk grew on his lips as he leaned forward on the table. "Something capture your attention, Seth?"

Seth's gaze snapped onto his friend. "Excuse me?"

"You're staring."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Oh—shut up." Seth plucked a french fry from his tray and threw it at the boy.

Parker laughed at his friend—but while the others had fallen into light-hearted conversation on other matters, Seth couldn't help it. He looked back at the girl. Half heaven, half hell—there was something going on in the dangerous mind of hers and Seth, he loved danger.

—

"If it isn't lil palm tree."

Ignoring the mocking nickname of sorts, Nicole kept her head down. Though she was hardly registering the words scrawled across the pages, she figured it was easier to pretend she was preoccupied with her book. 

"Old one, Pearson," she muttered grimly. Gaze remaining on the book, she hoped Jason could at least take a hint, and leave her alone. 

"No comeback?" 

"Not the time, Jay." She just wanted to be alone. She didn't harbour enough energy to entertain his infantile squabbling. 

"Since wh—" Cutting himself off, Jason's eyes narrowed to pinpricks. He wasn't sure he had heard her correctly. "Jay?" 

A nickname neither had heard in far too long. 

"I didn't say that," Nicole sputtered quickly, gaze lifting onto the blond-headed boy. "Don't be ridiculous." 

"I think you did." His lip upturned into an amused little smirk, smug. "Come on, Nik," he taunted, pulling the chair across from hers and taking a seat. "Times have changed. You've got some catching up to do—if you're still calling me Jay." 

"Leave," she sighed. With the shake of her head, she returned her gaze back onto the book. 

"Why? What's got you all—twisted today, Nik?" Needless to say, Jason was enjoying every second of Nicole's irritation. Using an old nickname did the trick quite well. 

"Not in the mood." 

"Who shoved a stick up your—" 

"You know what?!" Standing abruptly, Nicole slammed her book down. More than a few heads turned in their direction but Nicole was far too irked to care. "I'll leave. How about that?" 

"Oh, come on—" 

She turned and left the library, not listening to another word the blond had to say. Evidently, he had no plan of shutting up or leaving her alone. She figured it was easier to head to class late, rather than attempt a peaceful skipped period. 

"Miss Palmer," the teacher muttered, unimpressed, as she walked into the room mid-lesson. "Any particular reason you're late?" 

Nicole didn't say a word. Silently, she retrieved the detention slip he held out before heading to her seat, sinking as far down in the chair as she could go. 

This day couldn't possibly get any longer. 

—

Nicole could have slammed her head into the desk when she watched Jason stroll into the classroom where detention was being held. Of course. Him of all people, to join her. 

"It's only Monday and you've already found yourself a detention." 

Before she could open her mouth to let out a string of curse words, a realization occurred to her. "It's Monday? Shit." Panic brewing behind her eyes, Jason's presence was entirely ignored as she pulled out her phone and began dialling a number. 

"As I said," Jason continued. "You have some serious catching up to do." 

"Yeah—" she spoke into the phone. "I can't right now—I've gotten—God, would you just let me explain—I—wait—no—no, no. I'll make it up. Two hours—yeah—" 

Jason's eyebrows knitted together as he listened in, more than confused by her particularly unusual sounding phone call. He couldn't begin to guess what this could possibly be about—or why it seemed to stir such panic within Nicole. She could hardly sit still in her chair. 

Nicole sighed as she hung up and placed her head down on the table.

Seated in the empty desk next to hers, Jason leaned towards her, eyes still narrowed. "What's with you today? You're acting stranger than normal." 

"Leave me the fuck alone," Nicole grumbled, forehead pressed against the wooden desk. "For God's sake, shut the fuck up, Pearson." 

Jason grumbled an incoherent noise, one mocking her particularly fed up tone. "I was just—" 

"For fuck's sake," she stood abruptly. "I'll just leave myself. Again." 

"Nicole—"

She flipped him the finger before heading to the opposite end of the room.