Emily was in the cafeteria with her best friends. Kevin just finished telling some joke and the group burst out laughing. Emily tried to ignore the way Mike looked at Mia as she threw back her head and laughed. Really she tried. But she couldn't. At all. Her hand tightened around the fork she was holding. She couldn't take it anymore.

She got up and at the questioning glances sent her way, she said, "I need to use the restroom."

Mike looked at her and smiled. "Come back soon, babe."

Her heart clenched a little but she smiled back at him. She tried to ignore the knowing look Jayden idiot sent her way. She walked away from them. What was his problem? He didn't know anything about her, damnit! He didn't know how badly her heart ached when Mike acted like she didn't exist whenever Mia was around. He didn't know how much of a bitch she felt like when she went out of her to avoid meeting Mia alone. He didn't know how she hated when Mike flirted with her, leading her on. He didn't know how hard she tried to suppress her feelings towards Mike because she couldn't handle getting hurt again and again. He knew nothing! She entered and empty classroom and locked the door behind her as the tears fell.

Kevin loved his friends. Very much. But out of all them, he loved Emily the most. She just brought out the brotherly instinct in him. He couldn't stand seeing her getting hurt. And he was protective of her. Very protective. So he was very glad to help her with her guy problems. Meaning he took care of the guys who kept asking her out. But there was one problem he couldn't help her with. The problem was Mike. He could see the love and the naked adoration in her eyes whenever she looked at Mike. He could also see the raw hurt in her eyes when Mike looked the same way at Mia. And he couldn't take care(beat the crap out) of Mike the same way as he did to others. Because 1. Emily will not be happy. 2. Mike was a friend. The situation irked Kevin. Very much. He needed to do something.

Mike entered the advanced chemistry classroom and made his way to where Emily was seated.

"Hey, Em! You didn't come back to the cafeteria." It was a question.

"Oh… I was not feeling well, so went to the nurse." She offered him with a weak smile. She couldn't very well to him that she spent her entire lunch break crying over him.

"What's wrong? Fever?" He asked, raising his hand to touch her forehead.

She flinched and said, "No. Just feeling a bit tired."

Mike frowned, "Jayden pushing you too much again?"

"No, I practiced too hard yesterday. Wanted to do good on the first day back." she lied.

"You shouldn't push yourself too hard, Em." Said Mike, genuine concern in his gorgeous green eyes.

Emily just nodded, unable to say anything. Why did have to be so nice to her? And caring too. She couldn't let go off her feelings if he continued being this way. The professor entered the classroom stopping Emily to indulge in more depressing thoughts.

"Jay, you'll do this, right?" asked Mia.

Jayden refused to look at her. Why was she asking him this? Because she was too guilty to face Emily herself? Embarrassed that she returned Mike's feelings even though she knew Emily liked him first and made no secret of it. How can he take care of Emily? How? He could relate to her situation, yes. But he was socially awkward….. He didn't know what to say to people to make them feel better.

"Why me?" he decided to ask.

"Because you're my bestfriend." She answered.

That was it, wasn't it? He was only that to her, wasn't he? Nothing more. Sometimes he wanted to just confess that he fucking loved her. That he wanted to be more than friends. That he burned with jealousy whenever she spoke about Mike. That he felt sick to his stomach when Mia stared at Mike as if he was the only one in the room.

"You will, right?" she asked again.

"Ok." He replied, when did he ever say no to her?

Mia smiled and like always he couldn't help but smile back at her.

Jayden opened the door to the Kendo club's practice room to see someone already there. It was Emily. She was practicing the basic kendo moves. She ignored him. He thought nothing of it and went to the locker room to get changed.

"Fight me." Said Emily as soon as he stepped out.

He rose an eyebrow at her. She never asked him to fight her. Deciding it was better not to question her, he nodded.

He was not going to underestimate her. She was the vice-captain for a reason. Each stood their ground and waited for the other to attack. After a while, Emily lost her patience and attacked. Jayden easily blocked her, and rose his shinai to attack but was forced to dodge when Emily attacked again. She relentlessly attacked while Jayden barely blocked them.

Jayden's shinai fell to the ground after a particularly vicious attack from Emily.

"You're not taking this seriously."She said.

"Maybe you're taking this way too seriously, Emily." Jayden said as he picked his shinai up.

Emily glared at him and charged at him as if to again. Jayden didn't move a muscle. Emily's shinai stopped a hair-breadth away from Jayden's head.

"You don't know." She said.

With that she went to the girl's locker room and came out in her regular clothes. She walked out and Jayden didn't stop her.

Jayden got on her nerves like no one ever did before. She couldn't believe she lost her cool like that. She needed to clear her head. She wanted to talk to Mia. But what would she say? That she hated how Mike loved her. That she was jealous of her. That she knew Mia returned Mike's feelings and resented her for that. That she resented herself that she couldn't accept all this. She sighed and looked up at the blue blue sky. Looking at the sky made her feel a little at peace.

She sighed and wondered when things got so complicated.

A/N- Well there is the first chapter. Before you ask, there was a timeskip and now the five of them are in their senior year. There will be flashbacks and stuff if you want them.

More importantly, thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows. They made me flail in happiness!

Thank you awesome reviewers!

And also sorry for the that line break blunder in the first chapter and the typos too... Was in a rush to post the chapter and was also feeling too lazy to go through it all...hehe...

Reviews are greatly appreciated!