"You taste like smoke"

Parker rubbed the back of his neck, staring down to at Sloane "Yeah," He cleared his throat "sorry about that"

Sloane cupped Parker's cheek, laughing softly at his shy apology "It's fine, I don't mind. I understand, it's just... Not that nice" She stood on her tiptoes, pressing her lips against his cheek.

As he thought about it, the first time he ever smoked, the words that man spoke when throwing him the packet of cigarettes, he realised that he understood now.

She was all he needed to feel so calm and so alive at the same time.

And he promised himself to throw those cigarettes away.

"Parker? Hello?"

Parker blinked his way back into the real world, shaking his head as he chuckled "Yeah, hi, sorry"

Sloane wrapped her arms around his neck, brushing her fingers through his hair "What were you thinking of?" She asked playfully, raising an eyebrow "Were you thinking of Vincent?"

Parker faked a gag, resting his hands on her waist "God no"

"I bet he's a good kisser" Sloane teased, grinning up to him, still fiddling with his hair.

Parker shook his head in disagreement "He isn't"

She raised an eyebrow challengingly, a slight smirk on her lips "And you'd know this first hand?"

Parker sighed, deciding not to argue at this point. She would have found out regardless with her persistence "Yup"

Sloane gasped, slapping his shoulder in shock "Woah, what? Details, babe! Was he your first kiss?" She asked excitedly, ready for the gossip.

Parker rubbed his shoulder lightly, pretending that it wasn't her slap that he felt. He shook his head, cringing at the memories "No. Fucking no, ew. It was a dare"

Sloane smiled, her tongue between her teeth as she poked him teasingly "You secretly wanted to do it"

Parker laughed sarcastically, leading down to her nose to place a soft kiss "Yeah, no. This girl he liked at the time dared him, saying that if he did, she'd kiss him afterwards. I learned this after I punched him in the dick"

She feigned a gasp "Shit, an attack kiss"

He grinned, brushing hair behind her ear and kissing her forehead "The only attack kiss I'd accept is from you"

Even though her heart was melting and her knees went weak at statements such as these, she pretended that she would only cringe and replied in sarcastic sounding comments "Cute"

He poked her cheek once again "Stop calling me cute. People are gonna think I'm going soft"

She grinned "But you are cute," She stood on her tiptoes, pressing her forehead against his "I really like cute"

"Do you now? I couldn't tell" He whispered, a small smirk tracing his lips.

She laughed softly, pressing her lips against his "Shush you" She mumbled.

"Can we ditch to make out?" Parker whispered, his question brushing against her lips.

Sloane glared up at him softly, the tip of nose pressed against the bottom of his "You ditch we don't make out for a week, minimum" She spoke, a tone of warning in her voice.

He groaned in defeat, letting his head drop to her shoulder "You're like all my teachers" He grumbled.

Sloane rolled her eyes at his dramatic antics "Sorry I care"

He grinned, even though she couldn't see him, turning his head to place kisses against the base of her neck "And you call me cute"

"Alright, alright, break it up, we get it. You're dating" Vincent teased, making an entrance as per usual.

Sloane laughed softly, her cheeks a light pink as she rested her forehead against Parker's chest to hide her embarrassment.

Parker wrapped his arms more tightly around her, kissing her head as he glared at his best friend "How's it going with Andy?" He shot back, raising an eyebrow.

Vincent narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to say something before being interrupted by Andy running towards the three.

"Guess who did something awesome?" She didn't even give the three enough time to blink before continuing "Me! It was me! I just got this shot rendered through this filter and my fucking goodness it's practically... It's better than chocolate, let's be real"

Andy continued to talk of she shots that she had been collecting - whether wide, long, short, close ups. Her film was where most of her time stayed devoted.

Both Sloane and Parker had their eyes trained in the slightest to the dreamy look that Vincent always had on his face in Andy's presence, most particularly when she spoke of her passions.

They shared a look, nodding to each other as they realised that they needed to get the two together as soon as possible.

They couldn't meddle with Bea or Mark, so Vincent and Andy was their best option for couple meddling.

"and I got this killer shot of you looking at Sloane-"

"Huh?" Parker interjected, finally realising that Andy had been talking to him. He had been so distracted by the marvel that is Sloane's eyes that he hadn't noticed that the red head's words were directed at him.

She waved a hand dismissively, a small smirk on her lips as she realised exactly why he was so distracted.

Parker was utterly in love with Sloane, and Andy knew that Sloane felt the same way.

"I'll show you guys some time" She continued "It's totally candid and totally adorable"

Sloane laughed, the kind of laugh anyone could tell was genuine "Sure"

Bea was the next to join the scene, a friendly smile brushed over her face as per usual.

Bea reserved this smile for her friends, for the people she knew she could trust. She had put faith in the wrong people before, and planned on never making that mistake again.

"What's the latest gossip everyone?" Bea asked, starting a new conversation.

"I heard that Amber Priestly is supposedly pregnant" Vincent mentioned, intriguing most of the group.

Andy furrowed her eyebrows, shaking her head "I don't think you can get pregnant when you've never fucked anyone"

"Guys, I don't think it's right to talk about her like that" Sloane interjected, her kind nature stopping the retelling of rumours.

Andy placed a hand on her shoulder "Sloane, Amber's just a bitch who is so afraid to admit she's into girls that she pretends to fuck people, I'm pretty sure it's fine to mention her misconduct"

Sloane shrugged "It just seems mean to me"

"We all know she's done worse" Bea mumbled, past experiences wavering through her thoughts.

"Wait," Sloane clicked her tongue "that... shit, was Amber?" She asked with anger rising in her voice, having heard Bea's quiet voice loud and clear.

Bea wanted to lie, stop unneeded drama from occurring, but she couldn't get the words past her lips. She sighed "Yeah"

Rage coursed through Sloane's veins, her voice raising an octave as she spoke venomously "That fucking whore. I'll tear her fake fucking black hair extensions right from her fake tanned head and punch her nose job so hard that even her collagen filled lips and fake white teeth will fall right out of her fucking face"

Hearing words such as those fall from the lips of the sweetest girl any of the five had ever known, it raised a question that Vincent was the first to ask "What did she do?"

"Nothing!" Bea defended instantly, her voice squeaking slightly.

Sloane was still in a fit of fury when she continued to speak "Everything! That fucker should to be destroyed-!"

"Sloane! It's over! Nothing happened, and you will do nothing, okay?" Bea shouted, the fear of one of the worst things that had ever happened to her becoming common knowledge present in her mind.

When she had finally calmed down, Sloane felt Bea's fear clearly, and knew that this was all for another time "Okay"

Everyone wanted to ask questions, but each of them, each time that they had all been broken, they knew what time was right, and what time was wrong.

And now was wrong.

Because now, there were unshed tears in the eyes of the strongest girl any of them had ever met, and hushed whispers of the secrets between two best friends.

But as Mark strode over with Clara, the sense of clarity for the future resonated between the five.

They had once been two groups of three, with Clara not even in the country.

But now, they were a group of seven.

Seven broken people who knew that they could fix themselves, and could see that it would be easier with each other.

There was love, sparked between friend and lover. There was understanding. There was meaning.

These seven people, who had all experienced completely different lives, had met through pure chance, laced with coincidence.

And they were going to make the most of it.

"So we're having a mid year party at Newfield Lake and you all better be there or you're not to speak to me ever again" Mark spoke, the fact that he didn't sense the mood becoming a positive.

"When is it?" Andy asked, being the first of the group to speak since the argument.

"Two weeks. Saturday"

"A month before I leave" Clara spoke, a sad smile on her face.

There was an air of sadness that lingered as they realised that Clara would be going back to Germany sooner than they had all thought.

The most disappointment radiated off Mark, who had become the closest to Clara in her short time.

But this event, this celebration of friendship, it would change the fear of losing each other drastically.

When the school bell echoed through the corridors and down to the parking lot, the seven prepared themselves for the day.

"See you guys later" Sloane grinned in an attempt to change the sour mood.

And that smile, that promise of seeing each other, meant more than it should have to the broken people.

Because these broken people had each other to feel less broken, and could see the meaning laced between each word that any of then spoke.

"Will do" Clara answered for the group.

"Bye babe" Sloane whispered, kissing Parker softly on his cheek.

Parker had to restrict himself from saying 'I love you' for what seemed like the hundredth time this week upon parting with Sloane as he told her goodbye.

And it confused the rest of them, the reason they didn't speak how they felt, and believed that meddling was the only way to change it.

So be it, they would meddle.

Because Sloane and Parker were desperately in love.

And everyone but the two could see it.

*

guys. on the 10/04/2018, Texting Him ranked at #317. (updated author's note 11/03/22: this is so pure i was so happy omg)

thank you. so much.

all my love,

- sage xx