“Does this have any pearl in it?” Nathan frowns as he picks up a seashell. Halsey laughs and shakes head.“Pearls are made by oysters not seashells!” She tells him. Nathan makes a face and drops the pink shell. It’s past noon and they’re still at the beach, randomly roaming around. For once, Halsey feels a lot free and lighthearted. Nathan brought her to the beach because he didn’t want to be alone nor did he want his friends to see him in that state. So he’s making her accompany him for a while.Halsey doesn’t mind though; she’s having fun with him. There’s a nagging feeling in her that Charlotte won’t be too pleased but Halsey is more worried about what Lincoln will say. He’s busy with the game but he’ll call any moment and question her whereabouts.“This one’s an oyster, right?” Nathan asks her when he picks up another shell.“That’s a snail!” Halsey laughs at him. “You won’t find oysters here. They’re far out in the sea! They rarely appear on the beaches.”“But they do appear at t

Halsey’s heart is thumping hard. She keeps on peeking at Nathan who’s sitting three seats away from her. Her mind is barely on the lecture as she tries to catch his eye but he ignores her completely.“Halsey!” She’s startled when the teacher calls her name. Nathan pointedly doesn’t look at her but keeps his gaze on the teacher.“Y-Yes sir!” Halsey squeaks and stands up.“Tell me what do the moors in Wuthering Heights represent?” the teacher asks.“Er…”The teacher tuts in disappointment. “You’re not paying attention to the class at all!” He scolds her. “Pay attention. Now let’s see…”He glances around and points at Nathan.“Jacobs, tell us what the moors represent,” the teacher demands. The rest of the class snicker. Nathan isn’t the brightest student and it’s obvious that he won’t be able to answer.Halsey quietly sits down while Nathan stands up to answer. “The moors represent the wildness of Heathcliff and Catherine’s love,” he states. “Their relationship was passionate and destru

Halsey enters the empty house, feeling dejected. She slowly walks upstairs, not paying attention to her surroundings. Once in her room, she slumps on the bed.So this is what rejection feels like, she thinks sadly. Tears are rolling down her face, wetting the pillow. Her heart is completely shattered by Nathan’s rejection and the pain is a lot to bear.“I shouldn’t cry,” she sobs to herself. “He was honest with me and I shouldn’t have raised my hopes…”Yes. I shouldn’t have raised my hopes. Then why is it so goddamn hard?CLINK!The sound startles her and Halsey sits up. Is Charlotte back?“C-Charlotte?” She nervously calls out. Silence. That’s odd. Charlotte would’ve answered her.Halsey is suddenly scared. She stays still, trying to recall all the survival tactics she learnt in her life. Unfortunately, there aren’t many but she knows that following the noise without a weapon would be a stupid thing to do.She looks around and zeroes in on a small ceramic vase. It wasn’t much but it’

His soft lips caresses hers in a slow motion. Her heart is fluttering and she closes her eyes to feel the gentle kiss. Nathan’s arms hold her waist and pull her close. Halsey is unsure, her kiss a little sloppy but Nathan takes the lead and slowly probes his tongue into her mouth. He doesn’t increase the intensity of the moment, handling her with utmost care as if she’s a porcelain doll.Halsey’s lips puckers against his and they let go of their apprehensions, only enjoying the chaste kiss. In that one moment, they’re shut off from the world and lost in their bubble.Nathan slowly pulls away and takes a good look at her. Halsey’s cheeks are completely red and she’s unable to meet his eyes.“Hic!” She hiccups which makes Nathan chuckle. “I take that as a yes,” he winks. Halsey only blushes harder and looks at her feet. Nathan touches her forehead where the bandage is still wrapped.“I’m sorry,” he murmurs. “I couldn’t make it on time.”“You saved me,” Halsey mumbles. “I’m fine, so don

“What if someone finds us here?” Halsey asks, feeling nervous.“Relax!” Nathan grins. “No one can catch us here. The CCTV has been broken for years and the guards don’t come here much.”They’re on the roof, sitting on the ledge. Nathan always felt peaceful on the roof away from people but with Halsey by his side, the feeling is more refreshing. He can’t help admiring her but tries to remain aloof to not scare her.“So, where do you wanna go on our first date?” he asks her.“I…I never really thought about it,” she admits. “I can’t decide!”“There must be something you want to do on your first date?”Nathan frowns at her. She genuinely doesn’t seem to know what she wants from her first date. “I’ve never thought of what to do on my first date,” she says sheepishly. “It doesn’t really matter. I’m fine with anything. We can just watch a movie or…er…”She’s fumbling to find an activity. What do people do on dates?“What did you do on your first date?” Halsey asks him. “You have plenty of e