Avery's bus ride to school and the short trek to her locker had been filled with thoughts of Azrael. The more that she thought about him, the more she realised that she really didn't know anything about him.

The night she had decided to sign the contract, she didn't get to ask him all of her questions. She wanted him to explain how the contract worked, surely she couldn't ask for the cure to cancer, if that was the case why hasn't someone already done it? Even If she could, would she spend her life to save thousands of others?

Also, there are limitations to Azrael's powers stated in the contract; for example, that he couldn't manipulate memory. Although, there were still so many things that the contract could be used for. Avery had only thought of people making money, cheating on exams and using it for job promotions but she knew that there were people who could think up much more interesting ways of using it. She was only scratching the surface of its power.

If she was honest with herself, she had forgotten all about the contract after being preoccupied with everything that had happened since then. Aiden’s attempt to assault her in the locker room, Paige’s strange hiatus from bullying her and her newfound curly blonde friend, Sadie.

Up until Avery opened her locker, she had been consciously deciding not to think about Aiden. However, when she saw the crinkled corner of his note peeking from until the pile of books she couldn't help it. She found it odd that he didn't remember what he had done.

In that moment of vulnerability, she had thought it was a lie, and even if it wasn't, it didn't excuse his actions. There were multiple reasons why he might not remember, all of which would still make it his fault; drugs, alcohol. Other than the horrid stench of cigarette smoke, she hadn’t smelt anything else on him that night. Though, she also realised that she was a little too occupied to be thinking about how his breath smelt.

When he had chased her into the hall she felt nothing for him but pity, but having woken up on a new day she was beginning to think that perhaps she should have listened to him.

The memory of pure desperation in Aiden's eyes and the pained tears that welled in them shook Avery’s resolve. She wondered how someone could look so incredibly heartbroken if they were just lying to her. Am I missing something important?

With a deep, defeated breath Avery closed the locker, shutting out the thoughts of Aiden as the door clanked shut. I'm just overthinking this.

Avery weaved through the crowd of students towards her first class, her thoughts quickly returning to Azrael. She wanted to know more about him. It had been made clear to her that his past as a human was a touchy subject, and she already knew that she would never hear his story. However, there were still things she couldn't find out about the contract, and perhaps his past clients and even Hell.

Hell. As Avery pushed open the door to her art class she began to wonder what hell might be like. Was it how the bible portrayed it? Flames and rock and death?

It wasn't until Avery walked into art class that her thoughts of Azrael and his contract were finally broken. Her eyes fell on a familiar face, seated in the back row of the classroom.

Ethan had his cheek leant into his palm as he sat, looking bored as he scribbled lazily on a piece of paper.

He wasn't in this class at the start of the semester? Did he transfer in?

Avery's expression twisted into a mixture of surprise and confusion to see Lakeshore Lion's basketball star doodling in art class. This dark blue Basketball jersey that sat loosely atop a white short sleeve t-shirt made him truly look out of place. The boys that found themselves in art class were usually similar to Aiden, taking the subject because they think it’ll be easy.

Avery pursed her lips together as she stared at him. She glanced towards the front desk, her usual go-to spot in most of her classes. However, even as anxiety bubbled in her stomach like butterflies before a race, she found that her feet were carrying her towards him.

I don’t need to be scared to approach him anymore.

Ethan had been so busy with his work that he hadn't noticed the blonde until she stood beside his chair, attempting to look at his drawing.

"I didn't know you were in art" Avery questioned with a nervous smile. As the green-eyed boy shifted his eyes to Avery. His arm moved across his work as he sat up at attention, his arm sitting on top of whatever he had been drawing in or centre of the page.

The moment that Ethan recognised the long straight blonde hair and light blue eyes, a big smile replaced the bored expression.

"I wasn't, but I'd rather be in this elective than French".

"I thought you would’ve gone for specialised sports" Avery commented, before suddenly realising that she shouldn’t have known this about him, "I just mean… since I've seen you carrying around a basketball".

Avery took a silent breath as she wondered whether her quick cover-up would suffice. Ethan was on the basketball team and their star player, his main wardrobe consisted of basketball jerseys and he was often seen with a basketball in hand. Just like he did in middle school.

"Well, that was my first pick. I was sure I would get in so my second and third options were random. Turns out that was a bad call on my behalf" he rolled his eyes jokingly.

Avery grinned, bringing her hand to her mouth to hide a laugh that threatened to escape her lips. Ethan's eyes softened, noticing the way her cheeks rose so high that he could barely see her eyes as she smiled.

He parted his lips to continue his story but was momentarily distracted by Avery’s expression. He had seen that smile a long time ago, and he was taken back to the cafeteria a few days prior.

That day when he had caught her light blue gaze, he lost all train of thought. Something about those eyes felt so familiar, but he didn’t recognise the pretty blonde that accompanied them. He would have asked her if they had met before but Sadie had interrupted him just as he was about to speak.

When Avery’s smile began to fade Ethan was snapped back into the moment and he continued.

"When I asked to transfer they said that the only electives I could choose from were choir, poetry and this. So here I am" Ethan raised his arms and gestured to the art room to create some dramatism for his story.

Avery smile resurfaced and she couldn't help but let a giggle escape her lips at Ethan's expense.

Seeing Avery’s smile lift her cheeks back up and the soft laughter that fell from her lips, Ethan’s mouth settled into a soft smile as he gazed at her.

"At least you're in the class too. That's one good thing that came out of this" He mumbled as he watched her.

Avery's heart leapt from her chest and she choked on the laughter which quickly turned into a fit of coughs.

Ethan expression twisted into one of concerned, “Are you okay?”.

Avery turned away from him, covering her mouth as the coughs forced their way through her mouth.

"Yeah- S-Sorry" Avery croaked as she used her fist to tap her chest. She could now feel her cheeks burning and the beat of her heart escalating as she managed to clear her throat.

He only meant that he's glad he has someone he knows in this class. That's all. I can't just be jumping to conclusions like that.

After a few moments of trying to collect herself, Avery turned back to Ethan with a forced smile. I can’t believe that I’m finally able to have a conversation with Ethan Wilson alone and I have a fit of coughs right in front of him - after he said that! I’m such an idiot.

Avery’s cheeks felt as though they had caught fire and she felt as though her ribs could break with the force of her heart against her chest.

"C-can I sit here?" Avery mumbled, gesturing at the chair beside his.

"Yeah, go ahead"

Avery smiled at Ethan and shrugged her bag off her shoulders, sitting it beside the chair and taking a seat beside Ethan awkwardly.

"I tried to say good morning to you on the bus but you looked so distracted" Ethan began, causing Avery to shift her attention to him as he waited for her response.

Avery's eyes widened slightly at his observation. She had been so caught up in thinking about her dream and staring out of the window that she wasn't even paying attention to the students who were getting on the bus. It must have been the first trip to school where she wasn't eagerly waiting for Ethan to step onto the bus.

For a brief moment, Avery had wished that she never had that dream. If it wasn’t for those longing hazel eyes and full sultry lips, she could have told him ‘good morning’ as he walked past her seat.

"O-oh… I'm sorry" Avery apologised, trying to think of an excuse that had nothing to do with a dark-haired demon, "I guess I was just spacing out".

Ethan smiled and he parted his lips to speak when he was interrupted by a loud authoritative voice and the bang of the classroom door shutting loudly.

"Good morning everybody! Take your seats. Quickly now please…"

Miss Gallagher, the art teacher, had a thick afro of red curls, dark skin and always wore brightly coloured lipstick. Today it was a dark shade of blue.

"Right! Today I have the pleasure to announce that your principal, Mr. McKennon, asked me if my students would be interested in submitting an art piece that will be painted onto the outside wall of the upper level of the gym!"

This announcement caused whispers to rise within groups of students seated at their desks and Miss Galaghan looked around the room with a grin at the reaction to her news.

Avery couldn’t fathom having her artwork displayed on the side of a building. She was already very private about her drawings, so much so that she wouldn't even let her mother look inside her sketchbook. To have the entire school and passing cars see her work on the wall of the gym was overwhelmingly uncomfortable for her.

After a moment Miss Galaghan continued, "Mr. McKennon said that he had no particular theme or idea for your drawings. Obviously though, it would have to be something that a school could proudly display".

Miss Galaghan turned to a boy who sat in the middle of the classroom, "That means no submitting drawings of an animal smoking marijuana, Mr. Westland!".

At this, the class erupted into chuckles. A boy with long brown hair that was tied up into a bun waved his hand in mock dismissal, "I would never, Miss".

Miss Galaghan gave her student a suspicious look but smiled, "I'm sure you won't".

With a humoured grin, Miss Galaghan took a seat at her desk, "I'm letting you have this lesson to come up with some ideas for this piece. After today though, you will have to work on this in your spare time because we need to work on your art for your final portfolio. Your draft for Mr. McKennon should be submitted to me by next Friday so that a winner can be chosen at the staff meeting".

With that, the room quickly became loud with students talking amongst themselves.

"Are you going to enter?" Ethan was quick to ask as Avery turned in her chair back to him.

"Oh… no…" Avery shook her head softly with a slight smile, "What about you?" She returned the question.

Ethan chuckled as he picked up the paper he had been doodling on, showing the blonde with a grin.

Avery wasn't sure if the creature was supposed to be a dog or a pig. One eye was much bigger than the other, and had something on its head and held a long object in its hand. Avery swallowed a laugh as she stared at the mess of penciled lines.

"It's supposed to be a person in a suit with a cane, but I think it looks more like the animal smoking weed that Miss G said not to enter" Ethan said as he placed the page back down with a laugh.

He wasn't wrong, but she wouldn't say that.

It had been four years since Avery had last spoken to Ethan alone like this. Back then, the pair were only friends by association. Their groups of friends would often play together at lunch because of a known crush between a girl Avery was friends with and a boy who was friends with Ethan.

Even after having spent many lunches together with Ethan, she never really got to learn much about him. She was shy then just as she is now. What she did remember though, was the rainy day that she began to have feelings for him.