'Shit' Alec mumbled under his breath, of course they didn't know.

He looked at Ayden for support, but he simply gave a 'don't look at me man, your fault for saying it out loud' look.

"Mess? What mess?" He says trying to act innocent."

"Don't try to act dumb Alec, we all heard it." Valencia state, joining the conversation again.

"Both of you are so delusional." He says confidently.

"I didn't say anything about a mess did I now, Ayden? " he asks while giving him an all too familiar glare.

"Of course not," he says confidently.

"You guys are hopeless, you know?" Alec says, trying his best to change the subject.

"Yeah," Ayden agreed "Sometimes you guys even make me doubt if you actually passed the entrance exam."

"Well for your information Mr. Hernandez," Leia says, turning her head to face him. "We're both the top in our grade."

"What's so special about that?" Alec challenges her.

"Yeah!" Ayden joins in, "You're looking at this year's Sports, and Drama presidents for crying out loud."

"Yes," Alec agrees, "And we're not too bad when it comes to our studies as well."

"Yeah, Yeah." Leia says rolling her eyes.

"That is why you lost the general knowledge quiz to us, right?" Valencia says proudly.

"And why you almost failed Math last year, Alec?" Ayden asks jokingly.

Alec visibly tensed at that. He remembered that moment all too well. He clearly - remembered how his parents reacted – the disappointed look in their eyes all too familiar to him.

This wasn't the first time this had happened, but he sure as hell wished it were the last. He could not see the people he loved be unhappy, or disappointed in him, but he somehow always managed to do so, and he hated himself for that.

No one else knew of this though. In everyone's eyes, he was the simply almost-perfect little boy who was not only the captain of the football team, but who also had a decent academic record.