"Over two-thousand words," Cole exclaimed as he and James exited the lecture hall the next day. "There were references and everything!"

James laughed. "Sounds like this guy really has it in for you."

Cole grumbled, "I don't see what their problem is. It's not like I do it every night."

"No, just on nights you can't sleep or when your brother has got under your skin again."

Cole would have come up with some smart-ass response if not for the blue-haired girl jogging over to them. "James!"

The two boys watched Piper approach. She looked like she'd walked straight out of Rolling Stone with that nose ring and electric blue hair tips. Most students here wore faded jeans and old hoodies to class, looking like they'd drop dead if it weren't for the oversized styrofoam cups of coffee in their hand.

Piper stopped short in front of them, looking at James. "You heading to Drouens class now?"

James smiled at her. "Going now. You coming, Cole?"

Cole had changed his enrolment last night, adding Psychology to the list of units he was taking this semester. He didn't have a remote interest in the subject but James did and that's all that mattered.

Piper turned to face Cole, slightly amused. "I must've missed the memo on Bring Your Doormat to Class Day. Who rejected you from The Walking Dead?"

Cole didn't often like people. His liking for this girl was almost immediate.

A smirk twitched in the corner of his mouth. "Budget cuts. I'm too pretty for what they're looking for. Makeup would cost a fortune."

Piper laughed. It was a warm sound.

James cut in gently with, "Cole and sleep don't get along very well." He looked to his best friend. "I guess that's what running on two hours per night will do."

"Like you're one to talk." Cole scoffed. "You are just as bad as me. When's the last time you went to sleep before two?"

James lifted one shoulder in a shrug and grinned. There wasn't a single wrinkle in his chinos and his bright hair laid to one side of his head. He used a special kind of product from Italy that ensured the wind didn't mess up his hair. Cole had seen the bottles lined up on his friend's bathroom counter. They were arranged alphabetically and according to size. Like an ass.

Piper looked at James. "For having so little sleep, you are unusually well dressed at this hour of the morning."

"Why, thankyou." James adjusted his tie slightly. "I do like to make an impression."

"You're wearing a cardigan. And a bow tie."

There was a twinkle in James' eye. "Bow ties are making a comeback in modern fashion."

"You look like Gatsby." Piper deadpanned. "Only blonder."

James grinned at her. "Fitzgerald was one of the greatest novelists of his time. He pioneered flamboyance in the Jazz Age. I am honoured to be related to the likeness of one of his characters."

"He died."

"An unfortunate inevitability."

Piper rolled her eyes, not unkindly. Cole told her, "His mother forced him to go to charity events with all those old, pretentious men and women from the age of six. You know how impressionable they are at that age."

James shook his head fondly. "My love for classical literature stemmed from the age of four. My mother would read them to me each night by the fire. When I was old enough, I started reading them myself."

"Your mother also dressed you well into your teens." Cole pointed out. James only laughed.

Piper looked between the two of them. "Well, as interesting as this has been - and believe me, I've never been more amused in my life - I just came to return your notes." She held a notebook out to James, who took it. "We should head to class."

"Let's." James agreed, nodding. "Best not to keep Professor Drouens waiting. He has so fickle a class that I can only imagine his tender heart breaking if we were not to make an appearance."

"Does he always speak like that?" Piper whispered to Cole.

"Only when you get him on the topic of classic American literature. Or after one too many Sarsaparillas."

"What's the limit?"

"Three."

James was rummaging through his satchel and appeared not to take any notice of their conversation. He looked up a moment later and glanced between the two of them. "Shall we?"

Piper nodded and the trio made their way toward the science building.

***

"Okay, but did you see Drouens face when that one kid said psychology wasn't a real science?"

Piper laughed at Cole's question, taking a sip of her latte. She'd taken a photo for Snapchat earlier. Cole had watched in horror as she uploaded it to her feed but automatically forgiven her when she'd said it was to make the rest of the caffeine-deprived Snapchat community jealous. She was awesome like that.

The three of them sat at a round table in the middle of the coffee shop. It was the lunch hour and the cafe was packed with students hustling for their next dose of caffeine before afternoon classes.

"He looked like he wanted to rip the guy's head off." Piper chuckled. "Why would you even take the class if you don't believe in it?"

Cole grinned at her. "Old man could go off. I bet the kid doesn't even know how to spell 'empirical'."

"I'll bet you ten bucks he doesn't get higher than a C on the exam."

"You're on."

The pair glanced at each other before laughing again. James sat between them with a fond look.

The three of them had sat together in class. Afterwards, James suggested they go get coffee and invited Piper along. The blue-haired girl didn't have another class until three so she opted to join them.

Cole knew the real reason James had invited her. In his twelve years of knowing him, Cole had never seen James take romantic interest in a woman. He was always busy with his charities and fundraisers and helping his mother and building the perfect transcript. He had goals and aspirations and romance had never been a priority.

Oh sure, James had had one or two crushes, but he was humble about it. He never harped on about their looks or rambled on about sex. In fact, Cole and James had never been the type of friends to sit around salivating over who they found attractive as of late. It didn't help that Cole was gay and didn't share in his friend's taste, but James had made it explicitly known that Cole could rant about men all he wanted whenever he liked.

Cole couldn't think of anything worse than 'boy talk' with James, but he made it known that he appreciated the gesture. From there they'd gone on normally and rarely talked about romance in a serious aspect. James just wasn't that kind of person and Cole didn't like to kiss and tell.

Until now, of course, because Cole knew exactly why James had invited Piper out to coffee. And let her borrow his notes.

To be a decent person yes, but also because Cole could see the hearts in his friend's eyes when he looked at Piper, even if James denied it.

Cole couldn't blame him either. If he'd been straight, he couldn't say he wouldn't be interested in Piper.

The girl was a force to be reckoned with. She was cool and authentic in ways a lot of people weren't. She called you out on your shit and wouldn't take no for an answer. It was both a blessing and a curse.

If her hair wasn't enough, she was unique in her wardrobe alone. Some days she looked like she'd just stepped out of a rock concert, others she looked like she belonged in a home decor magazine.

She wore clothing of all styles, shapes and colours. Sometimes her clothes didn't match and others they were monotone. Large chunky bracelets adorned her wrists or a bandana was wrapped around her head. Cole had never seen anything like her, and it was wonderful. She was shared the same humour as him which was always a bonus.

Piper gestured at her empty mug. "I'm gonna get a refill. Anybody want anything?"

James handed her his mug and a ten-dollar note, which she rejected with a sharp look, and thanked her. Cole declined, tapping his silver insignia ring against the rim of the mug to indicate he wasn't done. The snake design on the front made a chinking noise as it scraped against the porcelain.

Cole watched as Piper made her way through the crowd to the counter before turning to his friend. "What is your problem, man?"

James look startled. "What are you talking about?"

"Just tell her you like her!"

James choked but recovered expertly within seconds. "I never said that."

"Oh, dude. C'mon. It's so obvious. You never take your eyes off her." Cole laughed.

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do. Just tell her."

James blushed slightly, something Cole had never seen him do. "We've only spoken a few times."

"So?" Cole questioned. "Then make this the opportunity for her to get to know you better. It's obvious you want to."

"I'm not sure she feels the same."

"You'll never know unless you try. In fact," Cole stood, shrugging his black jacket on. It was denim with white fur lining and could easily fight the cold air outside. "I'm gonna go and leave you two to 'catch up'."

"Wait," James said. "Where are you going?"

"Where do you think?" Cole replied. "Home, so I can smoke in peace without having to watch this love-fest go down." He pulled a Marlboro pack out of his pocket.

"You know," James said with a mischievous look on his eyes. "You could stay and get to know someone yourself. When's the last time you spent longer than an hour with someone besides me?"

"Sally Forthwright." Cole replied without missing a beat. "Eight grade science presentation."

"Cole," James said knowingly. "You have to get out there more. I don't think smoking and fantasising about your car count as healthy habits."

"Hey, why you gotta drag the Commodore into this? She didn't do anything wrong."

His best friend smiled at him. "Dismiss me all you want. You never know when someone will enter your life and turn it upside down."

"Trust me," Cole said, pulling his keys out of his pocket. "Whether I stay now or go home, no one is coming into my life anytime soon."

Winking at his friend, Cole turned and left the coffee shop.