It was pouring in Bridgers, like always. Rain beat down on tarmac paths and bounced off the heavy leaves of nature surrounding the small town. I loved the sound of it hitting the bus stop roof, and the way water spilled down the glass in parades.

But this day was different. My attention had been torn away from the world around me, even the other kids pushing and crowding under the tiny shelter, waiting for their ride home. I was focused on one piece of paper that lay slightly crumpled under my grasp.

Elvis

The note began, my name underlined with a thick scribble. 

We'll be leaving soon and who knows if we'll see each other again. So I'm telling you, I have THE biggest crush on you. Seriously, it's a problem.

And for reasons you don't need to know about, I want you to know you're loved. I want you to know how you're loved, why you're loved, that I love you. 

Now that I've thoroughly creeped you out and scared away any possibility of a relationship, let's get on with it!

Underneath the last line was a green drawing of a plant. Vines swung down from a tiny ceramic pot, heart-shaped leaves dotting each side. The frontmost vine gleamed the dark grey of a graphite pencil, in bold and annotated. 

My heart was already vibrating from the note, I didn't think it could go much faster without malfunctioning. The annotations proved me very, very wrong. 

Leaf one is the foundation, it represents you. More accurately, the first time I noticed you with the feelings I have. Who knows when that was, I'm not THAT obsessed. Haha.

Well, they were certainly right about the scaring me off part. 

Before I could continue, a vicious pull on my arm struck me. My eyes flew up to the bus: stalled and open-door, inviting school kids in from the wet street. 

"Dude come on," Aaron yelled over the harsh weather, and probably to make sure I'd hear him through my daydream. "If you don't get on I'm leaving you!" 

"You have my bus fare!" I yelled back, slipping the note safely into my pocket before stepping out from the shelter. Aaron only smiled, smug and stupid, a look he definitely learned from Mum. 

I followed him onto the bus, squeezing past as he paid so I could choose the seats. We were too late to claim the top front ones, my fault, so I settled for the back row. With my feet up on the seat in front and eyes glued to the window, we set off.

I spent the entire ride tapping on the folded note in my pocket, itching to read more, to find a name signed at the bottom. Aaron was on his phone, earphones plugged in, but I still couldn't trust him. He's nosier than our staffy and a huge gossip. 

"What?" He said, catching me glancing his way for the 4th time. 

I faced the front, admittedly a little tense. "I'm still trying to get over how old you are now." I replied. It was weird to see him as anything other than a 6 year old with chocolate and jam smeared all over his cheeks. "Your face looks even stupider now." I quickly added. 

He hit my leg and it left me snickering, leaning close to the cool window to avoid more hits. "Your friends are upstairs, why don't you go join them?" He said in a low grumble. 

I raised my brows. "They are?" 

And Aaron raised one. "The hell were you reading to be this out of it? I thought year 11s don't get report cards." 

"Haha very fuckin' funny. I was never worried about my report cards because I actually do well in school."

"Your reports were always orange." He pointed out. 

"And never red."

Aaron sighed, looked back at his phone. "You're an idiot."

"Out and proud." He kicked me, knocking my feet off the chair in front, and plugged his earphones back in. It didn't wipe the dumb smile off my face. 

When we turned the corner to our house, Aaron stopped in his tracks. The blue Renault sat in our driveway had Aaron's eyes pinned to it – had him pinned to the ground.

I went to speak but Aaron held his hand up to silence me. "Don't you dare say a word."

"Word–" 

"I'm not going in. Don't stop me leaving!" He said, jumping into a sprint but I caught him by the arm and nearly toppled us both over. "Elvis!" 

"I can't let you leave, Mum would kill me! Besides, you can't avoid Ruby forever. Do you want to give her daddy issues?" I tightened my grip and narrowed my eyes. 

He stayed quiet, glancing from one of my eyes to the other before tilting his head away with a childish sigh. "No…" He mumbled. 

I remember the cocktail of emotions he went through when he found out his ex was pregnant, and how the first few months of fatherhood nearly destroyed him. He still wasn't fully recovered, but he did enjoy spending time with Ruby. When he could get past the first mental block. 

He was still a kid, now more than ever with the pout he was wearing. I pulled him close, threw my arm around his shoulders and smiled when he looked up. "Come on, we can show her the cheetah you painted."

"Leopard." He corrected in a mumble but started walking by my side. 

I laughed softly. "Yeah whatever, she'll love it!"

And she did. Her amber eyes lit up like embers, her bright milky teeth on full show. This little moment of awe was the only thing that stopped her fidgeting all evening, even though she sat in my tight grasp.

"Daddy's awesome, right?" I said, peering down at her chubby, red cheeks. 

She nodded her head, her curly hair bouncing in every direction. Pretty sure Samantha, her mum, called her Ruby in the hope that she'd inherit Aaron's copper hair. That didn't happen, but she's still adorable. 

"Aw, I do adore her." Our mum said from the rug beyond the coffee table, her chin propped in her hands and a dreamy look on her face. 

I caught Aaron's smile as he put his painting safely in his art folder. It was obvious that he adored Ruby too. 

And Ruby adored him. As Aaron got up, she grunted and stretched an arm out, uttering babbled words of "Dad!" 

"She wants youu!" I sang, holding her up. 

Aaron took her from me and disappeared to the kitchen. My mum sighed contently. "I didn't know I missed having a little kid running around." She said. 

"I thought you were angry about it."

"Oh, yep. Still am." She sat back, leaning on her hands. "Don't you dare bring any girls around. Don't go to a girl's house. Don't even hold a girl's hand! I can tolerate one kid, but one only right now." She warned me, a sharp look in her eyes. 

But it wasn't the warning that made my heart sink and my chest tighten. It was knowing that she already knew. She knew but acted like I had never said those words. That I didn't come out. It kinda felt like she slammed the door back on my face and locked the closet with a chair. It wasn't supposed to happen; there was nothing I could do.