First up on my list was Reanne Marsh, the one and only girl out of the 6. I decided to get the worst out of the way, especially considering I really admired her. I'd hate to break her heart. 

Oh god, this makes me sound so full of myself. 

Reanne was pretty, really pretty, with wavy black hair and eyes that sparkled greener than a forest on a rainy day. She was taller than me, check. An art student, check. And known to be an obsessive plant mom – as seen through her Instagram. 

Yet despite all that, I seriously doubted that she was the one. Why would she have any interest in me? No matter how long I wracked my brain, I came up with not a damn thing. 

Still, I worked up the courage to talk with her at lunch. She was sitting at a table in the hallway alone, waiting for her friends to get their food from the dining hall. It was the perfect chance. 

"Hello," I started, moving my hands around awkwardly, unsure what to do with them. 

She looked up and smiled. "Hey, Elvis? What's up?" 

What's up. What is up? I can't tell her the truth, but I didn't prepare for this question! Shit. 

Shiiit. 

"Uh, nothing much! Just…thought you looked a little lonely! Not that you look sad or anything– or like a loner! God, I didn't come here to make fun of you." 

Despite how mortified I felt and how badly that went, she began laughing. Her laugh was – adorable. Bubbly, sweet and true. I still arched an eyebrow at her.

"Okay?" Was all she said and I quickly realised she wasn't laughing because of me. She was laughing at me. 

I stood quietly for a few moments, not sure where to look or what to say. It didn't help that she was giving me her full attention. "So uh, you done the mock paper for maths yet?"

She folded her arms across the table, the laughter far, far gone from her throat. "I have…But I'm not sharing it with you. No offence, but you can do your own damn work. It's not like you struggle in maths."

Well…she at least knew I was good at maths. But every other word, and her increasingly unfriendly vibe, told me loud and clear that she was not the note writer. 

Now I was extremely embarrassed. 

"No no, I don't wanna copy it! I was just… wondering if you wanted any help with it? I heard a few people in class were struggling and uh,”

“What, do you think I'm dumb? The paper wasn't easy but I can answer more than 10 questions!” She reeled her arms in, folding them protectively. She quickly checked the people around her before dropping her voice low, “how'd you even hear about it?”

I sat up a little straighter. “About it?”

“Yes!” She rolled her eyes. “About Mr Avineer putting me on the lower paper. He told me that would stay private! I know what people would think if they found out.”

“I uh, I didn't know…until now.” Her eyes widened with horror. “Are you sure you don't want help with anything? I can tutor you?” I hastily offered.

“Leave me alone, I don't need help. And don't you dare tell a soul, got it?” She waved me off quickly upon noticing her friend's arrival to the hall.

Knowing my place, and wanting to flee for the heavens, I quickly got up and walked far away before I even thought about looking around me.

Of course it wasn't her, why would it have been?! She's pretty, she's not in any of my circles and overall waay out of my league. Although to be fair, everyone on my short list was. 

I needed to find Dan and Jacie quick before I melted into a puddle of sickening embarrassment. I can't believe I did that. I'm totally blaming Aaron, I'll punch him for it later.

"Aw, Elvis. I am so sorry that I missed it!" Jacie tried to rein in her laughs as she pretended to be sympathetic. But the tears forming in her eyes and the heavy dimples pressing her cheeks didn't work in her favour.

My face was straighter than I'd ever be, channelling all my annoyance into my stare. "I'm not against decking you and throwing your food to the birds." I deadpanned. 

She cracked, giving in to her laughter. 

"At least you know it isn't her." Dan said between eating his chips. 

I sighed, long, heavy, hard. "And it was totally worth the memory that'll come back every now and then to haunt me before sleep on very important days. Even on my deathbed, it'll be there! Taunting! You should've seen her face!" 

"Hahahahah!" Jacie's cackles turned into a wheeze. She was loving this way too much. 

"So who's next on the list?" Said Dan, teasing me with a smile. 

"Nope. Never again. I can't go through that embarrassment a second time. God, I can't believe I thought there was even a sliver of a chance she'd like me!" I buried my face in my hands. 

"I can." Jacie piped up. "Why wouldn't she like you?" She said, not bothering to add a word more as if she'd only be pointing out the obvious. It was probably a good thing she didn't continue with the way Dan was looking between us.

Always suspicious, always untrusting. Sometimes it hurt to be looked at by your best friend like that: like I was doing something wrong. But whatever. He knew he was being ridiculous.

"I'm not even gonna answer that," I told Jacie. "I don't know what to do now… I…I wanna write them a note." I said. 

Jacie's eyebrows raised, a whole bucket load of optimism shining in her eyes. "Yes! What would you say?" 

I shrugged. I'd need to think about it more. "I don't even know how I'd give it to them." I said instead. 

Jacie put a finger to her bottom lip as she thought, while Dan picked up his phone to do whatever he does on that.

"Hmm. Have they left a note in the same place twice?" She asked. I could see where she was heading. 

I nodded. "A few times. They like putting them in my PE locker. It's probably easier with the slits, and it's private."

The only problem would be my key, if I were to leave a note for them in there. I hardly used my locker, but I started checking it regularly when the notes began. I imagined this was how people online felt when they started P.O. Boxes – excited and spoilt. 

"Hold on," I murmured, catching on to something.

Jacie tilted her head in the same manner a cute dog would do. "What?" 

"They use my PE locker." I repeated. "They're a guy." I was practically beaming after saying that. 

Jacie's smile grew as wide as the Pumpkin King's. "That means they have a shot right? And you might finally get yourself a boyfriend!" She squirmed on the bench, throwing her hands around in a weird little dance. 

I was judging her with my looks, but I laughed anyway. "Maybe. I mean, I could still hate them. Like, what if they only bathed once a week? Or thought doritos were better than pringles?"

Jacie laughed too, waving me off. 

I still had to figure out how to contact them, but at least I had recovered from my talk with Reanne. Not that I wouldn't be hiding under my covers with a red face that night.