It's not always Black and White

Back to School Shenanigans

Jess nudged her playfully. "Oh, come on, spill the details! How did it go?"

Steph's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Well, let's just say I nailed the quadratic equation and maybe, just maybe, we made some plans to study together."

Laughter echoed around the table as we celebrated Steph's small victory. Jess shifted her attention to me. "How about you, Bea? Any chemistry sparks in your day?"

I rolled my eyes, not even trying to hide my smile. "Just the regular chemistry class kind."

Ryan chimed in, a mischievous grin on his face. "Yeah, but the real question is, have you two mastered the chemistry of love?"

Josh leaned back in his chair, looking completely unfazed. "Oh, absolutely. We even threw in some physics for good measure."

Laughter erupted once more, drowning out the noise of the cafeteria.

Theo sighed dramatically, drawing our attention. "Well, my day was a bit lonely. Melanie's been busy with her own stuff."

Grace raised an eyebrow, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Oh no, poor Theo, feeling left out?"

Theo shot her a mock glare. "Hey, I'm entitled to some companionship too."

Ryan grinned. "Well, you could always join the Steph and Bea Study Club."

Steph leaned in, her grin wicked. "Oh, I'm sure we could find you a suitable study partner, Theo."

Theo shook his head, his expression a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Thanks, but I think I'll stick with my loneliness for now."
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Josh's POV

After dropping off our friends, Bea and I headed back to her place. As we parked outside Grace's house, my phone buzzed with an incoming call. I glanced at the screen to see my parents' names flashing. "Hold on, Bea," I said, grabbing my phone and stepping out of the car. "I'll be right back."

I answered the call, trying to sound nonchalant. "Hey, Mum, how's it going?"

My mother's voice held a mix of concern and suspicion. "Josh, don't you dare lie to us. Where have you been?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, well, well, look who's suddenly interested in my whereabouts now that you're back in the country."

My father's stern voice chimed in. "Cut the sarcasm, young man. Tell us where you've been staying."

I leaned against the car, rolling my eyes playfully. "Relax, Dad. I've been crashing at Bea's house."

There was a pause on the other end, followed by my mother's surprised voice. "Bea? Who's Bea?"

I grinned to myself, feeling a surge of excitement. "My girlfriend."

I could practically hear their jaws dropping. "Your girlfriend? Josh, you never mentioned her."

I shrugged, even though they couldn't see me. "Well, I guess you're getting the grand introduction now."

My father's tone was a mixture of curiosity and seriousness. "Listen, bring her over tomorrow night. We want to meet her."

I nodded, forgetting for a moment that they couldn't see me. "Sure, Dad. Tomorrow night sounds good."

Bea's voice floated over from the car. "Who was that?"

I hung up and walked back to the car with a grin. "My parents. They want to meet you tomorrow night."

Bea's eyes widened. "Your parents? Tomorrow night? Are you serious?"