"Ivy. This doesn't look good... I mean, I would never say 'no' to a party, but maybe we should reconsider it."

I took off my hood, grimacing as the rain slowed down, only a few drops still falling on my forehead. I couldn't ask more from Norfolk's lovely weather. Virginia state seemed to be nice from pictures, but to live in it... wasn't as beautiful as I thought. A shiver went down my spine and I flinched, turning my head towards Mike. "You said you wanna come. We're here."

"But... mom doesn't know we left. I don't wanna get in trouble... she's gotta buy me a car for my birthday." He ran a hand through his brown hair. His nervous behavior was making me feel sick, because I was just like him.

If mom figures out we sneaked out tonight, I probably won't see the light of day the whole summer.

"It's gonna be fine. She won't know. Besides, I came just for Emily. She sent me a weird text and I can't let her hang around a guy's house totally drunk." My voice became shaky as the rain penetrated the thin material of my jacket.

"Why didn't you tell me that? I could've called a friend to..."

"Mike. I wanna go out. And you wanna go out too. Mom won't find out. Can you stop talking?"

He shut his mouth and nodded, eyeing me with a weird intensity. I sighed, walking faster. We had one more street to walk until Mike's friend's house. His name was Jamie and he was well known for his huge parties held in his mansion when his parents were out of town. I adjusted my jacket and put the hood up.

What if it's coming back? What will you do then? Can you afford the risk?

I didn't know what I should've done. But, one thing I was sure of: I wanted to go out. I didn't want to feel trapped, closed in a cage like an animal, anymore. I know mom wants the best for me...

...but sometimes the best is not enough.

"We're almost there. See that yellow house?" Mike said, pointing out a house approximatively 15 feet away from us. I shoved my hands in my pockets.

"Good. We can stay there two hours. In two hours meet me outside, okay?" I told him, looking straight at him, making sure he clearly understood my words.

Mike nodded with a blank expression on his face. He seemed... worried. I frowned my eyebrows, not sure why he felt that way when a party was held right in front of him. "Mike, you okay? You seem a bit off."

He shrugged, throwing me a quick smile. "No, man, I just... God, Ivy, I really want that car!"

I rolled my eyes, picking up my pace. "Bye, Mike. Two hours, understood?"

I heard him yelling from behind "I know already! Don't you dare be late either!" and I smiled, shaking my head. If only he knew how aware I was of the time spent there. It wasn't only about mom.

What if something happens, Ivy? Can you take responsibility?

Only two hours. This is the limit. You're Cinderella. When the clock strikes the midnight, your fairytale turns into a nightmare. Do you understand?

I shook my head, throwing away my worries. The point of sneaking out was to actually have fun. I didn't have time to worry about something which might or might not happen. So, I took a deep breath, climbed the stone stairs which led me to a huge, fancy double door on which complicated models were engraved, I cleared my throat and knocked twice.

Do I even have to knock? Isn't it like an open party?

"Password." Someone hissed from the other side. I lifted an eyebrow at the talking door and sighed.

"Open sesame?" I scoffed, crossing my arms over my flat chest and feeling how my blood was turning cold because of my wet jacket.

"Bingo!" The guy said, opening the door and showing me the biggest smile I'd ever seen.

"Let me guess. Jamie?" I asked the blonde guy, and his brown eyes glowed, as he raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, my. Who are you, young lady?"

I closed my eyes for a few seconds.

He's literally the same age as me...

"Hey, Jamie! How's it goin'?" Mike said and I turned my head towards him as he was climbing the stairs.

"Hey, bro. Pretty stoned, to be honest. You said you ain't comin'. Your ma' let you comin' after all?"

Jamie folded his muscular arms, letting us admire his well-defined muscles. Mike grimaced, scratching the back of his neck and planting his feet next to me. "Yeah, you can say that. Oh, and I brought my sister. She said a friend of hers is at your party..."

Mike got interrupted by someone yelling at Jamie and then, in a few seconds, a beer flew in the air. Fortunately, Jamie had better reflexes than I thought, and he managed to catch it before it hit the ground. He started laughing, opening the beer and taking a long sip from it. We waited patiently until he breathed again and he gave us a short nod. "Alright, guys. Come in."

I exhaled sharply as we entered his house. The smoke and the smell of the alcohol and other things, which were better not named, made me wrinkle my nose, as we were following Jamie towards the kitchen. Mike started talking to Jamie about soccer and I inspected the huge living room, trying to get a glimpse of natural blonde hair.

"Ouch!"

I pulled off quickly, massaging my nose and cursing myself for being so clumsy. For a second, all I could see was the guy's chest I bumped into. That looks like a very hard chest, indeed. Then, I slowly raised my head...

"Uh... s-s-sorry." I managed to apologize, turning my head and avoiding a possible eye contact with him.

He looks like my ex.

His black hair, blue eyes, sharp features... they reminded me of Brian. The sweet, warm Brian, who used to be by my side all the time...

He thinks you're a weirdo. It's been six months already, Ivy. Get over it.

"...drink."

"Huh?" I looked back at the stranger I bumped into, frowning my eyebrows, not sure of what he said. The stranger smiled gently and showed me his bottle of beer.

"Do you want a drink?" He repeated, increasing his voice's volume, the electronic music becoming even louder than before.

I shook my head, blushing while I was staring at his face. "No, thanks."

I turned my back, ready to search for Emily, but my arm got yanked backward, surprising me by his sudden action, and I almost fell in his arms. He whirled me around and smiled, but this time the smile wasn't as welcoming as the other one.

"Have a drink with me."

... he's threatening me.

I took a deep breath. Suddenly, I felt like I could breathe no more. I gulped, blinking a few times.

Calm down, Ivy.

"I'm sorry. I told you no..."

He grabbed my chin, lifting it so our eyes were at the same level. I shut my mouth, almost biting my tongue. His grip was hurting me. I tried to reach out for his hand, but his other hand grabbed my arms, making me unable to move.

Help.

"Reconsider my offer, pretty face." He whispered into my ear, closing the small gap between our faces.

"Josh, man! Stop it!" Someone yelled and the creepy stranger let go of me. I took a few steps back, placing a hand on my chest, feeling how my heart was racing like I was running a marathon.

A guy with curly, blonde hair, grabbed the stranger's arm, throwing him a meaningful glare. The stranger nodded and jerked away from his touch. With a frustrated sigh, the blonde guy turned his head towards me and smiled apologetically. "Sorry. My friend is kinda drunk. You see, he is a bit aggressive when he's like that."

Then, with a serious expression, he approached his friend, whispering something to him which seemed to be intense, as the stranger's eyes widened, fear appearing within them.

They turned their backs to me, running away like they were chased by the police. I sighed, relieved that they left me. I wrapped my hands around me, shivering, but not because I was cold. I couldn't care less about my wet jacket.

What were that guy's intentions? Actually, I don't want to know.

I let out a harsh breath and got back to my mission for the night: finding Emily. I whirled around briskly, trying to focus on this task, without letting other black thoughts darken my mind.

"Emily!" I yelled, but no one heard me. The music was too loud. The people were too drunk. And Emily was nowhere to be found.

This is not working. I have to go out.

I elbowed some people aside, trying to get out of the crowded room. The huge number of people made me become anxious and... scared. Scared of what could've happened.

Please not here, not now.

The store. The building. The bus.

Dad.

Time has frozen. Her blonde hair got into my visual area. She opened a door and left the room, without throwing a single glance behind her back.

"Emily!" I screamed, making a few people around me to turn their heads towards me, but I didn't have time to care about their confusion. I ran towards the door which Emily used to escape the living room.

When I reached it, I grabbed the knob quickly, going out in the middle of the night. I let myself calm down and exhale slowly, as the chilly air got into my lungs. I was in a small backyard, where people were sitting down on lounges, getting laid and drunk. At least, there were fewer people than inside.

"Emily?" I said, but more to myself.

Emily wasn't there.

But I can swear I saw her leaving the house...

Maybe I saw another blonde girl and thought she was Emily? Probably. There was no other logical explanation besides this. Sighing, I took a few steps and flopped down on a lounge, eyeing one of the untouched beer bottles near it.

Don't you dare to drink, Ivy Moore! No more drinking!

I shook my head.

Be strong, Ivy!

"Hey there, lonely girl."

I raised my head. A gorgeous red-haired girl has planted her feet in front of me. When we made eye contact, she smiled, inclining her head, curiously studying me. I cleared my throat and plastered a fake smile onto my pale face. "Hey."

"Care if I join you?" She asked, but her actions told me it wasn't a question, but more of an announcement, as she laid down on the lounge, right next to me.

"...I wasn't intending to stay anyway. I have to find my friend." I said, starting to rise from the lounge but she grabbed my arm, forcing me to stay down.

"Where are you going now? I gotta ask you something."

"What?" I furrowed my brows, not sure of what she actually wanted from me.

She exposed her white teeth and I gulped, involuntarily.

There's something weird about this girl and I don't like it.

"Now, now, now... don't you think you're quite impolite? I'm trying to be friends with you, you know."

I grimaced, rubbing my hands and looking down at them. My wet jacket wasn't helping me stay warm and I should've gotten changed long time ago, but there was no time for this kind of details. "I'm sorry, but I don't like making new friends." I don't want to hurt you. "So... I'm gonna search for my drunk friend and then go home. Sorry..."

"Listen to me, human."

She lifted my chin, forcing me to look straight into her eyes.

What's wrong with these people, grabbing my chin and forcing me to make eye contact?!

Her blue eyes were boring into my very soul like she could read me like an open book. Her expression... was scaring me.

She's like that strange guy.

"Have you seen a weird guy around? Funny, likes to talk a lot and has a thing for cute girls, just like you?"

I felt dizzy. Maybe staring into her mesmerizing eyes for too long wasn't a healthy thing to do. I shook my head, not sure of what she was trying to ask me. "I... just want to... find Emily..."

She sighed, rolling her eyes and letting go of my chin.

Because of my dizziness, my sense of balance disappeared completely and I found myself kissing the grass. A pair of black stiletto appeared in front of my eyes and I looked up at the girl with curly, long red hair. She threw me a disgusted look and pivoted. She wanted to leave me there, when I couldn't even get to my feet.

The strange guy.

My hand moved without my permission and I grabbed her ankle, making her stop. Slowly, she turned around and lowered her body. "What? Now you want to be friends?" She said, smiling like a devil.

I ignored her question and, gulping, I told her: "There was someone. Someone creepy and weird. He tried to make me drink with him."

She narrowed her eyes, resting her chin on her palm. "Creepy? It's not him. Thanks for sharing this information."

"Wait!" I whispered.

Why is my voice like that? What's going on?!

She patted my head and smiled. "Sleep, dear. There are some bad guys inside. Your big sister gonna kill them all, okay?"

I drew in a deep breath and my eyelids felt really heavy. I closed my eyes.

Sleep. Forget.

Forget.

Forget.

But I couldn't forget everything.

I entered the huge store, adjusting my hood and lowering my head. The sparkle of the jewelry made me wince, making me wonder how much would they cost.

Enough to make you turn around and leave in an instant.

I sighed, feeling how sweaty my palms have become. I shoved them in my pockets. The cashier threw me a suspicious look, but I smiled with confidence, trying to show her that I hadn't lost my way and I knew exactly where I was. She discretely rolled her brown eyes and gave me a millimetric nod as I turned my head, ready to look for Emily.

My eyes kept looking at my small, black watch. I couldn't stay long. I had to be careful.

The store. The building. The bus.

Shaking my head, I passed by several showcases which displayed the most expensive jewelry the store had. I let a shiver go down my spine and I couldn't help but think Why would rich people pay so much for tiny objects?

"Ivy! Hey, come over here!"

Emily's high-pitched voice made me turn around quickly, as she was walking towards me, her full, brown lips started curving into a small smile. She threw her long, blonde hair on her back with a single, elegant movement of her hand. I pursued my lips, approaching her and taking off my hood.

"Goddamn, Ivy. You should totally stop wearing this tomb-boy outfit. Hoodies? Really?"

I shrugged. "We both know you can't change my mind. Now, what did you want me to see? I can't stay long. My mom..."

She gave me a dismissive wave of her hand, walking towards a huge showcase. "I know. I know. Your mother is a tyrant who tries to control you and your personal life. I know already."

Furrowing my brows, I sighed deeply. "It's not like that..."

She giggled, turning her body towards me and planting her feet next to the biggest showcase in the entire store. "I was joking! Geez, you're not fun at all. Why are you always so tense?"

I preferred to not answer that question. She knew nothing about my past, about what I'd been through. And I wanted to keep it that way. It wasn't safe to talk about it. Not that she would've reacted like the others, but...

Maybe it will come back if I talk about it.

I forced a smile and lifted my chin towards the showcase near us. "So... is the thing you wanted to show me in this huge showcase which is probably more expensive than what I can make in my whole life?"

She rolled her eyes, resting her hands on her hips. "Ha Ha. What a good joke. But, whatever. Yeah. I wanted to show you this necklace."

Like she felt us staring at her precious goods, the cashier appeared behind our backs and cleared her throat, making us turn towards her. She smiled -a fake, calculated smile- and gave a small nod towards the showcase. "Would you like to buy anything?"

I placed my gaze upon Emily, whose eyes became dark as she was staring at the cashier. I knew what she was thinking. And, that's why I gently grabbed her hand, squeezing it. She had a bad temper and the thing which made her go crazy was when people underestimated her. She flinched when I touched her, looking straight into my eyes. She probably forgot I was still there, next to her. Sighing, she turned her head towards the cashier and gave her a full smile which could probably compete with a supermodel's one. "I'm still thinking. I will give you my answer in five minutes. Is that okay?"

The cashier nodded slowly, giving us one last glare before she pivoted and went back to another customer. I exhaled sharply, gazing at Emily. "Stop getting mad over such little things. She will see that you're serious when you'll buy something. There's no need to be dramatic."

She nodded, the last trace of irritability disappearing from her joyful, big, blue eyes. "Okay, okay. I'm dramatic. I know. Now, let's forget about it. So, what do you think of this necklace...?"

I couldn't hear anything. My heart was hammering in my chest and I placed my hand on it, not sure of what was going on. Everything seemed blurry and my temples were pulsing.

Am I having a panic attack?

Is... is it back?

Frightened, I looked around the store, trying to find even the most insignificant detail which could prevent another catastrophe.

Then, I saw it. A glimpse of red hair, which made me shiver involuntarily.

I saw Emily opening her mouth with the corner of my eye, but I didn't have time to answer her questions.

She's here.

"Your big sister's gonna kill them all, okay?"

I ran towards the lively splash of color, ignoring the people looking at me like I was a mad woman. I didn't care about them. I had to catch her. That night, that party... it got impregnated in my mind, like it was glued on it and I could never forget it.

And why are you chasing her? What do you want to do with her if you catch her?

She was... different. Maybe... just maybe...

She knows something about my problem.

I opened my mouth, ready to tell her to stop moving around, but I shut it quickly. Maybe she would've run as well if she knew I was after her. Maybe she didn't want to talk to me again.

She was slaloming between showcases and the people around made it difficult to keep the track of her fuzzy, red hair. Someone yelled after me, but I didn't turn around.

I can't let them ruin this chance.

I saw her entering another room and, taking a deep breath and forcing my legs to move, I got into the clothes part of the store. A few middle-aged women gave me a judgemental look, but I ignored them, searching for her.

There she is.

Walking, I approached her. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as her curly, long, red hair entered my full visual area. I couldn't see anything else but her. I moistened my lips, cleared my throat and gently tapped her shoulder. She stiffened and I could feel my whole body tense as she turned around...

It's not her.

I blinked twice, staring at her unfamiliar face. She frowned her ginger eyebrows, studying me from head to toes, trying to figure out why a flustered, total stranger approached her.

"S-s-sorry..." I stuttered, not sure of what I should've done. "I thought you were someone else..."

Throwing me another skeptical look, she pivoted and ran away from me. I sighed, letting my eyes wander around. No one else. There was no one else with red hair around.

It's like that night. The blonde hair disappeared... and red hair appeared...

It didn't make any sense.

"Young lady. You should come with us."

I turned around to see two intimidating bodyguards looking down at me with stiffened, serious expressions plastered on their faces. I sighed, scratching the back of my neck.

I can't stay here anymore. It might come back.

"I know where the door is." I scoffed, passing by them and walking towards the exit.

***

"Alright, people! Alphabetical order, now! You, keep it moving! Starting from the left row!"

With loud, indignant comments, we all got to our feet, moving around like lost kids in a supermarket. Mr. Wilson was watching us carefully, knowing how "naughty" students can be and making sure he had everything under control. One of my classmates kicked a chair out of anger, swearing with a low voice, but our teacher caught that and with a "Hey!" he grabbed the guy by his shoulder, looking like he wanted to kill him right there, for defying him.

Emily came next to me for a second and snorted, eyeing Mr. Wilson and the poor guy. "He needs to chill, this old man. He doesn't get it. If you get angry, we'll get angrier. It's a sign of weakness."

I rolled my eyes and got a firm grip on my backpack. "I pity him. These kids really know how to piss someone off. God knows what I would've done if I was in his shoes."

Emily covered her mouth with her hand, theatrically. "Remind me to not piss you off ever again."

"You're already doing that." I scoffed.

"Hey! Enough chit-chatting. Get in your seats!" Mr. Wilson hissed, placing his hands on his hips and narrowing his small, black eyes.

Emily rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out. Lucky for her, he didn't notice it. I cracked up and shook my head.

I waited until the most of my classmates sat down and, trying to understand where I should sit, I started asking them until the letter "M" came around.

Fortunately, Emily was sitting right in front of me. She turned around and saw me making goofy faces. She grinned and winked at me.

My partner was a strange guy, whom I've never seen until now. As he noticed me staring at him, he made eye contact with me and shook his head. I pursued my lips, disappointed by his cold welcome.

The class officially started and History was boring as ever. It was even more boring because I couldn't talk with Emily and make fun with her about Mr. Wilson's exaggerated gestures. I sighed, waiting patiently until the class was over.

As soon as the bell rang, everyone rose from their chairs, even though the teacher was shouting the homework and how we had an important exam to take in a few months.

I closed my book and put my things inside of the backpack. With the corner of the eye, I saw Emily getting even paler, the fake tan almost disappearing. I furrowed my brows, not understanding what was going on. The guy next to her got to his feet, put his hood on his head and stormed out of the class.

Confused, I walked to Emily's left and put a hand on her shoulder. She jerked, throwing me a scared look which made me get a lump in my throat. "Are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost."

She blinked quickly and cleared her throat. She looked right into my eyes and plastered a smile on her face. I frowned my eyebrows. Why would she act like this? "Yea, I'm fine. It's just... that guy, my partner, he's scary as hell."

I furrowed my brows, looking at the door, even though I knew he left already two minutes ago. "Why would you say that? Did he... try something?"

She shook her head and snorted. "Nah, it wasn't like that... Do you... do you, sometimes, feel like someone's just bad vibes? Like, they don't have to do something, but you just feel like they're bad."

I sighed, patting her shoulder. Her tensed posture became relaxed. She put her hand on my mine, exhaling sharply.

I stared at the empty chair next to her, thinking about what she said.

Bad vibes, huh.

"Gabe."

I closed the door of my locker to see my partner from the History class standing right in front of me. He seemed... shy.

I furrowed my brows.

"What?"

"Gabe. My name's Gabe. I just transferred. What's your name?"

I blinked slowly. He didn't look like a bad guy. Yeah, his shaved head, his big muscles, his intimidating posture made him look like he had escaped jail thirty minutes ago, but the way he lowered his head said the otherwise. "Ivy. Ivy Moore. Nice to meet you."

He raised his eyes, meeting mine and smiled timidly. I put on a grimace, realising that I shouldn't make new friends. I didn't know if my problem would come back to me or not. It could've come anytime and I wasn't prepared to lose important things.

"I'm sorry I was a **** in the class. I was kinda pissed that my only friend here was not my partner. I'm not great at making new friends."

I giggled. We already had something in common.

He leaned against the locker next to him and folded his arms. I had to say, he didn't look bad.

"What's happening here? Already replacing me?"

Emily came next to us, smiling and playing with her long, blonde hair. Gabe bit his upper lip and lowered his head again. "Well... see you again, Ivy." With a shy wave, he left us, walking as fast as he could.

I chuckled. He was exactly like me in my first year of high school. I sighed and turned my face towards Emily.

She looked intrigued. She narrowed her eyes and grabbed my arm, dragging me slowly towards her Biology class, even though I had to go to Psychology next. "So... he's your partner? Nice muscles. Why didn't you introduce me to him?"

I rolled my eyes. "He's a shy guy. I won't force him to talk to other people."

"Oh my god, Ivy! I'm your best friend! I'm the exception, understood?" she said, letting go of my arm.

I stopped in front of her class's door. "Next time, you introduce me to yours and I'll do the same."

Her expression changed. She stopped looking into my eyes and, with a fake laughter she threw her hair on her back. "I don't think so. I think I should talk with Mr. Wilson. I can't sit next to that... guy again."

I studied her face, analysing her terrified expression. "Is he that scary?"

She glanced up to the ceiling. Her eyes were glossy. "No, no, he just... makes me uncomfortable. I just don't want to stay next to him, that's all."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to think how to make her open herself to me. It was rare to see Emily this scared and everything became worse because I didn't know how to handle the situation. "Okay, then... see you around at lunch?" I started walking backwards, studying her face one more time.

She seemed tired. Like that guy stole her energy. But she still managed to smile, even though she was faking it. "Of course. See ya."

She walked in the class, shutting the door and leaving me alone in the hallway. With a sigh, I turned around and walked towards my Psychology class, which started five minutes ago. It was a last moment decision to take this class. I needed one more class and I thought that Psychology might be just fine. It would be the first time I met my new teacher and I was already late. Great.

As I was walking, I noticed that there was not even one soul outside of the classes. I took in a deep breath, trying to not scare myself. I laughed, not believing what I was doing. Calm down, Ivy. There's nothing to be scared of.

Or so I thought.

Out of nowhere, a loud and disturbing sound made me wince and tremble in fear. I didn't know where it came from. I started running without thinking.

Throwing a fast glare in my back, the hallway was empty. I slowed down, exhaling relieved. I turned my face right before the impact.

I bumped into someone. I screamed, jerking away and massaging my nose. I hated this. Tears filled my eyes and I lowered my body, focusing on the annoying pain.

After a few seconds, I remembered that there was someone in front of me. I raised my head.

There was a tall, athletic and intimidating guy. He was wearing a black shirt, with the sleeves rolled up. His black, tight trousers made his legs look really long. I looked up at his face, but the big glasses with its dark-shaded lentils made it hard to see his eyes. His full lips turned into a thin line, like he was disgusted by me touching him.

"Are you fine?" He said, clenching his fists.

I blinked slowly, getting to my feet. His husky and low voice made me confused. "Yeah."

"I apologize." He mumbled, lowering his head. "I should've been more careful."

I massaged my hand, approaching him. "It's fine, really. It's my fault anyways."

He touched his glasses, making it look like one of those nerd's exaggerated gestures. If I thought about it a little more, he truly looked like a nerd. "Can I ask you something?"

I raised my brows.

I knew I should've ran to my Psychology class, but something about him made me more curious than I should've been. "Sure. What's up?" My voice cracked a bit, making me cringe, but he didn't seem to notice. Or, maybe, he didn't care.

"Where is the Psychology class?" He asked, touching again his glasses.

I blinked quickly and cleared my throat. This guy was intimidating. "I-I-I can show you the way. That's where I'm going."

He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest.

Oh! He was waiting for me to move. I chuckled nervously, passing by him and going straight to the Psychology class. I sensed him following me, but I couldn't hear his steps. I exhaled sharply, feeling how my hands became sweaty and I used my jeans to clean them. Ugh, I hated this. Becoming intimidated for no reason.

"So, um... are you new? Haven't seen you around."

It wasn't like I was the friendliest person that existed, but my mind was empty in that moment. I wanted to fill the embarrassing silence and didn't know how, but chit-chatting.

"No. I've been here ever since the first year." He seemed distracted. He answered my question like a robot. It looked like he rehearsed his speech, ready to be asked this type of questions. Furrowing my brows, I turned a bit to see him right in my back, with his arms still crossed over his chest. His arms were veiny and masculine and it made me stare a little too much...

"...you?"

I raised my head so fast that I could hear my neck crack. I put on a grimace and start massaging my neck. "Sorry, what?"

If he was aware I was studying him, he didn't let it show. He looked like he was used to it. "I asked about you. Are you new here? Never seen you."

"Oh. I've been here since last year. I haven't really tried making new friends to be honest so that's why you've never seen me." I said, laughing at my own antisocial behavior.

"That's sad. Why haven't you?" He continued, talking politely but at the same time in a boring manner, like he just didn't want to be considered a jerk by no talking at all.

I sighed, trying to think about a good reason to give him. I couldn't find one. "Guess that's just... because I don't want to hurt people."

He was walking behind me, which made me feel a bit awkward. But after I said that, I was happy he couldn't see my red and flustered face. I didn't know why, but I felt vulnerable near him. Why did I say such a thing to a complete stranger? I shook my head and chuckled, embarrassed. I bet he thought I was weird.

I didn't know what to expect from him. To ask me why did I think I would hurt people? To assure me that no one will get hurt because of me?

Maybe I expected something. Maybe a pat on the shoulder. Maybe a small smile and a sarcastic expression on his face.

But when I turned around to face him, there was nothing. His expression was blank and impassable. He ran his hand through his hair and stood still in front of me. His height made me look like a small kid next to him, but I couldn't care less. I was irritated by his nonchalant behavior. I knew it wasn't something to be furious about, but I couldn't help myself.

We stood like this for approximately a minute, when, finally, he said something.

"Are we there?"

I blinked slowly, not understanding what he was talking about for a few seconds. Suddenly, my eyes widened because of the revelation. The Psychology class. I pinched the bridge of my nose and snorted.

"Yea, it's right here." I said, pointing him the door next to me.

Without throwing me another glare, he opened the door and closed it as fast as a hare.

What was wrong with him?

No, better question. What's wrong with you? Why did you say such things to a stranger?

I shook my head. Right. I was the weird one. I couldn't blame him for not wanting to talk with me. Sighing, I opened the door and got in the Psychology class.

"Another late one. I won't tolerate such behavior in my class!"

An old, wrinkled lady, who was standing behind the enormous table in front of the class, raised her finger towards me, making everyone turn their heads. I blushed, inevitably, and lowered my head.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't remember where this class was." I lied, looking through my classmates, hoping I might see someone familiar.

And there he was. In the back of the class, with no partner. He was resting his elbows on the table, supporting his chin with his folded hands. His dark glasses were still on his face. I wanted to see his eyes. I wanted to know their color.

"Can you hear me, young lady?!" The teacher hissed at me, making me wince, surprised by her high-pitched voice.

"Y-y-yea, sorry. I won't be late anymore, I promise."

She shook her head and gave a dismissive wave of her hand, letting me off the hook. I sighed in relief and walked towards the desks. I made eye contact -I couldn't be sure because of his glasses, thou- with the weird guy and, without thinking too much, I sat next to him. I knew I was weird and probably he would try anything to not talk with me ever again, but I didn't care. I wanted to feel comfortable, so I sat next to the person I knew the most from the entire class.

A soft sigh came from his direction and I raised my eyebrows. Did he despise me that much?

The teacher got to her feet and started talking about Psychology and what it means. I took out my notebook and a pen from my backpack and started writing down everything she said. With the corner of my eye, I saw him leaning his back on the chair and folding his arms, like he was there for a movie and not for actually learning something.

"Hey. Do you want a pen and some paper?" I asked him, desperate to make him talk with me.

He tightened his jaw, not even throwing me a glare. I backed off, blinking slowly.

"No. I don't need anything." He whispered, keeping his all-mighty composure.

I sighed, eyeing the clock. Other thirty minutes. I wanted to get over with it quickly. I couldn't cope with me being embarrassing even five more minutes.

So, I stood there, next to this weird, intimidating, nerd-like guy, trying to be as small and quiet as I could. At some point, I thought I stopped breathing and I panicked, but as soon as I drew a deep breath, I rested assured that I was still alive.

Finally, the bell rang and I rose from my chair, ready to leave the class.

"Sit down! I forgot to check the register!"

Everyone growled, tired and bored because it was the last class this day. I rolled my eyes and I sat down, shoving my hair back away from my face.

"Crystal Anderson?"

"Here."

As my classmates kept being called by their names, I was inspecting my nails, but with the eye of my corner, I was studying the guy sitting in my right. He seemed invisible for the rest of the class; like there was nothing impressive about him so he could turn heads towards him. But I couldn't imagine why. He looked stunning – excluding his eyes which I clearly couldn't see – and the class was predominantly formed by girls. I was expecting... I didn't know, but a lot of girls coming at our desks and trying to hook up with him or something. But it wasn't like that. And I was pretty confused by this aspect.

"Ivy Moore?"

He said he's been here since the first year. Maybe... maybe he said no to all of them... or maybe? Maybe he was gay?

"Ivy Moore is not here?"

I blinked quickly and raised abruptly my head. "Oh, yes, yes I'm here!"

The teacher huffed. She continued calling out names and I went back to my confusing thoughts...

Wait a second. I could find out his name! The old lady was checking the register and she would surely say aloud his name! I bit my upper lip, waiting impatiently and listening carefully to each name she said with her high-pitched voice.

"Zoe Sander."

"Here."

"Okay, class. That's all. Don't forget the books tomorrow! We really need them!"

People rose from their seats and started walking towards the door. Confused, I looked around me, not believing I failed. One thing I had to do. To listen. I smacked my forehead. I couldn't believe I was that stupid. This was my only shot to find out more about him.

A soft laughter found its way to my ears and I turned my head to my right, only to see him looking at me. I blushed, flustered by his sudden attention and I lowered my eyes.

I sensed a sudden move from his direction and when I raised my head he was already gone.

I stuffed my notebook and the pen in my backpack and stormed out the class, thinking how could I become more embarrassing than I'd already been.