1: The End is the Beginning

"*Breaking news, a young man in a black Fusion was hit by an eighteen wheeler in downtown Shanghai." I pause and slowly turn to the tv where it was playing in my apartment living room. A feeling of dread fills my body as the picture of the man is shown on the screen. Connor. No. No. No. He can't be dead. My phone rings and my head snaps to where it sits illuminating the dark room on my kitchen counter. I numbly walk over to it and answer.

"Hello?" My voice comes out barley whisper and I can feel the pressure getting worse inside my chest. My vision blurs and my hand grips the counter to keep standing.

"Hale, are you okay? You sound out of breath." The voice of my sister, Hailey comes through from the other line.

"I...I can't breathe." I manage to get out, but as each second passes it gets harder to stay standing. Suddenly I feel really sleepy.

"W-What? Do you need an ambulance?"

"I'm going to take a nap..." I fade off hanging up the phone setting it back on the counter. I stumble into my bedroom and just before I can reach my bed, I collapse. I was heaving now, desperate to take in air that my lungs weren't allowing.

"Help...me" Darkness*.

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"I DON'T CARE IF I'VE KNOWN YOU MY ENTIRE LIFE, DON'T WEAR MY FREAKIMG UNDERWEAR!" I slowly open my eyes to the bright sunlight. Looking over at my alarm clock, I sigh. These dreams already don't let me sleep, now I have to deal with loud neighbors

"So noisy in the morning." My phone pings and I pick it up wincing at the extra bright light.

Ze: Cade!!!!

Ze: Get the hell out of bed before you're late for class!

Me: I'm up I'm up. Geeze

I throw the comforter off me and sit up, swinging my legs off the edge of the bed. I push my Raven black hair out of my eyes and stand up. Today was going to be a long day...

After taking a short shower and dressing into a white button up shirt and black dress pants, I make my way out of my room and down to the cafeteria on the first floor.

"Cade!" Ze calls from a table where she is surrounded by guys hoping to shoot their shot. I sit down across from her, ignoring the glares of the other males at the table.

"Why exactly do we have to meet up here every morning? It's crowded, loud, and I have to deal with getting stared down by the flies you happened to attract each day." As I say the last part my eyes flicker over to a blonde male that was sitting beside her, trying to slyly wrap his arm around her. As soon as my gaze settled on him he quickly retreated and even scoot a few inches away from her. Ze, however, remained her clueless self.

"That's besides the point. You need to interact with people and make a friend besides me." She takes a bite of her eggs and gives a satisfied closed mouth smile.

"Yeah, me and people aren't a good mix. You're the only exception. Plus you know what happens when I have to deal with someone I'm not familiar with for too long." I complain and she pouts.

"I know..." She draws out. "Oh, by the way, what school club did you join? I didn't get to ask you yesterday."

"The Art Club."

"Of course. I should have known the moment you got here you'd join the Art Club."

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