1.Bitter Dreams

The alarm clock wakes me up suddenly, I smack it off, and I open my eyes, still a little groggy from being woken up so suddenly. I look out the window, the sun sneaks in, allowing a preview of a sunny day. I get up, my whole body in protest, and go into my morning habits. I'm still in high school, and I need to focus more on my studies and not be late for class. I stand in front of the full-length mirror, choose a light pink blouse, and dark jeans, and white sneakers, then start fixing my reddish-blond hair, my hair is long, I think I need to cut it a little.

I grab my bag from the bed, it's a faux leather and go downstairs, take advantage of my parents still sleeping and leave without making a sound. I like to feel the rare sun warm my skin, touch my hair. I take my car from the garage, it's an Audi Hatch, a gift from my father. One of the best lawyers in Seattle.

…

At school I always park near a large tree with a thick trunk, students usually sit in its shade to talk, study and date.

"I thought you wouldn't come anymore "I look back, it was Helena, my best friend. She is beautiful, with her curvy body, olive skin, and long, black hair, and always in fashion.

"Sorry, I slept late yesterday."

"Okay, but let's go in Isabelle, we're late again!"

We ran to the school and entered the Geography room at once, Mr. Varnes looks at us with a sharp smile, usually meaning, I'm going to screw you on exams. I sit with Helena and open my book.

I feel the strange sensation of being watched, as well as a shiver running up my spine. I look scared back and see a boy, another newbie this year. He's tall and strong, golden hair that falls to his shoulders in curls, and eyes the color of liquid gold that were looking at me. I looked ahead and found myself face to face with the professor's frown.

"MS. Snow, any problem?"

"No," I whisper, knowing the eyes on me.

"Would you like to withdraw from my monotonous class?"

I look at him in surprise, it's not such a bad idea.

"No sir."

"Great, can I continue my class?

"Yes sir" He looked at Helena, she is pale, that was not even with you.

…

I leave the school day gratefully, feeling the icy twilight wind hit my face. I go to my car with Helena concentrated on a book.

"What book are you reading?

"50 shades of gray."

She looked at the cover. When Helena and I were little, we had our Smart Girls Book Club; me, her, and my cat Patt, who died a year ago.

"Do you think Mr. Is Varnes going to be on you all year?

Just as I'm about to respond, I see something across the parking lot. It was him, the blond boy, with a red backpack on his back, leaning against a shiny black motorcycle. He's wearing a black blouse, from some rock band, dark jeans and heavy-looking black boots, and a chain with a pendant of a star inside a circle, it seems to be made of silver. There are some boys near him, all in black too. A girl with long blond hair, wearing a black dress and wine-colored corset. Next to him was a tall and strong boy, he looked like a wall of muscles, his hair was red and unruly, and he also wore black, next to him was a boy with black and messy hair, thin and short, and next to him a girl long and curly hair. All with the star pendant necklace inside the circle.

It's late when I notice that the boy's golden eyes are fixed on mine. Shit!

"The Hunters "Helena follows my gaze "They're new to school, it's been two days, you'd know if you walked around here regularly "She giggles "Well, Simon Hunter is looking this way.

That's his name. Simon, there's something odd about his gaze, a fierce gleam. I look away at Helena, who goes back to talking about the book, but of course she doesn't pay attention, I can feel his gaze on me, I'm feeling my skin prickling, like a bad feeling.

I look again, and he's still looking at me, but the others are starting to get into a car next to the bike. I try to hold his gaze, but I can't, my eyes are hurting, I open my car door, say goodbye to Helena and get in, satisfied that my windows are tinted. I drop the bag on the seat next to me.

The line to get out of the parking lot is long, and I am forced to stand still, waiting for the line to move, which by the way is very slow, I lowered the car window to feel a little cold wind touch my face, I hear a noise and look to the side. A shiny motorcycle is parked, the biker wears a helmet, but I know who it is... Simon.

He turns to face me, even though I can't see his eyes I can feel they're fixed on me, so I stare, I'm holding his gaze, maybe that's what he wants. Lowering the volume of the music playing through the car's speakers, he continues to stare. The chain with the star pendant is dangling around his neck, glowing faintly. There's something odd about that star, the points seem sharp enough to cut something. I look back as someone starts honking, and I start to walk forward, Simon does too, but I stop farther ahead, look back once, and then stand still, looking straight ahead.

…

When I get home, I go up to my room before my parents arrive. Taking a long shower will help me relax, but as the warm water falls over me, I remember the golden eyes staring at me, there's something very strange about that look. Who are you to find people's posture different? My subconscious grumbles, I roll my eyes at the thought.

My parents arrive at 7:00 pm, we have dinner in silence, while I think about Simon, and I shake my head, I don't know why I keep thinking about such a strange boy, but he's a cat, it kicks my unconscious. My dad is talking to my mom right now, about someone I don't know. And he looks at me.

"Do you remember him, Isabelle?

I look at my dad and blink my eyes back to focus on the conversation.

"Oh sorry. Whose?"

"From Gabriel, your cousin."

"Yes, I remember him."

Gabriel and I saw each other often when we were little, but he moved with his parents to London, and the friendship was never the same, although we saw each other every Christmas, but our conversations boiled down to uncomfortable greetings.

"Well, he's coming over to spend some time with us," my dad announced. What does he want?

I look at my food not knowing what to say. I had plans for this year, and none of them included accompanying a strange cousin everywhere. My last memory of him was at Christmas, he was tall, thin, his face covered in pimples and hair that grew in all sides. I'm nobody's babysitter.

Helena gets hysterical when she learns that Gabriel is coming to my house, she's always had a crush on him.

"I don't believe it," she says for the tenth time. I want to turn off my cell phone and get some sleep, but she won't let me "It's been a long time since I've seen him.

"I don't know what you saw so cool about him. He doesn't suit you.

She sighs on the other side, and I know she's rolling her eyes.

"I do not know either. Sorry, look at the time, let's go to sleep."

I hang up relieved. I know he's my cousin, but I feel like I don't want him here, and I feel guilty about it.

I end up dreaming about Simon Hunter's golden eyes.

I'm in a large room with dark brown walls, there are no windows, just pictures, but I don't know what's painted, it's like my mind doesn't read the pictures, there's a door on the other side, made of dark wood, and It's open, revealing a black square, and I know there's someone there looking at me in the dark, gold eyes shining, I want to speak, but I can't, my tongue is hard inside my mouth, and I find myself stuck on the floor, I can't move, and my breathing is starting to slow. I'm dying.