1 Prologue

Selene:

I was definitely, not ready, for this new year. This new beginning.

I wasn't.

I didn't want this new day to start and I did not want the clock to strike seven-thirty. It was the time of departure to the new semester.

"Last year of school, Arly. Last semester."I breathed, straightening my white, sleeveless, round neck shirt.

I put on the creme coloured oversized cardigan and ran fingers through my shoulder-length, wavy, black hair. I ruffled my slant bangs a little before checking my face. My blue eyes, flickered under the sunlight, shining through the window.

"You can do this. Keep it quiet. No friends, no communications." I told myself in the mirror, taking a deep breath.

Now, why was I scared? It was because I was a seventeen years old, return student.

The reason?

Because the year before, I had suffered multiple seizures. It messed up my school year, therefore I dropped two courses, Mathematics and Social Studies. They were essential to graduation, so I was back to complete.

I sighed before, grabbing my black, messenger bag and rubbing sweaty palms on my black jeans.

"You ready?" Mom asked as I made my way downstairs. She was seated on a brown cushioned, leather chair around the round, wooden table, just in the corner of the kitchen.

My mother was a beautiful woman. She had light, but dark shoulder length wavy hair. Her brown eyes sparkled whenever she smiled and cried. Her rosy, baby skinned cheeks were always plump and cute and those half rimmed, bronze glasses she wore, stood on the bridge of her nose as she checked her phone.

"Oh, no." I grunted plopping down on one of the seats and heaving a heavy breath.

"Come on, honey, it's just one semester."

"Yeah well, it's just a way to say six months of torture, darling." I muttered, taking a dry pancake and biting onto it.

"Eat properly Enie." She ordered.

"I'm late, mum. Love you." I kissed her cheek and ran, trying to ignore her calling me to come back and eat. I buckled my brown heeled boots and headed out.

It was a cold, September morning and I shivered as I descended down the hill to my bus stop. I lived in North Carolina, as a child to two of the most successful physicians. I had an older sister; two years older than me and a younger brother; just one year younger. Somehow he used to be two school years lower than mine, but, due to my school graduation insignificance, he was now only one school year away from me.

"Wait up!" Allan, my brother shouted as he ran down the road towards me.

"My God." I murmured as he panted standing next to me. His jet black hair were gelled up in soft spikes while his thick brows and lashes showed off with his bowed head.

"Breathe it out, kid." I rolled my eyes, looking at our bus as it arrived our stop shortly.

The bus was always crowded and people never cared to shut up. New students, old ones, every single one would shout and laugh and speak about random stuff. I mean come on, why would you want to shout your lungs out at eight in the damn morning. I shoved my Beats earphones in my ears and the music burst against my ear drums. The ride always took us about forty-five minutes to reach school but I  rarely took the bus. I usually preferred the train because it was quiet and calm. No bullshit of any kind.

My school was old and so damn huge. Everyone ran out of the bus and I jumped out at the end.

I sucked in a sharp breath as I stood at the entrance. It was a tall and wide building, covered entirely in faded, red bricks. The main doors were French styled, with huge windows in between and expensive designs carved around the edges.

"Selene?" Mr. Tobias's voice greeted me as I was about to step up on one of the concrete steps.

Mr. Tobias was a thirty two years old, blonde math teacher. My favourite one, to be honest. He always loved chatting and we would hang out in my spare time as helped me through the years.

"Mr. Tobias." I called back as he joined me on the steps. We walked up the stairs as he held a huge stack of sheets in one of his bulky arms and a brown leather bag hanging on his other shoulder. Mr. Tobias was a good looking man. He wasn't married and had no family but still, he was the most warm hearted man I knew. To say he was serious about his job, was an understatement. Mr. Tobias was the best Maths teacher ever. He was known in the whole city for his teaching skills and that always made me proud to be one of his liked students.

"You seem upset." He stated, opening the door but keeping his blue eyes on me.

"Didn't really think, I'd be here this year." I shook my head walking with him. I noticed how the huge student centre was still the same. The long, brown tables stood in five rows with over two hundred plastic green seats, settled around them. People were sitting and standing around; chatting, laughing and some even jumping and kissing.

"Selene, I know you. You will make it through alright?" He patted my shoulder as we headed to the corridor on our right and then turned an instant left by the end, to climb the stairs that led to the second floor. Students were shuffling and leaning into their red, metal lockers while doing the same as the others.

I'm sure, summer break was awesome but do you really have to be yelling about it? My quiet mind, yelled internally.

"Ugh, what is so exciting this morning!" I groaned, as he unlocked his class room's door.

Room 203.

"They are all excited for the new year. Give them a day. It will die down." He whispered with an almost evil smirk before the bell rang and it's annoying voice pierced my ears.

"Yeah, thanks." I chuckled, before entering his classroom for my first class.

Math. I was glad that it was with Mr. Tobias.

There were eight classes during everyday. Each one almost forty minutes long. We had a thirty minutes break after the first four classes and that was the day's schedule from nine in the morning to three thirty in the afternoon.

Mr. Tobias gave us the course outlines and then explained what the final exam of our course was going to be like. It seemed easy. Yeah, I was a nerd, but I didn't really care. The class finished fast. Of course, the only class I liked being in was the one I was attending in that moment. So, it felt like the best part of the day passed like a fast blown breeze in the summer.

When the bell rang for the second class, I pulled out my schedule to find the classroom for my social studies course. Luckily, it was on the same floor.

I remembered every corner of the school as it was almost my fifth year there. Easily, I walked two doors down the corridor, from Mr. Tobias' classroom, and found Room 209; Mr. Lancaster's class.

Mr. Lancaster knew me well, too. I didn't like him as a teacher but as a human and a man, he was a chill person to be around. He did take his job seriously but it was just that his style never suit me. Therefore, I wasn't thrilled to be in his class.

I dunk my head down and walked into the classroom. I didn't raise my eyes at anyone and didn't dare to speak a word out. Just the way I played things in my previous class.

"Good morning, class. Welcome to your final social year!" Mr. Lancaster cheered as his wrinkly hands clapped and a big crooked smile erupted on his lips. I was sitting in the back corner of the classroom and nobody was sitting close to me so I was relaxed.

"This is going to be one exciting year as many of you are graduating but I must inform you, this grade twelve social studies, is not an easy level course. It is quite important for university applications and it is necessary for you to achieve at least above sixty five percent overall after your final." He explained and I yawned with my head down.

"Lets take the attendance first." He sighed and then I heard a clap again. I tuned out and waited for him to say my name. Selene Arly.

But he didn't.

"Have I missed any names?" He asked politely.

I raised my head to find his face at the other end of the room next to his brown wooden desk. He looked the same with his pure white but thick hair, his sea blue orbs and his sharp nose. He had the most weirdest accent I had ever heard and he was always dressed in collared shirts and bland trousers.

I, reluctantly, raised my arm.

"Mine." I muttered and the whole class turned to look at me.

"What's your name?" Mr. Lancaster asked. I cocked a brow.

"Seriously?" I smirked and he chuckled. My eyes drifted from him and landed on another smile that took my breath away for a second, leaving me shook.

Jace:

Mom and dad, left for some business related trip and they took my four years old baby sister with them. They told me that they would come back in a month, so basically I was a seventeen years old, living with my sixty-five years old grandmother.

I woke up at seven in the morning and changed into the brown jeans and the maroon T-shirt that I hung in my closet. I ran fingers through my curly, golden brown locks as I stood in front of the sink in my bathroom and eyed my face in the rectangular mirror above it. My eyes, the brownish-golden was always the same and I loved how every girl seemed smitten by them.

I was a rich, popular, former wrestler slash football player of my school. I left the team after I finished grade eleven even though, I was more into football than any other game. I mean since I watched w game with my dad, Dallas Cowboys became my favourite team, the champions. I always wanted to be a player when I grew up but my mother was reluctant finding it to be dangerous. I mean, seriously?

I cooked myself some scrambled eggs and bacon, while making some handmade instant coffee. It took me almost five minutes to make breakfast and then quickly, I made some egg and pancakes for grandma before I dined myself and headed out of the house. I drove to school. School buses weren't my thing really.

It always took me a fifteen minutes drive to get to school, minus the stop I would make at the Starbucks nearby, for a pumpkin spiced latte.

"Ah, the star of Alrickson High!" My friend William Damon chuckled as I entered through the main doors. He was surrounded by my friends, which was a large group.

William was a good looking guy; almost as tall as me, which was six feet one inch. He had golden hair, just like mine, except his hair were shorter and always made into sleek spikes.

"Jace!" Hailey Scott, one of my friends, well you could say, one of the popular girls of the school, threw herself at me. She had long blonde hair, with green eyes and petite figure. She was short, I mean when she would hug me, I could easily rest my chin on her head, but then again, she had to look hot, according to her, so she would always be wearing shoes with high heels.

"Hi Hai." I chuckled hugging her lightly and then going away, knowing about my best friend behind me.

Yeah, Will really hated her. I didn't live in a normal world, maybe one that was too cliche.

"What class do you have first?" Will asked pulling me back from her and taking my attention to him.

"Hi Will." Hailey rolled her eyes.

"Class." William grit his teeth.

"English with Mr. Cory." I placed my palm on his shoulder and pushed him away from her. I really wasn't a bad guy, hated the fights.

"Hey, will you relax man? She ain't that bad, you know." I whispered as we walked away.

"Are you kidding? She is a bullying, back stabbing b-woman." He spat bitterly and I was literally taken aback by this accusation.

"Uh-"

"Don't worry about it." He waved me off and walked away, "See you at lunch!" He called back and ran away.

"Damn!" I muttered and turned to go up to the third floor to my class.

The class was extremely boring and it felt like those forty minutes were over ninety years. Mr. Cory was a bald, old man who talked more than the years of his left life required.

"Have a nice day!" He cheered over the bell, and that was all I heard and wanted to hear. I checked the schedule on my phone to find that my next class was on the second floor in room 209 with Mr. Lancaster. I groaned as I headed out of the room.

"Hey Jace!" Hailey came in my way as I was headed down the stairs.

"Hai, what's up?" I joined her as we headed down but she chained her arm with mine.

"So I was thinking about a lunch." She purred and I chuckled.

"Uh-huh, why though?"

"Because you owe me one." She giggled and I gave her a smirk.

"Okay, today, lunch, deal?" I tried to sound less upset. Hailey was trying to have a date with me and we would go almost five times a week. It was getting frustrating.

"Awesome, baby!" She shrieked and kissed my cheek. I nodded and she ran away. I realized I was left outside room 209 and I felt my jaw, drop.

"H-how did sh-" I was still unable to speak. Freaked, I walked into the classroom. It was almost full and everyone was settled. I took a seat in the middle column, between my group of friends.

I turned my head to find William sitting at the end of the column buried in his novel. He was a geek, a big one.

"Good morning class. Welcome to your final social year!" Mr. Lancaster cheered and I smiled at his excitement.

"This is going to be one exciting year as many of your are graduating but I must inform you, grade twelve social studies is not an easy level course. It is quite important for university applications and it is necessary for you to achieve at least above sixty five percent overall after your final." He explained.

"Easy." I muttered to Eon, one of my friends who sat next to me dressed in all black. He tapped his snap back and grinned.

"Lets take the attendance first." He announced. He basically muttered the names for me when I was least interested.

"Jace Anderson?" He broadcasted and I raised my head and hand.

"Thanks boyo." He smirked in his weird accent.

"Yup." I popped the 'p'.

Soon, he was done with the attendance and he put the paper away before taking off his silver reading glasses.

"Have I missed any names?" He asked.

"Mine." A chilling voice came from far. I, slowly, turned around to face the most beautiful girl I had ever laid eyes on.

She was looking at Mr. Lancaster with uncomfortablness in her posture. She clearly didn't want to get all the attention, she was receiving. Hell, she sort of deserved it.

I mean her black, long hair were sprawled carelessly on her shoulders, the white shirt she was wearing, was loose enough and emphasized no part of her front body. She wore a creme coloured cardigan on top and it was oversized making her look all the more cute. Her gorgeous blue, sparkly orbs were so alluring that I couldn't find words to describe them. Not even in my head.

"What's your name?" Mr. Lanscater asked.

"Seriously?" She smirked playfully and I grinned at her hidden confidence. I didn't see how Mr. Lancaster reacted because that was exactly when she found me. Her face turned red and she looked scared. I smiled at her and she gasped quietly. Instantly, I turned back around, because her reaction was making me loose control.

"Selene Arly." She uttered and my head spun. Why hadn't I seen her, ever, in the past three years?

"Selene? That's you?" Mr. Lancaster looked at her in disbelief. What?

"Unfortunately, yeah." she uttered sarcastically and Mr. Lancaster burst into a cheery laughter.

I felt a laugh brewing in my gut, too.

"Good to see you, kid." Mr. Lancaster smiled and she chuckled before getting back to her stuff. My breath, however, refused to settle.

She was truly, by far, without a doubt, the most beautiful girl I was ever going to have the pleasure to seek.

Selene:

He kept on looking at me. That breathtaking boy. He kept his eyes on me, throughout my encounter with Mr. Lancaster.

I felt my face get hot as I moved my eyes back down to my empty note book. Sucking in a sharp breath, I moved my fingers to the pen and placed the tip on the notebook along a line.

"Relax." I tried to calm my breath.

I looked back up and he was busy talking to his friend now. I licked my lips and remembered his smile. Charming, was the word for it.

My breathing labored again but I took a sip from my water bottle and gave out another sigh.

"No. Focus." I told myself before letting my brain sink into Mr. Lancaster's lecturing voice.