Chapter 1
Citing your sources
Charley was always quiet, always alone at school. She liked her quiet, but more then that she liked her personal space. She appeared as one of those 'weird' kids in the back of the glass that doesn't pay a lick of attention but knows all of the answers. She was also talented with the arts, music, drawing, all of it. She sat in the back of math class on this particular Friday. She let her mind wonder, go where it will because the current curriculum was beneath her IQ. Thats when she was harshly snapped back into reality as she saw her sketch book fly in the air. Thats when she noticed the boy in front of her desk. She looked up at him, dark circles under his eyes, his eyes them selves a mixture of blue and a soft green, his skin was slightly tan and his hair a brown that was almost black. He wasn't all that muscular; he looked more anorexic then anything. She watched as he snatched the sketch book out of the air.
"You're touching my sketch book," She said in a monotone yet annoyed voice.
"Way to state the obvious," He replied.
She glared at him her fist balled up, this was why she staid solitary, alone.
"Give it back," She ordered placing her hand out.
"What the magic word," The boy teased.
"Now," She ordered as she snatched her sketch book back.
The boy smiled, "Feisty, just how I like'm."
Charley rolled her eyes, she saw the instant annoyance on the boys face at that action.
"My names Grace," He said with a soft smile.
It took most of Charley's strength and self control not to laugh, she thought her parents were cruel when they picked her name.
"Well – Grace, my name is Charley," She replied still using her monotone pitch.
She saw the smirk on his face, he didn't even try to hide it, "Well its not like you name is any better," She said her blood boiling at this point.
Thats when the bell rang, lunch. She walked into the girls bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her long multi-colored hair, a mixture of black, browns and reds. Her eyes, they seemed as if they themselves didn't know what they wanted to be, brown or green. Her pale, yet flawless skin, the heavy eyeliner. Her black cloths and combat boots, this was Charley, she was Charley, this was her.
The rest of the day pasted like normal, no one bothered her. The last bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. She packed her bags and headed out into the hallway. But as she walked out the door, her eyes on the floor and not where she was going she knocked into somebody. The impact was hard, nearly knocking her down, it had felt as if she walked into a wall. She looked up to see Grace.
"Earth to Charley," He said as he bent down picking up her stuff, as she stood there paralyzed by embarrassment.
When she could finally move she grabbed her stuff quickly and walked as fast as she could away, thats when it happened. This was the moment in time that would forever link Charley to Grace. Charley walked, not paying attention, the only thing running through her mind was 'get away, get home.' Thats when she felt her self be tackled, thats when she realized where she was, her surroundings finally sank in as the gush of air from the bus swooshed by as both her and her savior landed on the side walk. She felt the person who saved her get up quickly, she on the other hand had just face planted on concrete while breaking there fall so she just rolled to her back, looking up, her face turned red. Either from embarrassment, anger, but most likely a mixture of both. Grace stood there dusting himself off.
"Are you OK," He asked sense she didn't get up right away, thats when everyone started making there way to the scene. Grace hoisted Charley up, "come on unless you want ungodly amount of people around you," he teased looking at the crowed moving there way. Both looked at each other for only a second then took off running. They managed to escape there peers, at least until Monday. Thats when both noticed the blood that seemed to now cover Charley, "You got scraped up pretty bad," He said inching back, as it seemed he tried to hold his breath.
"I've got to run," He said quickly leaving her standing there alone.
