Chapter 1

Their happy giggles were like needles in my heart, further expanding the painful cracks that webbed around it. Try as I may I could no longer drown my sorrows in my books any more. Like many times before, I find myself just staring at some random page I barley read with only them banning around in my head. Daring a peak, I shift my attention to the source of my unspoken pain.

The two of them were a few feet away from the park bench were I sat. They were both on a black and white striped blanket, escaping the noonday sun in the shade of an oak tree. Used plates and utensils from lunch were pushed aside to make room for her to rest her head in his lap. He stared down at her lovingly playing with her red dyed hair and short stubby fingers, caressing them with his long rough ones. It was something out of a romance movie. Was I a terrible friend for hating it so much?

A year ago it had been my dream to be the one in Roth's arms. Just like every high school girl in love (even if I hate to admit that), I had nothing but him on my mind. It was very unlike me to act in such a gitty schoolgirl manner. I was a hard rocker, a real gamer girl and tomboy, not some glittery girly girl. But just like a cheerleader in love with Popular Quarter back, I couldn't shake the bubbly feels that radiated in the depths of my tummy. I constantly thought about him since the fifth grade. I thought about the way he would make me smile with his quick wit attitude whenever I went out with him and my best friend Raven. I though about how gorgeous his dark hair and hazel eyes were. I thought about how cool he was whenever he preformed at school events with his band Mad Tea Party. I was head over heels in love.

It was a secret love that I let no one know about, including Raven. She was like a sister to me. We had both dyed our hair different colors together (mine blue, hers red), shared the same modern Victorian/ gothic style, and went to Cons together ever since middle school. But she had a bad habit of letting secrets slip past her unguarded tung. I still loved her though.

Towards the end of senior year I was delighted to find out that he would be attending the same College as me and Raven. I was so happy I could have died. After years of secretly spying on him in the hallway, using all of my artistic skill towards drawings of us at our wedding, I decided that is was time to confess my feelings to him considering we would be together for a long time. I though of us have a summer romance that would last through college and into the future. Of me and him spending all day on the beach, going to see movies, and double dating with Raven whenever she found someone special. It was the perfect dream. However that dream was shattered the moment I ran out the main doors of Peach Creek High to meet Roth and Raven at the "usual spot" by the bus pick up loop.

Standing on the main steps I watched as Roth was passionately kissing an all too familiar red haired girl. Raven. I could literally hear my heart at it exploded into a million pieces letting all the sadness and an overwhelming sense of despair flow throughout my entire body and leaked out my eyes. Taking cover behind a group of boys I snuck my way around Roth and Raven and ran home.

Later that night after hours of crying my eyes out Raven called to see if I was ok considering I had skipped out on meeting them entirely. I lied and said that I was fine and had a family emergency to attend to. She then proceeded to tell me about her and Roth's newfound relationship. And again I lied, and like a good friend, told her how happy I was for her grateful that she couldn't see the streams of hot tears running down my face.

Even now, seeing them together in Cherry Stream Universities' campus park, I had no ill feelings towards Raven. She was still my best friend. But every time I saw them together, which was most of the time, I can't help but imagine myself in Roth's arms instead of Raven. That I could be the one he snuck into his dorm room late at night. That I could still have a chance with him. It hurt so much, but I would never jeopardize their relationship. I wanted both of them to be happy, even if it meant giving up what I wanted. I watched as Roth slowly bent over to rest his perfect lips on Ravens freshly painted purple ones, and I was helpless to fighting the tears that escaped from my hazel eyes.

That all quickly ended when...

"Look out!"

Something very fast hit me on the left side of my face knocking me off the park bench and face first into the sidewalk.

With my face still smooshed into the asphalt, it took me a few seconds to shake off the shock of what just happened. Lifting my head to where my attacker crashed I saw what use to be a decently sized metal bird. It was made of what looked like old scrap metal that barley covered its inner wirings, and its wings stuck out broken and twitching to the same pulse as its fading red eyes.

"Who on earth made that?" I thought.

Aside from its unexpected attack on me it was pretty interesting to say the least.

The sound of quick footfalls on the grass came from behind me along with a repetitive high-pitched cry of " Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear." A pair of cyan colored shoes skidded to a stop near my face.

"Oh Gracious! Are you alright?" The stranger kneeled down beside me and gingerly rested his hands on my shoulders.

From the shoes my eyes traveled up his baggy purple jeans, to his black lose fitted dress shirt with an orange tie, to his deep green eyes that were covered by a water fall of ridiculously long hair.

"Oh my."