Hello everyone! This is my first ever fic for The Town so I hope it doesn't disappoint. If you're here because you read my other fics for The Avengers, and you were interested in reading this, I hope you like it. This part is only the prologue and it takes place while Jem and my original character, Scarlett, are in high school. Everything else will take place when they're older. So please read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Town or Jem Coughlin. I only own Scarlett McAuley and any other original characters who may be introduced in this story.

Prologue

Seventeen-year-old Scarlett McAuley was in third period AP Physics lab when she and her classmates heard a commotion from the hallway. At first, they thought nothing of it since it was a common occurrence for students to get into altercations with one another or even teachers. But when they heard the Miranda rights echoing throughout the hall, they knew something serious was going on.

"James Coughlin, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you."

Scarlett's head snapped up from her lab sheet when she heard Jem's name. James "Jem" Coughlin was the resident bad boy of Charlestown. He had a mouth as filthy as a sailor's and a temperament like a ticking time bomb. But everyone knew he had a soft spot for some people in his life, such as his best friend Doug MacRay.

But Jem's bad boy reputation didn't keep Scarlett from harboring a secret crush on the 18-year-old. Sure he was a loose cannon and he had quite the temper, but there was something about him that Scarlett found enchanting. She knew that, deep down, there was probably still some good in him.

"Hey, you guys!" said a boy who poked his head into the classroom. "Jem Coughlin is getting arrested. They say he killed a guy!"

There was a split second as the students absorbed the information before scrambling out of their seats and heading for the door. Scarlett stayed glued to her seat as she watched her classmates battle one another to exit the room. When everyone was out in the hallway, Scarlett put her pencil down with a sigh and headed out of the room.

Students were lining the halls as two police officers walked with a handcuffed Jem. The officers walked with determination while Jem had a blank disposition. It was as if it didn't quite faze him that he was being arrested and that he didn't care all that much.

Scarlett pushed her glasses on top of her head and swallowed nervously. She really hoped he hadn't killed someone. She hoped he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and was being wrongly accused of this heinous crime. However, deep down, she highly doubted it.

As the police officers and Jem passed by Scarlett, Jem and Scarlett locked eyes. It was only for a second before the police officers guided Jem to turn down the next hallway but it was the first time he'd actually looked at her. There had been times in the past when he would catch her staring at him and she would quickly look away and brush it off as if it didn't happen. But this time around, it was on both of their terms.

It wasn't as if they would end up together. She was the resident nerd who spent her time studying while he bided his time by doing drugs and getting into fights. And it wasn't as if she didn't like having fun either. She'd been to a couple of parties with some of her friends but they just weren't her thing. Every once in a while was okay, but even then she couldn't bear to be at them for more than an hour.

It was then, as the teachers shepherded the students back into their classrooms, Scarlett vowed she would try to have a little more fun in the future. Maybe college would change her. She would still study and work hard but she would try to live a little.

And then maybe, just maybe, if she returned to Charlestown later in her life, people wouldn't see her as the nerdy girl who spent her time studying. Maybe she could be the girl who worked hard while also having fun. She could be someone else entirely.

But as she sat back down at her desk during third period AP Physics lab, she was pulled back to reality and she shook her head at how incredibly stupid it seemed to even think that herself – or even anyone for that matter – could change.

I hope this small update is enough to get you guys to stick around. Reviews are very much appreciated and they'll give me an insight as to whether I should continue this or not. If I do, updates will be much longer. For those of you that have read my other fics know that I write really long chapters. So please leave a review and let me know if it's worth continuing!