Alek was the new kid school. Starting freshmen year without any friends was just waiting to be a royal mess. After his adoptive parents found out he was Mai, they cast him out on the street like, excuse the pun, an unwanted stray cat. Alek thanked his lucky stars every day that Valentina had been in London on Mai business and found him.

As he entered his first period class, the hell in which is geometry, he saw her. The blond goddess who stole his heart in a matter of seconds. He did not know her, but he wanted her so badly. Not romantically, at least not yet. No, just as a friend. Someone who he could confess and rant everything to. The he remember the curse, and he literally felt his heart break in two. At this point, the girl felt his stare and looked up directly into his eyes. He felt himself become intoxicated simply by her gaze. There was something so innocent about her as she directed her eyes downward and blushed. Why must she be human?

He must have been asked a question by the girl, because she looked like she was waiting for an answer. Hopefully it had simply been his name, because he answered with, "Alek Petrov." She looked a little shocked, probably by his accent. He hoped he would not have to keep answering questions, seeing as how he was becoming a stuttering mess around her.

It was a gift and a curse he had every single class with Chloe. And in a majority of the classes, he and she were partners. He got to see her smiling face every class. He started to notice the small things about her: The way she but her lip when nervous or embarrassed; the way she twirled a few strands of hair when listening to the teacher, or when daydreaming. But his favorite was how her eyes lit up when she smiled. He made it a daily challenge to make her smile at least two times during class so he could see her eyes shine.

After a few months, they were comfortable enough with each other to starts the flirting game. He wished she realized how much danger she was in by being with him. He knew there games they were playing would never be able to become reality, and he did not want to lead her on, only to eventually break her heart. She was too special to him to do that to her. So he started distancing himself away from her, even though it killed him inside. He started doing sports so he could turn into the true jock character she hated. And it started to work. It was not too hard...

Until she cornered him in the empty Spanish room after class. He knew he was in for it. She looked mad, but he knew she was trying to fight off tears. Then she had to speak in her calm, collected voice, "I feel like we are on a sinking boat, Alek. Direct it back to shore while we still have time. We could still repair our friendship! Just make your choice now. I cannot let my heart be trampled on if there is no point. Please say you still want to be friend!"

"I do not want to be friends with a nobody like you. I have better friends." It killed him to say it, about as much as it killed her to hear it. The tears started to stream down her face, and she ran out of the room into the closest bathroom. He instantly regretted what he said, and for the first time since he was disowned by his parents, he was beyond mad about the fact he was Mai.

Of course he had to run into his basketball friends in the hall when he was feeling depressed and torn beyond repair. He wished he could go back in time and not tell Chloe what he had said, or at least apologize enough for her to forgive him. But it was better for her this way in the long run.

She was in pain because of him, she was suffering from the loss of their friendship, he knew that much. He had not wanted to ever be the cause of her pain. She warred with herself, wondering if she had made the right decision in approaching him. He wanted her to know she had been right, but he was going for the clean break. He had made his decision, now he had to live with it. He felt like he was slowly falling off a cliff, the cliff of happiness and his life with Chloe. His heart was singing a sad song, and he wondered if Chloe's hearts was feeling the same way. Stop! Stop thinking of her! Clean break, remember?

He learned to distract himself with sports, and truly turned into the jock Chloe hated. And he seemed like a player, but because of the curse, it could never happen. He watched Chloe distract herself with Amy and Paul, and they never talked, except when forced, over the next two years.

It was no surprise she was mad at him even when finding out he was Mai, and why he could not be friends, or anything more, with her.

But what did surprise him was when they got closer as friends, and he found out his original wish came true: he was able to confide everything to her. And their friendship turned into a romantic friendship and she asked him if he ever pictured they would end up this way.

"I dreamed of this moment ever since I first saw you, Chloe . I did not know you, but I wanted you. I knew we were truly connected when I fell slowly into the depths of despair when we stopped talking. And I do not know how this is possible, but I find myself falling even more in love with you slowly everyday."

~Fin

Hope you all enjoyed! This is my first story posted on , and to say I am a little nervous about the reaction to this story is a major understatement! LEt me all now what you think, and I am hoping to post some more Chloe King stories in the near future :)