Chapter 1

-Kiara-

I stared out of the slightly blue-tinted Ford window, the harsh sun piercing even through my dark sunglasses. So this was ever-sunny California, I thought almost sadly to myself. Suddenly my little English village wasn't looking so bad.

I missed home. Finally admitting it to myself, I buried my head in my hands and sobbed quietly, praying that the driver, my guardian for my time here in America, wouldn't hear me. But sure enough, he looked at me through the corner of his eye and started talking to me, trying to calm me down, just like he always did.

"Hey kiddo, don't worry. Coates isn't that bad!" I stared back at him through my tears, his face seeming to melt as the water blurred my vision and the lenses of my glasses began steaming.

"Really? A boarding school for the rich and crazy, and you're trying to tell me it's not that bad?" I scoffed despite my probably pathetic appearance.

"Well okay. So it's not the best school kid-wise but the education is brilliant, and that's what your parents wanted." I scoffed once again at the thought of my parents. I hated them for this. Sending me to Coates Academy. The one time I trusted them with a secret of mine and they shipped me off to America. What did that teach a troubled kid like me? He noticed my face moulding back into my usual poker face. "Kiara look. I know I'm not your parent, but I have been asked to look after you while you're at Coates. And I want you to have the best possible time you can while you're there. Promise me... Promise me you'll stay safe, and call me if you need ANYTHING."

"Mike... I appreciate it, I do, thanks so much for agreeing to look after me." I gave him one of my rare, genuine smiles, my usually dead eyes shining for him. "And I also promise I'll call, even if I don't need anything, once a week, just for a chat. I do love your company mate." I winked at him.

Yes, I know I called him just "The Driver", I guess that's harsh. I should explain. Mike's a family friend. I've known him since I was a baby. He's young, mid twenties, and like a brother to me. Except he lived here, sunny California, when we lived in a little village in England. Nevertheless, Mike insisted in visiting us, me mostly, every year. He graduated from Coates at age eighteen, so he knows it better than anyone in my family. He was an orphan, lost his parents at age 5. So he lived with his grandparents in England, that is, until he was 14. Mike was always an aggressive kid, heck, even with me. But he got a little...too aggressive one day. Almost killed a kid. Strangled the little bugger til he went blue in the face. He's never lived it down, ashamed to this day of what he did. But Coates changed him. He's no longer the adorable 12 year old from my 3 year old memory, now he's a strong, confident, defensive 22 year old. Five years in Coates changed him from bubbly and cute, to protective and brave. But still, Mike's almost my brother, and I know he'll do a bloody good job protecting me, even in Coates. He's a good looking boy, Mike, big bright green eyes, jet black hair falling over his eyes, a small pointy nose, and thin lips. Yeah, he's a good looking boy. But still, no girlfriend. He's got a boyfriend though. Caught on yet? He's gay! And I couldn't love him more. That's why he strangled that boy. Homophobic jerk, that boy.

People assume me and Mike are related. Understandable I guess, we have the same dark hair, same face shape, same nose, same eye shape, same skin tone, but Mike's way hotter than me. And he has green eyes, mine are a dark red-brown. You heard it-red. But Mike's like my brother, so I'm fine with the assumption.

Mike smiled back at me. "And you know how much I love your company sis." I let out a small giggle. He handed me a tissue.

"Dry your eyes beauty queen, Coates kids can smell fear, and once they do, you're dead."

"I have the eyes for it." I muttered self-deprecatingly. Mike laughed.

"And the personality." I slapped his arm, hard. "Easy kid, I'm joking."

I smiled and pushed my thick black fringe away from my eyes. Maybe Coates wasn't so bad, I thought, Mike turned out just fine.