One hundred ninety eight days after

"That's the girl staying in Alaska's room."

"She's got Alaska's room."

"Didn't that chick steal Alaska's room?"

Yes that is me. The chick that stole Alaska's room. Why? I have no clue.

My name is really Catelin Jamison, I'm from Florida and my father decided it was time that my depressive mood ended, so he sent me off the Culver Creek and boarding school in Alabama, so far away from where he was bound to show up. Him, nerdy, (A/N:YAY NERDS!!) scrawny, outcasted, friendless him. Just as I gave up my final string of pride and went to talk to him he left. Transferred to God only knows where.

I inhaled the room's scent, cigarettes, vanilla and… wet grass.

"So it's true." I turn to see a short muscular boy standing in my door.

"Pardon?"

"You moved into Alaska's room." I nodded slowly, noting the livid look in his eyes.

"Yeah."

He nodded and looked around a sad look now etched into his face. "She was my best-friend and if you screw up her room; you'll be as dead as she is." So Alaska is dead…

"Sit with me and my friends at lunch." With that he strode away.

I sighed. The boy was cute (a little short) and all but he was cuter. He had a scrawny little figure and loose jeans, and this short boy was muscular and had fitting jeans… no he was no Miles Halter.

PUDGE

"Pudge man she was so hot!" Colonel exclaims as I walk into room 43.

"Hello to you too." He just stares at me waiting for the question. I smirk , "who was hot?"

"The girl in Alaska's room "

"What was so hot about her?"

"She had long black hair green eyes and one mean rack!" I lauhed.

"What would Maxx say?"

He laughed too. "What's so funny?" a familiar voice asked.

I turn to see Takumi come in, closely followed by Lara.

"Hey guys." He says before sitting on the foam couch.

"So you guys hear about the new girl in room 48?" Lara asks her accent still cute, still strong.

"The one with the great rack!" Takumi replies he points at Lara. "Don't you dare tell me to take my clothes off."

"You know, eef Alaska was here you'd be dead." Lara says and we all go quiet, bowing our heads in a silent moment, a silence that she returns to us.

"Smoke hole!" The Colonel announces after a minute. Then we all file out of the room to that bridge we knew so well.

CATE

All my junior high and junior year life I though heaven was Miles Halter. Everyday I'd watch him as he walked to school, as he opened his locker (4, 27, 18), I'd watch him write on paper with pencils and pens. I truly thought that was heaven. Then I came to Culver Creek and mt… the bufriedo.

I sat alone at a table in the cafeteria, chewing on the crunchy, deep fried bean burrito; named bufriedo by none other than Alaska Young.

"Hey." The short boy came and sat across from me.

"Mmmm." I replied waving a hand. He laughed.

"See Lara, nothing like watching someone eat their first bufriedo." An Asian boy sat next to the short one and the girl that followed him, Lara, sat next to me smiling.

"I'm the Colonel, this is Takumi and Lara."

"Cate." I replied. "The Colonel?"

"You'll see." Lara said with an accent.

"Where you from?" Takumi asked.

"Florida."

"Hey just like Pudge." Lara announced.

"Where is he anyways?" Takumi asked looking around.

"He went to pay his respects to the Old Man." The Colonel replied and I wondered if they had code names for everyone.

"He finally keecked the bucket?" Lara asked.

The Colonel nodded sadly. "Can't say I won't miss him." The other two nodded.

I looked up just as the cafeteria door opened and my heart fluttered as the world that wasn't Miles Halter froze; okay I lied. This is heaven, seeing the love of my life again.

"Miles!" I exclaimed.

My three lunch mates stared at me weirdly.

"You know Pudge?' Lara asked.

I didn't get to answer though. Miles came and sat down across from me, the other two scooting down the bench. "Catelin?" He remembers my name. Okay, play it cool.

"Hello Halter." Greeeat. So much for playing it cool, if my creepy smile didn't creep him out, the fact that I reached across the tablet o squeeze his hand with all my might most likely did. I sighed and dropped my head onto the table. "Sorry." I mumbled.

It was silent…

"So um… Cate, you know Pudge." Takumi's voice said.

I nod and look at Miles… Pudge what an odd name. "We went to school together." He answers. Then he laughs. "You were in most of my classes and you live just down the street from me, are you stalking me?"

I scoff. "Halter the only ones that were willing to risk everything to be anywhere near you would be Marie and Will, and they didn't even stay in your house too long…"oh-no… that was an insult wasn't it?

They all stared at me for a moment before Miles nodded slowly and then looked at the Colonel. "Now you know why I came to the Creek."

PUDGE

Catelin Julia Jamison, my only crush from Florida. I seriously though she was a stalker. And according to mom, when I left she stopped talking to her friends and quit soccer and Ballets, and became very depressive. Now I knew it wasn't because I left.

"She likes you." Lara told me, as each of us instinctively threw a cigarette in the river for her.

"Yeah and bufriedos are the worst thing in the world." Takumi said lamely as me and the Colonel lit up.

"She does! I can see eet een her eyes!" She insisted.

The Colonel scoffed and shrugged at the same time. "She's one of us now, so she'll have to start liking you if she doesn't already." He added as Lara opened her mouth.

"Why's that?"

"Because everyone does."

XXXX

A/N: I just finished looking for Alaska last night, I CRIED SO MUCH it is an awesome book!!! IT WILL NEVER FORGET TO BE AWESOME!!! So anyway please review!! DFTBA!!!!

NERDFIGHTERS!!!