Authors Note: None of the characters belong to me! This is my first story. Hope you guys like it! Feel free to criticise or suggest improvements! :)


Chapter 1

The crowd gazed at me intently waiting for me to speak. I looked round at them and saw that their whole concentration was on me. It felt so wonderful being the centre of attention.

"So Yelena, tell us about your wonderful story of your visit to Heaven," piped up someone from the crowd.

I opened my mouth to speak and then shut it.

Opal Cowan my friend muttered to me, "Oh no! Here comes trouble!" Coming right up to us was the school's biggest enemy, Roze Featherstone and her three friends, Pazia Cloudmoon, the soft one for cute things – Marie Alecia and Zitora Cowan (a far relative to Opal who hates Opal with a deep passion because unfortunately for her, but fortunate for Opal, just like me, Opal's perfect in everything. Well, except for one thing. And that is, she can't stick up for herself. This results in me having to stick up for her all the time).

"Let us through now!" She barked.

Everyone moved aside and let her through. They shivered as Roze and her three friends passed through. They looked at the crowd with smug smiles on their faces. The whole school was frightened of her. Every time she and friends passed your way you had to stand aside to let her and those nasty bugs of her friends through. Even if you were in middle of doing something. If you didn't obey her orders, well then... you were in for it. She would punch you so hard that the next minute you'd find yourself shooting through the air like a shooting star and landing on the ground like a metal brick with all your bones broken. Not literally; you know what I mean.

Everyone in our school was frightened of her. Her two friends... well let's consider it – not really. I mean really. But the teachers would have none of it. Every time Roze wanted something, she wouldn't get it that easily. The teachers had phoned up her parents and warned them that if they were to keep sticking up for their daughter and not do anything about her situation then they would have to throw her out of the school. The parents had argued and even marched into school to come face to face with the headmaster but the headmaster was not shaken. Oh no, not a bit. Especially with Roze's dad being a famous lion that could easily devour a human right away. The teachers did not give in so easily either. I guess that must be helping them to improve their confidence.

Everyone in the school hated her. No one liked her one bit. Not even the boys. Obviously not! No boys ever went out with her. Not a single male. She and her gang were the most brutal, hated girls in the whole school and they knew they were hated for ruining everyone's lives, which is why they took it to their advantage to reduce more people to rubble. To be honest with you, I was afraid of them too. They were only stupid cowards. They thought that they were the queens of the world but they weren't. But still. I mean, who could not notice their huge weights, big hands and strong bones when they attacked someone? Anyone would be edgy about that. Another thing is she picks on me the most every time she passes my way or sees me about two hundred miles ahead. But I was one of the bolder types. Because whenever she picked on me, I would always have something ready to retort back which – much to my pleasure – infuriated her even more. But oh well. Who cares? Do I care? No, I don't.

Roze's tiresome voice rang out into the crowd, "What's going on here? What kind of meeting's happening now? Eh? What are you all planning to do?" she snarled.

Forgive me for not telling you but we do have a meeting everyday and it is so very like Roze to keep barging in, spoiling our conversations.

Everyone was quiet because no one wanted to speak to her. Her face had the same mean look it always held. The meanest look you could ever imagine to see in a person.

"I asked you all a question!" She shouted. Everyone was suddenly startled and jumped at the sound of her voice. Still no one answered.

Then she screamed, "Is anyone going to answer me or do you want to answer this?!"

She held her hands up high in the air; her fists clenched into tight balls and scanned the crowd, looking to see who she could pick on. Eventually – as always – her eyes fell on me.

"Hey, Zaltana, what are you up to girl? Uh?"

I looked at her coldly and said icily, "Standing here minding my own business and talking to whoever I like if that is any of your concern?" I looked up at her to make sure she saw I wasn't going to let her look down on me as a complete loser.

She gave me a pointed glare. "Well... no – hey! How dare you speak to me like that?" Her sudden change of subject caught me by surprise that I fell backwards when she pushed me. "You have no right to talk to me like that! I am the boss around here and you..." She stabbed her finger onto my chest and whispered, "... may as well keep out of my way! Understand?"

"Oh really?" I wasn't going to let her get away with this. I plunged straight into the point. "Then why do I always hear you cry in the toilets when you don't get something that you want? Is that how a boss acts? And to say, your own friends don't even know!" I watched with high satisfaction as Roze's face flushed a deep crimson colour as she began to stutter under her breath. She was totally lost for words, I could tell.

The whole crowd were standing there completely shocked by this announcement and started to whisper to one another. Suddenly I slapped my hand over my mouth. What had I done? How could I have done this? I was in for it now. I was sure of it. Oh, why, why, why, had I opened my big mouth?

By now here face had changed from a purply-red to a dark shade of red. She heaved huge big breaths to try and control her anger. Her eyes slid over to Opal. 'You Opal, you tell me. What's going on here?' Opal cast her eyes down to the ground and didn't answer.

'OPAL!' Roze yelled.

Opal immediately jumped with fear.

'Are you going to answer me or are you going to just stand there like a dead body all day? Do you want me to push your head down the toilet? Or even shave your hair?' she bellowed. Her friends sniggered and started laughing at Opal. A look of satisfaction passed Roze's face.

Opal turned to me with a pleading look in her eyes. I felt her body tremble and shudder against mine. Just like the others, Opal was scared of Roze and her gang and always tried to keep put of her way. In addition to that, Roze knew that Opal was terrified and frightened of her, so she was the second person after me who always got picked on.

'Hey Featherstone, lay off will you? Just leave her alone! Why don't you go and pick on someone else your own size?' I said angrily.

That made Roze and her friends to laugh even more.

'Ooooo! Look who's trying to be opal's defender and bodyguard!' she cooed. 'So Yelena, since when have you taken over Carl King's place as a bodyguard? I s it ever since he died?' she jeered. She raised her eyes in mock derision.

Tears stung my eyes as memories of me and Carl sprung to my mind. A look of contentment washed over Roze's face. She knew she'd hit the spot which I had been covering for years. I'd locked all these memories in a box and bound it tightly with a thick rope, but now Roze had unbound them and opened that box. All the memories were flowing into my mind like a river. Me and Carl used to go out with each other in from Year 8 onwards till his death. They kept flashing into my mind one by one. When he asked me out. All the fun we both had. The headmaster telling us in assembly that Carl had died. Me being shocked and heartbroken when he said that Carl had died but not saying how he died. Me visiting his grave every day. Me leaving fresh flowers to him every day. Me speaking to his grave in hope that he could hear me. Me not going to school for two because I was that heartbroken and depressed and upset.

Me being in my bedroom all day and night. Me not eating...etc. etc.

Even though me and Carl had been in the same classes for all the subjects, from kindergarten itself, we'd never spoken to each other. I'd always had a crush on him since kindergarten, and so did he. But we never knew that. Not until he told me on our first date. I remembered him clearly now. His huge beautiful, gorgeous deep, dark blue ocean eyes. The way his dark, chocolate, brown hair ruffled in the wind. The way his eyes lit up when he laughed. I loved his comforting, soothing deep voice. I missed him. I missed him terribly. And I still do. The memory of him asking me out struck into my mind. I was only thirteen at that time and so was he (he was older to me by months)...

The bell had rung and everyone had left, so I was the only one left still packing my bag hurriedly. Carl packed his bag slowly and hesitantly left the room. I rushed to my locker and accidently bumped into Carl so hard that all of our stuff scattered to the floor everywhere. We both fell down with him on top of me. His hands were touching mine and his body pressed down against mine so closely, I could hear his quick breaths, his heart beating steadily against mine. The thought of his body against mine sent electric shocks through my whole body.

I felt a shiver pass through my body. A tingling sensation started to creep up my fingers when his hands touched mine. I could feel my heart beating like mad against his heart. I swallowed hard and stared into those swirling ocean blue eyes of his. His eyes bore into my eyes and we kept staring at each other for a few minutes. It was like magic. I was spellbound. All my muscles turned to jelly. I couldn't move a muscle. Not even a teeny-weeny muscle. I wished it would last forever. But unfortunately it didn't.

The spell broke when footsteps suddenly started pounding through the hallway. We waited to see if they would go away. But they didn't. Instead the footsteps started coming our way. Quick as a flash, Carl got off me and started to gather all the scattered papers on the floor. I started helping him when a boy called Ken Matthews strolled by into view. He walked down our way and stopped. He looked at us and asked, 'You guys need any help?'

'No thanks, we'll manage,' I mumbled.

'You sure?'

'Yeah, Ken I'm sure.' I flashed him a smile and gave him a thumbs up sign.

'Oh, alright then. I'll um, see you tomorrow,' he muttered and walked away. He was obviously, as all boys were, embarrassed talking to me because all the boys were in love with me. Every time I walked into school they'd ask for my autograph. The same thing happened for my identical twin brother, Valek including Carl and Opal.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Carl and I grinned at each other and then we started laughing like mad. We fell to the floor again clutching our stomachs. Tears started rolling down my cheeks from laughing too much. After we'd calmed down, Carl took a tissue out and started to gently wipe my face. I tried to take the tissue off him to try and wipe it myself but he wouldn't let me. Embarrassed I just stared to the ground.

Still embarrassed I said, 'Um, you didn't have to do that you know.'

'I know' he replied.

'Well, uh, thanks' I mumbled.

'You're welcome,' he said and smiled.

'Sorry for bashing into you like that and then causing all this chaos.' I gestured at the papers which were still scattered on the floor.

'It's ok. No problem.' He flashed me his heart-melting smile which always caused a girls heart to flutter. And I flashed him my heart-melting smile which caused the boys heart to flutter. Last year me and Carl were both selected as the King and Queen for being the most beautiful and popular people in the school which resulted in Roze hating me even more because she'd never been a queen, not once in her whole life, because of her unpopularity. Carl was the most popular and the most gorgeous boy in the whole of the school. Every girl in this school was madly in love with him. And many wanted to go out with him. But he never went out with any. They all tried many ways of trying to please him bit it all came to no avail.

The only girl he'd gone out with from this school was Roze. Their relationship only lasted for a few weeks and then they broke up. Roze was so grief-stricken and miserable that she started to take it out on me that it was my fault they'd both split up. Carl started sticking up for me which made her even angrier and pure hatred started to burn inside her.

I hadn't realised until now that Carl had been watching me with an intent look on his face. I looked at him. We both gazed at each other for about five seconds and then he looked away.

'I was thinking...' He didn't look at me. He started speaking hesitantly and then he stopped.

'You were thinking?' I prompted.

'I was, um, thinking that...that...maybe we...could...um...um...go out sometime, y'know, like go to the park or something.' He looked at me waiting for me to answer. When I didn't, he added hurriedly, 'Unless you are busy or something or you don't want to go out, it's ok. It's fine by me. I don't mind. I'll understand.'

I just stared at him with a surprised and shocked expression on my face. I was so sunned. I couldn't speak. My throat went dry and I couldn't find my voice. I felt like screaming in his face, 'What do you mean by unless you don't want to go out with me?! OF COURSE I want to go out with you! I've always wanted to go out with you ever since year 1!' But of course I didn't say that. I recovered myself and finally found my voice.

'No, no it's alright,' I hastily reassured him. A look of relief flashed across his face. 'I'm not busy at all. Actually I'm free the whole of this week.'

'How about we go to the cinema and then to the beach on...Wednesday?'

'Yeah, sure. What time?'

'How about I pick you up at 5 o'clock? Is that ok?'

'Sure. That's fine.' I picked up my stuff and headed towards the school exit door. 'So I'll...see you on Wednesday then.' I smiled.

'Um yeah...see you on...Wednesday.' He stammered and blushed.

I'd just finished applying my mascara on when someone knocked on my door.

'Who is it?' I yelled.

'Your faithful and humble servant awaits at the door with some refreshments for Her Majesty!' replied a familiar mocking voice. I groaned. Not him again! What does he want now? I opened the door to find my twin brother, standing there dressed as a servant with an apron on and a tea tray in his hand.

'Would Her Majesty love to have a drink? We have different types of drinks here: coke, various types of juice, water, flavoured water drinks etc. Is there anything that Her Majesty would like?' he asked in a mock, posh, London accent.

I rolled my eyes. 'Uh yes, I would like something please.'

'And pray what might that be?' he asked in a deep voice.

'Firstly I don't want drinks. Secondly I'd like you to leave me in peace. And thirdly, in case you haven't noticed, I'm actually busy right now.'

He looked at me up and down. He raised his eyebrows. 'Oh really? And where exactly is Her Majesty going, if her Majesty doesn't mind me enquiring?'

'Oh Valek! Drop that act will you? Can't you see that I'm busy right now?'

He held up his hands. 'Ok Ok! Calm down sis! I know it's your first date and stuff but that doesn't mean you have to get all tensed up! It's meant to be fun. It's meant to be a date. It's not like you're going for an interview or something!'

'I can't help it! I'm just hoping nothing goes wrong.'

He looked at me. 'Nothing will go wrong. I promise you that. I've been through that same experience before.'

'Oh yeah! I remember you and that what's-her-name?'

'Kate. Kate Williams.'

'I hated her! I never liked her! She was a big fat pig and a big snob!'

He smiled wistfully. 'I regret it now. Going out with her.'

'Good thing you both broke up! Or else you would have turned out just like her, as fat as a hippo, eating junk food all the time! You wouldn't be able to enter the house or even your own bedroom because you would have been that fat!' I taunted him.

He was about to retort back, when the doorbell rang. He smirked at me. 'Here is your knight. Come to take away his damsel-in-distress from her tormenting brother!'

'Oh shut up! I playfully punched him. He playfully punched me back.

'Have a good night sis. Don't worry everything will be fine.'

'Thanks bro.' I wondered what I would done without him. Life would have been pretty boring without him. I hugged him so tightly I nearly squeezed the life out of him.

'Can...You...please...let...go...of me?! I can hardly breathe! I know you love me so much but there's no need for that!' He rubbed his neck.

I let go of him and gave him my angelic smile.

'You'd better go down for your knight is waiting for you. Unless...' a mischievous glint shone in his eyes. 'Unless you want me to tell him that you can't make it due to having a tormenting lesson with me!'

'Don't you dare!' I yelled. 'Don't even think about it! In fact I'm going down there right now before you can do anything mischievous!'

I shoved my brother into his bedroom and closed the door tightly. I ran into my room, grabbed my bag, checked that I looked alright and ran downstairs. I ran into the living room and saw that Carl patiently waiting for me.

'Sorry I'm late. I hade some...problems to finish first with my intolerable twin brother.'

At hearing that Valek ran down the stairs and into the living room saying, 'Hey! Who called me intolerable?'

I turned to Carl, 'Uh, Carl this is my intolerable twin brother I was talking about, Valek.' I turned to Valek saying, 'Valek, this is Carl. Carl King.' Carl stared at us both, looking from me to him and from him to me in wonder and in amazement. Valek and I tried extremely hard to hide our smiled and at the same time we tried to stifle our laughter. We knew that Carl was dumbstruck because we looked exactly the same as each other.

He finally recovered himself and held out his hand. 'Uh, hi. Nice to meet you.'

Valek smiling shook his hand saying, 'Nice to meet you too buddy.'

'Your both identical twins!' Carl exclaimed.

Valek and I burst out laughing.

'Of course we're twins! What did you expect?' I asked, still laughing uncontrollably.

Carl went bright pink with embarrassment. 'No, it's just that you don't really find a lot of identical twin brothers and sisters around here. So I was kind of surprised when I saw that you two were identical.'

'Oh. That explains why you were gawping at us like we were some aliens come from space!' Valek replied mockingly.

'Valek! Stop it!' I scolded him. Valek grinned mischievously at me.

I turned to Carl and said, 'Just ignore my brother. He's just a pain in the neck. We'd better leave now before he does anything more.'

Five seconds later I was in Carl's black, sleek, shiny, Mercedes Benz.

The date went really fine. We both had a really good day. I remember going to the cinema. We brought some popcorn and watched a really sad film. The film was so sad that at the end of the film, I nearly ended up crying. Afterwards, we drove to the beach. We had a fun time. Me and Carl kept splashing each other with water. We both did things we wouldn't have ever dared to do if we weren't dating each other. Carl even went as far as picking my up and throwing me into the sea. Which got me really, really mad! I got up and screaming at him, I got a fistful of sand and shoved it all over his head. We kept chasing each other around, acting like little kids.

Later on, when we were tire we just lay there on the beach listening to the gentle lapping of the waves. It was a beautiful, peaceful night. Every minute Carl and I kept inching closer and closer.

I remember him confessing his feelings for me...

'Um, Yelena I have something to tell you.' He didn't look directly at me. Instead he faced the sea.

'What is it? I asked.

'I...I...'

'You...?' I prompted raising my eyebrows.

'I...well...I...' He still wouldn't look at me.

'Come on, Carl what is it? Spit it out.'

'Yelena...I...I...I love you.'

I looked at him stunned. My soul soared above the clouds. I was above the moon. I couldn't believe it! Carl King, the most gorgeous and popular guy in the whole school in love with me?! This was so unbelievable!

He continued to explain. 'I've always loved you ever since I set my eyes on you in year 1. Even though you were in all my classes for all the subjects and we never spoke to each other, I've always loved you. And I always will.'

A thought flashed across my mind. 'But, even if you loved me, how come you and Roze dated each other?' I asked puzzled and confused.

A look of cold hatred flashed across his eyes. 'I never chose to go out with her. She chose to go out with me out of her own will.' He looked at me, the look of hatred still lingering in his eyes. 'She threatened that if I didn't go out with her, I would have to face the consequences. Since I didn't want any fight or problem with her or her gang, I agreed. Which was a really big mistake.

'She would never let me out of her sight. If I was talking to a girl, she would become suspicious and she would start questioning me. Every time I looked at you, I wanted to tell you how I felt and I wanted to hold you tight in my arms and never let you go.'

His eyes bore into mine. There was hatred, pain, anger and hurt inside those beautiful ocean blue eyes, telling me that he was telling the truth.

He continued on to say, 'Wherever I went, she would follow me, which infuriated me even more.' I got so fed up of her, that one I just told her that I was dumping her. I knew that she liked me a lot but there was no need for her to be overprotective over me. When she asked me why I was dumping her, I told her why. I also told her about my feelings for you.'

I gasped. Realization struck me. 'So that's why she hated me so much! No wonder!' I exclaimed.

Carl continued, 'I told her all this over the phone. When I told her this, she started swearing and cursing, woeing to make your life miserable. I just hung up on her and never spoke to her ever again. Well except when I stuck up for you.' Carl concluded saying 'That's why I stuck up for whenever she used to pick on you. I couldn't bear the thought of you getting picked on or having your life made miserable by that dreadful witch!'

My mind was still reeling from what Carl had told me. No wonder she kept blaming me for their split up, I thought to myself.

I looked at Carl, who was staring at the sea. 'Carl,' I began slowly, 'I must admit that I too have always loved you since year 1. I've always wanted to go out with you. But when you started to go out with Roze, I felt jealous and upset. But I guess I wasn't the only onewho was jealous or upset.' I chuckled to myself as I remembered how the whole school had reacted when they heard that Roze was going out with Carl.

We both gazed into each other's eyes with the moon keeping watch over us. He leaned forward, closer and closer towards me. My pulse started accelerating faster and faster, my heart thumping wildly. Inch by inch, he slowly leaned closer and closer until his lips found mine. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tighter and closer to him. We stayed there kissing a long and a passionate kiss. I melted into his embrace. I wished it would last forever. That moment was bliss. From that day onwards I was a happy person.

When I got home, I was on cloud nine. I was too busy replaying all the events which had happened I didn't even notice my brother standing in the hallway watching my. I walked past him, wrapped up in my own thoughts. Flashbacks scenes of what happened kept playing across my mind.

'I'm guessing that you had are a really good time,' my brother's voice awakened me from my thoughts.

'Huh? What? What did you just say?' I asked still thinking about what happened today.

My brother leaning against the wall repeated, 'I said I guess you had a really good time.'

'Yes I did.' I replied back happily.

'One look at your face told me all I needed to know. I told you it'd go well. I'm right as always aren't I? He joked.

I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. 'Yeah right. Whatever. As if!'

'Very well then sis, I'll be leaving you to your happy thoughts then. I'll see you tomorrow then okay?'

I replied back dreamily 'Okay.'

Valek turned to go but then he stopped. He turned round and said 'By the way Yelena you've got a really good taste in men. I really like that Carl dude guy. He's nice and cool.' I smiled.

Valek said bye and left. Once he'd left, I settled back once again and wrapped myself with my happy thoughts...

As I remembered all these things, tears started to well up in my eyes and threatened to spill down my cheeks. When I saw Roze's face it outraged me even more. Every inch of me was singed in anger.

I looked at her directly in the eye. 'You're jealous aren't you? You're jealous that I went out with Carl! Why don't you just grow up? Stop acting like a two year old! You think that your mature and responsible but you're not! You want to know what your weakness is? Your weakness is jealousy right? You hate people who have a perfect home, family and a perfect lifestyle. You get really jealous of people who have loving families? You hate seeing people happy and having loving families unlike your own right?! Just because you've had a really bad childhood and your parents split up doesn't mean that you have to take it out on other people and make their lives as miserable as yours! No wonder Carl broke up with you! No one would EVER want to go out with you because of your personality, because of who you are, because of the way you are! You think that you're the queen of this world and that everyone should bow down to you and worship you but you want to know something? You're Nothing but a Loser and a big fat coward! Yes, that's what you are! A loser and a coward!' I screamed into her face.

Everything came to a halt. The birds stopped chirping. The wind stopped blowing. There was no movement. Everything came to a standstill. Everyone looked at me with shocked expressions on their face. Pazia, Zitora and Roze had stunned expressions on their faces. Shock, surprise and pure hatred and malice burned in Roze's eyes. Opal gazed at me with a stunned and a surprised expression on her face. I stared at Roze, fury burning in me. My eyes flamed with anger.

She spoke in a low menacing voice. 'Fine. I acknowledge it. I acknowledge hating you and being jealous of you. I hated you because of your popularity. Because of your beauty and also because of your peaceful family life. But no one EVER mentions about my family life! How dare you mention it in front of the crowd! One day I will be even with you Zaltana. And that day will approach quickly. I have no doubt about that.' And with that she walked away with her friends following her at her heels like puppies.

I looked at the crowd and I smiled at them. 'So where were we before we got "distracted"? Oh yeah, now I remember. My story. Everyone make yourselves comfortable because this story is going to be a long one. Everyone comfortable? Right...'


That's it for Chapter 1! :) Will update soon! :)