Chapter One

Ready?

The looming, brick walls of Vanceburg Preparatory School came into vision. There was an endless rode that became indistinguishable among the thick lining of trees. I watched as the car ahead of us continued to get dustier and dustier as every minute passed and I was interested to see if my mom's, once black car, was now miraculously brown. My mom who usually liked the windows down, had them tightly closed, worried that the dust would intoxicate us and in turn kill us. My mom is a bit dramatic.

I looked over at her and I could tell she was also wondering if the car was no longer black. She saw that my gaze was fixed on her and she turned to look at me for a moment.

"Nervous?" She asked me.

I shrugged indifferently. "Not sure." I answered easily.

I saw her repress a smile. "This will be a good experience for you." She insisted.

"Mom," I began with a laugh. "You are acting as though you are sending me off to boarding school. I want to be here, you know that." I assured her.

She was silent for a moment, concentrating on the road, seeing as she almost hit a family of rabbits that felt they should cross the road at the exact moment my mom began to pass them.

"I'm going to miss you." She said softly.

I was silent. My mom was my best friend and she was the one person I could count on. We had avoided talking about this, about this moment. My new home, Vanceburg Prep, I guess you could say, was 2,000 miles away from the home I grew up in. No more unplanned shopping days or Saturday movie nights, we had to plan to see each other, and if we were lucky it would be once every two or three months.

I glanced over at her and squeezed her hand softly. "I'll call you every night." I promised her.

She smiled warmly at me. "And I'll answer every night."

I looked over at the school and suddenly it was no longer a mere figure in the distance, but an enormous towering building. My pulse quickened and I could feel my heart beating against my chest.

"Nervous?" She asked me again, noticing the color in my face, fading away.

I nodded feeling a knot form in my throat. This is how people must feel when they arrive at college but I'm two years ahead, I guess you could say. Vanceburg Preparatory School takes pride in itself for its fine arts: art, literature, music and so on. Last year I had received a letter about this school, inviting me to board here. Of course I was unsure, I liked my old school, good friends and such, but this was a new experience and people who go here want to be here. Unlike the seniors in my math class last year, who were supposed to graduate two years earlier. The car came to a halt and my mom looked over at me, worriedly.

"We're here." She attempted to say lightly, but came out hoarse and strained.

I smiled weakly at her. "We're here." I breathed.

I stepped out of the car and indeed it was brown, I smiled despite myself, when my mom sighed annoyed, and muttered how she had just cleaned it just two days before. I opened the truck and lifted out an enormous suitcase and handed it stiffly over to my mom. She took a hold of it and placed it on the ground, figuring she could persuade an innocent man to help her. I grabbed the last suitcase and my guitar case. I placed the suitcase on the ground and watched my mom flag down a guy who looked around my age. I swung the guitar over my shoulder and smiled weakly at him as he came over.

"So you need some help?" He asked me kindly, seeing that I had nothing to do with this trap.

I smiled and nodded, studying him. He was good looking; shaggy light brown hair, must be six foot, and nice built body; lean but muscular.

I stuck out my hand and in turn he shook my hand, a nice strong shake. I smiled again.

"I'm Jude Harrison." I offered.

"I'm Keith Olan." He said with broad smile. "So where do you reside?" He asked me, as he swung one suitcase over his shoulder, and picked the other one up with his open arm. He must be more muscular then I suspected.

"Oh right." I said taking out a sheet of paper from my front pocket. "Um…" I said going through the list and finally finding the building I was to live in. "Huntingburg Hall?" I questioned, looking doubtfully at him.

"Ah yes Huntingburg Hall." He said with a smile. "Follow me." He said leading the way. I looked over at my mom and he followed my gaze. "Um… right," He began awkwardly. "I'll be over there." He said pointing at bench, which was shadowed by a massive, somewhat daunting tree. "When you need me just come and get me."

"Thank you." I said sincerely.

"Ah you're welcome." He said simply and strode away.

I walked over to my mom and threw my arms around her neck. She hugged me tightly and I felt the sudden urge to cry.

"Mom I love you." I said muffled by her light brown hair.

"It's mutual." She said trying to lighten up the mood, I laughed and pulled away to get a good look at her.

"Be good," She began, pushing my vibrant red hair out of my face. "And don't get to crazy about the boys." She said glancing over at Keith, who was watching us.

"I won't." I said laughing and we hugged once last time.

"Talk to you later?" I questioned as she opened the car door.

She paused. "Talk to you later," She answered. "Bye sweetie."

"Bye." I said and watched her car become clouded by the dust and then she was gone.

I walked towards Keith who rose from the bench, as I approached.

He grabbed hold of my suitcases and let out a gruff moan. "Ready?" He asked me.

"Ready." I answered.