Chapter One

When Cress woke up that Monday she assumed this school be like all the others. Everyone would see her as the geeky tech prodigy just like everyone else. Boy was she mistaken. This year she was in for bumpy, but wonderful, ride.

She walked into the school with that nervousness she got every time. Her hip length hair was in an intricate braid she'd learned how to do on YouTube. The simple dress she wore was comfortable and she hoped she wouldn't be noticed.

"Now, where's the principal's office?" she asked herself. She walked into the office, and that's when she saw him. The most handsome boy she had ever seen in her entire life time. She didn't mean high school boy handsome. He was movie star handsome.

She didn't realize she was staring until he looked up at her. Then he gave her a grin. A cocky, annoyingly gorgeous, heart melting, swoon worthy grin. He clearly knew that his smile was all those things. Then she blushed. Cress felt it growing across her nose and cheeks. With that blush his grin magically got more cocky. That was when the principal came out yelling.

"Carswell Thorne, I swear if you get called into this office ONE more time you will be EXPELLED!"

" Please shorten that Carswell Thorne to just Thorne, Principal Carter. Everyone else does." So his name is Thorne, Cress thought. That was when Principal Carter noticed her standing there.

"Why are you just standing there?" She knew she had given him a dumbstruck face.

"Uh, um. I'm new, sir." Well done Cress you just made yourself look incredibly stupid in front of the most handsome being to ever exist, she thought . "My name's Crescent Darnell." she added quickly.

"Ah, I am so sorry you were welcomed to our school in such a manner miss Darnell." Principal Carter said in an overly happy voice, clearly trying to compensate for the fact she had just seen him yelling at Thorne. "Carswell please get to your scheduled class, remember what I said a moment ago." At that Thorne gave him a sarcastic salute. Her eyes followed him, somewhat involuntarily. That was when he threw her a wink as he turned to close the door behind him. She blushed, again somewhat involuntarily.

"Miss Darnell shall we get you a tour. I will personally escort you to your first class." continued Principal Carter. Thank goodness he hadn't noticed her blush.

"There's no need for a tour or for you to show me to my first class. My dad and I took a tour of the school before he enrolled me. He has very high standards. I was told when I enrolled I would need to check in on my first day."she said.

"Is that right miss Darnell?" Principal Carter questioned.

"That is correct Principal Carter."Cress answered.

"Well then head to your first class, after I get you a note to be exempt from punishment for your tardiness." He handed her a note to give her teacher and she was off. She was headed to room number 215. It was upstairs and so was her locker. That was a bonus. She could live with these conditions. That was when she saw she had a full locker. YES! she thought. She'd had a half lockers at her other schools. Top lockers at that. When you're quite petite like Cress it poses quite a few problems. Let's not get into that right now.

She was feeling good, ready to go. Then she walked into her math class and saw Thorne. Really universe she thought. So she figured he was a junior, she was a sophomore but had been bumped up a year in math. The teacher looked over at her and said "Who are you and why are you late?"

"Crescent Darnell, and I have a note from the principal explaining my tardiness."

"Alright give me the note and have a seat next to ….."