Chapter 1

The morning was bleak and stormy and everyone was huddled in their jackets. It was April, one of the most beautiful months of the Hawaiian year, but not necessarily one of the warmest.

A light rain was sprinkling over the dew-laden grass. Flowers of all shades and brilliant arrays of designs were threaded in and out of all the trees and bushes and every available ground space there was.

Students and faculty rushed in and out of classes, trying to get across campus. The parking lot was full and it was hard to find a parking space. People walked with coffee and books in their hands, ignoring the beautiful scenery, trying to cram in as much information as possible for their early morning classes.

After the rush had died down, and classes had started, a girl with mid-length, dark brown hair and stunning emerald eyes ran across the campus grass, rushing to get to her morning science class and trying not to spill her scalding coffee.

Crystal Belge hadn't even bothered brushing her hair that morning. It flew wildly around her face as she rushed into the already silent classroom. The faces, of every person in there, turned toward her and a few guys in the back openly laughed at her disheveled appearance.

One bold student yelled out, "Ha! Look at her. What happened to you Crystal? You run through a thorn bush on your way here?"

That gained a few laughs and one of the football jocks said, "Nice one Natalie."

"Now, now, Miss Pedraja, settle down please. Crystal, how nice of you to show up, but you might as well not have," the professor said as she walked up to his desk. He wasn't exactly the nicest teacher around.

"Professor, I can explain…" Crystal began, struggling to find an excuse that wouldn't sound as lame as simply oversleeping. She prided herself in her perfect attendance and simply could not stand to have it altered by this unfortunate event.

"No,I told you many classes before this that this was an important test and no one could be late. You heard me, yet you're still late. Too bad," the professor said briskly as he went back to his work. "Now kindly go wait outside for me and we will discuss further actions to do with your late arrival."

Crystal looked about ready to cry as she stalked out of the room. She had half a mind to leave that minute and forget about what had happened back in the classroom. Crystal knew that it would not be that difficult for her to simply walk away, but she wanted to fight her case first. So, she waited for about five more minutes until she saw the door being eased open by long, graceful fingers.

As Professor Birch exited the classroom, he approached Crystal where she sat on the bench and began, "Crystal, I know that you probably had a good reason for being late to class. You have to understand that it is hard for me to punish you…"

"Yeah right," she thought, "Does he really think I'm so stupid that I don't realize that he is lying through his teeth?"

"…but I have to treat you like I treat everyone else. And everyone else that is late for a test gets a zero on it as well."

"Professor Birch, I understand this, but you know as well as I, that I am having a rough time already, but I'm never late for any class and my homework is always done and correct." she wouldn't mention that most of this was because of her special abilities. "Besides, it wasn't my fault. I just woke up late. It won't happen again. I'm only five minutes late anyways," Crystal protested.

"No, I'm sorry, but there are no exceptions," the professor concluded and went back to the silent testing room.

Crystal was infuriated. Words failed her as the door pounded shut in her face. For one moment, she considered storming back into the room and forcing the teacher to allow her to take the test. The only problem with that plan was that it would probably put a slight pall on the fact that she wanted to show how great a student she was. Instead, Crystal decided she would just go for a walk to clear her mind and wait until her next class.

She had barely walked onto the sidewalk, however, when an out of control bicyclist nearly ran her over, knocking her down onto the pavement none-the-less. Papers flew everywhere and a scream was heard.

"Oww…ughh…" Crystal groaned as she tried to untangle herself but that became difficult when she found that she was staring into amber eyes, glowing brightly.

For a moment she was speechless as she stared into the endless chasms that were his eyes. She scowled and her body parts ached from the impact. Only her ankle seemed to be hurt, however she was covered with bruises and her body ached.

"I'm terribly sorry. I should've been more careful. I didn't see you until it was too late and then I didn't have time to slow down. I just… I didn't think…" he stuttered, picking up their stuff.

She ignored him as she nursed her ankle. It felt sprained, as she tried to stand up, maybe even broken.

Finally fed up, she screamed, "Yes, you should be sorry. Look at my ankle! And my coffee! I DIDN'T EVEN GET MY MORNING COFFEE, I JUST CAME OUT OF A CLASS THAT I AM PROBABLY GOING TO FAIL, BECAUSE MY STUPID ALARM CLOCK DIDN'T WORK, AND NOW I PRACTICALLY GOT RUN OVER! AND IT'S A FRIDAY TOO, AREN'T FRIDAYS SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD DAYS? UGHHH! IT'S NOT MY DAY TODAY!"

She gave him another angry look and limped by, refusing his hand. To anyone else he would have been incredibly handsome, and definitely likable, but Crystal was so upset that she was blinded by rage.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur, as if she were looking through an unfocused microscope, and she went from class to class, hardly able to concentrate. At some point she found her mind wandering off to see a tall, handsome man with shining amber eyes staring down at her, the light all around him as if he was a god. But then she would snap back into reality and remember that he had run her over and that she wasn't very happy with him. Still, she couldn't help seeing that image every time she closed her eyes. Maybe she could give him a second chance. She winced as she experienced a sharp pain from her ankle. Maybe not.