a/n: This was written all the way back in May, before the series officially began. At this point, I didn't really know what Lacey's character voice would sound like. So I apologize if it doesn't sound like her. Enjoy!

Perched atop the roof of her house, Lacey crossed her legs at the ankle, and stared out into the distance. Beyond the uniformed roofs lay a collection of tall, wild trees. The wooded area was a nature study, normally used by the High School biology classes for samples and observation. But to her, it was like a burst of entropy in the otherwise dull, suburban town she'd grown up in. It was as if, no matter how much the town tried to prove itself to be "normal", the little green area would always be there. Like a blemish. But as cliche as it seemed, the blemish made the town what it was. It was a beautiful imperfection.

For years, Lacey did her best to convince the others that she wasn't like him. She was Lacey Porter: sweet, charming, funny, and beautiful. She wasn't crazy. Murder frightened her, as did that "freak" she used to associate with. Shaking her head, Lacey chuckled to herself at the irony. In her own life, Danny Desai became that blemish. Rather, Danny was the wooded area to Lacey's suburbia. Just when everything was smooth sailing, and she was on her way to building the normalcy that she craved for so long, the wooded area decided to spring up from the neatly placed concrete. No matter how many layers of cement Lacey used to seal the crack, the woods always found a way to break through and make itself known. So she stopped trying. The unwelcome source of entropy was just as charming as he was dark and full of mystery. Every smirk and chuckle masked the twisted vines and poisonous leaves. His words lulled her into a sense of comfort like the sound of chirping birds and a rushing stream. But then nightfall arrived, and the woods' true nature was revealed. Something about it was so sinister and frightening. But, still, she found herself making that same trip, to those same woods, knowing good and well what she'd find if she stayed long enough and trekked deep enough. How long would it be before she made the decision to avoid normalcy? What would happen if Lacey embraced the chaos with open arms? There was danger, and fear. And the ugly truth that the woods weren't as beautiful as she thought they'd be.

Would Lacey care?

Behind her back, the window to her bedroom opened from the inside and the new presence made itself known with a small chuckle. The same chuckle that sent delicious, yet terrified shivers down her spine.

Lacey straightened her back, "I'm shocked you decided to come."

"Why wouldn't I? I promised, didn't I?"

"You make a lot of promises. You don't always keep them."

The silence between the two teenagers carried on for far longer than she'd anticipated, and she feared that he'd leave. A few passing cars and the rustle of leaves in the summer breeze interrupted the quiet, but only for a moment. He sat behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, protectively.

He murmured into her neck, "I promised I'd never hurt you, and I intend to keep that promise."

Lacey bit down on the corner of her lower lip and involuntarily leaned into his form. She wanted to be afraid, to run, to push him away. But in his arms, she was home. He never gave her a reason to fear him. In fact, he rarely expressed anger or agitation around her. His normally tense stature relaxed, and his dark eyes melted into a warm chocolate whenever they were alone.

She didn't love him. At least she didn't think she did. Not the kind of love people wrote songs and told stories about. But everything she loved about him both terrified her and made her question her own mental state. How is it that she could find a sense of security in the same arms and hands that took someone else's life away? The strong jaw that she'd often trail kisses along, would also be the same jaw to tense up right before those protective hands balled up into a fist and connected with someone's face. Lacey wanted to believe Danny was good, and that her admiration for him was logical. But nothing made sense to her anymore. Even as the taller boy buried his face into the crook of her neck and lost himself in the scent of her skin, Lacey was lost.

In the distance, the sun began to dip below the horizon. It was then and there that Lacey decided to get lost in the chaos of Danny Desai, just one more time. She always told herself that it'd be the last time, but deep down she knew that she'd always go back to the woods.