Chapter 1

New Beginnings

Rachel's P.O.V

EEEER! EEEER! EEEER! I sat up with a groan of frustration and banged on my alarm clock till it stopped beeping. "SHIT!" I was going to be late for school! I got dressed quickly in a white blouse and jeans with flower bedazzled on them, and to finish it off I put on a bluish-green hoodie with waves. That was the only gift from my father that he left when he left to travel the world by sea.

My father left when I was born without so much as my favorite hoodie and a single sentence, "I will always be there for you, always," that's it no "I'll be back" or "I'll return soon" he just left me with my mom and an apartment in New York. I don't think I'll ever forgive him, but then again he's my dad I got to forgive him, right? Oh, right school, I go to Goode Middle School (6th-8th grade), I mean it's great and all but I only have two friends, scratch that two awesome friends that say ARE always there for me, it makes life possible.

I got to school ten minutes late-just like every day since I started-and went to my first period, math. It's not as bad as English but still torture if I didn't sit next to my best friend Nik-he doesn't like to use his full real name so he just uses his nickname-because he a mathematical genius and always helps with my homework and school stuff. Some people say he's a freak just cause his cute grey eyes, wait did I just say cute, umm forget I said that. Anyways he has blond hair, skinny build, and those grey eyes I mentioned.

When I got to class I sat in my seat thankful that the teacher wasn't looking, but he still noticed,

"Late again Rachel"

"Yes, sir"

"I hope you don't think this is acceptable"

"No, sir"

"Please call me Frank, I told you this already"

"Ok, Frank"

"Now class we will be learning the…."

And so I just tuned math class again and started passing notes to Nik,

(Rachel, Nik)

How was winter break

Fine

You seem sad, what happened

Nothing

Come on you can tell me, were friends

Just tired from Camp

(End)

Camp. Every summer or winter break we have Nik goes to that stupid camp of his and always comes back with a scare or is just really tired. It absolutely sucks cause that means that tomorrow I'll have to listen to his "Great Adventure" where he meets all these girls and guys to have fun with while I just sit at home and text josh, my other friend who also goes to that camp, but at least it's something to so I don't really complain. What you thought that I was one of those girly-girls who spend all their time at the mall, well I'm not so get over it.

So things went a usual 'till lunch came, so the three of use-me, Nik, and Josh-were sitting at our usual table and discussing how the earth should be cleaner then it is currently when some dude with a weird tattoo came over and tried to hit Nik, something most people would regret, but Nik just ducked so the guy hit himself, it would have been funny if the wasn't 6"2' with a muscular build so I kept my mouth shut, and of all the times for my mouth to betray me was now, and a little giggle escaped which caught the attention of tattoo dude-my nickname for him-glared at me and I may have shrank into my "shell".

"Did you just laugh little girl"

"No, no, no, no"

"That's what I thought, pipsqueak"

"Leave her alone James," Nik said calmly

"What's it to ya Nicholas," James snarled

"She's my friend and I will protect her from the likes of you, and it's Nik you know N-i-k"

"Friend! You really have sunk low, I mean you could have anyone at camp as your friends but you choose these losers!"

"WE ARE NOT LOSERS!" shouted Josh

"Whatever losers" said James and he walked away

"Who was he" I asked

"Just a jerk from camp" Nik replied

"And Josh I've never seen you lose your temper that badly before"

"I just hate him for all the mean things he's done at camp, he's a real jerk"

"I know that but still…"

"But still nothing he's a jerk and that's final"

Nik just sat through our little debate and said nothing for the rest of the day which worried me greatly. After school I saw him walking towards the bus so I called for him and we drove to my house in my mom's car-she drove not me, sadly-which was a bad idea cause she sang the whole way there, basically torture. When we got home I took Nik to my room and sat him down in my desk chair while I sat on my bed.

"So tell me, what happened at camp?"

"…"

"Nicholas tell me right now!"

"Fine! There was a lot of commotion going about so we had to do more…exercise, that's it"

"Now that wasn't so hard was i…"

That was when he looked me in the eyes and I lost all train of thought cause his beautiful eyes were filled with exhaustion so I got up and gave him a hug which was bad enough that I liked him but he made it worse with hugging back. When we separated I was blushing so I changed the subject.

"umm, you wanna start with math?"

He just nodded and smiled with woke the butterflies in my stomach. So we did our homework and started talking about the weird stuff I did over the break when we heard my mom saying she's going the store for an hour. But thirty minutes later the front door slammed open with a crash and let me tell you what we saw was not pretty, and by that I mean I screamed and ran.