Chapter 1

Bright lights, tires screeching, a woman screaming, an ambulance, a soft voice talking, than a straight beep.

I bolted up in bed, my heart pounding in my chest, my breathing irregular. It took me a moment to realize where I was. I started crying.

"Fang." I sobbed. And moments later I felt his warm fur touch my hands. I threw my arms around his thick neck and cried harder. I cried for what felt like hours. Fang just sat there comforting me in his own dog-like way. Finally I gained control of myself and went into the bathroom to take a cold shower. Fang curled up on the mat. When I got out I wrapped myself in a towel and sat on the counter with my head against the mirror. Fang looked at me from his place on the ground. Ready if I needed him.

I stared at myself. Black long wavy hair, Green eyes, pale skin, plum lips, angular face. My eyes were red rimmed and my pale cheeks were tear streaked. I hate my reflection. I punch the mirror so hard it cracks and the glass slices my knuckles. Fang leaps up and barks like a rabid dog, trying to wake my brother, Matt. He comes running in seconds later. He sees the mirror and than looks at me. He comes over and hugs me to him. I've woken up crying a lot. But I've never been this violent. Something was changing. And Matt could see it.

While he was wrapping up my knuckles his eyes kept flicking from my face back down to my knuckles.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

No response.

He looked up and I was watching his hands move across my knuckles. I was as unresponsive as I'd always been.

"Lex, I know you can hear me. I know your listening. If you tune me out that's ok, but hear this. I miss them as much as you do; none of it was your fault. No one holds it against you, it was an accident. But I know you hate hearing that so hears the truth. Grow up. It's been a year. I've tried being the caring brother and let you get through it, but now I'm done. If you don't start trying than I'm sending you to a Boarding School for the Depressed! You hear me?" he asked. His voice stern. I looked up at him.

"Yes." I said. It felt weird to talk to him. I haven't talked to a human since The Accident almost a year ago.

He sighed, and patted my now bandaged hand.

"Start getting ready for school. You wouldn't want to be late on your first day." he said, leaving.

I jumped down from the counter only to have Fang nip me. I looked down at him and he growled, showing me his teeth.

"I'm sorry." I whispered to him. He whipped his head from side to side and walked out to my room and lay down on my bed. He watched me while I got dressed. Shorts, a tank top and flip flops. Odd things to me. I was born and raised in Maine. Matt had moved us to warm, humid Sarasota, Florida, about two weeks ago. I was only now starting school.

I walked down the stairs a few minutes later and sat down at the table sitting in the kitchen. Fang lay down by my chair. Matt put a plate in front of me. Then he sat down with his across from me.

Matt was 25 and he and I looked like twins. Most people were shocked when they found out he was 8 years older than me. He had short spiky black hair, eyes that put emeralds to shame, tan skin and the type of build that made almost every girl swoon. He was the lucky one. He got dads Indian skin, while I got stuck with mom's European pale skin. He also got dads height. He was 6'4, and I was short and tiny at 5'4. He got the looks while I got the leftovers.

I looked down at Fang. He was half husky, half Alaskan white wolf. So he was colored like a husky and his eyes and build was wolf. We had gotten him when he was a puppy a week or two after the accident. Now he was my guardian. We don't know how he learned to protect me or how he seems to know everything I say to him; he taught himself I guess. He stared back up at me with his blue eyes. It seemed, like most other times, he knew what I was thinking.

Matt jumped up when I was finished and put my plate in the sink and practically shoved me out the door with a cheerful 'Have a great day, Lex!'

When I got to my new school I was actually awed. Matt had said the school had recently been rebuilt. I had to say, it was beautiful. Riverview High; home of the Rams. So I'm a goat… nice. To say the school was overflowing with kids was an understatement. My last school was small and had a total of about 2,000 students while Riverview looked like it held twice as much. Teenagers, staff and teenagers that looked way too old to be teenagers overflowed the campus, making me think of a college. The school itself was in a square like shape. And its colors were obviously maroon and grey because the buildings and even the ground had maroon and grey everywhere.

The Office was quiet and slow. There was a woman that looked as if she would rather be in bed at the moment. She was the only person open so I went to Mrs. Sleepy.

"May I help you?" she asked, obviously bored.

"I'm new here." I said quietly.

"Name?" she asked.

"Alexandra Anderson." I said.

"Here's your schedule, your map and you need this signed by all your teachers. Here's how you get to your first class." She said. And pulled out a hot pink highlighter.

Wow, this school was bigger than I thought. It took me almost 20 minutes to find my first class. And seeing as though I just heard the second bell, I'm positive I'm late.

"Welcome back, guys. Good weekend?" a booming voice asked. That must be Mr. Short. Pre-Calculus.

He was anything but short. And I was late.

"Can I help you?" he asked. Seeing me in the doorway.

I nodded, and handed him the sheet he needed to sign.

"Alexandra Anderson! Welcome!" he shouted. I grimaced. "Go have a seat beside Mr. Jackson; he's the only one with an empty seat on his right!"

Mr. Jackson was very good-looking. He had dirty blonde hair; that curled around the color of his navy polo; his eyes were so blue I felt like I could see into his soul. He was tanned like a true Floridian, a navy polo, cargo pants, and running shoes. He smiled at me when I sat down and slide closer so I could see his book.

"We're just reviewing what we did before spring break." He whispered. Did I mention I was coming into my junior year in March?

I nodded.

At lunch I sat by myself. It wasn't lonely to be honest. I preferred being by myself than being with a group.

"Hey, can I sit here?"

I looked over and who should be standing there none other than Mr. Jackson.

I really wanted to know his name. 'Mr. Jackson' makes me think I am talking to Andrew Jackson.

I nodded.

"Do you talk, at all?" he asked sitting down with his apple and water bottle.

I shrugged.

"Well if it helps, I'm Achilles." He said, showing off his white teeth.

"Like the Greek God?" I asked

"And she speaks!" he said loudly, grinning victoriously.

I glowered.

"Sorry, yes like the Greek God." he said, still smiling. "And you're Alexandra Anderson. Right?"

"Yes, but everyone calls me Ally. So I guess you can too." I said quietly.

"I'll call you Lexxi than." he said his head cocked to the side.

"Why?" I asked interest coloring my voice.

"Because I'm special." he replied, smiling in a way that made blood rush to my face.

"ACHILLES! STOP IRKING HER!" A girl screeched from across the lunch room.

She had a bob of bright red hair that made me think of red satin. It was red and shimmered. And she had the same blue eyes as Achilles. She was tall, about 5'6, with the same tanned skin as Achilles. She was just as gorgeous as Achilles was heart-breakingly handsome.

"Kyra, relax. I'm not irritating her." he said to her as she got closer. "Am I irritating you, Lexxi?" He asked innocently

I shook my head.

Kyra sat down next to me, with a glare at Achilles.

"Hi, I'm Kyra, Achilles' older sister." she said with the friendliest smile I have ever seen. And I know a lot of old people!

"Hi. I'm…"

"Alexandra Anderson moved from Maine with your older brother, Mathew Anderson. And you were born in…..'93" she said cutting me off.

"How did you know that?" I asked, cautiously.

"Yeah Kyra, your not supposed to know any of that because we just met her." Achilles said with a sharp warning in his voice. I looked at him and the look on his face was dangerous.

Kyra rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, I met your brother a few days ago, and he told me all about you guys. He's working for our mother at the hospital, as a male nurse, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, wow small world."

"I'll say."

"So what do you have next, Lexxi?" Achilles asked his hand outstretched for my schedule.

I had 1st period and 6th period classes with Achilles and 8th period gym with Kyra. The two of them were very odd. They were acting like I was their new best friend. How did that happen?

After school I walked out to the school parking lot as fast as possible. I was only half way to my car when something brushed my leg. I jumped and before I could scream I saw what had brushed my leg. It was only Fang. We let him roam but Matt had said to get him a collar here because he didn't know how the locals would take a mixed wolf running around. So I got him a black color that said Fang Anderson.

I sighed and knelt down to pet him.

"I wouldn't."

I looked behind me. Achilles, how did I know that?

I petted him anyway. He licked my hand affectionately. I smiled happily and kissed his head.

"He's mine." I said standing up.

"Sorry, looks just like a wolf." he said

"I know, he's half Alaskan White Wolf." I said continuing to my car. I opened the passenger side for Fang and he leapt in gracefully. I walked around to the driver's side and was about to get in but Achilles put his arm out. I looked at him; he had an odd expression on his face.

"I won't be here for a few days, nor will Kyra. So be careful ok?" he asked.

"I've managed perfectly fine for 17 years. I think I can manage a few days, thank you." I snapped slamming the car door shut and starting the engine.

When I walked in the door, Matt looked up from the stove. He was cooking bacon without a shirt on, again.

"Hey, Lex!" he said grinning like he always does. "How was school?"

He looked back down, not expecting an answer. That was good because I wasn't going to give him one. I didn't know how to categorize my day.

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