Chapter 1

We were in his friends shed. He was leaning back laughing and I was sitting across from him, giggling. I don't remember what was so funny, we were both high. For me it was the first time in a long time. For him it was the second time that morning. He's bad for me, I know that, I know that I shouldn't drink and smoke anymore, but when I was with him I just did. He didn't pressure me and I wasn't doing it to feel more comfortable, no, I was completely relaxed with him. I just smoked because it came naturally. I used to smoke. I used to skip class and go out behind the school with my buddies, but that was back home, that was what made my grades drop. That was the reason I was here anyways and if I wanted to stay here, with him, than I better get my act together, that's what they told me, the people at the agency. Well, I guess he's not the only reason I should do that. If I plan on going to university after college than I better stop smoking and start studying.

Chapter 2

I used to live in New York, with a foster family there, but after I started failing, my great aunt (who was in control of my affairs but didn't want me herself) decided I would be better off in England. Don't ask me why she thought this place would be any different. Did she think they didn't smoke and drink here? If she did she was wrong.

Pretty much as soon I was in my new foster home I meet Freddie and Effy. Freddie's house is across the street from where I was staying. I had been sitting on the stone wall along the sidewalk when I saw them making out across the street. She saw me first, pulled out of the kiss and walked towards me. She was smiling a strange smile she didn't seem happy that I had been watching her and her man eat each other's faces.

"Do you wanna hang out tonight?" she asked.

"uh" the question caught me off guard, I didn't even know her name "hi I'm Megan" it sounded so stupid but I couldn't think of anything else to say.

As soon as the words were out of my mouth she turned to her boyfriend, he chuckled and I felt exposed.

"American?" she didn't wait for an answer "I'm Effy , this is my boyfriend Freddie" she motioned toward him and he nodded in my direction " and you're coming over tonight"

She turned to walk off, Freddie spoke for the first time "just show up at nine and knock on the shed door, kay?"

I nodded I'm sure I look like a complete loser, barely talking and very wide eyed at the strangeness of this Effy girl and the whole situation. I won't lie to you the first time I saw Freddie I thought he was adorable; he had gorgeous eyes and a cool dirty skater style that he pulled off better than any other guy could.

All that went out the window that night when I saw James Cook. I walked into Freddies shed and there he was standing in the center of the room arms spread open, face towards the sky, yelling at the top of his lungs, with a beer in one hand. He was wearing a pair of gray pants and no shirt. He had a couple tattoos that I could see. I normally hated tats on guys but for some reason on this dude who I hadn't even yet met they were fascinating to me. No correction he was fascinating to me.

When I walked in all action stopped. A tallish blond girl, who had been sitting on the couch, jumped up and stuck her hand towards me. She was wearing blue tights with pale pink overalls and her long hair in lopsided pigtails. "Hello I'm Pandora! You can call me panda!" the only thought in my head was what a strange country I'm in. All the others in the shed slowly got over the suddenness of my arrival and Pandas introduction and told me their names. I, in exchange, told them mine as well. When everyone knew everyone Cook handed me a joint. For a few seconds I stood there staring at it.

"Well you must have smoked before, right?" The girl Katie asked.

"What? Oh yeah, I have its just . . . it's been a while" Cook was next to me now lifting the joint to my lips. I inhaled.

"That a girl" he whispered

Chapter 3

I woke up the next morning sprawled on the couch in the shed. Cook was on the floor next to me. We were alone. My head was spinning.

"Shit!" I whispered. How was I going to explain this to the Carrings. They'd be pissed. "Foster kids have a curfew" they'd remind me. Hopefully they hadn't called the cops. I mean they knew I had gone out maybe, because it was my first night, they'd be lax about it. If anything I could tell them the time change caught up with me and I passed out in the park. Yeah I'd be yelled at about the dangers of sleeping in a park but it'd be better than a referral. First though, I needed a shower, I smelled of weed something terrible.

During my worry about what to tell my foster parents I had stood up and walked to the mirror hanging on the wall. I tilted my head to the right, then the left. I look tired. I stood in my t-shirt and leggings, make up down my face, and hair a limp mess I looked pathetic, and completely American. I was a blond, fair skinned, blue eyed, and short (I stood at only 5') sixteen year old from New York. What was I doing here?

Behind me Cook stirred, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. I walked toward him as he finished yawning, I sat down on the couch and he moved up next to me.

"So how are you this fine morning?" he asked too chipper for as hung-over as he must surely be from all he drank the night before.

"Honestly? Not so hot. You seem happy though"

"Yes hangover immunity, I'm blessed" he smirked at me full of himself

"There's no such thing" I replied laughing at him "if there was I would know"

"Oh yeah? And how would you know? You barely drank at all last night."

This was something I didn't want to talk about. I had left New York and its problems. I didn't want to go back. Funny thing is I wanted to be with Cook and he definitely brought back New York's problems.

Chapter 4

I had been in England about a month. I had started college at Roundveiw and I had started dating Cook. Well I don't actually know if we actually were dating. I spent most nights in Freddie's shed with him but we didn't do much besides kiss. We had gotten a bit farther than that a few times but nothing drastic. Not that that bugged me though I mean I don't tell many people but I'm still a virgin and I only met Cook a little over a month ago. From what I heard however this isn't normally how Cook works. I mean, Panda and Katie have both told me him and Effy did it the first day they met each other. I don't know maybe I'm different to him, or maybe he's just messing with me. I'm really not sure.

Sometimes I let myself be consumed by thought that he's just messing with my head and everything he does he does just to lead me on so he can crush me later. These thoughts scare me. They scare me because they might be true, but then they also scare me because they push me towards the drugs and anything that does that to a person is scary.

I mean take Effy for example since I moved here she's gotten even stranger. She talks even less and smokes even more. I feel bad for her I mean with Freddie and Cook and her brother. Yes even as an outsider I know about what happened to Tony. I had never meet him even though I want to. He seems funny and I think Effy needs him. She's defiantly going crazy. I don't want that to happen to me. I like being sane.