Chapter 1

"Alex!" A high voice screeched through the halls. "Did you hear the good news?"

"What good news?" I replied. "We're at school. There is nothing good about it!" I told her. She looked at me as if I said something wrong; she knows how I am about school.

"No." she rolled her eyes as she said this. "We're getting a new student. And I do believe it's a girl." She smiled and looked at me like I should be excited.

"Yea!" I said sarcastically. I was never excited about new kids, mostly because you have to help them, and that's really not my thing. "What's the big deal?" I asked her throwing my breakfast burrito, that I didn't finish, back in my locker.

"The big deal is that we could have a new best friend."

"Wait, are you saying you don't want to be friends?" I asked her VERY dramatically.

"NO! Alex what I'm saying is she could be like you or me."

"Harper, try to be realistic…where are we going to find another person like you. Your one of a kind." I told her trying to make this conversation end.

All of a sudden a tall, skinny girl walked through the doors of our school. She dressed like a mix of me and Harper. (I was shocked because who could mix me with Harper?) Anyways, she had long brown hair that was in curls, light makeup and a head-band with a huge sun-flower on it, with a bright yellow shirt, black skinny jeans, and yellow heals.

Harper turned to look at me with a huge smile on her face and then said, "Wow. Look at her."

"Yeah. Look at her." I said while rubbing my tongue across my teeth and then said, "I don't like her." And then walked away toward the other end of the hallway.

As Harper chased after me she said, "Alex, you haven't even met her, you have to give people a chance by meeting them, not just by looking at them"

"Yeah, but Harper, you know I don't like meeting people." I said groaning. "Because then you have to work."

"How?" She asked staring at me.

"Well, you have to introduce yourself and then listen to them telling you about themselves and then you have to tell them about you. It's very difficult." As I was explaining this to her she looked at me like I was being lazy and un-neighborly. (Whatever that means, she said I acted like that a lot and I just never took the time to look up what it meant.)

While this was going on, let's go and see what Justin was up to.

"Justin? Justin? JUSTIN!" Zeke said while he shook me trying to get my attention.

"What?" I said starting to pay attention to Zeke now.

"Are you okay? What were you staring at?" Zeke said starting to turn around to find the thing that took my mind off our conversation about our chemistry homework. I tried to stop him from turning around but it caught his eye. Her. The new girl. Zeke's jaw dropped.

"Wow! I thought it was hard to get your mind taken off of chem. homework, but not anymore. I find it very easy!"

We both froze and starred at the new girl as she walked by and she smiled and waved at me. I smiled and waved back raising my hand and moving my fingers one at a time.

As soon as Zeke and I couldn't see hear in the hall anymore Zeke told me, "I think the new girl might like you Justin."

I looked at him smiling wide and saying, "Nah, me? Do you think so?"

"Yeah!" Zeke said. "Did you see the way she looked at you? And waved at you?" he said this as he did an impression of her walking by, smiling and waving.

Let's go to Mr. Laritate's office where Alex was sitting while Mr. Laritate gave her a lecture.

"Now, Ms. Russo you will have a week's detention. Now off to class."

As I got up and turned around I ran into her.

"Oh. Sorry, that was my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

"Oh. Your right, it was your fault." I said smiling evilly and then I glared at her. Her smile slowly faded away and she walked around me, and my eyes followed her. She sat down in one of 's chairs in front of his large wooden desk. And I walked out.

"Alex." A voice I recognized called my name and I turned around hoping it wasn't Justin. As I turned around opening my eyes, it was Justin.

"Dang-it!" I said stomping my foot and my bag fell off my shoulder and to the floor.

"Nice to see you too." He said smiling. "I need some advice. I really like the new girl and I don't know how to approach her."

"Approach her?" I asked, trying not to laugh really. "Don't you mean "Talk" to her?"

"Yeah. I want to get to know her."

"Ok, well, have you met her yet?"

"No."

"Well, you have to find some stuff out about her." I said, annoyed because I don't like her and if they start to go out I don't think I would be happy, and because I hate helping people.

"But Alex I really need help." He said and he started to beg me.

"Alright. Just wait until she comes out of Laritate's office and ask her if she needs any help around the school, but introduce yourself first. Okay?" I said annoyed.

"Okay." He said nervously.

I hid behind a trashcan while Justin sat on the bench and waited. As soon as she walked out Justin got up and walked toward her.

"Hi. I'm Justin Russo, the Student Body President, and I was just wondering if you needed any help around the school."

"Um, yeah actually I have history class next and I don't know where that is. Could you take me there?"

"Yeah, that's what class I have next too. I'll walk with you."

"Great. Oh. By the way my name is Jennifer. I moved here from Chicago."

"Oh. Really? I've never been there before. Did you like it there?" Justin asked as he showed her the way and they both walked down the hall to history.

"Wow! I am really good." I said smiling; glad that my plan worked (I knew it would).