the song in the prologue was Again by Flyleaf. i'm tired, so i'm just getting up the prologue and chapter 1 for now. i'll probably have more up later today. (it's 12:06 AM) so, anyways, i'm sorry i didn't get to update. i had a birthday party for myself, my sisters, and...my cousin. so, here's chapter 1. if you're still reading this far, i'm not gonna tell you to read, because you are. but, please review once you're done. it's not that hard, and i'd really appreciate it. it makes me feel good, and it helps me improve. seriously. and, enjoy! =)


Because days come and go
But my feelings for you are forever
Because days come and go
But my feelings for you are forever


Getting over all of this was hard, harder than we had originally thought it would be. Alex went back to school to protect me, and Sam had her fun. She literally beat the crap out of Lindsey, and she got in trouble for it, but I was thankful. Everyone was. Someone else had finally stood up to her.

But, that was just a preview to what she would get when I got a hold of her. Lemme tell you. Things would be very ugly and very bloody.

My mind was made up. As soon as I was able, that little slut was getting what she deserved. Sam, being Sam, didn't even give it to her. Only I could.

Sam let out a sigh of content that Sunday afternoon. "My first homecoming. What's it like?"

"You'll see," Seth assured her, smirking. "But, no matter what, don't go to the homecoming dance with anyone, okay? Everyone here is like they were with Ari, but with you. Right now, they're just after your body."

"I'll keep that in mind." I could almost hear her roll her eyes. She would be able to tell, because, after all, she is Sam.

He laughed. "Right. Forgot." Those handy office people put Sam in all of my classes, as extra backup. I thought it was funny, because she ended up partnered with Alex in Chemistry, which was for the best anyways.

The school seemed to just forget about Elli as the month went by and homecoming rolled around. They held a memorial service in her memory, but no one seemed to truly care.

And I knew why. For the most part, she had been the science geek, and this place was full of people who just cared about looks.

I was so glad to have my super fast healing, because now, I was left with only a fractured leg. Everything else, besides my eyesight, was completely healed. It left me with some nasty scars, but I was okay with that. The thing that I wasn't okay with but would have to just get over was the eyesight.

This was all my fault. We've discovered that this is either permanent, or it'll be here for a while. Either way, I didn't like it.

Seth's birthday was coming up soon too, which was something interesting.

Seth refuses to let me win this fight, or so he thinks. He says there is nothing on this Earth he wants because he's already got something better than the world.

It's sweet, and once I'm un-melted, or whatever you want to call it, solidified, as some people say, then, he changes the subject. It's like he knows when that is too, because he's always laughing at the exact point.

And my family, they're no help at all! The men are agreeing with Seth, saying at eighteen, especially, I'm all he'll need. The women, now…

Let's go back to Friday afternoon, when I had the females in a room to ask them the same question I had asked the men.

"Momma, what do you always get Daddy for his birthday?"

"Lingerie," she replied immediately, without any though or hesitation at all.

"Nudge?"

"I don't get Fang anything," she admitted, sighing a little. "He never wants anything!"

"I meant Sean," I said simply before rolling my eyes in her direction. "I'm desperate here."

"Lingerie," she said honestly.

I groaned. "Ella?"

"Same."

"Angel?" Angel, for sure, had gotten him something different. She, at least, got him something else.

"Lingerie," she said simply.

I just scowled and crossed my arms over my chest. "Alli?"

"Same," she admitted. "And...well, no. That's it."

"I don't get how you get over the smell," Momma informed her, laughing a little. "I mean, he never lets it out here, so he must do it at home."

"Air freshener," Ella pointed out.

Alli shook her head. "Actually, guys, ever since he made me like you, it's just like any normal person with him."

"Then, wouldn't the name the Gasman be void?" Nudge wondered aloud.

"I can't see him as anything else," Alli said honestly before shrugging. "He'll always be my Gazzy."

I just groaned and walked out of the room, of course not needing to see to do so. I had been around here long enough to know what everything looked like.

They were no help at all!

This was the big week, for two reasons. One, Seth turns eighteen, and two, homecoming. The big week of the year. What you did at homecoming determined how much you were liked the rest of the year.

At least that's what Seth, Piper, Garrett, Kelsi, and Hayley told me. They also told me that we have a pep rally every day. The one today had some faculty there at the beginning, to announce the nominees that we voted for last week for homecoming king and queen. Then, after they announced them, they would be gone.

Alex couldn't find it in him to get pepped up and excited, but Sam and I encouraged him and did our best. Sometimes, it worked, and she even got him to laugh and smile.

It made me realize that Alex wasn't dying. I mean, he thinks he is, and he still says he is, but he won't.

To be honest, I personally thought that maybe, just maybe, Sam was the answer. Of course, I can't be sure, because I haven't seen the way they look at each other, but it's possible.

Momma says no, and she really knows Alex. She knows that he'll move on soon, just like I do, but she doesn't think that it's with Sam. I couldn't argue, though, because I couldn't just see for myself. She could.

Seth was here whenever possible. Since he would soon be graduating and living with me, he spent time with his family, but he also spent a lot of time with me, sometimes just holding me and whispering in my ear details of everything around us.

He was really good at describing the sunset, so vivid and clear. I could also imagine the snow, even though I was never around much snow until I moved here. Sometimes, we would sit in the snow, and I would practice using my eyes without actually having my eyes. Iggy was impressed, because using my hearing and smell, I could accurately hit Seth every time.

Iggy wasn't the only one impressed.

I was beginning to adapt to being blind. Momma decided that once they attacked again, being able to still fight and go on without eyesight was important, so everyone got Iggy training. I even got to help, because I was already so advanced.

Seth was rubbing my arm gently, making sure to carefully place me so I wasn't on top of his…happiness. Yesterday, I accidentally hurt it, really badly, because I stood up, and when I put my hands down on the chair to push myself up…

Yes. So, he made sure I wasn't touching it. And, when we were just laying there, it would sometimes get hard either because he was thinking about stuff, because the wind blew wrong, or just because. It worked both ways.

"Homecoming week begins tomorrow," Seth whispered, his lips pressing against my hair softly. "Ari, things are just gonna get worse, especially when you get nominated for homecoming queen and she doesn't."

My eyebrows furrowed. "Um, what? Seth, why on Earth would I get nominated for homecoming queen?"

"Because the homecoming queen is a beautiful, independent girl," he said softly, almost as if he was smiling my favorite smile as he did. "She's a leader, and she's a genuinely good person. She's an all-around ideal person, and she's a role model for others." He kissed my temple. "Ari, you don't realize how much you really impact the student body here. Before, they were all stuck up rich kids, and a lot still are, but for the first time, they're not scared to stand up for themselves, because even now, after life has beaten you and brought you down lower than anyone could ever imagine being, you're still positive, optimistic, and willing to stand up for yourself. Everyone knows that Sam did what she did for herself, not for you. It was for you, but not because you asked her to. Ari, you're the best thing that's ever happened to this place, and most importantly, you're the best thing that's still happening to me." He sighed. "You know, days come and go, but, Ari, my feelings for you are forever. I love you."

I smiled brightly. "I love you too, Seth, always and forever. But, I think you're just crazy."

He laughed. "Well, you'll see tomorrow, and when I'm right, I'm rubbing it in your face."

"Deal."