A/N: Hi! So here is the first chapter! Going to post every week or so. Review, review, review. Maybe it will make me post faster. My friend is editing as we go, so this is also on her. Anyway, I hope you like the first chapter! It isn't very long, but I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: This story is all mine! Characters, events, and A/Ns are all mine! Please don't steal my story, I would be very unhappy with you! Just tell me if you wanna use it, and we can talk…

~R.S.

It was three weeks before school ended, and everyone was antsy for it to end. The warm May air was blowing through an open window, making the room hot, but I still kept my sweater on. I was sitting in English before the bell rang, waiting for class to start, and my best friend, Kat, was telling me a story about her younger sister. Kat babbled straight through the bell, since Mr. Johnson, our English teacher, was late, as usual. But I wasn't listening to Kat anymore. A cold chill had run through the classroom, and I looked up. It was strange. No one had seemed to notice, but I had. I pulled my sweater tight to my chest, but it provided no warmth. Kat was tapping me on the shoulder, but I shook it off, trying to figure out the problem with the temperature.

Then, he walked in.

Kat immediately stopped talking and looked straight at the guy that was walking straight towards us. Most everyone had stopped what they had been doing, and they were watching him approach. The guy was extremely handsome. He had perfectly tousled brown hair, and was wearing a light blue polo and designer jeans. His eyes were a shade of brilliant purple, and familiar, a little too familiar. His smile was welcoming, and beautiful. He stopped in front of Kat and me, and smiled. He looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. But I knew I had seen him before. The only problem was where I knew him from. Kat took a sharp breath, and then smiled back.

"Hello," he began in a perfect, seductive voice. "My name is James."

Kat held a hand out, and flipped her bright red hair. "Hi. I'm Katarina, but you can call me Kat, and this is Annabelle, and you can call her Annabelle," she said, laughing lightly at her lame joke she had used way to many times. James didn't shake her hand, or smiled, but she took no notice of it. He turned towards me, and I looked up at him.

"Hello, James," I said, trying to sound sweet, but something wasn't right with him. It was the voice that killed me. It sounded so close to something I knew. He didn't shake hands, and he didn't sit. All he did was stand there, watching us.

Kat broke her trance and turned towards me, and moved onto what she had wanted to talk to me about. "Anyway, Annabelle, would you please answer my question. I can't wait to hear it!"

I cleared my throat, and ran my hand through my hair. "Sorry, Kat, but you're going to have to repeat the question. I wasn't really listening before."

Kat's shoulders dropped and she sighed. "If Daniel Owens asked you out, would you say yes? Or, would you turn him down?"

I turned to look at Daniel, and watched as he tried to avoid watching as Rachel Matker threw herself at him. "I guess I would say yes, but it would never happen. I mean, come on. He could have Rachel Matker, so he would never ask me," I said.

"Oh please! That's crazy, Annabelle. You're gorgeous. If anyone has a fighting chance against Rachel for Daniel, it's you!" Kat said.

"Oh, thanks, Kat. But you too!" I said. We had had this conversation too many times, but I tried to stay focused on Kat, trying to ignore James' stare. James sat down in the empty desk next to me, and he whispered something, but it was unintelligible, and Kat took no notice of it, so I dismissed it.

About ten minutes later, Mr. Johnson hustled in and started his lecture on who know what. I had probably heard it before. Plus, it was hard to focus, when James was staring at me all class. When my eyes kept flicking towards him, his eyes would catch mine, and I would quickly look away.

After class, James was up, and out the door, before the bell had a chance to ring. Kat leaned over and whispered, "I have dibs on the new guy!" Kat squealed and I sighed and shook my head, and got ready to leave. I didn't really care, until I figured out who he was. As I was walking out of class, Kat turned to go to her P.E. class, while I turned for art.

James was in my art class as well. I was annoyed when I saw him sitting in the easel next to mine. I knew something wasn't right about him, but I couldn't place it. And now, he was invading my safe zone. Art was the only class I could show my true colors in, and now, James was here. The new kid. No, the strange new kid who I though I knew, yet I couldn't know him, and there was no way I did. I had never seen him before around town, and I would know since my mom was a police officer. I took a deep breath, and stepped into class.

I grabbed the charcoal pencils, and eraser I needed, and headed over to my easel. I pretended to take no notice of James. But a charcoal pencil had other plans for us. It slipped from my fingers, and rolled to a stop right next to James' shoe. He quickly, and gracefully, picked it up, and set it in my waiting hand. I mumbled a quick word of gratitude, and chuckled to myself about Kat calling dibs on him. As if I cared about James at all. I got to work on my drawing, and every so often, my eyes flicked towards James' easel.

His drawing was beautiful. It was dark, but you could tell what he was drawing. There was a face in the dark, star-filled sky, and though it was nearly transparent, you could tell it was there. And it was James. The face was James' face. It was strange and so accurate. And there was a girl looking up at the face. You could see her long hair, and that was it. But even so, the drawing was beautiful.

By the end of art, his drawing was finished. His hand had moved so swiftly over the paper. Compared to his drawing, mine looked like it was drawn like a two year old. But, compared to the rest of the class, we were the best artists.

I sat down next to Kat at our usual table, and she waved over James. Immediately, I wished she hadn't. Something wasn't right about James, and I didn't want Kat near him until I figured it out. But Kat liked him, so I didn't say anything.

James plopped his lunch tray down next to me, much to Kat's dismay. Luke, my other best friend, sat down next to Kat, and raised his eyebrows. "Kat, who's this?" Luke asked.

"I'm James," he said smoothly, before Kat could open her mouth. His voice was killing me, but I dismissed it for Kat.

"You're new? With only three weeks of school left?" Luke grinned, while stuffing his face with spaghetti. "Oh, yeah, I'm Luke," he continued, spraying the table with spaghetti sauce.

"Yes, but I'm certain that I can catch on quickly. Luke, was it?" James said, dismissing his food, pushing it away from himself.

"Where did you used to go?" Luke looked up at James, and gave a slight smile, but it was totally fake.

"Well, I used to live in Europe, so I highly doubt that you would recognize the name of my previous school."

"Where did-" Kat cut Luke off.

"That's enough, Luke. Stop asking your silly questions." She calmed down, and turned towards James. "Sorry about that. He's a little overprotective sometimes," Kat said flirtatiously.

"Don't worry about it, Kat," James said. He gave me a smirk, before turning back towards Kat. "I have to go finish my drawing in art. Would you like to join me, Kat?"

"Of course!" She bounced. They got up, and my fists clenched. I know James was only doing it to bug me, but I didn't know why. I know he knew I didn't like him. The only question was how and why.

"So," I turned back towards Luke. "What do you think of James?"

"He's okay, I guess. Kat really seems to like him. And it was funny how she reacted to my questions. But really, Annabelle, what does he have that I don't have?" Luke looked longingly towards where Kat had just left with James.

Luke had liked Kat since freshman year, when she was new at Davis High. I had become friends with Kat by nature, and Luke and I had been friends forever, so it was inevitable that Luke fell in love. But, even so, Kat didn't feel the same way. And Luke knew it, but he still had a right to have a crush on Kat. She was gorgeous. Red hair, green eyes, pink lips. Everything about her looked perfect and astonishing.

"Luke, he's new. He basically had mystery written on his forehead. Pretty soon the excitement of the new kid will wear off. Then, Kat will come back to us, and he'll probably be sucked into Rachel's group. Just wait a week, okay?" I reassured an agitated-looking Luke. Luke nodded, taking another huge bite of spaghetti, like any normal teenage boy would.

"Alright. I guess that makes sense. But it doesn't seem that James feels the same way towards Kat. Based on his smirks, it looks like he only does it to bug you. Do you know him from somewhere?" Luke looked expectantly at me.

"No, I don't know him from anywhere, at least I don't think so." Luke raised his eyebrows, and I shook my head, trying to figure it out in my head. "But I have noticed that. It seems that he likes me. Which puts us in quite a predicament."

"I know." I looked at Luke and he gave me a sympathetic look. I returned his gaze before focusing back on my food.

The next day wasn't any better, especially because I had had the nightmare again from the night before; a little different, yet still the same. I was leaning against my locker, waiting for Kat, and I was listening to my Ipod. Suddenly, someone was whispering to me. "What are you listening to?" I heard James' sultry voice say.

"If you really have to know," I said, turning towards James. He looked the same as he had yesterday. Perfect, brown tousled hair, and a green polo. And still really familiar. "I'm listening to John Mayer. Good enough for you?"

"Yes, but you don't need to be so hostile. I actually like John Mayer. Can I listen, as well?" James took a step closer, and our noses nearly touched.

"Wouldn't you rather listen with Kat?" I turned away from James, hoping he'd go away. But, to my disappointment, James stayed put, and kept speaking to me.

"Funny, Annabelle. But I don't actually like Kat like she likes me, so you can cut the crap, and-"

"Did you just use a word that a modern day teenager would use? You just moved up on my list, James." We both started laughing, but stopped when our art teacher rushed up, her face red, and animated.

"Oh, good! You both are together. I want you two to sketch a drawing for me. Well," Mrs. Ronalds waved her arms. "I want James to sketch something, and Annabelle to sketch something, obviously not the same sketch." She laughed lightly, as it if was funny, then continued. "Then, I'm going to choose one to submit to a national competition. Since you are the only good artists in my class, I'm only coming to you. Here are the rules." She handed us a piece of paper and I looked down at it. "I need the drawings on Monday. See you!"

Our art teacher walked away with a flourish, and I started to crumple the paper. But James' hands stopped mine before I could crumple the rules into a compact paper ball. James hadn't touched me at all, just the paper, and yet my eyes were drawn to his.

I stared up into his eyes, and he smiled. James slowly pulled the paper out of my hands, and began to smooth it down. Though the hallway was noisy, it seemed quiet to me. The way he looked at me was like he knew everything about me and yet he wanted to know more. His eyes were gorgeous, the richest purple color.

"Why would you do that?" James asked, half smiling, half twisting his lips, handing me back the paper. I reluctantly took back the newly smoothed paper, and looked up, avoiding his eyes.

"Well, considering you are such a great artist, I don't have chance against whatever you draw. So why should I try?" I asked.

"Because, Annabelle, depending on what I draw, you have a chance. Besides, you are an amazing artist." James paused for a moment, looking up at the clock hanging on the wall for the time, and then his eyes searching the crowd frantically. "I'll tell you what. When I'm finished with my drawing, I'll show it to you, and if you don't think you can win against me, I'll let you drop out, but for now, at least try," James said. I nodded in defeat, and James turned, but not before winking at me.

After James had disappeared into the crowd, I sighed. I had just been sucked into James' charms. This only made me wonder more about what was different about James. I was usually pretty good at not getting sucked into charm. Luke walked up behind me, and I turned. I tried to mask my suspicion, and slight nausea (I don't know why I was nauseous), but I did not succeed.

Before Luke could say a word, I thought back to everything I had done in the last month to figure out where I knew James from. I thought to the market, or the café where I used to work. I even thought around the mall. But James had said that he had just moved into town. After that, I realized that James wasn't from around town. I knew his voice from his desperate calls to me. I also knew him from him looking down. His eyes, his disheveled hair, the way he sat in chairs. Those restless nights I had had were because of James.

He was the guy from the nightmare.

"Annabelle, what's wrong?" Luke asked sweetly. I cleared my throat and tried a smile.

"Nothing, Luke. Don't worry about it," I said, opening my locker, trying to hide the truth from my best friend, knowing he wouldn't fall for it at all. He knew all of my lying strategies.

"Come on, Annabelle. We've been friends since pre-school. I know when you're lying, and you're lying now. So just tell me what's up." Luke sounded annoyed, so I gave in, but not completely.

"Mrs. Ronalds just gave me a sheet of rules for a national art competition, and I'm a little overwhelmed." Luke pulled me into a hug, and laughed.

"Although I know that isn't the only problem, congrats Annabelle! That really is fantastic. But what's the rest of it?"

"I'm up against James to see who's drawing is going to the competition. Luke, he's really good. So good, that I don't even stand a chance. His drawings are almost haunting. They really are amazing." I thought back to the drawing of the face and the girl. More specifically, James' face and the mystery girl. I nearly shuddered for some reason, but came back to Luke staring at me with a curious look on his face.

"And you want me to believe that that is the reason you are pale? I swear, Annabelle, if you were lying down, you could be dead." Luke laughed, not knowing that I felt dead, or just a little light headed.

"Yes, Luke, believe it. I'm just overwhelmed. And it is only the morning, so it can only go up from here, right?" I looked at Luke, and he nodded. Kat bounced up with her red hair pulled into a high ponytail.

Luke looked at Kat and smiled in a loving way, but poor, ignorant Kat overlooked it for a friendly look. Only I could see it. "Hello, Kat. You look happy this morning. What's different?" Luke asked.

"It's Wednesday, Luke. Only three days left until the weekend, which means there are only two and a half weeks of school left! Then, we are officially seniors!" Kat cried. "But, pasty over here is downing my vibe." Kat threw her thumb at me and Luke chuckled at her dramatization.

"I'm not that white, you guys!" I defended, but Kat and Luke just started to laugh.

"Annabelle, you could be a white crayon. But your color is starting to come back. Seriously, what freaked you out?" Kat pressed on, and I touched my cheeks.

"Okay. Kat, don't get mad. It was James," I said. Kat looked annoyed, but I continued anyway. "I just know something is off with that guy. And he was talking to me, and I could tell that something was strange about him. So I'm just a little freaked out."

"Plus, she's drawing for a national art competition," Luke butted in, proudly.

"One, congratulations. And two, you've known James for less than a day, so you can't judge him. And I know you. You hate new people, so give him a week and then you'll probably like him," Kat said.

"Thanks for the congratulations. And you're probably right about James. I just need time. See you guys later," I said through the bell. I walked away to history, and I shook my head. Little did Kat know, I knew James from a nightmare that I had had before I even knew him.

Though I knew Kat was probably right about James, there was still something nagging at me about the way he talked to me, and everyone else. I sat down in my chair in history, and watched as our history teacher bustled in.

History was boring, as usual, and I had zoned out before the teacher had said four words. I could faintly hear Rachel whispering to Daniel behind me, but I dismissed it. Unfortunately, I couldn't today. I guess I had too much stuff on my mind. I heard her whispering, and I know I heard Daniel tell her to stop. And yet, Rachel kept on whispering. I had to admire Daniel just a little because he hadn't punched Rachel yet. If it were me, I would have killed her. She was so clingy, and she wanted Daniel so much, but he didn't want her back.

The bell rang after fifty agonizing minutes of whispering and lecturing. I had art next, and I was dreading it. I walked down the hallway, slowly, inching my way to art class. I found myself wondering where James was and why he wasn't in the halls, but I pushed him out of my mind.

The first bell rang, and I was nearly there. Right before I walked in, James walked past me. He was close enough to touch me, but he didn't. It was strange. I don't think he had made any physical contact with anyone since he first started going here. No shaking hands, shoulder punches, or anything like that. Even when he stopped my hands from crumpling that paper that morning, he hadn't touched me. But I shook it off. It was probably just paranoia like Kat said.

I sat down at my easel, and eyed my drawing. It looked good. My eyes shifted towards James' drawing, and my jaw nearly dropped. He had completely changed the picture from the one I had seen only yesterday. Now, instead of just seeing the girl's hair, you could see a profile of her. But, there was no face, yet. It looked like he had erased it a couple of times, but there were still no features.

"Like it?" James' voice brought me back to the real world, and he was watching me with those eyes I knew all too well.

"Huh? Oh. Yes, I do like it. Aren't you going to draw a face?" I asked, not taking my eyes off of the drawing, afraid of seeing the sad man in his eyes. The nightmare came back to me every time I looked him in the face, and I couldn't handle that at school.

"I'm not sure yet. I can't really get the face right. It always, um, looks funny," James said. I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn't make eye contact.

"Why?"

"Faces aren't really my forte, Annabelle. They always look too much like one person, recently. So, I try to avoid them as much as possible."

"I see." I looked down to the pencils in my hand, and put them on the edge of my easel. James' eyes followed every move I made. I turned to my drawing, and got to work, hoping he would too. And eventually, he did, his hand moving so quickly, it was a blur. Not that I was watching or anything. I did try not to watch, but the way his hand blurred across the page was beautiful to me.

Lunch was the same as it had been on Tuesday. Kat flirting with James, shamelessly, and him flirting back, shamelessly as well. Then, they left together, leaving Luke and me alone. "I'm starting to get tired of him," Luke said, nodding in James' direction.

"Um, yesterday you said he was okay," I said.

"Yeah, but you also said that Kat would stop being so into him, and that didn't happen," Luke said, looking up at me accusingly.

"I said to give it a week, and it's been 24 hours. So, don't get mad at me," I said. Luke surrendered, and sighed. The only thing was, could I give James a week? I knew him from a nightmare, and I didn't know him well enough to know why.

"Alright, fine. That's fair enough."

"Thank you. Can we go, now? I need to talk to my math teacher, really quickly," I asked Luke.

"Sure, let's go."

Review! Please? I would really appreciate it! I hope you enjoyed chapter 1 of Welcome to The Faraway. BTW, I'm not really sure on the name, so just let me know if you have a better one. Thanks!

~R.S.