OK so this is chapter 3. Sorry for the long wait but school was getting nasty for me and yeah.. So please review after it really helps me get motivated!

Aria awoke to the pulsing sun pushing into her eyelids. Scrubbing the sleep from her eyes and opening her them to meet the sun infested room. Her alarm clock came on just seconds after, making Aria slightly jump in her bed at the sound of its serial buzzing.

"What time is it?" Mumbling to mostly to herself.

"It's 6:15 AM, you should get up now, they stop serving breakfast at 6:45." A voice from within the closet spoke. Her roommate walking out of the cover of the closet doors. The feminine girl walking toward the edge of Aria's bed while putting on her moss vest at the same time.

"You're my roommate." Aria said only to curse herself for stating the obvious.

"Yeah, is that a problem with you?" The girl answered is a guarded manner while fastening the last of her golden vest buttons.

"No." Aria solemnly said. Making an enemy of the person she was going to be living with was not something she wanted to do.

"Good." She turned to the door while stopping to picking up her bag from her bed. She was dressed in the full uniform today, but the metallic bracelet on her wrist was still there along with an array of darkly plastic bands. She quickly turned the knob to go out.

"Wait!" Aria fumbled out of the bed comforter.

"What's your name?" She asked while fighting the bed over off her legs.

The girl briefly looked at her with clear before answering. "It's Kira."

The door clicked closed and Aria was left in the room alone. She swiftly dumped the covers on her bed not bothering to make it. Rushing to the closet to hastily put her uniform on. She struggled with the white blouse pulling her hands though the holes before noticing that the blouse was inside out.

"Oh for the love of-" Letting her words fall as she fixed the blouse. Ramming her legs through the skirt and vest before lastly pulling her hair out of her clothing. She pushed her feet into the dark shoes before going on her knees to retrieve her bag under the bed. Her bag already from the night before.

Closing the white door behind her she ran to the bathroom. Speedily washing her face and teeth. There were still some girls in the bathroom, primping themselves and fixing their flaws. Aria tried not to look at them as they chatted. She rinsed her mouth out with water before whipping her face and mouth with paper towels. She put back her toothbrush back into her bag and was forced to looking the mirror as she brushed her hair. She saw the reflections of the other girls in the mirror sneaking peaks at her from their circle.

"We're probably not going to do anything today." One of the girls with a drawled out voice said.

A girl with blonde auburn hair said. "Probably?"

Aria recognized this girl; it was the one fighting not to laugh straight out into her face at orientation. Aria suddenly wanted to leave a little faster.

"That's why I like the first day, because we don't do anything." Another girl laughed while she pulled her hair in a brown ponytail.

The auburn blond sneered at the brown haired one as she watched her hike her hair up.

"Don't pull your hair up." She ordered.

"Why?" The brunette pouted.

"Because you look like a freaking horse that way."

Aria keeps her eyes down now but continued brushing her own hair as she listened in on the conversation.

"No, I think I look good this way."

"You have no idea what you look like." The other implied while another laughed.

"Do I look that bad?" The brunette asked turning to the one with the drawled out voice for support.

She shrugged. "I guess, I mean it is a ponytail. "

Aria zipped her bag with her brush in it walking to the doors. The conversation was getting petty, not interesting to her.

"There better?" Aria assumed that the brunette put her hair down.

"Sure now you just look like that girl." Laughter echoed off the tile walls.

Aria scowled as she was rudely compared to the other girl. Girls like that were all the same, all remark and no respect. Walking with a fast pace down the halls Aria saw there where students everywhere again looking for their classes like her again. She pulled her schedule out of her bag too find out what room number was her first class.

Opening the bended paper she saw Math at the top of the list. Remembering that the kind woman called Ms. Jorgenson was her teacher. This eased her nerves knowing that she had at lest one good teacher she slightly knew. The Math room was listed as room 104. Aria looked around at the neighboring rooms searching for their room number so she could trace down hers. She passed 121 and then 122 watching the numbers escalate and watching students go in and out of rooms brushing passed her.

"They're getting bigger, great" Motioning to the numbers.

She turned her heals and went back down the opposite end of the hallway. The numbers where getting smaller now much to Aria's joy. Her stomach spoke with hunger as she walked. She was starving and they had already stopped serving food. Classes were going to start soon and lunch was not going to be for another four or so hours. She frowned and rubbed her stomach at the though of waiting so long. She refused the airline food and the last thing she ate was a bag of chips and juice from the airport terminal. Her stomach felt like it was sticking to the skin on her back. She turned her attention back at the room numbers and saw she reached 112. She tried to momentarily look inside was the classroom. Her eyes betrayed her as she saw the striking black haired boy again. Leading against a desk. The boy called Marrow stood in front of him with speaking a grin. Aria couldn't hear what they where talking about as their voices got lost in the sea of sound of the classroom.

Aria was knocked aside as more students filled the room. She stayed at the side of the entrance observing the boys. Marrow was shorter than his raven hair friend but only slightly. The dark haired boy's eyes held two light blue orbs under his hard eyes brows. He was lean with a complexion of a creamed white. Aria felt her ears go hot as she watched him smile at his copper haired friend. She's forgotten all her hunger in the midst of her ogling. Marrow found her eyes as she kept her intent stare on his friend.

"Oh look, its maladroit from yesterday." Marrow indicated his head toward Aria as his friend turned to look.

Aria blushed as she was caught in her act of staring. She saw as Marrow zigzagged through the desks toward her. Aria quickly turned and walked down the way to her classroom. She looked back to see Marrow following her in a slow walk. Aria quickly speed her pace watching as she reached 106 and ran past the last to rooms to reach her own. She ducked inside hoping he wasn't still following her. The classroom was almost completely filled up. She sat behind group of girls who were leaning against and sitting on the desk in front of her. Hoping she would be hidden from view by them.

Marrow stopped walking after Aria after he saw her go into room 104. He went back to his original room to meet back with his friend. He was probably angry with him for leaving. He saw his dark hair come out of the room and turn the opposite direction.

"Luka!" Marrow called out to him.

Luka turned around with a grimace on his face that Marrow knew would be there, as he walked toward his way.

"Where the hell did you go?" Luka glared.

Marrow laughed. "I wanted to have some fun; it was the girl from yesterday, the one that tackled the doors."

"What's so fun about her?" Luka gave an aggravated expression to Marrow still angry for his departure.

"Haha nothing yet, nothing until I get to her, come on." Marrow nudged Luka's shoulder as he picked up his pace down the hall.

"It's sound like something pointless and degrading."

Marrow turned his head but continued his sprint.

"Well, of course it is, what else would it be?"

"Right."

Luka hesitantly followed as they went in the direction of 104. They came inside as some students noticed their entrance.

"Marrow!" A boy called out.

Marrow smiled as he waved. "Hey Terry."

Marrow scanned the room for Aria while Luka sat down next to Terry. He spotted her dark brown hair through the elbow of a girl.

"Found her."

"Found who?" Terry inquired.

"The fun."

"This should be good." Luka smiled as Marrow made his way to the group of girls. They smiled at his approach.

"Ladies." Marrow grinned his slitting smile.

"Well, Marrow haven't seen you in a while." A girl with a tight bun said narrowing her eyes.

"It's been a busy summer, Lucy."

"Oh I just bet it was."

Marrow spread his smile bigger. "Now, now where're all friends here. Can you help me find someone; she's got brown hair and—Oh! There you are"

Marrow squeezed through the girls as he made his way to Aria's desk.

"I though I lost you." He said with feigning worry.

"Who's she?" A girl from behind spoke up.

"That's what I want to know, what's your name?" Marrow looked at Aria.

Aria's cheeks spilled pink as she spoke softly. "It's Aria."

Luka came closer pushing girls out of the way to be by Marrow.

"Wow that's a pretty name, isn't it a pretty name?" Marrow turned back to the gathering crowd to ask.

"Oh God Marrow." Lucy shook her head.

"Aren't you the girl who fell out of the doors at orientation?" A dark haired girl beside Lucy asked.

Aria kept quite and people laughed because at her unspoken reply of confirmation. She alerted her eyes to the left wall. Seeing the lines go through the white brick like snakes. She didn't want to look at them anymore, her cheeks where already turning scarlet and her ears felt like they might set off the fire alarm soon.

"Now, that's not fair. Aria is my new friend. Orientation was just a little mess up." Placing an arm around Aria's shoulders.

"Aria I'm Marrow Saken." Marrow leaned into Aria's face as she leaned back in response. Aria squirmed under his arm trying to wiggle out of his grasp. The arm moved up and a hand rested in the middle of her neck and shoulder.

"This is Luka." He said pointing to the raven haired boy. He stared back at her with an empty expression that looked as if he was bored of her already.

"And that's the beautiful Lucy." He raised a finger to the bun haired girl with freckles on her cheeks. She had a narrow chin and an upturned nose, the kind that makes magazines sell. She had delicate eyebrows and thin lips that looked as if they were scowling at her in their natural form.

"Can't we be friends Aria?" Marrow lightly said as he leaned into Aria again. She was embarrassed beyond belief now. She knew he was toying with her and that this was a double edged sword pointed at her either way. If she said no then they would think of her as a snob and unfriendly and most likely be on bad terms. If she said yes then they would think she was eager to have friends, the kind that could do anything to her. Either way she was not going to be in a good position. Marrow's hand was warm at her neck. She hated his arrogance, thinking that she that stupid of a girl. He was handsome, she couldn't deny it but she wasn't a dense girl. She knew that there are plenty of pretty boys and that their intentions aren't always as pretty. Aria took Marrow's hand and swung it off her shoulders staring up at his face so close to her. She kept her eyes steady.

"Yeah, we can be friends."

Marrow's smile went up slightly as his face backed up a bit and his honey eyes darkened. He smiled back at Luka.

"You hear that Luka, me and Aria are going to be good friends, so don't be jealous. "

His slightly deep voice finally scoffed. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"Are you all here for Math?" Ms. Jorgensen stood at the front of the classroom with her hands resting on the hips of her cream suit.

"Because if you're not then I suggest you leave for your own before you're marked absent the first day."

Luka looked back at Aria one last time with empty eyes before walking to the door.

"Marrow." He stopped to look back flashing a quick glance again to Aria that made her heart skip a beat.

"Yeah, I'm coming. See you later then friend." He said to Aria as he waved and others snickered at the act.

The boys shuffled out of the room with Ms. Jorgenson's dark eyes following their moves.

"Another year Mr. Saken?" Her head turning to Marrow.

Marrow placed a hand to his breast. "Ah seams Mr. Kerry has already been assigned to me, you must be crushed, I loved your Math class."

"Just devastated, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." Her sarcasm lightened the mood.

"Well, maybe next year, you know you're my favorite." He said spreading his smile thin.

Ms. Jorgenson sighed " Luka, please take him away already."

Luka lead to the door with one hand on Marrows sleeve.

"Oh you wound me Cynthia."

"That's Ms. Jorgenson to you, and get out already I have a class to teach."

She then went and closed the door after their exit and turned to the class to continue.

"I swear the boy grows a bigger ego and attitude every year. Well, if you already haven't read your schedules then you'll be pleased to know that I'm your math teacher Ms. Jorgenson." Writing her name in blue marker on the board.

"I see some fresh new faces this year and of course some old ones. This is my fifth year teaching here at Millicent Academy. I am a 29 year old nerd who loves teaching math and am currently in the process of planning my wedding."

The class was abrupt with awes and congratulations from students that were already more familiar with her then Aria was. She beamed a wide smile at their praises and questions of when is it and could they come.

"The date's not set in stone yet but we're thinking somewhere in June so maybe some of you could come but that's enough of that I want to know more about you and any questions you have for the year."

She reached into a manila folder to retrieve a stake of papers and wandered down the rows passing them out.

"This is just an introductory worksheet on what you might be expecting or what you want to know, so we can make this year fun and interesting."

As she came down to Aria's row she smiled at her a knowing smile of their greetings the other day, a smile Aria was glade to return. The paper was just as Ms. Jorgenson said, questions full of opinion and questioning about the math then were learning and a couple on the math from previous years. Aria wasn't worried about this class, she passed most with at lest a B and was satisfied with the grade, she would be satisfied with a D in this school because was not the one that chose to be here. Nonetheless she took out a pencil from the side of her bag and filled out the worksheet, watching the class move on with the enthusiasm of the teacher and students as she clutched the sunny coat of the pencil in thought that she really did not want to be here.

The class let out with uproar of students rushing to their next class. It was third hour already, Math had dipped along from minute to minute and made Aria halfway fall asleep on the desk. After that biology and Anatomy was faster and the rays of the sun kept Aria awake as they warmed her back. She was assigned a seat in the back next to a boy who was thin and tan. There were three windows and none had anything covering them so the sun enlightened the entire room to extreme and piercing its warmth along her vertebra. She war dreading the next hour; Gym. Aria felt she had no sense of balance whatsoever. She knew they wouldn't be doing anything today but there was always tomorrow and the next day and the next three years. She dragged through the hallways hoping to delay her next hour as much as possible. She was tired and most of all hungry, it made her weak and even more unwilling.

There was no real gym, it was outdoor courtyard of grass and one track that the school kept insisting was a gym facility. She stepped onto the lush grass walking toward the group of white and green students chatting and waiting for the instructor to come. Aria looked ahead of the crowd observing the ominous growth of the forest. With trunks and plant life as the wind blew its leaves into the rubbery surface of the track. Her trace of the woods was interrupted.

"Hi."

She stopped just short of Aria's feet. Her tight blond curls caught in an elastic band at the point of her neck. She was shorter than average and thin in every proportion of her small body. She spread a smile in greeting as her upper lip disappeared with her friendliness.

"Oh, hi."

"I'm Leanne; you want to come sit next to me? You look a bit lonely."

Her grey eyes sparkled with the sunlight as her light skin looked as if it would burn any minute. She was kind, and that was enough for Aria, even if she didn't want to be noticed she need some kind of friend to help her get through the snakes.

"Can I?" She asked just to confirm.

"Of course!" Taking her by the hand and leading her around the mob.

Her hand was an enclosed sauna of heat. They came to a group of girls already stretched out and assembled on the pasture. There were two other girls, one of an olive complexion and thick dark hair. She had a pleasantly round face in which two dark eyes peered out of. The other was pale like Leanne but had much pinker cheeks. They looked like someone had pinched them too many times. Her long legs told her was taller then the other too. Her thin hair just barely brushed the shoulders of her uniform; it was perfectly straight and looked as smooth and soft as a new paintbrush. Aria's hair was unruly and probably a mess by now the late summer breeze was playing with it again.

"This is Clair and Maria." Indicating to the rosy cheeks of the pale one and then to the other.

"Oh—I'm sorry! What's your name?" Her face sorry with the bad manners that Aria didn't even mind she express, she would have been sweet even if she forgot her name and never even asked it.

"It's Aria."

"Where you here last year?" Maria's voice holding a slight accent at the end of her S and Rs that rolled off her tongue.

"Yeah, you don't look real familiar." Clair mentioned while moving to make room for Leanne to sit.

Aria took her nestled her place next to Leanne and looked up to meet their expecting gazes.

"No, I just started this year."

Leanne joined in. "Oh, well then who's your roommate?"

Struggling to remember the girls name from hours ago "Umm…I think it was Kira, that's all she told me."

"Kira…Duprel?" Claire asked I a suspicious manner.

"I really don't know."

"What's she look like?" Clair pushed on.

"Well I didn't really get a good look at her." Ignoring the night she saw her on her bed. "She's pretty tall, with a very short cut."

The girls looked from one another and back to Aria.

"Did she have dark hair?"

"Yeah."

"Then it's probably Duprel."

Leanne looked back at Clair. "You don't know for sure, we don't even know if she's back yet."

"Oh she's back alright I heard she was released two weeks ago for house arrest, and now her parents probably don't want to deal with her so they sent her here."

Leanne shook her head. "Don't say that, you don't know all the fact these might just be rumors."

Aria was confused either which way the conversation turned. Was this girl trouble? Aria would see her again, what kind of person was she?

"It doesn't really matter now anyway, she's most likely here now. Might as well leave it alone."

"Maria, she's not exactly the most clean of a person."

"So what? If she's not selling then let her have her own problems."

Aria unbuttoned her green vest. "What's so bad about her?"

The girls looked back at her again. Leanne parted her lips but before anything but air could even come out Claire was talking.

"She got all weird at the end of last year, skipping class to go God knows where and even going as far as to yell at teachers. They said she was having problems at home, which she probably was but when she started telling stories about the upstairs hallways that's when they got angry. Not to mention they found cigarettes and a couple of joins in her suitcase after spring break. Remember Maria?"

"Yeah, she looked all tired and…scared, probably form the drugs."

Clair moved to sit cross legged across Aria. "If she is your roommate it wouldn't be the best thing to let her get to you and have her sell stuff to you."

"And was she selling the drugs?" Aria prompted.

"Well, not that I know of, but you never know."

So now she had a smoking, drug dealing roommate? Is that what she is? Aria hoped Kira's reputation didn't precede her. Why anyone would do drugs is beyond Aria but she's seen what people become after the addiction sinks in and it wears away on their eyes and skin. Her years in public school had many cases just the same and some even worse. They were everywhere, she could tell from one of her old biology classes that a boy had been taking ecstasy, the rumors confirmed it but the dark gashes on his arms she saw when he pushed his sleeves up to wash them in class proved it. Even if people have a poison doesn't mean they have to take it. This news made Aria cautious to go back to her room now.

"Let's just talk—"Before Leanne finished, a whistling sound pierced though the air. It was blown three more times till a small figure approached the front of the class and looked over the students.

"I want everyone standing, breaks over."

He was a bulky man who lacked in height and hair for the matter. His dark green sports jacked matched his shorts that revealed his muscled little legs. He had a broad face with a five-o-clock shadow that looked more like seven-day-o-clock shadow. His dark facial hair matched his eye brows and arm hair that was showed from the elbow down. He looked out of a Saturday comic strip. Everyone was now on their feet, staring awkwardly at the little man with his clipboard tightly tucked in his hand.

"I'm Mr. Kooleage, I'll be teaching you your physically education this year. We'll have nine different sections to go through this year doing a section a month. There will be a test at the end of each month for each section; if you don't pass then you don't pass. I don't give out extra credit, I don't give out breaks, but I do give out the pleasure of sending you to our superintendent Mr. Kergon and he just isn't as nice as I am."

The man sounded like he'd done this speech so many times already that it was like he was reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

"The sections are as follows, Track and field, soccer, Basketball, Archery, Tennis, volleyball, swimming which will be done inside, football, and Golf. Each of you must bring an extra pair of clothing suitable for all activities, including shoes. Failure to do so will result in a zero for each day you don't have the things you need. Once we reach swimming you are all required to buy a swimsuit from the school, no other kind of swimsuit will be allowed because of regulations. Now I want everyone in a straight line so I can take roll count."

Aria followed the others example and left her dark bag on the green and went to stand by the empty space next to Maria. It took some time to get the line in order especially with half the guys in the class fooling around. The line wasn't long as Aria looked down it; it was only a class of twenty-five. The male-female ratio was somewhat the same as she looked from face to face.

"Alright lets begin."

He listed off the names like he would a grocery list, not stopping to correct himself on the names he got wrong. Aria was always one of the first to be call.

"Becker."

"Here."

"Bedfull"

"Here." Aria softly said

"Bedfull?"

She spoke louder. "I said I'm here."

"Benoit."

"Here"

After the Bs ended Aria didn't really feel the need to keep listening. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Kira and if she really was as bad as Clair said she was. She supposed anyone could do drugs here, since most of them probably had the money for it but what was surprising about the story was that she said she was telling stories. Why would anyone tell stories when they were high? Why ruin your cover like that, if she really had been doing drugs why would she freak people out and let them find out. It sounded like self sabotage but Aria didn't really know all the details. Does desperation take such measures?

"Reed."

"Here."

She recognized the voice. It was slightly deep and smooth. It was Luka's, she remembered. His last name was Reed? She peered passed Maria's torso to take a look. His back stood straight but his arms crossed as the teacher finished calling names and instructed that they would start running tomorrow so today was a free day.

"Who are you looking at?"

Aria slowly turned her head back to Maria's round face and shrugged.

She looked down the line as Aria had trying to figure out whom before turning back to her.

"Don't tell me, you already have crush? It's only the first day." She incredulously spoke.

Aria frowned "No I don't, I was just looking."

Clair sighed. "Looking can be just as bad, its kind of hard keeping a steady boyfriend in a private school with at lest three hundred other girls to come between you isn't it?"

She said it like she knew all the problems already, like she kissed too many boys and knew they wouldn't keep kissing her after the second month.

"There are good guys out there Clair." Leanne just couldn't help but try to be positive.

Clair grinned. "You wouldn't know it from our school but at lest we have some good looking ones."

Maria laughed as Leanne blushed. Aria's eyes trailed down the line again and agreed.

"Yeah."

Clair leaned her elbow on Aria's shoulder. "So who's caught your eye Aria?"

"No one I know." Stating the apparent and shaking off Clair's arm.

"You really don't have to say who, Aria." Leanne said coming to her rescue. She hadn't even talked to him, how would she even know what she's supposed to feel for him.

Clair clapped her hands. "Ok ok let me guess!"

This girl was getting to be more irritating by the second.

She looked back down the line evaluating all the guys.

"Is it Nick?" Eyes sparkling at Aria.

Aria sat back down on the lush grass and looked away. "I don't know their names, so isn't this kind of pointless?"

Clair was frowning now as Leanne and Maria went to sit by Aria.

"Just tell me who it is. It's not like I'm going to try and steal him away or anything." She could hear the frustration in her voice.

"You don't have anyone to steal form me because I don't know anybody here."

"Well, who do you want to get to know?" Clair was relentless.

Maria crouched forward to put her hand on her knees and looked up to the sky.

Rolling her letters again. " Just say who it is. Clair's getting annoying. Who is it? Terry? Ren?... Luka?"

The last of the names made Aria hesitate. "I—L—N-no none."

Clair dropped down to Aria's face. "Wait who was that? L? Luka?"

Aria was cursing the blush on her cheeks. "I said I don't know their names."

Clair was laughing now and Aria felt like she wanted to smack the dark leather of her bag against her face. Just because the boy was attractive to her doesn't mean she wanted to stake a claim for him, no matter how nice his eyes looked.

"Well, you certainly know how to pick them that's sure." Clair's eyes roamed to find Luka lounging on the grass next to others. Aria was glad him arm was laid across his face so he couldn't catch the imminent stares that were coming his way.

Leanne's voice brought Clair's face back to her. "That's enough Clair, it doesn't matter anymore."

Clair pushed her hair back against her skull. "Yeah ok, well he is pretty nice looking but a bit anti-social just so you know."

Leanne beamed her teeth at Aria. "Don't worry about it, Clair's just a little uppity but she wouldn't say any thing."

Aria smiled back at Leanne

"Alright time to get to your next class! Everybody goes back in!"

Everyone went back into through the doors they came out of dragging bits of grass with their shoes onto the schools floor tiles. Aria saw Luka was one of the first to go back in and didn't bother to look anymore. The sleeve of her shirt was pulled back in surprise before she could move farther then three feet from the doors. Leanne's pale arm held her back.

"We'll meet you here to go to lunch later if you want."

"After fourth hour?

"Yeah." She smiled

This girl was kind, so kind she looked breakable. Aria had to wonder how she managed to be friends with the ever inquisitive Clair.

"Alright."

Sorry if things seam slow right now in the story, but remember that we need the boring parts to make the juicy parts D and...REMEMBER TO REVIEW!!