The next week was Cress' first day back at school.

She was greeted with the usual after-bell chaos-lockers slamming, kids yelling and laughing with friends, teachers rushing to open the doors to their individual classes. She normally abhorred school as much as anyone, but now it was strangely endearing. After so long in the dark (literally and figuratively) it was good to be back with the bright lights and swarms of people.

And-though it felt strange to think-there was something comforting about everyone surrounding her.

The fact that they, as teenagers, had shit to deal with. Parents divorcing, friends leaving; anything.

Everything. But, somehow, they kept living. Even the ones going through the darkest moments found ways to laugh and people to laugh with.

If they could, why shouldn't she?

Her locker was jammed shut. It did that sometimes, usually because a pencil or book was stuck in it.

In fact, at the beginning of the year she had ditched the lock completely-if anyone wanted to steal anything, as though there was anything to steal in the first place, it would be at least the end of class before they could get in.

Cress kicked the bottom of the door, hoping it might help unjam it. Nothing.

More like the end of the apocalypse.

A hand held her shoulder, warm and strangely familiar. From the peppermint smell and they way the hair on the back of her neck stood up, Cress knew instantly that it was Carswell.

He shook her head at her, clicking his tongue as though he were scolding a child. His face, however, held a smile, so she knew he was just joking. Carswell balled his hand into a fist and hit the top, middle, and bottom of the right side of her locker and tried turning to knob. It opened easily, and he grinned at her.

His smile was adorable-crooked like a villain, swinging up to one side, with perfect white teeth that she had never, even knowing him since kindergarten, seen braces on. Even with his dimples and the way the corner of Carswell's eyes crinkled adorable when he smiled, her favorite part was by far his eyes. God, his eyes. They were so bright normally, like the sun bouncing off waves, but when he was happy...well, she'd be damned if the all the stars in the galaxy-no, universe-weren't pressed into those turquoise orbs.

"So you finally showed, then." Carswell leaned against her the locker next to her, watching Cress gather all her stuff into her bookbag. "I was wondering if you would ever come back."

"I'm surprised you care."

God-she sounded like such a priss. Like someone who didn't care whether he was there or not, or even if he lived or died. She supposed it was good that he didn't know the full extent to which she adored him, but the words had come out far harsher than she had meant for them to.

Carswell didn't falter. "Of course I care. We're friends, remember? Just me and you, exploring the great depths of high school."

"Me and you and all hundred of your other friends, you mean." She shouldered her bag. One of her binders dug uncomfortably into her side, but she didn't bother to shift it.

He shrugged, picking up his own backpack from the ground beside him. "I guess so. If you want to take all the romanticism out of it."

/woot woot second chapter. how're you guys liking it so far? i might be posting a new story (not on this, separate) for Cresswell based on an original i'm writing right now. i'll post the first three chapters or so, and maybe you guys could tell me what you think? so, yeah. look for that if you'd like, i'm going to call it "in my thoughts". hope you've had a wonderful day-

kaylynn