***See First Chapter for Copyright Information***

Hope

8:10am

GAIA'S POV (Point of View)

AM I CRAZY?!?! I can't believe I just agreed to play chess with Sam after school!! Gaia thought furiously to herself, but she couldn't help feeling pleased that Sam had asked her. 

They had played a game of chess a long time ago and Gaia had been very confused with the way she had reacted, as the rain had poured down on to them.  She hadn't been able to concentrate on the board in front of her, the pieces were a blur and all she could think of was how Sam was so close, his smell had been so intoxicating and his body was absolutely beautiful. 

Gaia had at the time, been unable to figure out why, when their eyes had locked she wasn't able to look away. 

Gaia snapped out of her reverie and remembered where she was supposed to be today, school.  She didn't even know why she bothered to go anyway, except because of Ed- her wheelchair bound friend.  She glanced at her watch and gasped, I might actually not be late for class today!  She realized as she stepped into the foyer of the Village School.

 As Gaia walked through the halls toward her locker she noticed a few of the FOHs (Friends of Heather) were staring at her and whispering to each other.  Gaia dismissed it; whatever they were whispering was either about her or not about her and either way she didn't care.  She spotted her locker and saw that Ed had just rolled up to it, waiting for her.  "Hey G!"  Ed said enthusiastically.

The one thing Gaia hated about Ed was that even though it was a Monday morning he was always perky. "Hey Ed" she said lamely,

"What's up?"

"O Nothing, but did you hear Mr. Steven is going to be…"

Gaia spent the next 5 minutes listening to Ed talk on and on and wishing she could mute him.  Gaia tuned out Ed and focused on whether or not she would play chess with Sam after school.  I might as well; if I don't it would be rude, right? But being rude has never been a problem before, she countered. Gaia had always said what she thought no matter what, why was now so different?

 "…So this test is supposed to be really huge, did you study?" Ed asked Gaia suddenly.

"Huh? Oh…the test, no I didn't study" Gaia said distractedly.

ED'S POV (Point of View)

Ed stared at Gaia hard and knew instantly that something was up.  He chose to keep quiet though, he knew Gaia well enough to know that she would tell him when she felt like it.  Gaia wasn't the type of person you could weasel secrets out of.  Ed knew that Gaia had had a rough childhood and it had given her scars that she hadn't healed from.

 Ed looked up at Gaia from his wheelchair, she was in the middle of stuffing her Math and Science textbooks into her overstuffed messenger bag and her hair was starting to come loose from her messy ponytail.  When she finally finished she slung her bag on to her shoulder and started walking immediately to their next class, Gaia didn't slow down a bit to wait for Ed to catch up and Ed loved her for it.  He hated it when people pitied him because of the wheelchair.  It was bad enough he was stuck in the goddamn thing but to have people look down on him was even worse.

Gaia was a breath of fresh air, she treated him the same as she treated anyone else and he loved her for it.  Gaia was his friend as well as his obsession.  When she called at night and he heard her beautiful voice his breath would catch in his throat as he stumbled for something funny to say. 

Ed loved everything about Gaia, her mind, body and soul. EVERYTHING.  Too bad Ed knew that Gaia loved someone else and actually had thought about having sex with that someone.  Sam Moon.  Ed knew he didn't have a chance in hell against Sam but as he looked up at Gaia once more and was greeted by her blue eyes staring into his brown ones he thought to himself, There's always hope.