Part 1
Sydney Nightingale had never believed in destiny. It was all mushy nonsense to her. She might be considered a very boring and ordinary person, who handed her homework in on time, had never had a boyfriend, and only one best friend. An uninteresting life based on routine, and what kind of existence was that?
Sydney needed perking up, big time. Something had to happen to her. Something humungous that destiny could flaunt in front of her. Now what could destiny do for Sydney Nightingale that would change her life forever?
* * *
"So who are you taking to the dance, then?"
Sydney snorted in contempt. The upcoming Winter Ball at Ocean View High was all anyone could talk about at the moment. Sydney was fast beginning to wonder if she was the only person who wasn't interested in the slightest. Her best friend Darlene had been blabbing non stop about dance related things - clothes, dates, limos, the usual - all through their philosophy class. Sydney was forced to smile politely and nod along.
"I'm not asking anyone," she said. She thought school dances were a waste of time, and had never attended a single one.
"As long as someone beats Shaine Krystaline for dance queen, I might even be able to have a good time."
Sydney made a face. Shaine Krystaline was their local beauty queen, dark skinned and raven haired, emerald eyed and typically perfect in every single way. Almost as boring as Sydney herself in one way.
Nothing ever happened in the tiny seaside down of Ocean View. Not that it really mattered to Sydney. Sydney didn't like sudden changes. She was comfortable here, knowing more or less how most days were going to turn out.
"You could ask Tim Carpenter," Darlene snickered, examining her reflection critically in a compact mirror.
Sydney couldn't understand those girls who couldn't seem to take their eyes off their own reflections. The most annoying thing about them was no matter how irritatingly perfect they were, they could always seem to find something to improve on.
"My nose is too big," Darlene blathered on animatedly, moving the compact away from, and then closer to her face.
Sydney's eyes rolled. Something strange had been happening to Darlene lately. She and Sydney had been best friends practically forever. They'd always shared everything. But since they had become juniors, Darlene had started changing. She was acting more and more like the popular girls, who Sydney had never felt comfortable around. Sydney was sure she'd even seen Darlene hanging out with some of them.
"Your nose is fine, and Tim's just a friend," Sydney said mildly. Tim was the only other person she sometimes spoke to, she liked him okay, but he was - she couldn't think of the words for it. Tim was - different - from most of the other boys in their year, was about the only way she could put it. Darlene had always dismissed him as a geek, but Sydney was sure there was more to it than that.
"I'm going to the dance with Cain Redfern, can you believe it?" Darlene smiled at the compact, and shut it, replacing it in her bag.
"Good for you," Sydney said automatically. She was bored of this conversation. She didn't feel like hearing Darlene drool over some popular guy who would use her shamelessly and never speak to her again after that night. Of course, Sydney was far too polite to ever say something like that.
The bell rang, and Sydney, along with everyone else, stood up and began putting her books away. To her surprise, when she was done, Darlene was gone. She was heading out the door with Harmony Windsong, and Celina Mandril, two of the cheerleaders.
Sydney was confused, and couldn't help wondering what she was missing here. With a depressed sigh, she headed for her locker. And stared in disbelief at the boy standing there. She'd seen him around school, he was tall, kind of slender for a guy, with unnaturally pale skin, and that man-in-black thing working for him, complete with long black hair and dark eyes. What could someone like that, possibly want with Sydney?
"Can I help you?" she asked, pushing her ordinary brown hair behind her left ear.
He gave her a surprisingly warm smile, something in his dark eyes seemed to dance and swirl, Sydney found it hard not to sigh out loud. She hadn't known she was attracted to this type. That's not right, you don't even know him, knock it off! she scolded herself.
"Not yet, but soon maybe," he said.
Sydney eyed him. What the hell was he talking about? He wasn't in any of her classes, she didn't even know his name. How could he know her? She seriously doubted it was just because he'd seen her around. She wasn't the type that was noticed easily. Or at least, that was what she thought.
He looked like the type of dark and scary guy she generally tended to avoid. Sure, it was okay to admire guys like him on TV shows or movies, but she had never actually wanted to come face to face with one. He had the same weird differentness about him that Tim did, only stronger. She dreaded the thought of being alone in a dark alley with him.
"What?" she asked.
"Everything will become clear. Destiny if often clouded."
Sydney's eyes rolled. Great, dark creepy and crazy too, just the kind of guy everyone wanted to have a crush on them. Or was she exaggerating? "I don't believe in destiny," Sydney said flatly. "Who are you, anyway?"
"The one you've been dreaming of," he smiled at her again, then disappeared. How could he know what she had been dreaming for? Certainly not a guy like him.
She tried to catch another glimpse of him, but he was gone, as if he had just disappeared. She shrugged and shook her head, and opened her locker.
"Stay away from him."
Sydney blinked, turning to find herself looking directly into Shaine Krystaline's green cat eyes. Sydney had never realised they were the same height before. Shaine had never given any acknowledgement that she even knew Sydney existed before now. "Excuse me?"
"His name is Aidan Noir," Shaine told her. "Bad news and extremely dangerous." Shaine's voice was cold, her expression extremely serious. As were the faces of her usual chirpy band of groupies.
"Then what was all that destiny crap about?" Sydney asked, starting to feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Crap, just like you said. Stay away from him." Shaine turned and walked away. Her groupies followed like good little puppies.
That was weird, Sydney thought finally putting her books away. Aidan Noir may choose a freaky look, but he was he really dangerous as well as disillusioned? Then again, considering how weird it all was, she was more than a little willing to take Shaine's advice.
She shut her locker door, and a piece of paper slid out. Sydney frowned, and bent down to pick it up, her eyes widening as she read the note. The message was scrawled in red ink, and said the words 'Together Forever'.
* * *
Sydney Nightingale had never believed in destiny. It was all mushy nonsense to her. She might be considered a very boring and ordinary person, who handed her homework in on time, had never had a boyfriend, and only one best friend. An uninteresting life based on routine, and what kind of existence was that?
Sydney needed perking up, big time. Something had to happen to her. Something humungous that destiny could flaunt in front of her. Now what could destiny do for Sydney Nightingale that would change her life forever?
* * *
"So who are you taking to the dance, then?"
Sydney snorted in contempt. The upcoming Winter Ball at Ocean View High was all anyone could talk about at the moment. Sydney was fast beginning to wonder if she was the only person who wasn't interested in the slightest. Her best friend Darlene had been blabbing non stop about dance related things - clothes, dates, limos, the usual - all through their philosophy class. Sydney was forced to smile politely and nod along.
"I'm not asking anyone," she said. She thought school dances were a waste of time, and had never attended a single one.
"As long as someone beats Shaine Krystaline for dance queen, I might even be able to have a good time."
Sydney made a face. Shaine Krystaline was their local beauty queen, dark skinned and raven haired, emerald eyed and typically perfect in every single way. Almost as boring as Sydney herself in one way.
Nothing ever happened in the tiny seaside down of Ocean View. Not that it really mattered to Sydney. Sydney didn't like sudden changes. She was comfortable here, knowing more or less how most days were going to turn out.
"You could ask Tim Carpenter," Darlene snickered, examining her reflection critically in a compact mirror.
Sydney couldn't understand those girls who couldn't seem to take their eyes off their own reflections. The most annoying thing about them was no matter how irritatingly perfect they were, they could always seem to find something to improve on.
"My nose is too big," Darlene blathered on animatedly, moving the compact away from, and then closer to her face.
Sydney's eyes rolled. Something strange had been happening to Darlene lately. She and Sydney had been best friends practically forever. They'd always shared everything. But since they had become juniors, Darlene had started changing. She was acting more and more like the popular girls, who Sydney had never felt comfortable around. Sydney was sure she'd even seen Darlene hanging out with some of them.
"Your nose is fine, and Tim's just a friend," Sydney said mildly. Tim was the only other person she sometimes spoke to, she liked him okay, but he was - she couldn't think of the words for it. Tim was - different - from most of the other boys in their year, was about the only way she could put it. Darlene had always dismissed him as a geek, but Sydney was sure there was more to it than that.
"I'm going to the dance with Cain Redfern, can you believe it?" Darlene smiled at the compact, and shut it, replacing it in her bag.
"Good for you," Sydney said automatically. She was bored of this conversation. She didn't feel like hearing Darlene drool over some popular guy who would use her shamelessly and never speak to her again after that night. Of course, Sydney was far too polite to ever say something like that.
The bell rang, and Sydney, along with everyone else, stood up and began putting her books away. To her surprise, when she was done, Darlene was gone. She was heading out the door with Harmony Windsong, and Celina Mandril, two of the cheerleaders.
Sydney was confused, and couldn't help wondering what she was missing here. With a depressed sigh, she headed for her locker. And stared in disbelief at the boy standing there. She'd seen him around school, he was tall, kind of slender for a guy, with unnaturally pale skin, and that man-in-black thing working for him, complete with long black hair and dark eyes. What could someone like that, possibly want with Sydney?
"Can I help you?" she asked, pushing her ordinary brown hair behind her left ear.
He gave her a surprisingly warm smile, something in his dark eyes seemed to dance and swirl, Sydney found it hard not to sigh out loud. She hadn't known she was attracted to this type. That's not right, you don't even know him, knock it off! she scolded herself.
"Not yet, but soon maybe," he said.
Sydney eyed him. What the hell was he talking about? He wasn't in any of her classes, she didn't even know his name. How could he know her? She seriously doubted it was just because he'd seen her around. She wasn't the type that was noticed easily. Or at least, that was what she thought.
He looked like the type of dark and scary guy she generally tended to avoid. Sure, it was okay to admire guys like him on TV shows or movies, but she had never actually wanted to come face to face with one. He had the same weird differentness about him that Tim did, only stronger. She dreaded the thought of being alone in a dark alley with him.
"What?" she asked.
"Everything will become clear. Destiny if often clouded."
Sydney's eyes rolled. Great, dark creepy and crazy too, just the kind of guy everyone wanted to have a crush on them. Or was she exaggerating? "I don't believe in destiny," Sydney said flatly. "Who are you, anyway?"
"The one you've been dreaming of," he smiled at her again, then disappeared. How could he know what she had been dreaming for? Certainly not a guy like him.
She tried to catch another glimpse of him, but he was gone, as if he had just disappeared. She shrugged and shook her head, and opened her locker.
"Stay away from him."
Sydney blinked, turning to find herself looking directly into Shaine Krystaline's green cat eyes. Sydney had never realised they were the same height before. Shaine had never given any acknowledgement that she even knew Sydney existed before now. "Excuse me?"
"His name is Aidan Noir," Shaine told her. "Bad news and extremely dangerous." Shaine's voice was cold, her expression extremely serious. As were the faces of her usual chirpy band of groupies.
"Then what was all that destiny crap about?" Sydney asked, starting to feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Crap, just like you said. Stay away from him." Shaine turned and walked away. Her groupies followed like good little puppies.
That was weird, Sydney thought finally putting her books away. Aidan Noir may choose a freaky look, but he was he really dangerous as well as disillusioned? Then again, considering how weird it all was, she was more than a little willing to take Shaine's advice.
She shut her locker door, and a piece of paper slid out. Sydney frowned, and bent down to pick it up, her eyes widening as she read the note. The message was scrawled in red ink, and said the words 'Together Forever'.
* * *
