AN: Alright, let's try this again. I decided this time, I would leave up the one shot as a one shot and post the full thing as a separate story. Chapter one is still like the one shot, so yeah. But I've got a good chunk of this written, and will hopefully be finished up soon. This isn't my priority since I have other stories I'm posting right now, but I will try to get this up for you guys soon. Enjoy!

The concept of Soulmates was universal. Everyone knew that when the person you were supposed to be Soulmates with made any physical contact with you, the world went from black and white to color. Evalynn Hansen was certain she wasn't going to meet her soulmate. Her anxiety that kicked in any time she was around anyone prevented it.

This fact, along with the absence of her mom and twin brother Evan all summer, was what drove her to climb the forty foot oak at Ellison State Park two weeks before her senior year. It failed. She walked away with a broken arm.

Two weeks later, Evalynn walked into school behind Evan armed with the Sharpie her mom had given her that morning with the suggestion she ask people to sign her cast. Evan made a b-line for Jared Kleinman, his Soulmate, but Evalynn was stopped by Alana Beck before she could join him.

"Hey. How was your summer?"

"My...?"

"Mine was productive. I did three internships and ninety hours of community service. I know: wow."

"Yeah. That's, wow. That's impressive."

"Even though I was so busy, I still made some great friends," Alana continued over Evalynn. "Or, well, acquaintances, more like."

Gathering her courage, Evalynn pulled the marker out of her pocket.

"Do you want to maybe... I don't know what you're, um... do you want to sign my cast?"

"Oh my God. What happened to your arm?"

"Oh. Well. I broke it. I was climbing a tree..."

"Oh really?" Alana interrupted. "My grandma broke her hip getting into the bathtub in July. That was the beginning of the end, the doctors said. Because then she died."

Evalynn didn't know how to respond to this, but Alana just plastered a glowing smile on her face and started to walk away.

"Happy first day!" she called back over her shoulder.

Evalynn shoved the Sharpie back in her pocket and headed over to her brother and his Soulmate.

"Hey, Lynn, what happened to your arm?"

"I was, um, well I was climbing a tree and I fell."

"You fell out of a tree? What are you, like, an acorn?"

"Well, I was, I don't know if Evan told you this, but I worked this summer as an apprentice park ranger at Ellison State Park. I'm sort of a tree expert now. Not to brag, but.."

Neither boy said anything, so Evalynn continued.

"Anyway. I tried to climb this forty-foot-tall oak tree."

"And then you fell...?"

"Well, except it's a funny story, because-"

"Whatever, Acorn...Hey, Connor. Loving the new hair length. Very school-shooter chic."

When Connor froze and cast a withering glance at Jared, he continued.

"I was kidding. It was a joke."

"Yeah, no, it was funny. I'm laughing. Can't you tell? Am I not laughing hard enough for you?"

"You're such a freak."

Jared and Evan left then, Evalynn and Connor standing alone across from each other. She laughed, uncomfortable.

"What the fuck are you laughing at?"

"What?"

"Stop fucking laughing at me."

"I'm not."

"You think I'm a freak?"

"No. I don't-"

"I'm not the freak."

"But I wasn't-"

"You're the fucking freak!"

Connor charged at her then, shoving her to the ground. Everything froze as the world exploded in a splash of color. The two teens stared at each other for a minute and then Connor took off, leaving Evalynn alone on the floor.

Well, that changed everything.