Chapter One

I remember meeting my dad once. It was my eight birthday, I was in a pink dress and Mary Jane's with socks on and a birthday hat that said birthday girl. I was running around playing tag with all my friends in my backyard. I was running and I bumped into someone on accident.

"Ugh. Oh sorry mister." I said in my cute newly eight voice. The man looked at me with a strange mixture of expression on his face. Then he reached down rubbed my shoulder while still looking me in the eyes. He had the same strange grey hazel eyes I did.

"That's alright Scarlet. It's not a problem." Then he turned around with party cup in hand and walked back in trough the house and left

. Later that night I had my Barbie robe on with my favorite bunny slippers on I was sitting in my mom's room where she kept the picture albums. I was sitting on her hop chest with a picture album in my lap flipping through the pictures then I came to one with my mom in a hospital bed holding a bundle of joy that brought a smile to her lips with a man standing on her right side. The man's eyes were not on the camera he was not caring what was happing in the world at that moment besides what was happening with the bundle of joy that brought a smile to his lips as well. I immediately recognized him as the man from the party. Right about then my mom burst through the door.

"hey squirt. What you doing in here?" she asked. Drunk again by the sound of her voice. Up behind her walks up her man of the night.

"nothing mommy. Just looking at your pictures." I said back.

"Oh well, go out in the living room with pops and look at `em will `ya sweetie." She turned and looked her pig in the eyes and continued to say, "Mommy's busy tonight."

That was also the last time I ever saw my mom. It has been just pops and me for some time now. That was ten years ago. Now I am getting ready for graduation.

I am not so much psyched to be graduating as to be leaving the town that I grew up in. the town filled with memories of my mom. At least who she was before she had me. I hear she was the head cheerleader and was voted most likely to succeed, though I think the yearbook did not have that great of judgment. I'm ecstatic to leave pops either. I wish I could stuff him in my suitcase and take him with me. I'm worried that something will happen to him while I'm gone. That my time with him is going to be shortened. But, that is nonsense.

I was sitting at my vanity taking time to make sure that each strand of brown hair on my head till my hair was curled to perfection. Then a sharp nock came down on my door.

"Scar, hurry up. We're going to be late." Called Pops through the door

"Just a minute, pops. I'm almost done."I called back. I finished with the last piece of hair. Gave myself one final look in the mirror, took a deep breath, and then walked out into the hall for Pops' assessment.

He looked me up and down. Then he shook his head.

"How in the hell," he paused. It seemed like he was choking back tears. "Did you get so god damn beautiful?" then he gave me a tight hug. He took a picture. Then we were out the door.

When we arrived at the school the grounds were crowded. people were going every which way. i was trying to get trough the crowd to get to my friends Nani and Roni, who I could clearly see on the other side of the mass. when I tripped and fell into someone. they caught me by the shoulders

"Damn high-heels." i whispered before i looked up at the person. and this person i have to say would've been the god of good looks if those guys were real. he had short brown hair that in the sun showed high lights of light brown. his eyes were light blue mixed with grey. he was unquestonablly the most beautiful person I have ever seen.

he gave a light chuckle having heard my comment on my shoes.

"are you alright?" he asked me while i was still stuck being memorized at his face. but me being smooth, sly, safistacated me came up with the brilient response.

"huh?" i shook my head so i could get a bit of oxygen to my head recovered. "oh yeah i'm..peachy" he chuckled again.

"alright then." he let go of my shoulders and proceded to walk away.

"thanks for catching me." i called after him

he called back loud enough so I could hear him, back still to me, "don't mention it."