It was the beginning of the new school year. The autumn leaves were starting to change color and fall to the ground. The air held the distinct cold, crisp chill that would usually signal the start of the school year.

In the parking lot, the social lines were already being divided before the first bell even rang. The popular, the outcast, the nerds, the jocks, the plastics, the punks, and the random handful of unclassifiable people that no one ever talks to all were being, unknowingly, separated from the other groups.

The popular, jock and various plastic seniors all arrived in the school lot in the cars that were obviously not theirs, but their parents. The outcast and nerds would file out of the buses with the few Goth and punk posers filing out of the bus as well. The others would just walk or ride a bike to school. Little did any of the kids know that their social lines were already drawn, and their hopes of having a different school year ended before it even started.

But there were two teens that arrived in the lot that were different, they stood out, they were recognized. It was in a way that made the most popular kids wish they were getting that attention. The first was a new student by the name of Daren King. Rolling up in a brand new, top of the line fully loaded and customized Dodge Challenger that roared as it pulled into a parking spot. The exhaust from the tail end of the car was so forceful that it caused a few of the girl's skirts to fly up. The car shut off and the door opened. Daren stepped out and stood as he slung his book bag over his shoulder. He wasn't tall only standing at 5'7". He wasn't extremely muscled or intimidating, but he did have a look on his face that gave off the feeling that he's been through some stuff and can back up the story behind it.

Daren slammed the door shut as the collective that were watching him all exhaled in unison. Daren noticed that everyone was watching him and mildly smiled to himself over what was going on. One of the jock types walked up to him and gave Daren a "Hey, sweet car. What's it pushing?" Daren smirked for a second before replying with, "It pushes me to my job, which pays for the bill, which my dad doesn't pay for…unlike your car which is obviously daddies." Daren's show immediately got the attention of all the "popular" teens in the lot. As Daren and the jock the he just embarrassed stood eyeing each other down, their attention was drawn to the all black stretch, Hummer limo that pulled up.

One single girl climbed out of the limo. A small, petite, 5'3", blonde haired, bright hazel eyed girl began walking through the lot. Daren looked over and saw her, and in the cliché teen movie fashion, time began to slow down with some whining love acoustic music playing in the background from an artist who plays without shoes. Her long blonde hair was perfect straight with bangs just under her eyebrows. She was stunning in every sense of the word, until Daren came back to reality and heard the rest of the teens in the lot yelling and shouting at the girl. The things being said threw Daren for a loop because he couldn't understand why people would be yelling the most obscene, nasty, and mean things that they were saying. Daren wasn't sure where it came from but someone threw an open bottle of water at the girl. The drop dead gorgeous blonde began to walk faster to the building as she left the laughter behind her.

Once inside the school, Daren was at his locker preparing for home room, where the initial orientation would begin. As Daren shut his locker door, the face of an old friend popped up. "Daren…Daren…Daren…Tell me, why is it that you're at this school when for the last three years you spent at a private establishment?" Daren's familiar face was born Jeremiah Kassidy Langston, but refers himself simply as Mouse.

"Seriously Mouse, I thought you weren't going to bother me?" Daren turns around and starts walking away.

"Well, it's like this. I really don't have many friends…"

"Saw that coming."

"And I've known you since we were like, five. I think that classifies us as buddies."

Daren stares at Mouse. "No it doesn't." He laughs as he walks away.

"Well just tell me why you went all badass senior out in the parking lot."

"Don't get me wrong, there was nothing badass about it. I was seconds away from pissing my pants. Have you seen the neck that guy has? It's as thick as my fucking body. I was scared shitless man."

Mouse begins to laugh. "Well nice to know that you haven't changed a bit."

The two head to their homeroom and oddly enough, they're in the same class. Daren takes a seat close to the back, but by a window. Mouse grabs desk to the right of Daren. Other students began to enter the classroom. Daren didn't pay attention to anyone coming in. The sounds Mouse was making every time a "hot" girl walked in made Daren want to zone out and block out the rest of the day, until he heard Mouse say "Oh…no wouldn't touch her if you paid me." Daren snapped out of his trance for the reason of hearing Mouse say he wouldn't do a girl is very rare. She had to be beyond ugly for him not to even give a "well maybe if I was drunk…or high" remark about her. Daren looked over and realized it was the girl from the parking lot, the one everyone made fun of.

"Hey Mouse, who's that girl, and why's everyone ragging on her?"

"Oh you mean Krystal Shaw? Na man, don't even wanna go down that road."

"Just tell me, what's wrong with her? She have AIDS or something?"

"No, it's just…you look at her and she's a major hottie, but that's just the outside. I want you to think of the most disgusting, unhygienic, unattractive, uncoordinated, pimple faced, inhaler using nerd that you can think of…and that's who Krystal Shaw is."

"I don't believe it."

"No, it's true man. It's like God royally fucked up when he was making her, he accidentally mixed two people together. There's some really ugly chick out there that's like the best cheerleader in the world or something."

"You're telling me you still wouldn't hit that?"

"No I would, if it wasn't Krystal Shaw. I know what you're thinking and a lot of guys think the same thing: She's very shy, not confident at all, and obviously doesn't know how hot she is…which ends up being an easy lay…nope not happening."

"Why?" As Daren leans in closer to Mouse everyone has taken their seats and class is about to begin.

"Four guys are known to have tried. One is dead, died of a heart attack, two no longer go here because they were transferred a few days after they tried, and the last is in some mental institute."

"And you think they're all connected, and connected to her."

"I'm just saying man…she's bad news."

At the end of his sentence, Mouse was quieted down by their teacher. Daren began blocking out the teacher's voice as he couldn't help staring at the girl named Krystal Shaw. Something was indeed weird about her, but it wasn't what everyone thought it was for.