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Chapter 1

I awoke to my aunt Agatha timidly knocking at my door and the muted whisper of my alarm clock. "Amy?" she asked through the door but I wasn't really listening I had the strange feeling I was forgetting something… something important, from my dream… what did I dream about? "Amy, Amy Are you awake" I lifted my head up from my mattress, for some reason my pillow was gone.

"Yeah I'm up, I've been up for hours," I yawned sleepily. "Just trying to find the perfect thing to wear, you know how that goes," I told her laying my head back down on the mattress and felt around on the floor for my pillow.

"Good we only have fifteen minutes before we have to leave so come down soon for breakfast," she told me before she left.

"Okay," I called out to her with another yawn and, finally, I found my pillow but when I lifted it up the full force of my alarm hit me. "I'm up!" I yelled as I fumbled on the floor for my alarm clock. "6:48! How did it get so late," I asked myself as I ran to the bathroom tripping over every one of the many moving boxes scattered all over my floor.

Oh god, I looked horrible half my face was covered in slobber and underneath, it was so red, and so were my eyes! My hair was a tangles mess and I hadn't even showered yet, so I probably smelled as bad as I looked. Great, what a day to over sleep. I started washing my face and brushed my teeth at the same time, a weird skill I had picked up from many late mornings… in my previous life. Once you get over the taste of facial cleanser in your mouth it's not that hard.

After rinsing down my face and mouth I awkwardly ran back to my room to tackle my hair, cringing in pain when I stubbed my toe on yet another moving box. I hopped on my good foot to my closet where I had a full length mirror. It took me all of two seconds to realize that my hair was a lost cause I quickly threw it into a neat ballerina bun, and dowsed myself in air freshener. I turned to my pile of boxes labeled clothes and quickly turned away. There was no way I was gonna find anything acceptable to wear now. So with a heavy heart, I went into my carryon bag and pulled out a uniform still wrapped in plastic. The Imperial Academy of performing arts uniform, I never thought I would wear it especially like this. "Well I guess it's better than my street clothes, and Sweet Amoris never did send me a uniform," I murmured to myself as I slipped it on. I popped in some drops to clear my eyes, took one last glance in the mirror and down the stairs. "I'm ready," I said as I plucked up a piece of toast. "How do I look," I asked twirling on my good leg.

"Good… but aren't you missing something," she asked. Shoes, skirt, and shirt, no, I was fully dressed.

"Ah my book bag thanks I almost forgot," I said quickly as I tried to pass her I knew by looking at her what I had forgotten now. "Well we should get going," I was so close to slipping past but she grabbed my arm.

"Amy your knee brace," she said trying to sound authoritative. Ugh I hated that stupid knee brace it was huge and clunky going from the top of my thigh to my ankle. How was that a knee brace? It had huge straps and buckles no way could I make any friends wearing that thing I'd look like a complete idiot.

"Auntie I don't need that thing anymore I'm doing great in physical therapy and my doctor says I'll only need the brace while doing strenuous activity. I'm going to school we'll be sitting most of the time so really I don't need it at all," I babbled trying to slip out again but this time she blocked my path big clunky brace in hand. Ugh.

It was a long ride to school well not literally- honestly it took like five minutes- but it felt like forever, as I applied and reapplied my makeup. "How does this look?" I asked for the hundredth time.

"You look beautiful dear,"

"You didn't even look," I sighed. "Ugh I look cakey," I reached for yet another makeup wipe.

"Amy stop it," auntie chided slapping my hand.

"Ow,"

"You look beautiful and you'll be fine,"

"Right," I said taking a deep breath. "I look beautiful, I'll be fine, I look beautiful I'll be fine," I said but I only lasted 2 seconds before flipping down the visor mirror and playing with my bangs. "Oh god my bangs are a mess,"

"Amy!"

"Sorry," I flipped up the mirror and fidgeted quietly in my seat. Was I acting totally crazy? Yes but this was the first time since kindergarten that I was going to be attending a school where I didn't know anyone. Its nerve wracking knowing that one wrong move and I would be forced to spend the rest of my high school years as a social recluse. I started playing with my bangs again.

"Auntie I'll be fine on my own really," I told her for the thousandth time as we sat in the parking lot outside of the school.

"Are you sure, I think I should come in with you to-"she started to say but I cut her off.

"No, no I'll be fine," I said getting out of the car. Thanks to the stupid leg brace I was already late so no one was around to see me waddle about in the dumb thing.

"Okay but remember I have work so I can't come and pick you up," she yelled, I pretended not to hear her as I walked to the school. "Take the bus, okay, don't try to walk home alone," she yelled. I quickly retreated into the courtyard of the school. Please tell me nobody heard that, I thought as I fumbled with the dumb brace this day was already a turning into a nightmare. After a few seconds of trying to get it off I gave up. I was already feeling drained and the day hadn't even started yet. I collapsed onto a bench inside a little courtyard. Ugh. I was supposed to be going to a sparkling palace floor after floor of artistic expression. The place where some of the biggest stars of all time went.

"Ha," I sighed as I looked up my new school. Sweet Amoris High School, it was 4 stories of pure misery for me. The place looked more and more prison like every second I looked at it. I repeat UGH!

I couldn't look at it anymore I buried my face in my hands and flopped over on my side. It couldn't have been for more than a few minutes that I laid there letting the morning sun watch over me feeling the cool breeze brush my cheeks and just for a few minutes I pretended.

I was there, at imperial academy where I belong. My mom had just dropped me off at the tall and magnificent front gate where my gang of friends were waiting all huddled together. "AMY!" they'd squeal my name, "YOU GUYS!" I'd squeal back. Before I managed to explode out of the car my mom would wish me good luck. "Thanks," I'd say as I get out. "Your dad says good luck too," she'd call after me over her phone. "Tell him I love him," I'd call back and she'd give me a look. "And I love you too," I'd lean in the window and kiss her good bye on the cheek. "Dad keep catching those bad guys," I'd call into the phone. "Bye," I'd tell my stupid little brother who would be playing some game, his head barely sticking up from the back seat. He probably wouldn't taking so much as a glance in my direction. I'd ruffle his hair through the window and walk off to my destiny.

I was interrupted from my dreaming by the sound of rustling leaves and hushed whispers.

"Hello?" maybe I was dreaming for longer than I thought. When I got up from the bench I was feeling groggy. My voice sounded tired as I tried to call out, but no answer. Ugh I didn't like this, it felt like this nightmare just changed into a horror movie. I sat up feeling heavy. Crap I gotta get to the office. I started to pick up my things when I heard it again rustling leaves and whispers. I looked around feeling more and more uneasy. I looked around the court yard, apparently in this movie I was the idiotic character that went looking for trouble. Specifically in the creepy bushes on the far side of the courtyard. "Hello?" I whispered as I peeked into the bush where I saw a disgusting sight. Sitting in the shadow of that building behind the bushes was a boy I think based on the tough looking leather jacket and the red skull shirt- honestly he had kinda girly hair that was the most obnoxious color of red you could think of. He was breathing deeply panting sweating moaning, and on top of him was a girl with both her green and brown shirts rolled up over her bra and her green skirt hiked up her thighs. From what I could see she had light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. She wore gold hoop earrings and an eyebrow piercing. They were an equally tough looking couple, and then it finally dawned on me what I was watching. I slapped my hand over my mouth before I had a chance to scream in shock and ran backwards out of the bush scrambling until I fell right on my butt.

"Oh!" I squeaked before slapping my hand over my mouth again. I froze for a second listening for any sign that they heard me. All was quiet inside of the bush. Did they hear me? After a moment of silence the rustling came back but this time it sounded like they were getting up. Oh crap I think they heard me! In one swift motion I flipped over and fighting against my knee brace hightail it out of there. I circled around the school trying every entrance until I found one that opened. "Hu," I felt so relieved I flopped up against a wall of lockers sliding down until I was on my butt. "What did I just see," I asked myself wanting to claw my eyes out. Ugh!

It was only the first hour and already I was scarred for life not to mention I just irritated my injuries. I could already feel my knee start to swell and my ribs were aching. Finally I successfully unstrapped my knee brace so that blood could circulate better, wrapped my arms around my ribs and propped my head up on my good leg. I bet this would never happen at Imperial Academy. I took a breath and turned to put my brace into my bag. "W-what," it was gone. "My book bag!" I though back to the scene I had just witnessed. I slapped my hands over my mouth. I never did grab my bag!

Crap, crap, crap, I propped myself up on the locker until I could get up on my own and with a heart heavier than when I started I limped my way down the hall. It took me about 8 tries to find the right exit to the courtyard-CURSE THIS PRISON AND IT'S MANY DOORS! But when I looked around my bag was nowhere to be found. What the heck. I was sure this was the right place I could see the parking lot if I leaned over the bench. Had they taken my book bag? If so for what? Ugh, I was starting to get a really bad feeling about this. Forgetting the pain in my knee I started sprinting around the school, fighting my way through bushes stumbling over rocks and tree roots. No one. Great that book bag had the finished copy of my registration forms in it. I was about to give up with a sigh when I saw a navy blue blob swinging from a tree branch. Upon closer inspection it was my book bag. I ran over to grab it off the branch but when I reached up to grab it sitting a few feet up on another branch sat a boy with hair the most obnoxious color of red you could think of. In a flash the boy jumped down from the tree slapping his hand over my mouth before I had a chance to scream and firmly pinned me up against the tree. It felt like my heart stopped in that moment.

"So, you're the peeping tom huh," he said with a cocky smirk it only took about two seconds for my heart to start up again as my anger flared. I slapped his arm, chest and whatever else I could reach until he removed his hand from my mouth.

"P-peeping tom!" how dare he try to spin this and make me seem like some kind of perv. "Who are you calling a peeping tom?" I shoved him.

"Hm maybe the girl who was watching two people f***ing in the bushes like she was watching the nature channel,"

"Wha- nature channel! Well if you're gonna get all uppity about being caught then you shouldn't DOO IT outdoors like animals!"

"Uppity?" he scoffed. "Listen I don't know if you're new or just so insignificant that I haven't bothered to ever notice you but-"

"Whoa insignificant. That's a pretty big word for a ruffian," he scrunched his face at my use of the word ruffian. Ugh this was the place I would be getting my education.

"Listen you little brat,"

"Whoa," I held up my hand to his face. "My names Amy, Amy Briggs and I'm new here," I said with a little attitude as I stretched my upraised hand out to him for a handshake. He just looked at it.

"Look you little stuck up princess I don't give a crap about if you're new or what your name is, all I need is for you to forget what you just saw,"

"Oh that's quite a way to ask for a favor," seriously if I was a spiteful person I would be blabbing it all over school right now. You know if I knew who either of these people were or cared even a little bit about what I saw honestly I just wanted to forget, I wish he'd stop reminding me.

"Look this isn't a request," he said the word request sarcastically mocking my vocabulary. "It's a threat if you tell anyone what we were doing you could get that girl and yourself into real trouble so just keep your mouth shut got it school girl," he said with a ferocious face but for some reason that didn't bother me. It was something else he said that struck a nerve.

"What did you just call me?"

"School girl. Why you wanna fight about it,"

"What do you mean by school girl," I asked. He just looked me up and down once. I had been called quite a few names in my day but school girl didn't make since to me we were all in-

"The only other person you'll see dressed like that around here is that idiot class president," he said with a smirk. I was gonna ask what he meant until I noticed what he was wearing.

"Yo-You're not in uniform," I was so confused now and shocked I don't even know if that came out as a question or just a statement of fact. I had been so traumatized at the sight of him and the girl before and so wrapped up in our unpleasant conversation now that it had just registered in my mind what he was wearing. I had never been to a school that didn't have uniforms -even my public elementary school made us wear those ugly polo shirts- so it never occurred to me that this school wouldn't have them.

If it was true and there were no uniforms, then brace or no brace I would stick out like a sore thumb, and just like this rude guy they would all look at me as some stuck up, or nerdy, or timid little school girl.

This was the first time I would be going to a school where I knew no one, a fresh start, I wanted to make a new name for myself. I WANNA BE COOL! Not that I was unpopular in my old life I had a good group of friends, but I never had the time to enjoy it. I practiced dance 4 hour a day, I had singing lessons three times a week. When I didn't have singing lessons I had acting lessons and there was a whole list of other things that I don't even care to list. Hanging out with friends wasn't really an option for me. Well there were one or two friend that always seemed to find time in my schedule. I shuddered at the thought. This time around I had broken dreams no aspirations and I was all alone so to try and make myself feel better I wanted to try my hand at enjoying school life.

I snatched my book bag from the tree branch turned on my heels and ran straight into the school building, not bothering to look back- I heard a questioning hmm from the boy but nothing else- and with a slight limp ran right into the bathroom. Luckily all of the students were in class. I pulled my deep pink hair from its bun and took off my uniform jacket, but it was still very obvious that this was a uniform. I spent a little more time trying to brush my cowlicks down when a bell rung. Crap! I missed all of first period. I stuffed everything in my bag and rushed to the front office.

It only took like five minutes to find the office but that might as well have been eternity on my bum leg. I straightened up an inch as I got closer to the office and rushed in like I wasn't totally in pain.

"Um excuses me I'm the new student," I blurted out instantly as I barged into the office panting wildly. I was out of shape.

"Hello Amarantha-" a kinda stalky woman in a head to toe pastel pink suit started to ask in an annoyed voice but I couldn't let one thing go.

"Please just call me Amy," I corrected. I was named Amarantha because the deep pinkish purple of my hair and the pale green of my eyes reminded my mother of the Amaranthus plant, but seriously it's hard to find a girl's name that ends with a t-h-a that sounds cute Martha, Bertha, Agatha, AMARANTHA!- ok there's Samantha but it's not that cute.

"Alright… Amy then," it seems like my little outburst pissed her off more than before because even though she said polite words she said them in one of the scariest manners that I had ever heard. "Hello Amy, welcome to Sweet Amoris High School, I am your principal," she said slamming my schedule down on the front desk. "I hope you feel at home quickly here in your new school," she said a little less terrifyingly.

"T-Thank you ma'am," I said quickly the less time I spent talking the sooner I could get out of here.

"Here in Sweet Amoris we value punctuality and respect for adults you understand," she asked menacingly. I nodded.

"Yes,"

"Yes what,"

"Yes ma'am I'm sorry I'm late ma'am I was just… double checking the registration information we e-mailed you. I heard that my aunt had forgotten some things," I started fiddling around with a loose thread on my new uniform as an excuse to look away.

"Ah yes, we worked with what she sent us… if we didn't you would have missed too many days to be eligible to pass this term," she said flipping through a stack of papers. "You won' t be a fully excepted student until it's all turned in so on your free period go see Nathaniel, he's the student body president, but he also works in the office as an elective have him check over your registration papers for completion. We don't want any mistakes this time," she smiled insultingly. "He'll be in the student council room it's by the courtyard entrance," she said passing me back the stack of papers.

"Courtyard got it," I said and sped off to find my second period.

"Hello my name is Amy Briggs and I'm new here. No to formal. Hello I'm- Hi I'm Amy nice to meet you all," I was practicing my introduction for second period while I waited for the teacher to get me when-

"Amy my love I've finally found you!" I heard the most horrible sound anyone has ever heard since humans grew ears and as I looked over to confirm my worst nightmare there he was all glasses and bowl cut hair flying at me.

"Ke-Ken!?" I asked as the little nerd I had known since kindergarten came up to me. No this was not possible I had told no one where I was, of where I was going how, HOW! NO this wasn't happening. I'm gonna close my eyes take a deep breath and look over and there will be no Ken. I looked over. "You?! What are you doing here?!" I asked kind of rudely. I didn't mean to and it hurt my heart to see his little face fall in disappointment.

"Well I couldn't get into Imperial academy and I heard you weren't there anyway a-and I called your house no answer so I've just been transferring from school to school till I found you!" Yeah he actually sounded proud like this was something any sane person would do can you believe it! He wrapped his arms around me in a tight embrace and of course the teacher just had to open the door.

Why do I have no luck? Everyone was laughing. "Aw look at the two nerd birds all cozy," one girl, with long blonde hair, a smug unfriendly smile, and expensive clothes, said as I broke out of Kens hug. I went straight to the first seat I saw at the back no introduction. I didn't want to give any of these people a name for them to spread this story about.

As class started the teacher droning on about god knows what I thought about Ken. That creepy over-obsessive stalker wasn't always like this -well kinda but not as obsessive... well kinda but- when we first met, he was a new kid being bullied on the playground when I intervened –I lost two baby teeth that day and almost got expelled for fighting- but it was the right thing to do. He had been my best friend since then we did everything together he's the only friend I spent any time with and we had fun times-that's right Ken was the one friend that always seemed to find time in my schedule. Then he realized that he loved me. Valentine's Day sixth grade Ken decorated the whole classroom in hearts and pictures of me, ugh, he put a six foot tall heart shaped card on my desk try riding the bus with that in your lap. That was the second time I almost got expelled for fighting. Since then he has made bigger and more extravagant events that embarrassed me to the point of extreme mortification. "No not again," I yelled and everyone looked back at me. "Miss," the teacher said in a stern voice and I heard laughs from all around but the one coming from beside me sounded familiar. It was the red haired boy from before. He was sitting right there smug smirk on his face.

"It might have been worth sitting through this boring class to see a show like this school girl," he told me and I almost lost it. "Stop calling me school girl!" Ok I lost it a little. "Miss one more outburst and," the teacher started to say when the bell rang and I rushed out of the room to avoid him and Ken.

After that the next class was history where the teacher practically killed me with his boring lecture and weighed me down with his heavy text book and basically a full two inch binder full of printouts. I flipped through page after page of these notes checking for anything that I didn't know already. Nothing. After about 15 minutes I couldn't focus on history anymore my mind started to drift to my social life. How in the heck did people make friends? When we were kids it was so easy so effortless, but now… HOW IN THE HECK DO I MAKE FRIENDS! It's not as if people around here were very welcoming to me either. No one but that red headed jerk and ken had so much as talked to me since I arrived and I was having a hard time finding the courage to talk to them either. Oh no please don't let it just be me and Ken hanging out for the rest of my high school years. I looked around the classroom bored when I locked eyes with a girl sitting on the other side of the classroom. My first was to smile kindly and try to make a friend but as I looked at her the light brown hair the brow piercing brown tank layered over the green shirt. She was the girl that red haired butt was doing in the bushes. I looked away instantly feeling my face flush red. Oh gosh that was suspicious wasn't it I peeked back up at the girl her once blank face was now scowling at me murderously.

"How about you Ms. Charlotte," the teacher called from the front of the classroom. The girl turned to look at him.

"I don't know," she said calmly. I would have been a frantic mess if a teacher called on me when I wasn't-

"Well how about our new student," aw c'mon.

"Uh w-what was the question sir," he just shook his head disappointed and continued on teaching. For the rest of class I kept my head shoved in that book. The second the bell rang I had intended to flee from the room for my life but instead the second I gathered my books and jumped up from my desk I ran straight into someone knocking my stuff out of my hands papers flying everywhere.

"Oh! I'm sorry," the boy and I said in unison. When I looked up at him I was chocked or maybe amazed is a better word for it. The guy was so… so uniquely… beautiful. He was pretty tall but I guess everyone is pretty tall next to me only being 5'2. But not just that his hair was cut in an asymmetrical style that was a beautiful pure white with dark black tips. His face was slim but not thin with eyes that were two different colors, one green the other an almost gold color. What was even more interesting was that he wore garments from like the 1700 century. As I stood there frozen by his beauty the boy slowly bent down and started picking up our mess. It took a minute for my brain to start working again.

"Uh you can just leave that I'll get it," I said quickly fumbling to pick up the papers as everyone else walked around us.

"No here-"

"Great to see you're screwing up here too school girl," someone said with a laugh, and I knew just who too. I turned around to see the obnoxious red head.

"Castiel, what are you doing here," the pretty boy asked. I just fumed silently behind him as I picked up the rest of my papers.

"Just seeing if you want to skip next period and take an extra-long lunch," that boy Castiel smirked.

"No I misplaced my notebook… I want to stay and find it," pretty boy sighed deep in thought his voice was as beautiful as he was.

"Fine but-" I tuned them out as I focused on separating my stuff from his. If he's friends with people like that then I'm guessing that this pretty boy is no good either.

"Here," I gave the pretty boy his thing a little rudely I have to admit.

"Oh I'm sorry to have left all the work to you,"

"It's ok," I said again a little rudely and without thinking I spun on my bad leg feeling a sharp pain shoot through it. "Ah!" I squeaked stumbling a few steps.

"Hey you okay," the red head Castiel asked.

"Yeah I'm fine," I said looking at the floor.

"You sure it-"

"I'M FINE!" I said and stormed off. Ignoring my re-aggravated injury.

I stormed out into the hall before I could remember where I was going, so I had to dig into my pocket for my schedule. Gym was next. Great.

"Ah Miss Briggs just who we were looking for," my math teacher, whose name I hadn't really bothered to learn yet, called with a sour faced woman trailing behind him.

"Oh so you're Amarantha Briggs,"

"I go by Amy," I said extending my hand.

"Oh I wouldn't know since you never showed up for my class this morning," she said and I dropped my hand.

"Oh sorry, I had a bit of an emergency this morning."

"Oh I didn't realize that running around the school constituted as an emergency," Busted. My second period teacher cleared his throat.

"Anyway I forgot to give you your textbook for the class,"

"Yes and this is my textbook and the reading material you'll need for the rest of the year," my first period teacher chimed in handing me 4 more books on top of the textbook.

"Ah thank you," yeah thanks a lot the books weighed a ton each and adding the history book I already had in hand and all my catchup notes I'm surprised I was still upright. I wobbled away on my bad knee. Curse these stinki'n books. I was fumbling with them when I bumped into someone.

"Whoa," they said trying to catch my books but some slipped to the ground. "Are you okay?" he asked looking over at me.

"Yeah thanks," I told him nervously. This boy was quite handsome too, tall, he had delicate features, with blonde hair and eyes to match. What really got me was his dress shirt and tie. NOT THAT I'M ATTRACTED TO GUYS THE ALWAYS DRESS FORMALLY! In fact it was kinda weird when you looked around at all the other students but it made me feel a little more at ease in my uniform now that someone else was dressed up. I kinda felt like we were in our own little matching club. "u-um excuse me but-" I was gonna ask him if he knew where the gym was when I slipped on one of my fallen books and practically tackled him to the ground. Books flying everywhere.

"AHAHAHA!" I could hear someone laugh just a little ways down the hall, and I didn't have to look up to see who. Castiel. His voice was growing more and more familiar to me.

"O~uch!" the boy I had just assaulted said holding his head. I would have apologized right away but I was wrapped up in my own pain. I had twisted my bad knee even worse and it was swelling rapidly. "Hey are you okay!" the boy said alarmed. When he saw me holding my swollen knee he immediately jumped up "I'll get the nurse," he started to turn.

"NO! no I'm fine!" I said staggering to my feet just to crumple like a ton of bricks, but he was there to catch me.

"Amy you're not okay!" He scooped me up in his arms.

"W-What are you doing," I asked in a panic.

"Getting you to the nurse," he said as if it was obvious. "And if you're not going to sit and wait for her to come to you then I'll bring you to her," he said with a little strain in his voice as he walked down the hall. Not many people were still roaming around but the few that were made it painstakingly clear that they were watching. Oh UGH!

"Wait no I'm fine," I said trying to kick out of his arms but the pain was too great.

In the nurses office I had to come clean about breaking my knee and my dumb leg brace- which she made me wear again as I iced my knee. Since I had gym this period nurse Nancy recommended that I stay put in the nurse's office and sent my hero off to deliver an excuse note. Maybe this was too much for me too soon. I flopped back on one of the cots careful not to drop my ice pack. I was exhausted, so exhausted that I don't really know when I fell asleep, but it felt like only a few seconds before the nurse was waking me up for free period/lunch period and part of me was happy that I my knee was still swollen. Lunch was the time of day I dreaded the most, I hadn't really made any friends so walking through a busy cafeteria with my lunch tray looking for a place to eat wasn't ideal. So for the rest of the period I huddled in my cot munching on some chips I had in my backpack. By the time 6th period started I was feeling better. When I left the nurses office sitting outside with all the books I forgot that I even dropped in hand was the boy who carried me here looking worried. He jumped up the second he saw me.

"Uh… hi," he said shyly.

"Hi," I repeated just as shyly. "Those," I pointed to my books.

"Oh yeah these are yours," he held out my books to me and I awkwardly tried to take them but there were just too many. They started to slide everywhere and fall. Eventually the boy gave up. "I could just drop these at your next class. You still don't look to good," well thanks I thought sarcastically. He seemed to read my thought cause in an instant his face flushed red and he started apologizing. "Not that I'm saying you look bad or anything it's just that you don't…" he fell silent.

"Uh thanks," was all I could think as I showed him my schedule.

Honors biology, this class went smoothly. I shared it with Nathaniel- the boy who carried me to the nurse- but he already had a partner so I sat next to a chipper friendly girl named Iris… I think. I can't be sure most of the time admittedly I was stealing glances at Nathaniel and once or twice I think he was stealing glances at me too. BACK ON TOPIC: Iris was great but honestly speaking, I have no idea how she got into this class, while she was perfectly nice- I don't have anything against her- she was just a little… lost and all over the place.

"Sorry you got stuck with me," she blushed apologetically.

"What are you talking about you're great I think we could be great friends," I told her smiling. She smiled to and offered to walk me to my next class. On our way I saw my little nerd huddled in a corner looking sad. I told iris to go ahead and went over to Ken.

"What's wrong?" I asked not realizing I was there he jumped.

"Oh Amy it's nothing,"

"Doesn't look like nothing to me,"

"It's just this girl," he started to say, and before I got the chance to think he had found a new girl to obsess over he grabbed my arm. "This girl and her friends took all my money!" he blurted. Seriously he's getting beaten up by girls now. I really am worried about this boy.

"Ken are you okay,"

"Yeah it's just I had to skip lunch and-" I got my wallet out immediately.

"I have to pay for my enrollment fee so I can't give you much but it's at least enough for a snack," I told him as I handed over all the quarters and dimes I had.

"No-no I don't need it…" Ken looked at me affectionately. "I love you Amy," he hugged me quickly and left.

The rest of the day went by smoothly… well at least there weren't any more embarrassments till it was time to go home. Fumbling with my books my brace and my exhaustion made me late getting out of the school. Just late enough to watch the bus I needed to get on drive by… great. Feeling even more weighed down by this stupid day I adjusted my now full and heavy book bag pulled the books that didn't fit in my book bag close and with my head hanging low I turn the corner to start walking home.

"Didn't your mommy tell you not to walk home?" I heard Castiel say behind me with a laugh. A couple of onlookers giggled.

"H-hey you heard that?" oh crap why. He smiled seeing my panic, hmph. "And yet you still didn't stop what you were doing,"

"You're the one peeking into bushes," he said angry. We could continue this fight all day and get nowhere so I decided to go to another subject.

"Anyway that wasn't my mom and I missed the bus," I said waddling away. "And I'm not gonna sit around and have people gawk at me in this thing," I murmured quietly looking down at my brace.

"…Here I'll show you somewhere more private to wait," he said pulling me back the arm.

"Wha- eep,"

We ended up on the roof of the school. "Once the bus hits that corner you should start heading down," he told me. Surprisingly enough despite his moody disposition Castiel was really nice and despite the kinda girly hair and… annoying remarks he was pretty handsome too.

"Why are you helping me?" I never meant to ask but the words just seemed to fall out of my mouth. He didn't answer. "Well if you're a fan of, Winged Skulls, I guess you can't be all bad," I said looking at his shirt, he looked at me surprised.

"The little school girl knows about rock music?" he asked sarcastically.

"They have pretty decent albums," I told him looking back out at the street for the next bus.

"Pretty decent? They're one of fastest growing indie bands of this decade," he said sounding a little insulted.

"Yeah but that's the problem they're starting to get too commercial now. That new album sounds so much more like a pop song it kinda made me pissed,"

"Hmm true a few songs sounded like pop but most of their songs are still good," he and I argued back and forth about the pros and cons of Winged Skulls last album and eventually went on to comparing our favorite indie bands. We had spent almost 2 hours sitting up on the roof talking.

"I'm just saying the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are pretty good but you can't let them be your only reference for Visual K music you gotta branch out a little," I told him.

"Please the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are the only good band in that genre the rest of it is just senseless noise,"

"Blasphemy! It's a really good genre, you just have to give it a chance!" I whined

"No thanks," he said as he walked me to the bus stop. "… So…what's up with your leg?" he pointed to the brace.

"Not much yours," I said sarcastically. He didn't seem to like my humor.

"WHATS UP WITH THE BRACE," he asked pointedly, and I know that I have said this about a hundred times today and this was going to be the hundred and first time but UGH!

With the new kinship I was feeling with Castiel I kinda felt guilty about lying about what happened to me, but I couldn't tell him or anyone about the truth. It's weird my family died a year ago and I knew that but somehow saying it out loud physically speaking the words made me feel like it would make it realer. It didn't make since logically but sometimes I felt like I would wake up in my bed at home with my mom making pancakes down stares with the phone mashed up between her shoulder and her face, talking to aunt Aggie. My dad heading off to work early from some urgent call. My brother sitting at the table half asleep. My normal life. Saying what happened to me… to us seemed to make it final, shutting the door on my fantasy of them coming back.

"…Whatever," Castiel said. I had hesitated for so long I guess that he got that I didn't want to talk about it. At that moment the next bus pulled up.

"Well see you later," I told him getting on the bus.

"Yeah, see you," he said as he walked away.

I walked into the empty apartment. The echo of silence was new to me and after finishing like a week's worth of homework I did busy work like unpacking my boxes. We had moved in a month ago but still not very much had gotten unpacked. I started with my room pulling out my clothes and organizing them into what I could wear to cover my brace best and what would have to wait till I got out of the stupid thing. I straightened up my desk placing my new school books in place neatly. Lastly I hung my fairy lights all the photos I could stand to look at and any other decoration that aunty had picked out for me before I ran out of things to do. Then when I couldn't stand to sit still anymore I started to do the rest of the house, I started in the living room picking out rugs and hanging curtains to match. I even moved furniture though my knee begged me not to. Once that was done I slumped over the couch to look at my handy work. Somehow the pea green carpet and drapes matched the bright orange couch and the deep red wood of the coffee table. This place was finally starting to look like people lived here. When all the boxes were unpacked, and I was totally exhausted, the sun was just setting and it was still too soon to fall asleep. I had run out of stuff to do. Yeah I was keeping busy for a reason. Aunt Aggie worked odd hours. For a fashion company that just moved overseas she did most of her work on a laptop but since I was on the mend she was back to working at a branch that was close by, from the time they closed till like 4am. I won't be seeing much of her.

For the first time since the bombing I was alone. In the hospital I was always surrounded by doctors, nurses, visiting family or even other patents. When I was bouncing from relative to relative there were usually little kids, stay at home moms, or old people that stayed home all day that I'd talk to or play with while I did online classes. This was the first time that no one was around to keep my attention thanks to that I was completely restless. I really had to find something to occupy my time.