THE BOYS
"I hate this place," Brandon muttered to his friends, gripping the two straps of his backpack, which hung from his shoulders. Chad gave his friend a little pat, as if he were encouraging Brandon. Chad didn't really mind school. He could see his friends, and all of his teachers loved him. It was going to be sad when he left this place. In high school he was famous. Everyone knew him. Who knows how it would be out there in the real world. Brandon didn't like it because he had a tutor for almost every class he was taking. Hence, why he needed scholarships to get into college. For Jason, school was school. He came in and did the work that was asked of him. That was really all it took to survive high school. They made their way to the side doors that led to the cafeteria, in hopes to get some breakfast before the bell rang. They were on their way through the steel gray doors when Brandon unexpectedly threw his muscly arms out in front of the guys, causing them to stop.
"What is it?" Chad asked, pushing Brandon's arm away. Brandon stared passed them. Jason and Chad followed his gaze across the freshly cut green grass of the school yard to Amy and Mya, whom they considered the most beautiful girls in school.
"Twin alert," Brandon said quietly, gawking at the females. They were gorgeous. They walked side by side, each stride, every movement in unison. It was said that Amy was the younger sister. Mya had the title of older sister by ten minutes. Jason had wondered if that were true. He would ask, but Amy and Mya Hancock were like royalty. You didn't just walk up to them and start talking. If you did, Mya would scare you away in a heart beat. Amy was the nicer personality, however to get to her, you had to go through Mya, and that never worked. Jason had never tried himself, but he had heard stories of other young men who had. They strutted up and down the school hallways catching the attention of every man. They acted as if they didn't know, but they did. "Good morning ladies!" Mya walked right past as if she didn't hear Brandon talking. Amy however, gave a little wave, as soon as her sister wasn't paying attention. Along with the wave came a perfect smile. Brandon looked to his left and saw Jason smiling back. "I think that was directed at you my man," Brandon spoke with a head nod that made Jason blush. Amy was the sweet one. Everyone knew that. Mya was the hardcore, possible serial killer one. Their attitudes were totally different. It was even told in the way that they dressed. Amy wore a summer dress, white with red lady bugs. Mya dressed like a boy, in baggy tan pants and a black tank top with large necklaces of crosses draped over. Even still, she was beautiful, with a side of crazy. Maybe it was their caramel skin tone, large brown eyes, and nicely outlined curves that everyone noticed. They were a mix of African-American and Native American. Their father volunteered at the school sometimes and would love to tell all these ancient stories about their ancestors from both races. Jason had always found the family interesting. Now if he could only work up the courage to speak to them. Amy especially.
KAHLAN AND ASHLEY
I watched as time seemed to pass very slowly. I waited in the front office for a schedule with my name on it to be printed and handed over to me. The only person in the office took her sweet time messing around on the computer. She went by the name of Ms. Crissy. I noticed her name tag as soon as I came in and spoke with her. I took a deep breath, sitting in the uncomfortable office chairs, crossing my legs, uncrossing and crossing them again. By looking at the ugly green and red striped cushions on the chair, you would have thought they were comfortable but that was a lie. They were hard and caused a bit of pain if you sat in the same position for too long. Tina had called ahead and let everyone who needed to know that I would be starting classes this week, so I didn't understand what was taking so long. Or maybe it was my patience. Maybe I didn't have any. I was getting ready to stand up and ask if there was a problem when a fit young girl practically stumbled through the door. She had three different bags on her; one across her right shoulder, one across her left, and then a normal backpack. Her chest moved up and down as if she were trying to catch her breath. She glistened with a slight sweat that covered her pale skin. She wore tight black leggings, a half tank top and a gray zipper sweater over it. Her dirty blond hair was in a high ponytail, but some strands escaped, and hung slightly above her bottom. Ms. Crissy gave her a disappointed head shake. I wanted the young girl to turn around, curious of what her face looked like.
"I know, I know," She spoke.
"You're thirty minutes late. I woke you up before I left, what happened?"
"I was awake, but after my jog, I passed right back out." Crissy looked. Ms. Crissy was a plump and extremely short woman. Her hair was cut very low and she had round studs in her ears. "Can you please excuse me? Give me a tardy slip?"
"Ashley, what were the rules?" I watched as the young girl shifted her weight from her left foot to her right, and she seemed to cross her arms.
"If I can't handle school and a job, you'll make me cut dance."
"Exactly," Crissy stated, "So far you're not doing too great."
"Oh, come on mom. I'll be fine as soon as I get into rhythm with things. "
"Well, you better find that rhythm and quick."
"So, are you going to write me that pass?" The sound of the printer seemed to distract Crissy. She walked away without saying a word. "I'll do anything," Ashley pleaded. Crissy wobbled around a corner, dissapearing, but was back in just a few seconds. She handed Ashley a paper.
"Kahlan Redding, come here darling." I quickly approached the counter, standing right beside the young girl. It was then that I saw the resemblance between Crissy and Ashley. They both had almond shaped blue eyes. The same curvy lips and light freckles on the nose. "This is my daughter Ashley." The girl looked at me, giving an unsure and confused smile. "She's going to be showing you to your classes today. If you have any questions or concerns you're going to ask her. And she's going to help you. Isn't that right Ashley?" Ashley nodded, and her grin was brighter. Her mom grabbed a pink pad and wrote her initials, the date and time, and then slid it across the high mahogany wood surface to her daughter
"That is correct," Ashley replied, grabbing my arm. My first thought was to push her away. You don't just go around grabbing on to people you don't know, but I gritted my teeth together and said nothing. "Come on, let me give you a quick tour. Thanks mom." Crissy's disappointment never left her face.
JUSTIN AND JAMES
Justin walked quickly down the halls of the school, avoiding every administrator possible. The last thing he needed was to get caught ditching first period again. His grandmother would be upset, especially since he made her the promise that his senior year would be different. He'd do his home work. He'd be in by curfew. He'd focus on life after high school rather than females, parties and all the drama that comes with both. He had broken his promise way before today, but he figured she'd never know if he was to never get caught. As Justin walked, he noticed the faint fragrance of Lysol, the janitors cleaner of choice when mopping the tan tiles of the halls.
"Skipping again huh?" A male voice said from behind him. Justin stopped in his tracks, looking back over his shoulder, his body going into defense mode. He was so close to escaping this hellhole called high school. He assumed every student would be in class. Leave it to him to be wrong and be discovered by James Blake, the only guy on campus he hated with every bone in his body. James stood tall and straight as if he were trying to scare Justin off, but he never fell for it. James wasn't so tough.
"Isn't that what you're doing?" Justin asked.
"Unlike you, I have a reason to be out of class. I'm heading to the library to see my girlfriend. You see, she got a student aid position for first period." Justin stared. "You do remember my girlfriend right?" James gave a grin. It was a grin that Justin despised. He remembered James's girlfriend. After all, she once was Justin's. And James used to be his friend.
"Beat it James," Justin growled, walking to turn the corner. Scratch what he was thinking before. The last thing he needed was to get into a fight. Sure his grandmother would hate that as well, considering he would be suspended, or worse, expelled. When it came to James though he always felt he had no self control.
"Oh I do. All the time," Blake said with a chuckle. "If your small mind couldn't understand that, Carly and I have a great sex life." Justin spun around. He may not have been in a relationship with Carly, but she was still a friend. And the fact that James would talk about her in such a degrading way pissed him off extremely. "You wouldn't know anything about that would you?" Justin said nothing. "No, I didn't think so. I heard you and Ashley broke up. I'm sorry. I'm going to try not to steal her from you too. I mean, they say the grass is greener on the other side. I'm that other side Justin." Justin clenched his Jaw, balling his first up as well. He tried so hard to stay in control, but that large, cocky grin that showed up on James's face wouldn't disappear. He just lost it. Justin went running at him first. James tried to meet him equal speed, stopping him with a punch. Justin stumbled back, a bit shocked, but that didn't stop their encounter. Justin went running again, crouching, hands grabbing James's sides as he picked him up and threw him on the ground, back hitting the tile hard. After that, it was nothing but heavy breathing, rolling around and hard punches.
"HEY!" Micheal Meir yelled. He had turned the corner, seeing the two guys wrestling. Micheal reacted quickly, hurrying to separate them. He pulled Justin Cross off his friend, throwing him back against the durable lockers, and then helped James on to his feet.
"Let's not forget James, Carly was with me first," Justin snarled, "That means you just took my sloppy seconds." James's eyes darkened.
"I'm going to kick you ass!" Bellowed James, pointing a finger at him. Micheal stopped him from doing anything stupid. Justin's' face went soft and regretful soon after. Behind James and Micheal stood someone Justin tried so hard never to hurt. Ashley Lauder. She looked upset, almost like she wanted to cry. Justin walked around the two boys, and was making his way over to his ex.
"Ashley--."
"Save it!" Ashley cried. My eyes glanced back and forth between the two, being a confused bystander. "I'm tired of this Justin." She then turned and walked away, not giving Justin any time to explain. I stared at the handsome young man, and he looked back at me. I felt sorry for him, though I had no idea about the situation. "KAHLAN!" I may not have liked the way she screamed my name, but right now, I didn't think I was in the position to complain. She seemed really upset, and I wasn't going to add to the list of whatever problems she had.
"Coming!" I shouted, running to her side.
KAHLAN AND CHAD Some job Ashley did, I thought to myself as I stood outside of the door of my first period class. I think I was expecting her to be at my side through out the day, but instead she dropped me off at my first class, followed by general directions to all my others. Here we go. The new girl was my title now. I didn't like it, but it was better than some of the alternatives. I walked into the class, keeping my head down. The female teacher who sat at her desk rose to her feet, smiling. Her red hair was tied to the back, where loose curls hung. Her hands went automatically to her side, and I could tell she hadn't been a teacher for more than a few years. She wore loose tan jeans and a navy blue button up shirt. After all, not many teachers got the excited look in their eyes when getting a new student. I could tell she had been expecting me. She explained that the students were doing an independent reading for the remainder of class, and since I had yet to check out a history
JASON AND AMY "There she is," Jason said aloud, as if there were people around who could hear him. He had watched Amy long enough to know that she was always the last person to come out of Ms. Rockwell's fourth period English class. Watched? Thats the wrong word to say. He admired her from afar. She was perfection. She was beauty. She hugged her English book to her chest, arms crossed along the back, and hands gripping the sides. She stared ahead, almost as if she were lost in her own thoughts. Her hips swayed to a rhythm only she knew. And for a moment, he could have sworn time slowed. Possibly even stopped. The ends of her dress swished loosely around her thighs, stopping at the knee of her bronzed legs. He took her in. Her eyes met with his, and he swore he could have swallowed a lung. It became harder to breathe. She smiled. Did she really see him? Or was this her being friendly, as she was to most everyone in school. She looked away. He took a deep breath. Now that it seemed like
KAHLAN AND THE GIRLS Walking through the lunch room, I felt another panic attack coming on. The cafeteria was packed. Every circular and rectangular table had been taken. The lines to get your food were long and slow paced. I knew that it would be this way, no matter how much I tried to deny it. My fellow peers had already settled into their groups. I at least hoped there would be one empty table where I could sit alone. I was good at being antisocial. I practically perfected it over the last few months. As I scanned the lunchroom, there was a table that I didn't mind sitting at. There weren't any young men. And I knew two out of the three girls sitting. So I grabbed my lunch tray and went straight to Carly's table. As I sat, I felt a little tension, as all three girls' eyes were on me. Carly's blue eyes looked ice cold. "Hi Kahlan," Ashley greeted, looking up at me, remembering me from his morning. She was the only one who made me feel welcomed. "Hi." I still looked Carly in the fa
JAMES AND MICHEAL "So what was up with you and Justin today man?" Mike asked as he and his best friend made their way through crowds of students to the parking lot. The school day was finally over. It was kind of a dumb question though. He knew how James felt about Justin. James hated him, for reasons he could understand. First, Justin and Carly had a past. It was a very special past. Justin and Carly were each others first, and no one could ever replace your first. The people around James, Justin and Carly remembered, and the halls of the school held memories. First dances, first kisses... it could be a lot to take in, especially when your girlfriend and her ex boyfriend were still friends. Though they didn't flaunt their friendship in front of James. Just the fact that he knew was a problem. "Its the same thing everyday," James replied, "He always has to bring Carly in the picture." That also was the problem. When an argument went down between the two, Justin would always bring up
KAHLAN AND DAMON The bus ride home was terrible. I already had a frustrating day. The mixed smells of perfumes, cologne, and sweat was making me nauseated, and having Carly scowling at me the entire time was not helping. She looked so angry. I finally looked away, focusing my attention on the fast moving houses outside the window. It seemed that I had a 'friend' that lasted all of ten seconds. I wasn't in the mood for all the drama that high school came with. I had bigger problems on my plate. I really just wanted to go home. But I couldn't. My day was not finished quite yet. I got off the bus, looking down the street and seeing my home. I wanted to go inside and lay under the covers of my bed, but that was going to wait. I had one thing to take care of before I locked myself away from the world. I had a meeting with my therapist, compliments to Judge Atkin. I had a few blocks to walk before I would reach my destination, so I figured I'd take time to decide how I was going to approach
BROOKE AND JAMES I love this, Brooke thought as she lay in tangled sheets with James Blake. His thick eye lashes lay against his cheeks as he slept. His bulky arms wrapped around her tiny body as if he were trying to protect her, as if he wanted to keep her close and snuggle with her. He wasn't the type to snuggle unless it was in his sleep, or unless it was with Carly. Carly. Brooke rolled away from his grasp and on to her side. She sighed. Carly was like her sister. She could tell her anything and everything and trust that it would stay between them always. She could count on her like no other. And this was the way that she repaid her. She was a terrible friend. What was she going to do? She had never meant to sleep with James. It was something that happened. And then it kept happening, and before she knew it, she was too deep to get out. He was addicting. She tossed wildly onto her back, causing James to open his eyes. "Whats wrong?" He asked her with a stretch. She looked. "Carl
KAHLAN AND DAMON Ryan Wingo, I thought, as if Doctor Meir could read my mind. Was it me or was the temperature in the room on the rise? Ryan Wingo, I thought again. I swear I could hear his voice, and felt his presence in the room. Ryan was my Urban Legend. I was afraid that if I said his name too many times he would appear and possibly kill me. I couldn't say it. I didn't want to say it. I didn't want this story to become real, or relive the past. I just wanted to move on and forget him. And that would never happen if everyone kept bringing him up. As I continued to think, I processed the idea that maybe Damon Meir could help with that. Help me forget. But, if I ask for help, am I admitting that there is something wrong with me? Because there wasn't. But what would happen if I were to forget? Would I be forgetting all of the good along with the bad? Would I be forgetting every memory of Ohio and my family? Truth was, I couldn't change the past. The past is what made me who I am tod
JAMES AND CARLY James's mood has changed. A few hours after he had left Carly in the parking lot, he called and said he would stop by and see her. He even apologized for coming off as a pompous ass. That however, was three hours ago. It was almost eleven and Carly would be going to bed soon. His apology had gone down the drain. She was upset, and it only got worse as more time passed. She had finally heard a car pull up in front of her home. She listened to his heavy feet adding to the sound of the already creaky, and unleveled steps that led to the front porch. She shot up, and with anger she didn't want to display so early on, swung the large door to an open. "Where the hell have you been for the past couple of hours?" Carly shouted in her lovers face as he walked into her house. He looked down at her, reaching back to close the door behind him. His face was blank. "Who are you yelling at?" James asked calmly, his face relaxed. Almost instantly the fear crept up on Carly. She had