Chapter 2

Raven POV

“Come on, you have to come tonight. You leave next week. You’re already abandoning me for our last year of high school because you had to go and be all brainy and graduate a year early.” My best friend Sara whined from her closet, where she was trying to find the perfect outfit for this, as she calls it, the most epic party of the year.

You have to know this about Sara, all parties are the most epic ever since she met a guy from the private school in our first year of high school. Even after he broke her heart, she still wants to go to these things. I haven’t figured out if it is to see who he is with or so that he can see all the guys that hit on her while we’re there.

Her partying habit is one of the reasons why she wasn’t able to go into the accelerated programme with me. Mind you she didn’t have the same need to get out of her house and away from her parents and on her own as I do. She has a good home. Her parents may work a lot, but they were always there when it counted. All of her school matches, any award ceremonies and even at the beginning of tenth grade when she got her heart broken for the first time by that jackass Kevin. Yeah, that’s the one from the private school in the area.

Yeah, her home life is nothing like mine. I know for a fact that my parents couldn't care less if I was around or not. A fact that will just be worse once I turn eighteen and they lose what little child care benefits they do get for me.

That was why, when my guidance counsellor, who knows what my home life is like, said that my marks made me eligible for an early graduation programme, I took it. Anything that would get me away from those people who call themselves my parents was good.

“What may I ask is the reason that this party is so epic?” I said as I looked at some of the clothes that were thrown on the bed.

“Well, you see…” Sara starts as she runs out of her closet with her arms full of more clothes. “…there are three guys from somewhere up north that are going to be there. They are older. Not too old. Same age as Kevin and Duke. But I heard that they were here to do business contract stuff with Kevin and Duke’s fathers.”

“Kevin? Kevin, the guy who broke your heart? The guy you swore to me that you would never talk to again? That Kevin?” I angrily whisper-yell at her.

Sara hung her head down and let out a long sigh. “Yeah, I saw him the other day when I was at the mall. I didn’t approach him. I swear.” Sara said, putting her hands together in a praying motion, trying to make sure I don’t get more upset with her.

” He was with Duke and Trish. Trish was the one who came up to me. You know that I always got along with her.” Sara walks over to the edge of the bed. “And she was just as pissed off with Kevin for what he did as you and I were,” Sara says as she dumps her armload of clothes on the bed next to me. “I think she did it on purpose… mentioned the guys that were going to be there in front of Kevin. Now that I think about it, it almost seemed like she was trying to see if Kevin would get jealous.”

“Sara, if you take him back…” I said, shaking my head at her, not sure how to finish that sentence. I want her happy, but I don’t want to see her hurt again either. “And he has no right to even think about being jealous after what he did. He had his chance and blew it. Big time.”

“I know, I know. But you should have seen him. Those shoulders, which I swear have filled out even more in the last two years. There is just something that keeps drawing me to him. I don’t know how to describe it. I don’t even have to see him to know that he is close. Everything in my body just… lights up. It is like there is electricity running through me. I know he is no good for me, but…”

I didn’t say anything else. I knew from the first time that I saw her with Kevin that there was something different about him and his friends. But he had hurt her, and I couldn’t see her go through that again.

An hour later, Sara and I walked up the path to the beach. We could already hear the music thumping and the shouts of excitement drifting on the wind. “Remind me again how I let you talk me into this,” I said to Sara as I tugged the skirt I was wearing down and the top up.

“Stop that. You look fine.” Sara says as she bats my hand away from my clothes. “The skirt is long enough that your ass cheeks don’t show if you bend over, and the shirt is high enough that you are not showing too much cleavage.” She said, adjusting the light jacket that I had on. “I stayed within your rules. They are just not what you are used to. You have curves that some guys like. Flaunt them and stop worrying so much, and have some fun. I’m not asking you to get wasted and make out with every guy here. I just want you to relax for a night and have some fun. Some nice conversation and maybe if you get brave enough… some dancing?” She says, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

Exhaling loudly, I looked Sara in the eye. “OK. Fun time it is, but you have to promise me one thing…” Sara bit her bottom lip because she knew what I was going to say. “… You stay away from Kevin. Deal?”

“Deal.” She said as she hooked her arm with mine and we continued up the path.