Erica found herself uneasy and filled with guilt throughout the remaining time of the class. It was hard to concentrate when the boy you once had a crush on thinks you're a grade-A bitch. She wanted to go over to him and ask for forgiveness but she was torn between being seen as a good person or staying loyal to her new friend. Thinking of Bree she quickly checked her phone, forgetting that she sent a message earlier. Erica's shoulders relaxed when she saw the reply in the notification list.

Bree: Unexpected troubles. Be there for lunch. Wait for us by the door. Don't forget it's your treat today.

Erica: No problem. Giving ya a heads up. Your ex is here.

Bree: 🙄 coming a week late for the new semester is a thing for his whole family. Another sign of being entitled. I regret ever being with him.

After reading Bree's text, Erica's feeling of guilt dissipated somewhat. She was excited to have her friends at lunch. Being alone in a new environment made her feel so exposed. The need to have a connection was desperately needed.
Keeping the phone hidden, she was able to answer questions Bree asked her and still listen to Mrs. Costas.

"Elijah, care to give us a quote or a line from the book you chose for your project?"

From the mention of his name, the entire class, including Erica, turned in the boy's direction. He was slouched over his desk, a large novel in front of him with gold wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. He grinned in Mrs. Costas's direction who raised an eyebrow in amusement in return. A private joke between student and teacher? Erica mused. She had to admit the guy looked much cuter with his glasses. "Hard to choose, Mrs. C," he teased.

"So much like your sister. Don't tell me you chose more than one book," she said sitting on her desk. Erica's eyes widen at her teacher's words. She liked to read like the other person but to write more than one book report, which was plain old over-achiever tactics.

"Ummmm..... It was hard to choose." Elijah, along with his family was an avid reader, and thanks to his older sister, he became hooked on all things Harry Potter. He can remember quotes of wisdom from the infamous fictional headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. One quote from the man stood out to him over the past summer holiday and it stuck with him all now.

"Give us one. Let's see how good you guys are at expanding your interest to different genres," Mrs. Costas said folding her arms across her chest.

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live," he said solemnly. The tone of his words made one think about the quote itself and why it brought such a serious look on his face. 

"Words to live by and words each one of you should be thinking of as you prepare for your future. Any takers as to which book he got that quote from?"

"Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone," Erica said aloud. She didn't mean to, she wanted to claim indifference to the brown-eyed boy who had the look of confusion and uncertainty on his face. He was the enemy, she shouldn't be noticing how his eyes on her made her feel deliciously uneasy. Elijah Johnson was no good. Her friend's broken heart and bitter outlook were the testimony to his unthinking and disgusting actions. 

"Correct. I've read that first book numerous times and highlighted that quote of Dumbledore, promising myself to take the wise old headmaster's words to heart. Elijah, will you say the same? Do the words of Dumbledore reach out to you?" Mrs. Costas said. Moving his gaze from Erica, Elijah nodded yes to his favorite teacher. 

"I'm looking forward to your report...." 

The bell rang ending the teaching block and cutting off her words. With a hapless shrug, she stayed on her desk and watched as her students gathered their things and left the class. A few approached her with questions leaving three of her students lingering in the back. 
Gathering her bag, Erica left her seat to go toward Shaun. When she turned to where he normally sits, she saw him moving towards Elijah who had a blank look on his face. She found herself going closer to meet Shaun but she knew she wanted to hear whatever they were talking about. Shaun was Natalie's sister, isn't there some code to go by with friends and exes, then she remembered Shaun and Bree's volatile relationship. 

"I kept your spot open," Shaun began.  The two shared a look before Elijah spoke. "Not a good move, captain. They'll think you're playing favorites."

"Let them talk. You're my best friend. Well, at least we were before my sister pulled that..." Shaun retorted getting keyed up. Elijah shook his head as a signal for him to stop. The two boys were once again having a conversation silently, Erica was getting annoyed with that. She was also curious as to what Shaun was about to say and the revelation of him being Elijah's best friend. 

"It's done with. Time to move on," Elijah said with a small smile, that's when he spotted Erica. Lifting her chin to show her confidence, the boy whom she still judged by words of a bitter ex and his family's wealth, saw the lift of her chin and the look on her face as haughty. It reminded him of the overnight superior look Bree adapted when they were back in middle school. It baffled him when he returned to school after Christmas break in New York as to why she became so bratty and unfriendly to him. What didn't stop were his feelings for her, Elijah found it hard to forget the dark-skinned beauty who had his once tiny pre-teen heart all the way up to a few months ago. 

Shaun caught his friend's gaze and grinned. "Oh, this is Erica. She came to Spencer all the way from the Caribbean, man," he said pulling her closer to them.

"We met. Though her origins are far from the first impression she gave me. Aren't people from the Caribbean polite and welcoming?" Elijah asked with a raised eyebrow. His tone was meant to be nice for Shaun but Erica heard reprimand. His words were like a slap in the face for her blabbermouth but on the other hand her blind loyalty to Bree spiked

"We blood doh tek everyone and ah surely see how looks can be deceiving. Shaun ah gone," she said harshly, sucking her teeth before leaving the two. Shaun and Elijah watched as she took her leave with her long black hair bouncing against her back, matching her hurried steps. "You two met before because it was the same as when she met Natalie last week," Shaun asked confused. 

"Natalie?"

"Yeah, she's friends with Natalie and 'her'."

"Figures."

"Naw. Don't go there, dude. Erica is as sweet as they come. Maybe you two started off on the wrong foot," Shaun said trying his best to keep his last thread of friendship with Elijah tight. 

"Maybe. Without knowing who she was, she basically condemned me for being the son of wealthy parents. Forget her for now. Yo, I'm not mad at you. The shit that happened left casualties. I know your sister is on your back about taking sides and all that crap and I'm sure Bree is still spreading lies. You're my best friend, that won't change. I'm sorry for lashing out at you."

Shaun smiled, relieved that what his sister and Bree did to Elijah didn't come between them. "Thanks, man. Let's get to class. On the way, maybe I can persuade you to join us on the field after school."

Throwing his arm around his friend's shoulders, Elijah led them out of the classroom as their easy camaraderie returned. Though he was talking to Shaun, his mind was on the prickly brown-skinned girl named Erica. 

Standing outside the doors of the cafeteria, patiently waiting on her friends, Erica kept her eye out for Bree and Natalie. After curious looks from her schoolmates and idly going through her Facebook feed and Instagram to lessen her awkwardness of just standing there waiting. "Hey, girl." The cheerful voice of Bree made her look up from her phone. Trying to hide her shock at her friend's outfit, she gave the girl a wide smile and approached her. Again she felt frumpy in her ripped denim, white off-shoulder black girls rock t-shirt, and black anklet boots while standing next to the epitome of black natural beauty named Bree. Her long dark legs were on show thanks to the white jeans romper and red high tops, her dark hair was styled in a sleek bun with diamond earrings glittering on her ear. 

"You look great," Erica said self consciously tucking a loose curl behind her ear. Natalie strode up to them in one of her normal tight outfits and overly done makeup. "I'm hungry," was her greeting. Erica smiled her way, brushing aside the feeling of being used. Friends buy stuff for friends all the time, she said to herself. Pushing the doors to the cafeteria open, she missed the sharp elbow Bree dug into Natalie's side. Giving her an admonishing look, Bree and Natalie followed their new 'friend' into the lunch line. 
After ordering enough food to keep them both sated until dinner, the three sat at a table far from the active teenagers and entrance, a vantage point for them to survey the entire lunch hall. Listening to Bree's monologue of being the only teenager in the house and having older brothers, Erica silently ate and allowed her eyes to wander around the room. It was still an eye-opener in this new environment for her, it was a huge difference between her old school and the present one. Cliques were made, leaving outsiders as her feel even more isolated, slang took some time to understand and rules were to be learned when it came to socializing. As she can tell, Bree and Natalie were a tad bit popular but mainly amongst the boys. She saw in passing, girls rolling their eyes in annoyance when they made their way to the table. Erica wondered at their actions but brushed it off, just like the other red flags. She wanted to fit in but lost sight of what truly mattered. Her need to feel wanted was being exploited unknowingly by two girls she knew nothing of. 

Silence took over the hall which was new to Erica, looking around everyone's attention was drawn to the entrance. Taken out of the pages of Stephanie Meyer's bestseller, The Twilight Saga, in walked a group of the most genetically blessed teenagers. If it was possible, they will be walking in a slow-motion movie scene, giving everyone enough time to take in how great they all look. Ranging from different skin tones, hair, and eye color, Erica knew these kids were the Untouchables, she heard whispers about. Not only by their presence but by their unofficial leader, Elijah Johnson. Just saying his name in her mind, Erica felt the nerves or was it butterflies in her stomach. She will admit, seeing him in reality, she was disappointed. Instagram pictures didn't capture the way his brown eyes darken or lighten according to his emotions nor capture how tall he was. Though it was a few minutes in his presence, she was able to see little things that captured her attention. "Thank God we came late. I don't think I can handle the stale air they bring in so early on a Monday," Natalie said snippily. 

Erica said nothing. Taking in Elijah and his friends, she greedily took in how oblivious they were all to the stares of worshipping girls and envious boys. Out of the group of seven, there were two girls who were talking animatedly over an iPad while one of the boys with handsome Italian looks helped navigate them to their table. Elijah was on his phone with two boys with a major resemblance to him walked beside him. The last boy of the biracial background was beside the Italian looking on in amusement as the girls talked on and on. The group didn't glance at the lunch line, they all sat at the table which was probably reserved for them.

"Who are they?" Erica asked taking a sip of her juice. Her eyes never left Elijah, probably sensing her stare he looked around before locking in on her unwavering gaze. An amused smile touched his full lips, his eyebrow raised in a teasing question in which she scrunched her nose at him in a playful manner. Elijah laughed aloud before returning to his phone call. He glanced at her companions briefly with a bored look while he chatted with the other person on the line.

"What was that?" Bree hissed. Her tone was harsh, a great comparison from her friendly one earlier.

"What?"

"That... thing between you two. Don't tell me you're getting caught up with his tricks," Bree accused.

"We had ah fallout before and after class. Nothing going on between us," Erica answered in an equally sharp tone. Bree eyed her skeptically with Natalie doing the same. After a few moments,  Bree calmed herself, adopting a concerned look. "You're new here and I will hate for you to fall for his trappings."
That statement pulled Erica out of her daydreams of Elijah Johnson. "Never," she shouted earning a few curious glances her way. 

"Don't let that cute face fool you. He's not to be trusted. All these girls who want to be with him are all caught up with his looks and riches. Elijah Johnson is nothing but a user," Bree continued. Erica allowed her gaze to go back to Elijah coincidentally he was looking her way too. He no longer had a playful look on his face, he saw something on her face that made his whole demeanor become cold. Again his gaze turned to her friends, in her peripheral she saw Bree looking his way but her face was hidden from her. Sharply, Elijah turned his gaze away from them and returned to his lunch. The two boys who looked like him turned their way, their eyes cold before they settled on her. Curiosity filled their eyes, Elijah said something to them in which they turned away from her. "Those two guys are his cousins, right?" Erica asked softly. She recalled seeing pictures of the two but only their IG usernames were used. 

"Mischa Johnson and Harem Kertalis. They moved to Spencer after his sister and her men left town. Keep him company, he said. Harem is deaf, has to use a hearing aid, and can hardly speak like normal people. Such a waste to good looks," Natalie said with a look of disgust. Erica was about to speak about how rude she was being towards the guy's disability but Bree's watchful gaze made her stop. She wanted to keep her new friends, it was the second week here, she was doing good, no reason to mess it up. 

"The two girls are as bitchy as they come. Selby and Raine. Posers if you ask me. Their parents aren't as rich as the Johnson boys but they pass. The Italian is Alec. Soccer star and I heard he's actually some rich old guy's grandson back in Italy. Mafia maybe. Last but not least. Trey. Past Sheriff's son and heir to a computer company thanks to his mother. They all have a bit of money which everyone thinks they are top of the food chain. They act entitled to everything," Natalie ended. 

"Oh. Okay," Erica said softly gathering her trash. 

"We're just looking out for you Erica. Here in the States, things are different," Bree said with a warm smile.

"Thanks."

Unconsciously her gaze went back to the boy she had a crush on for so long. She couldn't believe he was so heartless. 'From one jilted lover's point of view,' her subconscious reminded her. Bree won't lie, Erica said to herself. Once again, Elijah turned in her direction with the same blank look he gave Bree and Natalie. For some reason, she didn't want that look placed on her. She wanted Elijah Johnson to know she was not who he thinks she was. 

For some God-forsaken reason, Elijah couldn't pull his eyes away from her. Something about the prickly islander called to him after their 'meeting' in class. Maybe he was looking for something he wanted to see, something he was somehow looking for but had no name for it. For the first time in months, his anger and pain towards Bree were just a simmer, they were no longer taking over his whole heart and concentration. 
"Let it go, Elijah." The stern warning from Mischa was loud and precise in his ear. He didn't respond. His cousin was just looking out for him. After the Bree debacle, his entire family and friends have been looking out for him, wanting to fight his battles themselves. Her duplicity hit him hard, what she did was beyond his wildest dreams. Elijah confided things to her that no other person outside their circle knew. His family took her in as their own, welcomed her back in after her silly avoidance of him when they were kids, only for her to betray them all.

"The bitch probably poison her mind already. I know you saw the change in her after that look Bree gave you. Leave her be," Mischa continued. 

"Maybe..."

"Brother..." Harem said softly. Though the world saw them as cousins, the three saw themselves as brothers no matter what. Glancing Harem's way, he saw the cautious look he gave, Mischa began to protest but he simply raised his hand for the outspoken cousin to quiet down.

"Maybe she's different. I know she is," Elijah said earnestly. Once again he looked towards the table where Erica sat quietly beside his ex and her harpy of a friend. Being the observant one he tends to see things people miss. The boys didn't see how she sat away from them and listened as the two girls spoke. Her eyes were darting all over the place, taking in her surroundings. From what Shaun told him, Erica came to Spencer over the summer holidays. She gave Natalie a tongue lashing on the flight over and met Bree at school. He wanted to be her friend. He wanted to hear that accent of his in anger or just normal conversation. She was not only intriguing, but she was also beautiful. 

A beautiful island flower. 

Mischa sighed in defeat. "Tread carefully. You know how two tongued that bitch can be," he advised. 

"It won't be easy proving yourself to a new kid. Are you sure you are ready for this?" Harem asked softly.

"I just want to know what is it about her that piques my interest."

Mischa and Harem glanced at each other then to their friends who were intently listening in. They gave the two Johnsons a nod of reassurance. Knowing how close they all are, they all will play a part in getting Erica over to their side.

Mischa eyed his cousin who was oblivious to them at the moment. The guy was lost already. Bree better not have her claws deep into the poor girl. She will be a good distraction for Elijah, it will be interesting to see what happens.

"Well. Let the games begin."