SHADOWHILL HIGH SCHOOL. The proud jewel of ShadowHill, Virginia.

Well now, it was about to be my new home for the next year and a half.

Needless to say, I was nervous as I woke up and got ready for my first day of school. It felt so familiar, the feeling of the first day of kindergarten flooding into my heart as I brushed my teeth and showered.

It stayed with me as I dried off and slapped on some lotion and deodorant before pulling on my clothes for the first day. It was still a little warm outside so I chose an orange off-the-shoulder shirt that crossed at the chest and a pair of high-waisted jeans with maple-colored boots.

My hair hung in loose curls around me and the necklace my mother gave me hung around my neck so delicately. It was a simple gold star hanging off a gold chain but the significance of that gift still held a dear place close to my heart.

I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was my three years birthday and I was not in the best mood due to a rather painful ear infection and a high fever. I was pretty grouchy and cried during the entire party, even refusing cake at one point.

To make me feel better, she suggested we open some presents. The fluffy pink dresses and the white buckle shoes some of the guests had gifted me with calmed me down a bit but not completely. She saved hers for last, taking out a tiny box containing the necklace. When she placed it around my neck and locked it, all seemed to be right in the world.

I stopped crying.

Ever since then, the necklace has always been with me. It was my good luck charm. Even after her death, the necklace seemed to be the only thing that bounded me to her. That brought me closer to her.

Wiping the few tears that streaked my face, I barely noticed my brother leaning by the door until he said in a sarcastic tone, "Ready for hell?"

Startled, I turned around to Evan there wearing a collared grey and blue shirt with faded jeans and his hands shoved in his pocket. A basic black bag hung from his shoulders, the other abandoned strap hanging loosely. His curls were a bit wild today, dancing on his head like feathers in the wind.

His grey eyes looked at me with curiosity, his brows raised. "Yeah, let me just grab my bag," I said, walking over to the air mattress where my pink bag laid on the floor. It was filled with blank notebooks and binders, my phone snuggled between.

"I can't believe you are even excited about this," he said to me as I walked over to the doorframe. I rolled my eyes, cocking my head at him.

"And I can't believe you are still acting like a dick towards dad" I hissed back, frowning.

Hearing my words, my brother frowned, running his fingers through his wild curls.

"Mom is gone and nothing can bring her back" he uttered with pure disgust, the sadness too obvious to hide. "He chose a stupid Boston meeting over her. He should have been there for her but he wasn't. It's because of him that she's dead!"

Agitated and flustered with utter confusion, he pounded his fist against the doorframe, his face lit a bright red.

I jumped, knowing just how bad my brother's temper got. But I have never seen him in this much distress and pain. It was obvious in the way his pepper-grey eyes held back tears and the way his fingers curled into his palm, digging deep into his skin.

Still, I put my hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "You think he wanted to lose mom?" I asked him, squeezing his shoulders. "You think he wanted her dead? Of course not but he is trying so hard to be a good dad. He has done everything including moving us out here so we can have a fresh page and continue our lives. He's trying, Evan but you're not making it easy."

Evan frowned, looking at the hand on his shoulder and back to me. A glimmer of hope and realization flickered in his eyes but disappeared in a millisecond.

"Well, he should try harder" he hissed, shrugging my hand off his shoulder and walking away.

A sigh escaped my lips as I watched his silhouette bound down the stairs, wondering what happened to the annoying brother who used to draw on my face and steal my dessert.

Heading downstairs in a hurry, Dad was on the phone in the living room, talking to the delivery guys. "Yes, 32 Maplewood Street. Just a few blocks from the old church" he spoke into the phone, turning around and giving us a little wave.

He covered his hand over the speaker and said, "I heated some pop tarts in the kitchen and my keys are on the counter. Pick who drives to school."

Then he was back on the phone again, his fingers running through his dark hair. I headed over to the kitchen where my brother had already taken his pop tart and had the keys in his hands.

"I drive," he said, jiggling the keys.

"But you drove last time" I protested, sticking the pop tart in my mouth.

"You can cry about it on the way, Ivy" he replied in a sarcastic tone, earning a swear from me.

Finishing our pop tarts, we headed out of the kitchen and for the door. I hugged my dad briefly while Evan just walked outside, slamming the door behind him. Dad flinched, a frown pulling on his face as he watched him through the window.

"Time and space Dad" I uttered to him, capturing his attention. I ruffled his hair, hugging him once more.

He smiled at me and hugged me back before I headed out the door. My brother was already in the car, waiting for me. I slipped into the passenger seat, not even getting a second to close my door before he took off.

"Don't kill me too soon," I said, finally settling into my seat. "And where is your seatbelt?"

"I swear Ivy. You are like the worst parts of a girlfriend combined" he said, reaching over for his seatbelt. A laugh escaped my lips and I reached for the radio to turn it up.

Lana Del Rey played on the way as we passed by houses and stores, watching as some people walked while others carpooled.

The town itself, ShadowHill, seemed like a quiet, nice place. It was a cute town, not too big or too small, and had an earthy vibe to it. The trees were in the midst of changing colors and the air smelled sweet, like honey and milk. Everything seemed so alive, so vibrant, and for a second, everything seemed happy.

My brother and I sung along to the song as he drove, his high-pitched, off-key voice meeting mine. We laughed towards the end when he cracked on the last note, my side sore with laughter.

"See, singing isn't as easy as you make it seem" he pouted, glancing towards my way for a quick second.

"Aww, poor baby" I replied, wiping away a fake tear. "Cry about it on the way, sweet face," I said, reaching over and squishing his cheeks.

He groaned and pulled his face away, shaking his head. The road had gotten a bit narrow and bumpy. A cobblestone path met us and soon we were driving into the entrance of ShadowHill High School. The tower of the school met our gaze as we turned down a long and narrow driveway into the school's parking lot.

"This is a castle," Evan said, looking up at the school.

That wasn't a big enough word to describe it.

"Tell me about it" I answered back, staring at our new surroundings. He eventually found a spot in the back of the school and parked. We got out, heading towards the front entrance.

The scene was straight out of every cliche movie I have ever seen. The jocks were clustered in groups, talking about something totally irrelevant and checking out the girls as they walked by. The girls were in larger groups, laughing about boys and trading homework answers. Even those who seemed a bit too antisocial made small conversations with other people.

But on the outskirts of everything were the loners, the ones no one noticed. They lingered about in the shadows, with their hoods up as they tried to be invisible. I could feel some eyes slide over to us as we walked past, keeping our heads down not to draw too much attention to ourselves.

Then again, when you're wearing yellow, it's kind of hard not to notice.

The happiness we had admired on the outside died as soon as we stepped inside, the darkness and low whispers meeting us. Even though the hallways were brightly lit, the stares and whispers that trailed towards us as we made our way down were quite uncomfortable.

"Well, isn't this welcoming," Evan said, reaching into his pocket for his schedule. I gulped, pulling my eyes away from anyone who stared, and reached into my bag for my schedule. The thin, crinkled papers pried from in between my notebook, ripped at the top.

"Okay, I have AP Calculus first period. What about you?" I asked, looking over at my twin.

"Honors III: Exploring the depths of Victorian English literature" he replied, shaking his head.

"I guess we are going to be separated until the fifth period, little brother," I said, putting my schedule back.

"I'm older than you by two minutes" he retorted back.

I rolled my eyes, turning around so I could see him face to face. "Listen, I know that all of this is hard for you and that is completely understandable but can you please try to be a little enthusiastic? And please try to cut back on the attitude with Dad. Just this one time? He's really trying."

A long pause met me, his eyes straying from my gaze to the ceiling and walls around us. After a few seconds, Evan sighed, shaking his head before nodding.

"I'll try, Ivy. But I can't make any promises" he simply said, nodding his head.

"As long as you try," I said, smiling. I hugged him, squeezing him tightly. He hugged me back, ruffling my hair before he walked away from me, disappearing down the hallway.

I stood in my place until he rounded a corner and disappeared, leaving only me and unfamiliar faces. Taking a deep breath, I turned around to find my class when something, or rather someone, bumped into me.

The collision nearly made me fall, my bag falling from my shoulders. Several binders spilled out along with my phone. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." A deep voice spoke to me, a hand stooping down and collecting the remainder of the binders that had fallen.

"It's okay. I'm clumsy anyway" I replied, looking up to meet the bluest eyes I've ever seen.

And right underneath those blue eyes and slim nose was a smile that could have shocked my heart. Dark hair fell across his forehead, his brows raised as if to ask me if I was okay.

"I'm fine. Really" I managed to speak, clearing my throat so that I didn't look like a complete fool. He chuckled, sending a line of crimson blush on my cheeks that warmed my body.

"You're new here I'm supposing. I'm GreysonChaliander" he introduced himself, holding out his hand for me to shake.

His grip was strong as I placed my hand in his, nearly breaking my fingers.

"IvelineCarterson but everyone calls me Ivy" I whispered back, finding myself unable to stop smiling.

"Well welcome to ShadowHill High," he said in a loud voice, capturing the attention of those around him. But neither of their expressions were annoyed and disgusted.

A frown pulled at my lips only for a second before I forced it away.

"Thank you" I uttered once again, smiling.

Hiding a pained wince from my aching fingers and my red face, I looked down at my tattered paper, squinting to read the wrinkled letters.

"Do you happen to know where B205 is?" I asked. "It's my first class."

"Follow me," he said, waving a hand.

Figuring I had nothing to lose, I followed him blindly, finding myself shrinking behind his tall frame. "Is it always this moppy?" I asked as we pushed our way past students in the crowded hallways.

A chuckle left his lips, shaking his head. "No, but you came at a rather unfortunate time."

"What happened?" I was pushing, being a little too curious but I just had to know. He glanced at me again only for a second, taking in my intrigued expression before he returned his attention to a set of old, spiral stairs. He stopped there, his gaze traveling up the stairs.

"You'll find out eventually," he said, a wicked gleam in his eyes. I questioned him, opening my mouth to protest but he was already bounding up the stairs, leaving me to scramble up.

When I finally caught up, Greyson was halfway down the hallway, his tall strides leaving me behind. I ran to catch up to him, slowing down when he stopped near a classroom door. The second floor was a bit quieter with fewer students scrambling around. Most of the doors were closed, the voices of teachers lecturing muffled behind.

Great. It's the first day and I am already late.

"Here is your stop. Have fun with Mr. Rochester" he said, a bit of humor in his voice. I mustered back a smile, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear.

"Thank you" I replied in a breathy whisper. Greyson smiled, reaching out to pat me on the shoulder.

"And I hope we bump into each other again" he whispered in a hushed voice, igniting a warmth that overwhelmed my body.

All I could do was nod and smile, watching with curious eyes as he disappeared as quickly as he came, down the stairs until his silhouette was no longer traceable.

Taking a breath, I opened the door and entered the classroom. Bright fluorescent lights met me, the teacher stopping in the middle of his lecture to pay attention to me. All twenty pairs of eyes turned in my direction and suddenly, I felt small and bothersome.

"Are you lost miss?" the teacher asked me in a rough voice, inspecting me with no enthusiasm. I shook my head, darting a gaze down to my schedule to make sure I was in the correct class.

"No, I am actually new here." Confusion glazed his glasses and he frowned, moving over to his desk to check the attendance sheet.

"Oh, you must be IvelineCarterson." His tone instantly changed, a bit more cheerful and a lot less drabby. "Sorry for the confusion, Iveline."

I smiled, taking in his appearance. He appeared middle-aged, with little streaks of grey licking his dark hair and his eyes glassy. He wore a sweater and beige pants despite the warm weather and his glasses covered the bags under his eyes.

"I prefer Ivy, please." He nodded, making a quick correction to his sheet. I turned around to the class, feeling embarrassed and a bit out of place. Everyone stared at me in confusion, some in curiosity and others in suspicion.

"Well, introduce yourself to the class Ivy. Don't be shy."

I groaned in my head. Easier said than done.

"Well I am IvelineCarterson and I just moved here from Longroad, Vermont. I have a twin brother who also attends ShadowHill and my dad is an emergency physician. We're all very excited to be here."

Well, two out of three.

The whole class was unresponsive, with a few students whispering to their friends. Instantly I felt small again, ducking my head low to the ground.

"Very nice to meet you, Ivy. You can have a seat next to Mercedes." He pointed to a black girl in the middle of the class who was paying more attention to the profanity written on the desk than the teacher.

Keeping my head low, I breezed past the rows of desks and made myself comfortable next to Mercedes. She looked me up and down before smiling.

"No one takes him seriously on the first day" she whispered to me, nodding to Mr. Rochester as he continued to talk about the topics we were going to cover this year.

I laughed under my breath, zoning out on his words. "I figured that out as soon as I walked in," I told her, earning a very mischievous smile.

Her laughter was soft, her yellow nails clicking against the gradient top of the desk. "So what brings you to this sleepy town?" she asked.

I opened my mouth to say the truth but something caught me and I swallowed it back, instead saying, "A fresh new start." The words were sticky on my tongue as I said it, knowing damn well it was more than that.

We were running away from everything bad we left behind in Vermont. Mom's death, Dad's depression, deceitful people, harsh words, cruel smiles. All of it. It was too much to bear. I know telling the truth wouldn't have made the situation any less dark but it was slightly better than what was truly going on.

So with a smile and a nod of my head, I gulped once again and repeated, "A fresh new start."

Her harsh laughter following my words was almost a bullet to the chest. "This isn't exactly the right time for a fresh new start" she uttered back, glaring at the desk once more.

There it was again. That hesitation Greyson also had in his words.

Curious, I leaned over. "What happened?"

This time Mercedes sighed, glancing up and around the class. Everyone was either on their phones or distracting themselves by having side conversations. Mr. Rochester was too lost in his lecture to realize we weren't even listening.

Carefully, she leaned in and whispered words that painted nightmares.

"A few weeks ago, there was a murder. One of our fellow students, Caleb Hollow" she informed me, shaking her head. "He was reported missing by his parents and just yesterday, they uncovered his body. No one knows what happened but all we know is that he was found dead under the bridge at HillCreak River with a slit throat and a gunshot to the chest."

Suddenly I felt sick to my stomach, remembering yesterday when I looked back and saw the paramedics drag something out from the water. I had managed to convince myself it was nothing, perhaps branches or a dead animal. But knowing now that it was the body of a student who used to attend ShadowHill High sent a chill down my spine.

"But the police told my dad that it was just a missing child's case."

Mercedes scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Well now, it's a murder case and I wouldn't be surprised if someone from our own school committed it."

"Why would you say that?" I asked.

She scoffed again, running her fingers through her hair. "Caleb wasn't exactly the nicest guy. He was the jock, an A-plus student that everyone loved. Good looking, smart, and on his way to getting a full scholarship to state. But he was also arrogant, assaulting, and had no respect for others. He always wanted things to go his way and unfortunately, they didn't."

Words couldn't form in my mouth as I listened to her, seeing how her face flushed red a bit. I considered interjecting but instead kept quiet, only listening. When I stayed silent, she looked over at me and saw the fear written on my face. Instantly, she sat up straighter, combing her braids with her fingers.

"He was still a great guy. Just had a lot of issues he needed to work on" she informed me. I nodded, not knowing what else to say. Breaking my gaze away from Mercedes, the loudspeaker above crackled before a deep voice spoke.

"Good Morning ShadowHill! Welcome back to your first day!" A cheery voice boomed over the loudspeaker, happy compared to the shadow that was casted over the school. "I am looking forward to a very exciting year with all of you. Now before I go through all the announcements, I would like to dedicate a moment to one of our own students, Caleb Hollow who unfortunately is not here with us anymore. Here to say a few words about him is Stephanie Hillard."

"That bitch?" Mercedes whispered, shaking her head in amusement. "She is the last person to say anything nice about Caleb."

Choosing to question her later, I simply paid attention to the loudspeaker.

The dead silence seemed to echo through the school, time staying still as a voice murmured in the background before a female spoke.

"Good Morning, my fellow peers and ShadowHill Ravens. It saddens me to think that we have lost Caleb Hollow, a bright young man who not only made the school a better and happier place to be in but who also made me the happiest I have been in a while. ShadowHill High honors him, one of our very best with a memorial outside the main office. Anyone is free to pay their respects and leave any gift they may wish. And I promise you, whoever committed this heinous crime will be punished for their cruelty."

Another dead silence before the voice seethed in a flat tone, "I promise you that. Have a great first day, Ravens."

Then the microphone was directed back to the principal who went through all the announcements. But I wasn't paying attention at all. In fact, I was frozen, wondering how such a small town could harbor such a heinous crime.

Beside me, Mercedes grunted, cursing under her breath.

"Stephanie Hillard. The killer blonde bombshell." Her tone was cold, almost shrill. She turned over to me, her brown eyes seeming to glimmer under the fluorescent lights. "Watch out, Ivy. Her looks aren't the only thing that kills."

And somehow, I believed that. 

 Oh my God, I feel it in the air

Telephone wires above

Are sizzlin' like a snare

Honey I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere

Nothin' scares me anymore  

~Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey

ShadowHill High School