Going for a fresh start after Emma's relapse six months prior, Matt decided that the distractions high school life offers are what she needs to get block the dark thoughts of her mind. And now there she is, standing at the entrance of Blackwood High

"Nah, why would I want to go to some bullshit party?" a guy said sounding bored from across the hall.

"come on dude! how often do you have a thousand girls lining up to flirt with you?" said the one next to him with a spiked blonde hair.

"every single day of my life, man" the three of them started laughing grabbing every girl's attention. boys as well. only the fourth guy stayed silent with a hard hateful exterior masking his features.

I can tell that they're the playboys of the school. I made a mental note not to get involved with them and glanced to my wristwatch sighing when I saw no sign of Matt anywhere near.

"that's this weekend? shit! I still have no idea how I'm gonna sneak out this time.." The third guy cursed as he raffled his silky long black hair.

"you still grounded for that stunt we pulled on Mr. Whittemore last week?" Blondie asked holding back a laugh, when his friend sighed he chuckled "Man. your parents are so uptight."

"hey, blame me if I didn't have both a lawyer and a doctor as parents" The black haired guy defended.

"come one, let's go smoke up. I'm gonna need a buzz to sit through Monroe's class" Said the first guy as all three of them walked up the stairs until they were out of sight. Only one left behind aa he caught me looking and held my gaze. None of us seemed like they were going to drop their gaze first. It was more of a challenge actually. Slowly he adjusted himself from leaning on the wall before walking off in a different direction from his friends'.

"Noah, Tyler and Cole are the coolest guys in school, right?" I turned to see who nudged my shoulder since the girly voice wasn't exactly Matt's.

There stood a girl, obviously, with a long silky strawberry hair that complemented her dazzling green eyes and smiley red lips. she looked oddly familiar but I couldn't put my finger on where have I seen this girl before.

I was about to leave when another voice, high pitched one this time, spoke up.

"OMG. you need a towel to clean up that drool? New girl. news flash: he's taken. You don't look at my man again " a platinum haired girl said crossing her arms over her chest, shifting her weight on one leg, trying to look, what I assume, threatening. She was very beautiful actually, with her grey eyes and hourglass body.

"don't pay attention to her. that's Vanessa trying to practice her acting skills " the first girl waved her hand in a dismissive manner rolling her eyes.

I looked back and forth the two weird girls and decided to go look for Matt myself. Just as I passed by Vanessa I came face to face with Matt.

"I see you made friends already. hi Catherine, Vanessa" An impressed Matt whispered in my ears catching me off guard and giving a chance for a shiver course through my body. that's before he acknowledged the two girls with a wave of his hand.

At the mentioning of the name Catherine, something clicked and a smirk appeared on my once flattened lips. well this is gonna be fun.

"you two know each other?" the girl I knew was Catherine from Matt's previous statement, asked in a slightly surprised voice but a look of anxious took over her features. "yeah we live together" I spoke before Matt could and I can notice how her features changed from disappointment to hurt due to my false statement. Matt's glares weren't overlooked as well.

"she's joking, we don't live together. we grew up together and we're like family to each other, nothing more. right Emma?" Matt using my full name instead of Ems and the very deadly death glare Matt shot me, told me that I'd get in trouble later on. clearly he had the hots for Catherine and who said she wasn't as well?

"I don't know Matty.. do we?" I spoke in a flirtatious tone putting a hand on his shoulder, the smirk never leaving my face. It was really rare to see Matt nervous and angry. I don't get to pull much reaction of him so I didn't want to throw the chance to play with him. I didn't know if I'll get another one so why not?

"Emma! I told you that I don't like being called that so drop your childish tantrums, now will ya?" his face was red, either embarrassment or anger or maybe the fact the girl he liked was standing next to him, I wouldn't know. but it was quit amusing seeing both of their reactions.

I just shrugged in return and decided not to play dumb. I turned on my heels to the girls and decided to drop one last bomb before leaving "everything Matt said was true. do you want to know something about your crush Catherine?" her face flushed bright red at the mention of her crush.

I stepped closer to her and whispered something in her ear that made her face explode with the color red. Matt was confused as to what I was telling her. I don't think he knew that he was the one I meant by 'her Crush'.

"uh.. um... I, I gotta go" she stuttered nervously as she scattered away Vanessa hot in her heals, leaving a fuming Matt for me to handle.

just then, I noticed the piece of paper in his hands and assumed it was my schedule so to prevent him from lashing out on me, I snatched the schedule mumbling a thank you before running away with my skin. who knew I'd see a new side of Matt on the first day of school.

I also noticed that my actions were so out of character. I wasn't one to fool around like this and I wondered what got into me back there. what happened to stay low and not mix with hormonal teenagers.

Walking through the once filled hallways. I stopped abruptly sighing out of frustration and running a hand violently through my hair. It's been what seems like nearly an hour without being able to understand the school map. I made a mental note to give Matt a piece of mind once I get out of this maze of a school, for not offering to show me around. but then again, I was the one at fault.

"Are you new here?" a voice spoke somewhere from behind me. it had a tint of amusement lacing it. What's it with people and their amusement in this school.

for a second I thought the question was directed to me. The body that brushed against me falling on the floor, proved me wrong. The thought of bullying replacing the first one and I decided that I had no business in this and was about to leave only to find my foot glued to the ground beneath.

The boy that was hit by whoever his bully was, was holding onto my legs for dear life. On a second look, I saw that his tanned face was had a huge red mark, probably from where he was just hit. His ocean blue eyes staring deeply into mine, searching for some kind of emotion but breaking contact once he found none.

His firm grip slowly retracted as he rose from the floor spitting blood out of his cut mouth. I bent down to wipe the blood stain the boy left behind. And straightened up but not before throwing him a glare.

I'm not the typical girl with a flower crown on her head. I was once that girl who wanted to fly and touch the sky. That girl grew up with sweat instead of a crown. She cried over the littlest things. Now she's fed up. She wanted a good night of sleep. She missed the old days. When she was just a kid who wondered why do people hurt each other. What she didn't know was, why can't they?

So having this hard exterior that day by day took the shape of me. Until we became one. Wasn't something new in this world. Which is the reason why that boy retreated once he was met with one. It wasn't a new thing. All the more reason that made him stand up and fight back. No matter how many times he was knocked down, he didn't back down or cower away.

From the sympathetic looks to the cold ones people gave him. And from the way everyone just carried on chatting and making their way out of the scene I realized that this was something normal in this school.

He realized that too, that there was no one to stand up for him except from himself. If we weren't standing just in front of a classroom I would've thought we were in some kind of a battle field.

"Come on wimp, the fight will go on forever with these weak fist of yours" the same guy as before chuckled darkly as he wiped the blood of his now pretty beaten up face.

I recalled what the bully said about him being a new student here. A sigh of frustration escaped my mouth as I cursed at what I was going to do. I told myself I'll stay low and detach myself from any feelings unnecessary. But everything just jumped out the window the second his body brushed against mine. The littlest gesture that I'm now involved in this and there was no way I was going to turn a blind eye to this.

Taking a deep breath I went to take a better look at the new boy's attacker. I laughed humorlessly when I recognized him. all eyes turned on the new engagement. Everything stopped while they eyed me carefully.

"Who th-" the big bad bully started looking really irritated and his words came to a halt the second his eye made contact with mine. the smirk never leaving my face.

"Tsk.." I said titling my head to one side in a thinking motion. giving him a once over look before meeting his stormy grey eyes. I waved my fingers in the air in a 'hi' sarcastic gesture "We meet again, Chris"