"He's staring at you again, Genna," my best friend, Caitlyn, whispered to me.

I put down my sandwich, and casually looked around the cafeteria. My eyes grazed the faces of my classmates, until they briefly connected with a pair of hazel orbs. I continued looking around, as if I wasn't looking for that stare in particular, before returning to my food.

"I don't know why he's been doing this. It's been a week," I muttered.

Caitlyn shrugged her delicate shoulders. "Maybe he likes you."

I snorted. "No way. He'd go for a girl like Penny over in the corner with her friends."

We both turned to look at the large group of girls sitting at the circular corner table. They all had pin straight hair that shone with the hair oil they put in it, and their clothes showed a little too much skin. I wasn't one to judge people, but they weren't leaving much for the mind to imagine with their outfits. They had the bodies to show off, so I was glad they had the confidence to wear those clothes. It wasn't my taste, however.

Penny was the leader of that group. She was tall, with silky black hair, an upturned nose, and beautiful blue eyes. She constantly wore rings with shining gems, showing off her wealth, as if the expensive clothes she wore and the shiny car she drove didn't show it enough.

She's never done anything to me, so I couldn't say I didn't dislike her. I've also never had a decent conversation with her, so I couldn't say I liked her either. From what I've heard, though, is that she's a big snob, and likes to use boys. I didn't really like that, but it was her choices. She was the one that would have to deal with the consequences.

Caitlyn chuckled. "I bet he would. Ethan could pick from one of her friends."

"Hey guys," a loud voice said from a few tables over.

"Speak of the devil," Caitlyn grumbled and twirled her spaghetti around her fork.

A tall boy with messy, espresso brown hair with purple streaked in it above his forehead spoke to a table full of his friends as he sat down. His exposed arms bore the dark ink of many tattoos, and his face and ears were peppered with numerous piercings.

His constant companion sat down next to him, flaunting that famous smirk that made girls swoon. Ethan's twin, Grayson, was the owner of the hazel eyes that were staring at me earlier. He was a bit taller than Ethan, but looked exactly like him except he styled his shorter differently, and he had blonde streaked into it. He, too, had numerous tattoos and piercings.

"Hey dude. What's up?" Their best friend, Jack Dail, spoke up.

I don't know how Jack got mixed in with some of the baddest kids in school, but he seemed to like his friends. He was tall and scrawny, with cheerful blue eyes and fluffy blonde hair. He didn't exactly fit the group he hung out with, but no one questioned it.

Ethan went on to explain something that had happened last night, but I had drowned him out. I was more focused with my food than I was with boys and their yelling.

"Hey, do you want to come over to my house tonight?" I asked Caitlyn.

"Is that even a question? I'll bring the pizza," she said, smiling.

I chuckled. "I'll provide the pop."

"What movie?"

"Definitely a comedy."

"Is it sad that this is becoming a routine with us?" She asked, finishing up her lunch. She began to stack everything up on her styrofoam tray.

"Not at all. We have more fun together than we ever would going to a party," I told her.

She laughed. "You're right."

We packed up our lunches and headed to the garbage can. On our way back, I locked eyes with Grayson again, except he didn't look away. He shot me that famous smirk of his, and I felt my face get hot. I turned towards Caitlyn and asked, "Are my ears red?"

She looked and a smile split her face. "Who's making you blush?"

"I made eye contact with Grayson," I told her.

"He's still staring?"

I nodded. "It's getting creepy."

"I'll beat him up," she told me.

I let loose a loud laugh, which caught the attention of anyone within a five mile radius of myself. It was like I had megaphones attached to my vocal chords; I had a naturally loud voice. She joined me in the laughter, until we died down. I wiped an imaginary tear from my eye. "You against him? Never."

"It could happen. I'll go all crazy mofo on him! He won't expect it," she defended herself.

I rolled my eyes. "Caitlyn, you talk so much crap and you tried to fight Alexis last week. I think we'd all see it coming if you tried to get into a fight."

"That's when you'd jump on his back and go all spider monkey on him! He'd never see it coming from a midget like you," she grinned wickedly.

"My height is not my fault."

"You at least passed your grandma up," she pointed out.

"My grandma's literally a Christmas elf. It's easy passing her up."

"She's an adorable Christmas elf," she giggled.

I laughed. "Don't let her hear you say that. She'd beat you up."

"What is she going to do? Bite my ankles? Kick my shins? She's so short she can't even reach my neck," Caitlyn said, and burst into laughter.

Caitlyn loved to point out my physical attributes. She was always cracking short jokes because of my five foot stature, and the fact that I stood out from the shorties. While most were petite and hardly even had a shape to their bodies, mine defied all logic. I had wide hips, a butt that definitely wasn't the stereotypical "white girl butt", and a busty chest. She loved my body, and thought I was the perfect height for hugs. Whenever we did, I got a face full of boobs. "Boob-to-face" hugs she called them.

I laughed as well. "We all can't be giants like you."

"I get my height from my mom. Let's be grateful I didn't get my dad's genes." Her mom was taller than the average height for girls, but her dad's side were actual giants. Some reached about seven feet tall.

"You're right. Here's to genetics," I said, and held out my fist. She bumped her fist to mine, and the shrill bell rung.

There were a chorus of groans, and everyone began to head to class. I had ceramics next, and Caitlyn had math. She would've taken ceramics with me, but she absolutely hated the teacher. So she spent her sixth hour doodling on her notebooks everyday, or texting me if I was glazing my projects that day.

I opened the door to the ceramics room, and I was instantly hit by a wall of cold air. I sighed in relief as I grabbed my project and took my seat.

Ninety percent of the school wasn't air conditioned, and in the summer you roasted in the classrooms. Last year we had ten people pass out from the heat. A week ago, the air conditioner broke in the ceramics room, and Ms. Smith immediately requested it to get fixed. With the kilns running all the time, it got heated up pretty quickly in the large room. Not to mention the amount of physical exertion that was put into rolling out large amounts of clay was enough to make you sweat.

I rooted through the drawers set against the wall for my tools while the rest of the class filed in and took their seats. I greeted my friends Kameron, Dawson, and Miranda as they took their seats at the table next to mine. They chatted as they began to work, but were silenced when Ms. Smith began to clap her hands.

"Can I have everyone's attention please? Please put down your clay and tools," she spoke.

Everyone stopped; all eyes on her. Ms. Smith smiled, deepening the wrinkles on her aged face. She moved a strand of wispy brown hair from her face and her stormy blue eyes grazed each of our faces. "We will be having three new student join us shortly. Everyone, please welcome him with open arms, and answer any questions he has. I'd rather him ask for help than to slice a finger off in the pug mill or fall into one of the kilns."

She gazed around the room again, before her eyes landed on the seat next to me. I preferred to work in seclusion, so no one sat at my table. Which meant three empty chairs. She clapped her hands again, and told everyone to get back to work.

Once everyone had resumed chatter and were rolling out slabs, she walked over to me and leaned in close. I could smell coffee and mint coming off of her. It was a smell I put only to her, and it brought a smile to my face.

"Genna, I know you like to work alone, but could the new students please sit with you? You're also the only one I trust to show them the ropes on how this class works. Can I trust you with this?"

"Oh definitely. I'll help them out as best I can," I told her.

"Thank you so much. They shouldn't be much trouble at all."

Just then, the door squeaked open and shut. Ms. Smith and I watched as the new students walked around the corner, and my stomach flew to my feet.

Grayson, Ethan, and their friend Cameron had just walked into the room.

"Hey boys! I'm going to have you sit here with Genna. She's here to help you guys out on your first day and answer any questions you have," Ms. Smith greeted, and motioned them to come over.

Their eyes were on me, and I quickly looked back to my project. I was internally dying a bit. Out of everyone in this massive school, it had to be these three? Ethan and Grayson were loud and immature as it was, but with Cameron Dallas it was ten times worse.

Cameron was a year older than them, in my grade, but he acted a lot younger. His warm brown hair was styled upwards, and his brown eyes were chocolate brown. He, just like the twins, sported tattoos but no piercings.

Stay positive, Genna.

I glanced up from my work for a second when they began to take their seats, and he winked at me from across the table. I saw from our of the corner of my eye that Ethan sat next to Cameron, and Grayson had sat next to me. To say I was self conscious was saying the least.

"What are you working on there, babe?" Cameron asked, leaning over the table to get a closer look.

"I'm making an open coil pot," I told him.

"Sounds hard. How long did it take you to make it?"

"About a month," I told him.

His jaw dropped. "A month!?"

I nodded. "I'm in a higher level ceramics. I do my own projects with no deadlines, mainly for art shows. You three are making houses with the rest of the class."

"How do we do that?" Ethan asked, his deep voice catching my attention.

"You sketch a design, talk it over with Ms. Smith until it's approved, and then you begin to roll out the slabs," I told him.

"Hey babe, this one part is bent in," Cameron pointed out. "Here, let me help straighten it out."

I was too focused on the side I was working on to really pay attention to what he said. When I saw his large fingers wrap around a coil, I began to panic. "Wait, don't!"

Too late. The sharp cracking sound echoed in my ears, and I think my heart broke a bit too. Cameron had completely cracked the dry coil, and he grimaced.

"Sorry babe. You can fix it, right?"

Anger flashed through me, but I pushed it down. I wasn't going to get angry at a rookie, who knew nothing about this stuff. Besides, I just had to wet the ends down and apply some slip to them, and blend the crack away.

I gave a fake smile. "Yeah I can. Please, take out your note books and begin to sketch your houses."

Thankfully, they did what they were told, and I began to work in the silence. Without even realizing it, I had transitioned to standing up; it was more natural for me. I naturally stood when I worked with clay. I could better see my project from all angles.

Suddenly I heard a clatter, and I looked down to see that my tools had rolled off the table. I sighed and bent down to pick them up. Just as I was about to stand again, I felt a hand slap my butt. It came as such a shock, that I jumped and completely hit my head on the table. Pain blossomed on the back of my head, and I yelped.

Cameron and Ethan began to die with laughter, and I rose to my full height, rubbing my head. I gave them a questioning look, and Cameron pointed to right next to me before doubling over in a laughing fit.

I turned to see Grayson leaning back in his chair, a smirk plastered on his face after his chest had stopped moving with laughter. Embarrassment burned my face, and I tried hard to form words. Finally, I ended up saying, "Why did you slap my butt?"

"You put it out there," his deep voice spoke.

"I was bending down to pick up my tools," I explained.

"You put that fat ass in my face. Why wouldn't I had slapped it?" He pointed out, which caused Ethan and Cameron to break out into chuckles.

I breathed in a long sigh. Anger was boiling in my stomach right now, but I remained cool on the outside. Through gritted teeth, I told him, "Please keep your hands off of me."

Grayson held his hands up in surrender. "Whatever you say, hot stuff."