"Love always ends differently and it always begins differently - especially with me." - Taylor Swift

☆☆☆

In the nick of time, it had already been a whole week. Or rather, four days that felt like a week. A whole week of catching up on the month long work that I missed, a whole week of the very much unwanted tour around the school by Stanley Cooper. It was actually easy to get along with the boy, and he made the whole tour thing much more bearable. Stan was the kind of guy who didn't speak unnecessarily, my type of person. He only spoke when he felt like it was required of him, and when he did, you heard him.

Everley on the other hand was a different story. She was the sweetest but also always excited girl I got to be friends with. She yapped like a sewing machine and half the time I only caught ten per cent of the words that came out of her mouth. I tried to pay attention though. Tried being the keyword.

It had been exactly three days and six hours of being bothered by Trey Summers and "the guys" every chance they got, since we did have four classes together. In Biology, Maths, English Trey and I were placed next to each other thanks to our Initials. on the two seats that flanked ours were Simon and Pete, with some other girl and a boy -whose names I hadn't learned yet -respectively. Trey was also a nice boy, I had to admit even if he made sure paying attention wasn't part of my class activities. And even though thanks to him, most girls didn't appreciate my joining Centennial High. They had nothing to worry about though, I wish I could have told them that. He had the kind of personality one would be glad to be acquainted with.

Yes, it'd been a long, hard week, but thankfully nothing much had happened. Not that I expected it to, honestly I was much better off if drama stayed a thousand miles away from me. Even if I sometimes got a few glares from the mean girls who can't stand looking at another pretty girl. I wasn't conceited no, just confident. And I had this belief engraved in me by grandma that every girl is beautiful, pretty, each in their own way. So yes I was pretty. They had not done much more than intentionally bump into me though, something that to me, wasn't all that. It wasn't a reason for anyone else's attention but mine.

One of the main meanies was a girl whose name ran around the lines of George, Gregory, Grace or... Georgina? I couldn't for the love of Meredith seem to recall her name most of the time. But she would literally bump into me every morning at the lockers as hers was on the right side of mine. But being me, I never really took crap from anyone, I always stood up for myself.

Even if there was a point when you couldn't...

Or decided not to...

Or you were just not strong enough.

I shook my head, ridding it of the wayward thoughts. This morning when she bumped into me, my book flew straight out of my hands and I...

"You're going to research the...what do you think you're doing Jones?" Interrupted the history teacher who was in the middle of a Cold War 1948-1961 homework hand out. I got up from my seat, excusing myself to the bathroom, but my knee hit the top of my seat. Loudly might I add. I groaned and rubbed at my knee- it was definitely going to bruise -as I frantically bent down to pick up the text book that had just fallen off it, after which I placed it back and nearly ran out of class. Or at least, tried, but I bumped into the tall person to whom this question was directed.

"Crap!"

"What the fuck?"

"Language Jones!"

I didn't know which one of us said what, all I heard were two voices and a squeak as I found myself staring at the handsome as hell boy that was standing right in front of me.

"I.. I.." I opened my mouth to apologise but nothing came out, he had the kind of beauty that coarsed awe, his eyes eyes were a bright grey that had nothing in common with a rainy day, they shone so bright, making it seem like he could see all my well hidden, deepest, darkest secrets. I pinched my eyes closed. My whole body ignited a fire inside when we both stopped walking and his hands reached out, gripping my shoulders. Too tight might I add. It was nothing to fancy but I felt flipping tingles in my biceps and my fingers visibly flexed. I needed to breathe - with immediate effect.

I had yet to learn everybody's names, not that I was trying. But this boy, I hadn't seen this boy before. I would never forget his face, his eyes, never mind his name.
His full pink lips tilted up in a cocky smirk when he saw my reaction to his touch, then he softly slid his fingers down the length of my hands, an action I knew for sure was deliberate. I shuddered.

"Watch where you're going," is all he said before he turned his attention to the teacher.

The beautiful grey eyed boy cocked his head to the side, a stray strand from his brown curly hair falling over one of his grey eyes. Those eyes, however beautiful, still reminded me of another pair of grey eyes I didn't want to be reminded of.

Perhaps that's why you're acting like this. My brain offered. Perhaps.

A ghost of a bored smirk played at his lips as he raised an evidently mocking eyebrow at Mr. Slutz. The innocence in the way his eyebrows creased begged to differ. His attention was long gone from me. I on the other hand, stood there, watching him with my dry mouth wide open like the creep I was. I tried to move but I couldn't, my legs shook like they could give out any moment. What was wrong with me? How was the whole class not noticing?

"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm entering class, Slutz." 'Jones' said and I almost chocked. It was then that I knew this boy was all shades of trouble and I needed to stay out of his way. So if I couldn't move out, I decided to get back down in my seat. And I did.

Mr. Slutz' face turned beet red in anger. "You not only miss school for a week, come to the wrong class forty five minutes late, but, but, you also c-call m-me..." the balding man stuttered as the whole class burst into fits of laughter, chanting; "say it say it!"

Obviously, the teacher couldn't repeat the insulting way in which the boy had pronounced his name, and swallowing what was left of his pride, Mr. Slutz turned back to the board and started scribbling so hard as if to let all his anger out on it. A smirking Jones moved past me to the back of the class as the teacher finished handing out our assignment. I sighed deeply and wondered what the hell just happened. And what was he doing in my class? Mr Slutz had made it clear that he didn't belong in here, he was probably ditching his.

It was like I was in some kind of trance as I fought the overwhelming urge to turn around and look at the boy again. I shook my head and tried to listen to whatever it was that my new best friend was saying. Tried being the keyword.

In between the unending laughter, my thoughts and whatever Everley was telling me about the Jones boy, I almost didn't notice when the teacher walked out, dismissing us.

I frantically picked up my bag and slang it over my shoulder as Eve continued chartering.

"...and so he just looked her in the eyes and he had this I'm-sexy-and-I-know-it look in those greys eyes and Georgia was smiling so wide I thought her face would split up. I was just there thinking just how lucky can some bitches be when I noticed Ethan flip her the bird and loudly whisper in her ear that it was a one time thing, and Oh my god Taylor it was like...thehottestthingI'veever witnessed!" Eve squealed, bouncing on her feet and making a dramatic show of fanning herself and I chuckled. "I really like him!" She breathed dreamily.

"I know," my own voice sounded detached from my body as I replayed those piercing grey eyes looking into mine, his calloused fingertips brushing my arms. I shuddered and got out of my riverie quick enough to catch Evie's raised brows.

"You do?" She asked suspiciously.

"I ... " I stuttered. "I mean yeah, he's uh really good looking. I'm sure you have lots of competition."
"I know!" Eve said, her suspicion sated. "I think I want to marry him."

Rolling my eyes, I raised an eyebrow. The girl was overly dramatic.

Eve sighed, pursing her lips. "You must be fun at parties." She turned around, her long brownish hair hitting me smack in the chest. She must've aimed for my face but I was extremely taller than she was.

"Hey!" I yelled, following right behind her as she ignored me.

We approached both of our lockers which had two others separating them, and I discreetly opened mine. I always had this disturbing feeling in the back of my head that someone was seeing me, watching my every move. There was a comfortable silence as we each picked out our books for the next class, the kind of silence where there's a whole world talking and loud chatter but you hear it like soft murmurs in the depths of your mind.

"Hey Tay!" Eve suddenly called and I almost jumped out of my skin. I slammed my locker shut, my heart beating faster than normal.

"What the fudge Evie?!" I squeaked, gulping down a huge amount of air. She almost made me piss myself.

"No, what the fuck?"Eve asked, turning to look at me with concern as she softly closed her locker. "Are you alright? All I did was call your name and you almost ... you're weird!" she concluded.

I breathed in. "Well, you scared me!" I offered unconvincingly. "And I'm fine," answering on an exhale. Eve raised her eyebrow at me and I turned back to my locker, my hair obscuring me, helping me avoid her intrusive brown eyed gaze.

"Tay?" Eve called delicately.

"I said I'm fine Evie!" I unintentionally snapped before shakily tucking a few strands of my blonde curls behind my ear. They came right back. "I ...I just get really uh...jumpy sometimes." I softened the blow.

Eve smiled softly. "I understand Tay, it's okay."

She didn't though. Nobody did.

Nothing more was said as we both went back to our lockers. Removing my English book, I closed mine and waited for Eve to finish. I had only two classes with her, English wasn't one of them. After we were done, she and I made our way to lunch. Eve didn't like eating from the cafeteria so most times we'd just pick up ours and head out to the back where there was a small fenced flower garden and a small bench on the outside of the fence. She claimed to feel at peace there. I did too.

Voices could be heard as we approached it today.

"You're nothing but a manwhore!" A deep voice exlaimed. "Boom, humpphf!" Followed by a punch and a groan.

"But your girlfriend wants me," said another voice that sounded familiar.

"Stay the fuck away from Georgia! Stay away from my girlfriend!" "Boom, hmpphf!"

"It's not my fault that your little girlfriend is a whore," came the bored voice.

Jones. I thought. Ethan Jones. God! Even the sound of his voice sent tingles down my spine. On a thought- his name sounded familiar.

"Boom, hmpphf!" Another punch and a groan.

"You need to stop hitting me man," Ethan Jones said. "You won't like it when I hit back."

How was he just casually taking the punches? They sounded strong.

"Oh my God Taylor!" Eve squealed, almost toppling over her own feet. "Did you hear that? What do we do? What if he's hurt? Do we call the teachers?" Eve was now talking more to herself . She rounded the small fence to go and watch.

I on the other hand, hated fights. I had my fair share of them...I never wanted to witness anything like it ever again. And call me heartless but no way was I going anywhere in Ethan Jones' close proximity again. So I sat down on the bench and placed my tray on it, trying to block out the groans and punches coming from the other side of the garden as I ate. Which was very successful if you ask me.

The other boy then started groaning and whimpering and I knew that Ethan Jones had started hitting him back.

I suddenly didn't feel so hungry anymore.

Yay!

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A/N: I'm really sorry if this chapter sucks. I wrote it a very very long time ago but I never really felt satisfied with how it came out so I tried to reread it and all. Then uh ... I decided to just post it because it's been AGES. And I'm going through a really tough time so please leave feedback, a comment or some shit like that. I really could use a smile. :)

Xx