He was now Lucas Cooperman. A 17 year old boy who hid behind a pair of thick glasses and a book.

Lucas wasn't very different from how Ethan was in his previous life; shy, an outcast, completely invisible. He had just moved here, to a small town in New York. He had a younger sister who was 9 years old, and a loving mother and father. They were a middle class family, there weren't issues within his family, at least not what his new memories told him.

Today was his first day of high school as a junior. High School. Lucas shivered at the thought. Ethan's worst memories were of high school, he desperately didn't want to relive them. He knew if Lucas continued the way he was he would only become the target of bullying. But Lucas had one thing Ethan never had, he was actually good looking.

Lucas jumped out of his bed and ran to the bathroom, flicking on the light. He stood in front of the mirror, gaping at his reflection. He wasn't wearing his glasses, so his vision was a little blurry, but his wide eyes were what caught his attention first. They were a light shade of brown, round and gentle, sweet and caring. Lucas still had relatively boyish features considering his age. He had a button nose, and his smooth buttery skin was littered in prominent freckles across his nose and naturally flushed cheeks. His face wasn't very defined, but his jaw was still prominent. His lips were a soft blush color, lopsided. When he smiled there was a dimple in only his left cheek. His hair was a chocolate brown, messy and fluffy, reaching down to the back of his neck. Lucas could best describe himself as awkwardly adorable.

He felt a little embarrassed at peaking at his new body, lifting up his oversized hoodie to reveal a slim stomach, with only a little muscle definition. He was also pretty short compared to boys his age, around 5'7. He's been this height since middle school, he didn't think he would grow any taller.

Well, this certainly worked in Lucas's favor. Good looks certainly played a big role in determining how popular you were. And Lucas had those good looks. He wasn't exactly hot, he was cute. And cute he could work with.

He searched his bathroom for his old pair of contacts Lucas has had for years but has never worn. It took him a few tries but he managed to get them in, his eyes watering but his vision a little clearer. He styled his hair so his bangs were out of his face, so he could properly see and so everyone could see just how awkwardly adorable Lucas Cooperman was.

Lucas ran to his closet, frowning at all the oversized sweaters and sweatshirts. Lucas didn't really have a good sense of fashion, having kept the same clothes for years. But it was fine, Lucas could work with that. Lucas found a pair of relatively skinny blue jeans and a grey t-shirt he has had since middle school. It was small, and that was exactly what Lucas wanted. It wasn't skin tight, but it helped to show Lucas's relatively nice body.

Lucas ran back to the bathroom and was wide eyed at the transformation. He looked like a completely different person, exactly what he was going for. He found himself checking out his lower behind and smirking triumphantly.

"How do I look?" He asked Sai.

[You humans look the same to me, Host.]

Lucas frowned, then rolled his eyes. He wandered out of the bathroom and back into his messy bedroom, "Am I the only person who can hear you, Sai? Also, can you like... read my thoughts?"

[Yes, I am in your head alone. And yes I can hear your thoughts, only if you are speaking to me directly.]

'So you can hear me now?' Lucas thinks to himself, grabbing his backpack off the floor and throwing it over his shoulder.

[Yes, I can hear you.]

Lucas smirks, 'That's cool. You're pretty cool, Sai.'

[I am not capable of feeling hot or cold temperatures.]

Lucas rolls his eyes, 'It was a compliment.'

[I see...]

'Anyway, is there anything I should know before I leave? Any rules I have to follow? What exactly is my goal?'

[You must become the most popular student at high school before graduation, only then will you be able to complete this world and move onto the next.]

'Okay, so I have two years, that's good...'

[There are two rules in this world: you must not die before completing your goal, and you may not reveal that you are in the System to anyone. Doing so will result in your immediate removal from existence.]

'I wasn't planning on doing either one of those things, but good to know... Can I rely on you for help with anything?'

[You may only receive the System's help by paying with points, points are received by complete sub missions.]

'This is really like a game, isn't it? Alright, do I have any sub missions at the moment?'

[Sub missions become available once you meet your rivals.]

Lucas frowns, 'Rivals?'

[There are characters in this world who will try and stop you from completing your goal. Sai will let Host know when a rival appears.]

'This is going to be harder than I thought...' Lucas shakes his head and heads towards the door, not wanting to be late on his first day of school. So he had rivals? What exactly did that mean? He figured this wouldn't exactly be a walk in the park, he was here fighting for his chance at another life.

But he would worry about his so called 'rivals' later, for now he had to worry about how he would present himself. He stops at the top of the stairwell, hearing his family talking downstairs. He couldn't exactly pretend to be someone else in front of them, it would he better if he acted as the original Lucas as to not arise suspicion. And the Lucas they knew was awkward, quiet, and sweet.

At school though, he would become a whole nother person. A new Lucas. Luckily, Ethan has observed the most popular person in his high school, who he always dreamed of becoming. The most popular boy in his school was funny, kind, and easygoing. His good looks were a bonus. Ethan admired him for so long, and now he has the chance to become him. To be popular. Even if it wasn't who he truly was, even if were just an act, he knew damn well he would act the best he could, because his very life depended on it.

Lucas took a deep breath before walking down the stairs, walking up to the dining table where his new family sat. His father, Russell, had already left for work, having to leave pretty early. His memory told him Lucas's father was a busy man, always focused on work and almost always serious. He was a much older, grayer version of Lucas. His mother, Grace, was serving his younger 9 year old sister, Molly, a plate of pancakes slathered in syrup. Grace was beautiful for her age. Few wrinkles surrounded her dark shining eyes, warm with kindess and love. She was a stay at home mother, her personality the complete opposite of his stoic father. She pet Molly's head before wandering back into the kitchen. Molly was loud, boisterous, and always said what was on her mind. She was very creative, and always demanded she wore the color pink and that she do her own hair. So her hair, that matched Lucas's chocolate color, was always pulled up in two very lopsided pigtails held up with mismatched scrunchies. She also had an unhealthy obsession with sugar, clearly shown as she nearly devoured the syrup covered pancakes in an instant.

So, this was his family. His new family. He cleared his throat, "Good morning."

Both Molly and his mother turned to look at him, Molly went back to eating her pancakes while Grace raised an eyebrow at him quizzically, taking in his appearance.

"Are you wearing contacts?" She said, with a sly smile.

"Yes..." He took a seat next to Molly, awkwardly fidgeting. His mother placed a plate of pancakes in front of him.

She eyed him intensely, "Who are you and what have you done with my son?"

Lucas nearly jumped in his seat, "W-What? What do you mean?"

She smirked reassuringly, and that helped to ease Lucas's nerves just the slightest. He sighed in relief.

"Kidding," She says, setting down a glass of orange juice in front of him. "You look rather handsome, this might be the year my precious Lucas finally gets a girlfriend," Grace teases, before adding another comment under her breath, "Or boyfriend..."

Lucas feels the heat rise in his cheeks, his lips forming a lopsided grin. Right, this was normal. His mother often teased Lucas about getting a girlfriend, he was glad everything seemed to be going smoothly. His sister Molly spoke up, speaking with a mouthful of food, "I already have a boyfriend, y'know? Boys at my school ask me out every week. This week, I'm dating Kyle. The next week, it's Mason."

His mother shined a concerned smile, "Look at you, nine years old and already breaking hearts left and right."

Molly shined a smile, "Yup!"

Grace heaved a sigh before directing her attention back towards her son, "C'mon, eat up, Luke. Don't want to be late for your first day."

Lucas complied, eating the breakfast his mother had layed out in front of him. When he was done, his mother and Molly stepped out of the house where his mother would drive them to school. The neighborhood his house was in was pretty nice, a nice suburban neighborhood. His family was middle class, so they could afford a decent car and an equally nice house. Lucas sat in the passenger seat, as he stared out the window, watching the world go by. His nerves grew more and more the closer they came to the school. His mother had dropped Molly off first, who ran straight towards the large group of friends she had made over the summer. Lucas hadn't made any friends. He was cooped up in his house all summer, playing video games and dreading this day.

Soon enough, his new school came into view. His mother parked in front of the school, and Lucas nervously looked out of the window. Teenagers had already flocked in their own groups, seemingly having already known them and grown up with them. Lucas swallowed the lump in his throat. This was his first impression, possibly the whole school was here now. The first day was everything. The first day would determine the rest of his four years here. He had to remind himself to put on an act.

"Here, your schedule," His mother handed him a piece of paper, "Are you okay? Nervous?"

He couldn't be nervous. He simply couldn't afford it. So he shook his head and said his goodbyes, opening the door and stepping out. He had his eyes focused on the front door of the school as he took his first step towards it. He walked with a faked confidence, and forced a friendly smile on his face as he locked eyes with whoever glanced his way. He wasn't sure what their impression was of him at that moment, but he knew he would be as friendly to everyone as he possibly could. He would introduce himself to everyone, try to start a conversation with everyone. It was best that he get his name around, it was best everyone was talking about the new kid, Lucas. He planned on making as much friends as possible on his first day.

He pushed through the school doors and mustered up the courage to greet a few students he walked past, shining a friendly smile their way. Some greeted him back, he found comfort in that fact. Others just raised their eyebrows at him curiously, some eyed him up and down. He wasn't sure if that meant they were checking him out or not. He never had someone check him out before, or even think he was attractive.

He pulled out his schedule, where he planned to find his locker. He wasn't going to lie, he was a little lost. This was a new school after all. And he was planning on taking this opportunity to ask someone for directions, hoping to practice his charm and personality. His eyes landed on two girls obviously staring at him, they both giggled when he looked their way. He wasn't sure why they were laughing, or if it were a good thing or not. Lucas mustered up the courage to over and talk to them,

"Ladies," He greeted, shining a friendly smile. He cringed inwardly at his greeting before continuing, "I'm a little lost, do you think you could help me out?"

One of the girls answered him. She had short blonde hair that reached just past her ears, and shining hazel eyes, "Let me guess, you're new?"

"Is it that obvious?" He asked helplessly.

"A little," She teased, the other girl continued to stare at Lucas with a smile. She has dark tanned skin and long unruly black curls. He smiled her way and her smile grew wider before she spoke, "I'm Maria, this is Diamond. What's your name?"

"I'm Lucas, a pleasure to meet you, Maria, Diamond," He nodded his head in each of their directions, they shared a giggle.

Diamond, the blonde, spoke up, "So whatcha lookin' for?"

"My locker, 189?" He read his paper, scratching the back of his neck.

Diamond pointed the hall and his eyes followed, "It's all the way at the end, should be on the right."

"Right, thank you. I'll see you later." He waved goodbye before going the direction they had pointed towards. He felt their eyes burn into the back of his skull. He giddily smirked down to himself. That went well, right? The conversation flowed rather smoothly, there weren't any awkward pauses like he was used to. He just had to keep this up, and he was surely to make some new friends by the end of the day. Friends. The word made him feel somewhat warm inside. He never had friends before, he wondered what it would be like.

He stopped at his locker, and started to put in his combination. He thankfully got it on his first try and pulled it open. He started to unpack his backpack, hanging his green bag on the hook inside. He was thankful this was his first world, because he was familiar with it and what determined your popularity in High School.

[A rival is close.]

Lucas freezed. He peeked behind the locker door, trying to spot anyone who stood out. 'What? Where? Who is it?'

[He is walking up to you now.]

Lucas's eyes dart to each face in his vicinity, before his eyes finally land on the one person walking up to him. Lucas intently stares at the inhumanely attractive guy. His figure is lean, and he is extremely tall. His skin is slightly tanned, smooth like butter, and his jaw sharp. His features match the sharpness, his cheekbones prominent and high. His eyes are dark blue, almost black. His eyebrows are dark, thick and arched. His lips are naturally painted into a smile, his teeth painfully bright. He runs a hand through his short auborn hair.

Lucas notices everyone else's eyes on him as well, everyone's eyes. There's not a single person who isn't staring at him right now. Lucas grits his teeth and looks away as his rival stops a locker away from him and opens it. So this is one of his rivals. This was going to be harder than he thought, how the hell was he going to be more popular than this guy? It seemed he had the whole student body already wrapped around his finger.

"Hey... you new?" A deep, silky voice fills his ears.

Lucas freezes and turns to lock eyes with his rival, who charmingly smiles down at him. He leans against the locker next to him, his muscular arms casually crossed over his chest. He raises a brow as Lucas continues to stare, wide eyed. What? He's talking to me? Why is he talking to me?

Lucas clears his throat, regaining his composure. He slowly closes his locker, turning to face the boy, "Yeah, you guessed it."

"Knew it..." The boy confirms, "I had never seen you before, and I know everybody. I'm Miles."

"I'm Lucas," Lucas tries to return the smile, his teeth painfully clenched together.

Why was his rival so nice? When he heard the word rival, he expected someone annoying, someone intimidating, but this guy, Miles, was the complete opposite of that. Was he just pretending to be nice? Was he, too, putting on an act?

"What's your first class?" Miles asks, pulling Lucas out of his thoughts.

"Uh," Lucas scrambles to pull out the folded paper out of his pocket, "English. With Mrs. Carnegie."

"You need help finding her class?"

"No, no, I should be fine, thanks though," Lucas dismisses his offer, Sai's words ringing in his head. Rivals are characters who will try and stop you from achieving your goal. He didn't know what that meant, but he didn't want to risk it.

"It's no problem, really. I'm heading the same way anyway." Before Lucas can object, an arm is thrown around his shoudler and he is being pulled down the hallway. Everyone's eyes are on the pair. Perhaps staying near Miles was a good idea, perhaps befriending him would bring him popularity. Miles did seem like the most popular guy at this school, it was evident by how almost everyone greeted him like they were old friends.

[There is a sub mission available, Host.]

'What is it?'

[Befriend your rival, Miles Sawyer.]