They sat across from each other at a small table in Café Ole, the cute coffee shop just a block away from Newton High. It wasn't late enough for the evening rush, nor early enough for the lunch crowd, so it left them in a rather peaceful scene.

For Carter, the quiet wasn't welcomed. Last year she had dived right into a conversation with Aiden Ryerson, someone she hadn't know before. But now, as she watched Sawyer Devil take a sip of his drink, she had no idea what to say. So she waited for him to start, to give her an opening. Something. But even when they were in his car, he hadn't said much.

She was beginning to think this was a waste of time when he finally spoke, more than two words, "So, tell me, how is it a girl like you doesn't have a boyfriend?"

"A girl like me?"

"Cute. Smart. With a hint of something. Can't really place it. Like you're on your own level."

"Oh... I... I don't really know what you mean by that," she replied, feeling her face blush, her stomach twist, and her toes curl. She didn't know what else to say. It was a strange comment, 'a girl like you', as if there were certain girls that didn't deserve boyfriends. As if having a boyfriend was a prize. She then figured she was looking into it way too much. "And I don't know if I'm smart. Is that something you can even tell just by looking at someone?"

"I can. Didn't I tell you? I can read minds."

"Can you? What am I thinking right now?"

"You're thinking that I'm not funny. Now you're thinking wow, maybe he can read minds. Now you're thinking this is getting repetitive, and you want me to stop." He had on an apologetic half-smile, making her feel a little light-headed.

"That was really good, but totally wrong," she said, smiling back. Oh God, please don't let my face look like a tomato.

He moved a little closer to her, "Was it? Damn. I must be losing focus. I blame you."

It wasn't hard to make Carter blush. All a guy had to do was be good looking. Aiden Ryerson, for instance, had also made her blush like mad, but beneath the surface there had never been anything there for her. Nothing for her to find intriguing. A gorgeous smile and sexy eyes could only take her so far before she got bored. So she had to remind herself that Sawyer was still an unknown to her. She didn't want to let herself get wrapped up in his charm, then find out later that he was a horrible match. Most importantly, she didn't want to drag him along. Damn it, Carter. You're over-analyzing again. "Hey, I did nothing. This is all on you. Wait, what were we talking about? Something about tomatoes?"

He chuckled, "Mind-reading. Obviously I'm no good, or I'd've roasted you about tomatoes."

"Sorry," Carter mumbled, then bit her lower lip, then tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. This action promptly caused Kiran's face to flash across her mind. What would he do if he saw her here with Sawyer? Would he care? Would he attack the guy? Or would he shrug it off and walk away? "I was thinking of something else, and you know how it is with your train of thought. It's like every word is a portal to some random idea. And before you know it you're picturing yourself in a field of tomatoes."

"You're weird." A look of strange curiosity spread across his face, but then he smiled again, "I like that."

"Ew, what's she doing here?" A familiar, biting voice cut through the moment.

Carter faced the doorway almost too quickly, causing her neck to cramp a little. Ashton, Leigh and the other girls, Aiden and a couple of his friends, and a girl Carter didn't recognize had just walked in. How sad was it that Carter used to be part of that crowd? Though if she was being honest with herself, she didn't really miss it. The only person whose absence had broken her heart was Leigh. 

While Ashton had been the one to sound irritated, the others didn't seem as phased by Carter's presence. Georgie and Elena gave her a quick smile and nod, while Leigh appeared apologetic, sad, and yet proud all at once.

The one Carter didn't recognize, a girl with golden blonde hair, glistening blue eyes, and legs longer than Tala's, walked right up to their table and glared at Sawyer, "You! Where were you this morning? Mom was having another episode and as usual you weren't there to help me."

"I had things to do," Sawyer shrugged without glancing up at her.

"This is your twin?" Ashton hissed. "This obvious loser right here, talking to her?"

Sawyer didn't respond to Ashton. Instead he finally faced his alleged twin sister, "I see you wasted no time in finding the bitchiest crowd to assimilate to."

"Oh, and what about you? Already trying to get into the pants of every girl who talks to you?"

Georgie, Elena and Leigh let out slight giggles, but they stopped once their gazes met Carter's. Ashton had on a wide, evil smile. Fortunately it stopped there, since Aiden and his friends were too preoccupied with the dessert spread to see what was going on.

Carter watched as the scene continued to unfold before her. Up until last year, she would always stand up for herself, have a say in things, talk back no matter what the situation. At this very moment though, it was like the Earth was pulling her down, forcing her to stay seated. To stay quiet and pathetic. How had she gone from a loud, happy person to a sad, speechless loner?

"Hey, I can't help it if girls find me adorable," Sawyer said, giving Carter a quick wink in the process. "And have a little class, Silver. At least introduce yourself to Carter first before making awful assumptions."

Sawyer's twin, whose name was Silver, faced Carter. No more angry and annoyed, but rather sorry. "I'm really sorry. You're probably very nice, so here's a warning; stay away from this idiot. He might seem fun at first, but trust me, he'll suck the soul right out of you."

Fantastic. The first person to really talk to me this year and he turns out to be a dementor. Carter stood up slowly, "Right, I think that's my cue to leave. It was really nice meeting you. Both of you," she said, smiled at them, then headed out, not even glimpsing the other girls. It was better to get out of the line of fire instead of staying put and getting burned.

The air outside was a nice change from the inside. She breathed in the freshness and let it make her forget the awkward encounter she had just faced.

So Sawyer had a twin named Silver, who was now friends with Leigh. If Carter was going to start all over, she would have to do it without him, because it was clear that he would drag her back into the dramatic, dark world of last year. A part of her was upset, because despite the recent revelations, he was kind of funny, and kind of cute. Another part of her, the more logical part, urged her to forget him, that she had just met him so it wouldn't be a terrible loss.

***

Newton High was one of the most elite schools in the city, or as elite as a public school could get. Most of its students came from upper-class families, lived in lavish mansions, and spent summers at the most beautiful country clubs and exclusive vacation destinations in the country. Tala's family was no exception. Not only did her parents hold an insane amount of aristocracy and style, they expected the same from their two daughters.

Tala's older sister Setareh was a civil rights lawyer, a fact her parents bragged about every chance they got. The phrase 'did you know that our daughter Setareh is a civil rights lawyer?' was used on a regular basis, whenever they met someone new. It didn't help that Setareh was more beautiful and more poised than Tala could ever dream to be. So it was only logical to keep her failed summer in Italy a secret from her parents. All she had to do was avoid them, which again wasn't hard. Her father had a recent business merger to keep him occupied, and her mother was busy planning one charity event after another.

She hoped nothing else would happen to set her back. Now that she had decided to return to Newton, it wouldn't be hard to keep her head low, keep her grades as high as possible, and apply to University for the Fall. She didn't even have to include Italy in her transcripts.

Though as she walked towards the doors of Newton High, she felt like she was actually walking backwards. Like every step she took caused the finish line to get further and further away.

"Tala?" someone from somewhere behind said.

She faced the person and was overcome with unexpected elation. Tala hadn't thought seeing Carter would cause such a reaction, so it took her a moment to compose herself. She then gave Carter a small smile, "Well if it isn't dead woman walking."

"Oh, haha," Carter replied sarcastically, then walked up to her. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd've finished up all your credits in the summer and graduated early."

"I decided not to," Tala lied. There was no need to let everyone know what a failure she was. "I thought it might be better for me, for my transcript, to stay another year. Improve my grades."

"How can you improve from A-plus for literally every subject?"

They strode into the school together, gathering a few curious glances. Tala ignored it hoped Carter wouldn't notice, "I didn't get straight A-pluses. And I also want to dress my final application up with more extra curricular activities. Certificates. Competitions. Seminars. You know... if I want to get into a top tier university, I have to put in extra effort. It's not just about grades sometimes."

"Oh."

"They always look for students who've taken the extra mile. Who represent something unique and interesting. Anyone can get straight A's, so I have to differenciate myself from the rest somehow. I think an extra year will really help me do that."

"Right, sure."

"I'm sorry, am I boring you?" Tala arched an eyebrow at Carter.

"No. No. It's just that I haven't even thought of where to apply yet. And all that stuff about extra curriculars... it's starting to freak me out."

Tala couldn't imagine a world in which she hadn't already gone over a million different applications, for a million different schools. Was it better or worse to be like Carter? Unprepared. Unsure. Seeming to go wherever the wind might take her instead of having a concrete path laid out. Then again, maybe there was no better or worse. People were different. Though for a split second, Tala felt a pang of jealousy towards Carter, for feeling free enough to decide that path for herself.