A big thank you to everyone who has begun to support my new book. Y'all are the best.

So here's the second chapter and this time, in't in the POV of the second main character.

Enjoy!

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Genesis

My alarm clock goes off and I reach a hand out wearily to shut it down.

Why oh why is it morning already?

Pushing aside my blue and white polka dotted comforter, I pick up my caddy and trudge warily into the bathroom. It only takes me about fifteen minutes to get ready, rush through a light breakfast and make a beeline for the car.

"And where do you think you're going young lady?" dad's voice stops me dead in my tracks. I turn around to find him smirking and smiling at me, a rueful expression on my face.

"Morning dad." I say brightly, walking up to him for an embrace. Ever so softly, he plants a kiss on my forehead and smiles at me, ruffling my hair.

"Stop it dad." I whine, swatting his hand playfully.

"So you were gonna run off without saying goodbye, were you?"

"You know that's not it." I reply patronizingly. "I just didn't want to wake you up."

"Of course you didn't" he chuckles, heading into the kitchen.

I join him in there so we can say our morning prayers before he makes himself some breakfast.

"Well, I'm off to school." I announce a bit too loudly. "Bye dad." I call, moving my feet in the direction of the door.

"Have a great day sweetie" he says, offering a small wave.

The smile that dons my face refuses to be wiped off as I make the twenty minute drive to school. Glad that I'm early, I pull my car into a space pretty close to the building and head to the entrance to meet up with my friends.

Jerry, patty, Javier and I have been friends for as long as I can remember. Jerry's family and we're the same age so I've been stuck with him forever. I don't mind it though.

When dad and I lost mum, their families are part of the reason we didn't just fall apart, done with life. They've always been there for us no matter what.

"Gennii!" a bright eyed girl screams from the top of the steps.

"Patty!" I reply with equal enthusiasm waving like my life depends on it. I'm just about to make my way up the steps when someone crashes smack into me and I fall backwards on my bum.

"I'm so so sorry." The girl says and I can immediately tell she's a freshman. She sounds so scared that I'm afraid she'll pee her pants.

Getting up, I dust myself. "It's okay." I tell her, smiling. "You didn't mean to."

She sizes me up uncertainly now from her spot on the ground, like she's afraid I'm only just biding my time so I can lash out at her at the right moment.

Reaching out my hand, I pull her to her feet and help pick up her books.

"Thank you." She says when I place them in her arms. "I really am sorry."

"Don't worry about it." I smile, heading up the steps to a waiting Patty.

Arm in arm, we head to homeroom since the boys aren't here yet. Patty and I are your average cliché high school bff-type pair. She is my biological opposite with her natural blond hair, bright baby blue eyes and pale magazine cover skin. I, on the other hand, have hazel eyes, really dark hair and tan skin.

Although I totally think she is drop dead gorgeous, Patty always goes on and on about how my features are so 'exotic' and how she wishes her skin wasn't so pale and yadi yadi ya.

See? I told you; totally cliché high school best friends.

When we head in, homeroom is a discordant orchestra of sounds ranging from students discussing amidst themselves to chair legs scraping against the tiled floor of the room.
Unconsciously, I pull Patty a little closer to myself and it's all I can do to keep from running right out.

"You always act like homeroom is a war zone." She chuckles, dis-entangling herself from me as we head to our usual seats in the extreme right corner of the room.

"That's because our homeroom is a war zone." I deadpan. "I mean, look around you Patty."

Right on cue, someone falls off a desk and the whole place goes into an uproar as laughter and cheers erupt from all angles.

I give her a look as if to say "see what I mean?" but she just shrugs, laughing it off until I'm forced to join in.

A few minutes later, the boys arrive and together we all head to first period biology where we get to dissect a rabbit. I find it really cool but a bunch of students refuse to do it claiming its 'animal cruelty' like the rabbit wasn't dead already.

I mean, can the carcass of a pet rabbit who suddenly and unfortunately died from binge drinking a can of liquid fertilizer feel any pain? Of course not!

Initially Patty and I paired off but once I had the innards all out in the open, she turned a very unhealthy shade of green and ran off to the bathroom, probably to puke her guts out.

That's how I ended up working with Tyler; A 6ft tall, grey eyed, mousy haired classmate of mine who has a predominantly British accent. He moved here last year from Manchester.

As we work, I make a mental note to thank Patty later. That is, of course, after I've checked to make sure that she's okay.

At lunch we sit at our usual table and thankfully Patty's all better. I tuck into my egg sandwich ravenously, only pausing between bites to contribute to the ongoing conversation about which dog breeds are the best when suddenly there's a commotion towards the entrance.

We all look to see that just as we suspected in our hearts, we are indeed witnessing the first school fight of the week. Oh well, I sigh internally, only a couple more to go after this one.

A couple of students get off their seats, trying to get closer so they can see firsthand what is going on. Acting on autopilot, I find myself joining the throng of students as they move closer to the scene of the crime.

I gasp audibly when I recognize Tyler as he throws a punch at Caesar, a freshman who only just moved to our school a few months ago. He has a split lip and is trying to fight back but Tyler just keeps going at him over and over again.

My feet move even more forward and much to my horror, I find that I'm soon standing next to Tyler, tugging on his arm and urging him to stop. When he doesn't, I stupidly launch myself between the two boys.

"Oww!" I cry helplessly when Tyler's fist connects with my cheek. This guy sure packs some muscle, I think stupidly as my face begins to throb. My eyes water and I bite my bottom lip to keep from crying. The effect is instantaneous though as both boys immediately quit fighting.

"Are you trying to get killed?" Caesar asks, shoving me to the side. "What were you thinking?"

"That I was saving you?" I reply, uncertainty tainting my words.

"I am so sorry Genesis." Tyler apologizes and I can practically see the sincerity in his eyes as he reaches out a hand to carefully cup my bruised cheek. "I didn't know you would throw yourself in front of him." He says. "If I did, I never would have thrown that punch."

"I forgive you." I say, smiling despite the fact that I can barely feel one side of my face.

"Thanks but we should probably get you to the nurse." He says and Caesar nods in agreement.

"Gen!" I hear my name being screamed for the second time today by the same voice as she rushes towards me, boys in tow.

"Are you okay?" she asks, even though she can clearly see the bruise on my cheek.

"Yeah." I nod, pulling her in for a hug.

"Don't ever pull a stunt like that again." Jerry scolds when Patty and I pull apart. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry." I mumble as he pulls me in for a hug.

"Um, guys." Patty says nervously. "Where's Javier?"

Glancing around we spot Javier over at the corner.

"Don't you dare hit her again" he's saying when we catch up with him and Tyler.

"It's okay Javi." I coo, tugging on his arm. "He didn't mean to."

He just shakes his head, muttering under his breath and lets me pull him away. Before we leave though, I catch Tyler's gaze and he mouths 'sorry' at me. I nod once, smiling before dragging Javier along to my friends so we can go to the nurse's office to have my face checked.