Chapter 1

“Who’s the new guy?” my girlfriend Melissa asked. I looked over at the person that everyone seemed to want to know. He had raven black shoulder-length hair and was wearing black pants and a long-sleeved black shirt. I scoffed. This is the person everyone wanted to know.

“Just looks like some emo guy,” I replied, and then went back to eating my lunch. “No seriously he looks…mysterious,” my other girlfriend, Kayla, chirped in.

“Come on he’s not that special,” I said. I took a closer look at him. “He has such a pale face and those rings under his eyes are so black,” I wondered. “Whatever. We’ll find out when we’re in class,” Melissa said.

We finished our food then headed outside. We got to the apple tree where we usually sat. I stopped in my tracks. There was the new boy. Sitting under our apple tree.

“Why is he there?” I asked, a little hysteria creeping into my voice. The girls shrugged then headed over. How could they take this so carelessly? We’d been sitting under that apple tree since junior high!!! I hesitated then quickly caught up with them.

“Hi,” I greeted him when the other girls were unable to. He looked up at me wearily. “Um…me and my friends usually sit here so if you could just move…?” I asked.

He sighed then slowly got up. I noticed something. He wasn't wearing shoes. And then just before he left he added “My name's Colin,” then walked away.

“Did you see that? He wasn’t wearing shoes!” Kayla said. “Just like I said, some weird emo dude.” I brush him off then we talked about what dresses we were getting for prom. “No biggie.” I think. “Just some weird kid.”