Chapter 2

Selene:

I dragged my feet across the school grounds to the main doors. I was way too tired. My body was slowly losing weight and I was getting weak. This wasn't right but, it was the way it was going to be.

I was panting and sweating by the time I sat in my seat in my math class. Mr. Tobias looked at me with concern and disbelief but then started the lecture. I was late. My phone buzzed as soon as I started writing and it was a text from mom.

Mom; Doctor Marco will see you today at five.

I rolled my eyes and fell back in my seat. I knew, my parents were giving me all their time, but it was getting frustrating to see them shift their schedules, and move daily appointments for me.

I felt horrible and to be honest, just wanted to go easy.

"Hey, you okay?" My classmate, Brody whispered from beside me. I nodded and he gave me a pursed smile.

The class was boring and quiet. I kept my focus on my book but every now and then, my mind kept on lurking around the thoughts of my parents losing their minds.

When the bell rang, I collected my stuff and headed off to the front of the class. Mr. Tobias sat quietly and smiled at me as I approached him. I fixed my Batman baseball jacket.

"Dig your jacket by the way." Mr. Tobias uttered as he finished writing something on a paper.

"Thanks." I chuckled and laid my head on my own shoulder, slightly.

"Selene?" He called as the rest of the next class started walking in.

"Yeah?" I mumbled looking back up at him.

"You better not try and convince your parents off this appointment today, alright?" he uttered and I groaned.

"Why do you guys keep tabs on each other?" I grunted and he chuckled.

"Because you're just unpredictable my friend."

"I'll take that as a compliment." I chuckled at him and he laughed.

"It wasn't one, Arly." He uttered shaking his head.

"I still take it!" I called back as I exited out the door.

Math class ended quick as it was always the time I loved in the entire week. Just peace and a good teacher, Mr. Tobias.

I dreaded the next class. Mr. Lancaster's. And, there were honestly way too many reasons contributing to the factor of 'why'.

I took a deep breath before entering his class room. Without looking up or sideways, I made my way over to the seat. My breath was lodged in my throat and my body clenched in itself.

"Selene?" Jaimi, the girl who sat right ahead of me, called as I took my seat.

"Huh?" I looked up at her.

"You're sweating, again." She stated with concern. She didn't know about my condition. Not many people did, to be honest. Only Sean, Tane, dad, mom, my brother and sister, Mr. Lancaster and Mr. Tobias knew.

"Uh, uh-yeah, it's really hot." I wiped my forehead to present my words.

"Then don't wear that thick sweater." She shrugged to which, I frowned. I started wearing, sort of, oversized, full sleaved clothes. It was to give myself a little bit of a poof, in case people thought I was too unhealthily slim. It would work as a thought that I was looking slimmer due to the clothes and not my decrease in health.

"I'm sort of sick, you know flu and stuff, so that's why." I tried to reason and she nodded before turning back around. I released my breath and took out my notebook from my bag.

"Good morning, class." Mr. Lancaster started.

Jace:

She was so pale. I watched as she panicked her way through a conversation with her friend. Selene was predictable, she sweat when she was scared and worried yet smiled like crazy when she was feeling something exciting or new.

I had been noticing her ever since I first laid eyes on her bewitching self, but she didn't seem to notice me. I didn't know if she did, but I don't think she liked me.

I heard her singing once, Cool Kids by Echoesmith with her best friend, Sean, who apparently was also one of my best friends', Draco's younger brother. She had the most beautiful voice. I mean, she was so cheery and kind to everyone and yet at the same time was crazy and wild. I mean, soft spoken and wild, who gets that? Complicated, but for once, I was willing to touch the wild and go insane with it.

When I bumped into her, I was upset because of a lot, but the concern mixed with fear in her eyes, tickled my heart. Whatever she was and was doing to me; had been the question I was asking myself daily. I was never so worked up, never for a girl.

Selene was something different, she was happiness and sadness, all boxed into one. Her feelings would show but only to the ones who dared to see.

Somewhere deep in me, I knew Selene was hiding something, something big, but I couldn't read her, not exactly.

"Selene, you're paling kid." Mr. Lancaster called as Selene shuffled through her notebook.

"It's nothing, M-Mr. Lancaster." She smiled nervously. Suddenly she threw her books in her bag and stood up, "I gotta go." She announced and ran out of the class, leaving all of us baffled.

"It's alright. She was to leave early today." Mr. Lancaster was still staring at the door from which she had just ran out of.

I couldn't do it, I had to see if she reached, wherever she wanted to be. So, I stood up and everyone looked at me.

"Bathroom?" I shrugged and Mr. Lancaster nodded before fixing his glasses and getting back to his papers on the desk.

I walked outside with balled fists and a fast beating heart while staring to look for any signs of the girl.

I sprinted down to the first floor and ran through the corridors because being the dumbest of all, myself, I never bothered to check where her locker was. Lucky for me, her locker was found to be in the main first floor corridor. How did I know? She was leaning against it, sweating and trying to catch her breath.

She turned to look at me and her eyes widened as she spotted me. She gulped quietly and moved her head and hands to her locker to open it. It was like she wasn't expecting me to be in the corridor for her. I noticed how her fingers kept on slipping from the locker and she kept on blinking her eyes as if cleaning vision.

I walked fast towards her and when I reached her side, I resisted the urge to hold or even pat her shoulder.

"Let me." I simply uttered and she jumped. I, instinctively held her hand so she wouldn't fall.

"Uh, uh, sure." She bowed her head but I could still see those burnt red cheeks of her.

"Code?" I held the lock in my fingers.

"41-" she directed.

"Mhm?" I rotated the knob to the number forty one on the silver lock.

"5-" she continued while keeping her head bowed and on the lock in my hand.

I rotated the knob anti clock vise and turned to number five, following the procedure of opening the thing.

"And 50." She muttered and I noticed how she pulled the lips of her jacket's sleeves in between her fingers. I bit my lip and opened the lock by clicking and rotating to the last number.

"You okay?." I learned in towards her head and she looked at me hesitantly.

"Y-Yeah." She smiled nervously, before looking back down. Then, I just realized what had been happening, the whole time I was helping her. Our hands... still held together. My eyes widened at the feeling of her hand against mine. It was as if I was getting the chance of bursting with a thousand foreworks. I felt my throat dry so I pursed my lips and could feel my face getting hot.

She looked up at me and tilted her head in confusion, adorably.

"What?" She called but I couldn't manage a single word.

"Are you okay?" Oh God! I shook my head.

"Um, did I do something?" She questioned, seeming a little awkward from the situation.

"No. No." I cleared my throat and squeezed her hand to which she gasped. Judging from her face, I realized that she had just figured that she was holding on to me just as tightly as I was.

"Oh, um, yeah. Yeah. Just a little tired." She smiled nervously and pulled her hand away. I frowned, inwardly, at her lying.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, again. Have a good day." I raised my hand again and we shook our hands before I turned on my heel and walked away, trying to clean the sweat forming on my face.

William:

I knew Jace was crazy about Selene. Selene was different. Heck, when I first saw her, I did not expect the potential that literally oozed out of her. She was good and great for someone like Jace.

Jace was complicated too. He had a lot going on in his life but he tried his best to never show it to anyone. I always saw it through him. I observed him.

Jace's family wasn't the issue. He was scared of what seemed to be many things but would always tell me that it was the stress of studies. Then again, I knew that that was bull.

Jace was in love with wrestling and I knew his dream, it was either a wrestler or a rugby player. Ever since last year, Jace never told me the reason as to why he didn't join wrestling in his last year of high school. He just said he wanted to focus on studies. He was a bad liar.

When he returned to class, he was red in the face, sweating profusely and his hands were trembling. He was nervous and scared as hell. I chuckled as he looked at me and gulped before heading off to his seat. That girl had him bad.

William: Start talking Anderson.

I texted him, keeping my gaze on him. He jumped a little and pulled out his phone.

Jace: Nothing bro.

He replied and I smirked. He turned around and I shook my head keeping a smile plastered on my face.

Jace: I think I freaked her out dude.

William: Don't be so sure.

Jace: I'm telling you man, I freaked out so fucking hard. She looked at me like I was dumb and deaf.

William: Hahaha... holy crap bro, what did you do?

Jace: I lost it. I ran before something else happened between us.

I rolled my eyes at his response. He was an idiot.

William: I'm gonna talk to her.

He looked back at me in disbelief and fear, then vigorously shook his head.

Jace: Fuck no! I don't want her to know. She will run for the hills.

William: Dude why do you think so low of yourself? I bet she is crazy about you too.

Jace: Never wish for the stars bro, they burn you.

William: But diamonds were never easy to achieve.

Jace: Let it go.

William: Okay.

I gave up.

Selene:

I didn't understand Jace. The boy was playing with my heart. At one point, he won't even care that I existed and on the second, he would be so caring and then all of a sudden, he freaks out. I couldn't figure the guy out. He was so hard to read.

When he walked away, my heart threatened to give up on me. I couldn't breathe, my body was getting violent on the inside and my head was spinning. Jace Anderson was a sin to me and I wanted to commit to it so badly.

Instead of going home, I texted Sean that I was in the library and he could pick me up from there during lunch.

When the bell rang, I packed up my books and logged off from the computer before saving my Social Studies; American Election Assignment on Google docs.

"Hey, you okay? Didn't you have class?" Sean came running.

"Yeah, but I was tired so I told Mr. Lancaster I'm leaving and he let me." I gave him a cheeky smile and he shook his head.

"You alright?" He raised his brow as we exited the huge and colorful library.

"Yeah, just felt a little congested in class so... here I am." I explained and he nodded, "And I talked to Jace."

"Oh my God." He groaned rubbing his eyes from under his glasses.

"What, what? He is cute and you know it." I poked his muscular arm.

"I'm not gay and you know it!" He poked my waist and I laughed.

"Jerk."

"I don't like you." He muttered.

"Baby-freckle." I pinched his cheek and he grunted.

"I hate that name."

"You know you love it." I sang and he rolled his eyes before Tane joined us.

"Hey guys."

"Hey big-baby-freckle." I pinched his cheek and he winced.

"She high?" He held my wrist and pulled my hand from his face.

"Hopefully not, but then again, she's a natural." Sean smirked and I slapped his arm. Right then, my eyes diverted from Sean to another familiar face, who was laughing but as if feeling my eyes on him, he turned his face to me. His laugh soothed into the beautiful, dangerous and moan-worthy, smile. He nodded his head and I returned the gesture, thankfully.

"Drooling over Jace Anderson, are we?" Matthew muttered in my ear and I saw a frown on Jace's face as I felt my face turn gloom as well. I elbowed Matthew in the stomach, gently. Jace smirked and turned to Hailey, who was almost on top of him.

"Let's go play rugby." I announced and took the ball from Sean before heading to the corridor that led to the backyard.

"No, let's play football." Matthew announced as soon as we reached outside.

"Rugby is better." I whined.

"Football is safer for you Ennie." Sean warned.

"Ugh, no. Rugby. Lets get real you guys! Come on!" I groaned and threw the oval ball at Sean's face.

"Uh! Fine." He caught the ball and we pulled ourselves into positions.

We played till the bell rang, which was thirty minutes later and by the end, Sean and I won against Tane and Matthew. Sean was good, I was still learning, sort of.

"What do you wanna do?" Sean asked as we settled in the student centre.

"Well, I am calling Alex because I am not planning to sit here and stare at that baby face of yours." I gave him a mocking smile and he returned it.

"Hey guys." Alex threw her bag on table and leaned into her chair. She sat next to Sean and plopped her legs in his lap.

"You okay?" I asked, noticing her annoyed expression.

"My boyfriend broke up with me." She announced to us and my jaw dropped.

"You- a- a boyfriend?" I exclaimed and she smirked.

"We started before you and I became friends." She muttered.

"And you didn't think it would've been a good thing to- I don't know, tell me after we became friends?"

"I am, now." She raised her brows and I rolled my eyes.

"You okay?" Sean questioned.

"I was a little upset but it wasn't that bad though. So, I'm okay." She gave out a smile and I nodded with one on my face.

"Well, relax. He wasn't worth it." I tapped the back of her hand that laid on the table. She chuckled and Sean snickered.

"Stop being so depressing." He shook his head and then winced. I realized Alex had hit him somehow while placing her feet in his lap.

"You guys are unbelievable." I muttered and stared at my phone.

We talked till about one thirty or so, when I decided to leave. I picked up my jacket from my locker and shoved my toque on my head.

"Don't leave me!" Alex whined playfully and I winked at her before swinging my bag on my shoulder and walking to the exit of the school.

As soon as I was out of the building I decided to buy boxes of my favourite hot and delicious chicken wings from a place nearby. I headed there on feet.

"Hello." Steven, the owner of the place, greeted me as soon as I entered.

"Hey, can I get like fourty eight pieces of hot wings, please?" I ordered nicely. He nodded and tapped the order on his LED screen.

"Debit." I raised my card and he nodded before tapping again on his screen and then forwarding the card machine, through which I paid.

I got my food after a half an hour worth of wait. Thanking him, I headed out of the shop with my headphones in my ears and my bag on my shoulders. I slung the white bag of wings in my fingers and walked towards the stop from where I was intending to take my bus.

When I reached my stop, I felt a tap on my shoulder and as I turned around I was faced with an older, about mid thirties man. He had dark skin, with creepy brown eyes and a bald head. Taller than me but was smirking like a child.

"Hi. I'm Levine." He raised his hand and I shook it.

"Selene." I smiled and pulled my hand away quickly.

"Hi Selene, where you headed?" He shoved his hands in his denm blue jeans' pockets.

"Oh, just downtown." I shrugged nervously.

"Well do you think you have time for some coffee or something. You know, just to spoil you or something." He snickered.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm really in a rush." I looked down the road, trying to find an approaching bus my way but no luck came off it.

"Oh, well do you think I can have your number? To you know, ask you out again." He cocked his brow.

"Mm, sorry. No." I shook my head and he smiled, "B-Besides I'm really young." I quickly added.

"Oh really, how old?"

"Seventeen." I gulped to sooth my dry throat.

"Well, when do you turn eighteen?" He wiggled his brows and I mentally gagged.

"A-April." I stuttered, but it was a lie, March first was my birth month.

I'm stupid, don't judge.

"Well after that you got no excuse." He leaned in a little and I moved back.

"I don't think that's a factor. I just don't want to." I turned around, my face now turned to the road and away from him.

"You got a boyfriend?" He asked and I saw my opportunity.

"Yeah." I twinkled and he looked a little taken aback.

"Oh really?" He raked my body with his eyes.

"Yeah, we've been dating for the past five years and it's been great with him." I smiled dreamily.

"Oh, cool. You seem to plan to marry him." He uttered and I felt my body tingle.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be like let's get married, Jace!" Jace? Seriously? My brain questioned and I blinked to let my conscious settle.

"Oh, what's he li-"

"Baby? There you are!" We were interrupted by a very known male voice.

I gulped as I watched Jace Anderson running to us, with speed.