2 1. “New Girl”

*Qin Shan POV

It was in the middle of October when I arrived. To be precise, October 13th, a Friday. An utterly gloomy day that signified that fall was to appear soon. I went to the school gates after getting off the bus, the buildings were intimidating, the students were intimidating, even the trees were getting on my nerves. I stepped carefully into the main square of campus, reciting my mantra "you can't change the past, put it all behind you." Already, people are seem to be staring, sizing up, some looking me up and down like I'm an object for sale. Suddenly I hear;

"ShanShan! Over here. Come here quickly."

I look behind me to see that it is Xiao Huan, my best friend in high school. Breathing a sigh of relief, I nearly run over to her and we embrace for a long time. Xiao Huan is the only one here who knows what hell I've been living in for the last three weeks. Ever since my parents died in a freak accident in September, I've gone through the cycle of crying, eating, sleeping, and dreaming. Huan is, to be honest, the only one who is keeping me sane right now.

"Hi Huan." I say to her. "Ready to give me an 'extravagent' campus tour?" This is an old joke about how my old college, in the United States, was Yale University, which is known for being an excellent private school. However, I can honestly not stomach being in the U.S. after what happened to my parents.

"Sure, sure lets get on it." She replies with a smile. I can tell that she is happy that I am at least making an effort to try to get over the past. It feels nice to have somebody care for me, to love me, to help me forget.

".... there's where all of the tennis player guys hang out, and, oh! Thats where the basketball jocks like to go to get snacks...shall we take a look??" She says with a slight grin. I didn't realize that I spaced out until now so quickly I reply "of course!"

As we head to the narrow steps of the 'Innovation Tower' I feel prickling down my neck. Someone around us is watching me. I turn around in a circle until I spot him. Dressed in a black button down, with black jeans, I can't take my eyes away - not because of the way he's dressed, but because of the white pallor of his skin. I take his figure in then move on to his face. It's as if I've been possessed. With high cheekbones and blood-red lips, I'm captivated, his face is gorgeous. That is until I move on to his eyes. We stare directly at each other and I realize just how fierce he looks. His gaze could mirror that of a beast, a lion, a tiger. But there is pain, pain that reflects mine. And with him looking so intently on me, it's as if he can see right through me. He seems to be concentrating on my face - searching for something, even though I'm sure we've never met before...

"Shanshan! Earth to Shan! Are you okay?" Huan has noticed my hesitation and that I stopped following her to the basketball jocks.

"What are you looking at?" She says. The spell is broken, I tear my eyes away from his in embarrassment until Huan suddenly exclaims "Oh! You're looking at Senior Song Meng!"

"Who?" I ask? Pretending not to see who the beautiful boy in black is.

"Senior Song Meng!" She exclaims again. "He is a campus legend. Plus, he's really good looking and his father is the lead doctor at Hong Kong Hospital. He comes off as a bad boy at first but he is top of his class and in addition, like half of the girls - no - like all of the girls wish that they could meet him but..." She stops suddenly.

"But what?" I say, almost in a whisper. My curiosity is piqued and I want to know what I can about this boy who has scars in his eyes just like mine.

"He's the campus ice prince." Huan's voice drops to a whisper like mine. "He never dates, he never shows interest in anybody, he has never even looked a girl here in the eyes on purpose. I've never even seen him smile. Even in his third year, it seems as if he is avoiding all of the girls at this university," she says, rolling her eyes.

Now my curiosity level is over the top. I know we had just exchanged eye contact. But I dare not say anything to Huan as rumors are not anything I want to get into while in my first year. This is what I can keep to myself as my plan is to live and study here quietly without having some dirty information cast over my head. And now I know, to do this, I must keep away from Song Meng. Though he bears the same pain as mine, I do not dare get involved in affairs regarding him or anything this will draw too much attention to myself. So quickly, without a second glance, I hurridly follow Huan to the steps of the tower, determined not to look behind me again. I still feel the hairs on my neck raised, telling me I'm being watched.