1. Eyes are the windows to your soul

The grey clouds in the sky reflected Alexandra White's mood perfectly, darkening by every passing second. She looked up at them as a single rain drop fell on her forehead like a light butterfly kiss sent from above. Her lips curved up in a melancholic smile.

Releasing a deep sigh, she opened the door of the car, waiting for her dad. When she saw him hurriedly getting down the front steps of the porchh she got in.

The journey to school passed in silence. She watched the passing scenery with a frown on her face. Her brown eyes hiding the sadness behind a wall so cold that told people to stay away from her.

"We're going to be on time." Her dad, George White said, mistaking her frown for being upset on being late.

She just nodded, passing her eyes over him, who looked really cheerful today. She snorted under her breath. He was probably going to bring her cousin home today.

As the school started coming into view, memories of the previous three years came crashing down on her like waves. The cold look in her eyes was broken for an instant and was replaced by regret and anger.

Students watched as her dad parked the car and got out. Alexandra White was well known in school as the perfect ideal student...and also as the girl who took no bullcrap from no-one.

But she wasn't always like this.

Gently shutting the car door, she shifted the bag on her shoulders, taking in the place she'd come to hate over the past years.

Her eyes stopped at a group of students near the school gates. One of them, a boy with shoulder length dark brown hair and green eyes like the leaves waved at her with a gentle smile on his face.

Her heart raced, a familiar feeling of nostalgia creeping up in her chest. She scoffed internally. As if that was enough...

She turned away from the boy, like she should've in the first place. Feeling a burning gaze on her, she turned her head to her right. Brown clashed with blue, locking their gazes in, unknown to them of the stories they would unfold.

He was wearing the school uniform - dark blue pants and a white shirt with a dark blue and grey striped tie. His sleeves were folded up to his elbows, his chestnut brown hair a messy yet stylish mop on his head. His hand that had been clutching the strap of his bag tightly loosened, and the annoyance on his face was replaced by curiousity.

That piercing blue gaze of his froze her in her place, prompting her to stare back at those eyes so blue like a sapphire. They narrowed ever so slightly, that she wouldn't even have noticed if she hadn't been paying attention.

They were like ice and sapphires - cold and so beautiful.

It was like they were hiding something in that ocean of blue, something she felt strangely familiar with.

They say eyes are the window to your soul. His seemed half closed... mirroring her own.

>>>>>>>>>>>

The stormy sky seemed to be perfectly in sync with Xander Knight's mood which kept getting worse by every passing moment.

Just then a single raindrop fell on his head. He looked up at the grey clouds, a mocking smile creeping on his lips.

His twin brother, Liam had already left for his college while Xander was stuck here waiting for his dad, who for some reason decided it was a good idea to drop him off.

"I'm meeting someone." His dad, Ethan Knight said as if a highschool was a good meeting place for a Mafia boss.

Releasing a deep sigh, Xander sat on the passenger seat. "Aren't you going to ask who I'm meeting?" His dad raised his eyebrow, his fingers tapping to the beat of the music on the steering wheel.

Xander shook his head, not really in the mood for talking. He'll know who he's meeting after he gets there anyway.

His dad sighed and gave him one of his concerned looks which Xander had come to dread. "You can't give us the silent treatment forever you know? We know we were wron-"

He put on his earphones to tune his dad out. He didn't need his parents' concern now, not when he was clearly moving on from his past. He didn't need them continuously bringing up the memories he tried hard to repress.

A sudden feeling of rage surged through him like a beast wanting to break free of control. The face of the person responsible flashed in his mind, his grip on his phone tightening.

Suddenly it pinged, snapping him out of his momentary rage.

It was a text from his brother Liam.

'Don't plan a murder this early.''

'I'm not.' Xander replied, knowing very well he was lying.

Liams response was immediate. 'Yeah right and I'm not at all mad at you for last night.'

Xander pursed his lips, trying to stop the sheepish smile that was slowly creeping in.

' Don't you have class now?' he asked instead, now noticing the huge school building coming into view.

' I do. Was just making sure you're fine.'

' I am,' he probably was not. ' Now go. Shoo.'

He didn't see Liam's response as he turned his phone off when his dad parked the car.

Stepping out, he looked around. His sapphire blue eyes searching for the familiar faces of his 'friends' by habit. He mentally smacked himself. This was a new school, why would his tormentors be here?

"George!" He heard his dad exclaim in pure delight. Xander turned to find his dad hugging a man who looked equally delighted and happy.

Xander's eyes shifted to the girl standing beside the man. Her dark brown hair which was in a messy ponytail was like the bristles of Liam's unused paint brushes. Smooth and soft. She was wearing the school uniform, with her sleeves folded upto her elbows. Her dark blue plaid skirt reached her knees but she still wore dark skin tights.

Before he could cast his eyes away, she turned around and for a moment, their gazes locked like the pieces of a puzzle. A perfect fit.

Xander wanted to take a closer look at her brown eyes. They reminded him of a glass of whiskey in sunlight, the browns and hazels fascinating him. It wasn't just that though. It was the way she held his gaze, staring back at him as if accepting the unspoken challenge, trying to find something in his eyes, just like he was doing to hers.

Or perhaps it was the way they really did resemble a glass of whiskey, the transparent glass merely giving him a glimpse of what was inside. His gaze was the sunlight and her eyes the glinting liquid, beckoning him, to get drunk.

He tilted his head a little, narrowing his eyes.

They say eyes are the windows to your soul... why did her's feel like they were half closed, and why did they remind them of his own?

Suddenly the bell rang, snapping them out of their daze. Alexandra glanced at her dad who was busy talking with a man, probably the boy's dad she assumed. Not wanting to stay there any longer, she made her way in.

At the same time, Xander made a move to leave. Alexandra noticed him following her into the entrance but didn't say anything. Not a word was exchanged between the two as they walked. But somehow the silence was comfortable.

Their dads watched them leave with a defeated look in their eyes. "I take it you two aren't on good terms?" Ethan said lightly.

"I could say the same about you." George retorted, leaning back on the car. Then after a thought, he said "Did we really fail parenting?"

Ethan looked at his best friend since childhood, his eyes flashing with guilt. "I probably did."

Both of them watched as the students swarmed the entrance, lost in their own thoughts. It would be nice if their kids at least talked to each other...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Xander entered the principal's office after knocking twice. He winced at his bruised knuckles. Seems it was a bad idea after all. He could picture Liam's glare as he said, " I told you so." Man he was already missing his brother and it wasn't even the first period yet.

"Ah you must be Xander." The Principal, Josh Edmonds was a man in his mid 40s. His grey eyes full of experience crickled as he gave Xander a kind smile.

"I'm assuming you have your schedule?" He asked at which Xander nodded. "I've seen your grades and the test you gave for the admission. I'm impressed." He praised, "Only one student of your class has achieved that high. So I put you two together in all the classes so you can compete and perform even better."

Xander wondered who this student was. Seems like he had competition.

"All right then, come see me if you have any trouble." Nodding one last time, Xander left for his first class. Math.

He found the class easily. When he entered the class, the teacher who seemed to be in the middle of a lecture stopped. "New student?" He asked with a small smile.

Why did these people smile so much?

Xander nodded, trying to ignore the murmurs of the students about him. He was used to them.

"Well come on in." The teacher said cheerfully, "Feel free to sit where you like."

Xander looked around the class, his eyes sweeping over the empty desks. They froze over a particular one which was beside the girl from a while ago.

Alexandra was busy writing her notes when the door to the classroom opened and the commotion began.

Her classmates were whispering about the "new kid" who apparently had really good grades and scored well in the entrance test.

She heard their teacher Mr.Ryan telling the new student to sit wherever he liked. She finally looked up, curious about him with their eyes met.

She held his gaze as he walked towards her, completely ignoring everyone else as if they weren't even there.

"Can I?" He asked, his voice coming out a little husky as if he hadn't talked much all day. For some reason Alexandra felt her face getting warm.

"Yeah." She said softly, her eyes fluttering as she looked back down at her book, much to Xander's disappointment.

Xander peered at her book, looking for the notes he probably missed. Noticing this, Alexandra pushed the book slightly in his direction, the movement ever so small one would think she had adjusted the book for writing better.

"Thanks." Xander murmured loud enough for her to hear as he began writing.

As the class went on, Xander and Alexandra were pretty much answering the questions at the same time or asking the same doubts much to everyone's amusement.

"So, who can tell me," Mr Ryan began, eyeing Xander and Alexandra with mirth in his eyes, "Who invented the Cartesian plane?"

As expected, their hands shot up in the air before anyone else's. They looked at each other and for a moment, were awestruck.

His smile, though a mere curve of his lips was enough for his already handsome face to look even more beautiful. It was like his eyes held a spark that could might as well ignite something in her heart, that made it race as if it was in a marathon.

She wanted to see more of that damn smile which was so beautiful, she was sure it was etched in her mind now.

The moment he saw her smile, Xander's heart beat like a warning drum, the imprint of that damn breathtaking smile in his mind as he felt the people around him could might as well cease to exist.

He couldn't help but wonder how she would look like if she smiled wholly, not just merely curve her lips a bit.

He realized he also had a smile on his face and quickly turned away, just like her. Just what on earth was this girl doing to him? He was sure he never smiled at anyone except his brothers. So what happened now?

Hearing the sound of a throat clearing, they looked back at their teacher. "Well, what's the answer?" The mirth in his eyes was replaced by something else, as he glanced at the two of them.

"René Descartes." The answer left their lips together, this time their smiles couldn't be controlled no matter how hard they tried.

Alexandra couldn't help but steal a glance at Xander, who was already looking at her, hoping to catch that smile again.

They were oblivious to the stares on them. Some filled with jealousy while a very few, like Mr Ryan's were of content that he finally got to see his favourite student smile.

'Maybe these two will be good for each other.' he thought as class ended and the students began leaving.

Alexandra realized he had the same classes as her and in every single one, they managed to sit together. If they didn't, she felt a wave of disappointment for a reason she didn't quite understand.

Just like in their third class, Chemistry. She had left her books in her locker. By the time she got them and got to class, almost all the seats were taken. She hid her disappointment as she noticed the desk next to Xander was occupied. By the one person she did not want to even look at.

So she sat at the empty desk near the window.

Xander waited for her to show up, hoping to sit next to her again. Why? He didn't know but he wanted to. He'd find the answers later.

But to his disappointment, some other girl sat beside him, without even asking if she could. Xander scowled.

"Hi! I'm Della." She smiled, extending her hand. Xander ignored her, his eyes trained on the door waiting for Alexandra to show up.

"Umm hello?" Della cleared her throat, obviously not liking being ignored.

Just when Xander was about to give her his harshest glare, Alexandra made her entrance.

Her eyes immediately found him. Xander was sure he saw the disappointment in her eyes as she looked at the desk next to him. This made him feel a little happy. Maybe she wanted to sit next to him.

His eyes followed her like a moth drawn to a flame as she made her way to an empty desk near the window.

Thankfully, the desk behind hers was empty.

He stood up without as much a second thought, completely ignoring the babbling girl beside him and made his way to the desk behind hers.

Alexandra looked up from her books at the sudden silence in the class and the disbelieved cry from Della.

Xander had just walked up to her desk when Della fixed her eyes on Alexandra, giving her a curious look.

Alexandra couldn't stop the pleasant feeling spreading in her chest when Xander sat behind her. And Della's expression of disbelief was a bonus.

In the middle of the lecture, Xander involuntarily raised his hand to play with her hair. Good thing he stopped himself before he touched it. He mentall smacked himself. Just what the hell was happening to him? If he would've touched her hair, without her permission might he add, it would've been downright creepy.

He inwardly groaned.

After the class ended, it was their free period.

Xander decided to check out the astronomy section of the library which the principal had talked greatly about. As he was putting away his books in his locker, he noticed Alexandra opening her own one a little roughly as if she was pissed off at something.

Just when she put away her books, a hand clutched hers, preventing her from closing the locker.

Her jaw taut, Alexandra slowly turned her head towards the person, her eyes glaring and her mouth curved in an annoyed scowl.

"We need to talk." It was Della and standing behind her were her old "friends".

Julia Edmonds, the girl so "kind and sweet" stepped between Della and Alexandra, with her expression of distraught. "Let's do this outside." She said, indicating the stares of everyone else.

Alexandra scoffed. "Sure. What will you do this time? Set two drunks loose on me?"

She fisted her hands as she spoke, trying to stop the horrible images from swarming her mind. Biting down on her tongue to stop the filthy memory of that person's disgusting hands- "Stop." She told herself, " You're safe now."

"Set two drunks loose on me?"

That question repeated in Xander's mind until he understood what she meant. He felt a sudden wave of rage surge through him as this triggered that one memory that was also his nightmare.

No one deserves to go through that.

His feet began moving on their own accord. Her clenched fists and downcast eyes told him enough of what was going on. She was remembering what happened, that much he could tell.

"It was just a joke!" Josh Anders said irritably. Xander wanted to punch his face off. But he stopped himself, noticing Alexandra's expression.

This was her fight. And she looked more than capable enough to show these idiots their place.

"Sure!" She said sarcastically, " Let's go and have a repeat of what happened. This time replace me with your girlfriend or your precious sister. Don't come banging on my door when they get traumatized." Her eyes were trained on the boy from the morning. The one who had the audacity to smile at her like nothing happened.

Julian Edmonds. The boy who was like a brother to her. He did nothing that night. Just like he's doing nothing now.

"Alexandra please." Julia pleaded, "not here."

This pissed her off more. She took a step forward, her whole figure trembling with rage. All the pent up emotions were begging to be let out and she was doing it in the form of her anger. She wouldn't cry no more. She wasn't that naive, idiotic girl she was back then.

"Why?" She asked mockingly, her eyes showing nothing but pure hatred as she stepped forward. "So everyone won't find out about what you did? So they won't find out what kind of sick, twisted people you are? How you locked me in and left a drunk asshole to fucking rape me?!"

She was yelling by the time the rape part came. Some students were downright recording the whole thing while the others watched in disbelief.

"Did she just-"

"Rape?!"

"So that's why they fought!"

"What if she's lying?"

Of course, not many believed Alexandra's words except a very few.

"That's not what happened!" Julia denied, tears threatening to fall from her blue eyes. "I know you hate us but this-"

"What's going on here?" A stern voice interrupted her, making everyone hold their breaths. It was the infamous Vice Principal of their school, Kenna Rhys, the absolute nightmare of the students.

Skimming her eyes over Julia's outstretched hand towards Alexandra, she fixed her steely gaze on Julia. "Miss Edmonds, I believe you and your friends were told to stay away from Miss White." It wasn't a question, but a statement. A statement that sent chills down their spines.

"We were just-"

"Harassing me." Alexandra interrupted, "As if what they did wasn't enough already."

The Vice Principal raised her eyebrows at Alexandra who crossed her arms on her chest, staring back at her unflinchingly.

"I think we do need to call your parents this time." She said finally, her eyes moving to the group who looked at her in disbelief.

Josh was the first to protest. "All we did was try to talk to her!"

"You were told not to." The Vice Principal said simply, "You were clearly told to mind your own business and stay away from Miss White. Seems that warning was not clear enough for you."

Julian stared at Alexandra pleading with his eyes. "We just wanted to apologize-"

"That's enough!" Miss Rhys snapped, adjusting her glasses, "to the Principal's office, all of you."

She then turned towards the rest of the crowd. "Back to your classes. Now!"

"Miss White." She called Alexandra as she was about to head to the Principal's office. "You're free to go to your class. Although, I would advise to go see him in your free time. And next time they approach you, please inform me or the other teachers before-"

"Letting everyone know what happened?" Alexandra interrupted, still a little pissed off.

The Vice Principal sighed. "I wish that wasn't the case, believe me." Her eyes flashed with sympathy as she spoke, "But they were right. You don't have any proof against them. Thank goodness nothing...worse happened that night. I believe you but others don't. I'm sorry."

Alexandra sighed. "Thank you." She murmured, loud enough for her to hear. Then she left without another word.

Xander did not want to leave just yet. He wanted to make sure she was all right. God knows how hard it would've been for her. Leaning against the book shelf in the library, he ran his hand through his hair. "Why am I so worried about a girl I barely know?" He mumbled to himself.

"This isn't like me at all." He straightened up. Looking at the different astronomy books, he moved forward, trailing his hands on them. Just when he was about to pick one, another hand touched it at the same time, accidentally touching his hand.

It was her.