Chapter one

We were all told the stories as kids. Our parents got their 'markings' when they met their soulmates. I didn't believe in it myself, they just looked like ordinary tattoos kids at my school got when they were drunk and I don't think I've seen any 'soulmate marks' (as my sister calls them) on any people other than my family. The stories behind the markings go like this: one day you'll start to see the outline, and then slowly, as your soulmate gets closer to you, the mark will become darker until it is complete. I'm told the mark usually represents something special to your soulmate, my dad, for example has a flower because my mam loves flowers, she's always outdoors making sure our garden looks nice. And my mam has the moon, because as a kid my dad loved nothing more than to study the sky at night. I'm sure my soulmate would have a pencil if it really was true, maybe they could have a sketchbook too, if you hadn't already guessed I'm quite into drawing. My art teacher always says I'll be the next Leonardo da Vinci but I don't feel like my art is that good. Anyway, time to start my story, like my parents did before me and their parents did before them blah blah. It's basically just another 'tradition' let's say, once you turn sixteen you have to write your story. They even give out lessons in school for it now, an hour every week so you don't fall behind, after all, life can move pretty quickly sometimes.

'Anna, wake up! We're gonna be late!' I woke up to my sister, Jess, standing over me, 'What time is it?' I mumbled, still drowsy from sleep. She sighed and dragged my blanket off me, 'Come on, move.' I glanced at the clock and realised she was right, I had slept in. 'My alarm didn't go off.' I said, using my favourite excuse as we hurried for the school bus, late once again due to me. We barely made it in time and both clambered onto the bus, red in the face and my sister immediately ran off to sit with her friends, she's two years younger than me and her friends are a little too childish for my liking, but my friends aren't any better. My two best friends are Ella and Chris, together we're like the three musketeers and by that I mean we always get into to trouble. Ella is the worst, she gets into trouble for wearing 'inappropriate' clothes to school and disrupting classes, she's the very loud and outgoing type. Chris is the opposite, he's gay, he's always nice to everyone and he's great for boy talk, he can be loud sometimes but only if he's with us. I'm like Ella, loud and outgoing, except I can talk my way out of trouble really easily. I found Ella and Chris in our usual seats at the back of the bus.

'Hey Anna.' Ella said, not looking up from her phone as I approached them, 'Hey guys, guess who's alarm didn't go off again?'. As I said it Chris looked at me with disbelief, 'Anna, we all know you never set it in the first place, you're always forgetting to set it.' Ella laughed and I just smiled, they know me so well.

I didn't see Chris again until PE. I had just changed and was walking towards the hall ready for an hour of exercise when an unfamiliar face came into view. He was tall, and definitely good looking, I tried not to stare as he walked past me. He pushed open the door to the hall and held it open, I realised he was holding it to let me through so I stumbled forward, inwardly cursing myself for being so clumsy, and mumbled 'thank you' as I entered the hall.

'What's got you to blush like that?' Chris said as I walked over to him and Ella, 'Nothing.' I said quickly, I don't know why I was blushing, he barely even noticed me, just held the door to be polite.

I couldn't focus for the rest of the day, all I could think about was him.