Chapter 1

– Thirteen years later –

- BIP BIP BIP

Stupid Alarm, I thought. I slowly reached out to grab my cell phone and cut out that hellish noise. I let out a long sigh as I stretched out in bed, realizing it was only Thursday. I mechanically got out of bed to reach my bedroom window, the contact of the cold floor with my bare feet made me shiver. When I opened my shutters, I discovered a beautiful clear sky and a dazzling Sun which was beginning to dawn. It announced a beautiful day in early spring, a day that unfortunately I was going to have to spend in a classroom.

I showered before getting dressed in fourth gear to go down to the kitchen. Hannah, my cousin, was waiting for me with two steaming mugs in her hands.

- Hi Callum, she cried. I put your waffles on the table.

- Thank you cousin, I answered after a yawn.

I sat down at the table and Hannah came over to me.

- I love you cousin, she whispered to me, hugging me.

Hannah had always been the first person to give me a smile in the morning. I adored him. She was my cousin and my adoptive sister since her mother, my Aunt Sophia, had adopted me when I was two years old. For thirteen years, they had both taken care of me. Even though my aunt was less present because of her work, they had both always been there for less and without them, I would not be who I am today.

- Devlin invited me to his birthday party tonight, I said to Hannah.

- Isn't your friend having his party tomorrow?

- Yes, but he's also having a little party tonight. Just between him, me, Missy and a friend of his. He wants to have an evening in a small committee before the big party with his basketball team in particular. Besides, he wanted to be sure that I was there since big parties aren't really my thing.

- OK, no problem. Hannah replied with a shrug. Are you going alone or shall I take you?

- No, I'll go home alone.

- OK.

I let out a long sigh thinking about the day ahead.

- We're leaving in thirty minutes, Hannah said, cutting herself a slice of bread and putting jam on it.

I ran to my room to finish getting ready, hoping that the day would pass quickly.

I got out of my cousin's Honda after thanking him. She had gotten this car for her sixteenth birthday, two years before. As for me, I was going to celebrate my sixteenth birthday during the summer and pass my license in stride, I was tired of Hannah having to take me everywhere. I started walking to school with my headphones in my ears and not caring what was going on around me. That's why I jumped violently when two hands landed on my shoulders. Without realizing it, Devlin, my best friend, had slipped up behind me.

- You should see your face, Callum. he sneered. Magnificent, really.

He wore black jogging bottoms and sneakers, as well as a white T-shirt. His curly brown hair was still tucked under his Chicago Bulls cap and a thin beard adorned his chin.

Devlin was a nice boy. He liked to make jokes and he was a basketball fanatic. In fact, he was the captain, and also the star, of the high school basketball team. We had known each other since we were four years old and our friendship was the strongest on earth.

- I would do without seeing my face without problems, I answered in an ironic tone.

- As you wish, Devlin replied with a smirk.

- You didn't startle me for fun, did you?

- No, well not only. I wanted to ask you if you took your science book. I forgot mine on the living room table when I left this morning.

- Yeah, don't worry. Missy has hers anyway. By the way, do you know if it has already arrived?

- Thanks man, Devlin yelled, nudging me. You are saving my life. Without a book during Mrs. Szafnauer, I'm dead! By the way, are you still coming tonight?

- Obviously.

- Yes. And to answer your question, no I don't know if Missy arrived.

"Ah," I replied with more disappointment in my voice than I would have liked.

Devlin looked at me with a smirk.

- What ?

- Nothing, I just don't understand you. She's been our friend since elementary school. Really, I don't understand why you haven't spoken to her in all the time you've been talking.

- We already talked about that, Devlin. We are friends Missy and I. I don't want to lose what we have by confessing feelings to him that won't be reciprocated.

- How do you know it won't be mutual?

- I do not know. But I don't want to lose this friendship.

- You're making a mistake, I think. Talk to him or you'll regret it. And even if she doesn't love you, I don't think she'll stop talking to you because you told her you love her.

I shrugged. Devlin was probably right.

- By the way, he resumed. There's a new one in high school today.

- Ah yes, how do you know?

- Jordan, a friend from the basketball team, told me ten minutes ago. And it seems that it is a fighter plane!

- You shouldn't talk about other girls like that, I replied laughing. Imagine if Tessa could hear you.

- Well, I was mostly saying that for you. It's not me who's single.

- I'm not even going to answer that, I replied, nudging him.

Arriving in front of the school, we met Jolyon Rowland and three of his friends who, like him, were part of the school's football team. All bigger and bigger than each other and even if their results were mediocre, they thought they were rock stars and acted as if everything was allowed to them. Rowland, as usual, bumped into me as he passed.

- Hey, be careful Akkerman. he launched.

I turned around clenching my fists. Frankly, if I had to give a definition of the word "asshole", I would probably use this guy to illustrate it. He was big and strong but the worst thing was that he behaved like he was the king of the world. He had a puffy face, pit bull eyes and thick brown hair that I wondered how he managed to fit under his football helmet.

What a prick, I thought.

- Never mind him, Devlin whispered to me. Come on, let's go to class. If we're late for class again, Mr. Stoddart is going to kill us.

- Yeah, I replied without much enthusiasm.

Suddenly, hands clapped over Devlin's eyes.

- Guess who it is.

Devlin turned around and a smile appeared on his face. Tessa, his girlfriend had just arrived. She is a girl I knew little and who left me rather indifferent. She was only slightly smaller than him, but that was their charm. Devlin stroked Tessa's blonde hair before whispering something in her ear. They started kissing when Missy grabbed my arm.

- Next time, we'll rent them a room to these two.

I burst out laughing as we headed to his locker. Missy Farange was by far the coolest girl I knew. We had been together since elementary school with Devlin. First in almost all subjects, class representative and very popular, she was perfect and inspired me a lot. But it was for all these reasons that I had never dared to tell her what I felt for her for a year.

- You're coming to Devlin's tonight, aren't you? she asked me.

- Yes of course, I answered. You too, right?

- Sure.

- What are you talking about ? Devlin called and landed behind me, which startled me.

- From your party tonight, I replied.

- Alright boys, Missy called out to us, clutching her books to her chest. I leave you. I have German lessons. See you later.

- See you later, I mumbled.

Missy followed the hallway to the stairs after a wink.

- Ah yes, breathed Devlin. Downright.

- It's okay, Dev. I replied. You don't have to laugh because I mumble.

- What ? No, look.

Saying those words, he grabbed my sleeve to pull me back in his direction and I quickly understood why. A silence of amazement fell on the hall: the news had just made its entrance. She wore a black outfit that clung to her body, her transparent vest on the bottom revealed her flat stomach and her navel. Her black hair was tied in a ponytail. The outline of her gray eyes was drawn by delicate strokes of black eyeliner, which contrasted with her pale complexion.

All the girls present looked at her with jealousy while the guys were already drooling. She was escorted by a trio of idiots from the soccer team, of which Rowland was surprisingly not a member.

"Wow," Devlin belched.

- Hey, Tessa intervened, nudging him. You forgot me ?

Suddenly, I felt like a burn in the palm of my hands and this feeling only grew. Shit, I thought.

"Guys," I said, sounding more nervous than I wanted. I have to go to the toilet.

With that, I ran to the bathroom and rushed into a cubicle, sliding down with my back against the door. I stretched out my hands and the burning sensation subsided. Suddenly, small glowing flames sprung up before dancing in the hollow of my palms.