CHAPTER - 1

So, that was what blood tasted like. Metallic. Hmm. Never had I thought in the least I would know the taste like this. Being a food lover, I could estimate the taste of almost everything. But this took me by surprise. My mom was especially careful that I never shed a drop of blood. Until now, anyway. That always bugged me. I mean, why was she that careful just about not bleeding? Motherly instincts? I don't think so. I mean, my mom loves me, sure. But no mom would have baby-proof pens in the house. That was the reason I'd always doubted this. But then, what hadn't I doubted? It wasn't the right time to think about stuff like that, so I let the thought pass. Also, I wasn't entirely sure I could process everything in the condition I was in. I turned over and just lay there, on my school's basketball court. Being a junior wasn't bad. Being a junior here was bad. I'd known it all along, since my childhood. But never knew the facts until today's after-school hours. Know what's weirder? The guys who bet me up don't even go here anymore. They just did what they thought they needed to. I seriously considered not going to school, but I took the chance. Also, even if I had known beforehand, I would still go to this school in this very town. Because this was home. And honestly, I couldn't imagine my life anywhere else. Looking at the dark sky, I felt something. Something good stirred in my chest. Even though I was beaten up almost to my death. Maybe that's why it was home. Makes you feel better no matter what. Never have I been hurt this bad. And this was just the start. It's hardly been two weeks since school started. But on the bright side, this week had been better. Because Anwir had my back, just like he did now. Just like always. We've been friends pretty much since day one, of my life. When we moved here, my mom had me and our neighbors were the Turners. And luckily, they had just moved into that neighborhood. So, this friendship started with a hereditary base, but this guy grew on me. More than a brother. He was six months older than me. God, we've been inseparable since…. forever. And now too, he went to get me some help rather than fight the seniors off and that is a smart decision I asked him to make. And like it had always been. Because it was kind of established that I was smarter than him. The evening-night sky of Crystal River, Florida, was just mesmerizing. I give to it that it's pretty humid but still, the breeze was amazing. And even though I was enjoying it, my body kept giving me these signs that I exceeded my pain threshold. And they were pretty un-ignorable. Was that grammatically, correct? I should hope so. And the fact that Anwir's been gone for like, I don't know how long, started to bug me. Felt like a lifetime though. I was not fully alert. My eyes kept fluttering. It wasn't like I was inching closer to death or anything, I just banged my head to the ground while falling. Didn't damage my eyes more than I already had, though. It wasn't entirely my fault. Spectacles were my family heirloom. And I was proud that I could see someone coming. I sighed gratefully. Maybe it was too soon to be happy. Maybe it wasn't. It's always a chance. Well, I exactly couldn't know who was walking down to me because the first thing that those jerks broke of mine were my spectacles. Next, my lower body. But when that person held my head in their hands, I instantly knew that it wasn't Anwir. They gave me my specs and then could I see. The left glass had cracked a little at the corner.

It was a girl. I didn't know her. So, she might be new. Her tone caught my attention.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm hurt," I said, gesturing to my body.

"Oh, yeah. You are. Who did this to you?"

I groaned.

"Wait, let me guess. Grover and gang?"

Why would she ask me if she was going to answer it on her own?

"Who are you?" My voice sounded gruff, covering my annoyance. Anwir said that was one plus side of it. I really didn't see how.

"I'm Avy. Avy Winston?"

"Oh! Not interested in the family business, I take it?" I whispered to myself. Myself being the keyword here. And if she thought it was harsh, then we would have to talk longer. So instead of all that, I muttered under my breath. But then, "I'm sorry?" she asked.

"Winston Publishers," I cut short.

"Yeah," she said, sounding surprisingly sad.

"You don't have to help me. I can take care of myself."

"Nice to meet you too," she taunted. Her tone was something very close to what Mom sounded like when she was exhausted. With me.

"And you are?" she asked. There was some emotion in her voice that wasn't very...…pleasant. And I wasn't interested enough to ask her what that was.

"Doesn't matter. I can make it, okay?"

"Dude, you can barely stand. Just let me, alright?"

"How can I trust you?"

I had to ask her that. I was already distressed. If she intended to, she could kill me. Also, that was a question I would ask any stranger. She looked me up and down.

"What? Are you seriously asking me that?"

"Looks like it, doesn't it?" She rolled her eyes at my response.

"Sorry. Don't mind him. He loves being a jerk."

Anwir cut in between, glaring at me.

"It wasn't intentional." I was wired that way.

"Oh, it never is. Is it?"

"For the first time sir, yes."

He too rolled his eyes at me before turning to her and saying, "Hey, I'm Anwir. You are?"

"Avy Winston." She smiled. She didn't do that while talking to me.

"Whoa. That's cool. You-" I cleared my throat. His face fell a little. "Yeah, right. Do you mind?"

"No, go ahead. Just keep him away from…well, human beings. If he talks like that, he's bound to get beaten up."

"I really am sorry. It's just…. You don't know what he's been through."

That was the politest way of putting my bitchiness. She held up her arms in resignation and turned to walk away. White flag by the opponent.

Game. Set. Point Ash.

"I got some cotton and an anti-septic. Let me clean up and put some band-aids, cool?"

His hands were already nearing my legs.

"You see me arguing?"

"A thanks could've done the job" he commented and got to work.

Avy had gone inside. I was relieved.

"Dude, that wasn't cool. Back with her."

Not right now.

"Oh, come on. You know me. New people? Not my jam. The only topic in which I have zero curiosity."

"I know. And that's the reason I'm the only friend you have. I don't know if I have to feel proud or pathetic."

He dabbed fiercely on my leg.

"Ow! Man, what the hell?" I shrieked as he kept dabbing on those spots of torn skin with that goddamned spirit.

"Grover the hell."

"Not funny."

I knew he wasn't trying to be funny. Grover had been an issue for almost half our lives. Trying to convince Anwir that he wasn't exactly the threat was surprisingly harder than facing the big guy.

"What does he have against you anyway?"

Again, bad timing.

"You're honestly asking me that? After everything?" I was sounding very irritated and I wanted to.

"I mean, it wasn't your fault, was it? What happened."

"He didn't hit me though. He didn't even ask the other guys to do it.

So, there is a possibility he's still that Grover inside."

"Really, Ash? He could've stopped them. Do you realize that?"

He waited a moment for me to answer.

"You're smart enough to. I know it. You're just choosing not to, dude. Whatever. The thing I don't get is, why didn't you hit back?"

Time to test my lying abilities.