Chapter 1

"Artemis," a man's faint voice called in the distance, a bit of annoyance in it, and I wondered why, "Artemis Kelley."

My eyes dart open after I had realized that I dozed off in the middle of my presentation.

Surprisingly, I still had a tight hold of the little remote that would change the projector screen to my next PowerPoint slide. I realized that THIS is why my professor sounded annoyed.

You had just fallen asleep while speaking in the middle of your college class. Of course, he would be annoyed, Art. I scolded myself.

"Oh, uh..." I quickly set the remote down and turned to him as I grabbed my supplies. "I can't do this."

A few gasps echoed around the class of 35 students as my professor raised his eyebrow, nodding slightly to dismiss me, moving on with the next student presentation.

I felt a little embarrassed, but people's thoughts of me rarely had any effect these days. I was used to the stares, the comments. Nothing anyone could say or do ever tore me down. What was the point in caring anyway? Most everyone was just projecting what was going on in their own lives. It had nothing to actually do with me.

I was the smart kid. The one who never failed a pop quiz or assignment. Hell, I never got below an A+ if I was being honest. I kept to myself most of the time, hardly interacting with any of the others, so that also didn't earn me any points. Unless you were counting the "loser" points.

My parents were big mythology nerds, hence the name Artemis. I received my good grades from their genes, and there was no question there. They were very talented scientists, both of them. I said were and not are because.. well... experimenting with so many different chemicals and tests can have a very negative impact on one's body. My mother, especially.

Not to mention, my dad was out of the picture now, and my step dad was left to care for me. He was a scientist as well. He wasn't as smart.

We buried Mom a few months ago... September 28th. I was having a very hard time coping with this loss. We had been very fortunate in the fact that my family rarely lost anyone and rarely had to go to the hospital for anything. I wasn't used to this kind of pain. My grades definitely reflected that. She would be so disappointed in me.

My step dad had stopped going to their lab. He started drinking again. Mom never liked him when he was drinking. Neither did I. He was mean, aggressive, and scary. Nothing I couldn't handle. He would never lay a harmful hand on me. I knew that. That didn't stop me from being scared when he yelled.

I left the class and felt my heart sink down to my stomach, making my back find the nearest wall and slide down as I hugged my knees to my chest. All I could hear was a loud, constant beep ringing in my ears. I knew what the sound was. It has happened often ever since that day.

I wouldn't necessarily call it PTSD. I was smarter than that. There were people out there with FAR worse trauma than a flat line on a heart monitor. Of course, I have still seen a therapist from the time my mom first was admitted into the hospital until...well now.. I wasn't saying that my mental state wasn't fucked up, because let's face it, I knew it was. I just meant that, to me, my problems were no where near as bad as others...

Maybe having a mind set like that made mine worse.

My hands were gripped so tightly onto my forearms that I could feel my nails digging into my skin. My knees were digging into my chest as I kept my eyes closed and tried to breathe through it like my therapist had shown me months ago to try and help me sleep at night.

I didn't tell them at the time, but that never worked for me.

No matter how many slow, deep breaths I took or how many times I counted from 1 to 10, I always felt the same and just had to suffer and let the feelings dull back down eventually. The feelings never truly go away, though.

I felt a presence over me and my eyes slowly opened, seeing solid black converse with a thin rainbow line around the very bottom rim of the outsole, very subtle and hardly noticeable as a rainbow unless you were staring right at them, which I didn't have a choice at the moment.

My eyes slowly followed up the dark grey, very ripped up skinny jeans that really complimented this person's lightly sun-kissed and smooth looking skin to an unbuttoned blue and white flannel, a tight black sports bra under that, her very toned stomach muscles contracting just a little as she probably watched me look them over. It wasn't exactly on purpose. I was still in the middle of a panic attack... but finally, I looked up at this girl's face.

Words weren't available as I stared up at this girl, my mouth slightly open in shock.

Could I call myself gay? Not really. Bi? Eh.. It was a hard decision when trying to label yourself. Let's just say I knew when someone was very, VERY attractive, and this girl definitely was.

Her eyes were the lightest shade of blue/grey that I had ever seen. She gave me a very sweet smile that made my heart skip a beat and the breath catch in my lungs. She pulled her backpack strap more onto her shoulder, holding it there with one hand. Her voice was even more alluring than her eyes and smile. It was so soft and gentle as she spoke, "I'm sorry for bothering you. You're just the first person I have seen, and I can't seem to find -"

"Let me see your schedule," I accidentally interrupted.. or maybe it wasn't exactly on accident. This girl had caught me completely off guard, and my ears were still trying to stop their ringing after my little episode. My hands finally released my arms as I took the paper that she had held out to me so confidently.

Even if I had been a bit rude, her smile never faltered, and her eyes never left mine. I had to pull my gaze away to read where she was supposed to be, then slowly pointed to the left. "Just down the hall, take a right, and it should be the second door on your right after that."

"Thank you. Again, I apologize. I'm new here." She took her schedule back with her left hand and then held out her right. "I'm Ryan."

I took her hand and nodded, shivers running down my spine as we touched.. She seemed to have the same reaction because we both quickly made eye contact again after glancing at our hands.

"I... uh... I'm - " My words failed me as I stared into her gorgeous eyes, unable to get my mouth functioning again.

"Art!" My best friend, Sophia, hurried over to me and pulled me up. "Come on. We have to gooo... " She laughed. "We're going to be late." She practically ripped me away from Ryan's grasp, but I could feel Ryan's eyes on my back as Sophia pulled me down the hall in a quick manner.

Late? Late where?

My brain was still focused on that girl, and for the first time in a long time, the constant ringing in my ears had stopped. For once, I was distracted from everything I had been feeling for over a year.

I honestly didn't care that our little moment was cut short by Sophia. She has always been like this. Very energetic and go, go, go all the time. Though, even if we were in a hurry to the event I had completely forgotten about, that didn't stop her from smirking devilishly and flicking me in the shoulder. "Soooo... Who was thaaaat?" She laughed as I gave a little glare in her direction.

"I don't know. Some new girl just needed directions, that's all."

And that's all it was. Nothing more. Nothing less. It was a 30-second conversation, and then it was over. I saw her schedule. We didn't have ANY classes together whatsoever. I would likely never run into her again, so there was no reason to get hyped up.

"Mhmm, I don't believe that for one second. You should have seen the face you were giving her." Then Sophia paused to give her best impression of the face she thought I made. It seemed to be a mix between fear and lust, and I really hoped that girl did not notice that look if that's really the look I gave her.

Sophia tended to over exaggerate a lot, but I loved her for it. After all the hell I put her through when my mother passed, she was still by my side. I was very grateful to have someone like her in my life. Even if she annoyed the ever loving shit out of me most days.. and she knew it, too. Sometimes, I imagine that she does it on purpose.

We arrived at the college art studio, but the doors were literally chained shut with a padlock on it.

Sophia went up and pulled on the door handle anyway, looking back to me. "What the hell?"

There was a sign posted beside one of the doors that read, "Closed indefinitely. Budget Cuts."

"What?!" I looked around quickly and then looked back to the sign.

There were so many thoughts running through my mind. The most apparent feeling on my face was anger. Art was everything to me. It took me to a different place every time that I picked up a pencil or paint brush. A better place. I didn't understand why this was happening.

This year of all years? It couldn't have been next year after I graduate? I had been coming here for a little over two years. Two whole years of my art is on those walls, and I am losing it all because of budget cuts.

All of mine and Sophia's work was inside, probably along with every other aspiring artist sitting out here on these concrete steps. They all looked defeated, completely destroyed on the inside. Months of long, hard hours put into our pieces, and they were just gone? Surely, we should have received an email or something to warn us, but never did.

How could they just do this? They had PLENTY of funds to hand off to the football team who could never win a single game even if every odd was in their favor. It wasn't fair, but honestly, I wasn't that surprised.

The both of us sat there all afternoon, just watching people pass us by, a few people glanced over at the chains, but no one seemed to actually care what was going on. It was JUST art, after-all. It wasn't THAT important, or so everyone was thinking.

What were we going to do? You would think that if we were minoring in art they would at least give us a heads up and a schedule change, but they didn't.

The cold wind of winter finally got to me as I shivered and slowly stood up off of the steps, hugging my sweater to my body. "I'm going into work early. I'll figure something out, I swear. See you soon." I gave Sophia a soft smile and rubbed her head, then let out a small laugh as I walked away.

She always hated that. It would mess up her hair, but I found it pretty funny when she would swat my hand away and start running her fingers through her hair to fix it with a little glare. Serves her right for teasing me about Ryan earlier.

- - -

Minutes turned into hours, but I could have sworn I had already been here an eternity.

Today was so slow. I didn't even know why they needed me tonight, but I did definitely need the money... Secret money that I hid from my step dad so that he wouldn't go spend it on booze and cigarettes or whatever he was into doing nowadays.

Before I caught on, he had been stealing cash out of my room without me knowing and when I found out, he blamed me and told me that I shouldn't just leave it laying around.

Laying around in my OWN bedroom? Yeah, okay.

That's when I had lied and told him that I lost my job so he would stop snooping in my things for money to feed his addictions.

I know what you're thinking. I could just get a dorm room at the campus and never have to see my step dad again. The funny part was that I couldn't do that to him. Sure, it sounded like he really sucked, but he didn't always suck. He was the dad that I never got to have since my father wasn't around. He helped me through many things and before he had picked up drinking again? One of those things consisted of him helping me stay calm and move on with life like my mother would want for me.

Otherwise, I would very much so still be stuck in bed with my comforter pulled over my head and never eat or even shower.

The point is... I thought he needed me and until he does something unforgiveable, I can't leave him alone. Plus, I tried the whole living at a campus thing a few years back and it just wasn't for me, but that's a story for another time.

I was lost in my thoughts while cleaning up all the coffee spills and random latte splatters and toppings everywhere. I needed to find somewhere else to do my art. I desperately needed to. It was the one thing I still had to get away from this hell of a world and now it was being taken away.

If I tried to do it at home, my paintings and drawings would most likely get ruined by alcohol stains from the drunk that lived with me so that was pointless. I would just end up more discouraged that way.

A boy from art class slowly walked up to the counter and I watched him quietly with one of my best customer service smiles. I knew who he was vaguely, or at least knew his name was Chase. He had tried to ask me out a time or two before, but I believe that I had just ignored him.

I wasn't looking for anything right now and I didn't want to give him the wrong idea by saying that I would go out on a date with him.

Don't get me wrong. This boy was hot. He had slightly longer, black shaggy hair and green eyes with amazing cheekbones and definitely a fine, toned body, but I just... wasn't interested and I had no idea why he would be interested in me in the first place. We just painted in the same studio, that was it.

"Hey, Art," he started and I internally groaned, but refused to let him kill my mood further. "I was just wondering if you thought anymore about my question?"

I wanted to kind of be a bitch and ask, "What question?"

But instead... I was polite and gave a slightly empathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Chase. I haven't. It just isn't a good time for me. I hope you understand." I said it in the nicest voice I could muster up and he seemed to accept it at first.

He let out a little sigh as his green eyes watched mine closely, a little smirk coming to his face. "Come on, we can go to my place, watch a movie, eat popcorn. It could be fun."

Again, I just answered calmly and politely. "No, thank you, Chase. I really do appreciate the offer, but I can't. Would you like your usual?"

I could see the disappointment written all over his face and his body language kind of made me uneasy some. He just nodded and rolled his eyes, paying for his coffee and waiting for it over in a different line.

I came face to face with those big beautiful eyes from this morning. Ryan. I had worked right across the street from the university so I always saw many students here. It made sense that she would come here like everyone else. She was probably trying to find friends.

Her smile lifted my mood just a little, that familiar feeling of calmness washing over me only for a moment until I realized that she had probably just witnessed that awkward conversation between me and Chase. I wondered how long she had been standing there listening, but she didn't seem at all curious... at least her face didn't show that she was.

As she got closer, my heart started racing and I kind of wondered what the hell I was going to get myself into with this girl. I didn't even know her. All I knew was her name. That was literally it.

But something was just pulling me to her. Was it her long white/silver hair with perfect curls? Was it her very light colored eyes? I wasn't sure, but one thing was certain... My breath definitely hitched when she made eye contact with me.

What the hell? I had JUST declined a date offer and my mind was already rethinking the whole "I don't wanna date anyone" thing? It was two seconds ago!

I very quietly sighed under my breath and returned to looking slightly up at Ryan. She was only a couple inches taller than me and whenever she looked down to meet my stare, I felt very intimidated and yet sheepish. I think I liked it.

"Hey, um... Sorry, again, for earlier." She laughed softly and it sounded like music to my ears though it did have a tad bit of nervousness to it. "I realized that I never got your name." She only gave a light smile, no teeth, and it almost challenged me to make her smile for real so that I could see it.

I could see Sophia smirk from the corner of my eye, her face slowly turning to look in my direction as her eyebrow slightly raised... waiting on my response and reaction. Sophia worked with me. We were practically inseparable, granted that she in fact was the only person I ever spoke to.

I silently cursed Sophia for that look she was giving me.

My mouth opened and I looked up slightly, right into Ryan's eyes, my heart jumping up just like before. "I um... It's-"

God, speak Artemis. She's just a girl.

Easy for you to say.

Her eyes never once lost their focus on mine and I could see that even though her smile didn't fade at all, there was something that she was hiding behind those light sea-glass colored eyes. This girl had secrets. I could feel it. The happiness didn't quite reach her eyes like the smile was always for show. I knew this look all too well. I still did this when I smiled or laughed as well. It was all too familiar and yet intimidating at the same time.

Maybe getting involved with her wouldn't be the best idea.

I finally snapped out of my thoughts and blinked a few times when I realized that she was still there and waiting for me to say something.

"Artemis, but most people just call me Art." I smiled at her, just lightly.. it felt like a very forced and tired smile, but I was still upset over all of my projects being trashed earlier today. Not to mention, being at work kind of dampened my mood.

She smiled a little again, "That's a cute name. I like that." Her eyes looked me up and down just for a second, taking in my appearance.

I was still in the clothes I had worn earlier, only now I wasn't wearing my sweater. I had on a V-neck black t-shirt and dark blue skinny jeans, a dark colored apron to keep my clothes from getting any mess on them while on the clock.

My cheeks began to heat up under her gaze and at her compliment. I wondered what she thought of the way I looked. Was I cute or just my name? Did she find me hot like I found her? She was pretty fucking hard to read and I was SO good at reading people. It was slightly concerning.

If she asked me what I had thought of her, I would probably turn bright red and hide under this damn counter, but if Sophia was right, everyone could just tell what I had thought of Ryan by looking at me.

I don't know what this girl is doing to me, but I'm not so sure that I mind it.

This couldn't be good...

- - -

Thank you guys for reading!!!