7. The beginning... Of the end.

I'm happy to announce, my days of not showing up at school were short.

By short I mean, by the next day I was already up and about, ready to take the school day head-on. Plus, I had learned my lesson on abusing my pain medication by taking two at a time instead of a handful. Prescription or not.

Suzy was coming to pick me up, so I had that covered and considering I had no idea when my car would be fixed after out of nowhere it decided to die on me in the middle of the high way a few days back, Suzy was the best next thing I was thankful for.

"Mom," I called as I walked barefoot down our corridor to the kitchen where I was sure she was busy making coffee. A few of our black framed picture frames on either side of the walls decorated the pale white paint, creating a nice, welcoming contrast to the eye. "Have you seen the boots I wore the day before yesterday? Everything was a bit fuzzy then."

"Yeah, they are right there by the door."

Mom who just as I thought, sat on the table with her laptop in front of her and a cup of coffee not far from her reach, looked up as I walked in and smiled at me long enough for me to return it before she went back to typing in her laptop.

Deciding I would wear my shoes after coffee, I poured myself a cup and sat opposite her and quietly enjoyed the warmth it brought on my somewhat empty stomach.

"Sorry baby, I have this shipment container I have to clear and forward to the owner, and I'm already running out of time."

"That's okay, I'm just waiting for Suzy. She should be here soon."

As we lapsed back into the only sound between us being the keyboard, I realized something about her. "Are you working from home today?"

"What?" She looked a bit confused with my question.

"You are usually ready by this..."

"Hurry up, cripple. We are almost late," Suzy's voice rung through our house, stopping me from finishing what I wanted to say and startling the peaceful quiet talk both mom and I had going on as she walked through our front door. A big smile on her face and a tight, blue, skinny jeans on her tight skinny thighs.

I rolled my eyes as mom sniggered.

"Oh, Miss Sophia," she said to my mom. "You look as lovely as ever."

She didn't. Look lovely as ever I mean. In fact, this morning mom looked rather tired might I add, like she hadn't slept all night.

Don't get it twisted, I'm not saying my mom was ugly. Quite the opposite actually. She was a beauty with long, wavy, blonde hair. Alabaster skin, not like mine naturally sun-kissed. Beautiful pink, pouty lips, something I'm happy to say I inherited, by the way.

All in all, my mom was a stunning woman. The contrast between her dark eyes, something else I inherited from, and her blonde hair guaranteed a pure, not even trying beauty.

But that morning, she wasn't even ready yet for work, and her hair on top of her head in a supper bad-made, messy-bun perched right in the middle of her head was not at all a sight for beauty. Top that up with the pink robe she wore, yeah, you can see how beautiful was not what comes to mind.

I didn't say any of that out loud.

"How are you, Suzanne? I haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh, I'm okay." Suzy flung her arms against her shoulders in a tight hug. "School is really keeping me busy."

"Well I hope it does."

"Alright then." I got down from my chair and put on my jean jacket around my shoulders. "We should go."

"Bye, Miss Sophia."

"You two behave," she called behind us as Suzy and I took a short work to her car. I could see in the corner of my eye the way she stared at my hand-cast and I knew she had questions about that but I also knew she would wait until I'm settled in the car to barrage me with those said questions.

That's just who she was.

What surprised me was the fact she waited to ask or even say anything at all until we were almost reaching the school gates.

"So, Logan asked about you yesterday. He was sorry about your hand, I think."

Okay, I didn't expect her to start with the questions on behalf of someone else.

"You two buddies now."

"Well, I've always known him, and Leo since they are friends with Luke."

Right.

"To be honest with you, I'm kinda over it."

I didn't know if I spoke the truth just then.

*****

It was well within the afternoon part of the day when Suzy and I sat in the biology class, busy with learning when the fire alarm went off, startling every student in the class.

See, the fire alarm had never gone off in this school before. At least not on any days that I was in a classroom. Not that I haven't been in a class that many times.

Yeah, I hardly miss school.

So, the sound of the alarm at first just puzzled a lot of us, causing heads to snap around, facing each other questionably.

"Okay, that's it," the teacher's voice took our distracted attention. "Please, fashionably exit the classroom."

Let me tell you. There was no fashionable exit whatsoever.

Shouts, screeches of the table and chairs was what could be heard as everybody scrambled to getting the heck out of the classroom as if the fire had started in the class itself. In their merry band of chaos, they caused even some of us, like me who didn't plan on freaking out for no good reason, to have our hearts jump in panic.

"I said slowly. Watch it, you are going to hurt each other."

Nobody was listening to the small voice of the teacher. It completely disappeared to the sea of chaos.

The moment I stood up from my chair, ready to follow the mass, Suzy grabbed my arm and sat me back down.

"Not yet." She pointed her finger to the confusion in the small exit door. "You don't want to be in the middle of that."

She was right, so we waited a few more minutes until the students discarded enough for a walk without being tramped to our death. Outside the corridors, a mass of students from different classrooms followed a stream of other students to the designated assembly area.

Here's another thing that completely took me by surprise once my senses came back. About five minutes standing outside at the assembly opening, I realized my eyes were searching for something. I swear I didn't even know what I was looking for until I found it. And did I mention in my quest for searching I had completely ignored Suzy who was definitely saying something to me?

There, on the furthest area, a little to my right side, I found what my eyes were looking for. Or rather whom I was looking for.

Clad in black, almost fitting T-shirt, dark blue jeans, and black sneakers. The dude was a sight for sore eyes.

The day I punched him and broke my wrist in the process, maybe I was just too busy being angry at him to acknowledge it, but damn, Suzy was a hundred percent right, the guy should be illegal.

He stood there; hands folded in front of his chest. From the angle I was, his hair was like a pool of deep, black waters glistened by the sun. It sparked. Busy speaking to Leo allowing me to only see the side of his face. The way his lips would pucker every time he spoke was mesmerizing and when he smiled, I found myself unable to look away.

As if he could feel my burning stare, he angled his head in a way that told me his eyes were also searching the area. It remained like that for a few seconds until they finally settled on mine.

Beautiful.

Green.

Bright.

Now I really couldn't look away even if I wanted to.

He looked at me and for a moment, just a moment, we held each other's gazes.

The spell or whatever that was, broke the second he took a step, definitely towards me only to be cut short with a Strawberry-blonde bombshell I would recognize anywhere, even if she would be standing about thousand miles away and completely facing the opposite direction.

Heck, everybody would recognize her.

With a signature high, tight ponytail like hers and a fiercely perfect body to go with, she was not one to be messed with.

The daughter of Senator Baily freaking Broadway.

If that wasn't identification enough, the two girls fanning on either side of her like freaking puppies spoke volumes.

Charlotte.

Of course, they knew each other.

The two were most probably, the handsomest and the prettiest in the whole school. How come I never knew about Logan before was beside me, and I planned on asking that to Suzy one of these days. I guess the popularity, or in their case, looks rolled together.

With her taking over his line of sight, he broke the eye contact with me and looked at Charlotte who stood with both her arms against her narrow waist causing her short skirt to look even shorter leaving her long legs in-display behind her.

For some reason, I was disappointed.

Shame on me.

"So, what's the deal with those two?" I finally gave my attention back to my best friend.

Shame on me again.

"Who?"

I tipped my head to where Logan still stood, talking to Charlotte while Leo stood just behind him.

"Oh, them. I don't know, never seen them together."

"What about Leo?"

"What about him?"

"I mean, he seemed nice when I met him the other day."

Suzy smiled and I realized she was smiling at Leo whom after I followed her line of sight, he was looking back at us. Both of us raised our hands for a simple wave of our hands.

"He is. You should talk to them," she said through the hand wave. "They are all nice. Well, Logan is a little... different, but nice none the less."

I looked back to Logan and for another moment, we locked eyes but Charlotte in front of him seemed to have been demanding all his attention. So, the eye contact this time was fleeting and I looked away.

"May I have your attention please?" The headteacher's voice on the intercom demanded our attention. Slowly, the chartering died down as we listened. "A small fire had occurred in one of our storage units but thankfully, everything is already under control and there is nothing to worry about. Everybody can return to your respective classes."

"Well, that was a waste of time." Suzy grabbed my hand and together, we walked back to the biology class.

I hate to admit, but I was really trying hard not to think about what Logan would have said to me if he would have been able to reach me.