Chapter 1

A Year Later.

The sea of students flooded the halls of Clements HS, the muttering began as Maxim walked through the main doors of the building, students staring him up and down, confusion crossing his mind as he couldn't figure out why everyone was chatting quietly among themselves.

"Have I missed something?" Maxim turned his head to look at Eli who was just as confused as he was.

"Did you hear?" Oskar appeared from the classroom to the left of the two boys, his facial expression was hard to read, like a wall had been put up.

"Hear what?" Elijah asked as Maxim tried to read the other boy's face. He was always able to read Maxim, but today it was impossible.

"It's Geneviève." Oskar grabbed Maxim's arm and hauled him into the empty classroom, his lean body rested against the teacher's desk as he crossed his arms over his chest. "They found her this morning in her bedroom... she took her own life, Max."

The only sound were two broken hearts beating in an emotionless room. "Don't joke like that, I was only with her last night.. she was fine over the summer, we spent every day together. There were no signs!"

Maxim was confused, hurt and angry, he was hoping that his best friend was playing some sick joke and that she would twirl into the room being her happy self.

"I wish I was, her parents are in the office talking to the principal.."

Max didn't listen to the rest of what his friend had to say, he raced out of the room and towards the office of where Geneviève's parents were. For the boy it felt almost like a lifetime getting to his destination.

The sounds of sniffles and girl's sobbing rang through his ears as he finally reached the office, shoving the door open where he saw Mr and Mrs. Kraghon stood, shaking hands with the school's principal as he gave the grieving couple an apology.

"It can't be true.." Max spoke out, catching the attention of Mr. Kraghon, he placed his hand on his shoulder, tears brimming his eyes as he looked between the married couple. They were the King and Queen of Kraghon Kingdom, Maxim was lucky to be their daughter's best friend.

"I'm so sorry, Max.. she really loved you." Mrs. Kraghon spoke up, holding her balled up fist out towards him, he opened his palm as she placed a necklace into his hand along with a piece of paper.

"She wanted you to have these." Mrs. Kraghon broke down in tears before leaving the office, Maxim sat down in one of the chairs at the desk, his eyes never leaving the small frail chain.

"I think you should have the day off today, come back on Monday after her funeral." Principal Payne patted his shoulder gently before leaving him in the office.

LATER THAT DAY...

"Maxim?" The boy was laying on his bed, face into his pillow, his feelings numb as he thought about the times that he was with her, his mother gently pushed the bedroom door open to reveal her son.

Geneviève had always made Maxim happy, the two of them seemed like a couple to the world, they'd meet up at midnight on school nights, she would stay over and always treated his mother with respect, its like a family member had gone.

"Honey.. I'm so sorry about Evie, if you want anything just let me know.." She spoke so softly that it made the broken boy start crying into his pillow, he had been crying all day since he had found out.

"I don't get it, she was happy yesterday.. She was herself, she was carefree, why didn't she say anything?" The heartbroken boy turned his head to face his mother, tear stained cheeks as he just wanted her to take all of the pain away.

He resembled his father more in facial features, he had the cold look of his father that wanted nothing to do with them, but he had his mother's green eyes, black hair and most of all her loving, sensitive heart.

"I know you're in pain, Maxim, but you must keep your head up high, she will forever be the love of your life and you can deny that you never loved each other, but everyone saw it. Now you mustn't let anyone see you cry or they'll take advantage of that." His mother's soft gaze held his as she placed her hand onto his cheek.

The young girl never gave any signs to him for wanting to end her life, she always loved it, she always spent her time with Maxim, they were inseparable. People often thought the two were dating, Maxim loved her like that and Geneviève had also loved Maxim the way he loved her, but they would never tell each other that.

The boy's mother left him to his thoughts, he could no longer cry, he felt numb to the world. Everything felt surreal, he didn't only lose his best friend, but he also lost his forever soul mate.

To him everything in this world was dead. He vowed that he'd never love another female again.