One: Highschool

To Anita Steve, highschool wasn't as thrilling as her sister had described four years ago. It was anything but thrilling or exciting. To her, it was a jungle filled with unnatural and incomprehensible creatures with undefined personalities. Nobody was what they said they were.

She had spent the last four years staying in the shadows and stirring herself out of trouble as much as she could. She was literally invisible. Nobody really paid her attention, and she could swear that not up to fifty students knew her name amongst the thousands that attended Kingsview Highschool.

She wasn't really bothered with her affinity to the shadows, in fact she loved it. It provided beneficial perks that the majority wasn't aware of. She wasn't picked on by the bigger predators in this jungle. And neither have the eyes of the monsters ever caught sight of her.

In Kingsview, it was all about hierarchy. And ever since she had stepped foot into this jungle, only one group has remained on the top of the food chain, and that was the GC, short for gossip crew. It mainly consisted of the cheerleaders, and a few of the worthy and popular girls. They were the real terrors that walked the halls of Kingsview, and they made the fact of their superiority well known.

Nobody was above the gossip crew, not even the students council. She would rather be bullied by the football team jerks than fall prey to the mouth and misfortune of the gossip crew. She had seen the mightiest beg on their knees, and just the memory of this had triggered a survival instinct in her that aided her in completely avoiding the troubles of this notorious crew.

She was a bit relieved that highschool would soon be over. They had less than four months until graduation and finally she'd be free of this place. She was a bit proud of herself for surviving this mad place. All she had to do was stay hidden for a little while longer. But life had other plans for her.

"Anita! Wait up" A familiar voice called out to her from across the hallway. Isabelle Owens and Kevin Minor were making their way towards her. They were probably the only people who were aware of her existence in this entire place, but she still loved keeping away from them.

Unlike her, Isabelle wasn't really the quiet type, and Kevin was just as annoying as ever.

"We have art class together" Isabelle announced the instant she got close enough close enough for Anita to hear her without her raising her voice.

"Have you considered my request Isa?" Kevin questioned raising his brow and twitching his lips in a romantic yet unpleasing manner.

"Never gonna happen!" Isabelle replied sharply before proceeding to ignore the boy completely.

"You don't have to be so rude Isa" Anita returned. Her commentary making the boy beside her gleam with joy.

Kevin was her best friend since childhood, and she had known him ever since they were five. He wasn't particularly good with words, nor did he have luck with the ladies despite his breathtaking appearance.

He had however fallen for Isabella, but just like the other girls, Isabelle didn't find him attractive. Isabella was probably the most lively and recognized individual amongst the three of them. Even though she wasn't particularly famous in school, she was part of the cheerleading squad, and it made her a little bit close to the infamous gossip crew.

Anita had met Isabelle on her first day of highschool, and the two of them had stayed friends ever since then. Even though she loved Isabelle, she wasn't particularly comfortable around her, especially in school. Isabella was the exact opposite of who she was, and was the type of person Anita would most definitely like to avoid.

Isabelle was lively, and unlike Anita she brought a certain amount of attention to herself and this was something Anita didn't quite like. She loved the shadows, but she understood that without light shadows wouldn't exist. Anita was like a glow stick in a dark room, and even with just the little light it produced something could be found with it.

Anita definitely had nothing against Isabelle, but she didn't particularly enjoy her company in school.

"Are you sure you have Arts right now?" Anita questioned hoping Isabelle's words would turn out to be false, but the girl was sure of her first words.

"Yes. Any problem?" Isabelle threw inquired. Her beady eyes threatening to peer through Anita's soul.

"Not really.." Anita trailed off. She loved her friends, but she knew hanging out with them would only expose her further to the dangers of the jungle. And in all honesty she would rather cut them off than have herself embarrassed publicly.

She wasn't a bad person, it was just how she was built. And no matter how many times she tried to change her mindset, she always came back to the same conclusion.

The three made their way towards the big mahogany's door that stood in front of them. The word "Art Theater" was elegantly inscribed on a plague that hung on the door.

Anita distanced herself a bit from the two figures that walked in front of her. She had just walked into a room that she had expected to be empty, only to find it almost half filled.

She was confused for a bit, but she managed to find herself and make her way towards the farthest part of the room.

The art teacher Mr.Bernard walked in moments later, and his announcement properly explained why the room had been so crowded.

"Art class has been made compulsory for the senior years" His voice echoed through the large hall, and it made Anita's heart skip a bit.

She had taken art class not only because she was good with painting, but also because of the few students that offered the subject. This announcement had totally changed everything, and now she felt threatened. Not only would the gossip crew be here, but also the school football team.

It was almost as If the entire world had turned against her. She had survived this long, and during her final periods in highschool the school gods had suddenly decided to make living for her even more difficult.

Anita swallowed hard and took a deep breath before focusing her eyes on the teacher in front of her instead of her environment. That way She would be less cautious of anything around her, and hopefully everything around her would ignore her as well.

The noisy room suddenly fell calm and it sort of frightened her. Even though she loved a serene environment, she didn't like it when the atmosphere changed so suddenly. It scared her and made her get high on adrenaline.

One quick glance away from the teacher and to the door finally explained why the room had gotten so quiet.

Nicholas Raid had just walked in and everyone including Anita had fallen for his charms. Nicholas was arguably the most famous being in Kingsview Highschool, even more famous than the principal. She could bet that most people knew his name and didn't know that of their principal's.

He was the dream guy of every girl in Kingsview, and the dream guy of some boys too. Not only did he posses the athletic body that all the girls died for, his looks superceded anything that could possibly be described as human. He seemed otherworldly, almost like something out of a fairytale.

He was just too good to be true.

Everyone was into him, and he was the rival of all the boys who considered themselves handsome. He wasn't particularly smart, or into sports but he stood out. His looks had everybody's eyes glued on him and Anita's weren't an exception.