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Chapter One Jadyn shut her locker lightly, pressing her eyes closed. She had to go to second period, the music signalling the start of class would be over any second and the bell would ring. She knew she had to go, but she didn't want to. She was strong in her second period class, spanish, and she didn't really think that missing it once would hurt her. That was her reasoning for the third time this week. She put down her bag and pulled a peice of paper out of her binder. She scrawled a note on it, signing her mom's name and picked up her bag again. She made her way to the front office to sign out. The brown floors and white walls were depressing, and she avoided anyone she passed on the way. After she had signed out, she made her way to the parking lot, and climbed into her blue ford focus. She just sat for a moment, staring at the steering wheel. She knew she had to drive somewhere, and the first thought that crossed her mind was home. But, she knew her mom would be home and she wouldn't be too happy. So, she decided to get some lunch and sit in a local park. It was a warm, sunny day and Jadyn couldn't explain why she had been feeling so depressed lately. Even her friends were beginning to bother her. Kate, Ashley and Erin had been hanging out together more and more, and Jadyn always felt excluded. As much as she tried to include herself, they never seemed interested. Frustrated and upset, she drove to a drive through and headed to a small park that was a ten minute drive from school. She knew none of her friends would show up looking for her, and she was glad. She wanted to be alone. She sat down on a bench in the sunlight, hoping she could catch a tan. Her legs and arms were already bronze, but she figured a few more rays couldn't hurt her. She stretched her legs out in front of her, yawning as she pulled her sub sandwich out of the bag and began to eat it. She saw a few people walking through the park, but none of them paid any attention to her. When she had finished eating, she wandered over to a swing set and sat down, rocking gently back and forth. Her mind drifted to the four months ahead of her. She was going to be very busy, and she felt tired at just the thought of it. She loved everything she did, though, and she couldn't imagine cutting anything out. Graduation was in just under three months, and if all went as planned, she would be gone by July. She was sick of Florida, and if she got accepted, she'd be attending UCLA in the fall. She had told her mother that she wanted to move in July so that she could get acquainted with California. Although she had no interest in it, she'd be studying psychology to please her over-bearing parents. She didn't hear the footsteps as someone approached the swing next to her and sat down, lost in their own thoughts. She didn't even see him until he cleared his throat. She looked at him curiously, without saying a word. She was sure she knew him from somewhere, but she couldn't think of where. "Can I help you?" she asked, as he studied her just as closely as she had studied him. "Oh... no, sorry. I was just looking for somewhere to think... I can go somewhere else." He stood to walk away, but she felt the urge to stop him. "No, you don't have to go." She said. He turned around to face her, a look of curiousity on his face. "I mean, if you want to swing, I can go somewhere else. Or, I mean..." She trailed off, feeling embarrassed. Without a word, he sat down on the swing next to her. Neither of them spoke for ten minutes when she broke the silence. "Where do I know you from?" She asked, studying him again. His brown hair was spiked in tufts on his head and his green eyes shone in the sunlight. He was good looking, to say the least. "I go to South Central. You've probably seen me around." He said, without looking directly at her. "What's your name?" She questionned, eyeing him. "Eli. You're Jadyn, right?" He replied, making eye contact for the first time since arriving. "How did you know?" "You're a cheerleader, everyone knows the cheerleader's names." He said, sarcasticly. "Hey, just because I'm a cheerleader doesn't mean I'm stupid." She suddenly felt the urge to defend her sport. "I never said that." He replied. "You implied it." She answered. "Think what you want." He stated, looking away. After a minute of silence, he looked at her again. "What are you doing out here anyway?" "I should ask you the same thing." She countered, feeling as if she should be defensive towards him. "I didn't feel like going to class, I already told you. I have some thinking to do." "Me too." She replied. They didn't speak for another ten minutes, when Jadyn looked at her watch. She realised she'd have to leave now if she wanted to make it back to school in time for advanced chemistry, which she didn't really. "What are you doing for the rest of the afternoon?" She asked Eli, tearing him from his thoughts. "I don't know, nothing in particular, I might head back to school for fourth or fifth period." He replied, looking in her direction. "Do you want to do something?" "Like what?" He squinted in the direction of the sunlight. "Nevermind." She said, as she walked away. She climbed into her car and she was about to pull away when she saw him coming up behind her, in the rearview mirror. She thought for a second about pretending she hadn't seen him, but she couldn't. He rapped on her window and she rolled it down. "Okay." He said. "Okay, what?" She asked. "I'll do something with you." He smiled, before walking around the car and climbing in. She drove off, not sure where she was headed but knowing that this afternoon wouldn't be your typical one. 
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