Chapter – 1

Jake, sixteen –

It was a mess. Boxes everywhere, bubble wrap all over the floor and the temptation of popping them clouding my mind. So, this was it. I was moving from the house, I had spent my sixteen years in; well, not exactly sixteen give or take a few years in between, but still a really, really long time. The house which had fostered the last moments of my mother;  a place that once, I had considered to be a place of love where I was safe.

It wasn’t all that bad, it’s not like all I had had in these walls were good memories, there were some horrible ones but, it’s all well that ends well, right?

“Jake!” I heard my father yell, “It’s time!”

As I descended the stairs, I traced my fingertips on the walls which were now empty but had once held the fondest of my memories. When I looked at the kitchen, I couldn’t help but smile a little because a very vivid image passed through my head, and, it was as if all my senses had been awakened to one of the most pleasant mornings of my life. My mom’s soothing voice calling out to me, the smell of pancakes drifting in the air, for a few seconds, I was right there; in that comfort. 

Memories are treacherous, I tell you. Don’t hold onto them for too long, they may suck you in, but don’t let them go completely either, you might forget your reason to exist.

All the boxes were loaded in the truck and I went to sit in the car with my Dad. He looked happy today, a rare color on him. To be honest, he had been happy ever since he met, Beth, his girlfriend, a beautiful and charming lady. She had long black hair and bright green eyes and she carried herself with the utmost elegance, I guess her frailty made her more enchanting to eyes.

So, that is where we were moving, to his girlfriend’s and I didn’t have much problem with that. Beth was a sweet lady who till date had done nothing but me treat me as a son, the actual problem was her son.

Hayden fucking Hunter, the Almighty at our school. The perfect, fallen angel. God forbid, he did something wrong or someone raised his voice at him or someone even merely disliked him, because no, when Hayden said, ‘Shut up” it was translated to “I am having a rough day, can we talk later?”

Do you know those people who are just perfect at everything they do? Handsome, Intelligent, and Star Quarterback and actually nice (only in front of his mother). I hate those people. Nobody is that perfect, it’s just a hoax and I’m sure that’s what Hayden is, an impostor. 

I could almost picture the next two years of my life, my every action being measured against his; and if things went well, my whole life.

Me, a 5’7, slim, awkward junior with less than average grade and with the special skills known as anxiety and him, 6’2, rugged, charming, top of the class senior and exceptional at everything.

Barf!

After about thirty minutes, we arrived at Beth’s huge house. Beth’s ex husband was super loaded and she got this amazing house in the divorce, it had a game room, a home theater and a huge garden. I could have my friends over, anytime, but I didn’t have any. It was still fun, though. It was a reasonable distance from home so, I could still visit Mrs. Dale, our neighbor, frequently.

As we entered the driveway in our car that was actually beautiful on the streets but now, had been outshone in this extravagant surrounding, I saw Beth and her son, Hayden wave at us.

Ugh, Hayden. Standing there in the sun looking all hot and sweaty. My God! That smile, maybe, he really is an angel.

I hate him, no matter how gorgeous he is, I hate him.

I just hope that the shirt that was doing nothing to hide his rock hard body, didn't make me forget that. Out of courtesy, I waved back and as soon as I was out of the car, Beth wrapped me in her arms, showering me with her kisses.

The greetings went on and after a few hours we were done unpacking. Beth asked Hayden to show me my room, which he gladly did. We went up to the second floor and opened the door to the most beautiful room I had ever laid my eyes on. It was the double the size of my old room, a huge bed, a couch beside a bookshelf presenting itself as a personal library.

Heaven does exist.

Life has taught me that happy moments are short lived and that evil is lurking just at the corner to ruin the happiest moments of our life with the threats of dread and malice.

In my case, the evil was a hot, seventeen year old grabbing me by my collar and whispering in my ear, “Listen here, dork. In school, I do not know you and you do not know me. Don’t talk to, look at, or even think about me.”

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