The bell echoed through the school, signalling the start of class. Yasmine and I had no idea where Classroom 48 was, but after 10 minutes of trekking the endless halls, we scurried into our English class.

After pushing through the door, Mr. Martin glared at us through his square spectacles, then ushered for us to sit down at two free tables at the front of the room.

"You must be Kaitlin and Yasmine. Am I correct?"

"Yes, sir - sorry we're late. Yasmine and I are new here and we couldn't find the room."

"Yes, I figured." He tutted with disapproval.

Mr. Martin's mouth pressed into a paper-thin line, and I could tell he was frustrated with our interruption, but saw no need to lecture us.

Unzipping my backpack, I pulled out a notebook, pen, and sat quietly as he continued his lesson. I could feel the eyes of the classroom staring at my back, but I tried to ignore them as Mr. Martin rambled on about how William Shakespeare was a universal sensation.

After what felt like years of painfully learning about Romeo and Juliet (don't get me wrong, love the story, but I just don't really care to analyse the story). I shoved my book and pen back into my bag, and huffed as Mr. Martin explained homework. A 1000-word essay about how Shakespeare shaped modern poetry.

I looked at my timetable, and noted that I had drama, and unfortunately, Yasmine and I were going to have to part ways. After giving each other good luck and encouragement, I turned into another hall, and entered Classroom 26.

The inside of the room was fully black: the carpet, the tables, the walls. Only one half of the room had furniture, with a small raised stage on the other half.

Sitting down at an empty table, I rested my head in the crook of my elbows and watched as more students piled into the room.

After 5 minutes, our teacher, Ms. Kentley, entered the room and sat down on a squishy leather chair, crossing her legs and resting her palms in her lap, her eyes scanning the class.

"Good Morning everyone. I see we have a new student today. Would you like to stand up and introduce yourself?"

I felt my face redden, and my skin instantly felt warm. Standing up suddenly, I accidentally knocked my over chair with a loud thump, and pushed my backpack on the floor. The class fought giggles, a few chuckles filling the air around me. Feeling more embarrassed than ever, I bent over, picked up my chair and backpack, and tried to think of what to say. I heard a wave of laughter erupt through the classroom, but started talking anyway.

"Uhmm. Hi. I'm Kaitlin, but you can call me Kay." I was fiddling with my hands and staring at the floor, before I looked up and saw Ms. Kentley nodding encouragingly, so I continued.

"I moved to Mythcrest Hills last month, but I used to live in Apperdale – It's about 5-hour plane ride away - and only started MCH today."

"That must be very exciting, Kay." Ms. Kently smiled warmly. She had a heart shaped face, and a kindly build. She had stunning blue eyes that stood out from her pale complexion, and black hair that flowed down to the small of her back.

I immediately decided that Ms. Kently was my new favourite teacher. After sitting back down, I listened attentively to her every word and decided that I wanted to make a good impression, despite my rather questionable entrance.

"We will need someone to by Kay's buddy for the rest of this semester," Ms. Kently spoke. "Is there anyone who would like to volunteer?" Nobody raised their hands. I felt embarrassment flutter in my stomach, and I bowed my head hoping nobody would notice. "Thank you, Jacob." I heard Ms. Kently's gentle voice say. "Why don't you take a seat beside Kaitlin?"

I looked up as a tall boy rose from the back row. I hadn't noticed him raise his hand, but now that he stood, he was impossible to ignore. My breath caught in my throat. He had a sharp, defined jawline and deep brown eyes that seemed to darken under the classroom lights. His hair—slightly curled and effortlessly tousled—framed his tanned skin, making him look like he belonged on the cover of some dark, mysterious novel.

The black hoodie he wore stretched over his broad shoulders, and when he moved, I caught a glimpse of his strong arms beneath the fabric. Butterflies erupted in my stomach, uninvited but impossible to ignore. It wasn't often that I took interest in a boy, but this one—Jacob, as Ms. Kently had called him—was different.

He took the seat beside me, and I caught a faint hint of mint. It was subtle but oddly noticeable.

Up close, his features were sharper than I'd realized—defined cheekbones, dark lashes that contrasted against his tanned skin, and a serious set to his lips. He glanced sideways, and I immediately looked away, hoping he hadn't noticed me staring.

"Hi." He said. His voice was low, and smooth, and made my heart leap.

"H—hello," I stuttered. "I'm Kay." I added stupidly. He obviously already knew that, as I had announced it to the class just a few awkward minutes before.

"I'm Jacob Cruor. But most people call me Jake."

"Uhmm," I mumbled, not knowing how to respond, "hi."

I nearly smacked my forehead in embarrassment—I'd already said hi to him.

Something about him was messing with my head. My thoughts felt tangled, my stomach uneasy, and for the first time in a long time, I had no idea what to say. Every word felt like a risk, every move overthought. But if he noticed my awkwardness, he didn't seem annoyed or confused.

Instead, he chuckled, flashing a grin that revealed dimples I hadn't noticed before. My face burned, and I quickly looked away, hoping he wouldn't see just how much he was getting to me.

I was dimly aware of Ms. Kently speaking in the background, but I was distracted by Jake. My mind couldn't stop racing with thoughts of him, and I felt confusion as to why I was so attracted to him. Obviously I'd had crushes before, but usually they where on people I'd actually spoken to before.

At the end of class, I stood up, and rushed for the door. Although the room had been pleasant enough before, it now felt as hot and stuffy as the rest of the school.

Just as I made it outside into the hall, Jake grabbed my wrist. The touch sent a flare of heat and electricity through my body, and caused me to stop short in my tracks. He held up my backpack in front of me.

"You forgot this." He looked serious, but I saw the hint of a smile forming behind his eyes.

"O—oh. How stupid of me. Thanks."

"No problem. It was nice meeting you, Kay."

"Th—thanks. You too."

I grabbed the backpack of him, turned on my heel, and scurried away, but after I was sure Jake could no longer see me, I stopped. I took a few deep breaths trying to calm myself down, and used the back of my hand to wipe a bead of sweat dripping down my forehead.

My whole body was trembling, and I could still feel the electricity from when he had touched me. Slowly, after I regained some sense reasonableness of sanity in my thought, and decided it was best to find the cafeteria.

The problem was that I didn't know where it was, so I just followed the other students walking through the hall ahead of me. If anything, it would be best to go with the traffic.

After a short walk, I found myself in a massive open space, larger than any other in the school. The roof was so much taller here than in the other places of the school, and I couldn't smell the reeking sweat anymore. Instead, I smelt the tastiness of burgers, fries, and salads.

Feeling my mouth salivate, I joined the line of people waiting to get food. Digging through the front pocket of my backpack for loose coins, I heard someone call my name. I looked around to see Yasmine standing waving halfway across the cafeteria, and I motioned for her to join me.

"Have you seen this place," she spoke excitedly, "its massive!"

"Yeah, I noticed that. Did you notice that you can no longer smell BO?"

"Uh-huh. I love this place."

Sometimes I forget how dramatic Yas can be. "It's just a giant open space with white walls, tiles, and benches."

"Exactly. Pure awesomeness."

"Sure," I said not understanding the excitement. "How was class?"

I saw her eyes twinkle, and a smile light up her face. "I met this super-hot Italian guy. He's about a head taller than me, had the most gorgeous brown eyes and tan skin, and don't even get me started on his smile."

"If he's from Italy, why is he taking Italian classes?" My first thought was that it was simply to get good grades, but Yasmine had a different response.

"I asked him that exact question. He said his parents are from Italy, but he was born in America. He wants to learn more about his culture and language, and I think that shows his dedication to—"

"What's his name?"

"Luca Marino. He said—" Yasmine inspected me judgingly. "What's up? You seem distracted."

That startled me. For Yas to stop talking about a guy, it must have taken a lot. Did I really look that bad?

"Hmm? Oh, yeah well—" I was just about to mention Jake when I felt someone tap on my shoulder.

"Mind if I join you guys? The line is already huge, and I'm starving." Jake. Of course.

"Oh. Sure." I turned back to Yasmine, her eyes wide, and saw her mouth the word OMG at me. I'll explain later, I mouthed back.

I felt Jake shuffle in behind me, and tried to remain calm. He's a random guy I just met like less than an hour ago; I shouldn't get this nervous whenever I saw him. I stepped closer to Yasmine, hoping her presence would distract me from Jake's.

"What are you guys going to buy?" Jake asked. Guess the idea of trying to distract myself was out the window.

"I don't know what they have," I admitted.

"No problem. Today's Monday, which means they are selling burgers, fries, and chocolate milk. Although I don't recommend the milk. It's usually expired – I know a few people who have gotten sick from it," He explained.

"Oh. Okay. Well, I suppose I'll get a burger and fries. How much are they?"

"Seven dollars for the two. But don't worry about it. I'll pay for you and your friend."

I looked up at Jake in surprise. "Wh—what? Are you sure?"

"Positive." He smiled. "You seem like a nice girl, and I know from experience that starting a new school is rough. I want to make sure your idea of MCH isn't too bad."

"That's very nice of you, Jake, I appreciate it, but I can't possibly let you pay for my lunch."

Yasmine nudged my rib cage, and I groaned in pain. Taking the violence as a 'but he offered to pay for my lunch too,' I sighed and eyeing her hard, as an attempt to tell her I wasn't going to change my mind.

"If you say so." Jake said. I saw the corners of his mouth tug upwards, and knew he was suppressing a laugh.

Finally, we reached the front of the line. I stepped aside for Jake to order first, but he ushered for me to go forward instead. My heart was pounding, but I knew I couldn't let myself show it.

I turned to the cafeteria lady, and asked for a burger and chips. She shoved a disposable plastic container in front of me, and it slid to a stop in front of my hands. Inside there where a cluster of thick fries, a small packet of tomato sauce, and the burger, which had been wrapped in butcher paper.

Taking the container with a muttered thanks, and headed to the cash register. The small screen in front of the computer showed $7.00. Just as I was about to place my coins on the counter, Jake pushed over to me, and tapped his card on the pay Wave, and shrugged. He then grabbed my hand, and placed seven more dollars into my palm before closing my knuckles over them.

The flare of electricity struck me by surprise, leaving me unable to move.

"For your friend." He said, smiling at me with a mischievous grin. Just as I was about to argue, he walked away in long strides and disappeared into the crowd.