She, Rachelle Henderson, gleefully punched him as he mischievously forked two erasers in his nostrils. Predicting that was going happen again, Ryan O' Conner, ducked just in time, as another playful punch came towards him.

"Stop it!" Rachelle demanded. "That is not funny." Although she meant for it to come forcefully, a small-suppressed giggle came out. I mean, she was still eleven, how can you not laugh at that?

"Fine." Ryan glazed over towards her direction while taking the eraser out and felt a small blush crept towards him. It was something that never happened. He, Ryan, himself blushing? Over a mere eleven-year old girl? Looking once again, he knew why, immediately. Her naturally auburn hair curled around her shoulders, perfectly. Specks of gold were evidently in the midst of her hazel colored eyes, and covering them were chocolate colored eyelashes, which slightly curled at the tips. Also, maybe, just maybe, it wasn't just her looks, but there was something different about her. She was just so…so pure and was blooming with innocence. He was attracted to that, and it felt like hers was a way to cover his hurtful and damaging past.

Noticing his gaze, Rachelle gave him a look of curiosity. Since she was still eleven, her vocabulary, her feelings did not understand what love is or what it meant. Rachelle merely thought he was a friend, a friend who understood every word she was saying, even with that two-year age difference. She could be herself in front of him, and was not afraid to show him how she felt about everything.

She doesn't care. She doesn't like me, at all. Ryan's eyes dropped down as soon as he saw Rachelle's blank, confused stare back at him. Her questioning eyes dug and scraped at his heartstrings over and over again, until he couldn't take it any more. Ryan blanked out and decided from now on, there would be no more thoughts of her, ever. With that passing year, he graduated from elementary and was never heard or seen from Rachelle.

Grown-up. Beautiful. Tall. A picture of perfection. Rachelle Henderson walked onto the steps of her new school, and her eyes flashed a look of disapproval and concern towards her best friend, Hallie.

"Oh c'mon, it's not that bad. It's just – just a bit unwelcoming…" she said, her voice trailing and her eyes glazing over a bunch of guys. Mischievously, she smiled with a cocked eyebrow and continued, "and with all those hot guys over there, it certainly won't be bad at all."

"It might as well be a prison house." It certainly did look the part, with the graying asphalt, the steel-rod fencing, and mysteriously, it looked as if that damn cloud above the school was planted there, letting no sunshine shine though – at all.

Interjecting Rachelle's thoughts, Hallie grabbed her wrist and dragged Rachelle through the hallways to the orientation class.

Room 131A. This must be it. Rachelle nervously glanced inside and immediately surprised herself. The room wasn't painted in shades of gray, black, or white. No monotone colors. Thank god. Thinking to herself, "Why am I being so paranoid? I'm acting like a ten-year old. I'm sixteen already!" She looked up as Hallie found them both a seat. "Okay," she urged herself to stay calm, "I just arrived at my new high school, and I will have no more negative thoughts pouring into my head." Annoyed with herself, she brushed back all of her thoughts and listened as their grade's counselor introduced herself, and the curriculums that are going to happen within the school year.

During the final hour of the orientation, something made Rachelle perk up and listen. Most likely from the counselors change in tone. "This year, might be particularly hard for some of you guys in here. By the time you will be graduating from Rondell High school, comes university. This is not elementary anymore, if you fail, it won't impact you as much, unlike now." And with that she dismissed everybody.

"Wow. That sounds so encouraging." Rachelle complained to Hallie. "It's like she doesn't want us to graduate, and that the real world is going to crush us all." She scrunched up her nose and distastefully mocked Mrs. Richards in an awkward sounding falsetto.

A new school year has begun. Ryan O' Conner sighed and looked at his fresh timetable. Calculus, advanced literature, biology… He glanced up wearily; the list never seemed to end. Guess, I don't have a free block this year. This year was Ryan's last year in high school, and to him, it seemed like an eternity waiting for school to finally finish forever. He combed his fingers through his hair. He had always been the "cool" one with the so-called perfect looks, but now, it seemed, as his first priority was school. Letting his wavy brown hair cover his darkened eyes, a shrill, ear-piercing scream filled the hallways.

"RYAN. Like, oh my god, I haven't seen you in, like, forever," shrieked Clarice.

The pro? She had the looks all right. Drop-dead gorgeous blond hair, which embraced her curved figure. As always her face was plastered with make-up, which was not overdone and not underdone. Just the perfect amount. Con? Not even one brain cell works. Simple.

"Hey." He hurried stuffing his books into his bag.

Not wanting to pursue a longer conversation, he grabbed his backpack and headed for the schoolyard. His history between Clarice was not a good one, even though she had some good qualities. She was the girlfriend that was the clingy type, and remember what I said about her having not even having one brain cell working? I've got proof. She can't take hints.

The escape didn't work at all. Clarice's hands gripped onto his arm and leaned on Ryan's shoulder. Just great, this is what's going to make my day.He sarcastically thought. Now everybody will think that we got back together.

Walking along the quiet corridors, grimacing in pain, he never would've thought that he and Rachelle's path would cross again.