His name was Polatha. Polatha Snow. But everybody called him Pol. He went to our school for about a year and changed us for good. The reason I'm here getting married is because of him. I remember how all this came to be. It began like this.

That morning was warm, so I drove to school with my windows down ad a cool breeze hitting my face. Ludicris blaring on my stereo, my mind drifted. I didn't like the idea of going to school, bit it beat working on the farm all summer. Still, summer gave a freedom from my thickheaded principal. And I like that.

I pulled into the gravel parking lot of Nesses High School, found a spot, and cut the engine to my Ford Ranger. Making my way across the lot, I noticed a new car. It was black, a sleek Porsche with 2 Much $ as the license plate. I waked around it once and whistled. It was sweet.

I picked up my class schedule at the office, glanced at it to see my locker number and made my way down there. I was putting my bag in when my best friend, Steve Morton, joined me.

"Did you see the new kid?' he asked, grinning.

I turned to look at him. "No, but I saw that Porsche."

Steve grin widened. "That's his car."

"The new kid!" Steve said and punched my shoulder.

I shook my head. "What's his name?"

He winked. "You'll see. Here he comes."

I looked past my friend and saw him. He was like no one I'd ever seen before. His brown hair was and lazy spikes. He had light golden skin that smooth and hairless, it seemed to glow. He had thin, arched brows, but that wasn't got my attention. His eyes were a deep, forest green that could see through your soul. That intrigued me.

He had a small gold hoop in each ear and wore a hemp necklace with a yingyang of the sun and moon. I could just make out a silver chain that went underneath his yellow, sleeveless, ribbed shirt. On his left wrist was a bead bracelet in all the colors of the rainbow. His ring finger on his right hand bore a thin gold with an amethyst in the center.

He wore denim carpenter shorts in black with white thread. He had an anklet made of crystals on right ankle and a star toe rug on left foot. His feet were sporting Ralph Lauren flip-flop sandals.

As he moved closer I caught the scent of multiberry and flowers. He smiled and gloss shone as the sun hit his lips.

"Hi," he said in musical voice and stuck out his hand. "I'm Polatha Snow. I go by Pol.'

I shook his hand and noticed he had a manicure. I glanced at his toes and they were pedicured. "Josh Porter."

"Nice to meet you, Josh," Polatha said and waved. Then he made his way down the fast crowding hall. The popular girls in my class were all following him.

"He's gaining popularity," Steve remarked.

"Yeah, I guess," I said. It angered me that he was so popular, good looking, and stylish. He put my white T-shirt, khaki cargo shorts, and Nike sneakers to shame. He had attention, and it was his first day. I'd lived here my whole life and never got that kind of reaction.

"What do you have first period?" I asked Steve.

"Math," he said after checking his schedule. "You?"

"English," I replied. The ball rang over our head. "Later."

"See ya," Steve said.

I shut my locker door and headed for room six. The rainbow bracelet Polatha wore was nagging at me all the to the classroom. What I wanted to know was, why did he wear it? And did it have a purpose? I was still asking myself this when I walked into room six and saw Polatha sitting there. I stood there for a moment looking like an idiot, then sat by Ian Noise, another friend of mine.

"What do you think of Polatha?" Ian asked.

I frowned, "weird," I glanced at his toe ring. "And gay." We laughed at that.

Mrs. Johnson then took control of the class after the tardy bell rang and began role call. The chorus of heres rang out as names were called. After that, she said Polatha should tell us about himself.

Polatha stood up and the room fell silent. "Well, I was born and raised in San Diego, California. In my old high school, I was a cheerleader, involved in music and drama, spent a lot of time at the beach, and I'm a Wicca. I live with my mother, Vengaria Snow, the writer. And I have to say, South Carolina is awful humid." He smiled and sat down.

Mrs. Johnson then began talking about rules. I didn't pay much attention, I never really do to that sort of thing. I watched Polatha for the rest of the period. I believed everything he had said, but he left one thing out: He left out that he was gay, and that disturbed me. Though not nearly as much as that rainbow bracelet. I knew it meant something, the question was: What?