She awoke to emptiness. Something new. She was always full of life and love when she woke on so many other mornings. But this was one that was so much different from the rest. She knew him... They were meant for each other, they were meant to be so much more then friends. But they weren’t. Every morning she woke up only but to see his face, whether it was a quick glance in his direction or a stare between two sole-mates. She had to see him. She became dependent on him. And he didn’t even know it. When she saw him she felt whole, someone she knew. Unlike now, the girl now staring back at her in the mirror is a complete stranger.
She brushes her long brown hair before pulling it back into a ponytail. Her big brown eyes damp and dry all in one. Damp from the many tears she had cried in the past two nights. And dry from those who had made themselves comfortable to dry on her cheeks. She picked up her books, left untouched after she attempted to do her homework the night before. She couldn’t hardly look in the mirror, none the less a math equation. So another F would be stamped to her papers. Nothing new to Kristin. Her homework had never been that great. Ever since he moved into her life, she couldn’t set her mind to anything else.

As she headed downstairs her father looked at her in a way that she knew was distress. Jessie never was the best at acting. When Kristin was 12, her fish died and Jessie told her that it had run away. If she were back in Miami with her mother…then she would know what to do. But since hopping on a plane at 6:45 in the morning seemed a little far-fetched, she had to put up with the want-to-be Tom Cruise until the school year was over.
“So um…how’d ya sleep?” Jessie asked in a tone that pleaded to be cut off.

“Fine dad.”
“Good, good. So…Oh! Look at the time better be heading off to work. Have a nice day at school kido.”

Ya like that would ever be possible. Another day at school would mean that she had to sit through all the agonizing suspense of seeing him in the hallway every block.

As she entered the room, late, she saw him. With his soft white skin as soft as a porcelain doll’s. Those golden melt-your-heart-away eyes slipping a peek in her direction. She could have fainted right then and there. But the red blush on her cheeks seemed like it would cause just as much embarrassment. She handed her pink slip to the teacher and took her usual spot at her desk.

There he sat only two seats away from her. Her heart was beating so fast, she’d thought for sure it was bound to jump right out of her chest. But there was something different about him. He had a glow. Something that threw her in the ocean when she didn’t know how to swim. He was the only reason she stayed here. She had had a choice between staying in this stupid little town in the middle of nowhere, or going back and living with her mother, she of course chose the first. Rouge was a small town where everybody knew everybody. Literally. If there were a new hook up at the local high school, even Jessie would know about it.

The Rouge high school had as many people in it, as her old school did in one graduating class. She was a junior, and this was her second year here. And he was new. Him and his sister were from some place far west. No specifics. But apparently their father got a great job offer and had to move down to Rouge fast. Half way into the school year. He wasn’t the most popular person in the school. And sure wasn’t the most liked. But every girl had a secret crush on him. But Kristin never took a particular liking to him until, well the dance. She was in the mist of a fight; one of the bigger girls was about to punch her face in, for being the quiet one that no one cared about, an easy target. No one would notice if she came into school on Monday with a broken nose. Easy prey. But Nickolas stopped her. He took her punch. Right in his arm. For some reason it seemed like he cared what happened to her. After the hit the big girl tried to punch him in the face but as quick as he showed up to take the first one his right hand popped up to take the second in his palm. The girl took her hand back in pain, “Like punching a brick wall.” she had whispered to her friends.
For some reason now remembering the incident brought a smile to Kristin’s face. Maybe it was the pain of the girl that intended to do harm to her, or the thought of Nickolas.

But in that same moment she had to pull herself back to reality as one of her friends, well not so much friend as companion, asked her what she was staring at in the corner of the lunch room.

“So are you going to Jordan Comets party this Saturday?” asked Raylin.
“I don't think so, I have other things to do.” said Kristin blankly.

“Oh come on, you never go out anymore. Besides I hear that Nickolas is going.”
“Well…. I don't know.”

“Ok I know you like him, and don't think you can hide it.”
“What! I do not…is it that obvious?”

“Surprisingly-no. But I can read your expression when someone says his name.”
“But I don't have a chance with him. So why like him anyways?”

“Hun, if you haven’t noticed you are the only one that he looks at with those “eyes” you talk about. You know the “melt-your-heart-away” ones.”
“That’s not true. He always has those eyes.”

“Not to any other girl. He stares at you sometimes too. Freaky really but he stares like you confuse him or he is trying to figure you out.”
“What do you mean? What could I possibly have to make him so interested in me?”

“Shhhhh. He is staring at you again.”
“Really?”

“Ya, but different, like almost admiringly.”
“You’re lying, don't lie to me.”

“I’m not, well he noticed we noticed him, now he is looking at his sister.”
A few seconds later the bell rang and Kristin had to go to the most hated class of all, Spanish. She had learned all of the curriculum from her last school. Which meant review and that was long and boring. So it made the class twice as long as it should have been.

As Kristin walked into class the seat next to her’s was occupied by someone. It couldn’t be. It can’t. It was Nickolas, sitting there staring at her with those soft eyes. And when the second bell rang the teacher told everyone to take his and her seats. And gave Kristin a very particular look, and then a glance to the open seat next to Nickolas. Almost as to say go sit down next to him. Which would have been nice before everyone in the class was staring at her.

While she took her seat Nickolas’ eyes went from her to the front of the classroom. The teacher was writing something on the chalkboard. She searched around in her bag for a pen, but no luck, she just about gave up when Nickolas put a pen in front of her.
“You might need this.” He said in his sweet lullaby voice.
“Th-thanks.” Was all Kristin could manage to mumble out.

Her heart had never pounded as fast as it had now. She couldn’t think of a better place to be then right where she was. But so many questions lay unanswered, like “How did he manage to get moved here?” or, “Did he choose to or was it just luck?” She wanted to know these but didn’t know how to ask. Her throat clamped up and her face was never this shade of red before, which couldn’t have been a good thing at all. Now this class was her favorite. She didn’t have to pay any attention to the teacher and was sitting next to her own personal angel.

Now the teacher was rambling on about some pop quiz, and he was taking notes. She thought maybe starting out with “Since when have you been in this class?” Ya. That would be perfect. But before she had the chance the stupid bell for the next class rang. She could have asked him as they where getting up but her bag fell and papers went everywhere. By the time she had her stuff together he was already gone. So instead she headed to Art which was the last class of her day and then she could go home and either cry, scream or jump with glee. Which she would do, she didn’t know yet.

………
After Art was finished she went out to the junior parking lot to find her banged up Jeep. It was nothing compared to the nice blue truck she had back in Miami but it got her from point a to point b. Which was mostly from home to school back to home and work thrown in there somewhere. But as she stepped outside she was face to face with the same girl that had tried to snap her in half two weeks ago. She looked desperately for Nickolas but found him nowhere.

“So where did we leave off?”
Kristin couldn’t move.

“Well I see we have ourselves a little reunion going on here.”
It was Nickolas! Where the heck had he come from? She didn’t know but she was sure happy he was there. For one thing she really didn’t want to go to school on Monday with a broken nose. And second she could finally talk to him about something that wasn’t school related.

“Where in gods name did you come from?” asked the big girl.
“I’ve been here, and I believe you were about to get in your car and drive home.”

“You don't scare me, now if you don't mind get out of the way.”
“You know what, I do mind. And you don't have to be scared of me to walk away.”
The girl took a swing at him and was surprised to find herself on the ground. Nickolas had pushed her onto the staircase. By then he had grabbed Kristin’s arm and pulled her half way across the parking lot. Before she could ask him any questions he was gone. She looked around the parking lot but couldn’t find him anywhere. Where had he gone so fast? She knew that his convertible could go fast but it was still in the parking space.

As she looked around he was nowhere to be found. But then she looked again and he was right there. Right next to her. You would think he had run to her side but he wasn’t even sweating. He confused her. But that is one of the many things that just made her that much more in love with him.