Chapter One
Annabel
Two and a half months later…
“You’re a smart, pretty girl,” Aunt Maggie smiles as she gestures to me while we stand outside of the building of my new school. “They’re going to love you.”
Absently, I look down at my outfit. For my first day as a Roosevelt Rough Rider, I dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans, a worn pair of tennis shoes, and a black hoodie. The hoodie matches my mood. Black. Just like my heart. I didn’t even bother with my hair. My long, dark locks are pulled haphazardly into a messy bun. In this city, not only is it a waste of time to straighten your hair because the rain will frizz it out anyway, but I don’t care. Being adorable is no longer on my radar.
Surviving is the only thing I care about.
“Have a great day,” Aunt Maggie waves. She became my sole guardian the day my parents and sister perished in a car accident about an hour outside of Seattle. I love my aunt, but I miss my family. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about them. That I think I could have been killed right along with them had I not been a stubborn brat and stayed home.
I force a smile and wave back. “See you tonight.”
My feet have a mind of their own as I walk slowly toward the school. I drop my gaze down to my shoes and am mesmerized by the splashes they make with each step in the puddles. I’m completely enraptured that I don’t notice the group of girls right in front of me. That is, until I crash right into the middle of their huddled group.
“Watch where you’re going, freak,” a blond one hisses. Her eyes disdainfully roam my appearance.
Freak.
It wasn’t long ago that Melanie and I used to giggle about the “freak” at my old school. Paul was a quiet kid with thick rimmed glasses. He always smelled like body odor and he would suck on his fingers. It was disgusting and we oftentimes made fun of him loud enough for him to hear.
Now, I feel guilty. I treated him like crap. I was nothing more than a spoiled child that thought she had that right. As I stand staring at the group of girls eyeballing me like I’m trash, I suddenly miss Paul.
My eyes find the blue ones of the blonde and I attempt a smile. Smiles are rare these days and even those are forced. What is there to smile about when your family is taken from you? Nothing, that’s what.
“I’m sorry,” I say softly.
The girls giggle, and I think maybe they’ve forgiven me until the blonde speaks again. “Not good enough, freak. Your kind aren’t allowed to talk to my kind.”
My eyes widen at her blatant rudeness. Melanie and I may have teased Paul, among others, yet I thought it was all in fun. But now, being in his shoes, I realize it isn’t much fun for the one on the receiving end. So sorry, Paul. We weren’t ever this nasty though.
“What exactly is your kind?” I snip out, leveling my gaze at her.
“Ashley, she probably has rabies. You’re standing too close,” a brunette with a bobbed haircut bites out nastily.
Rabies? Wow.
“We’re cool and you’re not. You are a freak. Don’t forget your place,” Ashley tells me snootily.
With a roll of my eyes, I flip her the bird and push past her. The girls all squeal at the fact that I didn’t back down to their leader. From where I came from, I was the leader. And even though I have no desire to be one here, I won’t let them walk on me.
“Watch your back, bitch,” Ashley threatens.
I turn around to her as I walk and flip her off with both hands this time. When I turn back, I slam right into a brick wall—or very solid guy I should say. I’m momentarily intoxicated by his scent and the way his strong arms have grasped my biceps to steady me. My eyes lift and find angry, chocolate colored ones.
Does everyone in this school have an attitude problem?
“Eric! Don’t touch her, she’s a rabid dog,” one of the girls calls out from behind me.
He flicks his gaze to them, but doesn’t release me. Finally, he looks at me again. “Watch where you’re going, Fido.”
The guy, Eric, who stands well over six feet, is handsome as ever with his mop of brown, unruly hair gelled to perfection, full lips, and strong nose. He smells heavenly and looks good enough to eat. But he’s a jerk. Just like the bimbo babes behind me.
My lip curls in disgust. “Let me go before I bite.”
His eyes briefly twinkle with amusement.
“Let her go,” a deep voice from behind him growls. The voice is protective, and I immediately feel drawn to it. At the command, Eric releases me with a tiny shove. I stumble back a few steps and glare back at him.
“Touch me again and you’ll die,” I warn.
Our eyes never leave one another as he walks past me toward the group of girls. When he passes me, I drag my gaze back to my protector.
“Baby, she’s a clumsy freak. Stay away from her,” Ashley barks at him from behind me.
I bristle at her words and bite my lip. I miss Melanie. And Paul. Tears well in my eyes, but I blink them away. I really miss Mom, Dad, and my sister Cadence. This new life sucks.
“You new here?” the deep voice from my protector questions. I see a hulking frame at the top of the stairs. His arms are crossed and he’s grinning at me. My knees buckle upon the sight of him but I manage to hold myself upright. He’s every bit as good-looking as Eric—in fact…
“Is that jerk your brother?” I demand as I trot up the steps, ignoring the insults from the group behind me.
He sighs and furrows his dark brows. “Yeah. I’m sorry. He forgets how to be human sometimes. I’m Evan.”
My eyes follow his strong outstretched hand and I feel the need to touch him. Something about him tells me that the moment I touch him, I’ll never want to let go. That thought creeps me out. So, instead, I shove my hands into my pockets and raise my brows at him.
“I’m Annabel. Also affectionately known as Fido,” I grumble.
He senses my sarcasm and frowns. Once he realizes I’m not going to shake his hand, he drops it at his side.
“Annabel is a pretty name,” he tells me kindly. His brown eyes are lighter than his brother’s but their features are much the same. This Evan is quite the looker.
“Thanks. I need to find my class now,” I mutter and push past him. I’m not here to make friends. My friends are back home. I still talk to them on Facebook and over the phone occasionally. All I want to do is graduate from high school. Then I can move on with my life—what’s left of it anyway.
Evan catches up to me and matches my stride. I have no idea where I’m going so I reach into the side pocket of my backpack and fish out the folded map and class schedule. Mr. Murdock, Room 102—must be close.
He peers over my shoulder and then points. “Second door on the right.”
I nod my thanks and stalk away from him, toward the sanctity of my first class. I’ve just settled at a table beside an empty chair in the back of the classroom when I hear a deep chuckle. My eyes lift and I groan to see Evan walking toward me with a smug grin on his face.
“Long time, no see, Annabel.”
Exhaling loudly, I ignore him and unzip my bag in a hunt for my notepad and pen. After I locate what I’m looking for, I face the front of the classroom and wait for the teacher to greet us. I’m doing my best to snub the eyes that are no doubt boring into me.
“If you want to make friends here, maybe you should talk to the ones that are trying to be friendly,” he says softly from beside me.
Without looking back at him, I clip out, “Maybe I don’t want to make friends here.”
As if on cue, Ashley and the brunette sashay into the room. When my eyes meet the blue eyes of Ashley, I have the urge to stick my tongue out at her but refrain because I’m not a child. Apparently she is though because she sticks hers out at me before sliding into a chair near the front.
That girl is so annoying.