The Promise of a Heart

The Someone

"I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be here."

"Will you calm down? It's just you and me."

His hands went around her waist and traveled up her back, eliciting goosebumps all over her body. This was the most popular boy in the school and he was paying attention to her; a nobody. She'd never been kissed before. She'd never even been asked out on a date before.

Until tonight.

How did she end up here?

"You and me," she repeated, feeling his breath hot on her lips as they got closer.

The sirens came.

Gabriella stumbled as someone bumped into her, snapping her eyes open to reality. She watched as a boy with sagging pants and headphones around his neck walked passed her, completing ignoring the fact that he had bumped into her, let alone know that she existed in the first place. Other students started filing into the school.

East High.

She stared up at the large school, staring past the fountain in the middle of the walkway and gazing at the red, white and gold design on the brick. This was her new life. She was starting over, but it wasn't any better. She was invisible at her old school and she was already invisible here.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the screen, holding her hand over it in order to block out the sun.

COMMUNITY CENTER

3:45

That's right. She couldn't go straight home or even to the library after school. In order to stay out of jail and to earn her mother's trust back, she needed to complete her 50 hours of community service.

It hadn't even been her fault. Yet, she was being punished for it all. The others got off scot free. It was their fault.

Right?

Gabriella dodged running kids and athletes as she made her way to the office. There was a giant red "E" in the middle of the hallway, diagonal from the office doorway. She went to open the door and felt something hard hit her in the face. She fell to the floor in pain as she held her head, groaning in agony and exasperation.

This day was not off to a good start.

"Holy shit! I'm so sorry!" came a deep voice.

Gabriella sat up on her elbows and squinted. Staring at her was a boy with the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. The rest of him wasn't too bad, either. She shook her head of the thought and accepted his hand.

Damn, he had a good grip.

"It's fine. I have to make the first day memorable somehow, right?" she quipped, touching her forehead and wincing at the growing bruise.

The boy's fingers touched her forehead gingerly as he winced. "Damn it. I'm sorry. I can go get you some ice from the nurse's office."

"No, it's fine. It'll heal...in a week, I guess." She just wanted to get her schedule and her locker and become invisible again.

He followed her into the office, though. Clearly, he was the persistent type.

"Please. I feel like a total jackass," he told her.