chase.

1.1

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chapter one - yeah, you cloud my head

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Her hair was black. Her eyes were brown, but he met her in July when they were the colour of molten gold and her hair stood out against the hundreds of summer shades. If the eyes were the windows to the soul, he met her when the windows were tinted. She liked to be alone, and if ever surrounded by people, she was relatively quiet. When he first met her, she talked, and he listened, but he didn't care enough- not then.

He met her at school, on a late-July afternoon, at a table positioned half in the shade, half in the sunshine. The best of both worlds, some may say. He felt like he could resent it now, but there was too much history.

In a skirt many miles shorter than what the uniform code allowed and black knee highs with the classic blazer and white shirt, she sat in front of him, slamming her tray down. On it rested a single apple and a bottle of water and he looked up at her. He pinpointed this as the moment his life began to change, and he wonders now, what the hell would've happened if he kept his eyes down, if he hadn't met hers.

"People are so fucking stupid, I hate everyone here. Why won't some stupid idiot understand it's not the freshman's fault that her senior boyfriend wanted to jailbait. Like, for real?"

"Wait- what?" He watched her bite into her apple, shrugging. She munched on it for a bit, her molten eyes meeting his.

"Are you interested in what I'm saying right now?"

"Honestly, I'm just confused." He shrugs and watches her cherry red lips split into a grin.

"Looks like I'm in the exact place that I need to be. Too many people are so invested in what's going on around here." He laughed at that, finding the irony almost palpable. He glanced back down at his food, taking a chip and munching on it. He couldn't think of a reply.

"So, where's the rest of your tennis gang?"

Chase lets out an unattractive snort, looking at her. "My...what?"

"Your tennis fanboys. You know. The tall one? That other one."

"Oh. Oh. You mean Nicholas. And James."

"So that's his name..." She mused "Where is he?"

Chase shrugs, "Off doing something" He pauses at this, thinking "Or someone now that I think about it." He then realises she didn't specify who she was referring to but it dawned on him it wouldn't be far-fetched to think that of either one. Juliette laughs and a small part of him thinks it's melodic. He lifts his eyes back to meet hers. She doesn't offer a smile, but instead places the apple back down and swings her legs over the bench.

"Looks like you have company coming, I guess I'd better leave." She stands up and grabs her bag. "Later, Anderson." And walks away, leaving a trail of sweet perfume in her wake. He hadn't known then that it would slowly become his favourite scent. He hadn't known a lot of things, not back then.

With his mouth wide open, his best friend sits down beside him.

"You're fucking kidding me. Juliette? Juliette Knight? What is wrong with you, Anderson?"

"Hi to you too, Nic. Yes, I am having a good day! Thank you so much for asking." He replies over-dramatically, punctuating it with the wave of a chip in the air.

"Don't ignore my question, asshole." Nicholas grabs a chip and goes to throw it at him but thinks better of it and shoves it in his own mouth.

"She sat here, started mouthing off about some guy jail baiting." He shrugs, looking back down at his tray. Too late, he realises that if anyone was a gossip in this god-forsaken school, it was Nicholas Goddamn Walker.