Prologue
A New School...I knew what that meant. It meant no friends and lots of staring. I shouldn't blame my parents...they needed the money. But how on earth am i supposed to start over? I had to admit I was scared. I didn't know what to expect. At my old school I was Pretty well liked. Enough so that I could go from click to click and hang out where ever without causing trouble. Who knows where I'd fall into place here. Starting as a sophmore in a new highschool would be a challange. Leaving my best friends behind behind was especially hard. I'd grown up with them...only now to be torn away. With only about a month left until school actually started, that didn't give me alot of time to settle into the new house. I turned up the volume on my Ipod until it hurt, to drown out my worries. "Ow!" I winced at the sharp pain of having one of my earbuds torn out. "Fencen, What the hell?" I glared over at my little brother. "Language sophie." My father warned. "Mom says to turn it down." Fencen informed me in his annoying suck up voice. I sighed and reluctantly turned down the volume. I could already tell this would not be a smooth transition...



Seth Aken
"Ouch!" I put a hand to my forehead as I turned over in my Bed and slammed my head into the night stand. A great start to the day. "Seth? You up honey?" I heard my mom call. "Yeah." I called back. "Better get in the shower if you want to make it to school on time." she advised. Thats right... I have school today. I pulled myself out of bed and went to the shower. It was pretty much inevitable that today was going to suck. It wasn't so much the fact that I was in the negatives on the scocial network or that I had a grand total of one friend, or even being in class. It was the popular kids. They could do no wrong. Even in the eyes of the principle and most of the teachers they were perfect. Some of them not so much grades wise but they sucked up big time. They got special privledges like bathroom and hallway passes when ever they wanted, they sat by the windows and the stage in the caffeteria, they didn't get in trouble for fights they clearly started. They got pleasure out of tearing other kids down and just acted so arrogant. Like having perfect hair, rich parents, and fake friends made them better. None of them ever stayed best friends for long because when they got tired of torchuring other kids they simply turned on eachother for more excitment. They pretty much left me alone but it made me sick to have to watch them strut around the school like they owned the place. (Though they pretty much did.) Two more years and i'll be free, I thought. "Seth, you're going to be late!" My mom called from the kitchen. "Who cares." I muttered. Sighing, I took my backpack and keys and went to the kitchen. "Bye mom." I kissed her cheek lightly. "Love you." "I love you honey, have a great day." she called after me. shutting the door I jogged to the peice of crap I caled my car. A beat up old black toyota camery. Tossing my backpack in the passenger seat, I ducked in and closed the door."Please work." Shoving the key in the ignition I turned it and tried to start the car. Supprise, supprise. It sputtered and refused to start. I leaned back and closed my eyes, trying not to get frusterated, because really...when had anything ever gone my way? I should pretty much be used to Failure and dissapointment by now. I tried again and with a loud bang the engine started. "God, finally." Looking behind me I backed out and started towards the school. It wasn't that long of a drive. The drive was actually one of the better parts of my day. Pulling into the parking lot I went to the very back, deserted part of the parking lot and parked. The last thing I needed was Jennifer Auburn backing into the front of my car again, claiming I rear ended her. It was Redicules. Even with lack of evidence and only her word against mine, I'd had to pay to fix both cars. I pulled my backpack out and slammed the door. "Hey seth." I jumped and turned, relaxing when I saw jacob. My only friend since I moved here at the begining of sixth grade. I felt a little guilty for becoming his friend. Unlike me, he'd had a pretty good scocial status. He was about as popular as me now. But I guess he didn't mind, or he secretly hated me for it. That being the case he was an excellent liar. "Me and the guys are skipping first period for a smoke. You in?" That caught me off guard. "The guys?" I asked. I wasn't trying to be mean. I guess I'd just never seen him with anyone else. "What, I can't have other friends?" He asked, sounding angry. "No, It's just..." I thought for a moment. "I didn't know you smoked." That was true but not exactly supprising that he started. "Oh, Yeah." He was grinning now. "Pretty cool right?" "Yeah." I replied. If you want lung cancer. "So, you in?" He asked. "No, It's the first day of school." I said, leaning against my car. "Teachers pet." Jacob muttered. I straitened slightly. "What?" I asked, a little taken aback. "Jacob, what's your problem?" "It's Jake now." He corrected me. I just stared at him. Already I could tell he was diffrent. Changed over the summer maybe? "Look, I'm sorry I can't go. I need the grades." I told him. "I need a good start this year." "Why? No one expects you to graduate." Jacob shrugged. That stung. I could feel myself getting mad. "Whatever Jacob." I stalked past him. "Teachers Pet." He muttered again. I turned around to face him. "You don't have to be an ass everytime somthing doesn't go you're way 'Jake'. I turned and started walking again. I really shouldn't have been so supprised. I knew eventually he'd want to climb back up the scocial ladder. But with the smokers and crack heads? It didn't seem like him...

"Settle down class." Mrs. Jenson adressed us. "We have a new student this year." She smiled and happily. "class, this is Sophie Lotter. Please make her feel at home on her first day here." I watched sophie make her way to the seat in front of mine, in the back of the class room. She looked confident in the way she moved but her eyes betrayed her fear. I couldn't take my eyes off hers when she looked at me. I must have looked weird to her, maybe even creepy, but I couldn't look away. They shone, one chocolate brown, the other pale blue. She broke her our stare to sit in her seat facing the front of the class room. She was in for quite a day. I could already see the cheerleaders plotting. Glancing at her and whispering to eachother. Torchuring the new kids was just another game to the populars. It was rare to. Like a special treat. I'd seen only a few of the crule and unusal things they pulled on the new kids. Id even been a victum of it way back when. I'm Just thankful the crap they pulled in grade school was so much more tame than what they pulled now. It was incredible not one of them had been caught. Of course with so much power in the school, no new kid dared telling the teachers or even their parents in most cases. Only once had I heard of somone telling on a popular. The girl ended up transfering schools. No one really knew what the cheerleaders did but there were numerouse rumors. I wondered what they would do to sophie. She wasn't fat, that ruled out alot of things. She was cacasian so that ruled out any racial crap. Her clothes were pretty avrage. Her hair was long and light brown. She had her ears peirced and a small studd in her nose. All in all she wasn't bad looking. she didn't have any achne and her skin was smooth and evenly tanned. She could even be seen as a threat to summer Garent, The head cheerleader. I was curouse to the populars plan of action, in a discusted kind of way. "Turn your music down." I looked up to see sophie, half turned around. She directed her command to the empty seat next to me, diagnal from her. I watched her. Maybe there was some underlying mental health issues...? "Seth?" Crap. "Yeah?" I answered Mrs. Jenson. "Do you know the question?" "No." I shrugged. I could hear people Giggling but whatever. I wasn't here to prove anything to them. "Would you like to share you're thoughts with the class?" she asked. "Well actually..." "Then I suggest you listen." she cut me off. It worked everytime. No teacher really wanted to hear what you were thinking or even expected you to want to share. I half listened the rest of the hour. Mostly thinking about how many better things I could be doing. Class went by pretty fast. "Ok class I'll see you tomarrow." I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. "Hey seth." I turned and sighed inwardly. Riely and Carson approached me. Riely is Jennifers boyfriend and Carson, his rather short tempered muscular friend. Long story short, they're both popular and have both probably screwed the entire cheerleading team. "How's it going seth?" riely sneered. I knew they wanted a reaction, and more often than not they got one. I didn't want to give principle Jorgan a reason to watch me to closely this year. "Fine, thanks." I replied, keeping all resent out of my tone. Riely glanced at carson. I tryed to push past them but football sure hardened their shoulders. I backed up and tryed again. "where are you off to so fast?" Carson asked, smiling. "Second period." I shrugged. They stepped out of my way smirking. "You're going to have a good first day." carson said to my back. "I'm sure I will." I replied, not turning around. I passed sophie and the cheerleaders on the way out of the room. "So..." Jennifer was saying. "You're pretty and like, do you wanna join the team?" Sophie looked overjoyed. I'd thought I'd seen it all. A fate worse than death. Joining the populars. Of course to sophie it was a sign of exceptance. But everyone else knew what being one of them meant. It gave you privledges, yeah, but it also meant the whole school hated you. I didn't pause to hear what sophie said. I already knew the answer.



Sophie Lotter
I couldn't Beleive it. My first day and I already had the ticket to popularity. "yeah!" I said excitedly. Then in a calmer tone, "Sure." "Like, Awsome. I'm Jennifer and this is summer and melissa." Jennifer replied. You'll meet the rest of the squad at lunch." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Oh, and one more thing." She looked over the crowed of people flooding out of the class room. "Seth! Come here boy!" He didn't aknoledge Jennifer at first but when he did he stood his ground. I just looked at him. He had dark brown, if not black, hair and pale skin. His bangs came down over his eyes though it was obviouse he hadn't cut it that way. His eyes were pale grey and he had snake bites, his eyebrow peirced and at least three peircings in each ear. He looked annoyed. "See him?" Jennifer pointed at him. "That's seth." she said, a discusted edge in her voice. "Stay away from him, he's nothing but garbage." I was astonished at her open harshness. The whole hallway, including seth, had heard her. I watched him but his expression didn't change much. He simply rolled his eyes and turned to keep walking. "so." Jennifer continued. "Sophie?" she blew a bubble with her gum and poped it impatiantly. I looked away from seth and back to jennifer. "Meet us by the windows for lunch." she said.