Chapter One

     The small girl ran through the dark alley. Her heart pounded in her chest. She was utterly terrified. She whispered in a hushed tone, "I can feel you. Please help me!" Someone was chasing her. She was desperately trying to outrun them. She looked no younger than twelve.

     Sweat ran down her neck. She knew what she had done was wrong, but she didn't want to die. "If you stop, we won't kill you!" A masculine voice rang through the alley. She knew he was lying. She didn't stop. "We will catch you eventually! Just stop!" She turned her head to look. Big mistake. Her foot caught on a garbage can and she tumbled to the ground. A desperate, pained cry escaped her throat.

     The man slowed his pace as he approached the girl. His face was a concealed shadow, "I told you we'd catch you."

     The girl begged as tears gushed down her face, "Please! I don't want to die! I'm only thirteen. I haven't lived at all yet!"

     His smile was the only thing she could see, "You should have thought about that before you abused your abilities." The man brought up a gun and pointed it at her head. Her scream was cut short as a bullet lodged in between her eyes.

     Grace shot up out of bed in a cold sweat. Her head and heart ached for the girl. A single tear slipped down her cheek. She hopped out of bed and tiptoed across the hall. She peeked in her mom's room. She was fast asleep. Grace was happy she hadn't disturbed her.

     Down in the kitchen, she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. She frowned at its label. It was some foreign brand. Her mom always wanted the best. Back up in her bedroom she picked up a book and began reading. She knew it was pointless to try and get back to sleep. She never could after nightmares like that.

     By the time her alarm started buzzing, she was half finished with her novel. She ran a hasty hand through her hair as she silenced her alarm. She rubbed her tired eyes. She had only gotten about three hours of sleep. Grace was really dreading the next fourteen hours.

     She stood and pulled her curly light brown hair into a loose ponytail. She rubbed her forehead. Her mind was a jumble of contrasting thoughts. She couldn't think straight. Grace really hated not getting enough sleep. Her cat, Kensley, pranced into her room and jumped on her bed. She rubbed against her thigh. She couldn't help but smile at the white puff ball.

     Kensley helped her find her bearings and calmed her thoughts. She was sighed and pulled a gray sweater and black leggings from her closet. She pulled them on and then pulled on her leather boots. She grabbed her pack and car keys.

     When she pulled into her school parking lot, her phone beeped. She put her keys in her bag and read the text. It was from her best friend, Tori. Where are you? She responded, Running late.

     She fast walked past the office on her way to Tori's locker when Mr. Andrews, the principal, called out, "Grace Richards, perfect timing." She winced but followed him into his office.

     That's when she realized it wasn't about her. There was a new kid. He sat in the waiting room. He had a navy hoodie on under a black leather jacket with his hood up so she couldn't exactly make out his features.

     "Mr. Owens, this is Grace Richards. She will be showing you around. Good luck." With that he left Grace and the new kid. Grace stared at him. He looked bulky, but lean at the same time. He looked to be about her age. Then, he stood. His hair was dark and his skin was pale. His eyes were a strikingly dark blue. He saw her staring and smirked, "I'm Aric." She could feel blush rise on her neck and looked away.

     She led him down the hallway, avoiding eye contact. "So, it sucks getting stuck with the new kid, huh?" Grace shook her head but still didn't look at him, "No. . . I just . . . I'm naturally quiet." She could hear the smile in his voice, "Yeah, I kind of figured."

     Grace tucked a piece of imaginary hair behind her ear, "So, where'd you move from?" She stared at his converse as they walked, not needing to see the hallway to know where she was going.

     Aric sighed, "Everywhere, and nowhere." Grace couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her mouth. Aric raised one eyebrow at her. She was so jealous. She had never been able to do that. "What's so funny?"

     Blush crept up her neck and she tugged at her collar, "It just seems like you're trying to be all mysterious and intriguing. I was just trying to make small talk." She met his eyes and they widened like he was surprised. She smiled and pointed to his homeroom, "That's homeroom for you. I think you can find someone there to show you around to the rest of your classes." His jaw was nearly on the floor when she started walking away. And she could feel his eyes on her as she walked. Grace sighed, Tori was going to freak out.

     During lunch, Grace told Tori about the new kid. A grin grew on her face, "Really! Is he cute? Did you ever figure out where he's from? How tall is he? Did you call dibs?" Her silky straight black hair hung down her back and her bright green eyes were tinted with gold. She was so much prettier than Grace. Grace felt like a ragdoll next to a Barbie doll with her. But she still loved her like a sister.

     "He is kind of cute. No. How am I supposed to know how tall he is? And no, I don't call dibs," she laughed. Tori giggled and flipped her hair, "Well now, where is he?"

     Almost as if her words had conjured him from thin air, Aric came sauntering into the cafeteria. Grace mentally laughed at the thought of Tori conjuring something from thin air. Maybe if she could do that, Grace wouldn't feel so alone.

     Aric looked like he was walking on air. He winked at tables of girls as he passed and nodded at the tables of guys like they were long time friends. It annoyed Grace, but everyone else seemed to be eating it up. She noticed a popular girl, the popular girl, Shannon walking up to Aric. A small smile grew on her face when she noticed the coke in the girl's hands. She focused on it. And as soon as she got close enough to Aric, it exploded. Shannon screamed and jumped back. Aric dodged most of the spray, but not all of it. Grace's smile died. She was being stupid . . . and reckless. If people figured out what she could do, she knew she'd be labeled a freak.

     Aric steered away from the girl and came to sit next to Grace. He flashed them his dazzling smirk, "Hello ladies." Tori smiled, "You must be the new kid, Aric." Aric trained his eyes on Grace. His gaze startled her. It was as if he was seeing right through her. She shivered. He assessed her, "That was weird. Don't you think, Grace?"