Chapter 1

At only 6:30 in the morning, traffic in downtown San Diego was horrible. Every stop light my father and I came to turned red. Needless to say, we didn't make it through the intersection every time the light changed to green.

We had moved from San Francisco only two weeks ago. Dad had picked out a small, two-story, white house on Sunrise Lane. We didn't mind not having a big house; it was only the two of us. That's how it had been for years. There were two bedrooms, both of which were upstairs, along with two bathrooms.

My father, Johnathan Dymond, looked a little like me. Actually, I guess you could say I looked a little like him. Past neighbors had said I looked more like my mother. I hated that comment with a passion. You see, I've never met my mother. According to dad, she walked out on him three years after I was born. But never mind that; I don't like to dwell on it. 

Dad pulled the car to a stop in front of Mooncrest High School. I took a moment to glance around before I got out. Students stood on the sidewalk, talking with their friends. Taking a deep breath, I shouldered my backpack and opened the door. 

"Crystal," dad stopped me before I got too far. "Breathe. You'll be okay."

I gave him a quick smile before I shut the door and faced the next few years of my school life. My gaze flickered around me as I searched for the office. When I entered, I noticed a slim, blonde-haired woman sitting behind the desk.

She glanced up as I approached, a warm smile lighting her face. "What can I do for you?"

I returned her smile before explaining what I needed. "I'm Crystal. I'm a new student here, and when I called to register, the person I spoke to said to come here for a list of my classes."

The woman turned to a filing cabinet behind her and pulled out a file of papers. "Okay, Crystal. Here is a list of the classes you'll be taking, as well as a map of the school. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them."

I scanned the papers before tucking them into my pocket. "Thank you so much!" As I exited the office, I looked at the map again. It was a relief to see that the geology classroom was only a few feet away from where I was standing. The only empty seat left was in the front row, next to a tall, brown-haired boy with striking green eyes. 

The teacher fixed his eyes on me as he entered the room. "Ah, Ms. Dymond," he said. "Welcome to our school. I hope you'll feel welcome here."

A nervous smile twitched at my lips. One thing I knew I would never adapt to is the anxiety of being a new student. I took out a notebook and pencil from my bag to take notes on the current topic of study: carbon dating.

The rest of the period went by rather fast. Before I knew it, students were out of their seats and out of the door as the bell rang. As I gathered my belongings, the boy I had been sitting next to turned to me with a smile. 

"You're Crystal, right?" He continued on before I could answer. "I'm Jake."

I smiled in response and began walking out the classroom door. "Hi. It's nice to meet you."

"What do you think of the school so far?"

I took a deep breath. "It's bigger than my old school. Everyone here seems nice, though, so that's a plus."

Jake nodded in reply. "Do you need any help finding your next class?"

I took another peek at my list of classes and the map. The English classroom was around the corner. "I can find my way. Thanks for the offer, though."

Jake's answering grin reached his eyes. "Cool. Well, if there's anything you need, find me at lunch."

I agreed to meet him, then headed for class. The room had pictures of Shakespeare adorning the walls, and a few bookshelves sat in one corner. A smile crossed my face as the teacher stated that creative writing would be our current subject. I knew this class was going to be a favorite of mine.

The hot sun was beating down on me as I walked home from school. Beads of perspiration formed on my face, causing me to stop under the shade of an elm tree. Though it felt good for a moment, the temperature was still too high for me to get much relief. I continued walking again, all the while wishing for a car. 

When I got home, I immediately sighed at the coolness of the air conditioner on my skin. It was a welcomed sensation after being outside in the blazing heat. Dad was sitting at the kitchen table paying bills. 

"How was school, honey?"

My mind wandered back on the events of the day, as I pulled my homework from my bag. "It was okay. I met a boy, Jake, who is in my first period. He seems nice."

Dad nodded, though I could tell he wasn't paying much attention. He was staring at a piece of paper, but from where I was standing I couldn't tell what it said. What I did see was the look of fear on his face as he lowered the paper to the table.

Seeing his expression made me worry. "Dad, are you okay?"

A moment passed before he turned to look at me, though his eyes were still showing his fear. "Yeah, honey, I'm okay. I'm going to change before I start on dinner."

Before I could respond, he was gone. I had hoped he would leave the paper behind, but he had taken it with him. Deciding that if it was something serious he would tell me, I began my homework.

Dad didn't say much as we ate dinner that night. I could tell that whatever that paper had said was still distracting him. My worry increased further when dad stated that he was going to bed early. My eyes found the clock above the sink, and I noted that it was only after six. Whatever dad had read on that paper must have been serious if it was causing him to retire to bed early. All I could do at this point was wait, and hope that he would tell me in the morning. 

Reviews

[Rose]

OH HO HO! This is definitely going to be exciting! Next chapter, here I come!