Chapter 1 Prologue

Here we were. Staring into eachothers eyes as the heavy and pelting rain glittered all around me and Cameron. The grey skies above causing the streets to make little floods, the cars driving past making sure I'm soaked to the bone and made me shiver.
                   The rustling sound of trees and rain hitting the deck made the music for us. To some people, they'd hate the sound. But to me, it felt like the rain was dancing all around us. Envelpoing us in a cocoon just for me and Cameron. The water drops gliding down my face and Cameron's.
                   Thing is, Cameron just held my face in his. His lean and strong fingers in my hair, rain water dripping over my face and his. Our words sputtered from the water, our vision blurred. The smell of wet pavement made it all the more romantic, like from a book or a movie.
                    "Say it," He whispered. His dark brown eyes boring into mine, my insides turning to mush as well as my limbs that shook like an earthquake would. My breath hushed but fast, my eyes lingering on his. I could see his frustration and confusion, but more of it all, the hurt. "Say it, but look me right in the eye."
                    I didn't know Cameron could look this good soaken wet in the pouring rain. But by the edge of a road beyond a large public football pitch made this whole scenario more dramatic.
                    But earlier, we stood in front of eachother, inches apart. Our breaths mingled for a brief second, our eyes to the floor since we couldn't look anywhere else. It took a lot of effort for what I did next. For what I had to do next.
                    He'd said something that made my chest tighten and lungs magically have no air to breathe, no oxygen around me. Just the hollow and sinking sound of my heart beating frantically because of him.
                    "Tell me, then." He'd swallowed. I knew for a fact that he'd swallowed a lump of fear, trying to keep it down instead of making me feel intimidated. "Tell me you don't like me, no, love me."
                    But because of that, I felt goosebumps rise on my arms like flowers suddenly blooming in the spring. My breaths long and heavy I couldn't control it, it sounded like I was sighing, when I was just nervous and put on the spot.
                    I was freezing from the rain that soaked my skin and hair, locks of brown hair stuck to my face like glue. It was infuriating, but I didn't dare move incase I scared myself.
                    "I don't like you at all." I'd managed to say. But I didn't look at him. I didn't even move. I guess that's what gave it away. If I lie, I couldn't look someone in the eye without breaking down laughing, or having a mental breakdown in tears or sudden confession. But I was out here. He was onto me.
                    Thus, he striked forward like lightening that thrusted a way from us. The soound of thunder was like a giant wave crashing against boulders near my ear, I felt deafened. Cameron's cool fingers within my hair, his body against mine, making me warm up like lava. Our noses almost touching, breath mixing like cookie dough. His eyes searched mine, up and down my face, as if scared to find something he didn't want to.
                     And that's when he said it.
"Say it," His soft but pleading voice trickled like honey through my ears. His voice quiet yet intruding. I felt powerless against him. "Say it, but look me right in the eye."
                       

Friday 6th April (6 months earlier)

"Dawn Julia Evers, get up now before I drag you out of your pit!" My mother yelled up the stairs. My ears ringed loudly and I moaned and groaned into my pillow, trying to get back to my beautiful and happy dream of eating all the food I wanted. But my sleepiness had vanished and my eyes suddenly couldn't be closed.
                     With great effort, I climbed (well rolled) out of bed. Trying not to weep in pain from the sunlight that filtered through the light blue curtains. I could just see dust particals flutter in the air like fairies, the warmth from the sun made me feel lighter. But my big brothers footsteps made my little fantasy world come down in shambles.
                      "Mum wants you up and out of bed for school, Dawny-" I didn't mind the nickname, but it was very childish. But with my mother shouting for me and now my very handsome brother on my case? No, I won't stand for it.
                      "Okay, I get it!" I grilled him, standing on refreshed legs in my short pajamas and oversized black shirt that had a gothic picture of a unicorn in a swamp with a dark yet alluring woman in a ripped light grey dress. Very dark. It was my fathers shirt. "Mother wants me up and out, see!" I jumped on the spot, knowing I'd get told off when I go down for the noise.
                      But Callum's smile was playful. His bright blue eyes lighting up like the sun would after a dark and ugly cloud has covered it. His fair skin illuminated from the sunlight that shone through the gap of curtains. Light brown hair a mop on his head, some bits covering his beautiful eyes. He always had a good dress sense, with jeans, a not-plain top and sneakers.
                      Being three years older than me gave him the advantage to bully me. I was only 16 years old, and a nineteen year old boy living with his mother made girls a bit fickle around him.
                      "I know you're up." He walked over to me and ruffled my hair. "You need cleaning up, your breath stinks." He joked and dodged one of my fists to his stomach, he giggled like a child.
                      "Funny, you need a haircut," I couldn't think of anything else to say, then smiled wickedly when a thought  bubbled into my thoughts. "It's scaring all the girls." I pushed him out of my room, the smell of his Lynx spray clogging my throat, however, it did smell nice.
                      "Wow, since when did you have such better comebacks than me?" He teased, letting me push him out of my room.
                      "I learn from the best." I huffed, finally at my door. The cold air from the landing made me shiver and I felt a wave of goosebumps rise from my toes to the roots of my hair.
                      "Well," Callum buffered his nails on his shirt and looked flattered. Please, he's my brother. "I do say, I try my best."
                      "Not really," I was about to shut my door. "Lucy helps me with them!" I shrieked loudly before I slammed the door in his face.
                      "Hmph." I could imagine him pouting at my door. "B***h." We always insulted eachother, then, we gave worse ones back. More like a greeting. If my mother caught us swearing, she'd just give us a look that made us stop.
                      "Love you too." I smiled to myself, and turned to my messy/clean room. It was messy from CD cases by my large silver stereo, clothes strewn by my bed and wardrobe. A poster of my favourite band ever, Linkin Park, had fell down in a heap near my Rock magazines.
                      Oh yeah, I may not look like a crazy rock chick, but I was well into deep, down to earth rock music. From powerful throats of rockers to meaningful lyrics from screams of girls and boys that relate to teenagers souls these days.
                      Sigh.
So, I needed to find my horrible and disgusting uniform for school today (yey! Not), which was bad since it was a math test. I hated math, I know I was going to fail. But at least I have my bestfriend to be there with me through it all.
                      I danced to my wardrobe and changed within seconds.
Next, bathroom to sort my raggy hair out and exterminate my morning bad breath.
                      In the bathroom, the sun bounced back and forth from tiles around the sink, from the shower and in the corner next to the toilet. The mirror shining a bolt of ray into my eyes, momentarily blinding me. I winced and backed up a bit.
                      The smell of toothpaste, fresh Dove soap and Lynx was all over in the bathroom. It was nausiating, but I got used to it.
                      Looking in the mirror made me do a double take. My wild dark brown hair in tats like a cavewoman, a little whitehead spot on the tip of my nose. My brown eyes looking ordinary (as usual) and plain, but very dull from the lack of sleep. I am a plain person, except from my eyebrow piercing on the left, and an industrial piercing in my ear. That's why I loved tucking the stray pieces of hair behind my ear, to show off my black bar in my ear.
                      My mother thought I should express myself, so when I said I wanted a septum piercing, snakebits and a nose ring, she nearly had blackeyes from the photos I'd shown her. So I ended up with a industrial and eyebrow piercing which was all I was allowed.
                      Also, when I brushed my hair, all the tats fell out and I could see my classy blue and hot pink streaks in my side fringe that almost covered one eye. Everyone loved it, I felt more like me with it. The blue on the edge and pink more in the middle of my fringe.
                      Ready and an empty stomach that begged to be fed, I skipped merrily down the stairs.
                      I smelt a breezy, outdoorsy and flowery smell. It hit me like a ton of bricks, but refreshin from Callum's abuse of spraying his usual daily fix of body spray. The living room nice and homey with the light brown walls and large oak furniture and cream sofas. Through the kitchen, I found Callum rumaging through the fridge.
                      "You fatty," I prodded his muscled back. Even though he lived at home with me and my mother with a new fiance, he still made money and cared for himself. "Don't eat everything, you pig." I retorted and grabbed a sausage roll from a shelf in the cool fridge.
                      It's stupid, it's nearly 20 degrees outside and my uniform had to be black for stupid Gatebridge High School. Damn, I wish I lived in Alaska or something. But it's very rare for it to be sunny in rainy Great Britain. If I jynxed the weather, my head will be on a pitchfork in hours.
                      "What are you doing?" Callum pulled out a J2O from the fridge and eyed me. I felt like a worm under his gaze since he was the usual over-prtective brother. I did appriciate it, but he did go over the top sometimes. "Since when did you streak your hair again? I didn't see that this morning. Are you crazy?" He came closer to touch the pink streak that I had so happily done last night.
                       "What?" I swatted Callum's bear hands away from my face and took a large bite from my cold sausage roll. "Mum said I could." I spat out pastry and Callum swore while dodging my spitting range.
                       "Ew, disgusting," He whimpered. Sometimes, I wonder if he should've been born a girl. "Aren't you gunna heat that thing up?" He poitned at my bitten sausage roll and looked repulsed.
                       I rolled my eyes and used the sausage roll as my pointed hand and flicked pastry at him. "Hey, don't be such a sissy, missy." I talked with my mouth full. I swallowed painfully before speaking again. "I can do whatever I want."
                       "Except get a septum piercing." He shot back with a mean smile. That hurt, I badly wanetd one done, and laying that one me was a mean blow.
                       "That's just mean." I stormed out of the kitchen to see my mother stroll in from the back passage where the back door was. She looked pooped out as she carried a empty washing basket.
                       "S**t, it's boiling out there." She panted, using her shirt to wipe at the sweat that beaded her forehead. She smelt half between sweat and roses from the garden. I guessed she hung the washing. "Oh, Dawny, why not heat it up?" She eyed me, too. Plopping the basket down and walking past me to the kitchen.
                       "It's better cold." I gave her a stupid grin, but that's who I am. Happy-go-lucky...most times.
                       "Callum, buy me some more bottles of water from the shop, would you please?" She made a sad, puppy dog eyed face towards Callum. I always think I was the least favourite child, then again. I knew my mother loved me just the same amount as Callum.
                       "Sure." He walked with a bounce to the front door, the cool breeze very welcoming.
                       I hovered in front of my mother, trying to get her to see my fringe which she somehow didn't notice when she came in. "Well, mum," I grinned wildly, setting down my sausage roll and flattening my black polo shirt. "Notice anything?"
                       Just like a light bulb behind her eyes, she clicked.
I was the double of mum. Everyone who met us thinks we are sisters. She had longer dark brown hair it was almost black, her fair skin glowing with a beautiful tan. Her long legs in a above the knee summer faded pink dress and eyes lost under thick eye lashes. I didn't get that from her, though. But I did get the same birthmark as her, which is weird.
                        My mother has a birthmark in the middle of her back, shaped into a sort of wonky heart. The size of a thumb and just a few inches higher from her hips. I had the same shape, but smaller and in a differnt place. My birthmark was spotted just underneath  my collarbone. It fitted snug there but it was the size of a thumb fingernail. Still, people find it weird that we have the same birthmark. I think it's creepy yet cool.
                        "Oh, the pink in your hair looks lovely." She patted the strands of hair that have recently been dyed hot pink. "It works nicely, because of your dark hair, and with the blue already, you look set." She smiled happily at me.
                        "I know, I love it mummy!" I hugged her tightly. If she had said 'no' to streaking my hair, I would've been in a corner crying to myself. "I feel much more complete with it." I stood back and got my sausage roll and took another chunk out of it.
                        "You can't be complete," My mother turned to the dishes, her voice suddenly full of wisdom and eyes a little sparkly. Now, I got a weird feeling in my gut, like a 'gut-instinct'? "You gotta find a boy that makes you complete."
                        Oh no, here we go again. I remember the same month just two years ago when my dear mother went through safe sex with me. I was kinda still dazed and miserable from my mother and father's divorce, but I could still remember her embarrassed face when she told me what would happen if a man and woman made 'love'. Jeez, it's enough to make me sick.
                        "Mum, I will never find that 'perfect' boy that girls look for." I always say that I don't need a boyfriend. That when me and Lucy and friends see a hot dude walk by us, we all giggle. But I get kinda jealous of my friends relationships. I always say that 'he's not my type' or 'he's way too weird', when really, I wanted to know what it was like to be held by a boy. I mean, I haven't even had my first peck on the lips yet. "I don't need a boyfriend."
                        "Here we go again." She chuckled while scraping off last night's chocolate pudding from a bowl. "Dawny, every person has someone special out there." I didn't want to listen to her, so I turned around and was ready to hit the door, when her next words stopped me. "Love can happen when you least expect it. Like a strangr turning up out of the blue. Love is a tricky thing, Dawny, just be careful not to hurt or get hurt." My mother smiled at me over her shoulder.
                         So, this 'love' can happen when you least expect it? Like a stranger turning up out of the blue? I wonder what it feels like, to fall head over heels for someone. I heard the says 'opposites attract', but found it absurd that someone that has nothing in common with you can make a relationship work.
                         And here I was, thinking about love when I was supposed to knock on Lucy.
"Gotta go, mum." I kissed her cheek on my tiptoes and hurried out. The blazing sun beat down on me like the cold and I felt like I was sweating already.
                         "Oh man," I began walking down the baking path. "It's so hot." I lived in a little house with others near a main road that was basically the road to my school. And I knock on my bestfriend who lives literally a few doors down. We had never been so overjoyed to live in the same street, we felt like we had been blessed.
                         I seen Callum walk towards me from the shop. He had a grin on his face and a blue plastic bag full of stuff. I stopped him and he looked at me like he'd just seen me.
                         "Whoa, why are you smilling like a creep?" I giggled while digging through the bag, my back and head burning from the heat rays.
                         "The girl behind the counter gave me her number." Callum took out his iPhone and wiggled it. I don't know how he gets the girls so easily. I really hope I don't turn out like that, falling for a guy within seconds.
                         "You must've bribed her to give you it." I pulled out a fresh bottle of Volvic water from the smelly plastic bag. I wondered a few feet forward before thanking Callum, then I skipped awkwardly to Lucy's.