*Flashback*

A.a.a.a.a.a.a.h.h.h!!!!! '

I screamed as I ran towards Lilian. Dad and mom were at it again. She scooped me up in her arms even as I continued screeching.

'Run, Lily, run!', I screamed in her ear. 'The zugor's coming to get you! Run?!'

We both screeched as we heard a deafening roar and she turned and ran. Right in front of us stood a a fiendish looking monster with a single eye. It roared, we screeched and turned, only to find a bigger one behind us.

Screaming some more, we were tackled to the ground and promptly attacked by twenty tickling fingers.

'S - stop.. m -mom, s -stop', I giggled.

She stopped and grinned at me.

'I'm not mom.. I'm the zugor! ', she continued tickling until I was gasping for air and laughing so hard, it was soundless.

I wriggled free, grabbed at her face and ran.

'I've got your nose! '

Mom caught up withe and was about to say something when we both fell into the pool. Dad was smirking down at us and Lily was coughing up water and giving him death glares.

'Dad! ', I whined.

'Jon! ', mom whined.

'Yes, honey?', he asked innocently.

'You did that on purpose!', I said.

He chuckled and bent and pinched both our noses.

'Now, I've got both your noses', he said.

Mom and I looked at each other and smirked.

'And we've got you! ' We pulled him into the pool.

Aw, man!'

*End of flashback*

Alex's POV:

What was that annoying noise?

There was a steady beep-beep of something close to my ear. It took me two moments to figure out that was my alarm clock.

I slapped a hand down on it and dragged the other through my limp hair at the same time pulling myself out of bed and barely managing to stumble into the shower.

Today was going to be a school day just like any other and I can hardly say I'm looking forward to it.

My name is Alex Howard and I'm a senior in Heavenly Heights High. My parents are quite wealthy

actually, they're shitass wealthy

and I'm an only child. It wasn't always like that, though. I had a sister. A twin, actually. Her name was Alexa. She's been dead for five years.

I also have two best friends. Eric and Noah. Eric has been there since kindergarten. We live in the same neighborhood and Noah... Noah just moved in about four years ago. I have another friend who I like to consider as pretty close. That's Mason. He doesn't live in our neighborhood though.

We're quite popular at school -not that we'd pass for bad boys. But I suppose Mason could...and probably Eric. We run the school- practically. Noah and Mason are the players. Eric is taken. Me? I'm a one-man squad.

I guess you can guess what kind of life I lead. Pretty normal, huh?

***

AP calculus. Only my worst subject ever. And I don't even see the need in learning it. I mean who the hell differentiates and integrates in their daily activities? Not me.

I glanced over at Noah who was snoring with his mouth half open and drool dripping. Hiding a smirk, I gestured to Eric who was currently sitting in front of Noah, the snoring idiot and doodling in his notebook.

He glanced at Mrs Dermot, the maths teacher to make sure she wasn't looking at him before ripping half a page from his book and passed it me. I rolled the paper into a ball and dripped ink from my fountain pen on to it.

Grinning slightly, I tossed the ball, originally aiming for Noah's mouth but I have great aim - cue the sarcasm - and the paper dropped int Eric's lap instead. He shook his head and dropped it into where I intended to put it.

Bull's eye.

We both turned around, simultaneously hiding sniggers as Noah's head shot up and he jumped a foot, making one hell of a ruckus.

Mrs Dermot turned and glared, mostly at Eric while more sniggers came from the back of the class from those who saw the prank as Noah coughed repeatedly, face flushed Scarlet as the paper ball tumbled from his mouth.

He glared at me while Eric was getting reprimanded and I shook my head, barely holding back a snort of laughter.

The door opened and someone walked in. I turned. My eyes widened. I looked at Eric. He was already starting at me. I stared back.

The girl was already speaking but I was too stunned to listen. I took in her dressing. Bad-ass leather jacket, grey turtle neck, black jeans and black Vans.

I stared at the face. It was so familiar, yet so...foreign. The hair I one knew as being a soft chestnut was now a shiny, raven-black and cut into a chin-length Bob. The eyes I knew as a happy, dancing blue were as cold and frozen as any could be. Betraying no emotions and remaining unfocused.

I glanced back at Eric with raised eyebrows before turning back to face her just in I'm to see those cold, blue eyes focus on me and flash with something I couldn't quite pinpoint.

Like a bulb turned on in a dark, murky basement, I knew I was staring into the face of my worst nightmare and favourite daydream. The face of my sister's best friend. The face of my first love. The face of Yvette McClure.