Chapter 1

“Mom, MOOOMMM!” I yell, but she can’t hear me and she disappears right there in front of me. I wake up, sweat trickling down the side of my face. My mom died when I was young. She just… disappeared out of nowhere when I needed her. I couldn’t sleep for months. I thought about her all the time afterwards. She only died five years ago but it felt like it happened right now.

I ease my way out of bed and read my clock, which says 7:03. I put on the clothes I picked out from yesterday night. I live in an estate, but only because my dad is a duke. But I got sent here to Paris, in a boarding school. I met my roommate yesterday, but she’s with her boyfriend right now. Luckily, it’s a mixed boarding school, with boys and girls. I never really actually had a true love or a serious boyfriend except for Jason.

My mom was my best friend and I didn’t need anything else besides her. I just found out I have a dad anyways. I’ve been living with my gramma in past years before my dad decided to show up out of nowhere and come back into my life. I was popular at my old school but that was because I had a model for a mom and I looked exactly like her. I was proud to look like her, but now when I look at myself it just reminds me of her and it kills me every time. People tell me to accept that she’s gone but I can’t. You just can’t have everything you ever think you’ll need and then lose that most important part of your life. It shouldn’t work like that. Never should it ever work like that.

“Lively, are you here?” Auburn says to me, walking into the room. “I brought you a donut. Hope you like jelly-filled,” she says again.

I look at the donut hungrily and take a huge bite when she hands it to me.

“By the way, when we go down to breakfast my boyfriend and a couple of my friends will be joining us,” Auburn says, quickly jumping out of the shower.

Not knowing and grateful enough to know I’m already making friends, I wait for Auburn to get dressed and together we’re out of the door, down the stairs, and quickly into the dining room. The room is stunning and the wonderful smell in the room lifts my spirits up. I see a hot boy walking towards us. He has navy blue eyes and thick black hair with high cheekbones. At first I think he was walking toward me before I see him reach us and grab Auburn into a deep hug. This must be Sky. No wonder he’d date someone like Auburn, with her beauty and friendliness toward anyone. He finally realizes me standing there and does a double take. He flashes his smile with his dimples and I feel myself turn redder than I’ve ever been.

“Hi, you must be Lively, right?” he says.

I can swear I feel my heart skip a beat, I might as well just faint right here. He is also British, too, so every word he says is seeped in English. As we near the front of the line I turn toward the menu, and everything (I mean everything) is in French, so I try my best to try to figure out what it says. But in the end Sky has to help me. We get to our table, and as soon as we get there, a swarm of girls from unknown places start flirting with Sky, but he easily shakes them off and sits down with the rest of us. This place just seems to get better by the second, and unlike my old life, more interesting too.

Chapter 2

“So, Lively, how do you like our — and now your — school so far?” Auburn asks while she stuffs her face with toast, not caring that Sky is laughing at her.

“It’s really sorta… ” I start to say but not wanting to say the word because it might offend people.

“I know it’s much,” Auburn says, widening her eyes for emphasis.

“Yeah,” I take a bite of my yogurt, the only thing I knew how to order while standing in line.

“I just really miss my old school, and my best friend Katherine, and some other friends as well,” I say, more to myself than Auburn.

“Ooh, who’s the boy you left?” Auburn says with a tease in her voice.

I turn my head to hide my blush, only to find Sky staring at me closely as soon as I say, “His name was Jason. We were starting to get serious, but then I had to leave. He was my only boyfriend I really cared about.” I picture the way he used to smile at me while he was eating a gummy, and his dazzling white teeth would turn all green or blue depending on the color of the gummy. I remembered the way he would bite off the head of the gummy first. He said it would kill it without pain as fast as he could. I start to smile just at the thought, but am abruptly stopped midway when my phone buzzes on the table.

Sky quickly looks at the caller ID and says “Oh, it’s that Jason person.”

My eyes pop wide open. Jason hasn’t called me since we had to say goodbye and finally he called right now. I grab the phone from a slightly dissapointed-looking Sky and a very nosy Auburn.

“Hey beautiful, whatcha doing?” he answers as soon as I pick up.

“Hahaha, very funny. You know I hate when you call me beautiful, handsome,” I say, glancing around, seeing an annoyed look on Sky’s face and Auburn hovering over me trying to listen. Suddenly, Sky grabs the phone from my hand and says:

“Hey, this is Sky, Lively’s super cool awesome new boyfriend. Sorry, but it seems like you’ll have to find another girlfriend. Adios!” and with that he hung up.

“OMG I’ve been waiting for him to call since I left! How could you?” Anger flashed before my eyes before I stormed off without my phone.

Chapter 3

“Lively, LIVELY!” Sky ran after me down the corridor and turned me around with his arm.

“WHAT? Okay, what? You got what you want, I don’t even know you! Just because all the girls throw themselves at you doesn’t mean I’d be pleased at what you said to Jason.” I start crying silently but when Sky tries to touch me I jerk away from him and his face contorts back into an angry face.

“I just didn’t want you to wait for someone when you’re a beautiful girl, you see. Whenever you walk past everyone does stare at you.”

“I don’t need your pity, I can handle myself. Why don’t you go back to your girlfriend? God!” I say but my brain only processes on one word which is that he called me beautiful. I finally notice people staring, and I say quietly so only he can hear me. “Stop acting like you are my boyfriend, you already have someone who is perfect for you. I’m just trying to find the perfect one for me.”

I storm back into the cafeteria, grab my bag, and walk out to my first class. English. The only class where I can make up a new world, new characters, a new life and not have anyone tell me no. As I walk into English I notice I’m the only one in the classroom. Not even the teacher is here. Surprise, surprise! Not like that’s new, I was always one of the straight-A students in my old school anyways.

As people start filing into class, Auburn plonks herself into the chair next to me and Sky sits down right on my other side. Sabrina, who was also sitting at our table with her boyfriend Dylan, sat right on the other side next to Auburn.

“I’m so sorry Lively, I really don’t know what got into Sky. And he will now be your maid waiting on you hand and foot forever. Sky was probably just looking out for you, right SKY?!” Auburn pleads to me while she glares at Sky.

“Yeah, I beg of you,” Sky says in the exact same voice that Auburn had.

I laugh, but finally give in. I mean if you have a cute boy trying to stick up for you — even in the worst possible way — what could you do?

“I hope you guys know I’m holding you to that no matter what,” I tell them with a gleam in my eyes. We all burst out laughing. Even Sabrina, who hasn’t said a thing since I met her, gives a small grin.

As we calm down the teacher walks into the room. He jumps straight into the lesson as he sets his bag onto the floor and sits on the edge of the table.

“What do we learn about ourselves when we write?” the teacher begins.

I relax in my seat, already knowing I’m gonna enjoy this class.

Chapter 4

Before I know it, I make it to dinner in one piece. I found out in all my periods I was with either Sabrina, Sky, or Auburn. I convince Sky with guilt to get my dinner so I don’t have to face the treacherous way of only eating a yogurt again. Once everyone got to our table we all started to eat.

“This went a lot better than I thought it would. These past couple of hours, I mean,” I say as soon as I’m able to get my mouth away from all the delicious food.

“I know, right? It’s the best. Even if people say this school is so snotty, it has the best educational system ever,” Auburn gushes.

“Of course Auburn would say that, she’s always a teacher’s pet,” Sky says. And while holding back a laugh he imitates everything that Auburn said in a high squeaky voice. As Auburn swats him with her hand we all burst out laughing.

“But seriously Auburn, we still on for tonight though?” Sky says trying to get ahold of his laughing.

“Maybe, if I don’t kill you first,” Auburn says, shaking her fist at him in a playful manner.

“Fine, I’ll buy you a crepe if you forgive me,” Sky says in reply as he shoves another spoonful of food into his mouth.

“ YAY! Fine, I forgive, but only because you’re buying me a crepe. That’s all,” Auburn says and as she gives him a kiss on the cheek.

I look away, not wanting to look at them anymore, but as I turn away I see Sabrina and Dylan making out. I look down at my phone and it vibrates. Finally, a text from Katherine.

Hope you’re having fun 🙂 but I miss you already 🙁

xox- M

I smile at her text and text back.

Not as much fun without you 🙁

oxo-L

Quickly she replies.

Nope I bet you just miss your boyfriend JASON.

Jk.

xox-M

I laugh out loud without realizing. I look up since I feel everyone’s eyes looking at me. Well, only Auburn and Sky. I smile sheepishly.

“What? Is something wrong?” I say, still not sure what had happened to make them look at me with such funny faces.

“It’s not that, you just — you seem to really be enjoying your phone more than us,” Auburn says with a little hurt mixed in with her usual cheeriness.

“It’s not that, it’s just that I haven’t seen my best friend since I left and I just really miss her,” I say, not meaning to hurt Auburn. I quickly show her the texts and she smiles — really, really widely.

“Oh, looks like Jason just texted,” Auburn says with her eyebrows going up.

I quickly take me phone back and read the text.

I miss you so much why don’t just leave paris already.

Love, J

I quickly get up from the table, suddenly feeling very happy. I guess I made a loud noise because everyone seems to stare at me. I don’t care. I go to the little corner right beside our small table. A little too close, with very easy access for eavesdropping, but I didn’t notice. I call. I feel like we’ve been talking for five minutes only to see that dinner’s over. I quickly hang up and walk up to our table with a smile that I wasn’t able to wipe off my face, as everyone starts heading out. This would be my first night in Paris, but all I want to do is go to sleep. I say bye to everyone and go up to my room. I fall onto my bed, closing my eyes. When sleep doesn’t come I finally decide to watch my favorite TV show, Pretty Little Liars. And that’s how the next day I find myself asleep in front of the TV and Auburn in her bed.

Chapter 5

Since it’s Saturday there isn’t much to do, especially since I finished all my homework so I could have the whole weekend to myself. Then I remember that I have nothing planned, unlike my old school which I always had this party to attend or that get-together.

“Knock, knock,” I hear Sky say. I wake up Auburn, who is a very deep and late sleeper but in the end I have to open the door. As soon as Sky walks into our room Auburn is awake.

“Sabrina, Dylan, Jace, and I are planning to go to the park today. Would you guys like to join?” Sky says, and sits down on the couch in our room. The way he says Jace’s name is clearly out of annoyance.

“Definitely. What about you, Lively?” Auburn says and she goes over to sit down next to Sky.

“Um, sure. I haven’t seen anything around Paris yet,” I say, a little embarrassed.

“Wait, so you’re saying that you’ve been in Paris for a couple of days now, but you still haven’t seen anything of the campus?” Sky says, looking at me strangely.

“Yeah, but today’s the day, right?” I say, putting on a cheery face.

“YEP, today is the day!” Sky and Auburn say together before they start to kiss.

I walk out of the room and run right into a brick wall — no wait it’s not a brick wall, it’s someone’s body. I step back and there he is. Sky’s twin brother Jace. Funny how Sky never even talked about him at all but immediately I fall head over heels for him. I realize I’m staring and he is too, so we quickly look away and then look back.

“Um, hi, sorry for running into you,” we say in unison before we start blushing.

“I’ll show you to Sky,” I say again, trying to start a conversation, but he’s too busy staring at me to notice.

As we walk into the room Sky turns around and glares at Jace.

“So, Lively, it seems like you meet my twin, Jace,” Sky said, still glaring at Jace, who is staring at me.

“Let’s go downstairs to Sabrina and Dylan so we can go to the park already,” Auburn says, trying to clear the tension.

We all get ready and leave. Sabrina and Dylan are right where they’re supposed to be. We run to the park and as soon as we get there we lay the picnic sheet down and start to dig into the food that Sky generously packed.

“So, Lively, how do you like the school so far?” Jace says, looking at me while he blushes.

“Oh, I really am enjoying myself,” I say while looking down at my sandwich, trying to hide my very own blush.

“Did you talk to Jason?” Sky says to me with a frown on his face.

While glaring at him from underneath my lashes I say, “No he’s been very busy,” while I try very hard not to remember not to remember what Katherine told me this morning on the phone. Jason got a girlfriend — someone who isn’t me. I wasn’t even that surprised or sad even, because even when we talked on the phone he seemed different, sort of like he was obligated to talk to me. Just like the psychiatrist was forced to listen to me cry over my mom, even though I could tell she thought I should’ve gotten over it already.

“EARTH TO LIVELY!” Auburn screams and everyone laughs except for Jace and Sky for some reason.

“I’m just going to go for a walk, I’ll be back soon,” I say quietly as I get up and start walking away.

“I’ll join,” says Jace and he follows me.

I look back and there is Sky, looking at me with the same look he’d given me earlier, sort of like jealousy.

Jace and I walk side by side. The silence was comforting, surprisingly, and it seems like Jace also likes the silence because he doesn’t try to disrupt it. I sit down, tired of walking, and he sits down right next to me. His leg brushes against mine but he leaves it there. That is also surprisingly comfortable.

“I really like you, I mean really like you, Lively,” Jace says as he takes my hand.

“Oh wow, subtle,” I tease before I say, “I really like you too.” Before I think it through I give him a kiss. It is gentle and his lips are soft as flower petals. I pulled away reluctantly, feeling like we had an audience, and there is everyone there staring at us.

“If you guys were going to go make out you could’ve at least given us a heads up,” Auburn teases before everyone starts cracking up. But like always, whenever it has anything to do with me, Sky doesn’t laugh, and this moment is no exception. But I’m not going to let that spoil the day. He can pout all he wants right now and it wouldn’t bother me. Right?