A bright red and inky D was scrawled on Gwen's mock test paper. The numerous crosses hid organic molecular formulae on it. Her paper was not just bleeding it was dying. Gwen groaned in frustration. All that studying and she could not even score her mock tests. She dropped her head, and it knocked the table.

Her aunt was in no terms going to pay for her college fees; she would have to get a scholarship if she were to further her studies. Or get a job before doing that. Nothing ever played out right for her. It was as if the forces of nature wanted to see her fail in everything just for kicks.

After classes had ended, and the sun had turned to a mild yellow ball of light, Gwen pushed her way past the throng of people as she made it to her car. As she made it down the school front steps she heard shattering glass followed by the voices of several boys cursing aloud. As soon as she broke past the crowd and turned into the parking lot, she almost dropped the books in her hands.

"You've gotta be kidding me," she muttered to herself.

Culprits nowhere in sight, Gwen stared at the shattered passenger seat window of her car. Pieces of glass with jagged edges hung onto the frame, while the rest of the window was scattered on the seat.

It was definitely a ball that had smashed through her already fragile glass window. The numbskulls who did it made a quick escape. Gwen clenched her fists, she was so ready to punch someone in the guts. She stared up at the sky, as if asking it why it was so cruel. Gwen got into the driver's seat, dusting off a couple of glass pieces before doing so and making her way to the workshop.

There goes my allowance for the month. She thought to herself.

------------------------
"I swear to God. Am I cursed?" Gwen said, whining in frustration. Pauline looked at her sympathetically.

"Today has just been a bad day... You should sleep this one out," she replied, as they munched on Mrs. Gonzales butter cookies- the only good thing that has happened that day.

"Sleep?! I won't be sleeping till I ace the tests!" Gwen retorted. She should just full well forget about sleeping and study the night away. Pauline rolled her eyes.

"Gwen! Do you want to pass out during the exam?" she said. Gwen smacked herself onto Pauline's bed and groaned into the comforter. Pauline sighed in reply.

"Look, pack some cookies, go home, revise till midnight, then it's off to bed, Honeybunch!" Pauline said, mimicking her mother's tone. Gwen sighed but smiled.

Pauline dropped her home that night, with a tin of cookies, which Gwen accepted as a cure for stress. After changing into a pair of loose pajama pants and a superman t-shirt, Gwen got to studying. After thirty minutes of feeling uncomfortable on her desk, she moved her study area to the bed. About an hour later, Gwen felt her eyes droop. She slapped herself awake and grabbed the tin of cookies.

"Ouch," said a voice from behind her.

Already exhausted to her bones and stressed to the peak, Gwen was not in the mood for Peter Pan's antics. She ignored him and munched on the butter cookies.

"What a bad mood..." He muttered, amused. Gwen rolled her eyes and tried to concentrate, but her tiredness was already making it impossible.

"How about I put you to sleep, give you a sweet dream," he whispered, she felt the mattress sink under his weight.

"I'm not in the mood," Gwen said through gritted teeth. She picked out the last cookie from the tin, crumbs littered over her textbook. Another word and Gwen would snap.

"That makes it all the more enjoya- Mmf" Gwen spun around and shoved the cookie in her hand into his mouth, shutting him up.

For the first time, Gwen realised, she just caught Peter Pan off guard. He was shocked, his bright eyes wide, a sense of vulnerability in his expression. It was almost laughable. He quickly got over it though and chewed the cookie. Then he was back. Mischievous grin and all.

"That was pretty good. If only there were more," he said in a teasing tone. He took her hand and brought it over to his lips, too quick for her to comprehend.

In an almost sensual way, he licked off the crumbs around her fingers. Gwen was too shocked to respond. She tried to tug her hand away, but his strong grip held it in place. Unconsciously she trembled as he playfully nibbled at her fingers. She clenched her other fists, holding back her body's strange responses to his touch. Warmth flowed from her fingertips all the way to her toes. Her breath was heated as it mingled in the small space between them.

He finally let go, satisfied with the effect he had on her. His intense green eyes glinted with seduction. Gwen felt her breath get stuck in her throat, her heart pounding painfully against her chest.

What was wrong with her? Why was she reacting so strangely? She blamed it on her exhaustion. She was not thinking straight. His penetrating stare transfixed her in place. Something else replaced the usual fear that pinned her in place. Something she could not make sense out of.

He trailed his finger across her cheek down to the corner of her mouth and brushed off some crumbs.

"Goodnight, Wendy," he whispered, his signature smile tugging at his lips.

A second later, he was out the window, gone for the night. Gwen still sat at the same spot, unable to comprehend what just happened. She collected her books and placed them on the desk, then tucked herself in bed. As much as her body felt heavy and fatigued, she had trouble sleeping that night. All she could see when she closed her eyes were the inviting bright green eyes of a murderer.

Then there was also the problem that the warmth in her fingertips would not go away.