Chapter One

Claire's POV

Oh no! I'm going to be late.

I was running like crazy, like running for my life. My heart was pumping so hard. My skin was cold as ice and sweat ran down my spine.

Whew! I stopped to catch my breath.

I could not miss the school bus. I had a long quiz on my first subject, which was Math.

It was our last year in high school, and I was aiming to get good grades in all my subjects, so I would qualify for the Manchester University scholarship program. Being an orphan with no one to support me, the scholarship was my only hope of getting into university.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead then checked the time on my wristwatch.

Oh no. I have to run faster now, or I'll miss the bus.

I heard a car horn behind me. It was Ashley Farris. My stepsister.

Ashley opened her car window and yelled at me. "Run faster, Claire!" Her laughter echoed in the air. She was the reason why I was hurrying right now. She made me iron her school uniform again and again to make sure that there was no single crease left.

Ashley and I were both seventeen, but she was a month older than me. We were both seniors at Riverview High School.

We looked totally different. She was a blond while I had jet black hair. She was short and curvy while I was tall and skinny. Okay...very skinny.

Ashley has competed with me ever since we met, at home and in school.

She wanted to get my dad's attention. She showed excitement in having a new dad. Dad, in return, aimed to be the best dad to her and to make his new wife happy. He took her shopping and bought her a car on her birthday, plane tickets to travel, and other things. She even took my bedroom and my stuff. Everything became in her favor.

Ashley was a smart girl, too. We competed with each other in school. We were both in the Top Ten Students. But I always got the highest rank and that was very upsetting on her part.

Her mom, Aunt Abby, married my dad seven years ago. It was so sudden. I just lost my mom—she was hit by a car. I was still grieving when Dad got married again in just two months. Mom was not even cold in her grave yet.

I lost my dad in a fire incident two years ago and that made my life become a calvary. Aunt Abby and Ashley made my life miserable. They stopped treating me like family. I became a squatter in my own house.

Don't worry, Claire. One more year, and you'll be free. I murmured to myself.

I was just in time when the school bus arrived at the bus station. I was so relieved.

I saw my bestie, Rhea when I entered the bus. I took the place beside her and put my maroon Jansport backpack in front of me.

"Hi, Claire. You look like a mess."

"I know right." I combed my long tangled hair with my fingers and fixed my eyebrows with my fingertips. I was so conscious about my eyebrows because they were so thick like those of the werewolves, pointing everywhere. I had to flatten them and keep them in place all the time.

"Did you finish your Science homework?"

"Of course. I finished it early this morning." I smoothened the creases of my uniform and tightened my tie.

"I'm not confident with my answer in number ten. Can you help me with it?" Rhea pleaded.

"Of course. No worries."

My heart skipped a beat when I got out of the school bus. I saw a familiar car turnaround the curb, heading towards the school's main entrance. A black Mercedes-Benz with a custom license plate: PETRAKIS.

I stopped at the side of the road, waiting for the car to pass by. The windows were tinted black, so dark that it was impossible to see inside. I kept my eyes fixed on my shoes, embarrassed to be caught looking at the car.

Zion Petrakis was inside the car. The most popular boy in school. A heartthrob. Tall, handsome with a beautifully lean muscular body. He walked with grace, pride, and confidence. Very athletic. He was the captain of the school's football team. Countless girls admired him and sought his attention. Yeah. I liked him, too. A lot. However, unlike the others, I was contented with admiring him from afar.

The car was parked outside the school's lobby. Zion went out, with his black backpack slung over his shoulder. He looked so fresh with his dark straight hair glistening. Obviously wet from the shower.

He was greeted by his best friends Harry Allen and Israel Yasin. The three of them were inseparable since pre-school, and they played together in the football team.

"Claire, I'm going to talk to Miss Murphy. Just go ahead." Rhea said.

"Okay. I'll see you in the classroom."

I was approaching the lobby, where Zion, Harry, and Izzy were standing and praying at the same time.

Please, God, have them go inside. Let me be invisible so they wouldn't notice me.

I sighed in relief when I managed to pass by in front of them unnoticed. But I was wrong. It was just temporary bliss.

"Hi, Claire." I heard Israel a.k.a. Izzy say behind me.

I stopped and spun around, staring at him, then at Harry and Zion. "Hi."

Harry said "hi" back, but Zion just smiled and looked away.

Izzy did not conceal the fact that he liked me. Since grade school, he was attracted to me. He sent me gifts and brought roses, love letters, and chocolate. He even wrote poems for me. But I could not teach myself to like him more than just a friend. I did not feel the same way he felt about me.

It was always Zion. I myself did not understand why. He did not do anything to make me like him. He never spoke to me. He ignored me like I did not even exist. I hated that I kept on thinking about him when deep down inside of me, I knew that he probably had not thought about me once.

I excused myself and walked away from them in a hurry, almost running. I just slowed down when I got out of their sight.

I passed by the bulletin board and stopped to check for any announcements and reminders. A leaflet about a free trip to Korea for top students caught my attention. I was reading it when someone stood beside me—Alex Gomez, one of the student activists. He posted a list of Top Ten Students: Who Are Hot and Who Are Not, covering the leaflet I was reading.

"Not again." Facepalm.

As usual. I was on the Top Ten List of Who Are Not.

This became my burden every school year. Nonetheless, I learned to view it in a positive way. Who cares? It was just a list made by student activists. Sarcastically speaking, I should be flattered because I went down in the ranking from second to fourth.

But still, I checked the list. As expected, Zion Petrakis was at the top of who's hot, as always, followed by his friends, Harry and Israel. Zion's ex-girlfriend, Maddie Jennings, the popular "it girl" in school, was also included, as well as my stepsister, Ashley.

"Stupid list." I heard a familiar voice say behind me. I looked around and saw Zion. We were so close that our faces almost collided. I could smell his scent, like a combination of soap and cologne, and the warmness of his body vibrated through me, like a current. I had never been this close to him ever, and the feeling was so electrifying.

I stepped back and looked around. He was alone. I wondered where his friends were.

Zion was looking at me, and I looked back at him. His dark eyes were sharp and assessing, holding my eyes still. But I could not continue looking at him; his stares and nearness made my knees so weak. It would be so embarrassing if I fell down at his feet.

He grabbed the list of the Top Ten Students: Who Are Hot And Who Are Not, crumpled it, and threw it in the nearest bin. Then he was gone in a blink of an eye.