"Following her parent's divorce, everything in Makayla Summers's life seems to fall out of place. When her happy-go-lucky father decides to move to Philadelphia, it's just the beginning of the worst. Or so she believes.
Starting afresh in a new hig...
The dull scent of the tarmac side-walk and the polluted city air hit me as I walked in a hurry, out of the school building. Swarms of students surrounded me, all with the intent purpose that we shared of going home. But I had an urgency like no other.
Camouflage Makayla. Blend in. And don't let Stable Boy see you.
That was the one thought that pounded in the corners of my mind, urging me to walk faster as the mass of students dispersed onto the campus. Most of them were heading towards the school car parking lot - where the buses, or their own cars, would be located. But I'd told my dad I'd walk back home on the first day. It wasn't actually quite that far in terms of distance but the traffic jams along the crowded streets were what caused my house to seem miles away.
But at the rate I was walking in, I felt pretty confident that I'd arrive at my house in a matter of five minutes. I power-walked across the green campus, heading towards the school gate by which cars were meant to enter our high-school section. Not many students seemed to be taking that route but a good number noticed me as I huffed and puffed my way out.
All seemed to be going perfectly well, until I heard that voice.
"Makayla! Wait up!"
The depth of the tone was edible enough for me to determine that it was a boy's. Turning around, hands curling into hard fists by my side, I ground my teeth together. But the person who'd called out to me was the one I'd thought the least about throughout the day.
Nick.
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He smiled, flashing his perfect set of white teeth as he neared me. He opened his mouth to say something but instead, his grin disappeared as he broke into pants and bent over with his hands on his knees. He must have really pushed his way through the crowd and ran towards me to be this out of breath. I hadn't been walking at a superhuman pace, had I?
My eyebrows raised slightly as I tried to arrive at my own conclusion of what he wanted from me - the new girl. I bent down, enough for him to see me and said, "What's going on?"
Looking up, his amber eyes glinted in a happy excitement as he managed to gasp out, "I just thought you'd want someone to escort you home on your first day."
"Oh."
I don't know what expression must have fleeted across my face but the reaction I got from Nick determined it to be a negative one. Catching himself mid-way through his next words, his features turned into one of uncertainty as he slowly said, "Unless...you don't want me to?"
I shook my head, letting a smile release itself onto my lips. I was surprised, but pleasantly so by his offer. Was Nick the gentleman out of the trio? It was beginning to look like it.
Straightening my posture at the same time he did, I answered, "Of course you can walk me back home. That's...nice of you."
I smacked myself mentally but Nick didn't see the sheer awkwardness I'd projected into that last statement. Instead, he grinned and said happily, slipping his hands into his pockets as he started to walk ahead of me, "That's what friends are for, right?"
