miss.

chapter 1

The blistering heat of the sun was enough to make me sweat without even being outdoors. I was sitting in a run-down cab with the windows open, only because the air conditioning didn't work. The cabbie seemingly had no idea where we were, or where I was heading. And to be honest, I didn't completely know either.

"Hey, kid, get out," the cabbie's voice reached through the plastic separator.

I nodded once, fishing out two twenties from my back pocket, shoving them his way. "Keep the change." Adjusting my hat at an askew angle so it would block out the sun, I stepped out of the cab.

The cabbie popped the trunk, the sound being hidden within the large crowd of other people. When he made no move to get my bags, I grabbed them myself, slamming the trunk down with more force than necessary. It would be a lie to say that the whole car didn't shake.

So now I stood alone on the sidewalk of a college campus with only two large suitcases and my wallet. It didn't even occur to me how isolated this place was, or how sensitive these people were to a newcomer. The sun wasn't the only thing that was beating down on my back right now; it was the stares of the students, too.

I automatically wondered how my cousin had gotten herself trapped here over six years ago. Then I began to wonder how that same cousin had actually convinced me to join her for college in the middle of nowhere.

Things like these could only be left to the imagination.

Then again, I desperately needed an escape from my grandmother who probably would have sent me to some run down community college where they could find me. Where I was right now was not a community college; it was just run down, and they couldn't find me here. All it was a crowd of buildings built to look like a set of townhouses with an overly-green plot of green in the middle. Everything was green and spacious here, and I didn't like that. I liked the closed-in spaces and gray city that made up New York.

I wiped my hand across my forehead, feeling disgusted with the constant sweat on my temples. My naturally tan skin was flushed red, almost begging me to get inside and find my dorm. Grumbling to myself, I picked up my incredibly heavy suitcases and twisted my head at awkward angles, trying to find to direction of my dorm building.

"You look a bit lost. Can I help you?" A voice that sounded vaguely familiar caused me to halt. My mood automatically brightened when I saw her.

"Hunter!" I grinned excitedly, crushing my younger cousin in a hug. Her golden hair was slightly longer, but other than that she hadn't changed at all. An old drawstring bag was thrown over her right shoulder, obvious proof that she had already visited her dorm. I made a mental note to ask for her for directions around the school.

"Luca, you've finally grown up. So has your sense of style. Where's your hat from?" Standing up on her toes, Hunter pinched my cheeks, a habit she possessed since grade school. I slapped her hands away from my face, grumbling when she pulled off my hat instead. My face flushed red when I realized that I hadn't even brushed my hair, so I quickly ran my hands through my hair in an attempt to fix it.

"Thanks," I breathed, snatching my hat back, "And the hat belonged to my dad."

"Whatever," Hunter sighed, avoiding the topic of my dad, "You just look cute with it. Anyone take interest in you yet?"

I scoffed at the subject. Hunter was very popular when it came to relationships. On the other hand, none of the girls in New York had spared me a second glance. I was average, with tan skin and the clichéd blond hair and blue eyes. To be completely honest, I understood why girls weren't crawling all over me.

"No," I muttered, and I was fine with it.

"Oh, c'mon. I'm sure there's someone who you've taken on a date to that lame café you like."