Rough Love

Chapter 1: Meeting

The sky is a beautiful bright orange as the day breaks dawn and I make sure to take a quick snap.
Sigh.
"Why are we doing this again? You had a really good job back in Minne, Dad. I really don't understand," I say, not really expecting him to say anything with any value of information.
"I told you, Harper. It just wasn't working out back home, and you know my parents live in Indiana." His dark, tired ivory eyes dart in my direction and I cross my arms. "I know I'm pulling you away from your friends, but this is for the best. You just have to trust me, please."
"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm just gonna miss everything, and what about visiting Mom's grave?" He sighs hard before flicking on the left turn signal to the small blue KIA.
"We can visit every once and awhile, promise."
The rest of the drive is quiet until finally we pull into a small housing division.
"Okay, look for 3130, we're on Susan Avenue." My dad says, and I keep my eyes on the mailboxes.
"There! 3130." The house is two stories, the second being a basement. It's white with a wrap around porch, a variety of flowers blooming along the front. He pulls into the already open garage, and turns to look at me.
"Listen up, the UHual is going to be here in about an hour, so I want you to grab the cookies we made yesterday and greet some of the neighbors around here," he says and pats me on the head, "You're a good daughter."
"Thanks.." I mumble. I'm not really feeling like I want to interact with a bunch of total strangers.
The first two houses right next door are the quickest and easiest, until I get to the house across the street from ours. The outside is similar to ours, but there is plenty more greenery. Small trees just a few inches taller than me line the path up to the front door, transitioning into vines that wrap up around the porch railings. I knock twice and step back from the door, not really expecting anyone to open it as I don't see any lights on through the windows. Finally what seems to be a guy my age opens the door.
"Hey, I'm Harper, your new neighbor. My Dad and I just moved here from Minnesota." He doesn't respond. "We baked some cookies," I sputter, holding them up to him.
"Thanks," he mutters and grabs the container of chocolate chip cookies. I consider saying something else right when he just about slams the door in my face.
"Asshole," I whisper to myself and turn around to walk back home.

A weekend of unboxing, organizing, and reorganizing passes before it's Monday morning and I'm up at the crack of dawn getting ready for school. Throwing on a pink tank and some baggy blue jeans I rush down stairs and out the house with my book bag just as the bus is pulling up. Naturally, my sweet father is still sleeping so I skip out on the goodbyes and hop on the big yellow beauty all the way to hell. I've never liked school, but I do hope I will like this place better than the last. And the last, and the last. I chose a seat in the back, somehow across from the same guy that took my cookies and closed the door in my face. Wait... Is he glaring at me? What the hell did I do?
I return his very harsh side eye and plug my earphones in, not wanting to pay any more attention to the ass across the street.
15 minutes later, we arrive at school at the ripe time of 7 o'clock in the morning. Uuugh.
I don't pay too much attention to my surroundings as I enter the building, looking for the office. I imagined it would be at least somewhat near the front entrance, but turns out it's right down the hall connected to the library. I only found this out after literally begging a random person to tell me where it was, obvi.
The secretary is nice, but quickly rushes me off wishing me a good first day. The halls are cold and I wander to figure out where my first period is, and these lights are like hospital lights. Bright, very bright. I'm getting a headache.
Just as I think I've finally found my class I'm pushed into a neighboring classroom. It's dark, almost pitch black without the light on. Good  for the headache, but who just fuxking shoved me??
I go to turn around, only to find I've been cornered by ass across the street.
"What are you doing?" He huffs. His breath is hot and his hands are rough around my wrists.
"What are you doing?!" I whisper shout, trying to pry myself from his grip.
Somehow he's gotten closer and I feel myself heat up. He's actually kinda hot...
His proximity seems to lessen even more and I can feel his warmth against my front. "Please, I don't know who you are."
His eyes narrow and he exhales a long breath, "You will."
Suddenly the heat is gone and so is he, leaving me to my own warmth. And not where it should be.
The rest of the day is a bit of a drag. Hot-ass across the street guy sits next to me in two classes, but he refused to look at me in either one of them. Finally the bell out of last period rings and I'm free.
Now what do I do? I really don't feel like going home.
I opt to just walk somewhere and a half an hour later find myself in town. Shops and restaurants are all lined along the road, people laughing and smiling as they hang with family or friends. I miss that.
A run down corner store just down the road catches my eye and I walk in to find it's filled with a mix of clothing and grocery items. The walls are plastered with different paintings and photos of different people, animals, plant life. It's beautiful, really. Just as I'm about to leave I hear the bell of the door opening and watch ass from across the street walk in. He's hot, his scraggly and slightly wavy black hair just barely draped in his face with his half zipped gray hood and baggy jeans. I wonder if he's got a shirt on under there... Okay what the actual f is wrong with me. I attempt to duck out of the way, but it's too late. Eye contact is made mid-duck and I glitch, somehow ending up on my ass on the ground. He smirks at me and walks over, holding his hand out for me to grab. His big hand.
Immediately I feel myself flush as I watch him grin and let him help me get up.
"Thanks," I say, dusting my ass off. I see an opportunity and ask, "What's your name?"
"Dane," He shoves his hand through his hair and sighs, "I'm sorry about the way I've been acting. I just can't figure out how to control myself." What? What the fuxk does that mean??
"What are you talking about?" I question, heart stopped in my chest.
"You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen, Harper," his hands fall from the back of his neck to his pockets, "and I don't know what to do about it."