Interlaced (book 2 of Intertwined)

Chapter 1: First Day

My name is Cole Bradford and I'm in love with the voice inside my head. I have heard Lilly's voice for as long as I can remember. There was never a time that I was without her. She has always been there for me and I try to be there for her. When her mom disappeared three years ago, I thought I lost her for good. Her sadness was overwhelming, pouring into every pore, every molecule of my being. It went on for months before suddenly it was gone. She shut me out and built up her walls around her mind. I could only feel some emotion from her and what I did scared me... She felt alone and hurt, my heart breaks all over again as I think about that time in her life.

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"Are you OK?" I asked Lilly as I walk to the back of my homeroom to my two best friends. My oldest friend and partner in crime, North, sees me first.

I was always taller than him until the summer of freshmen year where he shot up past me. My 5'11 looks small compared to his towering height of 6'2. I've heard enough snippets of conversations in the hallways to know what the girls seem to think of him. I have the "golden boy" look and he is more "rugged, all-American boy." My other best friend and cousin is Oliver Forbes aka Oli. He is an inch taller than me and will never let me forget it.

"Yeah," Lilly replied, "I'm not excited for another new school. I can't believe my mom went here. What has your morning been like?"

"Boring," I say, "I just want to go home and write." I have this hopeless dream of becoming a famous writer. My books would be based on my life. No one would realize that though since I come from a family of witches. i would change the name of the people and places and anything else that would need tweaking. The paranormal genre has boomed and I could have millions of readers. I don't care about money, I just love knowing people reading my books. Lilly tries to find out what I'm thinking but it always leads to thinking of my family and my embarrassing dream. It's so unrealistic and crazy that I wouldn't want her to know what a loser I was.

"Just try to focus for me. It's the first day of school and you don't need to fall behind again," her sweet voice sounds in my head. God I love that voice, it's the sweetest sound I've ever heard in my life and I can't get over it. I wish I could see her and hold her tight. I want to know every detail of her face.

As I leaned against the wall tuning the guys out, I see a beautiful girl walk in. She's absolutely gorgeous. She has long strawberry blonde hair and a petite frame. Her eyes were an amazing stormy gray, which just so happens to notice me staring. I have to talk to this girl, a little hope settles in my chest that there may be someone out there for me besides Lilly. I may never get to meet her and I don't want to spend my time obsessing over her. I've tried to date other people but I was never drawn to them like I was to Lilly or even this gorgeous girl. When I start walking towards her, Mr. Watson enters the classroom and I slide into a seat a few rows behind her. I try to listen to him introducing her but misses her first name but catch the last name Day.

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After class I catch up to her while she is packing up her stuff. I was so nervous, I've never felt this way towards a person, especially a person I've never spoken to. I usually just flirt with girls and never tried to be deep with them. I want to try having an actual conversation with her but I didn't know when to start so I decided to take the flirting route. "Hey new girl, I don't know what your friends call you, but I'm callin' you Day, and you can call me anytime you want, gorgeous," I wink at her. Wait, why did I wink? What is freaking wrong with me? I never wink. I just paste on a smile.

"I'm going to pass on that one, sorry," she replied without a backwards glance as she headed towards the front of the classroom. That hurt. I guess I couldn't be too offended, I did wink at her.

"Since I'm calling you by your last name, you can call me Bradford," I call to her in hope she may stop and talk to me. She continues walking out and I'm left alone in the room. I walk out of the classroom and into the hallways when I ask Lilly, "How was your first class at your new school?"

"It was just like any other class, and I got hit on by this guy. He was cocky and thought he was God's gift to women," Lilly replied, making me laugh. At the same time I was jealous, I wish I could meet her and flirt with her.

"Was he as good looking as me?" I tease.

"Cole, I don't even know what you look like," Lilly said, "let alone if you are even real."

"Believe me, Lilly bud, I'm real. I'm just as real as you are. One day you'll understand, now tell me about this guy."

"He was just your average high school douchebag."