Peace in Flames

Chapter One

Fall leaves danced around the parking lot at Peace High. Valerie Todd stood beside her best friend's car and stared forlornly at the ancient brick building in front of her. Another day of high school in the capital of boring, USA – Peace, Montana. Valerie had spent her entire life in the small town in which she was born and she was counting down the days until graduation in the spring. She couldn't wait to move somewhere more exciting.

"What's wrong with you?" JoJo Johnson slid her sunglasses down her nose with her finger to get an unobstructed view of her best friend.

A breeze ruffled Valerie's long chestnut hair into her face and she brushed it back, pulling strands from the lip gloss coating her cupid's bow lips. She shook her head. "Nothing. Just preparing myself for this humdrum life."

JoJo wrinkled her nose. "Speak English."

"I am."

"Whatever." JoJo dug a piece of gum out of her bag and popped it into her mouth, tossing the wrapper back into the depths. She hooked her arm through Valerie's and steered her across the lawn, up the steps, and through the high school's front entrance. "Let's not be late."

"Since when do you care about getting to class on time?" Valerie raised a brow.

JoJo rolled her eyes. "Since I don't want to get another detention for being late."

Valerie laughed and picked up the pace. Together the girls navigated the halls of the school until they reached their homeroom. Mrs. Robertson had the desks in her class set up with two rows in a U-shape, so that she could walk around the center and nobody was too far back to see or hear her. They slid into their usual seats, side by side on one side of the U in the first row near the door.

Valerie pulled out a pen and her notebook, ready to take notes. It was only homeroom, but all the big announcements were addressed first thing in the morning and she didn't want to miss anything. Valerie had big plans for her future. After graduation in the fall she was off to New York City for college. She already had early acceptance to NYU's journalism program, but she never missed an opportunity to further pad her scholarship applications. She was getting out of Peace—no ifs, ands, or buts. Her brother, Matt, had already fled Peace on a full ride football scholarship to the University of Southern California. He had the right idea.

She was busy labeling a clean page of her notebook with the date when Mrs. Robertson greeted the students. Valerie turned her attention to her teacher and listened to the Monday morning announcements. A notice of the date auction taking place Friday after school, and a reminder that there was no gum chewing allowed in class—and absolutely no sticking said contraband to the undersides of the desks and chairs. Mrs. Robertson stared pointedly at JoJo. Out of the corner of her eye, Valerie could have sworn she saw JoJo swallow her gum. Valerie held back a smile.

"And finally, we have a new student here at Peace High." That got Valerie's attention. She scanned the room of familiar faces and quickly spotted a boy she didn't recognize off to her left, in the back row, at the bend of the U. He wore a black leather jacket over a brown hoodie. The hood was pulled up, leaving his face in shadow.

"William, will you please stand up and introduce yourself?" Mrs. Robertson offered him a friendly smile and perched on the edge of her desk.

William stood slowly, his attention on the teacher, ignoring the other students.

"Mrs. Robertson," Chris Burkeholder, who sat directly across from Valerie, called out before the new student could speak, "aren't hats and hoods against dress code?"