Chapter 1
The first thing Sole noticed about Martin was that he smelled faintly of cedar and rain, and he looked like he’d rather be anywhere else on earth.
It was the third week of freshman year at Oak High, the precise moment when the initial panic of high school transitions into a dull, exhausting routine. Mr. Dawn,the world’s most cynical biology teacher, was restructuring the seating chart alphabetically.
"Lin, Sole," Mr. Dawn droned, pointing to the second-to-last row by the windows.
Sole moved her worn backpack and sat down.
"Edwards,Martin.Next to Lin."
Martin didn’t slide his chair out; he practically slouched into it, dropping a heavy black binder onto the desk with a thud that echoed in Sole’s chest. He didn't look at her. He just stared straight ahead, his jaw set, a permanent shield up against the rest of the classroom.
Sole pulled her oversized hoodie tighter around herself. The window next to them was cracked open, letting in the sharp September breeze. It was the first real chill of the year.
"Hey," Sole murmured, keeping her voice low enough that only he could hear. "Do you want the window closed?"
Martin paused, his fingers resting on the zipper of his pencil case. He turned his head slowly. His eyes were a startling, cold gray—like the sky right before it pours. He looked at her for three seconds, long enough for Sole to regret opening her mouth.
"No," he said, his voice a low, gravelly rasp. "I like the cold."
Then he turned back to the whiteboard, leaving Sole alone with the draft and the sudden, distinct impression that freshman year was going to be freezing.
