Chapter 1
Scarlet had the distinctive beauty that was unexplainable and unavoidable. Not just in physical sense, the beauty of her soul was equally tantalizing. Being headstrong yet sensitive, competitive yet compassionate; she was an amalgamation of complexities that sparked curiosity among others. Despite being cocooned in her own world, everyone at Phillips High School knew who Scarlet Davies was.
On the opposite spectrum of Scarlet's reputation resided Elsie Lewis. With a tranquil temperament and more rooted to books and obscure philosophies, Elsie often dissolved into the background. While her contemplative eyes, the shade of muted autumn, would gleam when lost in the cosmos of her favorite books or ideas, the charm wasn't apparent to the outward world.
They were poles apart, opposites and even rivals to some extent; courtesy of a 6th grade art competition where they first crossed paths. Scarlet with her picture perfect rendition of Monet's water lilies, had lost to Elsie's avant-garde portrayal of the environmental crisis. Since then, it was like an unsaid pact that their paths shouldn’t cross except for competitions, arguments and disagreement. And as expected, there was no lost love between them.
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