Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1
ROSE POV
“Rose, hurry we are going to be late.” I heard my friend Erica shouting for me from across the room.
“Yeah, coming.” I waved as I packed my bag. It’s our lunch time now and we planned to go out to eat.
“Erica, let’s eat taco bell today?” I snaked our hands and casually walked towards her and out of the class
“Ok, whatever you want.” She smiled and we got into her car. I don’t have a car so it’s always Erica who takes me to and fro to anywhere I want to go. I am really indebted to her.
We reached our destination and I immediately got out, so hungry that I can’t wait anymore. I forgot to make breakfast so I haven’t eaten anything from this morning.
“I am so hungry; I can’t wait anymore.” I shouted as I ran into the place. I quickly grabbed a place and sat down.
As I was looking through the menu to check what I want to order I saw Erica sitting in the opposite seat.
2 / 14
“Rose guess who is behind you?” Erica’s mischievous voice sounded in my ear. I looked up and saw her evil smirk.
I immediately turned back and saw him. The guy of my fantasies. My crush, the reason for me coming to this place and joining this high school.
I saw him when I was 5, from that day I have always admired him. That admiration turned into deep love as I grew.
But he escaped from the private school we were studying in and disappeared for a while. But as soon as I got the news of his whereabouts I escaped from there and came here to this high school which can’t be compared to our private school.
I have always been a shy and introvert girl, extremely suppressed by my dad but his existence gave me enough courage to run from that toxic environment and live a life like I wanted to.
I know I behaved like a stalker but he is the only light in my dull life. I only need to get a single look at him and my heart lurches and beats strongly like never before.
As I looked behind me, I actually forgot that we are out or that people can give a look and understand my feelings for him that I desperately wanted to hide it from him.
As I was dazedly looking at him, he raised his head and looked at me with smiling eyes. It was so unexpected that I forgot where I am for a second.
“Rose, behave.” Erica’s warning voice sounded in my ears and I immediately came out of my trance. Shit, I screwed up.
3 / 14
The most important rule of this school is never look into the eyes of Chase. I don’t know the consequences but I heard that he broke the bones of the guy who dared to look him in the eyes.
It is the most talked about incident, the day I started the school I was informed by kind hearted classmates, but now I did the same thing that everyone feared.
“Rose, let’s go. It is not safe anymore.” Erica spoke beside me and hurriedly dragged me away from there. As we were leaving, I heard chase’ friends laughing at us.
We got into the car and she drove away.
“What happened to you Rose?” Erica softly spoke as if comforting me. the second biggest gift life has ever given me is Erica.
“I know you like him and I also can understand your infatuation with him. But babe you have to understand that he is not the same teenager who saved you back then.” She sighed.
I only told her that he saved me from a few street thugs back in the day but never the actual situation as it is better for her not to know about my dad or about the school. I know that my dad is searching for me and I am also sure that he will find me sooner or later.
If Erica knows about my dad, then he will not her live, he is the craziest scientist and the most emotionless human till date.
“I think you should give up on this crush of yours. I supported you till now because I wanted to be a good friend but now, I don’t want you to
4 / 14
have anything to do with him. If you think that I am a bad friend then so be it but you will not get my support anymore.”
She spoke all this in one breath proving how much she actually cares about me. I wanted to nod at her but my heart is so reluctant. I only ever wanted to be able to look at him from afar maybe a few words from him but now that the situation is not in favor, I can’t even expect that.
I slowly nodded at her and looked out the window silently showing my reluctance.
She sighed but didn’t speak again. I continued to look outside and soon the car stopped. We reached her home and I got out.
“Let’s eat at home today, alright?” She softly coaxed me and I smiled and nodded.
“Mom, can you make something for us, we are starving.” Erica shouted as she walked to her parent’s bedroom.
I just silently sat on the couch thinking about what happened today.
As I thought about how Chase smiled at me, I fell into a daze.
I saw him when I was five, he was walking with the principal and the school’s investors my father told me to stay away from. He smiled at that old investor and sweetly called him grandfather. His voice was so sweet and he looked so handsome in the light blue shirt of his.
His grandfather nodded at him and took him to my father. I secretly followed them and reached my father’s secret lab. He doesn’t usually allow me to enter but due to the investor I snuck in. It was so big and filled with all kinds of equipment and a few computers.
5 / 14
“Rosalie, come out here.” My dad suddenly spoke and scared me but unexpectedly he wasn’t angry but was actually smiling at me.
I was scared but still walked towards him. He grabbed me and introduced me to the old investor.
“This is my daughter, Rosalie. She can play with your grandson as we talk about important stuff.” He said and I looked at the boy and smiled brightly. I was so happy that daddy asked me to play with him.
“Ok, Chase go play with the girl till grandfather talks with this uncle.” His voice sounded gentle but his eyes were so serious. I was frightened and dashed out of the lab. The boy whose name was Chase followed me.
We walked towards the children’s playground which was empty. We first stared at each other and awkwardly introduced ourselves. It is still a funny memory of mine.
Chase and I played the entire day, he had so many interesting stories of outside world. I never went out without my father who also never goes out so the stories were extremely interesting. We played till 6 in the evening with only a small break in between for lunch.
This was all a sweet memory of mine. The memory I cherish and long for, that Chase was never found again after he joined the private school. He made new friends and never hung out with me but that day was something I couldn’t ever forget, always staying in my memories.
When I was thirteen, the year Chase ran away, Chase actually saved me.
6 / 14
I was getting bullied, when Chase saw me he didn’t hesitate to help me out of it. That stuck with me, his beautiful smile and happy eyes.
But don’t know what happened in the second semester he changed, he became violent and his temper shot up, he beat up anyone who tried to mess with him even his friends left him.
Except for one, Ivan. He stuck with Chase for the whole semester. That summer Ivan helped Chase run away and it was known by the entire school. Ivan was severely punished but he never spoke a word about Chase’ whereabouts.
Even Ivan’s parents came and threatened him but Ivan refused to speak anything about him.
One opportune morning I begged Ivan to tell me where Chase went but he refused. After two years of begging Ivan told me about this place and also gave me his phone number, I was pleasantly surprised but didn’t reject it and safely kept with me as we didn’t even have our own phones.
After few months of planning, I successfully escaped from that school and came to this place, Inyo County.
Before leaving Ivan asked me to relay a message to Chase but I never had a chance to even talk with Chase then how can I pass the message to him? But I have to, for all the help Ivan did to us, I owe him that.
“Come on, let’s eat” I heard Erica speaking from the kitchen, so I followed her and voice and sat down to eat.
