Shay splits with Jen and Grace to go to the gym locker room to keep her uniform. Jen and Grace trotted towards their lockers in the hallway. “Did you know, a new family has moved in town? Mom said their son is quite good-looking.” Grace said, back to her usual bubbly self. “Oh really? That’s good to know. And a little weird that your mom was checking out a younger guy.” Jen frowned in confusion. “Mom is weird like that,” Grace said slowly. “Anyway, I heard his name is Ace Chevalier. Both he and his younger sister Faye, are joining this school. Well, at least that’s what mom told me. They live in that abandoned guesthouse near the woods.” She continued. “Maybe this guy will woo you.” She winked at Jen. Jen laughed and rolled her eyes. “Why do you think so?” She rose her eyebrow at Grace. “Well, you know. You love reading those YA romance novels. And in every one of those books, you have the new guy in town falling in love with town’s good girl.” She said as leaned against the locker. Jen chuckled as she replied. “I’m not the town’s good girl. And those are just novels, stories. Its fiction and I know they aren’t true. But no guy has ever charmed me. What makes you think this one will? And why would I date the new guy?” “Oh come on, don’t tell me you don’t want to find your high school sweetheart?” Grace countered. “As a matter of fact, I don’t. Why would I want to get suckered into the endless loop of pain and infatuation?” Jen said. “Fine. Be a prude. But the day you fall in love, I will be standing next to you. Laughing hysterically as I will point my finger at you.” Jen shook her head and dismissed Grace. Both the girls slammed their lockers shut and turned to head to their classes when they were interrupted by their principal, Boyce Meyers, a middle-aged man with slight white hair on his side locks and has very deep brown eyes. “Miss. Jenay Lambert or must I say, Jenay King?” Mr. Meyers asked. “Lambert will do, sir,” Jen said. “Alright then, Miss Lambert may I have a word with you? Miss. Reynolds, you may head to your respective class, which might be..?” Mr. Meyers asked. “Biology, sir,” Grace replied. “And yours’ Miss Lambert.” Jen replied, “The same sir.” Mr. Meyers turning towards Grace said, “Well then, tell Mr. Matthew, Miss. Lambert will not be attending his class today as she has some school work to do.” Mr. Meyers said. “Alright, sir and Good Morning,” Grace said as she hurried towards the biology lab. “Miss Lambert, you must have heard, we have two new students attending our school. Mrs. Yvonne has taken a leave to go to Paris to visit her family. So I want you, as the student body president, to hand out the class schedule and the list of books and curriculum slip to our new students. They are the Chevaliers. Please show them around the school so they won’t get lost and find it hard to locate their classes.” Mr. Meyers said. “Ok, sir, I will do as you said but may I know where they are right now?” Jen asked. “They are waiting in the school office. But before you go and meet them, please come into my office, I‘ll hand over their schedule and slips.” Mr. Meyers replied. Jen followed Mr. Meyers to his office. His office walls were plastered with an abstract wallpaper that had many paintings hung over. On the right-hand side, there were green lockers and a big, red, crumpled label stuck upon it saying ‘CONFIDENTIAL’. He wasn’t big on subtlety. Mr. Meyers’s table was covered with papers and folders and his laptop was on the ground. He opened a drawer under his desk and took out a gray folder with the student information. He took out a couple of sheets and handed it over to Jen. “Here are the class schedule and slips for them. They are in the school office.” Mr. Meyers sighed. “Okay, may I go now?” Jen asked. “Yes, yes you may go.” He shooed her out of his office. Jen walked out of Mr. Meyers’s office and headed towards the school office. She peeked through the class schedule when she realized, one of the Chevaliers was her classmate. While she glanced through the slips, she forgot to open the door. She collided with the door and banged her head. Recoiling by the force, she fell on her butt harshly. The papers scattered all over the floor. A boy, not much older than Jen, bent to look at the girl who was sprawled on the floor. His raven black hair had fallen over his eyes, making them impossible to see. The tall, handsome boy lowered his chin and lent down his helping hand towards her. “Are you alright? That was quite a bang over there. Are you feeling fazed?” He asked. “I am fine. Just feeling a little dizzy.” Jen ignored his gesture and tried to stand up on her own. “I think you should see the school nurse.” He said. Jen failed miserably as she fell back on the floor. “Oww!” He grunted a little before grabbing her hand and giving it a hard pull. Jen was pushed off the ground and back on her feet. He picked up the scattered papers off the ground and handed it over to Jen. She almost snatched the papers out of his hands, embarrassingly. She looked back at the boy in front of her. He pushed his hair out of his face, giving Jen a clear view. Jen gasped lowly. He had a lean face but his jaw looked as if it was carved by Michelangelo himself. But that was not what caught Jen’s attention. It was his eyes. They were neither gold nor amber but some color in between. There was something about his cryptic eyes, a color she could never have seen before because no human had eyes like that, so untainted. The clerk ran from the inner room of the school office, rushing towards Jen. “Miss, the principal told me to assist you to give out the slips. I guess you have already met Mr. Chevalier!” The clerk exclaimed. “Huh?” Jen said, still a little dazed. “Oh! Yeah.” She blinked rapidly. “Here are the slips,” Jen said while she gave the schedules and the slips to the clerk. The clerk gave the schedule and the slips to the boy standing near the door and a girl who had been grinning at Jen from the time she had banged her head against the glass door. “Hi! My name is Faye Chevalier. This is my brother Ace. Are you alright?” She said, getting off the chair. She had short, light ash brown hair and hazel brown eyes. She wore a gray sweater and dark blue jeans with coal black sneakers. Jen nodded robotically. Faye smiled happily. “It’s so nice to meet you. May I know your name?” She asked as she extended her hand. “Oh! Sorry. Hello. My name is Jenay Lambert. I am the student body president. I will be showing you around the school and be directing you to your next class.” Jen said looking at Ace and Faye. “Great. Shall we go then?” Faye asked. “Sure,” Jen replied. Faye picked up her purple handbag from the edge of the reception desk. Ace grabbed his books which were kept on the table. He opened the door for them. They walked down the hallway. Jen took the duo around the school, showing them the public spaces such as the gym, the football ground, the cafeteria and the baseball pitch. Then, Jen dropped Faye near the art studio. “Ace?” Jen asked as she turned towards him. “Could you tell me what class do you have right now?” Ace stared at her. “I guess you need to see the school nurse. Your bruise on your head looks quite bad.” He suggested, pointing towards her head. Touching her head, she replied. “Yeah sure, I will. Later. Now, can you please tell me which your next class is?” “Where is the nurse’s clinic?” He inquired. “Jesus!” Jen muttered. “Ace, please just tell me your next class. I am getting late for mine. Just show me your schedule.” Jen started to get frustrated. She tried to snatch the schedule from his hands but his reflexes were far faster than hers. “Let’s just show that bruise to the nurse and I’ll show you my schedule.” Ace said. “Fine. It’s downstairs, to the left.” Jen agreed reluctantly. Both of them walked towards the clinic. Jen’s walk had been a bit shaky after the fall. She looked at the boy walking next to her. His hair had once again fallen over his face and she couldn’t see his eyes. But his expression was stone hard. ‘Why does he look like he is my bodyguard?’ A few minutes later, they finally reached the nurses’ room. Just when they were about to open its door, it flung open. “So, Grady I will call your mother and ask her to pick you up. Sit in the school office I will come in a moment.” Ms. Collins told a huge boy, who she was walking out the door. Jen and Ace entered the room after he left. The nurse’s office smelled as though if it was a garden. The essence of every flower could be smelled. Ms. Collins took off her transparent gloves and threw it in the lavender- purple bin under her desk. “Jen, it’s so nice to see you.” Ms. Collins beamed at Jen. “And who is this charming young boy?” Ms. Collins said, grinning. “It’s Ace, ma’am. Ace Chevalier, I’m a new student here.” Ace replied. “Could you please check the bruise on her head?” Ace asked sweetly as if he was a small kid asking his mother for a candy. ‘What’s with this guy? A moment ago, he was Mister Gargoyle and now he’s like one of the Santa’s elves?’ Jen thought. “Oh!” Ms. Collins exclaimed “I didn’t notice it before. What happened darling?” Ms. Collins asked as she examined Jen’s bruised head. “I accidentally rammed into the door,” Jen said embarrassingly. “Let me see what I can do about it. Sit down here.” Ms. Collins said as she pulled the chair in front of Jen. Minutes later, after Ms. Collins applied an ointment over Jen’s head, they exited the room. Jen walked away, completely forgetting about Ace, who was trailing behind her. She turned around to find him standing right behind her. She inhaled roughly and stumbled few paces back. Jen regained her composure. “Now that we have met the nurse, can you please show your schedule? I have already missed two classes today.” Jen said to Ace as they stood in front of the English class. “This is it.” Ace said looking directly into her eyes. “Excuse me?” “This is my next class. I guess it’s English, Richard Leroy?” asked Ace. Jen nodded. “This is mine too,” Jen said slowly. “Let’s go in, then. Before you miss ‘another’ class.” said Ace. He knocked on the door and entered the room, leaving a very confused Jen in the hallway.