Chapter 1

I looked out the window, It was still raining.

The downpour had ensued in the early hours of the morning. It wasn't as heavy as it had been initially, but the clouds were still dark and gloomy.

At this rate, I was going to be late for school, again. I took out my phone to call Esme. The school bus must have been long gone. Maybe, just maybe I'd be able to hitch a ride with my bestie.

"Eva, hey, what's up?"

"I'm stuck at home. Is there any chance you haven't left yet?"

She paused briefly, and I heard some mumbling before she spoke again.

"Yeah, I'll come get you. Be outside your house in 15 minutes."

"Okay."

Once I heard the sound of a car pulling up in front of my house, I made my way outside. My cheeks went red as soon as I entered the car and saw who was driving. The car had tinted windows, and I had just assumed Esme would be in the driver's seat. I was terribly wrong and presently sat next to someone I could only describe as a Greek god.

I turned to the back to see Esme sitting relaxed in the back seat, her long, slender legs crossed. Her black hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, and she smiled as she looked up at me from her phone. I faced the front as I buckled in my seat belt and muttered a greeting to Esme's brother.

He barely acknowledged me as he put the car in motion. My cheeks burnt a brighter red, probably matching my hair. The only consolation was that he couldn't see how embarrassed I was.

Yes, if you haven't already picked up on it, I had a huge crush on Kieran. He was Esme's older brother and a junior in college, although he didn't really seem like he had any interest in school. He wasn't home much, but whenever he was, I did my best to avoid him for obvious reasons. I swear Esme knows I'm into him. This was no doubt a setup.

The rest of the ride to school was quiet, safe for the giggles from Esme every time she saw something funny on her phone. All I could think about was being in the same space with Kieran, breathing in the same air as him. Maybe if I positioned my hand properly, he would touch it by mistake. I laughed at the thought.

I somehow managed to stumble out of the car. Hopefully, Kieran hadn't noticed that. Once we were inside school, I pulled Esme to my locker. It was already first period, but that was the least of my worries.

"How could you do that to me?"

"Do what?"

I gave her a pointed look. "You know what I mean"

"I do?"

"Why didn't you tell me your brother was around or that he'd be the one driving us to school!"

"Ohh, that. I didn't realise it was a problem,' she said, feigning ignorance. "I just didn't want to drive,"

"Next time, a heads up would be nice," so I could dress pretty and smell nice, I thought.

"Yes, ma'am. Can we go now?"

I nodded, and we went to our respective classes.

Thankfully, the weather outside was a good enough excuse to escape detention or even suspension, considering my track record. I tried and failed in trying not to think about the car incident. He hadn't even said a word to me. Yet here I was blushing like an idiot.

After school, Esme told me her brother would be coming back to get us. I told her I'd be sitting in the back with her. She nodded and then resumed staring at her phone. She got a text and rushed off, saying she needed to get something.

Moments after, the same car I'd rode to school earlier, pulled into the school lot. I mentally started preparing myself.

Don't freak out

Don't get all red

Don't do anything stupid

Where on earth is Esme!

I refused to go to him. He got tired of waiting and stepped out of the car. His long, wavy hair seemed much more silky in the sun. He was wearing matching grey sweatpants and a hoodie. Casual had never looked so hot.

Suddenly, he was standing in front of me, and I realised I'd been staring too long. He was looking at me strangely. Oh no, had he said something?

I looked up at him.

"Where is she?"

She? Who's she? Who was he talking about? I caught myself staring into the dark pool's of his eyes. I'd never seen a deeper blue in anyone's eyes before his, neither had I known they could be so beautiful. Esme's eyes were much lighter in comparison...

Oh yes, Esme! Of course. He'd been asking about her while I was spacing out like a crazy person. I wanted to hit myself in the face.

"She'll be back," I all but yelled as I finally pulled myself out of the trance his eyes had put me under. I was suddenly more aware of how his body completely blocked the sun from my view. Definitely a Greek god.

"Okay," he looked at me before returning to his car. I, on the other hand, waited outside. There was no way I could be alone with him in such a closed space, especially when he probably thought I was completely insane. Oh, how I miss the days when the only boys I worried about were my Ken dolls. Thankfully, Esme arrived shortly after.

"I want to throw a party," Esme declared on the ride home.

"Well, that was spontaneous. What's the occasion?" I asked, trying to be as audible as possible.

"Oh, I'm just bored. I need some excitement"

I saw her brother give her what seemed to be a glare from the mirror. She only laughed. I hadn't spent a lot of time together with them both, but I understood their siblings' dynamic well enough. Esme was chatty, fun, vibrant, and outgoing. She was a go with the flow or own the flow kind of person. But she hardly ever went with the flow. Esme was usually the centre of attention in school. Essentially, she was the flow.

Kieran, however, was the exact opposite. Gloomy, mysterious, but very much dark and handsome. He definitely got lots of attention, too, but it seemed to me he didn't care about going with the flow or being it. It was hard for me to be sure. He barely ever spoke to me. Sometimes, I just wish I could get in his head.

"So, be at my place tomorrow by 7"

"Isn't that a bit too early?"

"Oh, the party starts at 8. I'll just need your help setting up"

"Okay then"

I wondered if her brother would stay for the party. The car stopped as I looked out. We were in front of my house already.

I tried to get out, but my seat belt seemed to be stuck. I didn't want to pull too hard for fear of spoiling something.

"I think it's stuck,"

"Pull harder." Those two words took my breath away. He was speaking to me. The most unromantic words ever, but the butterflies on my tummy felt different.

"I'm trying" I said meekly.

"Just help her kieran," Esme suggested

I heard a low groan as he leaned towards me. His hand momentarily brushed mine before I pulled away and stared down at my legs.

The only thing covering my very red face was my hair. I hoped he couldn't hear how fast my heart was beating. My tummy was doing giddy flips, and it felt like the butterflies would shoot out of my mouth, and a rainbow would appear over my head.

I held my breath as he fumbled with the seat belt. When he finally got me free, his gaze met mine. It felt like time froze, and in that moment, it was just him and me. It could've only been a second, but it felt like hours for me.

My eyes widened as I stared deeper into his eyes. I pulled away from his intense gaze and practically ran out of the car.

I fell on my bed. My heart was still pounding hard in my chest. I closed my eyes in an attempt to relive that moment with him.

There was no denying it. In that split second, something had changed. I had felt something like a pull. And his eyes, they had changed too.

At first, it resembles golden specs laced with sapphire. The gold swirled around his pupils till the sapphire was completely out of view. They were beautiful.

I couldn't be sure.

Had his eyes really changed colour, or was I hallucinating? No, I must have been hallucinating. It was probably because I was obsessed with him, and my mind couldn't handle being so close to him.

But what if they actually did? I could have sworn I saw the changes. No, it couldn't have been a hallucination, I know what I saw!

What did it mean? Why had they changed?

Something wasn't right.