Chapter 1

The cafeteria was buzzing with students eating at different tables. A mixture of various food smells filled the air. Everyone was seated with at least one person except Rademos, who was at the far end, alone in the booth. He paid no attention to anyone, not even the girls secretly scheming against him.

"We'll get it all on camera," Andis added, and two other girls, Temi and Josara, chuckled in agreement.

Lora sat quietly by the corner as her predicament became an outlet for the girls to let out their bottled-up insecurities. This was not what she intended when she came confiding in them. She didn't imagine it would go this far.

Lora shuddered at her cowardice. Her inability to put a stick to this accelerating wheel. The plan was simple but cruel. Temi would record Andis, the class hottie, seducing Rademos until he's aroused to a point where she ditches him. The video, once it got out, would definitely hurt Rademos' perfect reputation. It sounded like the most promising retribution against Veriton's high school star student.

However, the plan continued to bother Lora. She was conflicted about stopping them. Some part of her yearned for revenge. When Rademos turned her down, it was like an icicle to the heart. Yes, she was hurt, but this was going too far. What was to be gained from attacking Rademos reputation? Lora slowly came to the morbid realization that these girls weren't able to bring themselves to take responsibility for their emotions. They capitalized on her predicament to unleash their resentment toward Rademos.

Something about Rademos was simply enchanting. Something about his presence filled the room. His silence was full of so many words. Lora found herself daydreaming about his golden locks, his regal posture, and his stare that was never lacking in meaning.

The way his fingers moved with intent over the most insignificant things clouded his frame with an aura that left you longing for his touch. A mere doodle under his gaze felt like a Picasso painting. His aloof nature armed him with an enigma. His eyes held a thousand words. He was quite the mystery. His handsome face had absolutely no expression. Everyone wanted a bit of his world. Everyone yearned for access, but it continued to remain an unspoken desire that festered into spite.

Lora decided against it. Something told her not to. She really didn't want to. Every day he trudged down the corridor, there was an itch on the inside to let it all out. Every day she tried, but she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to face the possibility of a bleak outcome. It'll ruin everything.

For so long, she had kept it secret. So, what possessed her today? What demon convinced her otherwise? What the hell drove her to spill her gut?

Lora had stood there frozen on the rooftop as every fragment of her being screamed at her not to go through with it, but she wouldn't listen. She could feel Rademos gaze pierce her soul as she stared at his feet.

Rademos stared at her curiously, possibly wondering why she had asked to speak with him privately. She hated to waste his time after granting it to her.

Her lips parted finally, but nothing came out. "I'm such a fool!"

'Wait, did I just say that out loud?'

"I love you, Rademos. I love everything about you. I think about you daily, and I write poems about your hair. I love you. I love the way your eyes beam like the stars. I love your charisma." Lora blurted out in a single breath.

'What have I done!' She shut her eyes and clenched her fist, expecting the worst but hoping for the best.

Rademos' words sank in like a knife through butter.

"I'm sorry, but..."

Those three words. The memory of what followed was still misty. Lora's head felt light. Blood rushed to her brain. Her ears popped. Her knees buckled under the weight of the realization. She didn't want to. Why did she? Her mind raced faster then her legs pulled her down the stairs.

"Lora! Recess is over," Josara said, slamming the desk and causing Lora to snap out of her reverie. Lora looked towards where Rademos was sitting, but he was gone.

After class hours, Rademos practiced basketball with his teammates, and he continued to do so alone long after most of them had gone home. He decided to stop because he had to be home early for his birthday celebration. His older sister, Mideora, had already left school to go and assist their parents with getting the party rolling. He wished she hadn't invited anyone, but she did. She asked his entire classmates and her friends to the party. She was a class ahead of him.

As Rademos strolled along the school corridor to retrieve his bag from his locker, he wondered if Lora would attend his birthday party. Their first time talking couldn't have been any worse. She had admitted feelings for him, and he had turned her down. He had stood there in utter bewilderment as nothing could have prepared him for her reaction.

'Was I too blunt?' his mind had pondered in innocent curiosity.

Rademos was getting his bag out of his locker when Andis, who seemed to be passing by, stopped behind him. She slammed her hand against his locker, trapping him between her and the locker. Rademos eyes drew a line from the flawless fair skin of her hand to that of her perfectly shaped face. Her body fragrance smelled to high heaven of rich vanilla. Her two beautifully shaped mounds that protruded from her half-buttoned shirt numbed Rademos for a second. Her lips, naturally pink and lustrous, shook seductively.

"Hey, handsome," Andis said in a slurry whisper, breathing down Rademos neck. "I heard today's your birthday. How about we have a little bit of fun before the fun."

Rademos scoffed. "Hardly, I'll pass!"

"Come on now, don't be a buzz kill," Andis continued, mounting more pressure by pressing her body to his.

"Stop this right now," Rademos said, turning away.

Andis captured Rademos face and brought it back to hers. She tried kissing him, but he reflexively pushed her away and was phenomenally surprised at how far the push carried her. She crashed against the wall at the far end of the corridor and landed lifelessly. Blood oozed from her head onto the floor, and Rademos ran towards her.

Temi, who had been secretly filming, gasped horrifically, and Rademos spun his head in her direction. He caught sight of her holding a phone camera to his face. She bolted, and he would have peeled after her, but Andis was hurt. He turned his focus to Andis, and his stomach tightened, seeing her lying still.

"No, no, no, no, Andis, get up!" Rademos panicked, lifting her head and propping it on his squatted lap. He didn't mean to push her so hard. How was this even possible? He didn't push her hard at all, and even if he did, it would take an unusual amount of strength to make her go this far.

Rademos heard footsteps rapidly coming their way. He couldn't think straight. What was he going to do? Temi had seen it all, and she must have caught it on camera.

"Over there," Temi shouted, and Rademos turned back to see the few remaining students of Veriton High School swarm the scene.

Rademos stood up and tried to appear more composed. His eyes darted to his bloody hands. They made him seem like a cold-blooded killer. Deep down, he felt remorseful, and fear nudged him for what was to come.

"What's happening?" Andis said through a muffled groan, and Rademos whipped his head back.

"Andis, how?" Rademos whispered, as his growing anxiety eased to astonishment, noticing Andis's complete recovery.

"Temi, what's the emergency?" Ralph, leader of the student health council, inquired, scowling. "Andis seems fine. Is that blood? What kind of crazy prank is this?"

"No, no, no, that can't be right," Temi blurted out. "This isn't a prank. Andis, a little help here; tell them how Rademos pushed you."

"Huh, pushed me? What are you talking about?" Andis asked, picking herself up.

"You tried kissing Rademos, he pushed you, and you flew from his locker down to this spot," Temi said, flailing her arm around. She noted how ridiculous she sounded, but it was true. Everyone was looking at her like she was going crazy.

"Haha! Yeah, right, and just how dumb do you think we are?" Ralph said.

"Andis, please tell Ralph I'm telling the truth, don't make me sound ridiculous!" Temi asserted.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Andis swore honestly.

"But your blood is all over the floor and your injury…." Temi said, walking over to Andis to examine, and she gasped. "What happened to your wound?"

Andis gave her a blank stare.

"Rademos, how are you doing these?" Temi asked in frightful confusion, and Rademos shrugged.

Temi scoffed and laughed wryly as she searched her bag for something. "Proof, I have it right here. Where is my phone?"