At the end of the week, I had my schedule for the year and was happy to know I had tested into all the available AP classes and had an afternoon study hall that as a senior I didn't necessarily have to attend that gave me an extra hour that I could work. The school day was set up with shorter periods that allowed for there to be nine classes a day. My schedule was pretty simple; AP English Lit, Psychology, AP Calculus, Politics, AP Physics, Art, Species Traits, Gym, and then my study hall.

I had sent a text to James letting him know of my schedule so he could make the schedule and post it today. I had the day off after finishing my training for the last 4 days. It hadn't been that hard to learn, most of it was just following the recipes and heating foods. The hardest part was learning how to work the professional espresso machine. James had told me to take the day off so I could rest up for my first day of school which I was definitely doing. Though the school was rapidly filling up and the noise was a huge adjustment to the quiet I've had for the last week. With all the people, my senses were about ready to explode in my head.

Ever since I was a little girl, I could sense the feelings of those around me. I knew just by laying in my bed that there was an angry boy down the hall, I also knew that the girl next to him was a lovesick fool, though I didn't know who for. The overwhelming emotions of the students arriving gave me a headache. I finally broke down and took one of the heavy pain killers the doctors had prescribed for my recurring headaches. I hardly ever took them because I didn't get emotion-caused migraines anymore. Now that I had spent an entire week hardly around any people besides the few staff and teachers I interacted with at the cafe, the influx of emotions was getting to me.

I spent most of the day in bed slowly getting used to the crowd. When I could open my eyes without wanting to puke, I figured I could get up and take a shower. I hadn't eaten anything all day and I wouldn't be able to until morning most likely. The medicine mixed with the head pain always made me feel nauseous. After throwing on my pajamas, I headed to bed to get comfortable again when my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and smiled. It was Cara calling on FaceTime. I set the phone against my headboard and answered the call. I could tell her phone was set up similarly. Before anything could be said she frowned at me before using her hands to communicate. "What's wrong with you? You look awful." She signed.

Cara, my best friend since elementary school, had been deaf since birth. When we met, I made it my mission to be her friend. I learned sign language so we could communicate with each other, and my mom even learned it too. She was part of the family, and I was part of hers as well. I smiled slightly at her, "Well, thanks for the boost of confidence. I've got a migraine today. All the students are arriving now." I signed back.

She nodded her head in understanding before frowning at me again. "Have you eaten anything?" She asked.

I looked away guiltily for a moment before glancing back and shaking my head. "I took medicine. I'll just have a big breakfast before class tomorrow." I shrugged because there wasn't much, I could do about it.

Her lips thinned but she didn't say anything else about my diet. We talked about everything going on back home before she let me go and told me to feel better. I curled up into bed and went back to sleep hoping to not have any issues tomorrow.

* * *

My alarm woke me early the next morning and I jumped out of bed to get dressed and ready for class. My uniform fit perfectly. The red plaid skirt fell just a tad longer than immodest for a school uniform anyway. A white blouse hugged my curves it was short-sleeve, but I was unsure if I had to always wear the grey blazer or not, so I wore it just to be safe. The long white cotton socks reached just above my knees and the comfortable oxfords that had just been freshly broken-in fit perfectly. I grabbed the black leather satchel with all my supplies and put on the light blue floral ID holder on a matching blue retractable lanyard before heading towards the cafe to skip the dining hall rush this morning. I didn't want to risk having to take my medicine because of all the emotions.

On my way to Jitter Bean, I saw a lot of students milling about a lot of them seemed to shine, well all of them seemed to shine with an inner light but some of them were brighter like my dad had always been in my memories. It struck me as odd, but I categorized it as something like my emotion readings that I would just figure out as it goes.

On a blander note, it was weird to be walking around with a bunch of people wearing identical outfits to me. Surprisingly the fabric was soft and comfortable, so I didn't mind the uniform. Though I wished I had been given the option to wear pants instead. Then I saw a guy who looked like he was about to pass out from heatstroke, and I took that wish back. I found myself almost wanting to offer the poor guy one of my skirts to wear. A lot of people had their blazers thrown over a shoulder or elbow but everyone had them with them, so I assumed we had to wear them for class.

I made it to the cafe to find a moderate line and I waited patiently before getting to the front to see Mandy behind the counter. "Do they ever let you go home?" I joked.

She smiled broadly at me which I had learned over the last week was even broader than her customer service smile. I wondered not for the first time if she has ever considered entering the world records for the biggest smile. "Yes, some of us don't have fancy schools to get to and therefore have more time to work." She mock frowned at me, but it only lasted a fraction of a second before her smile reappeared.

"Can I get a large latte and one of those blueberry scones that James makes? Those things are the best. I'm considering proposing marriage just so I know I'll have them for the rest of my life." I closed my eyes at the thought of the delicious pastries.

Mandy laughed, "Sure can do!" She read me the total with my employee discount included and I gave her my card from my lanyard ID holder.

She handed me the receipt and returned my card before we said goodbye to each other. I waited with the other students and the odd teacher for our orders. Something made the skin on the back of my neck and arms raise in goosebumps. While it was a strange feeling it wasn't altogether unpleasant. I could almost feel someone's eyes on me as if they were physically touching me. I looked around and was instantly drawn to a bright green color in the mass of people waiting to order. There was a guy my age or maybe a little older with bright green hair who was standing with another guy the same height and build as him. Though the other boy had inky black hair that was where their differences ended. They were completely identical, and I couldn't spot one thing to use to tell them apart besides their hair colors. Both guys shined brighter than any of the other students in the cafe with us. I wondered what it meant.

Both boys were watching me as I took in every aspect of their appearances. Their identical moss green eyes were inquisitive. I flushed and turned away embarrassed for being caught gawking at these guys. Obviously, there was something seriously wrong with me. Their shininess could be a ploy to get unsuspecting victims into their webs. Some of the most dangerous predators have appealing aspects that make them desirable to their prey. My mind immediately went to an angler fish waving a bright glowing orb to get poor little creatures to swim right up to its mouth. I forced myself to stare toward the pick-up counter and forget about the intriguing twins.

Sometime later I felt a change. I couldn't explain exactly what shifted but there was a feeling in my bones that told me they were standing right behind me. I wasn't sure how I knew but I just did. "Haven't you guys ever heard of personal space?" I spoke before I could stop myself.

A soft rumble filled my ears. "Usually, a girl who stares that openly at us doesn't mind when we get close." He spoke like his words were a sinful promise.

A shiver raced down my spine before running right back up when the other boy talked. Somehow, I knew this was the green-haired twin because his voice sounded playful but no less dangerous than his twin's. "Don't worry I don't blame you. I for one think Aiden is very attractive."

I barely stopped the giggle from escaping me and frowned at myself. Still facing away from the guys, I couldn't see their facial expressions. "I'm sure that has nothing to do with you looking just like him. Though the green hair does make you stand out more."

A chuckle not as dark as the first one sounded so I knew it was from the green-haired guy. "I tried to convince him to go red, but he told me no."

I wrinkled my nose before turning to face them. I knew my expression still showed my dislike of the idea. "Then you would just look like a tacky Christmas advertisement."

The dark-haired boy called Aiden smirked. "That's exactly why I told him too."

The green-haired boy rolled his eyes at his brother before smiling at me. His smile almost rivaled Mandy's it was that big but a little feral and wild. "I'm Caden and this is my less attractive brother Aiden." He introduced them.

I smirked at his proclamation, "I'm Sage." I responded simply.

"Are you a freshman this year? We've never seen you here before, but you look a little old to be a freshman." Caden questions.

"No, I'm a senior. I transferred over the summer." I shrugged.

"Sage." Called a familiar voice.

I walked up to the counter to see James with my order. I smiled at him and took the bag and cup from him. "Thanks, James."

"No problem. I'll see you tonight." He smiled back.

"Can't wait." I turned and walked away.

The twins were watching me as I passed by them. There was plenty of time left before my class started so I found a bench close to the building and sat down to enjoy my breakfast. I knew I told Cara I would have a big breakfast, but I could never stomach a lot of food early in the morning. The coffee and scone would keep me full until lunchtime. By the time I was halfway done with my scone I was interrupted by two bodies hitting the bench on either side of me. I looked up on either side of me and saw Aiden and Caden. "What? Are you stalking me now?" I asked seriously considering the idea.

"No, we just saw you on our way to class. You looked comfy over here, so we decided to join you." Caden spoke his eyes sparkling.

I shook my head at him but couldn't completely hide my smile. "Couldn't you have found an empty place to sit? You know so you could sit next to the person you know rather than a complete stranger?" I quirked a brow at him in a challenge.

He rolled his eyes dramatically, "Well that's silly. If you never sit next to a stranger and start up a conversation, how do you meet new people?" He challenged back.

"I don't. People just aren't my thing." I said truthfully.

I had never been the outgoing type to talk to strangers or make new friends. I had Cara and Sam that was all I had ever needed. The one and only time we tried to branch out in middle school I ended up punching Adalide Montgomery in the nose for calling Cara a slur. I looked down at my knuckles to see the resulting scar where the skin on my knuckle split when I broke her nose. "Last time I tried to make new friends I broke someone's nose," I smirked in satisfaction at the memory.

Aiden surprised me by speaking up. "That sounds like my kind of friend right there."

I smiled at him. It was small but genuine. His brows furrowed as he studied my expression as if he didn't understand it. My phone vibrated in the alarm I had set to remind me to head toward class. Standing I looked back at the guys, "I've gotta get to class. It was nice being stalked by you too. I'll see you around."

I walked off towards class but paused when I heard the crunch of feet behind me. Glancing over my shoulder I saw Aiden and Caden walking a few feet behind me. Furrowing my brow, I turned away and continued toward class ignoring them. Entering the AP English lit class, I saw a seating chart displayed on the interactive board. A spike of something went down my spine when I saw that on either side of my name were two familiar ones I had just learned. I sat between Aiden and Caden in the back row. Without pausing for too long I went to claim my seat. A few seconds later a chorus of girls giggling caught my attention. When I looked up, I saw that the two pains in my existence had arrived. They shared a small and dare I say evil smile once they got a look at the seating chart. I busied myself with getting my tablet out. I took a second to turn it on and unlock it, setting the electronic pencil on the desk beside it ready to be used.

Chairs scraped the floor simultaneously on either side of me. I ignored them and faced the front of the class. I hadn't been lying when I said I didn't like people. My normal routine was going far out of my way to avoid talking to people I didn't know. It was hard to figure out why I had actually started a conversation with these two. It had just seemed so natural and easy to do. When we had been talking, I wasn't trying to figure out what I should do with my hands or the right words to say that wouldn't make me seem like a bumbling idiot. Besides, they were hot, and I needed to keep myself from admiring them a little too much. Every time I stared at them too long, I found myself imagining other things that aren't appropriate to do at school. I felt like I was fetishizing them, and it made me a little uncomfortable. I could only guess what they would think if they knew what I was thinking about. Imagining a look of disgust on Caden's normally happy face made me cringe a little.

When the teacher stepped up to start class, I was simultaneously happy and disappointed that they didn't try to say anything to me. They probably thought I was weird.

To start the school year, we were given a pop quiz on one of the books from our summer reading list. Though all the questions were about the main character and what we learned about them throughout the novel that contributed to their motives and how that affected the plot. When I finished, I walked to the front of the room and placed my quiz in the box. "You can use the rest of the time to do whatever you want but just stay quiet." The teacher whispered.

I smiled and nodded my head in understanding. Sitting back in my seat I pulled my phone out of my pocket to see a text from Cara.

Cara: How's the first day of class going?

Me: Fine, just took a pop quiz for English lit. Think it went okay.

Cara: That's great! Make any friends yet?

I thought about the boys on either side of me before pushing the thought from my mind. They had literally just met me. I couldn't call them friends. Sage: Have you met me? Do I seem like the kind of person to make friends on the first day of school?

Cara: You became my friend on the first day of third grade.

Sage: That's because Brett was making fun of you and I stood up to him, haven't been able to get rid of you since.

Cara: Oh please, like your mom would ever let you get rid of me.

Sage: Pretty sure she likes you more than me. Really though I will TRY to make some friends. But no promises.

Cara: Great! I've got to get to class. Love you.

Sage: Love you too.

I put my phone back into the leather satchel. I looked enviously at the sleek leather backpack lying next to Aiden's chair on the ground. Why did the boys get actual backpacks, and we get these tiny wanna-be purses? It was all more of the sexism just like the skirts and pants. Pushing the angry thoughts out of my head I looked at the clock and saw we only had fifteen minutes left of class. I glanced around the classroom and noticed that only a few students still had their quizzes out. I made eye contact with Caiden who was awkwardly staring at me.

He started to make hand gestures that I didn't understand because it wasn't ASL. It took me a minute to understand he was pantomiming texting and gesturing for my phone when he held his hand in the ASL and widely known gesture for a phone. I almost said no but then I remembered my promise to Cara. I bit my bottom lip as I thought about it. Could I handle being friends with them? Generally speaking, I'm pretty sure it's not smart to go into a friendship with someone or in this case someones to whom you are sexually attracted to. Though I was pretty sure I would be able to contain my hormones long enough to be friends with these boys. Reluctantly I pulled my phone out and handed it to him. Our fingers brushed and a shock of tingles exploded on my skin. I was surprised when there was no visual evidence of the effect his skin had on mine. He never acknowledged the feeling only smiled as if he had just won the lottery.

He typed on it for a few minutes before handing it back to me. I was surprised to see a group chat with him and Aiden. The text from me to them that Caden had typed out read:

Sage: Hey! Scored Flower's number!

Aiden: Way to go Casanova.

Caden: You know I think that's the most supportive you've ever been for one of my accomplishments.

Sage: It's kind of sad that getting my number is one of your greatest accomplishments.

Aiden: Burn. Bro, just burn.

I shook my head at them and put my phone away. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Caden pouting at me. It was only a few more minutes before the bell rang.