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CHAPTER ONE

Iwalked as fast as I could, sand and gravel crunching beneath my boots. Head lowered and hands clutching desperately unto the strap of my satchel, I tried not to look behind me to confirm my suspicion. Instead, I continued to walk faster, bordering on running as I almost reached my destination. I could hear the blood rushing in my ears, and my heart pounded with each step I took.

"You're almost there, almost there…" I whispered to myself as my breathing increased. When I went to open the door before me, I felt a solemn hand rest on my shoulder.

I screamed.

"Kat, it's me… it's just me,” came the reassuring voice behind me. As I turned to face him, I heaved a sigh of relief. "Hey, are you okay?" Aaron asked, standing before me in a white T-shirt and blue jeans paired with combat boots that were similar to mine.

I wiped my sweaty palms against the yellow summer gown I was wearing, which my mom had gifted me just two days ago. "I'm fine, Aaron," I said, my eyes flitting around to make sure there was no one else around us but the students I was familiar with.

"Are you sure? You look so pale… and Christ Kat, you're burning up,” he said as he placed a hand on my forehead.

I shrugged it off and adjusted my shoulder strap before turning back around to walk into the school building with Aaron following beside me. "It's okay, Aaron. Everything is fine," I said again, even though I was absolutely sure someone had been following me.

He sighed when we reached my locker and watched me pull out my books. "Just know I'm here for you if you need anything, Kat, okay?"

My lips tugged up helplessly into a broad smile as my gaze found his. "Thanks, Aaron… for everything.” I couldn't imagine what my life at Redwood would have been like if Aaron wasn't in it. Although I had initially started with four male friends, he was all I had left now, and I never took him for granted.

A lot had changed since the first few months I spent in Redwood. Liam, who happened to be responsible for my father's death - an occurrence that caused my mum and me to move to a new city in the first place - and killed two other girls for bullying me, was being reprimanded in a psychiatric home. Jake, though still my friend, was now dating a girl that I didn't particularly care for, and Mason…

"So…" Aaron drawled, adopting that tone that said he was about to say something I wouldn't like. "Have you spoken to him yet?" he asked, and my heart fluttered.

I averted my gaze and slammed my locker shut before walking away with a scowl.

"I'll take that as a no," he said as he ran to keep up with me. "Seriously, Kat, you can't keep doing this. You need to talk to him…"

I came to an abrupt stop. "And say what, Aaron? Hey Mason, I'm sorry I took your secret paralyzed twin brother out without permission and got him killed for reasons I still don't know?" I huffed and tugged furiously at my bun-styled blonde hair.

Aaron turned me around to face him, his beautiful green eyes staring into my bright blue ones. "Mason isn't mad at you. He doesn't blame you for what happened. There's no way you could have known. You just have to talk to him, Kat.”

"How do you know, huh? How do you know he doesn't blame me when he has been avoiding me for weeks now? He doesn't want to talk to me, Aaron. Just drop it,” I snapped at him, my lips quivering as I willed myself not to burst out crying from hurt and from missing my boyfriend too much. If we were still dating at this point.

Shoving his brown hair back roughly, Aaron scoffed. His frustration with me was quite clear. "He's hurt, he's scared, and his parents are not letting him anywhere out of their sight because of the press and investigations going on. It doesn't mean he's avoiding you, Kat. You just need to reach out to him.” His eyes softened when he spoke again, "He misses you."

I shook my head. "I can't, Aaron… I…" my voice caught as I whispered. I knew I was a coward, but I couldn't help myself. I couldn't bear seeing Mason just yet… or maybe ever.

What if he had stopped looking at me with love and adoration in those dazzling blue eyes of his? What if he no longer loved me because of what happened? What if he hated the sight of me because it reminded him too much of his dead twin brother? So many "what ifs" ran through my mind, pulling me further away from the boy I was in love with.

"Kat…" Aaron's voice bled of pleas, but I wouldn't budge.

Gritting my teeth with sheer stubbornness and determination, I began to walk away from him once again, but he caught up with me, of course. "I don't want to have this conversation again, Aaron. I mean it," I stared at him meaningfully, hoping he understood the seriousness of my request as we stood outside the classroom.

He nodded, even though it was clear he had more to say.

"Good," I said and pushed the door open as we entered.

The first thing I noticed was Jake's laughter - the laughter he had once reserved only for me - directed at Noelle, who beamed happily from where she sat on his lap. I swallowed down the ugly green monster that threatened to rear its ugly head, reminding myself that Jake was happier with her, and I was in love with Mason, but it still hurt.

I took my seat just as Aaron took his beside me and watched the two happy lovers jump apart when the teacher made his way in.

My eyes reverted to Mason's empty seat. I sighed longingly before they traveled toward the window that faced the school parking lot.

Far ahead, in the woods across the parking lot, I could see a man in a hoodie staring straight at me with his face hidden. My heart began to pound as I watched him point his finger at me.

"Miss Dawson, care to repeat the last word I said?" the teacher's angry voice flowed into my ears. I turned to him with a blush, but luckily, Aaron saved me by answering the question.

I looked back out the window, but the man in the hoodie was gone.