Seventeen more days. Seventeen more days of peace. Seventeen more days for school to reopen. Seventeen more days till Willow gets to see her bullies. Then why were Triple Jordan and her friends standing right in front of her?

Dread settled in her stomach, as adrenaline pumped in her bloodstream. It was a fight or flight situation for her. She could fight, but four against one was not a fight that she could win, so she went for flight, which she did, but even that seemed to have backfired.

The four hungry wolves surrounded her and there was a dead-end behind her. Not to forget her shoe that had made her slower, it had unlaced itself and had come off her feet as if it had a mind of its own, a mind to make her life a living hell.

Oh, she was trapped! All the running was of no use, in the end, she ended up in an alley, a dead-end behind her and one of her shoes missing, leaving her feet clad in socks on the ground, which only made her anxiety rise. Triple Jordan, Addison Fare, Justice Vita and Peyton Walker stood in front of her. Four against one. Now, all left for her was to fight or give in. She will not give in. Never.

"Well," stepped forward Triple Jordan, her light blue eyes held pure resentment towards Willow. "Never thought that I'd get to see my most favourite person." Triple held Willow's chin in her newly manicured hands. Willow glared at her as Triple's nails dug deep, deep enough to cut her. At least she wasn't scratching her whole face like she did last year.

"Let go!" Snapped Willow slapping Triple's hand away.

"Lovely, looks like our little baby has grown a spine." Triple scoffed making everyone around her crack up in a hyena-laughter. It wasn't even funny to begin with. "No matter what measures you take, you'll never get him. He's mine. Even if you change your clothes and wear makeup, you think that will make you pretty?" Triple whispered to her so that no one else could hear her but Willow. "No, it doesn't, you'll always be ugly." Triple answered her own question. Even though she has been called ugly a million times, it always stung. "Unless you have surgery." She added.

It was true though, over the vacation she had changed herself. Gone were her baggy clothes and her oversized T's, smeared with paint. She had even started applying makeup. She was surprisingly good at the basics, but she surely needed a little more time to master it. But she wasn't doing it for him, or at least that wants she kept telling her herself.

Willow had to thank her best friend for this, Melody Watts. Who had pestered her into it, and she did not regret giving in.

"I don't want him." Said Willow, trying to not act intimidated. "Never did. I hate him. You don't have to worry."

Him referred to Hunter Reed, who happens to be Triple's boyfriend. Surprisingly she was insecure about their relationship, don't know why though. Triple felt threatened by Willow, she probably believed that Willow could steal Hunter, the one who had started all of this.

"Worry?" Asked Triple. "Why would I? That too because of you? You're pathetic to think that."

"Not as much as you are." Willow retorted.

Triple's eyes widened in anger and she raised her hand to slap Willow. But the blow never came.

Standing beside Triple was someone who Willow had never seen before. Her lips parted in surprise, not because he was holding Triple's hand which was about to slap her or because he had just popped out of nowhere. But there was something about him that felt oddly familiar. She had only felt like this that one time she had seen Hunter. Like she belonged there, with him. It might sound arrogant of her to say that since she was sure that the other girls felt that way too. When they see Hunter or the guy before her.

Willow had never seen him before, if she did she would have never forgotten his face, even if she had amnesia she would forget everything but his face. He was gorgeous, gorgeous enough to turn heads of women and men. His full lips were a bit pouty with a defined Cupid's bow and his nose, oh his nose was perfectly sculpted. His jaws were made to cut. The only odd thing about him was his eyes, they were golden. Not hazel but pure pools of gold. Coloured lenses probably. But it fit him perfectly, it didn't even look fake. He was just so perfect. As if God has taken his time while making him. His stature was also perfect. He was tall, almost a foot taller than Willow herself, who was five' three. He wasn't too buff or too lithe, but was stuck in the middle, she could bet that under his shirt lied abs.

The boy surprisingly was glaring at Triple with those eyes. Triple-who is wanted by every guy out there-Jordan! No there must be something wrong. She fit every boy's dream-girlfriend category.

"What are you doing?" Said the golden-eyed guy, his tone was low yet deadly at the same time, she should have been running for the hills, but she wasn't scared. Not at all. His voice was so deep, yet so smooth. When he had said those words it felt like Willow was bathing in honey. It felt like sunshine on her face on a spring day with a cool breeze around her. She wanted to hear it again. Hear him talk about absolutely anything. Even if he started up a conversation on that one bad diarrhoea he once had, she would have continued the conversation just to hear his voice.

Willow wanted to be close to him, it felt like she belonged to him and him to her—Willow stopped her train of thoughts, why would she even think that?

Triple for once was speechless, she was flustered. Never had Willow seen Triple in this state. Maybe the fates finally felt bad for her and this day was supposed to be her gift?

"What," Triple stuttered before she paused. "Who are you?"

A gift indeed.

The golden-eyed guy tilted his head. "Scram." He said quietly. But that one word in that time, felt like a threat.

Triple reddened, more than she already was. She snapped her head to Willow. "This isn't over." She threatened. "Know where you belong." She whispered the last part to her, even though the guy was standing right next to them and could probably hear them.

The golden-eyed guy let out a sigh as if he was about to say something. Triple dashed out almost staggering and walked away making her three friends walk away with her, but not before Justice turned around to steal a dreamy glance from the golden eyes boy. Followed by Addison, who also looked behind one more time before they were gone.

"Hey," started the guy, he looked concerned, it greatly shocked Willow because currently, he looked nothing like the devil, who is about to massacre because he was bored. "Are you alright?"

Startled by his voice, not to forget his face, she snapped her head up at him. "I'm fine." Willow stuttered out, what was wrong with her? Recovering, she said. "Completely fine. Thank you for what you did there."

"I'm guessing this is yours?" He asked shaking a dark blue Vans in his hand.

A blush crept up here ears to her cheeks. "Thank you." She said, taking the shoe from him and lacing it up. "It's not like I'm not grateful, I am, but you didn't have to help me,"

"You're bleeding." He said cutting her off abruptly.

"Oh?" She said, her eyes widening as she touched her back. Her cycle had just ended four days back. She had read about abnormal periods, which mostly depended on the lack of some nutritions. Could it be that she was getting her cycle soon?

But her back wasn't wet. If only she had a mirror.

"I'm not." She said, embarrassed. Could she scream 'fire' and run?

"I meant your chin." He said. "Here." He swiped her chin. It came out wet and red. Curse Triple and her nails. Who can cut with manicured nails? Absolutely no one but Triple frikking Jordan.

"I think I have some tissues." Said Willow patting the pockets of her dark blue jeans. She didn't.

He smiled, oh his smile. She would do anything to see that again. "I think I have," He paused, and grabbed a handkerchief out of his pocket. "This."

"Really?" Willow eyed it. "Who uses them?"

"I do.." He said as he handed it to her. It was so soft and spotless, she didn't want to dirty it with her blood.

"I don't think I should." She voiced out.

"You don't want to?" He asked before grabbing it out of her hand. "Then let me." He wiped her chin. "It's spotless."

"I'll wash it for you." She felt guilty. "That's the least I can do."

He seemed to think for a second. "Okay," He said and gave the kerchief to her. "What's is your name?"

"Willow." She replied. "You are?"

"Willow," He said as if trying out her name, she felt the butterflies. She hoped that he would never stop saying her name. "I'm Rowan. Nice to meet you." He extended his hand. She put her hand in his and shook it.

"Nice to meet you too." Willow smiled at Rowan. "What were you doing here though?"

"What was I doing here?" He said, before he furrowed his brows. He looked so cute. "Right, I lost my phone somewhere around here."

"Do you want me to help?"

"Yes please," he replied, he added. "Do you mind ringing it?"

"Sure thing." She replied. She dialled his phone number which he told her.

The ringtone went off. In his pocket.

"I must have left it in there," Rowan grinned. "I probably forgot that I found my phone earlier. See you later, I'll text you." She was too dumbfounded to register what he was saying. "And that girl lied. You're beautiful." He has gone, just like he had come.