I'd expected the news of my arrival to spread fast but what I hadn't expected was to be pounced on the second I stepped out my bedroom door the next morning.

"Hey it's Cara right?" A cheery voice, far too excited for nine o'clock on a Sunday morning cut through my half asleep state as I surfaced sleepily from my lair.

"Who's asking?" I studied the boy in front of me cautiously, he was wearing black skinny jeans and a baggy navy jumper both of which looked designer and worth more than my whole wardrobe put together.

"Sorry I'm Ben," he stuck out his hand sharply and gave my hand a firm fast pump.

"Morning Ben," I sighed rubbing a fist in my bleary eye.

"The rumours were right, you are really pretty," Ben grinned at me, his tone warm and friendly.

"Seriously," I regarded him with a sceptical raised eyebrow, "probably because half the boys here haven't seen a girl in years," I exaggerated for effect.

"Or because you're pretty," Ben suggested simply. I stared back stumped by his sudden kindness, I wasn't used to people complimenting me.

"Thanks," I shrugged trying to wrap my head around what motive Ben would have to be nice to me. I'd learnt from many experiences that motives drove people to do everything and usually their actions weren't genuine, just part of a bigger picture.

"Don't worry I'm not hitting on you, I'm probably the only person who won't," Ben laughed easily as we made our way together down the stairs, "you're not exactly my type."

I nearly laughed then too, how could I have not seen it. I was trained to always create a picture of people, to get an idea of them after one glance. Ben was gay, I should've noticed sooner.

"Why, do you prefer blondes?" I teased back and Ben threw his head back in laughter as he chuckled.

From then the conversation flowed easily between Ben and I as he led me from the west wing with the dorms to the food hall or as they called it here, the dining room. I paid attention to the direction we were going this time as I needed to be able to find my own way there tomorrow. But I also focused on what Ben was saying, I learnt that Bens dad was an IT consultant and his mom was a fashion designer, he also had two younger siblings who he hated passionately. He was from San Francisco and hated rap music.

"What about you Cara, what's your story?" I froze, I was enjoying Ben doing all the talking for the two of us. I'd only known Ben for the short walk from my room to the dining hall and he may have been ready to share his life so easily but I wasn't quite ready to divulge mine. Luckily we reached the dining hall as I opened my mouth to speak.

"Is this it?" I instantly snatched up the opportunity to change the subject as I gripped the huge brass door knob to the wooden double doors that looked like something straight of a Harry Potter movie.

"Yeah, you ready?" for a moment I was confused as to why Ben would ask that but as he shoved open the door with a groan I was faced with the entire student body of Kings Bridge. Who were all staring straight at me.

The entire room fell silent as one by one each pair of eyes swivelled to watch me step into the room. I certainly wasn't ready. But they didn't need to know that.

I tossed my shoulders back and headed straight for the self service food station feeling the eyes of over a hundred boys on me.

"Wow, you certainly know how to silence a room," I hadn't even noticed anyone had entered the room behind us until Nico's voice sliced through the eerily quiet room, "you're full of surprising talents Vegas."

Nico, Mitchell, Sawyer and Grey were all heading my way, Ben was stood motionless by my side with his mouth hanging open slightly.

"What would you know about my hidden talents?" I raised my eyebrows inquiringly.

"Too much," Nico winked at me still with his constant cocky smirk toying at his lips. He seemed oblivious to the torrent of whispers that were now flying around the tables.

"Morning Cara," Mitchell smiled warmly at me, greeting me like a friend he'd known for years.

"So hot head, are you willing to be my friend today?" Grey was in such a different mood to yesterday I barely recognised him.

"It's early yet, we'll have to wait and see how you behave," I considered in a playful voice.

"That's better than I expected," Grey's mouth tugged up into a huge grin, he barely looked like the same person as yesterday.

Though I was still cautious of him I'd decided to give him the benefit of the doubt because everyone deserves a second chance. And I knew from past experiences that first glances weren't all there was to a person. That and as he left my room last night Mitchell had whispered in my ear;

"Thanks for giving a Grey a second chance," he seemed so earnest that I was glad I'd made that decision, "he's got a lot going on, that was very unlike him."

A lot going on, wasn't much of an excuse, everyone had a lot going on but I wasn't really in a place to be picky about my friends. So for now Grey was forgiven but I was still wary of him.

"Hi," Sawyer was the last to pass on his way to collect food, "sleep well?"

"Okay," I lied with a shrug. I'd barely slept more than four hours a night since mom had died. I missed her presence so much that I would often find myself clawing at the empty air where she should be until I woke up in a sweat. I would expect her to be there to comfort me and tell me it was going to be okay, that she had just nipped out for a minute but she was back now. Of course she didn't though, she was gone.

"Rewind," Ben looked like someone had just told him that his whole life had been a lie, "how the hell do you know the Silent Boys?"

"The who?" I asked him confused. The Silent Boys sounded like the name of some crappy action film about prohibition.

"Silent Boys," Ben repeated, still shaking his head dazed, "Mitchell Donovan, Nicolas Aguilar, Sawyer Clement and Christopher Grey."

I should have been focusing on the fact that the tight knit group of four boys I'd befriended last night were called the ominous 'Silent Boys'. But instead my biggest issue was that Greys real name was Christopher. I stared at him dumbfounded. He looked absolutely nothing like a Christopher.

"The Silent Boys," I swivelled my interest back Ben, "seriously, that sounds like a cult or something?"

"You never know?" Ben shrugged but he was smiling despite himself, "I didn't come up with it, trust me I know it sounds ridiculous," we headed to the food station where the Silent Boys had just been. I started piling a bowl up with fruit and yoghurt, Ben continued his story in a serious voice, "they've just always been called that, right from the start of freshman year they instantly became friends and never spoke to anyone else. They keep to themselves a lot and don't talk to anyone else much. So they became the Silent Boys."

"That's hilarious," I chuckled with a shake of my head, "who ever came up with that has a very dark sense of humour."

"Still," Ben shrugged, "they spoke to you that's a pretty big-fucking-deal."

"If you say so," I sighed turning back around to face the hall with my piled high bowl of goodness and instantly wished I'd made myself more presentable this morning.

I was wearing black yoga pants and a light pink tank top for comfort, had no make up on my face and had swept my hair back in a loose ponytail because it was irritating me. I was hardly the picture of perfection.

And I had no where to sit.

"Hey Vegas come over and teach me some more of your hidden talents," Nico called over with a playful wink, I rolled my eyes automatically.

"Go," Ben encouraged when I looked at him to ensure he was okay with me abandoning him after he'd been so welcoming, "but you better tell me what it's like on the inside." He cooed the last word ominously and I couldn't help but giggle, the whole thing was just so ridiculous.

As Ben left to join his other friends I cautiously made my way over the the Silent Boys, I couldn't even think the name without wanting to burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Grey asked as I sat down, clearly seeing my barely suppressed smile.

"You four have a reputation around here, you know?" I teased.

"Well that depends on what kind of reputation you mean," Nico winked at me again smugly.

"Apparently," I could barely contain my laughter now, "everyone calls you the Silent Boys."

"Wait what?" Mitchell nearly spat out his sausage and egg roll, "seriously?"

"No way," Grey was already creasing up in laughter along with Nico who let out a great whoop.

"That's what I heard," I chuckled along with them, "now does that or does that not sound like a cult?"

"Please put that on my grave when I die," Nico rocked side to side in uncontrollable giggles, "Nico Aguilar, one of the Silent Boys."

"Do you think we'll have to copyright it so no one else steals it?" Sawyer added with a grin.

"I'm up for an autobiography, Life with the Silent Boys," Mitch interjected dramatically.

"We could market the hell out of it, I'm seeing merchandise and everything," Nico nodded half-serious, half-joking.

"A film," Sawyer built on it.

"Bags Ryan Gosling to play me," Nico was in like shot and we all stared at him for a moment, "what all the girls love him?"

"You're such an attention seeking bastard," Mitch shook his head affectionately.

"Apparently I must be someone special if I get the honour of hearing the Silent Boys speak," I did feel honoured, the boys had welcomed me into the group like I'd always been a part of it but just hadn't realised. All last night they'd been so kind, asking questions but not too personal ones that would make me uncomfortable. They all seemed so sure of themselves and their friendship, I was so jealous of that stability they had. Of the complete trust they had in one another.

It reminded me of the way mom and I had been. One brain but separated into different bodies.

"The honour is all ours," Grey's voice was so startlingly serious that I couldn't help but meet his fiery gaze and feel my body be ignited by its intensity. A warm blush spread up my neck to my cheeks making me feel even more stupid. Stop falling for the boys kindness, I reminded myself sternly, you always fall too deep.

"Another thing I've learnt," I flipped the conversation around to avoid the awkwardness as I fixed Grey with a taunting grin, "is your real name Christopher?"

"I'm going to kill Ben Rutherford," Grey fumed as the whole table erupted into laughter.

***

I spent the entire day with the Silent Boys, even considering any of them to be silent was an oxymoron. They never stopped talking as they gave me the grand tour of Kings Bridge after breakfast. I asked them to because otherwise I knew I'd get lost in the complex maze of corridors on the four floors.

Once they'd shown me around and my attentive mind had taken in the place as much as possible I felt that I would be able to find my way around too.

Their tour was accompanied by constant anecdotes and hilarious stories about the place. An explosion Grey had made in the science lab, a prank Nico had played on their English teaching involving text books and a lot of glue, Sawyers fight with a librarian over noise levels and Mitchell getting caught with a girl in a history classroom. I loved all the stories but I felt a stab of jealousy that I'd never had a friendship like they did. That I was an outsider in their elite group. That couldn't join in.

I was in stitches by the end of the tour, my stomach ached with the amount of times I'd laughed and I felt like I'd just done a crazy ab workout.

It seemed odd to me that they were known to not approach anyone because they opened up to me like they'd known me their whole lives. I kept having to remind myself not to get too comfortable with them though, because I didn't really know them yet. I couldn't let myself trust people that easily, I didn't know who they could turn out to be.

We ended the tour outside, after seeing the huge indoor swimming pool, professional size tennis courts, running track and athletics field. I was used to seeing extreme wealth, a lot of the gamblers my mom played against were millionaires and she'd played in hotels for the rich and famous where grandeur was plentiful. However, this was a different kind of wealth; a sprawling, magnificent, old school wealth. This was place wasn't for people like me.

People who lived out of a suitcase in grubby hotel rooms, playing cards and betting in casinos for a living, getting in fights and conning people. No, this place was for the sons of millionaires, bankers, lawyers, land owners. Even though Mitch, Sawyer, Nico and Grey made me feel at home I had to keep reminding myself that this was all too good to be true.

Reality was going to catch up with me soon enough.