"Birdie," my mother hummed my name into my ear. Her voice was like velvet.

I groaned, not wanting to leave my warm bed.

"Don't you want pancakes for breakfast?" She asked as she snuggled against me in my bed and wrapped her thin arms around me.

"What kind of pancakes?"

Once I spoke aloud, I noticed how different my voice sounded from hers. How quiet she was.

I opened my eyes to find myself in my room, all alone. It was a dream. A really good dream that I wished I could go back to.

I missed those mornings, when she would wake me up at the crack of dawn because my father had the day off work and decided to make everyone breakfast.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand, begging the tears to stay where they were.

For a moment I had forgotten.

For a moment I was back home and everything was normal. I wanted to live in that moment just for a little longer.

I threw the duvet off of me and set my feet on the floor. The wooden floor beneath me was so cold, it made me shiver. I hated how everything was so cold here. I walked over to my dresser and pulled out the pair of fuzzy socks I made sure to pack just for this occasion.

I grabbed the hoodie that was draped across the back of my desk chair and pulled it over my head, snuggling into it. I made my way downstairs, quietly, as to not wake my grandmother. Unlike my parents, I noticed, she slept ‪until around noon‬.

It wasn't so bad though, it had given me a little alone time in the mornings, which I didn't mind. I noticed that my grandmother had gotten the coffee pot ready for me again, so I pressed start and began looking for a mug.

It was really early. I wasn't supposed to get up for school for another two hours.

I hadn't really taken the time to figure out where everything was in the kitchen yet, so I found myself opening cabinets randomly, trying to be as quiet as I could, looking for a coffee mug.

That's when I saw it. The dark black and purple bruise on my hand that was left by the stranger who took the breath from my lungs. I felt a pull in my chest, just thinking about him. I wondered what he was doing, and a part of me wanted to go find him.

Suddenly, I felt the same feeling I did in the Jeep yesterday, I felt eyes on me. I felt like I wasn't alone.

I walked out of the kitchen and quietly opened the door to my grandmother's room to see if she was awake, but she was sound asleep in her bed.

When I walked back to the kitchen, the coffee was brewed and the aroma took over the whole kitchen. I went back to searching for a mug and eventually I found one, pouring myself a cup.

I walked up to my room with my coffee and searched through my closet for something to wear.

It was fall time in Alaska and I wasn't used to the weather yet, so, while my classmates were still wearing t-shirts to class, I might as well have been in a winter coat.

I figured I should at least wear a long sleeve shirt to cover the dark bruise on my wrist. I would still, no doubt, have all the attention on me again today, so the less for them to talk about the better.

After I got ready for the day I still had an hour before I had to leave. I took my grandmothers book that she gave me, off of my night stand and sat at my desk to crack it open.

I'd become so immersed in the book that I hadn't noticed how quickly the hour flew by before it was time for me to leave. I grabbed my things and the keys to the Jeep and headed for the door.

As I walked outside I got the same tingling sensation in my chest. Like my heart was tugging me somewhere, like it was longing for something. I rubbed the middle of my chest with my hand, and coughed to try and ease up the tension. Suddenly, I felt eyes on me, like I had this morning. I could tell that I wasn't alone. I turn only to see the dark forest behind me, but the feeling didn't go away, it only got stronger, urging me to walk towards the trees. I shivered, pulling the thought from my mind and got into the Jeep.

The drive to school was a lot easier than yesterday, considering I knew where I was going this time. However, the feeling of eyes on me never left as I drove. Noticing this, I, unconsciously, started to speed as if I could out race whoever was there.

I pulled into a parking space outside of school, next to Amanda's car. She and Lucas were leaning against her car as I pull up.

"Hey, guys," I said, as I stepped down from the Jeep and closed the door behind me.

"So, Birdie," Lucas started, not wasting any time, "Amanda told me about what happened at the coffee shop yesterday."

I looked at Amanda, who is avoiding my glare.

"Did he hurt you?" Lucas asked, stepping forward.

"No," I said, "really, I'm fine."

"Can I see it?" Lucas held his hand out, gesturing for mine.

A part of me wanted to say 'No'. Somewhere inside me I was angry at him for even asking. I didn't want him to ask about it let alone see it.

They stood there, waiting for my answer. I knew I couldn't tell him that he couldn't, there was no explanation as to why I could. So, I sighed and rolled my sleeve up, exposing the bruise, and set my hand in his. He examined it.

My stomach began to tie in knots as he held my wrist. I wanted to pull my arm away. My instinct is to yank it from his grip, but I couldn't explain these feelings. I couldn't explain what was happening to me.

"And you're not going to call the cops?" He asked, looking angry now.

"I said I'm fine Lucas," I snapped at him. I didn't mean to, I didn't even think before the words shot out at him. I composed myself before speaking again. "I don't want any trouble."

"Birdie, all that guy is is trouble," Lucas said. His words made me angry. He had no right to talk about someone he didn't even know.

"What has he ever done? Other than not talk to anyone who isn't related to him," Amanda asked Lucas. I silently thanked her for chiming in.

Lucas shrugged, "He's a freak."

"And that's a crime?" I asked, my brow furrowed in frustration. "Do you guys have a vendetta against him or something?"

Lucas sighed, "That family is just...weird."

"So why do you hate them so much?"

"I don't hate them-" Lucas is cut off by the sound of the first bell.

We all fell silent. I let Lucas lead the way inside, staying by Amanda. I didn't feel like talking to him right now, but I didn't understand why what he said made me so angry. I was mad at him for not liking someone he didn't know, but I didn't know Caleb either. I met him only once and we barely spoke, but I felt the need to protect him.

"So does he go to school with us?" I asked them as we walked in the hallway. We had to speak up because of the small chatter of everyone else created a buzz.

"No," Amanda said, "he graduated last year."

That didn't surprise me, he looked older. All of them did. They were so tall and their shirts looked strained against their muscles. That must be genetic.

What a gene pool. I thought to myself.

"A few of his cousins and his brother do though," she said.

I watch as she gestured to a few boys leaning against their lockers. They were all tall and muscular. It took me a second to recognize one of them. He was one of the boys that was with Caleb in the coffee shop. He met my gaze, but quickly looked away.

I felt like I was missing something. Like they were all keeping a secret that I wanted to know.

I stopped at my locker, taking quick glances back at the boys to see if they were still standing there. They were, and now, they were watching me too.

The one that I saw in the coffee shop had dark green eyes that bored into me. When I was caught in his gaze it made me want to look away, but I stood my ground. I wasn't going to let him intimidate me. I guess I was just, genuinely, in a bad mood.

I grabbed my things from my locker and walked into my first class with Mrs. Cherry. I wondered if today would be better, but as soon as I walked in everyone's eyes were on me once more.

I sat all the way in the back today, a part of me just wanted to leave. I shivered thinking about how long I was going to have to live with this constricting feeling in my chest.

I couldn't help but feel guilty for how I yelled at Lucas this morning. I made a mental note to apologize to him after class.

I pulled out my homework from last night and set it on my desk, looking it over. I needed something, anything, to keep my mind focused on one thing, instead of running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.

I didn't look up until the teacher started to talk, going over the lesson.

Then, the door opened abruptly, turning everyone's attention. I looked up to be met with the same dark green eyes I was trying to avoid. A nervous sweat took over me as I watched him walk further and further to the back of the room until he set his things on the empty desk next to me.

"Thank you for joining us Mr. Gardner," Mrs. Cherry, said as the boy next to me took out his things.

"Please," he said, a cocky smile taking over his face, "Mr. Gardner is my father, call me Jack."

Mrs. Cherry didn't seem amused as the rest of the class laughed. She returned to teaching her lesson and Jack ignored her and began staring at me. I looked back at him, my brows furrowed, wondering what his problem was. Had he no shame as to just stare a person down for no reason?

He flicked his gaze to the board, then back to me quickly. Then I noticed, once his eyes returned to me, that they widened in shock.

My sleeve was still rolled up from when Lucas asked to look at it. My bruise was exposed, and Jack had definitely noticed. I quickly rolled the sleeve down, covering my wrist again, and turned my attention to the front of the class room.

Once the bell rang, signaling the end of the period, and my freedom, I quickly grabbed my things and rushed towards the door. I stopped at my locker to grab the books for my next class, and goosebumps rose on my skin when someone appeared next to me.

"Hey," he said, wanting my attention. His voice was deep and velvety smooth. I looked up, my neck had to crane back because he towered over me. He stretched his hand out towards me, "You left this," he said, handing me my book.

"Oh, thanks," I said, quietly, taking it from him.

"What happened to your hand?" He asks, eyeing me suspiciously.

"I um...accidentally slammed it in a car door," I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. Which also made me sound like an idiot.

"Hmm," he said, nodding his head, his eyes still boring into me, "you should be more careful."

As he goes to turn away something inside me takes action.

"Wait," I said.

He stopped and turned so that he was facing me once more.

"Caleb Garner is your brother, right?" I asked, my stomach fluttered at the mention of his name.

"Do you know Caleb?" He asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow to me. He clearly knew something I didn't.

"Not really," I said, rubbing the back of my neck, "but when you see him. Can you tell him I'd like to speak to him?"

He nods, his mouth forming a tight line. "And who should I say asked to see him?"

I rolled my eyes. There were literally less than fifty kids in our grade and he actually was acting like he didn't know me.

"Birdie Parker," I said. I shut my locker door and took a step closer to him. This entire time I've gotten a bad vibe from him, a feeling that he didn't approve of me for some reason. He was honestly pissing me off. "I lied to you before," I said, rolling my sleeve up and showing my bruise, "Caleb gave me this and I'd like to talk to him about it."

Jack narrowed his eyes at me, "What are you planning on talking to him about?" He asked, "A restraining order?"

"That's what a sane person would do," I shrugged, I tried to hold back a wince when a pain shot through my chest at the thought of forcing him to stay away from me. It hurt enough not having a reason to talk to him, let alone stopping any interaction a all.

A cocky smirk took over Jack's face, "You let me know how that works out."

And with that he turned his back to me and walked down the hall, taking the last word with him.