It's just another typical day at their sixth form. Another day of learning, wasting time, lectures from boring teachers, occasional rumours and, most importantly, counting down to when Cinder can leave.

Somehow, she hadn't predicted that it would be like this. She'd thought it would be more magical, full of friendships, borrowed kisses and endless supplies of knowledge. Before actually arriving, she'd assumed that it would be a life-changing, enjoyable experience that she could learn from.

So far, she'd only learned how to memorise facts and hide away enough to pick up the dramas floating around school.

Turns out that hiding from people is easiest done when you're accompanied by someone that everyone can't stop looking at - for her, that person was Winter.

Winter was certainly a good soul and, while she was sometimes downright worrying with her trances, she made up for any strangeness with her glamorous smiles.

This gave Cinder a good opportunity to hide and observe, focusing mostly on herself. And maybe that one boy who was totally different from everyone else. But mostly herself.

She'd joined last year, just in time for her first year of the A-level courses, suddenly moving in with Winter after her family had passed away. But she didn't mourn them and it wasn't that big of a deal. After all, she only truly loved one of her sisters.

And she didn't mind the school itself, just the students attending it.

Aside from that boy, but he wasn't that important, of course he wasn't.

She hadn't chosen her classes either, they'd been selected for her based on who knows what information.

She'd luckily snagged a place in production management and art, enabling her to work on her machinery designs during class. Humanities, languages and sciences were bearable, but the homework was a nuisance.

Not that she was complaining.

She'd gotten detention a few times for missing it, complaining about it it simply refusing to complete it, instead favouring other projects - something that Winter would never stop pestering her about.

Cinder sighs as she takes her coffee cup from the top of her locker, stretching to click her sore neck and stamping her feet as she walks to her next lesson. She doesn't stop to check before shoving the door open with her shoulder, immediately regretting her decision when she hears the unmistakable thud of the door hitting someone's face.

Not just anyone, she'd whacked the one boy she noticed more than everyone else. Cinder curses her luck.

"Ow!" the boy exclaims as the door bounces off his head.

"Oh stars, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you!" She says quickly, silently thanking the universe for not making his jar smash as he'd dropped it.

She catches herself staring at the bright lights nestled inside the jar that look like stars and make it seem as if he's bottled up a part of the universe. She kind of wishes she could steal the jar and keep it with her forever.

"It's okay," he mutters as he looks up at her.

Cinder hands him back the unbroken jar and smiles sheepishly, "I'm really sorry."

"It's fine, I have a strong head." He grins at her, tightening the jar's lid.

Cinder laughs without even having to force it, the boy's serious tone having thrown her off for a second. He joins in, both of them mentally deciding they like the other even as they recover from their ephemeral hysteria.

"Sorry, are we in any classes together?" he asks.

"No, I don't think so." Cinder shakes her head.

The boy smiles widely, his somewhat stereotypical white teeth glowing at her, "I'm Kai."

He holds out a hand to shake and Cinder almost laughs at the formality but takes his hand anyway, "Cinder."

The warm solidity of his handshake doesn't go unnoticed and Cinder briefly wonders if he has parents involved in politics or something similar.

"That's such an awesome name!" Kai declares, then coughs, "I mean... it's very unique..."

Cinder smirks despite the warmth in her stomach, "Kai's a pretty amazing name too."

"Thanks."

Cinder would reply but she's too busy getting lost in his eyes, the copper colour so unusual that she can't help but stare. Kai blinks after a while, blushing slightly, "Is there still glitter on my face?"

Cinder almost punches herself, shaking her head, "No, of course not."

"Oh phew, I wasn't looking forward to explaining that again."

Cinder chuckles, "So I shouldn't tell you I'm curious?"

"Oh, definitely not." Kai winks.

Cinder grins, "What a shame, I was so looking forward to your tale of embarrassment."

Kai smiles at her again, his eyes crinkling, but catches sight of the clock behind her, "I'll see you round?"

"Sure." Cinder smiles, half-waving as he turns to the economics classrooms.

He probably wouldn't see her. After all, she did try her hardest to hide away from other people, especially boys like him.

She shakes her head, trying to warn herself that boys aren't worth it, but she can't deny the smile that stays on her face for the whole day. She can't deny it when Winter pokes her on the entire bus journey home and she has to try and hide her thoughts. And she definitely can't deny it when Winter wakes her up at half twelve just to ask why she'd been so unusually bright all afternoon.

Despite herself, she can't help wishing that she'll see Kai again, the sooner the better.

Who knows, he might just make up for the dreadful things school has to offer.

Yes, I'm aware I have another Kinder story in the works, hush now. I promise to try and update that as well! 

I wanted to make a daily update story for July so here we go. This will just have to end a little bit into August, sorry :)

Also, tell me [before the month is over ] if you want to see something else!