Cristina was up at the crack of dawn, relishing in the peaceful silence. The sky bled crimson when the sun rose from the horizon, switching places with the moon and welcoming another day with its yellow shine. Cristina watched it happen, amazed at its beauty and mesmerized by the colorful display of pink, red, and orange mixing together in the most amazing sunset she had seen yet. It eased her nerves and rid the anxious buzzing from her veins.

She breathed through her nose as she stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom, casting her eyes over her appearance to ensure it was indeed up to her impossibly high standards. The clothes she wore were nothing extravagant. Simple yet pretty. That was what she felt the most comfortable in. The first day of school was no different.

High-waisted jeans in a palish blue ripped here and there with nothing over the knee caps and a navy shirt tied at the shoulders with white dots scattered all over it. She paired it with a necklace she'd gotten from Demetri a few years back on her birthday and a few bracelets she'd either made or bought. And after brushing her hair and tucking it behind her earrings-adorned ears, Cristina was pleased enough to force her gaze away from the mirror and descend the stairs to the first floor of the house.

Declan was surprisingly enough awake, looking happy as ever with his face buried in his bowl of cereal, practically still asleep. Upon spotting her he grumbled incoherent words, most likely irritated by the lingering smile on her lips.

Her steps were barely audible as she moved over to the other side of the kitchen to snatch a green apple from the bowl of fruits Theodore kept around for appearances should an adult ever visit. She ran it under the cold water from the sink before taking a bite out of it, ignoring how the counter dug into her lower back as she leaned against it.

Any moment now, Theodore would come down in a frenzy, stressed to make it to work on time to fight the rumored allegations that he was late almost always.

It was true, of course. Theodore couldn't make it anywhere on time, not even if his life depended on it. Declan and Cristina found amusement in the trait since it usually brought them a laugh in the morning. Theodore found it less amusing as it left him leaving the house with his shirt still untucked and shoelaces untied.

Declan moved from his seat, almost falling off it in the process, and put his empty bowl in the sink. He ran a hand down his face and exhaled through his mouth. "I hate school," he complained and moved to leave the kitchen.

With raised eyebrows, Cristina grinned. "It's not all that bad."

He sneered back. "Yeah, well, you're only saying that because you don't have to be there half an hour early to talk about your so-called "unacceptable behavior" from last year." Declan pointed out, making air quotes with his fingers as he spoke.

Cristina snorted. "You wouldn't either if you stopped acting like an entitled thirteen-year-old all the time." her smug smile was hidden behind her apple as she continued to chew.

Waving his arm around behind his back, Declan disappeared to his room to retrieve the keys to their shared car. "Yeah, yeah."

In a fashion so unlike him that it left Cristina observing him with knitted-together eyebrows, Theodore calmly walked down the steps and emerged from the corridor with a cheerful smile. His shirt was tucked and socks were placed properly over his feet. For the first time in forever, Theodore Powell looked like a presentable human before noon.

He moved graciously and didn't trip over his own feet when he grabbed the carton of orange juice from the fridge to pour in a glass. Putting it to his lips to take a sip, he finally took notice of the incredulous look his cousin's daughter was sending him as she stood with her mouth agape, the half-eaten apple in her hands completely forgotten.

"What?" he asked, as though this was completely normal behavior and he hadn't seemingly changed overnight.

Cristina responded, snapped out of her baffled state. "You're drinking from a glass."

"So?"

"You usually drink out of the carton." she shook her head and threw the remainder of the apple in the trash bin under the sink, not all that hungry anymore. "I guess I'm just impressed that you can act like a normal human being when you want to."

Theodore raised an eyebrow. "And what do I usually act like?"

"A caveman." Cristina deadpanned without concern for his feelings. Spotting his offended expression, she reassured him. "Don't get me wrong, it's a welcome change for sure. I was just surprised."

A silence ensued as Theodore mulled over her words, his eyebrows furrowed deeply. Cristina filled a glass with cold water from the fridge and sipped on it silently while mindlessly scrolling on her phone. The time was nearing seven, meaning Declan reluctantly had to leave for school. He hollered "bye" before slamming the front door closed and driving off.

Cristina began planning her day in her head, deciding in between what classes it would be required to navigate her way to her locker. Certainly not between every class as it would prove to be too stressful to handle. Her locker was located by the locker rooms, on the opposite side of the school to practically all of her classes. Once in the morning, once before lunch, and once at the end of the day would be enough. She could carry the necessary books in her bag the remainder of the time.

"Do you need a ride today, Cris?" Theodore asked softly, rinsing out his glass and leaving it upside down by the sink to let the water run out.

"Why do you ask?" Cristina guardedly queried, suspicion laced in her tone. Did he have any ulterior motives? Or was he simply being nice?

"Because I got the morning off and I know you don't like taking the bus. Thought I could drive you instead and, you know, save you the added stress." his smile didn't falter, despite the hard look on her face. He knew why she acted the way she did, and he certainly didn't blame her for it.

She thought it over and then deflated. He was only being nice. "I'd like that. Thank you, Teddy." the slightest smile pulled at her lips. "Could you, perhaps, be ready in five?"

"Sure thing, Cris."

ʚїɞ

"Class, may I please have your attention?"

Cristina looked up from her math book, her interest peaked. It was a rare occurrence for their teacher to interrupt the lesson for anything ever. Should there ever be a fire drill, Cristina doubted they'd get to leave. Especially if they were taking a test of some sort.

Standing in front of the teacher's desk was a lanky boy with dark hair and brown eyes. He bore the awkwardest of smiles as he scanned over his new classmates, looking nervous and ever. Cristina found herself taking pity on him. The most uncomfortable thing about being the new student was being introduced to the class.

"This is Miguel Diaz, he's new here. I hope I can count on you all to make him feel welcome." with an overly kind smile their teacher gestured to the only free desk in the classroom. "Take a seat. Ms. Kang, would you be so kind as to show him what we're doing right now?"

Hesitantly, Cristina nodded. "Sure."

While Miguel maneuvered around the crammed together desks to get to the one next to hers, Cristina tried not to stare. It was rude and creepy and not at all welcoming. But what else was she supposed to do exactly? Focus on her work? It wasn't obvious that she was staring, but she still found herself blushing in embarrassment when he sat down and turned to her with a smile.

Miguel extended his hand over to her. "I'm Miguel," he said as though their teacher hadn't already announced it to the entire class.

Cristina nodded, her lips pressed into an awkward smile as she shook his hand. "Cristina." her eyes traveled to his empty hands and she subconsciously grimaced. "You don't happen to have a math book, do you?" when his cheeks flushed red and he slowly shook his head, she sighed. "Yeah, I thought so."

A moment passed, and Cristina tried to figure out a solution. She inhaled sharply through her nose and then, without any grace at all, pushed her desk as close to his as she could manage. The legs scraped against the floor uncomfortably loudly, drawing attention to them both that they silently agreed to ignore. Her math book smacked against the desk when she moved it so he could see the pages also.

"Then we'll just have to share for the time being."

Cristina tried to pretend that wasn't the hardest thing she had had to do yet that day and mustered up a smile. Seeing how Miguel's face lit up in relief and gratitude made it all worth it.

ʚїɞ

The cafeteria was filled with the usual buzzing of excitement as the students piled together in their respective cliques, dooming those without to either si alone or starve themselves throughout the day.

Cristina was thankful for her friends as she sat down at their designated table. She didn't mind that they were labeled outcasts or that no one seemed to want them around. Such things didn't matter to her. Cristina was just glad she didn't have to face the bitter music alone.

"Hi, sorry I'm late." she placed her tray on the table in between Eli's and Demetri's. Her eyebrows raised upon spotting Declan practically sleeping on the table, his face buried in his arms, but she didn't comment on it.

Eli smiled at her arrival and moved his bag from the seat he had saved for her - not that anyone would ever sit there anyway - something that made her cheeks flush red. "Locker at the other side of the school?" he asked, wondering if that could possibly have anything to do with it.

With a grimace on her face, Cristina nodded and sat down. "Locker at the other side of the school," she confirmed and opened the plastic bag of baby carrots on her tray.

"That wouldn't be a problem if you were quicker," Demetri remarked, stating the obvious. When she glared at him, he simply shrugged his shoulders. "Just saying."

Before Cristina could finish contemplating his murder, Miguel appeared at their table, smiling nervously with his tray in his hands.

"Is it cool if I sit here?" he asked nervously, his eyes bearing a hopeful glint.

Demetri replied before Cristina could. "Ooh, sorry, table's really blowing up right now." he gestured to the vacant spaces in front of him. "I can put you on the waitlist, but it's probably next semester at the earliest." he tsked and tapped his fingers against the table.

Despite finding his behavior utterly ridiculous, Cristina cracked a smile at Demetri's obvious sarcasm. Eli shared in her amusement as he kept his eyes on the food in front of him, not daring to look up just yet. Even Declan, who was half asleep, snorted.

It seemed Miguel didn't pick up on the joke and so, with a defeated sigh, he shook his head and turned to walk away. "Okay."

Cristina stopped him in his tracks. "Sit."

He turned, hesitant to follow her instructions, but he ultimately gave in when she smiled encouragingly.

Placing his tray by the seat next to Declan, he sat and introduced himself. "Miguel."

"Demetri." the sarcastic boy replied. "This is Eli - he's a man of few words." the corners of Eli's lips turned upward in the slightest. "Declan mostly just sleeps." a middle finger was extended his way. "And Cristina here has underlying issues from her traumatic childhood."

The straw that had previously been lying idle on Cristina's tray slapped Demetri in the face. He opened his mouth to comment on it but decided against it at the last minute. He was just thankful it wasn't something harder and/or heavier she'd thrown his way.

Her smile was somewhat strained when she turned to face Miguel, her cheeks heated up in obvious embarrassment. "Ignore him, please. He doesn't know when to shut up."

Declan snorted and peered at her. "Is he wrong, though?"

"Shut up." Cristina snapped and sent a sharp kick to his shin.

The popular girls chose that moment to make their entrance, their perfumey scent lingering in the air even moments after they had already passed by their table. Cristina grimaced when she noticed Miguel staring after them, most likely enthralled by their obvious beauty.

Demetri too noticed and shot down his daydreams instantly. "Dude, don't torture yourself. Those are the rich girls."

He blinked himself out of his trance and glanced at his new friends. "Do you ever talk to them, or..?"

"Oh, yeah! All the time!" Demetri exclaimed, his voice twinged with obvious sarcasm. "We hang out after school, make out, give each other hand jobs."

Cristina frowned. "Pretty sure that isn't how it works."

Demetri ignored her completely and drawled on. "Eli here is the homecoming king! Get's laid more than anyone. Isn't that right Eli?" Cristina smiled at the grin on his face. But it dropped when Demetri roped her into his sarcasm. "And let's not forget our little Cristina here."

"Please do," she begged, but to no avail.

"She gets carried in here by all the popular like some sort of royalty. God forbid her feet ever touch the grungy floors of the school cafeteria."

Miguel rolled his eyes, obviously catching on to the absurdity of his words, and only then did Demetri move on from his sarcasm.

"Talk to them?" he questioned incredulously. "You realize what table you're sitting at, right? You've pretty much signed away all hopes of losing your virginity before college."

That's when Declan decided to butt in, finally removing his arms from around his head and sitting up properly in his seat. "I don't know, 'Meteri. Cristina's a girl and guys around here screw everything with a pulse, Eli has a badass scar, Miguel's cute, and I'm hot, obviously. So I think it's just you who's out of luck in that department."

Cristina chuckled but was quick to cover it up with a cough when Demetri sent her a glare. Miguel and Eli shared an amused smile. At least until Yasmine looked their way with a look of disgust on her face, and Eli shied away again.

"Yasmine?" asked Cristina when she noticed how his fingers moved to cover the scar about his lips.

He nodded sadly, muttering his reply back. "Yeah. She's probably just making fun of me."

That made Miguel frown. "I don't think she's making fun of you. I mean, just because they're hot doesn't mean they're mean," he said with a slight shrug.

Cristina grimaced. "I'm gonna have to disagree with you there. At Vest Valley, that's exactly what that means."

While picking at his food, Demetri bore a dreamy look on his face as he stared at Yasmine. "I don't care if Yasmine is the meanest girl at school. I'd kill the three of you just to get her to spit in my face."

"Three?" queried Cristina curiously, wondering who he chose to leave out.

Demetri nodded. "You, I wouldn't kill." he pointed his spoon at Cristina's chest. "Being friendly with the opposite sex gives me a slight advantage in the dating pool. It shows I'm not a misogynistic pig and that I view girls as my equals."

Baffled, Cristina blinked. "Were you dropped on your head as a kid?"

"Not to my knowledge, no."

Declan squinted at him. "I doubt you'd remember it."

Fighting for a chance to butt into the conversation, Miguel spoke when there was an opening. "Well, if you don't make a move, you'll never have a shot with her." he pointed out, attempting to encourage him to try his chances with Yasmine.

Demetri nodded but was still clearly opposed to the idea. "True, but I'll also never suffer a humiliating rejection. I'm at peace with my depression. Last thing I need to be is suicidal."

For some reason unbeknownst to Cristina, Miguel disregarded everything they'd said about the rich girls' personalities and stood from his seat, deciding that it would be a great idea to shoot his shot. Why he chose to try in the middle of the cafeteria that was packed with people he would be forced to go to school with for years even after he was rejected, Cristina didn't know.

Sensing the upcoming disaster, Declan attempted to intervene. "Miguel? What are you doing?" he chuckled nervously, glancing at his friend who bore similar expressions.

"Striking first," Miguel replied somewhat inspirationally and began walking toward the popular kids' table.

Cristina cringed. "There's no way in hell this goes well for him."

"Obviously not." Demetri agreed. "I just hope we don't get hit by the shrapnel."

With a sigh, Declan spoke. "It's a shame. I quite liked him."

Eli cracked a smile at their words.

Together they watched the scene occurring just a few feet away from them. It was like a car crash, impossible to look away no matter how much you would want to.

Samantha LaRusso glanced Miguel's way when he approached, but he didn't have a chance to say anything as Kyler Park and his goons appeared out of seemingly thin air. Kyler himself sat down at the table next to Sam and draped an arm around her shoulders, leaving his friends to stand awkwardly around the table.

Defeated, Miguel sighed and turned away, Kyler's mocking finger wave he sent after him adding insult to injury. He slumped down in his seat in between Eli and Declan, and in an attempt to cheer him up, Cristina offered him a baby carrot. He accepted it with half a smile and bit into it solemnly.

Demetri grinned at him. "So, how'd it go?"

At his words, Declan reached out to fist-bump him. Cristina raised her eyebrows in surprise. Declan and Demetri being friendly with each other was a rare occurrence indeed, and it seemed Miguel's misery was what brought them together.

»»-———𝓑𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓽———-««

A/N

Finished this a lot quicker than I thought! Not sure I'm very happy with this, I hate long sections of dialogue so much but I couldn't figure out what to do about it and just went with the flow. Hopefully, it turned out okay in the end.

-Jazz <3