I glanced up at the clock on the cafeteria wall with dread in my eyes as the minutes were getting closer and closer for classes to start. I groaned as I ran my hands through my hair, glaring now down at the unfinished math homework in front of me. This is what I get for staying up watching conspiracy videos instead of actually doing my homework. Why do I even need to learn this stuff anyway? And whose brilliant idea was it to add imaginary numbers?? I was soon interrupted by my thoughts when a unfamiliar voice addresses me.

"Um... hi... can I sit here?" A voice asked me. I looked up to see an stranger's face. He had short brown hair with matching brown eyes, and about five foot seven. I quickly remember he asked me question and nod my head in response. He smiled back at me and proceeds to sit down while I divert my eyes back to the unfinished math homework and then proceed to slump in defeat and go to put it all away in my book bag. Looks like I'll have to accept a late grade.

"Hi my name is Jackson Goodman." The new kid introduced himself and I looked back at at the him, so Jackson was it. Taking more notice of him now I realize that I don't think I've ever seen him before. 

"You're new?", I ask.

He smiles awkwardly and ruffles his hair with one hand. "Yeah, it kinda sucks though since its towards the end of the year." He responds. 

I nod in agreement, "Life can be like that, can't it?"

He laughs in agreement and then asked me for my name I go to answer when I hear someone calling my name. I looked past the Jackson kid to see Shawn! I waved to him and he quickly started towards the table. Jackson got a curious look on his face before he followed my gaze to see what had garnered my attention. The moment when Shawn reached the table he notices Jackson and goes to introduce himself. He has never had trouble making friends. I often find myself feeling envious of his sociable personality.

"Hey I've never seen you before. Are you new here?" Shawn questioned and Jackson stands up putting his hand put for a handshake. 

"Yeah, I'm Jackson Goodman. I'm a senior." Jackson answered in a friendly manner while Shawn shook his hand and the moment he returned the handshake Jackson flinched looking back down at his hand. Shawn always had a strong handshake, went well with how strong he was as a person. 

Shawn then looks towards me and says, "So I am guessing you already meet lil Oli." Ugh does he have to call me small and use that silly nickname. I rolled my eyes and looked away hearing his comment with a groan.

"It's Oliver, not Oli." I corrected him, but Shawn then ruffled my hair while simply laughing it off. I pushed his hand away. Zoning out I go to gather my stuff, it was getting close for time to go to class.

I zone back once I realize that he is still talking bout me. "Oh I'm not surprised he is a weird one when making friends, especially when he and I met." I could hear him smirking.

"Especially when y'all met?" the new kid asked. 

"Yeah it's the best story ever, why don't you tell him Olive?" Shawn offered the question to me, but really it just sounded more like an order than an incentive to take the lead. I groan at the name but proceed to tell the story of how we met.

*TWO YEARS AGO*

This one is $7.99 with fifteen tablets and this one is the name brand at $9.99 with only ten tablets. Hmmm.

"Ugh! This is stupid I'm just gonna go with this." I said as I grabbed the $7.99 one. I went up the register and bought the medicine, I needed to get home so Sandra could take it.

As I stepped out of the store I heard a loud clashing sound and spun around to see what it was. I realized it was just someone putting a cart away. I swear I'm getting more and more paranoid each day.

I then began to walk home and was about ten minutes away when I started to hear footsteps following mine. I quickly turned around to see a man going towards his home. The door swung open to show a boy who was about ten years old run to the man yelling, "Daddy, you're home!" Memories of my dad started to return and I looked away and continued on towards my "home".

I continued down the street but I started to notice footsteps behind me, at first I had ignored them, but they had stayed pretty consistent. I kept my calm and pulled my phone out pretending to check it. The footsteps stopped. I started to walk again and so did the footsteps. I look over my shoulder slowly to see a person wearing a hoodie.

I couldn't make out any features because it was too dark. However once I had turned my head to try and see them, I noticed that they stopped along with me once again and were now are slowly pulling their hand out of their pocket. My eyes followed the movement of their hand and from the bit I saw it seemed like whatever he was holding had a handle on it. Oh god! Please don't be what I think it is! Just as I realized what they were holding they began to advance towards me.

I immediately started to run wanting to scream for help but my voice was trapped in my throat. I could hear his footsteps behind me speeding up to catch up to me. I turned the next corner and slowly started to hear the footsteps disappear.

I looked back to see if they were still coming after me when I slammed into someone. CRAP! I fell to the ground hitting my head. My vision started to blur as I saw the hooded figure above me. I turned over to my stomach trying to crawl away when everything became black.

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I slowly started to wake up with pain in my head. What happened? As I open my eyes I notice it's dark and I'm in a bedroom that doesn't look familiar. As I try to figure out where I am the memories of last night return causing my heart rate to increase. I quickly jump off the bed and run towards the door. As I'm about to grab the handle it swings open to reveal a boy about my age blocking the way. He was slightly muscular and tall with brown short hair.

He looks at me with wide eyes as if he was surprised but then a smile makes its way to his face. "Good to see you're okay man."

How can he be so casual about kidnapping me!?! I glared and threw a fist punching that stupid smile off his face. He falls back and I run down the hallway and look through the open door to my left and see the front door. Just as I am about to reach the door I hear a familiar voice.

"There you are! You had me worried sick!" I turn to my right to see Sandra standing in a living room. What? Why is she here? What's going on? I see out of the corner of my eye the boy entering through the door. I run to Sandra and stand in front of her to protect her.

"What the heck was that for?" He asked as he entered the room. 

"Oh my goodness did you punch him!?!" Sandra spits out. 

"Yes! He freaking kidnapped me!" I argued glaring back at the man in the doorway. While a confused look crossed over his face. 

"Kidnapped? What? No, more like helped you after you passed out after you ran into me." He insisted, but I just became more baffled at the situation.

What? Helped me? Wait a second what the heck is even going on??

Sandra must have seen the confusion written on my face when she answered my question. "I was getting worried and called you when this young man answered your phone. He said that you were at his house passed out after running into him. He only lives a couple streets away so I came to pick you up."

"Oh." That was all I could manage to get out. I just freaking punched the person who helped me. Way to go Oliver, good job! Well I guess I should apologize. I walked up to him with my head down. "Umm... sorry for punching you... I just thought you were... someone...else."

"Someone else?" he asked. 

"Yeah, the person I was running from." I responded looking up to see his ocean green eyes.

"Wait! Why were you running from someone!?!" Sandra gasped as my head whipped around to look and see her face full of concern. Crap I hadn't thought that through, I didn't want to make her worry about me, not over something that ended up being as stupid as this! Ugh I have to say something to calm her down!

"Oh, I thought someone was following me so I ran. It was probably nothing. You know how paranoid I can be." I quickly spat out. She calmed down but I could still see worry in her eyes. 

"Well that's good to hear, anyway we should be going. You have school tomorrow." Sandra let out a soft breath.

I turned to the boy and realized I still haven't thanked him yet. "Um, thanks for helping me out and again I'm sorry for punching you." 

He laughed and said, "It was no problem and it's alright, I understand. Oh by the way just out of curiosity, what school do you go to?" 

"Carrington High School." I answered, it was simple enough.

A smile found its way to his face. "Awesome so you start there tomorrow? Mind if I show you around?"

I smiled at the offer. "Sure. My name is Oliver by the way. Oliver Moore." 

His smile got bigger after I accepted and he replied, "I am Shawn Gad. Guess I'll see you tomorrow."

*BACK TO PRESENT*

By the time I finished we were all laughing. I did leave some parts out though, like remembering my dad and stuff like that. Didn't want to tell the personal stuff. Soon enough we are interrupted by a teacher saying it was time to head to class. 

"So um guys can one of you help me find my way to my first class?" Jackson asked while I looked up to him and nodded my head. 

"What class do you have?" I asked while he reached into his pocket and pulled out the paper with his schedule before handing it to me. I looked at his classes and saw we had first period together, pre calculus honors. We also had English 12, anatomy, US History.

"Well it looks like we have the same first period along with second, third, and fifth. So I can show you the way." I offered and he smiled wide and wrapped an arm around my neck. 

"Heck yeah I now have a friend in four of my classes." Jackson claimed excitedly while I flinched and had to resist pushing him away from me. I really hated people touching me.

"So Oliver, how long have you been going here?" he ask as we wave Shawn goodbye.

It takes me a few seconds to realize he had spoken to me and a little longer to recognize he had asked me a question, but once I got myself together it was a simple answer; "Oh well since the middle of ninth grade."

"The middle of ninth grade? Did you move or something?" Jackson's question was innocent enough, but... 'Crap I can't explain why I had to move schools mid year! Why didn't I just say ninth grade? '

"Well my mum had to move to be closer to her parents since they were getting older and all." I managed to think of a way to reply pretty quickly and well we did move closer to her parents so I guess it's not a whole lie, right?

We walked to the class as he rambled on and on. I'm not much of a conversationalist so I mainly just listened. Finally we arrived, "Well here we are. You ready?" I asked him. 

He smiled at me and held his head up high, looking confident as ever. "Ready as I'll ever be!"

He then proceeds to walk to the teacher to introduce himself. I smiled to myself thinking of how kind he was being to me even when I the most awkward person ever. I really hope we can become good friends.