I left the cafeteria early, leaving Kentin to talk with Iris and her friends. I went outside and walked over to the large maple tree in the middle of the courtyard. With a sigh, I sat down and leaned my back against its broad trunk, looking up through the leaves at the sky. I sat silently, tuning out all the noises coming from the school and losing myself in the sky, letting go of my sadness and frustration at the world and the people who thought their personal problems could be solved by seeing someone else suffer.

Slowly, I lowered my gaze, closing my eyes as I did, but they popped back open when I realized that someone was looking at me. I stared at the boy in front of me and he met my eyes with his steely grey ones. My mind went blank as we continued to stare at each other, not saying a word. Finally, I blinked and I realized that he was smirking at me. Blinking again broke the spell I had been under and allowed me to finally see to whom the grey eyes belonged.

He was tall, probably around six feet, with blood-red hair. He was wearing a dark red shirt with what looked like a band logo, a leather jacket, and black pants with a chain looped on one side. I continued staring at him without saying anything, not knowing what was going on. The boy knelt down and leaned toward me with a superior look in his eyes.

"You're in my spot," he stated bluntly.

I furiously told my brain to function properly, but all I could do was blink in response. He smirked at me again and suddenly I had regained control of my body. I scooted to the side quickly, before standing up and brushing off my hands. The boy laughed and propped himself against the tree's trunk as I had done.

"What an obedient little puppy you are."

I cleared my throat and wondered if I should just leave, but I had no desire to go back inside quite yet. Cautiously, I looked down at the boy who was pulling out an MP3 player from his pocket. He looked up at me and I looked away quickly, glancing up once again at the sky.

"So, who are you?"

I turned back to the boy in surprise. He didn't seem like the type to talk to random girls but I didn't want to be rude so I responded, "My name is Opal. I'm new."

"Figured you were. I'm Castiel."

With that, he put his headphones securely in his ears and turned on his MP3 player. Not knowing what to do, I walked over to the bench a little ways away and sat down. No sooner had I sat down than the bell rang to end the lunch period. I stood to leave and glanced back at Castiel. He hadn't moved. I chewed my lip, wondering if I should let him know. In the end, I turned and headed inside the school. I grabbed my notebook from my locker and made it to my World History class with minutes to spare.

Once again, I sat in the front row next to the window and I realized I must be directly below my Chemistry class since I had a nice view of the parking lot. The tardy bell rang and the teacher went up to the front of the class and began to take roll. Students raised their hands calling out "Here" until the teacher called out, "Castiel."

My back went ramrod straight and I glanced around the room nervously. No one answered and I didn't see any sight of him. In my mind's eye, I could see him leaning against the tree trunk with his headphones in. I chewed my lip, wishing that I had told him the bell had rung when the door opened and Castiel sauntered in. The teacher frowned at him.

"Castiel, first day back from school and you're late?"

Castiel shrugged and walked to the back of the classroom, sitting in the corner diagonal to me. I faced the front and mentally chided myself. It was none of my business whether he showed up to class or not. After all, I had barely spoken three words to him, why should I care if he came to class or not? I began taking notes furiously as the teacher started a slide show about the economic standing of the major countries in the world. The period went by quickly and I forced myself to walk calmly out of the classroom without looking back at Castiel.

What is wrong with this school? Why are gorgeous guys popping out of thin air around me? I thought to myself furiously, making my way to Shakespeare class.

"You must be the new transfer student!" A squeak of surprise escaped me as my hand was captured by a short man with black hair and pale blue eyes who began pumping my hand up and down in the most energetic handshake I'd ever received. "When I heard that I was gaining a new student I was more excited than Dogberry when he thought the aristocrats could use his services!"

I couldn't help but grin as I looked at the short man's easy smile. He looked like he was in his mid-forties, with salt and pepper hair and large glasses perched on the tip of his nose. Something about him seemed disarming and I instantly liked him.

"I love Much Ado About Nothing! I think it's one of Shakespeare's best comedies." 

The teacher suddenly let go of my hand so he could clap delightedly. "So you DID take this class by choice! Oh, happy day! How many of Shakespeare's plays have you read?"

"I've never counted before, but I'm quite familiar with the popular ones. My name is Opal. Opal Sato." My hand was once again captured as the teacher's eyes shone with delight.

"Miss Opal! You are indeed heaven-sent! You must promise to audition for our play next year! I am Mr. Tremont and if you ever have a question about the school let me know immediately! I will be like Prospero, guiding you into your greatest potential like he used his magic to create harmony and order in the world!"

I smiled, barely keeping myself from chuckling out loud. I had a feeling I was going to like this class very much. Trying to keep myself from smiling too widely, I made my way to a seat next to the window and watched the clouds as the rest of the class came in and found their seats. When the class began I was surprised to see only a dozen students scattered among the desks. Mr. Tremont began handing out books and I smiled when I saw that we were going to be reading "Taming of the Shrew".

"So, class, for the next month we will be focusing on 'Taming of the Shrew' one of Shakespeare's early plays. I will be assigning each of you a character and we will read the play together as a class. Your first assignment will be due this Friday. I want you to write two paragraphs on what your first impressions are of the character that you are assigned. We will read at least two scenes a day, sometimes three if the discussion is lackluster. I expect you to read two scenes every night so that our discussions AREN'T lackluster. Does everyone understand?"

I nodded my head with the rest of the class. Mr. Tremont clapped his hands in excitement and then began assigning characters. I watched with interest as the students accepted their assignments either willingly or grudgingly. The students who seemed less than enthusiastic were given smaller parts and as the main characters began to be announced students smiled broadly. I realized with a start that all the characters had been assigned except for Kate and Petruchio and I still didn't have a part. Mr. Tremont turned to me with a wide grin.

"Miss Opal, you will be reading as Kate." 

I gave him a smile and nodded my understanding. I'd read Taming of the Shrew in my old school and was very familiar with it, so I was excited to be one of the main characters. As embarrassing as it was, I'd spent many hours alone in my room reading plays out loud and pretending I was a famous actress. I was excited to actually be reading with other people for a change.

"And finally, Mr. Lysander, you will be our Petruchio."

I followed Mr. Tremont's gaze and saw a boy in the middle of the second row. He had wavy silver hair with black tips and I was surprised to see him wearing what looked like a Victorian-style jacket and shirt. He had the book open and seemed to be reading ahead already.

Mr. Tremont cleared his throat and when the boy looked up I barely held back a gasp. He had two different colored eyes! I had never seen anything like it. One eye was a calm green, much lighter than my own, but the other appeared to be the color of caramel. I gazed at him with fascination, wondering if he was wearing contact lenses or if his eyes were naturally like that. He gave Mr. Tremont a short nod and then went back to reading the play.

For the rest of the period, Mr. Tremont described the time period that this play was set in and how that affected many choices in the play. I couldn't believe how quickly time had gone by when the bell suddenly sounded, interrupting Mr. Tremont's lecture.

I reluctantly walked out of Shakespeare class, heading for my seventh and final class of the day: Art. The teacher, Ms. Kelly, announced that the next two days were going to be spent presenting the student's projects they had been working on before Spring Break. I sat back and enjoyed the different projects which ranged from masks to sketches. My favorite was a beautiful watercolor painting a shy girl named Violette did of a setting sun over a picturesque ocean. The way she managed to blend the colors of the sun into the water was breathtaking.

The final bell rang and I breathed a sigh of relief. My first day at a new school hadn't gone the way I'd hoped, but I was excited to get to know Iris better and my classes seemed like they would be interesting. I put my Calculus and Physics textbooks, as well as my copy of "Taming of the Shrew" in my backpack and slipped it on my left shoulder, grimacing when it bumped the remnant of a bruise.

I pulled out my cell phone and smiled when I saw that Auntie had sent me nearly a dozen texts. Closing my locker I read through them all while heading out of school. Just when I was about to send a reply I heard someone call out my name. I stopped, and looked around, not knowing where the voice had come from.

"Opal." I jumped, spinning around to come face-to-face with Nathaniel. I placed a hand on my chest to calm my startled heart.

"Nathaniel, you scared me."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I've been trying to catch up with you, but you were pretty absorbed in your phone."

"Sorry about that. Did you need something?" I asked, feeling strange for having been caught "absorbed" in my phone. There's a first for everything I guess, I thought with a small smile.

"Well, not really 'need', but I wanted to know how your first day went. Did you make any friends?" Nathaniel asked. 

I smiled hesitantly at him. I hadn't noticed before, but he was only a couple of inches taller than me, which made looking into his bright, serious gold eyes quite easy.

"Sort of. I met a girl named Iris who is super nice, and a boy named Kentin. He was a little... hesitant I suppose would be a good word for him. I think I met your sister too." Nathaniel looked surprised at this news.

"Amber? You don't have any of the same classes. Where did you meet her?"

So, she is his sister, I thought. I had noticed the resemblance when she had told me to keep away from him, but I couldn't help but think that they were absolutely night and day. Nathaniel was serious, studious, and kind. Amber was proud, snobby, and arrogant.

"Oh, I just met her at lunch hour. She and her friends, uh, welcomed me to the school," I explained awkwardly. I wasn't sure if Nathaniel knew about Amber's bullying, but I didn't fancy being the one to tell him if he didn't.

"Huh, that's odd. She doesn't usually talk to anyone but her two friends. Say, I know you took a look around campus before school started, but would you like me to show you the library before you go home?"

The word library caught my attention and I felt myself perk up in excitement. I thought back to Amber's warning at lunchtime and chewed the inside of my lip for a second. I knew I didn't need him to find the library, but at the same time, I didn't want to be rude and refuse when he was trying to be a good student council president and help me adjust. I looked down at my phone, thinking about what Auntie would want me to do. Her last text message was still on my screen so I read it again and grinned.

I want to hear all about the friends that you made and the adventures of your first day of school! I love you! <3

Getting a tour of the school library from the student council president would definitely be something Auntie would love to hear about. I tucked my cell phone into the side pocket of my backpack and nodded.

"Lead on."

Nathaniel and I ended up spending an hour in the school library, picking out our favorite books that we had read and comparing our tastes. I loved fantasy novels filled with magic and out-of-this-world adventures. Nathaniel was a crime novel buff and he even convinced me to check out one of his favorite series. I walked home with a smile on my face. 

Today may not have been everything I had hoped for, but being a normal teenager is a lot of fun, I thought to myself as I began to hum a random tune.

When I arrived home I immediately called Auntie. She picked up on the first ring.

"Opal! I miss you so much, Sweetheart!"

"I called you just last night!" I reminded her with a chuckle. "Well, I guess it was morning for you, huh?" I asked, sitting in the leather recliner in the living room.

"But I still miss you! You should have moved in with me years ago!"

My throat tightened as I pictured how differently my life could have been if that had been an option. Auntie didn't let me think about it too long though as she demanded every last detail of my day. I left out the part about Amber and her friends, but I described my teachers and the people I met throughout the day.

"So you met four boys, huh? Opal, you move fast!"

"Don't be silly, Auntie. Nathaniel was just being a good student council president. Kentin was nice and ate lunch with me, but I barely spoke to Castiel, and I didn't say anything to Lysander."

"And yet you describe each of their eyes with such detail," she commented with a teasing gloat.

"I've always noticed people's eyes. They're the windows to the soul after all."

"And what did you see in their souls?" Auntie asked excitedly. I leaned against the recliner and stifled a yawn.

"I'm not sure, Auntie."

"Was that a yawn? Oh, poor dear, you're all tuckered out. Eat some dinner and then go to bed early, okay? We can talk more tomorrow. I might be in a meeting early in the morning so if I am I'll call you at lunchtime which means it might be a little late in your time zone."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. Have a good day, Auntie."

"I love you, Sweetheart."

"I love you too," I whispered and hung up.

I sat in the recliner looking at my cell phone. "Love". It was a word I had only ever heard Auntie say. I felt my eyes slowly begin to droop as my mind filled with memories.

A/N The picture is of Lysander and Castiel if you didn't know ^.^ Next chapter is going to be a little sad, just as a warning :S