Stepping off the bus I take a deep breath. Maybe this retreat will be good for me,maybe this whole switching schools thing was a good idea.

"Move it Cruise!" I hear a deep voice shout as I'm shoved out of the way of the exit of the bus.

I roll my eyes and I face Hunter.He said he'd make this weekend something not to forget, and I hope he doesn't ruin it for me some it's something I actually want to enjoy.

We are all lead to a large house surrounded by nothing but woods.We enter our sleeping quarters and leave our bags next to the beds of our choice.I just wanted to lay on that bed and roll into its blankets, yet Ivy doesn't let a soul rest.

A tour guide calls us up to the front of the rooms to inform us about the days agenda."hello y'all , my name's Leslie and I'll be your tour guide for the day" says the oddly cheerful man.

"Today's agenda will be handed out to all of you in a couple minutes , but let me tell you the gist of it.In one hour at 11am we will hold a seminar to get everyone to know each-other and feel more comfortable with one another.At 12pm there is sports , we have a gym for basketball and a field for soccer or football.Then there's a hour lunch break from 1-2pm.After , there is a group therapy session for people to let out some feelings."

I could hear the groans from the entire 11th grade because of a word as simple as "feelings".To be honest, I hope Ryder ends up being in my grip therapy session.Although I don't really respond well to feelings or know how to show them , I wanna know more about his feelings about me.Maybe I'll even learn something about myself I didn't know before.

We were handed our agenda's and ordered by Dean Clark to follow Leslie to the seminar.The icebreaker was simple, the person on the back on the line had to  draw a drawing on the back of the person in front of them.We all lined up and Hunter chose no other spot, but right behind me.

Ryder was all the way at the front of the line.I guess he liked playing "telephone" as a kid because this is kind of like that but a little different.

He looks like he loves guessing and unpredictability.

Is that what he likes about me? That I'm unpredictable? Ryder studies me like a book , I wonder what he's trying so hard to figure out.

I don't open up to anybody.

The closest person I feel to here is Ryder , yet he knows nothing about my persona.Hunter knows where I came from, my weaknesses, my strengths.

Is that why he chose to be behind me? Because he knows he's a weakness to me?

Ugh I shook my head because I tend to overthink and I didn't want my anxiety to ruin a good thing that's producing with Ryder and I.

The icebreaker had started and when it was my turn to feel the drawing on my back I couldn't tell what it was.I could feel Hunter's warm breath on my neck , why was he so close? He drew something that felt like a heart, so that's what I drew on the back of the person in front of me.

Although my turn had passed, I still felt the drawing on my back.He trailed his finger up and down my t-shirt and tried to snuggle his finger under it.He caused goosebumps to rush around my body and my throat to become dry.

Why was I so nervous?

"What're you doing?!" I whisper yelled.I turn my head a little to the left so I could get a better view of his oceanic eyes.

"I'll do anything you want me to do ,gorgeous" he says with a smirk.

I knew what he was doing.

Trying to manipulate a manipulator doesn't really work.He was teasing me and he wasn't going to stop until he drove Ryder fucking insane.I thought he loved Ryder as a brother, yet he cannot seem to let him be happy.From the looks of it, Hunter has ruined every good thing in Ryder's life.

Ryder had guessed the drawing incorrectly and that was the end of the icebreaker.The image was a square, and if so why did Hunter draw a heart on my back?!

I walked away from him and tried to find Scarlett in the crowds of angsty teenagers.I found her luscious blond hair and tugged at her sleeve.

"Hey Aerona,you going to flag football ?"

"Oh, um actually would you play basketball with me? Football isn't really my thing"

"I would but my hand isn't that good from coach having me work all the time,heh see you at lunch though" she says with a nervous laugh and waves me off as she leaves.

It's sad that she thought I believed her.She didn't have coach because she didn't act up the way she use to in her first years.Her hand also isn't hurt because even if she did have coach , she just asked me if I was going to flag football.The amount of friends I have here in this world is amazing, the amount of negative people that I've accepted into my life is worse.

I decided to play basketball by myself,and by that I mean sit in the hot gym on the bleachers watching mostly boys dunk on each-other.

I wanted to join them and prove how good I was at basketball.I wanted to prove that just because I am a girl doesn't mean I don't have hops like a boy does.Yet, my feelings held me back and for them to act out so strongly recently felt weird.I couldn't help but think it had something with hanging out with a good soul like Ryder all the time.

•

The group therapy session was commenced and it was groups of 6's.They paired us with people we've made the most connections with in the school year so far and I already knew who would be in my group.

Chairs were all set around in circles for each student to sit in, along with a counselor.Dean Clark was watching students from a distance.He's undeniably good looking but I try to focus on the activity because after learning more about him , the more I want out of Ivy.

I was the first one to sit in my group's circle.I was quiet with my legs crossed and picked at my finger nails.I looked up when I heard brooding footsteps come near me.Hunter sat two seats away from me and Ryder sat right next to him which was right across from me.

Then no other than THE lux sawyer plops her ass right next to me.The counselor follows by sitting on the chair to the left of Lux.On the other side of the counselor was Maddox and on the other side of me was Scarlett.

The perfect group...

I wanted to face palm my self .

"Hello everyone my name is Arelis and I'll be your counselor for the weekend." She says with a painful smile.

We had to do this again tomorrow? Psh, you're not seeing me again Arelis.

"Would you all introduce yourselves please" she asks.So one by one—starting with Lux—we all introduced ourselves.

"Today's topic is about love"

I scoffed and I didn't mean it to come out so abruptly or AT ALL.The whole groups eyes drew to me and I could feel the Lux's stare heating up on the side of my head like a laser beam.

"Anyway" Arelis continues "When I say love, I mean past experiences with relationships like family, friends and significant others.Would anybody like to start?"

The whole group stood silent.The topic wasn't really something a lot of the kids in this group received at home.

"Fine I'll go first" Arelis states and continues to tell her story."I was fifteen when I met him, let's say his name was Oliver.Oliver and I were the best of friends and we did everything together.Although we hung out all the time, had the same interest, and same style.I didn't think Oliver had the same feelings towards me that I felt about him.One day he gave me advice and told me 'if you don't stop and look for a little while,you'll miss what's right in front of you'.When he told me that I realized that if I didn't tell him how I felt I'd miss the chance and I won't ever know.He was right in front of me and.."

Arelis started to tear up.I was thinking about how she was being a little unprofessional but I didn't want to judge her in the middle of a sad love story.

"I was going to tell him but when he crossed over to me , the car came so fast and it was all a blur but before I knew it I was pouring out my heart to him at his funeral and in my prayers."

"Damn" Lux says obnoxiously.

She looked at Arelis as if that story put her to sleep but I could see that all Arelis felt was absolute pain and misery.I could tell that Oliver still passes by her memory and dreams almost everyday and I could tell how it touched the group.

Maybe even THE Hunter Chase Roman would show some emotion right? But nope not one look of sympathy ran upon his face.