Vale and Annalise walked into the large cafeteria and sighed seeing everyone already sitting. Their heads immediately popped up as the two girls walked past. Hallie was sitting with the preppy girls and somehow Vale knew she'd find a way to fit in.

They walked into the line, everyone else seemingly already having their food, and Vale sighed at the options. She was a dedicated vegetarian so the only thing she grabbed was a banana and some water. Luckily, Annalise didn't seem to question or even care for that matter. She clutched on to her book of poems as she looked at Annalise, expecting for her to lead the way to a table or something.

"Oh, uhm I'm going to sit with my friends. You can come if you want?" Annalise said. Vale smiled at the girls sympathy but shook her head.

"It's alright. I want to read anyway." She shrugged and walked over to a table in the back. She watched as Annalise sat down with the preppy girls, including her sister. She sighed and cracked open her book to a Poe poem.

Suddenly everyone's head turned to the doors when the group of black clad boys and one girl walked inside the room. Andy's eyes immediately fell on Vale and she felt herself blush. She quickly returned her gaze back to her book, taking a bite of her banana.

She got lost in the world of The Raven, her favorite poem.

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating

'"Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door,-
This it is and nothing more."

Vale knew he was sitting in front of her. She could feel his eyes on her as she read but it wasn't just him. To other pairs of eyes scanned her, sitting next to Andrew. She still didn't look up- she wouldn't. Not until one of them spoke. She felt suddenly nervous, as if the words on the page had come to life. Like Andrew and the others were knocking on her chamber door.

But she had a feeling this wasn't just a late visitor and nothing more.

"You know Vale, we're going to get in a lot of trouble for sitting here," She looked up at Andy to see him smirking. Next to him was Talula and another boy with long black hair she hadn't seen before. "And not at our usual table."

"Then why don't you sit there?" She asked, looking back down at her book.

"You looked lonely. Over here, all by yourself." He frowned. "Where is your roommate?"

"With her friends. It's fine though, I get it. I'm the new girl, I don't expect anyone to drop their lives for me. And I don't want to intrude." Vale shrugged, a bad habit.

Andy opened his mouth to talk but it closed when a few other figures plopped down in the seats around Vale. Her eyes widened to see it was Ashley and the two others.

"Ash-"

"Since you guys decided to sit here today we thought we'd join you." Ashley said. Andy narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

"Please don't." He said, looking straight into his friends eyes.

"Oh chill out Andy. We're harmless." Ashley chuckled, picking up a strand of Vale's hair. She jerked back and out of his grasp. "I'm Ashley Purdy, and this is Jake Pitts and Jinxx."

"Vale Augustina.." She mumbled, closing her book and putting it down in her lap.

Ashley laughed: and so did the other two. She felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment as they cackled. Just at the sound of her name.

"Uh, what's so funny?" She said, feeling a little frightened. These boys were so intimidating that she shrunk back just at the sight.

"Oh nothing. We used to know someone named Vale." The one called Jake said. His hair was shaved on the side and Vale could barely look in his cold brown eyes.

"Oh alright." She mumbled, looking across at Andy. He looked pissed, still glaring at Ashley.

"I'm Christian but you can call me CC." Said the boy next to Tallie. He had long black hair and warm brown eyes as a contrast to Jakes. Vale smiled at him and nodded. She liked him: he was sweet and the way he looked at Tallie made Vale feel happy. They were a nice couple even though Tallie had never formally introduced herself.

"I think we've met before." She chuckled. "But in case you don't remember I'm Talula Winters but call me Tallie."

"Hi." Vale smiled.

"How did you ever live with your sister!? She is a class A bitch." She shook her head. Vale could tell the three across from her were trying to switch gears on the conversation but she was still keenly aware of Ashley beside her.

"I don't know but she's the whole reason I'm here." She sighed.

"Why don't you switch seats with me Jinxx?" Andy nodded to the boy on the other side of Vale with shorter black hair that was spikey on the ends.

"Oh that's too much of a hassle. Jake and I will scoot over." Ashley said, moving a seat away from her. Andy quickly stood up and plopped down next to her. He seemed protective over Vale and she couldn't figure why.

He glanced over at her and Vale could see the pain in his marvelous baby blues. It was like he was trying to speak to her through them and Vale wasn't responding. She just wanted to help the puppy like boy. He sighed and tore her gaze away from her to the table in front of them. Everyone had seemed to start a conversation around them.

"You should go." Andy whispered only so she could hear it.

"Why? What is so bad about these guys?" She whispered back. He shook his head.

"I made a mistake sitting with you. This is only going to end up hurting us both in the end. I can't be seen with you." He said, and she felt her heart contract. Here she thought he actually wanted to be her friend and now he was saying he was all but embarrassed to be with her.

"I made a mistake staying as long as I did." She seethed, standing up and grabbing her trash.

"Wait Vale, you don't understand-"

"I don't need too." She shook her head, walking off. She felt horrified by the way her first day was going and all she wanted to do was crawl under a rock and die.

She ran out of the cafeteria, tears in her eyes as she clutched onto her book. She ran all the way to her dorm. It was only five thirty so she knew that she'd be alone for a little while at least.
When she got back inside she climbed the ladder to her top bunk and collapsed down.
She cried: and she felt so weak for doing so. Vale never cried but she was so embarrassed and so sad that people would treat her that way that she couldn't even help it. For another five minutes she cried by herself before hearing a knock on the door.

"Vale?" She heard Andy say. She didn't answer. "Please, I know I messed up."

"Just go away, Andy." She yelled.

"I'm so sorry. I really want to be your friend.." He said, leaning his head on his side of the door.

She didn't reply so he silently took a pick out of his pocket and picked her lock.

When he opened the door she popped up and glared at him. "What the fuck Andy!?"

"I don't want you mad at me." He said, walking over to her. She laid back down and flipped over away from him.

Andy sighed and leaned his head on the wooden railing. "Too late." She mumbled. "I just want you and your freaky friends to leave me alone."

"Look Vale, that's harder than you think.." He shook his head.

"Well you could start by leaving my dorm and then staying out of my way. I didn't come here to make friends, I came here because my parents are making me." She said, curling up tighter into a ball. He was silent for a moment and then she felt the weight of her bed shift. "What the fuck.." She said as she felt him hug her tight. "Are you doing!?"

"Hugging you. I think you need it." He chuckled. As much as she wanted to fight: it felt fantastic. His arms fit around her skinny body so well and she wanted to shake him off but she couldn't.

So she let it out.

Everything she had been holding in, the anger her parents gave her. The fact that she even had to go to this stupid school in the first place. How upset she was that her sister hasn't said a word since they seperated. She cried and cried, eventually turning Andy's strong arms and letting him hold her.

He let his fingers trace across her arms as she cried, trying to soothe her. He knew that if Annalise walked in it would be an automatic detention for both of them. Boys weren't allowed in girls dorms and vice versa but Andy didn't care. This felt so right, he'd been waiting for it..forever. But he knew Vale wasn't thinking of it that way and she wasn't. Not yet at least.
She sniffled and wiped at her cheeks. "Thank you." She said.

"Anytime." He said. "I didn't mean anything-"

"I know." She said, looking up at him. He drifted his eyes down to her and he smiled a bit. "I don't usually do this..not with guys I just met."

"Oh?" He mumbled. The feeling of her heart beating against his was killing him and he just wanted to kiss her until sunrise.

"If I had any sense, I'd tell you to get out of my bed and leave me alone forever." She laughed.

"Especially instead of saying I'll be your friend."

He chuckled. "So you will be?"

"I guess so.." She laughed. "But I don't understand. What's wrong with Ashley? What is he doing?"

"It's really hard to explain, Vale. I can't right now." He shook his head. "Trust me you don't want to know. It'll keep you safer."

"Why do I need to be safe?" She asked, sitting up and looking down at him.

"I swear you'll understand in time." He said, leaning forward and pressing his lips to her temple. "I'll see you soon. But I should stay away for a little while." He stood up and walking to her door.

"I'm sure." She said, sighing.

"Maybe for...a while."

"Why?" She shook her head. "Why so many secrets?"

"You don't understand." He sighed. "And it's hard to explain. Like I said, one day."

"I don't think I can be content with one day." She said.

"Well your going to have to deal with it." He walked out of her room, leaving her with tears in her eyes.

Once he closed the door he slid down the section of wall by her dorm.

That was close.

---

Vale nervously picked at her nail as she sat at her brown desk. Annalise still wasn't back yet and it was seven thirty. She assumed she was hanging out with her friends and that would be fine if it wasn't for what she was seeing outside of her window.

Ashley, Andy, Jake, Jinxx, and CC all sat outside in the grass. Ashley was talking adamantly to Andy, using wide gestures and Andy nodded but he looked scared.
She watched as they all passed a picture around and she desperately wished she could know what or who it was of.

There was something off about this group of misfits and Andy wanting to cuddle with her no more than an hour ago didn't really help their case. He acted like he knew her but he didn't. She'd barely shared a conversation with him and they laid in the bed together like they had know each other forever. Now he had to stay away and she was so angry at him. She didn't want to be his friend. She wouldn't.

Vale sighed and shut the blinds to her window. She stood up and crawled back to her bed.

She was going to try to forget. She would.

She had too.

Notes

Chapter 2:)