Grey Devert was what one might call your average mistake.  He was really quite handsome; a dark complexion from his Mamá with her soft features, but a strong, charismatic look from his father who passed to soon to see.  Behind those smoky blue eyes was a brilliant mind, one of the best in its class.  He was a talented musician—bass guitar—and an impressive athlete on the weekends.  His wit was quick and always kept his friends laughing; he had a genuine heart and sense of chivalry.  Grey was one of the most confusing creatures ever placed on this earth because of his attractive appearance and simply delightful inner-being; he was a rare combination.  The mistake was that he had never had an interest in the opposite sex that would so appreciate his existence, and as far as he was concerned, he never would.

            Hannah Lord sat on the edge of the stage at the cliché teen hangout, UB4, reading what was left of one of Grey’s books.  Behind her, he played a few bars on the bass a band would be using later that night.  The place was pretty empty except for the usual study group in the lounge, but that was how Hannah liked it.  She knew Grey felt the same way; they were both loners and always had been.  As she finished the last sentence, she could feel him looking over her shoulder.  “The best part,” he muttered, slowly sitting down next to her.  “Careful or you’ll miss it…”

            “She killed him,” Hannah whispered, quirking a smile.  “I would have never guessed the wife.”

            “It’s because she was in love.”

            “You say that like she really was—she killed her own husband.”

            “That’s love for you.”  He stood again and strode over to the café counter.  Hannah sighed as he left her behind, letting the book fall to her feet.  People had been saying it for years.  They both wore the same kind of trendless clothes, the exact same black and white sneakers, and listened to the same emo-punk music.  It would make perfect sense for them to be dating, but Hannah knew when it came to Grey, nothing made sense.  She wasn’t sure when, but since sometime she’d been trying to suppress a feeling she knew she couldn’t handle.  As he strolled back, dropping a bottle of Pepsi into her lap, she had to forget about it again.  “You ready for tonight?”

            “It’s all Toby’s been talking about for days.  This band’s apparently the best he’s heard.”

            “He’s heard a lot.”

            “No joke.”  There was an odd silence again as the twist in her stomach surfaced again.  She tried to hide behind her chocolate locks, but he always could tell when she was nervous. 

            “Hannah, do you have a thing for Toby?” he asked quite rapidly.  Her green eyes widened. 

            “A thing?  For Toby?”  She forced a giggle.  He smiled, ensuring there was no pressure, and leaned back against the small stage step.  “No, he’s too much of a…a…”

            “I know what you mean,” he laughed.  Hannah felt her heart thumping faster; since when did his laugh sound so different?  Like it was…perfect?  “You’ve been acting weird lately…I just assumed you were under some influence.”

            “N-No,” Hannah muttered, averting her eyes.  “Just stressed about stuff, that’s all.”  This was getting out of control, she thought as he returned to playing with the equipment.  You can’t fall for your best friend Grey, especially someone who refuses to believe in “ridiculously premature mood swings” like…love. 

            Only an hour later, UB4 was filled with everyone and anyone important jamming to the newest local band.  Hannah was fighting through the crowd to find someone to talk to, dancers bumping into her and drinkers hanging cups over her.  Finally, she saw a familiar face: her right arm, Gwen.  “Hey!” she called, trying to make her way to the wall.  “Gwen, wait up!”  The sweet-natured Gwen Harley turned and smiled, pulling her from the wave of motion.

            “Girl, where have you been?  Stace and I have been looking all over for you.”

            “I kind of got lost,” Hannah mumbled with a giggle.  “Hey, Stacey, come with Toby?”  Stacey smiled and nodded, raising her cup to the right of the stage.

            “He’s over there by your boyfriend.”  Hannah’s expression fell.

            “He’s not my boyfriend, all right?” she snapped.  Immediately, Gwen blinked.  Usually, Hannah could handle the playful teasing about Grey, but it was obvious since that afternoon things were different.

            “Woah, all right,” Stacey joked as she pushed by, “remain in denial.”  Gwen had caught it.

            “Hey, Hannah, what’s your damage?  You and Grey get into a fight?”  Hannah shook her head, trying to find her thoughts in the drowning rock and flashing lights behind her.

            “I’m just…never mind.  I’ll tell you later.”  Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.  She turned to see an incredibly shocked Stacey.  “Stacey…?”

            “You will never guess what just walked in,” she gasped.  The two turned to the door where the crowd had shifted its attention.  “You remember the new girl?  At school?”

            “What’s her name?  Monica?”

            “I thought it was Jessica.”  They still couldn’t see as they pushed their way to the doorway.  “She was really quiet all day; I mean who wouldn’t with those huge glasses…”

            “I can’t see, Stacey, what’s the deal?”  Stacey laughed and shook her head, having a clear view only a few feet away.

            “She’s not wearing glasses anymore,” she replied.  Now the group had parted and circled around a clearing.  Hannah finally caught a glance at what was wrong.  “That is the new girl.”  The entire school was gawking at a tall, slender girl strutting one of those horrid pleated black skirts and a plunging black tank top that revealed all which God had given her.  Her calves were defined by a pair of the most outrageous black knee-high boots Hannah had ever seen, but it had nothing against the wild mess of blonde curls that had earlier at school been a calm bun.  It was like seeing Cinderella at a strip joint.  Worst of all, she caught the eye of everyone there.  The band had even stopped playing.  She could see Stacey frowning as Toby’s jaw dropped.

            “Oh…my…God.  That can’t be Monica.”

            “Dude?  Is she new?”

            “She didn’t say a word all day!”

            “Just moved from New York, apparently.”  Hannah slowly began to back away.  She wasn’t going to spend the next hour staring at a girl who just decided to hide the fact that she was incredibly gorgeous.  A little agitated and threatened, she looked for Grey among the audience.  He would just scoff and rattle some philosophical dribble about how the teenage society has turned to crap.  However, he wasn’t around. 

            “Grey?  Hey, have you seen Grey?”  Someone pointed to the center of the ring.  Hannah felt the pang in her stomach turn in a full-fledged flip.  There was Grey, smiling and chatting away to the recent arrival.  She was giggling; Grey never looked at a girl like that before.

            “Hannah?  Hannah!”  She couldn’t see Gwen stumble next to her.  “Hey, go ask Grey what the new girl’s name is!  Hannah?  Are you all right?” 

            Suddenly, a pair of cold, amber eyes turned from Grey’s smile to the crowd.  They fell directly on Hannah’s drained expression.  A sly, nearly-demonic smile spread over her painted lips, as if she could read Hannah’s mind.  She pulled on Grey’s arm and they disappeared.  Hannah didn’t even know her!  “Woah, Hannah,” Stacey muttered, “Did you see that total glare?  Did you say something to her at school today?”  She shook her head. 

            “No,” she replied softly.  There was something about the new girl she couldn’t decide, but she knew it was bad.  Very bad.  “I don’t know what it is…but I don’t think I like her.”