I wove through the party, trying to find someone my age. Most people here were in their forties and dude, that is like, so awkward for a freshman. Or would you call it a freshgirl? Whatever.

The point is that I was bored and kind of sad and very, very lonely. I hid it how I usually did at large parties; stoicness.

My 'friends' (the ones were all thrown together when our parents came here) wouldn't miss me; they were all wrapped up in their own little world. I saw that the moon was out and was taken by the sudden urge to be outside under the stars, up a tree somewhere.

Slipping on my black leather jacket, I ventured into the side yard where I found the huge apple tree I always loved to climb.

Twenty feet off the ground I reclined and searched the sky for Orion, my favorite constellation. Why? Because of Orion's story itself. All my life I had been told I was like Artemis, or Diana; whichever you prefer.

What with my love of animals and their love of me. My passion for baggy t-shirts and muddy jeans. My aversion to all things involving make-up or anything close to pink. But especially, my rejection of males.

If a guy hit on me or was suggestive, my response was usually a bitch-slap or just a punch. I had built a reputation for myself as tough, stoic, strong and confident. There was just one problem.

I didn't hate boys.

I wanted a boyfriend like everyone else.

I wanted sex like everyone else.

I wanted love like everyone else.

But I was careful; I wouldn't say yes when the random guy in the hallway asks me out just to see if he can get lucky. Most of the girls in my school hated me for it. How I always threw their pretty-boy requests back in their faces without the slightest regard to how many would kill to be me.

And yet, for all my carefulness, I would kill to be able to cut loose once and a while, do some random flirting and see what happens. Maybe actually try to get a guy.

Only, for that I would need someone who I'd never met and who didn't know me.

As if the gods had heard my thoughts, a new car pulled up in the long line of party-people vehicles.

And out of that car stepped a boy. Tall, but my age, with ear buds in his ears and an ipod in his hand that was demanding all of his attention.

I had my victim in my sights.

As I watched, his dad tapped him on the shoulder and the boy reluctantly pulled the ear buds out and stuck them in the pocket of his hoodie. Satisfied, his parents rang the door bell but the boy stayed where he was, lifting his eyes to the sky.

Intregued, I climbed down a couple feet for a better look.

His parents called to him but he called back saying, "I'll be there in a second, mom!"

Once his family was inside, cutie started coming towards my tree.

He couldn't have seen me; no one ever saw me!

And indeed he hadn't seen me. He walked into the shadow of the tree and pulled out his ear buds again, untangling the cord.

This was my chance.

Only eight feet off the ground by now, I jumped, landing with a muffled 'whump' on the grass. He whipped around and reacted exactly as I'd hoped.

"Holy shit!"

I let the corner of my mouth curl upward.

"You shouldn't keep your family waiting." I told him smoothly.

He was still trying to regain his proper heart rate and gasped, "Yeah, well I don't see you making any move to go inside."

I shook my head, "They won't notice I'm gone." That wasn't entirely true. Malcolm- my twin- would notice and only he would think to check the trees, woods, roof, ect. for me. But Malcolm also knew I liked to be alone and would only come looking if he got worried.

The boy raised an eyebrow, "What's your name?"

"Rose." I replied simply, noting that he probably couldn't see my face because I still had my hood up.

He snorted, "You seem kind of dark for a girl named after a flower."

"I like to think that I have thorns." I purred, startling myself at how easily the suggestive tone rose to my lips.

He laughed and I finally let a smile onto my face.

"So what's your name?" I asked him.

He calmed his laughter and told me, "Matt."