I: prologue.

Jason took another drag from his cigarette and blew out perfect smoke circles.

School hadn't even started yet and already he was bored. Of course he was. Jason was very easily bored.

Life just was boring.

He remembered his weekend. That had been boring too.

Friday and Saturday night had been spent with the usual overindulgence of alcohol and sex. But without Caleb it just hadn't been the same.

But the guy had to go and see his grandparents all the way in fucking Dublin.

Now where was the fun in that?

Loosening his uniform tie ever further, Jason decided that next time he would simply tag along.

Finally Caleb arrived. He strutted over to Jason looking his usual beautiful self. Handsome, Jason corrected himself. That he shagged the guy didn't mean he had to start to sound effeminate.

Still, with his tousled black hair, pale skin, piercing blue eyes, sharp cheekbones, and full red lips handsome just wasn't the right word. The guy was a fucking male Snow White.

Although Jason would never call him that to his face. The one time he had, Caleb had kicked his ass. Hard.

Jason flicked the butt of his cigarette away and jumped of his bench.

Caleb smirked as Jason sauntered the last couple of meters towards him. Jason always sauntered. Except for when he was playing tennis, Jason never quickened his pace.

And Caleb had to admit that he looked hot doing it. Then again, anything Jason did looked hot.

"Morning. Had your nice family reunion?" Jason said with a twinge of bitterness. Caleb raised his eye brows at his friends' tone and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Was okay."

"So ready for another invigorating day of learning?" Caleb asked with an over the top cheeriness. He looked like a motivational speaker on speed.

Jason wasn't impressed.

"Invigorating and boring are not the same thing, Cal." Jason pointed out.

"Klines' endless yapping about the unlimited potential of quantum physics is boring. You and I in a broom closet during lunch is invigorating. See, big difference." Jason drawled with a leer.

"No can do, mate. I've got a prior engagement." Caleb answered as he started walking towards the Physics class room.

"Yeah? What do you have to do then?" Jason asked, falling in line next to him.

"Meeting June in the library." Caleb hoped Jason would leave it at that. He didn't want to go into the fact that he needed tutoring. Knowing Jason, he'd never hear the end of it.

"Working on a project together or something?" Caleb only nodded. He always had been incapable of lying to Jason, so not verbalizing an answer was the best strategy.

"You know, I think I'll beat her this semester. Finally the Ice-queen is going down." Jason said enthusiastically. Jason sniggered at the image of a crying and sniffling Heather.

Caleb shook his head and smiled lightly at his friends' petty rivalry. It would mean that Jason would actually have to make an effort and that wasn't going happen.

One of the reason life was just so damn boring was because school just was too simple. Jason got the best grades with hardly any effort. He had tried sabotaging his own grades by doing his homework drunk or high in the early hours of the morning but to no avail. And it made school a drag.

He did care about his grades though, very much so. And it stung him that for the past few years, well his entire grammar school carreer, he had always come in second best. Heather June was always there above him, always the best.

Only once, in third year had Jason managed to exceed her and only for one semester. That was how he knew she'd cry and sniffle if he bested her. God, how Jason longed for that feeling again.

Jason knew that his underachieving was partly due to his own laziness and fooling around. But it was so much easier and more fun to simply blame 'the girl who lived for school'. Blaming yourself and taking responsibility for your actions just was, well, boring.

When Caleb and Jason referred to Heather as 'the girl who lived for school' they weren't superficially labeling her. There was simply no avoiding the facts.

But aside from the fact that she was the better student Jason and Caleb were alittle obsessed with her because she was also beautiful.

Truly beautiful, like Botticelli's Venus. The kind of beauty that wouldn't wither away, but would only grow over the years.

They might only be seventeen, but they weren't blind. And besides, they both fancied themselves quite the connoisseurs of beauty.

She was the epitome of beauty and brains and Caleb and Jason knew that once she realized this, she'd be unstoppable.

But the thing was that she didn't realize.

If she did, Jason wouldn't have assumed that Caleb was meeting her for schoolwork.

Heather was what they had called a type three girl.

Now, again they weren't being shallow here, this wasn't about mere looks, or arses, or gender, or even age. This was about awareness.

There were those who were very much aware of their sexuality and it's potential. Sexuality could be used as a tool and they weren't afraid to use it. Usually there was little romantic idealization to be found in this category and they were the best candidates for casual sex. Needless to say that Jason and Caleb fitted into this category. They probably wouldn't have come up with the typology had they been in either one of the other categories.

The second category consisted of those who were, one, less aware, but more importantly, averse to using it to their advantage. Casual sex with them was a tricky thing because they often equated sex and sexuality directly with love. And that only led messy situations.

And the last category consisted of those who didn't have a clue. To these people both love and sexuality were completely foreign concept. It applied to everybody else except them. They were unsuitable for casual sex, because of the time and effort concerned with getting them into bed. Usually they proved rather hostile and skeptical when others, especially type ones, seemed to use their sexuality on them.

Heather June proved this point almost every school day.

As they entered the class, Heather was already there. Sitting on the front row in front of Klines' desk.

She was delightfully predictable. Predictable but not boring. No type three that beautiful could ever be boring.

Jason took his seat next to Caleb. He kept his eye on the head of soft curly coppered hair in front him.

Klines started his monotonous lecture.

Such a pity she was a type three. Jason just knew she'd be a great lay.

He knew he got under skin every time he talked to her. But unfortunately that didn't get her into his bed. Or did it?

"Forget about it, Jay." Caleb whispered into his ear. He knew what his friend had been thinking. He, too, had been looking at Heather and had once again wondered at the oddity she was. He found himself looking forward to his tutoring session. It might give a chance to actually get to know her.

Heather didn't bother to look up as she heard the familiar set of footsteps enter the class room.

Jason and Caleb, the banes of her existence. They were what she wasn't.

Absolutely bloody fucking perfect.

Everything came to them effortlessly. Well Jason anyway. Caleb needed tutoring.

And Lord help her if she didn't feel a sense of vindication at that.

Because Heather was jealous of them.

She had long ago admitted to herself that she was truly envious of them. She would give an arm to have Jason's ability to do so well in school when he wasn't even trying. Or Caleb's easy going manner which seemed to win everybody right over.

Lucifer and Diablo

Heather sometimes called them that.

Jason might look an angel, but he certainly wasn't one and Caleb could probably talk the pope into selling his soul. Beautiful and dangerous, the pair of them.

She hated how they, either of them, always got to her with those damned smirks and overconfident swagger.

Although Jason didn't swagger, he sauntered. And Caleb didn't really swagger either, he more like strutted.

They taunted and mocked her and still she couldn't bring herself to disregard them as mere pests. Not when their voices and looks melted her insides and got her all hot and bothered.

Sometimes she wished she was one of those girls they sweet talked.

But they weren't interested in her. She might have a brain but it were looks that mattered. And she didn't need to be told that she had lucked out in that department, not anymore.

So Heather was completely intent on Klines. Even if his fascination with quantum physics was wasted on her. Disliking a subject wasn't a reason to do poorly, now was it?