"Life! I hope this year will be better." Isabelle Davis exclaimed to her best friend.

"It will. It will," Rae, Isabelle's best friend, assured her.

Registration day was always a week before school starts and it was always hell to go through. Most kids didn't want to go to registration because they were forced to go through so many stupid processes like getting your pictures taken, turning in your packets full of seemingly meaningless papers, and physical testing. Isabelle didn't want to go because it was the wake up call to everyone that school started a lot sooner than they would like to think.

Isabelle was an average person by her standards; average height, average weight, she even had boring brown hair. The only physical attribute she was proud of were her eyes. At first glance they looked like a dull brown, but when you really looked at them they were almost green. She wore bright colors, because her best friend from 3rd grade decided that dark colors made her look too 'emo'. Plus, the bright colors made her feel a little better about herself. Even though she wore bright colors, and acted very bubbly and hyper all the time, everyone seemed to label her 'emo' anyway. She couldn't seem to figure out why everyone thought this though. In her opinion, she was a very nice and friendly person. Also, she didn't cry all the time or hurt herself, like the usual 'emo' stereotype was said to do. It didn't make any sense.

This year she wasn't looking forward to school at all, maybe less so than the previous years. She felt like she was going back to practically nothing; except an honors class, an advanced language class, a few friends who might not even want to talk to her this year. Isabelle's summer hadn't gone too great anyway; it felt like one trauma after another. First she went to a place that had been the best place on Earth the year before, and then it turned out to be hell the next… Then a friendship that lasted 9 years and had looked like it was going to last another 9; started to fall apart. School was a week away and she had two summer reading requirement books left to read. Summer sucked, why wouldn't the school year bite too?

"Rae, I need to stop by the office to get a locker, you want to come?" Isabelle asked.

"Sure why not…" Rae was definitely what most people would label as 'emo', but in reality she should be a prep; just a prep happens to wear a lot of black. Only a few people saw her enthusiasm anymore, and that was only if you gave her a lot of sugar and caffeine first, but she was the best friend Isabelle ever had in school. Put the two of them together and they are social chameleons. They fit in any clique, with the exception of the druggies and rich witches. Of course that should be a given, seeing as half the time the rich brats didn't even get along with each other, and drugs aren't cool.

On the way to the office Isabelle noticed Owen. He was smart, funny, athletic, good looking, and Isabelle had pretty much liked him for just about ever. But she was afraid to tell him how she felt about him. She'd been his friend for about three years, and their friendship had been more of a love-hate relationship. They loved to hate each other, or a.k.a. tease each other about almost anything. Thus, Isabelle couldn't figure out if he teased her because he liked her, or he just did that to everyone. So for almost three years, she ignored the attraction and striven to get past it, to the point where she barely noticed it now.

"Ew Rae, look it's Owen." Isabelle said loud enough for Owen to hear, but had a wide smile on her face so that he knew that she was just joking.

"Hi Izzy, how are you and George?" Owen said in a pleasantly, calm voice.

"Will you stop asking that please? You know that I don't like him like that, we are just friends! And he doesn't like me anymore, so it's all in the past." Two years ago, George, Isabelle's best guy friend, used to like her. Izzy did not return the affections, and tried to ignore the fact of the matter. Unfortunately, Owen found out that George liked someone and made it his life mission to figure out who it was, just to be annoying of course. When Owen finally figured it out; Isabelle never heard the end of it and she probably never would.

"Oh you know you want him. He's such a sexy beast."

"Owen, please grow up. I know it's hard for you, but you need to let go of your childhood. You aren't in first grade anymore."

Understand through the whole conversation both of them had huge smiles on their faces. They just had a mutual love-hate relationship, even though Isabelle's friend, Rae, was convinced that this was flirting. Yeah sure, then Owen flirts with half the female population and some of the male populace. Although Isabelle did have to admit that she had never quite seen Owen tease anyone as much as he teased her; which slightly made her wonder if there might be more than what meets the eye behind his teasing…

But that also made her wonder that maybe she wanted it to be that way so badly that she was just hallucinating…

Coming back from the office with the locker assignments, Isabelle got her first chance to really look at what locker she'd gotten. "Oh schnikez, I got a bottom locker… And it's by the band room, in the middle of nowhere! What's the point of having a locker if you don't even have time to go to it during passing period?" Isabelle sunk down to the ground with her back to the pillar in the hallway. Their school the lockers were stacked in sets of threes. It was a first come first serve process at their school. Or if the administrators happened to like a student, they tended to get better locker assignments. The best locker to get would be the middle lockers. If you were short then the top lockers were up a bit too high, and if you were normal sized (or even short) and you got a bottom locker you were forced to kneel down to put books in your locker.

"Well I have a middle locker. It's in the small quad, so if you wait till the first day of school, we can share lockers." Rae suggested.

"Rae, you're the greatest. I luff you!!" Isabelle jumped in excitement and hugged her friend vigorously.

"No problemo." Rae replied nonchalantly.

"Thanks. Want to go to the music store? I want to see if they have any good CD's in yet. I am getting bored of the ones I have. I played them too much."

"Sure I think they have the new My Chem CD in. I have been meaning to get it."

"Yes!! You are going to have to copy that for me, along with all the other ones you promised to copy for me like months ago," she scolded.

"Yeah yeah… I'll give them to you on Monday."

"Yay!" Isabelle totally knew she wasn't going to get the CD's on Monday. That's just how Rae was though; she always came up with some excuse or random reason why she didn't burn the CD's for Isabelle. Unfortunately for Izzy, she was used to it by now and stopped harping on her friend to get those CD's.

They walked to Isabelle's newly redone '76 Capri. She worked on it with her father over the summer. This was one of the few times they actually did something together. It would probably be the only time that they would ever do any parent-child bonding. But it was enough for her, more than some teens ever got.

While they were walking Rae said, "So I saw you and Owen talking, or teasing, each other. Has he finally confessed his undying love for you?"

Isabelle sighed, "Rae dahlink, how many times do I have to tell you that Owen and I have no chance together? Partly because he has no interest in me past mutual teasing what-so-ever! And partly because we've never had a normal conversation. You know like what normal people do, without the insults and quips. It just wouldn't work out."

"Mmhm yeah, just keep telling yourself that okay," Rae remarked dismissively.

"I think I will. Ohh let's go to Starbucks too! I am really, really craving a Peppermint Mocha right now, like hardcore coffee addiction craving."

"Sure I could go for a Java Chip frapp myself. Since when did you get hooked on mochas? I always thought you were a Frappy girl."

"I was, but not anymore. Now I'm more 'sophisticated'." Isabelle laughed at the thought.

"Whatever floats your boat, dearest, whatever floats your boat…"

About twenty minutes later they arrived at the mall. This definitely wasn't the best mall in town. There were about ten malls in town, but this one was the closest one, and not a bad size. It was big enough to get lost in if you didn't know your way around, but not so big that you were super tired from walking from store to store. Rae and Izzy made a beeline up the escalator to the second story where the Starbucks was, their next stop after that was SamGoody on the third floor.

When they got to Starbucks and got to the counter to order their coffee, Isabelle looked up into dark oceanic blue eyes, surrounded by long thick black eyelashes. He was the hottest guy she had ever seen in her life; hotter than any boy on television, that's for sure. He was tall with black hair, a strong jaw, striking blue eyes and an eyebrow piercing. Izzy felt her knees go weak, and she couldn't say anything. Luckily, Rae saved her and asked for her Java Chip and, on noticing her friends' lack of speech capabilities at the moment, ordered Isabelle's Peppermint Mocha too.

Izzy thought she was saved until Mr. Hottie looked her straight in the eyes and asked her if she was getting anything too or what. She mumbled out, "Erm… no my friend already ordered for me…" Then she looked down at her scuffed converse, avoiding eye-contact in the hopes of not fainting. She looked up again; she couldn't help it, and looked at Hottie's name-tag. It read: Luce. She wondered if that was his full name or if it was short for something. Lucifer, the back of her mind was telling her that it was short for Lucifer, one of the fallen angels. It made sense too; he was hot enough to be evil. Anyone that attractive must have sold their soul to the devil.

Luce raised his eyebrow, the one that was pierced, at her and said, "You know, you can usually tell someone by the type of coffee they drink. I would have to say that you are the Peppermint Mocha and your friend here is the Java Chip."

Isabelle was very impressed, "Amazing talent there, you have. How'd you guess?"

"Quite easily, by first appearances you would come across as boring and overly normal, but if you really look you can tell that you aren't like you let everyone believe. You're warm, soothing, with a hint of spice, pretty much what a Peppermint Mocha is. Just like your friend here on the outside would come across as cold, but once you get past the cold exterior she probably has a sweet and bold personality. I'm Luce by the way. Your drinks will be right up." He ended on a dismissive note and a charming smile. Then he looked at the people waiting behind Isabelle and Rae.

All Isabelle could do was nod with a dumbfounded look on her face. This guy must have sold his soul to the devil, he's just too good looking and sociable too, she thought to herself

When their drinks came up, Luce handed them their drinks and flirtily winked. Then he went back to his job. Izzy realized that she might never see this guy ever again; yet she couldn't help but hope she would see him again, by some off chance. She couldn't help but wonder, What type of Starbucks drink is he…? She walked away towards SamGoody with a puzzled and dazed look on her face.

Rae looked at her friend and she couldn't help that she had a smile on her face; finally Izzy had finally found someone that disturbed her norm. Isabelle needed someone who would keep her guessing for once. And of course, she knew her friend well enough to know that Isabelle had no idea that Luce was flirting with her. Just like how she never noticed when Owen flirted with her. Izzy was blissfully oblivious, and she would remain that way until someone took her out of her comfort zone. Rae knew Luce would be like that, and she also knew that today wasn't going to be the last time Izzy was going to walk away with a puzzled look on her face, and Luce would be the reason for it. Rae just kept walking with her friend, smiling to herself. Life was going to be a bit more interesting now. Rae was definitely looking forward to the events that were sure to come if she predicted right.

Isabelle with one last firm shake of her head, almost like she was trying to shake off the thoughts that were consuming her, broke the silence and said, "So after SamGoody, where else do you want to go?"

"Well I hate to say this because I know you are just going to drag me into another one of those stupid Preppy stores. But since we only have a little over a week of summer left, why don't we go shopping for new clothes? I'll even let you drag me into Forever 21. I think I heard they are having a sale."

"Heck yesss! I love Forever 21!!"

"Yeah... We know... You're like the poster girl..."

"What can I say? I like their clothes, I feel all grown up when I buy from there. Plus, I'm just building my wardrobe for when I have to dress professionally for jobs."

"Whatever makes you happy, dear."

"We can go into Hot Topic after that. I'll even buy a few shirts from there so you don't feel embarrassed that you'll be walking next to a prep all the time."

They laughed and walked towards their destinations. For awhile Luce had been forgotten, but if Rae had anything to do about it, he wouldn't be forgotten for too long. Oh no, he definitely wouldn't be forgotten.

Could you please review?? Constructive Criticism would be lovely.

Love, PersonalCarebear