Chapter 1 First day of school

Genevieve's POV

"Come on, Gen, we're going to be late on our first day," Mum yelled from the living room.

"Just give me a minute. I'm almost ready," I replied as I zipped up my blue skirt. Sunnyville High School had a strict uniform policy. All students, old or new, were required to wear a blue skirt, a white shirt, and a blue blazer. There was a store in the city where new students could get their uniforms. I picked up my backpack, brushed my hair, and pinned some strands behind my ear with some colored pins.

"Gen!" Mum called out again. I dropped the hairbrush and hurried out of the room.

"Here I am," I announced, picking up my packed lunch from the table and grabbing an apple to snack on the way. Mum was also starting her first day of work at a publishing firm, which explained her crisp and clean ironed black suit.

"What took you so long? Do you want us to get called out on our first day?" she asked as we got into the car and fastened our seat belts.

"Of course not. I just had trouble finding some of my stuff," I replied. Being called out on my first day was something I wanted to avoid until I graduated. I wanted to be as invisible as possible to everyone.

"I told you to find all your stuff yesterday. Did you find it? What were you looking for?" she asked as we drove out of the driveway.

"Relax, Mum. I found everything," I assured her. She sighed, and I turned up the volume of the music. She glanced at me, and I smiled. We both sang along loudly, slightly off-key, but it didn't matter because we were happy and together.

"Okay, Gen, have fun at school. Bye. I love you," she said as she dropped me off.

"Love you too, Mum. Go get them," I replied. She laughed, waved at me, and drove away. I took a deep breath and my eyes widened at the magnificent sight before me. New Dawn High School was nothing compared to Sunnyville High School. I walked through the open iron gate in awe, joining the other students. The school exuded grandeur and natural light amidst the green scenery. It had a commanding presence, and the expensive building cast a spellbinding charm on all who beheld it. The pictures did no justice to the beauty of the delicate glass walls. Now I understood why kids were crazy about this school. Who wouldn't be? It even had a bubbling fountain.

The sleek glass doors were held open for us. I muttered a thank you to the guards, while the other students walked in without looking back. The guards stood with serious expressions, and I hurriedly entered. Students and parents were waiting in beautifully designed seating areas. I didn't need to visit any office. My mum had already taken care of everything, including my locker keys. That's how serious she was about me starting school. I scrolled through the school map on my phone, trying to arrange my schedule and figure out my classes for the day. This school was enormous. I just hoped I wouldn't get lost.

I passed the seating area and saw more students walking around. Some were making out on the school premises, some formed dancing groups, and others chattered non-stop. The hallway buzzed with activity. I noticed a girl walking past me, and I glanced at her uniform. I had complained to Mum that my skirt was a bit short, but the skirts I saw here were even shorter. I could see some of their butt cheeks. I observed their attire when someone bumped into me, and I almost fell.

The girl who bumped into me while running was panting heavily.

"Guys, raging beast, and deadly snake are having at it in the hallways where the lockers are," she announced quickly before running off.

Raging beast? Deadly snake? What were they talking about? I wondered. The students hurriedly got up and rushed toward the hallway where the lockers were located. That's exactly where I needed to go - my locker. I followed them in a hurry. They could save me the trouble of reading a map.

They abruptly stopped in front of the numerous lockers.

"It's the first week of school, and I almost forgot how handsome they both are," a girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes dreamily sighed. I walked past them, finding myself standing in front of nearly the entire school, all of whom were staring at two incredibly attractive boys.

One of them was glaring at the other. He was approximately 6 feet 1 inch tall, with dark brown shoulder-length hair tied in a small ponytail, cold gray eyes, and full pink lips curled into a cold smirk. He hadn't buttoned up his shirt, revealing his muscular and toned abs. The other boy stood at about 6 feet 2 inches, with short black hair, smooth creamy skin, thick eyebrows, piercing green eyes, and heart-shaped lips. He seemed bored or disinterested.

I was instantly drawn to both of them. The hallway faded into the background as an unspoken connection filled the air. My cheeks tingle, growing warm. It felt like I had known them my whole life. But could this be the mate bond? If so, did I have two mates? I widened my eyes in surprise. This couldn't be happening to me. As I gazed at both of them and the situation we were in, I knew I was in deep trouble.

The slamming of a locker snapped me out of my thoughts. The boy with the ponytail forcefully shut the other boy's locker with a loud bang.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Owen," he growled. So, the green-eyed boy's name was Owen. Owen opened his locker again, quietly taking out his books. The other boy snatched the books from his hands and threw them away before slamming the locker shut, narrowly missing Owen's hands. Gasps echoed through the hallway as the other students watched. The hallway became more crowded as students continued to arrive, eager to witness the commotion. Why were they fighting, and, most importantly, why in front of my locker? I wouldn't exactly call it a fight, as both parties needed to be involved for it to be considered one. It seemed more like someone trying to provoke a fight while the other person appeared completely disinterested.

Owen stared at his books, his face expressionless. He glanced at the crowd with his piercing green eyes.

"I think we should get out of here before this situation escalates," a boy whispered, and the students began to flee from the hallway. Why were they running? I wondered. I couldn't leave without retrieving my belongings from my locker, which they were blocking.

Owen moved to another locker and picked up the same book that the boy with the ponytail had thrown away. The boy scoffed.

"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered. He approached Owen, and the bell rang, signaling the start of class. These two were going to make me late on the first day. I couldn't allow that. With a sigh, I walked closer to them. Owen had moved away from my locker, so I positioned myself behind him and began to enter the combination. They both glanced at me.

"Don't mind me. I'm just trying to get my..." I trailed off as I looked up at them, and the words fizzled in my mouth. I gulped, feeling my breath become heavier as I nervously glanced at them. The boy with the ponytail positioned himself behind me, trapping me between them.

"Who are you? Are you new? I'm positive I've never seen you before," he asked. Owen stared at me with a blank expression. Looking around, I realized I was alone with them in the hallway. How did my first day of school turn into this?

"Mr. Dawson, Mr. Hunter, both of you need to report to the principal's office immediately," a voice boomed loudly from the speakers. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, I quickly slipped away toward my classroom. I could sense their intense gazes on my retreating figure. With a deep sigh, I wiped my clammy hands and entered the classroom. I quietly occupied the seat with my name on it. Thank goodness I managed to escape. I hope I never encounter them again.

All I wanted was to lead a peaceful school life where nobody even noticed my existence. The teacher walked in, and the chatter subsided.

"We have a new student joining us today. Let's give Miss Gonzales a warm welcome. Miss Gonzales, why don't you come up and introduce yourself?" he announced, and everyone turned their attention towards me. The students all stared at me closely and waited for me to stand. So much for being invisible. Why were none of my wishes coming true?