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I walk into school the next day, my mood dampened, my expression sour, and my head pounding. I snap at a passing freshman for making me drop all my books, but quickly apologize. It wasn't his fault...I'm just not at a liability to exist right now.

Astrix is absent from school. I was right about her getting laid, because she went against MY advice and her own better judgement. Now she's probably sitting up in bed with a bunch of compresses and her laptop, watching sappy movies and spooning out ice-cream.

I CALLED IT! I knew that party was a bad idea, but did she listen? Of course not.

I, however, left as soon as I washed off my shirt. Noah wanted to know why I was leaving so soon and the only thing I could think to say was that I had important business to attend to.

If you count 'sleeping' as important business, then sure. But that was truly a killer nap. Too bad it couldn't go on for the rest of time...

I'm currently walking into my first class, advanced level Math. Calculus to be specific, but the word just makes the entire thing seem that much more complicated. Jack is there, sitting right up to my desk and flipping through my textbook, chewing unauthorized gum.

Seriously, why hasn't he been told off for the gum-chewing yet?

I sigh and slip into my own seat, pulling my textbook closer towards me. Jack leans on his arm and looks at me, his eyes studying my face.

"So how did the party go yesterday? Have fun?" He's teasing me.

I scowl at him. "No thanks to you. And...It was terrible."

"First time?"

I don't reply. Instead I answer his question with one of my own.

"How did you get into the party anyway?"

Jack grins. "Fake ID? I look older than I am."

I can't deny that. He does look more mature than the rest of us, but he's really not. He's the most immature human being I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. But then again...I don't really know him, do I?

I grumble under my breath and turn back to my textbook, trying to ignore him and focusing on my lesson.

But he makes that next to impossible, knocking into my hand to flip the pages, finding any excuse to engage in conversation...

I glare at him more than once, telling him to shut his mouth, but he just smirks at me and says,

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Pure bull.

When we're nearing the end of the lesson, he taps me on the shoulder and whispers into my ear,

"Hey, Hazel-"

"Don't call me Hazel!"

"Sure thing Hazel, so anyway-"

I pause for a moment to look at him. His smile grows wider when we make eye contact, so I quickly look away.

"I said don't-"

"Hazel."

He laughs at me, hands folding under his chin. I slowly turn to face him again, teeth grinding, fingers already balled into a fist.

My hand slams down on my desk. "Okay. I've had enough-"

Mrs. Casper spins to look at us, hands crossing over her chest. "What is it this time?"

I stutter, groping around for a response when Jack answers for me.

"Just a math problem. We were, um, stuck on 17."

Mrs. Casper glares at us suspiciously but finally turns around to face the board. I feel my cheeks heat up and I give Jack a sharp kick under the table.

He doesn't at all seem affected by my pathetic attempt. Instead, he smirks at me, obnoxiously chewing that god-awful gum. It's seriously starting to drive me insane.

"Sorry," he says, not dropping the act.

I scoff. "That's funny. 'Cause I'm not."

He takes in a deep breath. I hope he swallows that gum and chokes on it...

We don't speak for the rest of the period, and as soon as the class ends, I'm the first one out the door. I'm tired. I don't feel like dealing with the Jackass's crap today.

I dash down the row of lockers to get to my own and empty my bag, and when I close the locker door to speed off to English, I bump into a hard, muscular mass.

"What's your deal, Hazel?"

I look up into Jack's eyes and gasp. They have lost all their playfulness. He is, for probably the first time in his life, dead serious, and his arms are folded across his chest.

I take a minute to compose myself, trying to distract myself from his good looks. He's still a jerk...

I swallow and bite on my bottom lip. "I have already told you countless times to stop calling me that. I don't need to explain myself."

Jack knits in his eyebrows. "But why? I've never seen someone so worked up over something as simple as a name."

Well, Jack. It's not just a name to me. It's something more.

But of course, I can't tell him about it. The only person who knows the truth about my painful real name has died a long time ago, and I, as the sole harbor of that piece of knowledge, will not let it slip to just anyone. Especially not to Jack.

"It's not...I just...Don't like it. Ever think maybe that's why I changed it in the first place?"

Jack sighs. "Would you rather I call you Oaky?"

I scowl. "I'd rather you not call me at all."