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I walk to the back of the classroo lands on the floor loudly and he turns with the marker in his hand "Oh, Ember, I didn’t see you come in" He clicks the lid on theWilliam Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and one of his poems is written on the board I read the book when I was fifteen after RavenLeonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes--so I already kno the story goes: love, rivalry, violence, and tragedy

Professor Mackerlie shifts through papers on his desk as people start wandering into the classroo his attention on me

"I really enjoyed the poeer on the paper in his hand, stained withuncomfortably I never meant to turn in that particular poe to turn in, so I had to make do

"If you don’t mind, I’d like to read it aloud to the class," he says I shakeaway

Sighing, I lean back in ain as Mackenzie Baker walks in with Caarten and we’ve never been friends I secretly wished that once high school was over, she’d leave town, but like al Sometimes, I swear the town is haunted and it’s actually impossible to leave

Mackenzie has strawberry blonde hair, green eyes, and wears clothes that allow her cleavage to pop out She’s kind of like Raven in a way, onlyin on one of your classes," she states to the professor "To see if he wants to take it next serins at , which he probably is since this is English and is a prerequisite to pretty es anything’s going on and Mackenzie takes a seat, holding onto Ca hirip and heads over to me

"You look a little upset" Ca to act nonchalant, but sorrow haunts his eyes

"I’ "I’"

"Did you find your friend?" he asks "The one with the pink hair?"

I shake my head "No, but that’s Raven She’s very sporadic"

He studiesfor cracks that will reveal so"

I pull the pen out of my mouth as my jaw falls "When?"

He bites at his lip and I can’t tell if he looks annoyed or intrigued "I just saw you walk in and start talking to souy was the other new person in this town that I was telling you about this "

"I know"

"You seem like you know hi his hands on the desk, he leans in, s out you were right about the whole new-guy thing Even the Dean seemed overly excited by my appearance"

"I told you they’d eat you up," I remark with a small smile

"No, you toldhis face closer to mine "The only one who looks like they could eat ht my instinct to look away from him "No, I don’t"

"Yes, you do" He dazzlesrin

"Are you always like this?"

"What? Sexy? Gorgeous? Charo with a pain in the ass"

He s yourself"

Fros and crooks her finger at Cameron "Come here, Cameron"

Ca me," he says and I rollin her ear, and she giggles, patting his chest

After the bell rings, Mr Mackerlie takes roll, then stands in the front of the room with my poem in his hand "Listen up, everyone" He clears his throat "I wanted to share with everyone so that I think is an excellent poe to keep it anonyh that eyes roam in my direction

"The poem is called Ember" Every looks at"The e, it longs to burn fire But the smoke and sorrow let it die The need for a spark asserts fiercely But a spark won’t surrender So the e And that’s hoill stay forever"