Love me, Hate me, You can't change me.

Light. Through the curtains the first rays of sunshine shone, painted delicate pictures and patterns behind my closed eyelids, its very own way of telling me to wake up. How I hated those annoying things called alarm clocks. Their constant beeping in the early hours never failed to awaken me with the most terrible headache. No, the sun was my only source of waking, and by now whether or not I saw the sun my body automatically woke at six o clock. It was a routine I never left, be it during school times or holidays. I rose from my bed and, carrying my bag of toiletries, I headed for the bathroom at the opposite end of the hallway. The house was deadly silent at these early hours. Not a sound could be heard. Well, almost no sound. As I walked past Dee's room, I leaned into the door slightly and heard her soft breathing. It was so soft it could barely be heard over the ticking of the clock hands that were bugging the hell out of me and seemed to be deafeningly loud in the silence. I carried on down the hallway but as I pasted the next room, Ilyas's room, something hit me as odd. I took two steps back so I was level with his doorway. That's odd. I couldn't hear a thing. No snores, no clock, not even the sound of breathing. Strange. He must be a very very quiet sleeper, even quieter than Dee. As I passed Yasmine's room I could quite clearly hear her slight snores. Hehehe, evidently she was the loudest of us all! I entered the bathroom and after I was done turned to head back to my room. Just as I was about to exit the bathroom, I changed my mind and left my toiletries there, as I wasn't about to carry the thing to and from the bathroom every day for the next year! I went back to my room swiftly and silently.

I walked to my dressing room (that's what I call the huge wardrobe) and as I got dressed in my tracksuit bottoms and hoodie, I pondered what to wear to school. We still hadn't received uniforms although I was pretty sure we had some, seeing as the grinning fools on the advertising plane were wearing them (if you remember). Oh well, I'd decide when I got back. If you haven't realised already, I was going for my morning jog, the same thing I've been doing every morning for the past four years, no matter where I am. It helped me clear my head. As I was about to turn and head out the dressing room, I noticed my black pair of glittering heels in the corner. So you may be wondering what this tough cookie was doing with shiny heels in her wardrobe, so let me explain. This school, asides from being strange and beyond creepy, actually liked to do the usual normal school things like prom and other dances. Yeah, like normal could even be thought of in the same sentence as Forrest High. Stupid strange people. What were they thinking?! Oops, going off track again. Where was I? So anyway, my mother somehow heard about this and decided that, as a going away present, she would bye me a prom dress with matching accessories and shoes. I know, right? For my daughter that is never seen in anything other than jeans and canvases or trainers, let's get her a dress that hits just on the knee with dazzling jewels, along with sparkly shoes! No, somehow it doesn't work for me. The only good thing about this thing was that she had actually remembered my favourite colours and so the dress was a brilliant turquoise colour and the shoes and accessories were all in black. If I were just a little girlier, I would have loved them. But seeing as I'm not, I wasn't all that fond of my so called present. The dress was only good for brightening my wardrobe and the shoes were the perfect hiding place for my locket. Which brings me back to where I was. I had just noticed the shoes and remembered that this is where I had hidden the locket and went to retrieve it. I hadn't worn it since I had gotten here because I hadn't wanted any questions to be asked. But today, I felt I would need a bit of support and this locket always helped me. I opened it and looked at the picture inside. As I looked, tears started to well up and blur my vision which immediately made me mad. I snapped the locket shut and took in a deep breathe. Now was not the time for me to start crying I would never be seen doing so. This is why the locket was best kept closed. I placed it around my neck before tucking it under my hoodie and under my t-shirt, hidden from prying eyes. I slipped on my trainers and headed out the room.

Carefully I made my way downstairs and, picking up my keys from the stand by the door, I left. Out on the porch I looked around me and wondered which way to go. Either I could head back out the alleyway and jog around the neighbourhood or... I went down the steps and walked to the side of the house. Or I could take a jog through the forest. It just looked so appealing to me, the beautiful shade and shadows cast by the tall majestic trees. The birdsongs that could just about be heard coming from the tree tops. The ground layered in autumn leaves and twigs, making it interesting and appealing as compared to running on concrete for an hour. Yes, I would jog through the forest but I wouldn't go too far in. just as I got to the edge, I pulled out my keys and examined the compass key ring I had attached. One reason was to separate it from the others so I knew which were mine but the main reason was because I simply thought that it would come in handy. I told you I liked to carry useful tools, just like the torch before. On the compass I could see that the house was due west. I replaced the keys in my pocket and started off on my jog.

For 45 minutes I just jogged around, mainly in circles, getting to know this part of the forest that was closest to home. By the end of the forty five minutes, I knew this part like the back of my hand. Each day I would venture out a little further and get to know the area so that sometime soon, hopefully by the end of the month, I would know the whole forest like I knew my name. I found it easy to memorise things. It was just coming up to fifty minutes and as I checked my watch, I ran into something solid but soft, so it wasn't a tree. I put my hands out to break my fall but just as I was about to connect with the ground, a vice like grip secured itself around my waist from behind. It was like floating in mid air, my hands outstretched to break the fall and my nose just inches from the ground. It felt very strange. The arms around my waist pulled me up and I was standing with my back to my rescuer so to speak. Ever so slowly I turned around, still in a state of bewilderment to see who it was. No one. I stood there, half expecting someone or something to materialise out of thin air, but nothing. Nothing but trees. I did a whole three-sixty turn but still, nothing. Ok, this is very very strange. What in the world was happening to me?! Ok stay calm, I told my self. I stood perfectly still and breathed in deeply with my eyes closed. Breathe out, I commanded myself and I did. Ok, so I walked into someone, that much was clear. I somehow managed to fall facing the opposite direction to the person I walked into, and I didn't even get a glimpse of them. I know I'm not imagining things. Great, I had another mystery on my hands, but this one I would face alone.
I realised it was seven o clock and headed back to the house. I entered through the door and disposed of my keys on the stand. I headed up the stairs and just as I reached the top, Yasmine's door started to open. Quick as a flash I dived for the bathroom and locked the door just as she turned the handle!

"What the hell, I told you I was first! Who is it anyway?" Yasmine fumed. I silently chuckled and went to turn on the shower, ignoring her question. Shed find out soon enough. After I showered I stepped out, however I left the water on. Damn. I realised that in my haste I had forgotten to bring clothes. Ah well. Wrapped in a towel I pressed my ear against the door, listening to hear any signs of life. Nope all was quietly. Hehehe they probably thought I was still in the shower as the water was still running. I put my clothes in the laundry basket behind the door and faster than anyone could imagine I ran across the hallway to my room, knocking on Yasmine's door as I passed it. Just as I shut my door I heard hers open. Hehehe I'm so evil!

Just as I was about to head to my dressing room there was a knock at my door. Wondering why there was someone at my door, I opened it. Standing before me was a topless Tyler, the only clothing in sight were his basketball shorts. To say I was about to start drooling would be an understatement of course. Man this boy was YUMMY! Just the sight of his beautifully, naturally tanned body and rigid six pack made my legs turn to jelly. Of course me being me, this was all internal speculation on the outside, I just returned his dazzling smile.

"You should smile more often. You look good when you do" he told me. Ok, did he just compliment me?! Wow, I felt like singing with joy!

"Thanks" was my measly reply. Seriously, when it came to boys I just never bothered, except if I was fighting them, so it meant that in this situation, I was absolutely lost on what to do. As I was thinking this I noticed he did a quick once over on me and realised that I was till in nothing but a towel. Oh. My. God. Could this situation get any worse?! If I could blush, I would have been blushing furiously by now. But seeing as I didn't, I went with the only other option. Act like it was completely normal to be standing in just a towel and talking to the hottest boy of my life who happened to be at my bedroom door topless. Yeah, lets see how that one worked out.

"Did you want something?" I asked him, remembering that he had been the one to knock on my door.

"Huh? Oh, while you were in the shower these packages arrived. This one has your name on it." He said handing me a box shaped parcel.

"Ok then. Thank you" I said taking it from his hands. Just at that moment Yasmine came out the bathroom and Dee emerged from her room. They saw Tyler and seemed to day dream. I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. He looked at me and winked. What was he up to? Before any of them realised what was happening, TYler ran for the bathroom, ruffling Yasmine's hair as he past her and shut the door.

"Hey!" they both yelled out at once.

"I just did that!" Yasmine exclaimed.

"I was next in there!" Dee said.

I simply laughed. That was when they both realised that I was there. Ok, they must be thinking I'm some sort of slut right now, standing here in just my towel. Looks like they only just realised that he had been talking to me. Oh well. Its not like I cared what anyone thought anyway. I just walked back into my room and shut the door behind me.

I then remembered the parcel in my hands. I sat on the edge of my bed and ripped the parcel paper off. It was a box. I opened it and inside was my uniform. It consisted of a plain black skirt that seemed to reach above my knee. Along with the skirt was a white blouse. It was definitely not my kind of thing. I went to my dressing room and picked out the perfect blue tank top which I would wear under my fitted blouse. I loved the tank top so much that when i bought it i boght seven in all different colours (one for every day of the week). I put all these items on(only one of the blouses of course, not all seven!) before picking out the perfect converse. No I would not wear sensible flat shoes. They weren't my thing. I didn't even own a pair. No, my converse were only to my ankles with an awesome bright blue paint spatter on them.. It just matched my tank top perfectly! I was so pleased.

I stepped out the dressing room and sat at the dressing table. I quickly yet skilfully lined my eyes in the usual black eyeliner and placed the locket back around my neck before tucking it in as usual. I left my hair a little wavy like normal and back combed it so it was perfect. There. All done. As I headed for the door I picked up my school backpack with a couple binders and pencil case and put my phone in my bra (yeah well no pockets on damn skirts). I shut the door behind me and headed down the stairs. In the kitchen I quickly poured myself some cereal and patiently sat at the breakfast bar and awaited my friends. Yes, I just said friends. I wasn't sure before, but after yesterday, they are. Not long after Tyler came down, looking as gorgeous as ever. His uniform was different then mine and he looked a million and one times better than me. He wore black dress pants with an off white button up shirt. I couldn't help but laugh. This boy looked good in anything.

"What's so funny?" he asked as he headed towards me. He glanced down at himself before looking back up at me. "Do I look funny?" he asked. I looked at him again and noticed that he was wearing a short sleeved shirt and that the vest that hugged his figure, perfectly framing those broad shoulders and narrow waist. I looked down at his feet and started grinning like a fool again.

"No you don't look funny, but you're wearing my converse!" I exclaimed, sticking my foot in the air and wiggling it around so that he could see. He looked at my converse and laughed out loud.

"No, I think you'll find your wearing my converse!" he said.

"Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it?" I asked wiggling my eyebrows.

"Oh nothing, just this!" he said and with that he lunged at me, tackling me off my seat and onto the floor, tickling the life out of me. I just couldn't seem to stop laughing and he wouldn't stop tickling.

"What on earth is going on?" Dee asked as she came down the stairs.

"Get this sixteen year old gorilla off me!" I managed to choke out between fits of laughter. Honestly, he was sitting on me tickling me and I could barely breathe! Dee was shocked at first, but the she too laughed and came and shoved him off of me. I sat up and all three of us were on the floor, laughing our heads off.

"Actually, I'm seventeen" he said as slowly the laughter began to die down.

"How come?" Dee asked, wanting to know just as much as I did.

"Back in primary school I got held back a year. I had difficulty in some lessons like Maths and English so I had to re-do the year so that I was up to their standards." He told us.

"So where we turn seventeen this year you turn eighteen?" Yasmine asked as she came down the stairs. Obviously she had heard the conversation.

"You bet!" he said smiling.

"So you still have difficulty with those subjects" I asked him. Please say no. please let the brains be as brilliant as the body.

"Nah. Actually Maths is one of my favourite subjects and I'm brilliant at it!" he told me. Yay! I was so pleased. I was also awed by how he had improved.

"Makes one of us" said Dee. Obviously she wasn't a fan of the Math.

"What are you all doing on the floor anyway?" Yasmine asked looking at us like we were demented. She turned to get some breakfast and the three of us started laughing again as we stood up. By 8.15 we were all fed and ready to go. We stepped out onto the porch, me and Ilyas in front, Yasmine and Dee following behind. As me and Tyler headed down the porch steps and Dee closed the front door, Yasmine looked at us questioningly.

"Are you two wearing the same converse?" she asked, clearly puzzled.

I just looked at Tyler who was looking at me and, for what felt like the millionth time just that morning, we burst out laughing.

* * * * * * * * * *

"This is it" Yasmine said as the four of us stood side by side outside the main building, looking up at the huge doors at the top of the steps. It was 8.45 and we had just arrived. The main building was extremely tall and towered over everything else. It was an imposing sight, one that gave the onlooker the feeling of being unsuspectingly herded into a deadly trap. Never the less, we were here to learn and supposedly would be for a year, so we might as well make a start.

"Come on then, lets go" Dee said, leading us up the steps into the beginning of what I thought would be the most miserable year of my life. Inside, there was a feeling of grandness as right in the centre of the huge reception was a large desk, kind of like the ones in grand hotels. Behind it the gigantic staircase started just on the left of the desk, ascending across the back wall, and ended on the right on the next floor. As we walked to wards the desk, I couldn't help but look up. As I did, I noticed that there was no ceiling here in the centre of the building, so that from here I could see the roof of the building which was made of glass and beyond it the clear blue sky, looking so close yet so far away and out of reach. The staircase, looked over this heart of the building so no matter where you were standing on it, you could looked up at the glass ceiling or down at the reception with nothing blocking your view. All around us students where walking this way and that, all heading towards their first class.

Yasmine and Dee pushed their way through the crowds off students and led the way towards the receptionist whilst Tyler and I brought up the rear. The receptionist was a woman who looked to be in her late 30's early 40's, and she happened to be busily scribbling something down.

"Ahem" Yasmine cleared her throat, intending to gain the woman's attention. Still she continued writing, giving no sign that she heard.

"AHEM!" Yasmine cleared her throat even loader. It was quite funny actually to see Yasmine starting to get angry, as I had yet to see her lose her cool. Since I'd met her I had seen her bubbly and open and she was great at making us laugh. I had even seen her get scared on a number of occasions but never had I seen her get angry.

Still the receptionist gave no sign of helping us. Giving up on doing things the easier way, Yasmine slammed her fist down on the desk with a deafening BANG. My ears felt like they would pop any second, but now wasn't the time to tell her how I hated loud noise. The woman gave a little yelp and sat up right in her seat, dropping her pen and coming face to face with us. Well, face to face with a fuming Yasmine who looked like she would quite happily pummel the woman then and there. The strange thing was, this woman also seemed to have glassy eyes and that far away look about her. As if she wasn't all there or in complete control of her body. What the hell?! So the teachers as well as the students were zombified. How peculiar. I wonder why? Oh well, now's not the time to speculate, just add it to your ever growing list of strange occurrences. Right now, Yasmine was busy giving her an earful.

"Now that I have your undivided attention, maybe you would like to do your job properly and help us out!" Yasmine told her. The woman just sat there with that nightmarish fake smile on her face and was about to say something when Yasmine held up her hand, clearly not wanting to hear her and so cutting her off.

"No thank you, I'd rather not hear any pathetic nonsense from you. We've just joined here and would like our times tables and map of the school if you don't mind." She told her in her authoritive tone.

"Of course dear. Names?" she said. It was the first time we had heard her talk. Her voice was of a sickly sweet sound, dripping with fake niceness and understanding. Exactly the kind of thing I can't stand. As she spoke, her pupils seemed to dilate and her eyes glowed a little brighter, barely even noticeable. Yasmine and Dee seemed to slouch upon hearing the woman talk. They seemed to be a little dazed and all their attention was trained on her. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I had a really bad feeling about this.

"Yasmine Night." She told her without so much as an ounce of anger in sight. She spoke as if she was honoured to be talking to this fool! The woman typed her name into the computer and printed her timetable and handed it to her along with a map from the small pile on top of the desk. With that, Yasmine stepped to the side and Dee walked forward. Of all the students around us, no-one seemed to notice what was happening here.

"And you my dear?" she asked her in that deadly voice of hers.

"Nadia Cardwell." Dee answered her in the same adoring tone. Again she typed in her name and printed off her timetable, handing it to her with her map. Dee then moved to stand besides Yasmine, both staring at me with those glazed eyes. I was starting to panic inside. I had to do something quick.

"And what's your name handsome?" she asked Tyler who was standing besides me. Hell no. Tell me she didn't just call my Tyler handsome in that skanky voice of hers. Well, he wasn't mine exactly but still, there was no way on God's earth he washers. He was about to step forwards when I stepped in front of him. If she wanted to get to my last remaining sane friend here she'd have to go through me first!

"My my, it's rude to push in you know." She told me in a tone you would use with a three year old. I just stood there with my emotionless face expression and waited for her to ask.

"Name?" she asked me, her voice turning slightly bitter at the end. Hah. It's not like I like you either dog!

"Trinity Paxton" I told her in a bold voice. She was quite clearly taken aback. This is the part where I fall under her deadly spell. This is the part when I started to forget all those that I loved to heed at her every word. This is the part where...

Snap out of it fool, your fine!

What are you talking about, silly brain?

Are you dumb or just plain stupid? Your not hypnotised, see?

Hang on, why wasn't I enchanted by this witch? I was still me. Impassionate feisty me! Well well well. Looks like the cow can't control all of us can she. I started to look smug.

"I'm sorry but that name isn't on my register. Full names are required, and seeing as your not on here you must go to the headmasters office to see what the problem is." She told me, her eyes boring into mine, willing me to succumb to her spell. Not likely.

"Full names? Well why didn't you say? It's Trinity Hazel Paxton. Paxton with an x not c k" I told her with a smirk. She seemed genuinely shocked that she couldn't control me. What did she expect? This is The Trixie Paxton we're talking about after all! Still she kept staring at me, too shocked to move.

"Well?" I asked her, starting to get impatient as I needed to get my friends away and snap them out of their silly reverie. She snapped out of her trance and typed my name in, successfully printing my timetable and map. I simply snatched them out of her hand and stepped back, away from Yasmine and Dee and to the side of Tyler, who then stepped forward.

"Name handsome?" she asked him, her voice returning to its sickening style, only the smile was even more exaggerated. So she was still after him. We'll see how far she gets.

"Ilyas Tyler Valcárcel" he told her. Oh no. he too was hypnotised by the stupid cow. Ooh, his names Ilyas and he's spanish? I never knew...

Stop it! Now is not the time!

Oh, oh yeah. Thanks conscience.

No worries, stupider part of my mind.

Hey, who you calling stupid?!

HELLO! She's taking the boy away from you. Snap out of it!

Damn. This always happened. I snapped back to reality just in time. The cow was reaching behind her to lift up something from behind the desk.

"Dear me, the box is just too heavy for me to lift and I need to find another map. Would you mind coming back here and lifting it onto the desk for me?" she asked Ilyas or Tyler, fluttering her eyelashes as if they were on fire. Excuse me? Him go over there to you? Somehow I don't think so!

"Of course madam" he agreed in that loving tone they had all adopted. What the hell was wrong with him?! He stepped around to the side of the desk and was just about to walk behind the desk when I yanked him by the arm and he was jerked back to my side. At my touch, Tyler's or Ilyas' or whoever's whole body twitched twice as if it had been electrocuted. His eyes seemed to go back to their normal blazing green and he looked slightly confused. If she realised that he had snapped out of it from my touch she would worry and who knows what bad could come of it?

"That won't be necessary, he can share mine." I told her leaving her silently fuming at her failed plans and hurrying off, dragging Ilyas or Tyler (I don't know what to call him anymore) with one arm and Dee with the other who happened to have linked arms with Yasmine. At my touch, Dee also seemed to twitch and start to come around, and so did Yasmine. I dragged them through the crowd of students, not sure where to go. As I looked around I noticed up ahead a pair of intricate doors that looked different from the rest. On a sign on the wall besides the doors was written 'LIBRARY'. Perfect. I headed towards the doors.

Inside, we all sat around a table and I watched as slowly they started to come around back to earth. Took them long enough!

"What- what happened?" Yasmine asked.

"You all fell under her gaze and the stupid cow had complete control over you that's what happened. Don't you remember?" I whispered as an Old One walked past, turning on Ilyas. He shook his head, and the girls did the same.

"And what about you?" Dee asked me.

"I don't know why but she didn't have an effect on me. Oh she tried, believe me she did but it just wasn't working. What with me being 'strong minded' as they like to put it." I said, smirking at the end.

"With Yasmine and Dee, it wasn't all that bad because she didn't try anything, but with you..." I said turning to Ilyas.

"What. What did she do?" he asked me clearly worried. The girls also seemed worried.

"She tried to get you to come behind the desk so you could lift a box for her, only I didn't trust her. You was about to go when I grabbed your arm and-"

"You pulled me back" he finished for me. Obviously this is where his memory came back because that's when I touched him. It makes sense.

"Yeah. For some reason when I touched you, you snapped out of it. The same thing happened when I grabbed Dee, and because she was linking arms with Yasmine, it must have transferred to her too." I explained to no-one in particular, mostly to myself.

"Wow. So you saved us" Tyler or Ilyas said. Aw crap. I hated being in the spotlight.

"Um...well...not really. I just...all I did was grab you guys. That's hardly saving you." I said, seriously hating the attention.

"No, you saved us and we owe you one." Yasmine said, concluding it with her authoritive tone. That was when I remembered how it started and I smiled wide.

"What?" Dee asked.

"Did you see her when she got mad at the beginning?" I asked, nodding in Yasmine's direction. Ilyas and Dee seemed to remember and started laughing.

"Yeah, check you out miss feisty!" Dee exclaimed.

"That's our Yasmine!" Ilyas exclaimed, giving her a high five.

They all turned to me, as if waiting to hear my compliments.

"So the little kitty has claws I see!" I teased her.

"Shut up." She told me, blushing at all our words. We all started laughing.

"So Ilyas is it?" I questioned, apparently getting shocked looks from Dee and Yasmine. Obviously they hadn't heard him.

"Please, just call me Tyler, I prefer it." He replied. Looking away.

"Awe, how come?" Yasmine asked, "Ilyas is unique."

He seemed a little saddened when he answered, "It was my father's name, things happened, I don't want it anymore"

"Shush!" the librarian scolded us at our loudness.

I could tell Dee was going to push him further, "Ok listen up people" I whispered leaning in, as they all did the same so as to hear what I had to say.

"Its more important now than ever that we keep our heads ducked down and out the spotlight. Let me see your timetables" They all placed their timetables on the table and I compared them.

"Ok. It seems like were not all together for all the classes. First period me and Dee have Maths while Tyler and Yasmine have Biology. In all the lessons though there is at least two of us, so we each should be with someone from the group in every lesson, understand?" I told them. Man was I happy to be the one in control again! They all nodded their understanding and stood up, consulting their maps.

"Hey, where's my map?" Tyler asked.

"That was what was supposedly in the box. I told her that there was no need and that we would share so that she would leave us alone. I don't think she noticed that she lost control of you lot and I want it to stay like that. Who knows what she would do if she found out." They all looked at me in horror.

"So Tyler, just share with Yasmine for first period, ok?" I told him and he nodded in agreement.

"Ok. Meet up at the cafeteria at one o clock for lunch and then at the front doors at 3.30 when school finishes. Then at six we have to come back for dinner because school has started and there won't be any more home deliveries, thank God. I don't want any of you to go anywhere alone, stay in pairs minimum at all times. Everyone understand?" I asked. I had set it all out for them so that they knew the plan. They all looked at me with determined faces.

"We understand." They said as one in a warrior like tone.

"Good. Come on then, let's go." And with that I turned around and headed back out the library and towards my first class.

"Wait up Trixie, don't leave me!" Dee exclaimed as she quickly jogged to catch up with me. Huh. So much for warriors!