Another new day at a new school. Amber took a deep breath in to clear her mind and calm her madly beating heart. She really, really hate changing schools. All the introductions she'll have to do, the fake smiles she'll have to put on... It's only Monday and she can't wait for the week to end already. The first week's always the worst. She should know. This was already her 3rd in her high school years, 9th since she was 7. It wasn't that she was a bad student. No, Amber Liu never got expelled. It's just that she never found a reason to stay at any one of them, never found a purpose. There was something she was searching for, something she hasn't found since circumstances forced her to at age 7. It had to be at one of the schools, she knew, she just had to figure out which it is.

"Just keep a low profile, smile and look friendly, but avoid others' eyes whenever possible," the short haired girl muttered to herself. It was, after all, easier to get through school without knowing anyone. None of that burdensome gossiping and meeting ups, and it makes leaving the school much, much easier too.

She entered the school gates and slipped past all the large groups of students, who obviously knew one another from the previous years, making her way to the gigantic gold plated sign with the words "school office" carved on it. After exchanging her papers for a set of locker keys and a lesson timetable, she made her way to her homeroom. It wasn't too hard getting around, considering how the school was fond of these gold and silver plated signs and have them at every corner, indicating the rooms that one can find down any particular hallway.

She was ready. Or maybe not. All she's waiting for is the last bell.

*****

Baekhyun dragged himself out of the school gates and slowly made his way to the benches along the streets. Soccer practice has just ended and the boy had once again been overworked, especially since competition season was starting in a week.

As he neared the waiting area where cars stopped to pick students up, he noticed an auburn haired girl sitting where he usually did. It was her, the new girl in his class. Baekhyun grinned. He loved making new friends, and this might be the perfect opportunity to befriend the new kid in school. He could show her around school, and maybe even the region, if she had just moved in town recently. He just needed a conversation starter, and bam. New friend made.

Amber snapped out of her daydreams when a brown object was waved in front of her. Her irises focused and she saw what it was - a bar of chocolate. She looked up at the person who offered it quizzically. It was a guy. Someone she vaguely remembered sitting a few seats to her left in class. What does he want, she thought.

"Hey, I'm Baekhyun, your classmate, remember me? Here, take this. A little something to cheer you up. The first day must have been tough on you eh?"

Amber reached for the chocolate, murmured a soft "thank you", placed it next to her and carried on staring into space.

"Uh, could I sit here? I'm waiting for my hyung to come pick me up."

Amber shifted over wordlessly, making space for the brown-haired boy.

"Are you waiting for someone?"

"My mom." Amber replied shortly, without so much as a glance in Baekhyun's direction. She squinted into the distance, trying to spot a familiar car. No luck.

"Wow. School ended 4 hours ago. I'm still here only because I've got extra soccer practice. Did you tell your mom what time to come?"

Silence.

"Do you want to borrow my phone to call her?"

"Thanks, but no thanks."

"But..." Gosh. The boy was really getting on Amber's nerves. Was it so hard to give a girl some peace and quiet?

"My mom's real busy, I don't think she'll appreciate my calling every other second. I'll just wait for her, okay?"

The hostility in the girl's voice shocked Baekhyun. He was just trying to help. But Baekhyun wasn't the type to judge others quickly before knowing the full story. There might be a reason as to why Amber was so sensitive. He just had to tread carefully. If he steered clear of the topic, maybe they could even be friends. And then maybe, he could find out what it was that was bothering her and fix it for her, making one more happy person in the world.

Before Baekhyun could talk about something else, a huge silver seven-seater pulled up to the curb. "That's my ride. Do you want a lift? It's getting kind of late and staying out here alone might be dangerous, especially for a girl," he asked helpfully.

"I'll wait." Again with the short answers.

"Well okay, if you insist. Just... Be careful, alright?"

No response.

"See you tomorrow!" Baekhyun mustered his brightest smile and waved and, taking a last glance at the girl who now seems so small, disappeared into the back seats of the car.

A/N: So here it is! The promised first chapter(: next one's coming up in maybe a week?

A big shout out to all my subscribers and darling ditajusticiaAJCL for the upvote! You guys are the best(: