WHAT ARE WE?

Jasmine are you up yet?" my mum shouts from downstairs as i climb out of my bed to get ready for school.

"What is your plan for the day?"

"In three, my program will finish but after, I have to go to Clary's to study for our project." I cry " What are you going to do?" "We have a dinner to attend at Smith's. We'll be back at 11.

"Where's my beautiful girl?" My dad's voice booms through the room causing me to turn around. I hug him tight and kiss his cheek. "You didn't hug me!" my mum groans playfully and before i can get up to hug her too, my father speaks, It's because she loves me more," he reasons and the three of us burst into laughter as he tightens his grip around me.

*****

(At school)

.

Your tests were interesting to correct," Mr. Scott announces,

at the end of my first period, Some of you, did a good job," he murmurs and gives Matthew and Clary their test.

Clary turns to me with a grin and she shows me her test with a big 95% written with a red pen. "Some of you, need to try a little more," He gives three tests "Others, you need to study much more...and last, few of you just need to keep up your good job," he adds as he gives Harry and me our tests. I really hope I did a good job,.

I studied and...My brain stops thinking as I saw 97% on my test. Walking towards my locker with a smile covering my face, I stopped once I heard familiar voices.

So, are we going to Shawn's party?" "Of course we're. All of Alex's crew will be there. There's no way I'l miss it." Carol states. We all know she has a massive crush on Alex since middle school and keeps refusing to just move on...

Hey, girl," Eliza greets me.

Hi, Are you coming? Carol asks me with hope clear in her eyes. I frown due to my confusion.

"To Janes party?

It's this Friday" she explains. "I don't think so, I have to..." I begin to speak but I'm interrupted and surprisingly not by Carol. "Hey," A delicate voice reach my ears and I whip around to see, Cameron gave me one of those grins that makes every Single girl in this school fall for his charm instantly.

"Hello," I whisper with a weak smile.

What was that?" I hear Emma's shocking tone when Cameron passes us. She places her hands in my shoulders and shake my body in order to get some answers.

I don't know," I answered honestly.

That's it! The best friend of Alex just spoke to you. You're coming to that party whether you like it or not. And you better look sexy!" Carol exclaims and closes her eye playfully as the rest of us laugh.

After a long day with classes, research for the project with Clary and studying. I lay on the couch waiting for my parents to come home. I glance at the clock only to find out its past 12 and they still haven't arrived. Anguish explodes inside of me as I grab my phone with sweat and trembling fingers and call both of their cells with no answer. I heard a pounding on the door and woke up.

I gazed around to see that utter darkness has covered our house with no sight of my loving parents. I turn my eyes to the clock as the sound of a knock travels through the dark and lonely room. I stand up wondering where they are and who is in our door at this hour before my hand contacts with the door. A tall man with formal clothing stands before me and I recognised him immediately.

The officer?.

Bob's worrying eyes find mine and panic takes over. What happened? I open the door a bit more and speak trying to control the distress that threatens to get the best of me. Please, let them be okay, I pray as my lips move. "Hello, is everything okay?" He opens his mouth but closes fill the space between us with anxiety as he attempts to find the right words. I only wish I knew for what. He takes off his hat and mutters calmly,

"I'm sorry," His eyes are glued to the floor, refusing to contact with my watery ones. I feel a knob in my throat and I hardly believe that my heart will get out of my chest as I talk.

"Sorry for what?" My voice comes out as a whisper. The moment I asked, I detect a trunk dragging a car. It's seriously damaged in the front and I flinch as I think what must have happened to the driver and then... I take a better look at it and realize that this car is my father's.

He was the driver but I don't see him anywhere nor my mum. My eyes dart to Mr. Bob's and I finally complete the pazzle.

I moved backwards and my back hits the door as my knees melt and I collapse on the floor. Thousands of tears leave my eyes and I just stay like this.

On the ground, in the darkness thinking that from now on, I'm alone.

Completely alone...

"This is your room," My aunt declares smiley. It's a modest yet dainty room with a bed, a petite dresser and a desk.

My former room was a lot spacious but I presume it's one more thing I have to just live with from now on. My aunt's house was the best alternative. My parents passed away and I can't afford to live at our old house all by myself.

My aunt was the one that volunteered to keep me safe and sound and she was the perfect candidate for the Social Service. And just like this, I ended up here, in her lovely house in California.

I nod at her and place my luggage beside the mattress.

"Do you like it?" She asks anxiously.

"I know it's a lot humbler but I hope you like it," I smile to reassure her. It's nice, nothing special although it's friendly enough.

Mum," I hear a boy's voice call from downstairs. I suspect it's one of her sons. "I'm upstairs," She shouts and after a few seconds a curled brown boy arrives. I noticed his appearance but what catches my attention is his charming smile as he beams when he eyes land on me.

"This is my son, Noah." He gives me his hand and I greet him back as I shake his hand. "Nice to meet you," he tells and I nod smiling as if I'm saying 'it's nice to meet you too'. "So, Jasmine will be staying with us and I showed her around." She explains to her son.

"If you're going to live in this room, we need to fix the TV." he murmurs and walks to the small TV opposite the bed.

"It doesn't work?" she questions.

"No, but I'll call him," Noah states calmly and gives me a small grin that I happily return. "Anyway, we should leave you settle in. If you need anything, let me know. I'll be downstairs cooking.

Once I'm alone, I lay in bed and close my eyes. There are so many things that have changed in the last days. Before five days, I was carefree and my only concern was the biology test that was coming up. If only I knew... I only wish I didn't need to discover all that now, at the beginning of my senior year. I'm still so young.

I head downstairs but I freeze in my tracks.

"Had they been drinking?" Noah asks. "No, the autopsy showed that he had a few drinks but it was under the proper limit. It wasn't his fault. The other car came out nowhere. Indeed, the other driver was drunk and drugged when it happened." My father's sister reasons gloomily.

I can only assume that this is difficult for her too but right now, I can't think about that. "Poor girl," I hear Noah's whisper. "She lost both of her parents and now she has to stay with us. People she doesn't even know," "Yeah, and this is exactly why I want you to be gentle and careful with her. Especially, Jacob,"

"Why doesn't she talk?"

Noah questions what everybody asks. "If I understood accurately, it's a reaction from the trauma she has experienced. It's her way of coping with it.

"She explains but I can't listen anymore. My cheeks are stained with tears, my eyes full of new ones, and that constant stomachache that has been haunting me the last five days has resurfaced again. I head back upstairs and run to the bathroom. I turn on the tap and let the cold water take my tears and my pain away, farr away from me.

Fortunately, despite my spontaneous action to enter the shower with my clothes on, I manage to find a towel to cover my wet body. I walk to my room with the towel wrapped around my body and shut the door.

I open my bag in order to find something to wear when I hear a noise. I turn around and open my bag in order to find something to wear when I hear a noise.

I turn around and view the door fly open before a boy enters my room. He doesn't notice me, standing there wrapped in a towel. What is he doing? He moves to the TV and then I observe that he holds two wires in his right hand. He tries to attach them somewhere behind it. "Fuck," he mumbles and I flinch. Then, his head leans up and his eyes find mine.

Oh...

His eyes found mine and I froze. He stands up gently and watches me carefully. Wow.. I gawk at him as I take in his appearance. His eyes are painted in a magic shade of blue like the Ocean. They are so clear and calm that makes you think that you can easily get lost in them.

Yet they are gripping and my eyes seem to be glued to his for a few seconds. His hair is messy but in a very sexy way as it falls caressing his forehead. His jawline is sharp and sexy and I recall Clary's words that the jawline can be as attractive as the eyes.

I didn't know what she meant, until now. But still, his eyes are simply captivating.I stop thinking, as I see his eyes leave mine and look at my body. Is he checking me out? My eyes dart down to make sure the small towel covers my naked body and I feel embarrassment unfold inside of me. His eyes after their tour in my body land on mine, and a small smile graces his lips.

I feel my discomfort and anxiety increase as he continues to study me. Thinking how I can escape this, my eyes turn to the door and then meet his, like I'm silently pleading him to leave my room. "There's no fucking way," A frown marries my

forehead at this tone and words.

What does he mean? What does that mean?

He's in my room and I'm almost naked. He can't refuse to leave. I shut my eyelids and take a deep steadying breath. I split my lashes and look towards my dresser to show him that I want to put some clothes on. "If you want to get dressed then go right ahead. I'm not going anywhere," he states decidedly, not leaving any room for arguments, and I just gape at him.

He can't be serious! There's no way I will get dressed in front of some unknown arrogant boy. NO. I give up and sit on the edge of my bed playing with a fiber that has escaped the soft material of my towel. "Are you going to sit there while I'm fucking trying to fix this?" His tone is sarcastic filled with clear disbelief. I glance up at him only to witness his raised eyebrows.

I keep gazing steadily at him until he shakes his head in total disapproval. "I need to fetch some things," He announces moving to the door but just before he exits the room, he turns to me. "Don't start getting dressed though because Ill come in and you're not going to like how things will turn out," He mutters, while a smirk plays on his lips.

I roll my eyes and I hear his giggle filling the tensional air as he leaves the room. Minutes go by and he hasn't returned yet. My nerves have been starting to get the best of me building up my irritation. I wait and wait but nothing. Where is he? I choose to wear a skirt and a white t-shirt but when I'm about to unwrap my tower, he enters. It takes a second for him to understand and then, he bursts into loud laughter.

I roll my eyes shaking my head and take my regular seat in my bed. "Told yah," I pretend I didn't listen because frankly, I don't know how I'm going to react if I allow his words to sink in on me. I glance out my window and spot a small curly girl riding a a bicycle with her mother on her side. They laugh and look happy as she succeds without any help.

My eyes sting from tears while the memory of what happened to my parents revisits me. I'll never see them again, hear their reassuring voices or hug them and calm myself in their loving embrace. Never again. "Can you pass me the pliers?" He asks me pulling me out of my sad thoughts and bringing me back to my miserable reality. My forehead creased in confusion causing a sardonic smirk to appear on his face.

"The little black thin thing," He explains annoyed as if he's pointing out the obvious, something I should already be aware of. I roll my eyes once again and got up. I hand him the little, black, thin thing' but instead of taking it, he grips my hand and he attempts to stand up. His strength and the pressure of his hand catch me off guard.

I lose my balance and I fall into his chest. He wraps his arm around my waist to steady me and I choke on my breath. I shudder at his warm touch but I bring myself back to reality quickly when I feel him move and fail to keep his balance too. He grabs the corner of the dresser but his grasp isn't tight enough to hold us both, and I fall. I collapse on the cold floor with him laying on top of me. The warmth of his body contrasts with the icy ground. For a moment, his eyes are wide open and stare down at me.

I feel his hot breath caress my skin and a wave of heat spreads in my face. I get lost for a moment and allow myself to take the chance to examine his face. His rose full lips, his beautiful magical blue eyes that don't quit follow mine, and the way that his blonde hair falls gracefully in his forehead. All my thoughts vanish in a flash as he begins laughing noisily and anger posses me. He rolls over and rests his body on the ground just next to me. I sat up a little, only to see that my towel is just above...0h god, no.. I cover my body quickly and stand up, something that causes his laughter to get more powerful.

He's so annoying! "Don't worry," he mutters '"It's not something I haven't seen before. If there is, I'll throw a dollar at it." My eyes narrow and a feeling of rage washes over me while I use every bit of composure and self-discipline I have left, to control myself. If things weren't the way they are and if i wasn't like I'm, I'm sure I would be yelling and slapping him. I pick my clothes up before walking towards the door. There's no way I'll be staying another minute in the same room as him. NO WAY!

"You're so weak" he groans as he stands up and I make my way to the door. The second my hand touches the knob, the door opens revealing a tall, young boy with round kind brown eyes. Noah's eyes find mine, moved to my towel, and lastly at him. "What are you doing?" Noah asks the obnoxious and rude young boy in my room.

"Didn't you fucking call me to fix this?" He questions with raised eyebrows and I roll my eyes again. There's something about him that makes me feel so mad and annoyed. "Just let her get dressed and you can come back in a minute." He proposes kindly and I silently thank him for it. I have a feeling that we'll be friends. At least I hope so.

The boy doesn't move an inch in return so Noah speaks again. "Corbyn, come on," Oh, so this is his name...Corbyn. I like his name, too bad I can't say the same about him. "Whatever," he says and begins to walk to us. Now that I see him, he's really tall, much taller than me. Just as I think that my nightmare with him has finally come to an end, he stands before me and leaning down, he whispers to my ear. "Thanks for the show," My eyes widen and I feel my cheeks heat up.

He notices my reaction, knowing it's the impact of his words on me and a smirk covers his face. "See yah," he murmurs and leaves, followed by Noah.