Against the Odds (Book 2)

♥ Chapter I ♥

♥Karissa♥

It was the last day of school. The last day of senior year. And unlike most kids in my year that I came across today, I was ecstatic.

My summer was already planned and eventful with my dare best friend, Jada, and there was nothing that could put a damper on my mood.

Said best friend had been talking my ear off about our plans ever since I picked her up this morning. She'd been going on and on about all the fun we're going to have in Europe and all the guys she'll... it's better not to think about it.

"Karissa!" Jada hugged my arm and shook me. I laughed, clutching my books tighter to my chest. "Be happy with me."

"I am! I'm trying to get through the day first." I turned as much as I could with her hanging off me to close my locker. "Can you at least wait until the day's almost over?"

Leaning back, she was her cool self again in less than a second, shrugging in nonchalance. I grinned at her.

"Sure." Her phone came out in a flash, her fingers flying across the screen and her nails making a clicking sound as they tapped against the device. "You know what sucks, though?"

"What?" My gaze wandered around the buzzing hallway.

Students, not only in our grade, stood in groups, talking animatedly about what I can only assume was our summer vacation. Me being the sentimental and dramatic person I was, I felt a warmth in my chest that spread throughout my body, leaving me content. It was a bitter-sweet mixture of saying goodbye to the place and people I'd known for the past four years.

"You know my cousin? The one from Pennsylvania?" she said.

My eyebrows furrowed in concentration as I tried to remember which of her cousins exactly was from Pennsylvania. A number of her family members came here throughout the year to visit.

"Umm... no, not really." I looked back at her.

"Thion. The tall one?" Her gaze lifted from her phone and met my stare. My eyebrows raised in recognition. "He's not really my cousin but you know what I mean."

To me, he was her cousin. Biologically, most of her family weren't related to her since Jada was adopted. No one would assume otherwise though, not with how accepted and loved she was by them all.

It happened in fourth grade. She was the new girl with the cool clothes and pretty eyes and I wanted to be friends with her. We played together, sat together, ate lunch together, and some time between all of that, she'd told me, a girl she barely knew for a day, that she had 'a new family'. That was possibly what sealed the deal on our friendship. But it could be that she was cool too.

"Oh," I dragged out with a nod. The image of the tall, light-haired boy was quite vivid in my head. Along with other images. "Him," I said lamely, holding back the blush that was brewing under my skin. "How's he doing?" I tried to be casual and turned my attention back to the packed hallway. More kids were standing around rather than going to class.

"Who knows. Last I saw of him was that video online of him making out with some guy."

I bit my lip to hold back a smile. I remembered that video. Like everyone else, I don't think shocked was the best word to describe what I'd felt seeing that. Nathion was one of the straightest guys I knew, but after seeing that, it was obvious I didn't know him that well.

"Scratch that, he was not some guy-it was one of his best friends. I still don't know what's going on but it's none of my business. And anyway," she slipped her phone into the back pocket of her light-washed cutoffs, "He's gonna be here for practically the whole summer and I hate to leave for half of it, but..."