Chapter 1
The sun blazed down onto the hoards of students groaning about the fact that school had started again after three glorious months off.
Jesse's gaze darted around Junipero Serra Mission Academy appearing to be bored before the lessons had even begun.
Talk of a new student filtered through the mass of teenaged girls ganged nearby.
Jesse strained his ears to hear the conversation going on between two of the most nosiest girls in the school.
"Apparently, her mom married Brad Ackerman's dad." Kelly Prescott spoke quickly in an effort to get everything in her mind out.
"No way!" Her sometimes-brainless sidekick Debbie Mancuso exclaimed. "He didn't say anything."
Jesse rolled his eyes. Of course Brad didn't say anything, he was too busy with his tongue down her throat.
"So, do you, like, know her name?" Debbie asked in typical Californian girl fashion.
"I heard it was something like …"
"Hey, Hector!"
Kelly's voice was drowned out as Jesse's team mates approached him. He hated the name Hector but hated for them to call him Jesse even more. It didn't sound right coming from the jocks of the school.
"Hey guys, what's up?"
Again, Jesse was drowning in conversations, barely listen to any of them. Instead he found his attention was focused on the sea. It never ceased to amaze him. He'd lived in California his whole life and still the rippling water fascinated him.
"What do you think Hector?"
That snapped him out of his daze.
"Huh?" he asked intelligently. "Oh…"
Jessed was once again distracted, this time by the land rover he knew to be the Ackerman's pulling up into the car park.
"Whatever," he replied in response to what he's been asked. "Excuse me."
He jumped off the table he'd been sitting on without another word and ran towards the car.
"Hey Brad!" He called out, causing the boy to jump in surprise.
"Oh, Hector. Hi."
"Yeah, so I heard something earlier," Jesse started. "Did your Dad get married."
Brad groaned in annoyance.
"Ugh. Yeah. Last year. Brought a step-sister into the family and everything"
"Last year? How come your sister's only just starting school then?"
"She's not my sister and something about their being no places left," Brad dutifully explained. "Now that that Heather girl has gone, Suze has come over from Brooklyn."
It was then that someone shouted out to Brad, who replied back with a yell of his own.
"Is it cool if I go?" He directed at Jesse.
"Yeah, sure."
"Cool. See you."
Jesse stood there in the car park thinking about everything he'd been told. He didn't even know why he was so interested in this girl.
Fortunately, he was saved from his thoughts by a whistle blown by Sister Ernestine.
Shaking his head, Jesse went to stand in his line along with the other male's in the his grade. Before long, they'd be reciting The Pledge of Allegiance, morning prayers and the listen to the dull morning announcements.
As soon as the kindergartners calmed down of course. Until then, Jesse had at least another five minutes to talk with his fellow 11th graders.
While he was actually participating in a conversation, he was pushed from behind.
Turning around to see who had committed the act, he stopped in his tracks.
"Well, well, well," The other boy said with an evil glint in his eye and a menacing smile on his lips.
"If it isn't Jesse de Silva."
As much as he hated being called Jesse by his team mates and the majority of his classmates, it was nothing compared to the loathing he felt when this particular boy said it.
"Paul Slater." Jesse breathed out through clenched teeth before continuing sarcastically.
"To What do I owe the pleasure?"
Random Idea. Hope its okay. It's not following the events of the series though there are some places that Meg Cabot's ideas are used. So i own nothing.