Chapter 2

High school is a way to make us all feels ten times worse than we already do about ourselves. Since my life is already a nightmare, high school is an excruciatingly horrible version of hell. Chesh would have gotten me through this with or without him being there. If I could only remember our conversations, life would be more relaxed. If I could just imagine his voice, I wouldn't have to be afraid. It's been four years and the only thing I can remember are the three simple words he said to me the last day we spoke:

"Don't forget me."

It's as if he thought that there was even the remotest of chances that I would be able to forget him. As I walked up the steps and into the hallway, a bunch of girls mobbed a locker that had been empty ever since I got here. No one ever wanted to move here, but no one ever left when they did. I couldn't wait to get out. Luckily for me, I got into my first choice school: Pratt University. It's an art school in Brooklyn, New York because I wanted to get as far away from home as possible.

Anyways, when the mob of girls cleared, the only person who remained was a tall boy with black hair that swung around his face. Even from far away, it was obvious he had a toned body, but he wasn't overly muscular to the point of being repulsive. I was shocked that a group of blond bimbos were trying to get at him because he didn't look like the type of guy that girls fell head over heels for, but he's new. I guess he is kind of like a new toy, or in this case, boy toy. My locker was about three from his and I wasn't in the mood to talk and I hoped he wasn't either.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him glance at me and then smile secretly to himself. I growled quietly before slamming my locker door shut. Of course this is how it has to go! We finally get a new kid and he is already making judgments about me.

"Did you find her yet?" I glanced over to where Boy Toy was standing and he was joined by another boy who was about a half foot shorter than him and had hair that was so light that it almost looked snow white.

"I think so. She chopped all her damn hair off, so I can't be sure." Something about Boy Toy's voice sounded familiar, but his accent wasn't British, so I couldn't have known him from England.

"Well, where is she?"

Boy Toy murmured something incomprehensible from this far away and his friend glanced in my direction. They weren't talking about me, were they? His eyebrows shot up when he turned back to face Boy Toy.

"Her? Are you kidding me?"

They are definitely talking about me. It's not surprising; just kind of insulting that they already think they are better than me. Boy Toy smiled and nodded.

"Would I be wrong? I know her better than anyone. Plus her eyes haven't changed since she was a child." They both glanced again in my direction, then turned with haste and rushed down the hall with great speed in the opposite direction.

Boy Toy and his friend have been in every single one of my classes so far and I've caught Boy Toy staring at me multiple times. I swear if he is in my literature class I am going to brutally murder-

"Mr. Hire, go sit next to Ms. Pleasance."

I am going to brutally murder Mr. Kastro. Boy Toy smirked and walked confidently to the back of the classroom and took the seat next to mine. I looked the other way, , so I could avoid as much contact as possible. Minutes later, I was thinking about Chesh again. He would know how to get Boy Toy to leave me alone. I glanced over in Boy Toy's general direction and saw his lips moving.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" he was saying. Oh gosh, he was talking to me.

"What do you want?"

"A name would be sufficient."

"Alice. What's it to you?"

"Hm, most people would reply with a simple 'what's yours?'"

"And what if the reason I didn't ask is because," Mr. Kastro turned around and glared at me, so I lowered my tone down to a soft whisper, "I just really don't care what your name is?"

"Since you asked, the name is Knox. My parents were going to name me Cheshe, but they thought 'Cheshe Hire' might be too Carroll-esque."

He's kidding. He's just trying to humiliate me and make me feel idiotic for dreaming about a supposedly fictitious land. But, he didn't know about my past. It's just a coincidence. A mere coincidence.

"Interesting, but I didn't ask."

"But you were curious."

"No. I was genuinely not."

"I doubt that, Alice Pleasance. Do you really think that you would be able to keep referring to me as Boy Toy for the rest of the year?"

"How did you know that?"

No response. He just turned back to the front of the classroom

"Excuse me?" I asked. He smirked and turned back to face me.

"Yes?"

"Aren't you going to answer my question?"

"No. I'd rather remain an enigma. A mystery, if you will."

"I know what an enigma is," I snapped. Chesh taught me the meaning of it when I was only nine years old. Then I thought I heard him mutter something under his breath, but I could only catch the words "taught" and "you."

"Pardon?" I asked.

"Nothing. Just forget I said anything, alright?"

"Alright, Boy Toy. I'll gladly erase you from my memory."

Not likely I will it will actually work, I thought to myself, but I'm going to try my damndest to try.

That night, I fell asleep and dreamt of Knox Hire.