"Come on, Jase. I'm being serious!" Leila Zypher looked at Jason Osbert profoundly. She was being dead serious. His playful grin faded and he looked at his reflection. His dark hair was spiked and his deep gray-blue eyes were reminiscent of a lake reflecting moonlight that was shinging behind storm clouds.

"I just hate wearing a suit," he complained, straightening his already-straight tie.

She blinked away a tear that had formed as she was about to remind him why he was wearing one. "I know, just do it for him. Ok?"

He noticed her green eyes were brimmed with tears, but he didn't mention it. Leila was not the kind of girl who cried often, but he knew she had been. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy, and she wasn't wearing any make-up. She put a pair of sunglasses on and walked out of his room. He followed her silently, the full realization of the tragedy hitting him like a cold gust of wind, and he shivered slightly. Jason wondered what Leila would do now that he was gone. He also knew she blamed herself, but there was nothing she could have done. She had heard that so many times she simply agreed in order to end the conversation, tired of hearing that is wasn't her fault, that she did all she could.

Leila nodded quietly to every guest who offered his or her condolensces. Shayne Sloan stood next to her, holding her hand in a gesture of silent support. To her left stood Oscar "Oz" Kenley , and Jason stood next to Oz. She was glad to have her friends with her, supporting her wordlessly. To everyone at the funeral, she appeared to be in a state of complete shock, but, hidden behind her sunglasses, her eyes betrayed her, revealing her grief to those who bothered to look.

Another friend of her grandfather's, another relative she had never met. There were students in attendance as well, many of which had come simply out of respect for the popular retired coach.

One of those students was Justin Knite. He walked slowly up to the group to offer his condolensces, his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his black jeans.

"I'm sorry," he stuttered to Leila. He was ashamed to look her in the face, so he looked at the ground. He received a nod from her and a glare from her friends.

His teammate Joey Smith came up behind him. "I'm sorry, too." Joey gently pushed Justin forward. He had wanted to say so much more to her. Leila's grandfather had really impacted his life. Justin knew he wouldn't be the same if it hadn't been for him. He followed Joey to his car and they left the cemetary.

"God, if I see one more jock..." Oz trailed off after Shayne shot him a warning look.

Leila was sitting on the grass, looking at the grave. She suddenly started sobbing uncontrollably, and Jason wrapped her in his arms, trying to comfort her. Her entire body shook violently with each sob, and she buried her face in his chest. She cursed herself, her life, her family-God.

Justin watched from a distance. He had come back, or rather, something had forced him back, to the cemetary. He watched as Leila let it all go, and cried her eyes out. He was positive it wasn't the first time since her grandfather's death, and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her. He just didn't know why. Leila wasn't even his type. Sure, she was unlike anyone he had ever known, but then again, he didn't really know her. But at that instant, he really wanted to.

Her group of friends and his did not get along at all. No, that would be an understatment. They wre the closest thing to mortal enemies you might find at Richmond High. Leila, Shayne, Jason, and Oz were the "Bad Kids." They were the ones who sat in the back of the classroom, the resident bullies. They were the ones everyone wanted to either date or be. Leila's intense stare could turn people to puddles of muck in a second. With her brooding green eyes and soft, flowing hair, she was the envy of every girl at school, even the ones who detested her wished they could be her, though they wouldn't admit it if their life depended on it. Every girl wished she had Leila's mysterious allure, her cool confidence that drove so many people crazy with envy or, in many cases, desire. Every guy wished they could steal Leila's heart the way she had stolen theirs. She occupied their thoughts every minute of every day. She was so aloof, so distant, so mysterious. Most guys hated Jason, Shayne, and Oz. Often for countless reasons, mostly for the simplest, most obvious reasons. Not one of them was stranger to the Principal's office, or detention. They weren't stupid, just unruly. They weren't the kind of kids who had no future either, they had all had difficult lives, and this was their way of "releasing tension." At least, that's what the counselors said.

Justin decided he had better leave before one of her friends saw him watching her. He didn't particularly want to get in a fight. Next