He was walking down the hallway like he had done so many times before. I felt like a stalker for seeing him around so much, noticing him in his own little world, his headphones in and his sight directed in front of him. He had dark under eye circles which I didn't understand. But I didn't understand much about the mysterious boy in my view.

With the snap of Alli's fingers, I directed my gaze somewhere else. I didn't want her to know how much I watched a boy I had never met before. "What're you looking at?" She teased, but I shook my head.

"Nothing," I lied, trying to pay attention to something else. I could not fall for another stranger again. I remember just how that went last time; all the heartbreak of what never happened. I had put my hopes up too high; my expectations were bound to break sometime. If I was going to crush on a stranger again, it would be different this time.

This time, I would actually try. Try for any sign that he would befriend me. I wouldn't just smile like a shy wannabe-I would be brave. A lioness.

"Okay," Alli sighs, knowing how fragile I was with being picked on. I would've called myself bipolar if I didn't know why my moods changed so much. I'm just… unhappy. I want to grow up, have children and marry the man of my dreams. I just want to move forward.

Talking to boys used to be so easy; now it's like there's a wall between me and the other gender. I'll smile, I'll talk, but I can't help myself from over thinking what could happen between me and a boy. It's stupid and lame, but I can't help myself. I just… can't.

I feel like I'm losing my freaking mind. Crushing on boys I've never met have been my only choice; my past has just shown how bad I am when I befriend boys I like. Maybe this year I'll change.

"Where do you think we should go for girls' night tonight?" Alli inquired as we walked down a hallway, waiting for the first bell to ring. I shrugged.

"Maybe the mall?" I suggested. Alli shook her head.

"We already went there this month," She looked over to the side, forcing me to stop dead in my footsteps as her arm flew out in front of me. "Look!" She squealed.

I turned my head unenthusiastically to what she was looking at; on the board of Degrassi's news was the upcoming event:

Karaoke Tournament!

From 7:00 P.M. – 10 P.M.

Bring $10 admission to the gymnasium and your singing voice! Winner gets a $100 Itunes giftcard.

I groaned. "Please don't do this to me, Alli." Alli shook her head, her smile never fading.

"No—we both know that you need some cheering up, missy. This is the perfect opportunity! Now you can show Degrassi what you've been hiding all along. And maybe K.C.'ll be there."

Another pang in the chest. I should've told her that I was try to get over K.C., that he didn't like me. But another part of me wanted to keep trying for him. I had fallen so hard for him even though I didn't know him—it was so… desperate of me to do.

"I doubt it," I say glumly, feeling my emptiness come once again. I hated talking about boyfriends, couples—boys in general. I could never get any boy in my age group to like me; the ones that did were usually ones that didn't even go to my school.

"Well," Alli said, walking again. I followed next to her. "It'll sure help you get out of your gloomy stage. C'mon, Clare—you know that you can kick ass when you sing. I've heard you belt Mariana's Trench before and damn, it's so sexy!"

I laughed. "You seem to always know how to brighten up the mood, Alli."

Alli rolled her eyes. "Of course I do." We talked endlessly about things that we had noticed about high school since it was our freshman year—we didn't look like it, though. Most people took us as two sophomores, which I didn't mind. I was supposed to be a sophomore.

Before I know it, I hear Alli's tone change. "Clare!" She yelled as I fell to the floor. My head was on fire from hitting something, but I didn't know what. I looked up to see a hand stretched out for me to grab onto.

"Are you alright?" He asked, pulling me up. My speechless part came to surface again as I noticed the voice, even though I had never heard him speak before. It was the stranger that I stalked from afar; the gorgeous kid that seemed to have a gloomy past. One like mine.

I shook my head in reassurance. "I'm fine—sorry for not looking." I sheepishly tried taking my arm away, but he seemed to keep his hold on it.

He gave me one look in the eye, one that sent chills down my spine. I shivered unknowingly as his eyes seemed to let me see straight to his soul. "I don't mind." He smirked, letting go of my arm. He walked away, not once looking back. I stood where I was, still gaping at his disappearing figure. Alli squealed behind me.

"Was that chemistry right there?" She asked, and I came back to reality. It was a one time thing; it would never happen again. I shook my head, looking down at the floor as I kept walking.

"No," I stated, looking forward. Alli was talking about something next to me, but I couldn't focus.

How much I wanted to know him.

This is just a preview to see how well some like this story.

The idea just appeared to me a few moments ago. I'm what Clare is in this chapter right now; I am trying to get over someone who I've been crushing on, and it's hard right now. But I'm tired of hiding in the shadows all the time; I'm going to make an impression, sometime soon.

If you like the story, I recommend you review for it or whatever your heart pleases; I will continue if people want me to.