Tessa's POV:

Ring!

The tardy bell rang through the hallways and in my ears. At first I was startled as I almost dropped my book 'a tale of two cities', until I saw the comforting and familiar smile whose lips only belonged to Jem Carstairs.

"Impeccable timing Jem. I am afraid that my first class is Honors Science?" I replied forcing a grin on my nervous face.

"Well your going to do fine. I mean I was the new kid from Hong Kong, and you're the new kid from America. At least you didn't have to learn an entirely new language just to fit in." he grinned.

"I'm glad I met you at the Orientation yesterday, otherwise I would be in-

"Student's should be in class by now," replied a middle-aged women with a deathly stare but a friendly smile. "Oh yes, Theresa isn't it? Well I may excuse your tardiness for you and for Mr. Carstairs," she gestured to Jem, "I can't say the same for you. Now get to class." Her shoes left a squeak as she turned on her heel and walked down the halls scolding with such superior force and authority.

"You've met Principal Branwell before at the Orientation so you should know that the whole macho facade is to make the delinquents think twice about sizing up to her." he laughed so contagiously that I found myself doing the same as well. "Well you better go to class," he said after our laughter died down and minutes passed. "When you go to Science, tell the teacher you were talking with Principal Branwell. The science teacher is the Principal's husband ya know," he grinned at me and I felt my face flush and my cheeks blush.

"Well, thanks Jem. For everything, I hope they don't spot me out as an outcast. That'll clearly be the death sentence to my chances of having a normal social status in this posh school." I said eyeballing the ceilings decorated with angels, the busts of previous headmasters and the deep red velvet contrast that flooded the walls. This school was without a doubt the most prestigious school that I would have only imagined in books. Confronting it in reality was slightly overwhelming.

"Don't sweat it Tessa. Just be yourself and I bet they'll love you. Plus, no one can deny your pretty face." What? I saw Jem's serious face; he was attempting to deliberately provoke me. Ah, so Jem has a dark side. What a flirt, well two can play at this.

"Well that must have been easy for you when you came here Jem. Probably because all the girl's fell for you instantly" I winked at him and saw his face pale. Jackpot.

"Um, well, Tessa. You should probably go." he said regaining his composure and giving Tessa a slight push in the direction of room 451.

"Are you sure? I mean-" "Relax Tessa, your going to be fine. Now go." Jem than grabbed my wrist, pushed the knob and pushed me into the class. Wow, I finally get a friend on the first day and he conspires me through peer pressure. What a friend. Then I feel faint as I find myself before a classroom with a ginger haired man wearing a tweed plaid coat with elbow pads stand before them. All eyes are glued on me, eyeing me up and down as if I were a brand new toy in an emporium. I looked down to analyze what I was wearing. My wardrobe consisted of washed out denim shorts toppled with a red and white striped blouse and layered with a navy blue sweater. I stared at my red flats for about a good minute till Mr. Branwell stopped tinkering with a contraption in his hands and finally noticed my presence.

"Oh, Miss-" Mr. Branwell then started rummaging through his desk and found a yellow post it note that he held with a smile of delight. "Miss Theresa Gray. Yes, welcome to Honor's Science. Please take a seat anywhere," he gestured towards an empty seat in the front. Thanks for giving me options I said quietly to myself. I exhaled deeply and snaked my way through the class towards the empty seat dropping my knapsack behind the chair.

"Now class, welcome to Honor's Science. As you all know, I am Mr. Branwell and today we are going to do a small lab to start off the day-" his voice droned on and on as I stared at the clock trying to kill time. It didn't help at all that the rest of the class erupted in murmured conversations saying things like 'wow, that new girl is cute' or 'an American, I bet she is so uncivilized' or even 'I wonder if Will is coming'. Apparently, since I had first stepped foot in school, there had been animate talk that boasts of good looks from a boy named 'Will Herondale'. Who was this harlequin hero and what was so-

"Will Herondale at your service, Henry." called a voice from the doorway laced with sarcasm and consent. I craned my neck to see who it was and my heart drops into my stomach at the sight of this boy.

He had inky black hair that was tousled so messily and casual, piercing bottle blue eyes and only through observation, I noticed his muscles tense a bit as it bulged from his plain white shirt. So they weren't exaggerating after all. His angular features made him look as if he had just steeped out of a Hollister ad. He formed a smirk on his lips and winked at Mr. Branwell with an undaunted expression.

"Well Mr. Herondale, I would much prefer you call me 'Mr. Branwell'. And it has seemed that you have yet surprised me once again. I actually had a shred of hope that you would come to class on time on the first day of school, but it seems that you are very unreliable. Have you come with a note?"

"Mr. Branwell, you know me very well. Um, another excuse at another time." he grinned and the next thing he does catches me off guard. "Excuse me love, but your sitting in my seat." He replies, staring me dead in the eyes.

"You have no jurisdiction to deter me into leaving this seat." I say boldly, shocked on what I had just said.

"Well well well, it seems we have an American in our midst. So kind for you to grace us with your political view but, I have full custody over this seat sweetheart." he retorted, smirking at me with a maniacal look of determination in his eyes.

"Will just take the seat next to her. I gave her that seat because I have full jurisdiction over all of you. Now sit." Mr. Branwell croaked from the back of his desk. Apparently, our own force of authority had no guts.

"Very well." Will obliged and sat in the chair next to mine. Never keeping his eyes away from mine. This for an odd reason repressed me and excited me.

Will's POV:

Gosh this girl was beautiful. No, that wasn't the word for her. Maybe, luminous? Anyway, she intimidated me for the briefest second as I almost came for a loss of words. But what would Will Herondale be if he were mute? But gosh, I can't believe I get to sit next to her. I was perfectly capable of accepting the fact that she was to take my seat but I needed to talk to her. I look at her now, capturing mental images of her in my mind. Her light brown hair was arranged into a messy bun leaving small strands of hair to fall over her delicate face. She had a cute button nose that would occasionally twitch like a rabbit that made me laugh. Rosy pink lips that were right now in a straight line and big gray eyes that had specks of blue around the rim that were currently, looking everywhere around the room that weren't my eyes. I'll get her, and I'll make sure of it. If it were the last thing I-

Ring!

"Well class, it seems that my lecture will continue at another time. You may be dismissed." Now is my time to make a move. I jump out of my seat and turn to Tessa but to find her gone and out of my grasp. Dissapointed, I glance at my schedule. All the while, I see something in the corner of my eye, a sheet of paper left on Tessa's desk. I clutch it in my hand and analyze it. Tessa's schedule. I hold up my schedule in comparison to hers and conclude with a theory. We have all the same classes, mere coincidence or pure destiny? I'll leave that to fate, but now, it seems that Tessa and I have Honors Literature.

Tessa's POV:

Today, I learned 2 things. One, William Herondale is the most beautiful, and arrogant man I have ever met. And second, the busy hallways of high school can be the most dangerous place in the world. It is always constant motions, people rushing from class to class where as I am wandering the labyrinth like hallways that can get a person easily consumed by the crowd. Oh, I hope that I get to Literature fast. To be honest, I forgot my schedule at that horrid Science class and the only class I remember is Literature. Reasons are obvious, I love reading! Yes, you can call me a book-worm, god knows how many times my older bother Nate has. Shoot, was it room 360? Ugh, these long hallways were confusing and it didn't help that I have no knowledge what so ever as to where classes are in this school. Who knows, maybe I might find myself in a janitor's closet trying to get to P.E? I just hope-

"In need of a savior Miss Gray?" asked a familiar voice that had as much sarcasm as... Will! I turned around to find him holding up my schedule with a grin on his face.

"Ok, I'm sorry I took your seat in Science, but was it really necessary to steal my schedule? I mean, that's cruel to a lone new kid who doesn't know her way around." I asked with a look of sympathy, hoping it makes him pity me. But surprisingly, he does the opposite.

" Well, if it's a tour guide you need, Will Herondale at your service Miss Gray" he replied with an optimistic grin.

"I'll ask you to be a guide if I want to be tardy to every class. Now thank you for retrieving my schedule but it seems that compliments from you are limited. Now if you mind." I replied gesturing for him to move with a flick of my hand. He then scooted around me letting me gain passage. Finally, now where was class?

Will's POV:

Sarcasm, charm, beauty, brains? She is all that I want in a girl, plus she's tall. Anyways, she was really playing hard to get... What was wrong with her! I mean, I have looks, somewhat brains and a funny side. Was she blind, deaf and stupid at the same time? I mean, throughout all my encounters with girls, all of them (and I mean every single one) has always looked twice at me. This girl looked at me as if I were a minor inconvenience in her life. No matter, in Literature, Mrs. Sophie lets us do role-play for the books we read over summer. And we read Romeo and Juliet. Hmm, should really make a mental note... use as much charm needed. If I was going insane over this girl that I had only met for a couple seconds, then let it be so. Those couple seconds impacted a lifetime of happiness and I'm not planning to let that go.

Tessa's POV:

I clutched the doorknob of Honors Literature room 360, hesitant on what I may find on the other side. Before I can decide, a hand from behind decides for me and makes a few decisions of their own. All the while, I feel a strong force grab my waist and pushes me aside, opening the door for me and smiles in delight. I let out a small squeal of shock as I try to search for the face of this 'Cassanova'. My eyes trail up from his hand that hugged my waist and up his arm, his buff chest, his neck and- Jem!

"Jem! What the heck?" I slapped his hand as he deflected my hit by catching my hand mid-air.

"I'm trying to open m'lady's door for her."

Jem then gestured for me to enter the class.

"Well did you have to do it in an informal fashion? I mean for god's sakes, we are in a school!" I practically yelled.

"Sorry love, you seem a bit edgy." he said with a defensive pull of his hands as a sign of surrender.

"Well please don't do that again. I mean, I would have thought you would be the only person in this bloody british school who wouldn't hit on me." I said, my words felt like arrows as it escaped my mouth and hit Jem with a look of confusion. I then unraveled his arm from my waist and gave him a meaningful look before walking into class.

"Wait Tessa-" he called out but I blocked all of his words from my ears and made my focus on the class. There was an awkward silence that fell over the room as I entered. I saw in the front of the class, a beautiful girl with flowing blonde hair and powder blue eyes with specks of gold around the rim. She was mesmerising, and so was the gash that was streaked across her face. She looked as if she were an abused barbie doll who took a pounding from an 8 year old. The girl than eyed me up and down and gave me a polite smile.

"Ah, so you are the Miss Theresa Gray. Well class will begin shortly and you may take a seat anywhere." She may be the friendliest person I've met today, and she was my teacher. I then walked into the class, passing cold stares that came my way with every step. I heard murmmurs under peoples breath that all had the same topic. 'Oh my gosh, that's the girl. Tessa Gray, she practically insulted Will Herondale today. She must be a stupid American.' Well I'll make another mental note on what else I've learned today. News travels fast however it may be delievered. Whether through text messages in class, whispers in the hallways or actually being at the scene of the crime. A couple minutes passed and another tardy bell rang. A flood of students came barging into the class by the heaps. And only one person stood out from the crowd. Will Herondale. Honestly, I met Will for only a moment ago but it felt like ages. His very description bore into my every thought, etched the corners of my mind and somehow, it went to my vision. That can't be him, can it?

"Now class settle down." said the lady at the front of the class. "My name is Miss Sophie. As you can tell, formalities are not necessary in this class. Now Mr. Herondale." she glared at Will who was leaning against the wall in a corner of the room while everyone else took their seats. "May you please take a seat." she asked of him in a manner.

"But Sophie, as you can see, there are no other desks in the class except by the one next to Miss Gray." he smirked and stared at me with a look of amusement in his piercing blue eyes. Miss Sophie rolled her eyes and retorted "Well take a seat next to Miss Gray otherwise you can take a seat in Mrs. Branwell's office, again."

"Well rules are rules aren't they." he said grinning at me and dropped his bags next to mine. "I can tell we are going to be the best of friends, Tess."

This is really him. I can sense his sarcasam miles away and those blue eyes that were as unreadable and serene as the ocean. He parted his mouth, as if he were to make a speech and closed it shut in the next second. Miss Sophie advanced down the aisles of the desks and passed out a blue paper to each student.

"Now class, over the summer, each student was assigned a book to read. In honors Literature, all of you have read Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'. And as you may have heard from last year's class, we love theatricality." The entire class looked at her with dumbfounded expressions. This must have been as new to them as it was for me. But for an odd reason, Will just kept staring at me. Creep.

"So, these sheets of paper that I have passed out are the character roles that you are all playing. You must all come together and act out each scene in the auditorium. You are graded on your knowledge of the character you play and your knowledge of the book." Elementary. From the moment Aunt Harriet informed me that it was required for all students to read the book, I familiarized myself of the book for the 30th time.

There was a screech in the back of the room and I turned my head to see who produced that noise. My eyes landed on a girl with a description that was practical of any other American. She had curly blonde locks that were cascading down her face and looked as if it were expensive fine silk. And warm brown eyes, almost an amber colored that were at the moment, wide and in shock.

"The nurse?" she yelled. I laughed to myself. A beauty like her playing the nurse, now that was laughable. I felt an urge to look at my paper, worried if I might've gotten Rosaline, the mysterious girl whom Romeo is first infatuated with. Probably either Lady Montague or Lady Capulet. I glance on my page and feel an urge of disappointment as I read the paper to myself. Juliet Capulet.

Will's POV:

Tybalt! This was an outrage. I have a clear right to be Romeo Montague. I look at Tessa now, she has a look of shock and relief spreads through me like wild fire. Perhaps she has gotten the part of Rosaline Capulet. Good, she won't be- wait! I look at her paper and see 'Juliet Capulet'. Noo! How can this be? I can't just play her cousin in the play. My ambition to play Romeo has now increased to determination that will not take inexcusable assignments by Miss Sophie.

"Yes, Romeo!" screamed a voice to my right. I glare at Jem Carstairs. That little-

"Will, what role did you receive?" he asked in a kind tone. He must have wanted to gloat.

"Well if you must stick your nose into other people business, Jem. I am playing Tybalt Capulet." I give him the rudest snare that I can muster and use it as daggers, directly at him.

"Hey, whose my leading lady?" he asked in curiosity. I give him another glare that burn the back of my eyes. Oh, wouldn't you want to know.

"I am." croaked Tessa from the seat next to me.

"Ah Tessa, and what a fine Juliet you will be." he said and reached across my table, took her hand and put it to his lips. Now that crossed the line.

"Miss Sophie! Please stop this display of affection that is currently active." I yelled at Miss Sophie as she came to give me a glare. Jem released Tessa's hand and gave me a look confusion. I looked back at Miss Sophie and she just rolled her eyes.

"Will, I believe that Romeo and Juliet are trying to prep for their scenes. I gave you the specific role of Tybalt due to your-" she stopped mid sentence to look at me with an expression of pure disgust. It isn't new but it hurts coming from a person who only met me for practically 2 minutes! But I also found the love of my life in 2 minutes as well so, all is well. I look at Tessa to see her holding back a laugh. Just great. Well, at the current moment, number one intuition is to make a lasting impression on her. And I think I just know how...

5 WEEKS LATER:

Tessa's POV:

A feeling of regret floods through me. Should I have agreed to do Juliet? Should I have just agreed with Jessamine to trade places so I may do the nurse? Oh, last minute thoughts were always the worst. The curtains will rise and so will lunch. No, can't think negative. I did agree to play Juliet after hours of convincing from Jem and felt confident with all those practices of cliche and cheesy lines with him after school. I can do this... no I can't. And to top it all off, throughout the past 5 weeks, Will Herondale had been on my mind and in all of my classes! He must have known this when he found my schedule on the first day of school. But I must say, he had made an impression on me. At first, I thought of him to be an ignorant boy who is in love with himself. Well, he was at first until I truly got to see him through his barriers that he had built using his basic tools. Snide remarks as his building bricks, angst attitude as wet cement and sarcasm to patch any holes. And it seems that with my friendship with him acted as dynamite to leave the remaining walls to close within. But with shield down and arms surrendered, I don't think he will ever know how to bare it. Ever since Jem and I had started practicing our scenes together, he would just walk out awkwardly as he remained his poise composure. Restraining himself from the words that were at the tip of his tongue but got caught in his throat.

"10 MINUTES TESSA!" yelled Sophie as she barged into my dressing room.

"Sorry, it is not in my nature to chime into a room in such a barbaric manner. I mean I would have checked if your decent but, it seems that the play will begin." she apoligized and left the room leaving the door slightly open. I let myself submerge into an enigma of thought, hoping that all unwanted visitors will be gone, but I was wrong. I heard a small knock at the door and let the intruder come in.

Will's POV:

I entered her room, my heart's content to stop this play all and all. But alas, it was Tessa's shining moment. Plus this counted as all of our grades and I relied on my academic scholarship. Yes, I am a total nerd and admit it. If I must admit things, now is the time before I completely embarrass myself before Tessa. Yes, I cried while reading 'Romeo and Juliet' over the summer. Yes I am totally Team Edward. And yes! I admit that I occasionally nod at myself in the mirror. But if you ever, for a second think that my man hood would ever be put into question, I must also confess that I have fallen irrevocably in love with the girl before me and she doesn't even know it. Till now.

"Tess, can we talk?"

"Sure, Will." she replied forcing a smile on her nervous face. I could feel her tense timorously as she was radiating with anxiousness.

"I...I think that." What now? I can't just tell her I love her without her wanting to slap me. Over the pas 5 weeks, we have formed a strong friendship. My feelings for her can't be translated through words, so I must find another way. "Your gonna be a great Juliet! Good luck out there, Miss Sophie is our only audience but she exaggerates it." Whew! Saved. But for an odd reason, Tessa had a look of dismay and sorrow. She probably hoped I said something else. But what?

"Thanks Will. Your gonna be an extraordinary Tybalt. You'll probably change the view of Tybalt as you recreate his role in your own artistic way of being the bad boy." she smirked at me and all I could feel was regret.

"Ha, well see you in ten." I escorted myself out of her dressing room.

"Hey Will!" Jem called from the end of the corridor.

I felt a devilish grin cross my lips as I have produced a maniacal idea.

"Hey Jem!" I replied as I made my way to him.

Tessa's POV:

Good Luck! That's all he could say? I mean don't get me wrong, I appreciate it but I was hoping for something more. Hope it doesn't sound selfish of me to think so.

A brief voice of encouragement urged me to leave and I willingly obeyed it. I pick up the skirts of my costume and waltzed out of the dressing room with a sickening feeling that affected my balance. In a couple minutes, I found myself curled up on the ground ruminating on my feelings. I do love Will! The very thought and desire has been eating me alive throughout these past 5 weeks and I just stand there everyday next to him, morosely contemplating. How could I have ever been so erratic about my feelings? In the next 10 minutes, I will play the role of a girl who is so certain on her heart while I am in a dressing room bawling over my best friend. And all those signs that he had displayed, I so carelessly pushed away. I can't do this play. I can't do it.

"Tessa?" asked Will as he appeared through the doorway. My heart shattered into a million pieces as he uttered my name. I scrambled on my feet and gave him a stern look.

"Will, I love you!" Tears forced themselves to fall from my eyes but I forced them back. How could I have just declare my feelings for Will and get away with it without him laughing. But as I stand there and marvel at him, he astonishes me by doing something unexpected.