Rated: M

Warnings: This story contains strong language, sexual content, mentions of rape, drug use, and graphic violence.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: I will most likely update this every five days. Feedback is always appreciated and I hope you enjoy it. Also on some chapters there will be a playlist at the beginning of the chapter that will share which songs inspired the chapter or songs that I thought fit in the chapter well.

"From a little spark may burst a flame." - Dante Alighieri

Tish smiled excitedly as she stepped out of her car and grabbed her backpack from the back seat of her white Audi. She clicked the yellow lock button on her black keychain and began walking towards the large pillared entrance buzzing with activity. Today was her first day at Santa Cruz High School and she could barely contain her excitement. When her father had been transferred to another part of his company she had been devastated that they had to move and leave everything she had ever known behind, but once she realized it was an entirely new start she grew excited. This was her chance to start fresh and leave everything in the past. Here no one would ever have to know she had been shallow, and superficial, and overall a class-A bitch. As she approached the doors she instantly noticed the different cliques; there were cheerleaders and jocks, the theater group, the nerds, and the outcasts. After promising herself she wouldn't fall into any groups she held her head high and brushed past the many students. She pointedly ignored the stares she was getting as the new girl and walked into the school heading straight for the office.

The office was a flurry of movement with students, secretaries, and teachers all running around trying to get settled before the first bell rang. She walked up to the desk and tapped her fingers on the long counter but was ignored in all the confusion. She patiently waited and soon the first bell rang and like a cheap magic trick everyone disappeared leaving only a couple women behind desks. A stout, frazzled looking woman finally took notice of the lone student and walked over, flashing her a pleasant smile.

"How can I help you honey?"

Tish held out her transfer papers to the woman, "I'm a new transfer student."

The women grabbed for her glasses, which were hanging around her neck on a blue beaded chain and placed them over her eyes. She leaned back her head and peered through her glasses at the papers for a few seconds before slipping the glasses off and smiling again.

"Well it's wonderful to have you here. I'll grab your class schedule and locker assignment and we'll find someone to show you around."

Tish thanked her and waited at the counter while the woman returned to her desk and began typing.

"Morning Gladys!"

Tish looked to her right to see who had greeted the secretary so informally. She was met with an amusing sight and she couldn't help the smile that spread across her cheeks. The voice had come from a boy with the brightest colored hair she had ever seen. He looked to be older than Tish and around six feet tall, maybe six-one. He was very fit with wide shoulders and a narrow waist and hips and his skin was a beautiful golden brown. He wore black sneakers with green laces and black shorts with a blue shirt that read, 'Easily distracted by shiny objects'. He had a on a wallet chain, many rings and bracelets, black eye liner, and a bright blue mohawk. His face and ears were covered in piercings and numerous tattoos could be seen on his arms and most noticeably his neck. The boy looked at Tish and after noticing her stare he grinned and winked before walking past her and behind the office desk.

Gladys, who had printed out the papers for Tish held out an arm in front of him, halting his forward progress. "Hold on honey, I have a job for you to do today."

The boy's eyes lit up excitedly, "No in-school suspension today?"

The woman sighed softly and adopted a sad smile, "After this you need to report honey, I don't make the rules but I have to enforce them. I'll let you take lunch in the lunchroom today though."

The boy walked over to her and threw an arm around her shoulders, "Deal. You know you're my favorite right?"

The older woman blushed and whispered loudly, "Don't tell anyone else but you're my favorite too."

The boy grinned widely, "Of course I am. Now what do you need me to do?"

She handed him the papers in her hand and pointed at Tish who was watching the pair with an amused smile. "New transfer student, show her around please." She fixed him with a stern look and pointed a finger at him. "Behave yourself with her and don't take too long."

The young man gave her a mock offended look and placed his hand on his chest, "Moi? I'm a model student and citizen, you have nothing to worry about."

Gladys crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him. The boy just grinned and walked around the counter coming to a halt next to Tish. He looked at the paper for a name to greet her and when he found it at the top of the page he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before looking at the paper again. He tried to school his features as he fought valiantly against a smile and hysterical laughter.

"Um…this way Platisha." He quickly walked forward so she wouldn't see his face and finally got control over himself enough to turn around to face her a little ways down the hall. She grabbed his arm when she caught up to him and glared at him, "It's Tish, and if you tell anyone my actual name I'll kick your ass."

The boy stared at the hand on his arm before meeting her eyes. "My name's Boaz, but I go by Priestly. I get the sucky first name thing." Priestly didn't know why he had just shared that with her, he never told anyone that. He felt rewarded a second later when she smiled brightly at him. Standing this close he could see the details he had missed when passing her in the office. He had of course noticed her olive skin, amazing figure, and beautiful chestnut red hair but hadn't seen the closer details like how rich the color of her eyes were, or how her lips were the perfect shade of pink. She was beyond beautiful and seeing her smile directed at him made him feel all-kinds of nervous, which was surprising. He hadn't been nervous around a girl in years. He cleared his throat when he felt his cheeks warming and started walking down the hall showing her the different classrooms and areas of the school.

"So you're a sophomore?" Priestly questioned when the silence began to get uncomfortable.

She nodded and looked up at him, "Yeah, what about you?"

Priestly smiled brightly, "Senior, last year in this god-forsaken place." The way he said it Tish wondered if he meant the school or the whole city.

"So why do you have in-school suspension?" Tish asked as they walked down the hall towards the back of the school.

Priestly's face instantly darkened, his eyes glittering dangerously. He made no move to open his mouth to answer her seemingly innocent question.

Sensing she had just entered dangerous territory she immediately apologized. "Sorry, I was just curious."

Priestly's eyes lit up again and he offered a smile. "No problem."

Tish returned his smile; she was actually enjoying her time with Priestly, which was surprising. At her old school she would have never looked twice at someone like him but now she was realizing there was much more to everyone than just the wrapping paper. She felt excited that her fresh start was off to a good beginning.

The pair continued walking the halls, Priestly pointing out what teachers to avoid at all costs and which ones were somewhat ok. They looked at the art projects on the wall; Priestly discussing which ones he liked and which ones should've been burned on sight. As they passed the locker rooms a large blonde boy walked out and whistled suggestively at Tish. He strutted over to the pair and leered at Tish suggestively. "What do we have here?"

Priestly rolled his eyes, "This would be a female Jeremy, maybe you could ask your boyfriend what that is."

The boy ignored him and stuck out his hand, "I'm Jeremy, star quarterback."

It took everything Tish had to not roll her eyes at the kid in front of her. She knew his type, he thought he was God's gift to women and while he was handsome Tish wanted nothing to do with him. Deciding she shouldn't make enemies on the first day she forced down her dislike and politely shook his hand, "I'm Tish."

Priestly shot daggers at the other boy, "Shouldn't you be our running or jumping or something?"

The wide football player finally turned and acknowledged him, "I don't remember talking to you Priestly."

Priestly glared harder, his fists beginning to clench at his sides. "You never talk, just mostly make caveman like sounds while hanging out with the other neanderthals."

The kid stalked towards Priestly eager for a confrontation but paused when Priestly cocked an eyebrow. "You really want to go there?"

Jeremy hesitated and turned around, "This isn't over," and jogged back to the locker room. Priestly watched him retreat with a small smirk playing on his lips.

Tish, who had stayed quiet the entire time, finally spoke. "Wow, I'm sensing some animosity there."

Priestly waved it off, "Nah, that's just my interaction with the entire student body, no big." He took a few more steps and came to a halt in front of a closed classroom door. "Well that concludes our tour for today. Questions, comments, or concerns?"

Tish giggled at his antics, "None right now but I'll be sure to find you if I need anything."

Priestly bowed slightly and stepped back, "Enjoy your day," and with a parting wink he walked away towards the office hands stuffed in his pockets.

Tish watched him walk for a few seconds before turning back to the door in front of her, she steeled herself and grabbed the door handle before swinging open the heavy wooden object and starting the first class of her first day.

By the time lunch rolled around Tish was feeling pretty good. Everyone had been nice so far and the teachers had been considerate enough to offer to help her catch up with the lessons. The lunchroom was loud and slightly overwhelming compared to the quietness and stillness of the classrooms. After purchasing her lunch she looked for a place to sit and noticed a table at the back of the room that was empty except for one person. Priestly's bright hair stood out in stark contrast with his surroundings and when she got closer she saw he was scribbling something in a book and eating an apple. His expression was blank, eyes fully concentrated on whatever he was writing. She set down her salad on the round table and slid out a plastic chair. "Enjoying your freedom?"

Priestly's head snapped up startled before realizing who was talking to him. He grinned at the sight of the beautiful brunette. "Hell yes, those little rooms are torture for people like me."

Tish popped open the top on her salad and began dumping dressing on it, "You mean people with ADD."

Priestly set down his pen and book and laughed, "Hey I've never been officially diagnosed so you can't say that."

Tish smiled at him and was about to say something in return but was interrupted when Jeremy from earlier and a skinny cheerleader walked up to the table.

The blonde cheerleader spoke first, "I'm Ashley and you met Jeremy already. Welcome to Santa Cruz High."

Tish instantly noticed the tensing in Priestly's shoulders and posture from the corner of her eye. She looked up at the girl and smiled politely in greeting, "I'm Tish."

The girl offered a quick fake smile before crossing her arms and lifting her nose to the air like she owned the whole room. "You're new so it's completely forgivable but we just wanted to let you know that you should come sit with us and stay away from the freak."

Priestly leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, "Oh look, malibu bitch learned how to talk in complete sentences."

Ashley bristled and glared at him, "Aren't you supposed to be in the office, or did someone let you off your leash?"

Priestly grabbed his belongings off the table and stuffed them in his back pocket, "You'd know all about leashes wouldn't you bitch?" With that he flipped them off and walked out of the lunchroom.

Tish watched him walk away and turned to the pair staring expectantly at her. She stood, "Thanks for the words of warning but I'm good." The duo watched in shock as she strode out of the room after Priestly. She found him moseying lazily towards the office, obviously trying to prolong his inevitable return to the small room.

Tish quickened her pace and caught up to him. "Another friend of yours?"

A flicker of surprise passed across his face at her presence, he hadn't expected her to blow them off. "You could say that."

She patted him on the arm with a mock concerned look, "You need better friends."

She was met with a bark of laughter, "Don't I know it." The pair stopped outside the office and stood silently staring at each other, neither one really wanting to say goodbye.

Priestly broke eye contact rocked back on his heels and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I guess I should get back to suspension."

Tish nodded and bit her lip, "Yeah, I guess I'll see you later."

Priestly winked and grinned, "Looking forward to it."

Tish felt relieved as she walked to her car after the final bell. She had made it through her first day at a new school. The worst had come to pass and now she could stop worrying. She fished her keys out of her pocket and unlocked her doors, throwing her backpack into the back seat as she slid into the driver seat. After buckling her seatbelt she pulled out of the parking lot and began driving home but slowed when she saw a familiar figure walking down the side of the road. She pulled over next to him but he didn't notice her, the black and red ear buds in his ears being the most probable reason. A lit cigarette was stuck between his lips, held in place by his thumb and pointer finger as he sucked in a breath and blew out a small puff of smoke. Not knowing what else to do to get his attention she rolled down her window and beeped.

He jumped at the sound and after turning to see who caused the noise he jerked out his ear buds, "You scared the shit out of me!"

Tish shrugged sheepishly, "Sorry but I couldn't get your attention."

He blew out a steadying breath trying to calm his beating heart and placed a hand on the roof leaning down to talk to her, "No problem, what's up?" She quickly wondered that herself, why was she even talking to him right now? She enjoyed his company at school earlier but this was after school and it wasn't like they were friends or anything.

She bit her lip nervously and hoped she wasn't being too forward, "I was wondering if you'd show me around town a bit, you know like at the school. You were such an awesome tour guide."

She was met with a dazzling display of perfectly straight white teeth. "I am quiet an awesome tour guide, and I'd love to show you around." He lifted his cigarette to his lips and sucked in another breath of smoke before blowing it out behind him and tossing the butt onto the ground.

Tish unlocked her doors and Priestly climbed in the car. He buckled his seatbelt and looked around the interior of the car. "This yours?"

She nodded.

"Nice car, Audi A4 Prestige right?"

"Yeah, or at least I think so. So where should I go, point me in the right direction."

Priestly directed her to the main drag and pointed out certain hot spots and areas to avoid at all costs. They had lunch at a small quirky grill and walked around aimlessly, Priestly telling her small tidbits of info about random businesses. When the sun finally began to set Tish figured she should probably go home.

She released a resigned sigh, "My mom and dad are probably wondering where I am, I should get home."

Priestly's expression dropped slightly but he nodded anyway, "No problem."

"So where do you live, I can drop you off."

Priestly looked alarmed for a second before his face returned back to the carefree and slightly cocky expression he had worn all day. "You can drop me up here, it's close enough."

Tish frowned slightly, "I can take you home, it's not a big deal."

Priestly offered a bright smile, "No really, up here is good."

Tish accepted his words and pulled over to the side of the road. The sun was just barely visible, having almost completely disappeared behind buildings and into the ocean leaving everything with a slight orange glow. Priestly unbuckled his seatbelt and turned towards Tish who was already facing him. Sitting this close she noticed things she had missed earlier. His eyes were the brightest green she had ever seen, his eyeliner only making them stand out more and he had a spattering of light freckles around his eyes, nose and onto his ears. The pair sat silently not knowing what to say and not wanting to ruin the moment they were clearly having.

Deciding he should get out of the car before he did something stupid he grabbed the door handle and exited the car swiftly. He leaned in before he closed the door and met her eyes, "Goodnight Tish."

Tish watched him gently close her car door before walking towards the sunset and eventually disappearing around a corner. She pulled back onto the road and tried to focus on driving home but the soft smell of cigarettes and cologne made her mind wander. Today had been great and she had the strong feeling that she felt that way because of a certain blue haired boy. She couldn't believe it but she had developed a crush on the older boy in a single day, he was all she could think about right now. She eventually arrived home and parked her car in the garage. As she walked inside she stopped in the living room to greet her parents who were cuddled together watching a movie.

Her mom instantly paused the movie and beckoned her daughter over, "How was your day sweetheart?"

Tish walked over and grabbed a handful of popcorn out of the bowl on her dad's lap. "Really good, I like it here."

Her dad smiled brightly at her, "I'm glad to hear it honey. You're home late, did you make new friends?"

A blush crept up on her cheeks that her father didn't notice but her mother did. "One."

Her mom gave her a knowing smile, "Glad to hear it, I'd love to here about this person later. Do you have homework or do you want to finish the movie with us?"

"Homework," she replied as she grabbed another handful of popcorn. "I'm going upstairs, love you guys." She walked down the hall and disappeared into her bedroom before throwing herself onto the bed and smiling at the ceiling, it had been an excellent day.

When Priestly arrived home he opened the door as quietly as possible and stepped inside listening for any movement. Not hearing anything he softly clicked the door shut and tiptoed across the living room only to be stopped a foot from his bedroom door by an angry voice.

'So close', he thought as he stared longingly at the white door.

"Where the fuck you been boy?" Priestly turned slowly, knowing sudden movements could upset his drunken father. He could smell the whiskey from where he stood and forced himself to not ignore the furious man. His father was bigger than he was both in height and in weight, with a thick head of hair and always seemed to have an odor of alcohol and grease.

"Out sir," Priestly replied agitatedly.

His father walked up to him and stared him in the eye. Priestly barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "I don't like your fucking tone."

Priestly tensed knowing what was coming next. A large right hand suddenly shot out and punched Priestly brutally in the ribs. When he fell from the impact his father kicked him in the exact same spot eliciting a pained grunt. Priestly laid still on the carpet, holding in his moans of pain through clenched teeth hoping the older man would just leave him alone. After what felt like an eternity the man finally turned and Priestly watched from his viewpoint on the carpet as his father's feet walked away from him. Priestly gingerly stood using the wall as support and stumbled into his room, closing and locking the door behind him. He carefully laid down on his bed and closed his eyes trying to escape the pain. Wanting to think about anything other than the horrible pain he was in he thought about Tish and smiled to himself, despite this evening today had been an excellent day.