okay here's my first chapter. The rating should change to M soon. Probably around chapter 2,3 or 4, which is where the lemons should start.

Gemma POV

I stepped lightly into the forest, looking around warily to make sure that nobody noticed me, a lone girl venturing into the trees alone. I walked swiftly, not slowing down until I was sure that I was completely hidden from the other girls, enveloped in the many greens of the forest. I chose a direction and walked at a leisurely pace, relishing the spongy feeling of the new spring grass underfoot. Suddenly I stopped, looking around me. I had stumbled across one of the few clearing that dotted the huge, green expanse of the woods. Gingerly, I sat down on the edge of the clearing, leaning against the rough bark of a tree. The wind blew through the trees, breaching the thin material of my chemise and making me shiver. Suddenly I regretted my decision not to dress properly before leaving Spence.

Lazily, I thought about my friends. They were all asleep at this hour, no doubt. Ann slept like a log, and lately, Felicity had no reason to be up at this ungodly hour of the morning. In fact, lately, she had no reason to do anything at all. She had been so quiet; everyone was scared, waiting for the old Fee to come back, with her witty comments and her piercing gray eyes. But it had been over six months since Pippa... you know, and still she stared blankly at nothing and spoke only when spoken to, sometimes not even then.

Ann was still Ann, though sometimes I questioned her sanity. She had stopped cutting herself, but now all that she could think about was Tom! She was like a lovestruck, puppy, trailing after him whenever he came to visit, but whenever he spoke to her, her normally pale cheeks flushed bright red and she replied with a quiet, ladylike response. I didn't want her to be disappointed, but someone would have to tell her that Tom would never feel the same way.

I mean, he's never mentioned Ann and I know that he's to proud and snobby to even think of marrying a scholarship student. In fact, I wonder how she hasn't noticed what a snob he is! Not to mention his horrible sense of self-righteousness. I hate seeing Ann like that, stumbling for words over a man that will never look at her twice.

You shouldn't be the one critisizing, a tiny voice nagged in my head. Maybe she feels the same way about Tom that you do about Kartik. I mentally swatted at the voice, treating it like an annoying fly that buzzed around my head, whispering unwanted truths in my ears.

Deep down, I knew that it was right. How could I think of Ann like that when I'm floating around, wrapped up in my own cocoon of lovesick dreams and walks through the forest that could last for hours. His face appeared yet again as it had so many times in the last few days, and I tried to push it away, but it was no use. My mind was already churning with thoughts of his lips on mine and the smell of scorched cinnamon. Finally, I gave in and allowed my mind to run wild with thoughts of him, with his thick eyelashes and that perfect mouth………

I jolted awake, forgetting where I was and banging my head on a low tree branch. "Blast!" My curse echoed through the forest. I looked up, still holding my head, and saw that the sun had risen noticeably since I had wandered into the woods, looking for a small moment of peace. Spence would be waking up any time now.

Maybe if I hurried I could slip into bed before anybody noticed my absence. Groggily, I stumbled towards the other end of the clearing. I came from that direction, didn't I?

I shrugged inwardly and began to walk to the other end of the clearing. Suddenly I could feel another presence in the trees, watching me. I slowed to a halt and stooped over, pretending to check my legs for scratches. Sure enough, a twig snapped in two, sounding like it was only a few paces behind me. I whipped around, expecting to catch someone red handed, but the clearing was empty. Gemma, you idiot!

There had never been anyone in the clearing. The only place that a twig could break was in the trees, not a clearing! I scanned the forest, trying to pick out an irregular shape among the trees. There was no one there. A crow screeched high above me, beyond the canopy of the trees.

I rolled my shoulders and told myself to breath slowly, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Finally I relaxed enough to pull my thoughts together. It was an animal.

My breathing slowed and I began to turn around slowly, keeping my eyes on the trees and listening for sounds, just in case. Just as I had myself convinced that I was overreacting and that I could walk back to Spence without sparing a glance over my shoulder every 3 steps, a strong, wiry arm snaked around my neck, cutting off air, shortly followed by another around my waist.

It took me a nanosecond to recognize the scent that hung in the air and the arm wrapped around me, squeezing me tightly to something sturdy and warm.

Kartik.

Please review! Go ahead and flame if you want, I need the criticism. 3