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remark.
    I turn , but I’m afraid to look at him. I’m afraid of what I may say, or what he might say in return. When my eyes finally take him in, my mouth hangs ajar… Alex resembles nothing of the boy I had once known; he has totally grown up.
    A tall, lean, and very muscular body has replaced what used to be his skinny, shorter framed one. His shirt hugs tight against his biceps, with visible tattoos coming out from the bottom of his sleeves; making him appear more ominous and dangerous. He has a darkened look in his unreadable brown eyes. His skin is a warm caramel tone, and he looks amazing . Of course, there is no way I would tell him that, but I’m sure my expression has already given me away.
    I know that I need to walk away, but I find that I can’t move. Looking at him brings back not just the bad memories, but the good as well. I don’t want to think about either of those because one may be more painful than the other, but they are both painful to me. We both lost family and friends, but for me, distance from him is what will help me move on.
    Andrew senses my unease and misinterprets it, so he steps in and speaks before I can.
    “Thanks for the help, Alex , but we can take it from here.” he says harshly as he dismisses Alex.
    The only problem I see is that Alex resembles the type of person that does the dismissing, not the other way around.
    He looks at me one more time before walking out of the office , not saying another word. From his reputation, I would have thought he would have kicked Andrew’s ass for even talking to him, let alone talk to him in that manner.
    I release the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Lost in my thoughts, I forget that Andrew is even standing next to me until he speaks.
    “You should really stay away from Alex, Jasmine. He’s not the same person he used to be; He’s trouble, and he’s not someone you want to mix yourself up with,” he warns me.
    It’s none of Andrew’s business what I do or who I talk to, but I remain silent. At this point, I feel that the less I say, the better, so I let him walk me to my English class before thanking him and saying goodbye.
    “Alright, I’ll see you around ,” he calls to me. I turn, and like a zombie, I walk into class.
    The secretary’s words replay repetitively in my mind , “ Sorry about your brother and your father.” She has no idea that the word ‘ sorry’ could never touch the emotions that I’ve experienced. All her sympathetic words did was dredge up an emotional storm, one I’m trying hard to beat back in front of thirty other kids.

Chapter Seven
    Alex
     
    Running into Jasmine in the office first thing this morning was not what I expected. The principal called me into his office to go over the rules and conditions that the court set forth for me. I would have to attend every class during every school day, unless I was sick. I would have to complete assignments on time and keep a GPA of at least a 3.0. I know I won’t have a problem keeping my grades up – I had one of the top three highest GPA’s when I was a sophomore.
    We finished our conversation and the principal was dismissing me to first period when I walked out and caught the last few words the secretary said to Jasmine. Her face was drained of all color, and her eyes were wild with panic – like the words knocked all the air out of her body.
    The hefty secretary’s words had caused her distress. The stricken expression on her face was enough of a signal to know that she was beginning to lose it. I knew that kind of anxiety better than most people, and it was the last thing I wanted Jasmine to deal with on her first day back at school.
    I had the sudden need to speak up for her… to protect her somehow, even though my goal for the year was to avoid Jasmine. I have no ties to the person I was before half my family died, and I could not afford to become close to anyone again… separation is less painful if you remain detached.
    In my first