Chapter I
January 18, 1999
William arrived at school late. If it were up to him, he would have stayed home. He
had already missed a lot of school after his grandfather’s death, and his father
didn’t want him missing any more.
The hallways were empty. Everyone was already in class. He headed toward his
locker.
Then he heard whistling. The melody was familiar, but he couldn’t place it. He
stopped as the sound grew closer.
A girl rounded the corner, wearing a gray sweater over a lime green shirt. Strands
of dark brown hair framed her face. William had seen her in the halls, though
they’d never spoken.
She stopped whistling when she saw him.
Most days, William would have walked past, pretending he wasn’t checking her out.
But after his grandfather’s death, he’d promised himself he’d take more risks. And
with the hallway empty, there was little risk of humiliation.
As she stepped closer, he noticed her blue eyes.
He had to say something.
“Hi,” he started. “My name is Will—”
He shocked himself. He couldn’t even finish saying his full name.