I prop my head against my elbow and lose myself in my music. A swirl of bold guitar riffs, powerful drums, and sharp piano notes accompany the voice of the lead singer of my favorite band, Danger Haven. I know that the people around me can probably hear what I’m listening to, but I don’t care. The people at this school aren’t exactly the nicest. They’re all into expensive clothes, obnoxious pop music, and each other’s social media accounts. I, however, prefer thrift store finds and vintage clothes (I have a collection of Members Only jackets that I love), meaningful music, and photography that is genuine and diverse, not overly-filtered selfies of people I don’t like.

    Suddenly, someone taps me on the shoulder and I jump. I tug my earbuds out and look over my shoulder. The student librarian looks nervously at her shoes. I don’t recognize her, she must be new.

    “Could you please turn your music down?” She says to her shoes. “We’ve had some complaints about how loud it is.”

    I glance over her shoulder. Just as I suspected. Leaning up against the librarian’s desk is Jenny Tate. She looks as preppy as ever in her knee-high socks under her pleated navy blue skirt and white blouse.

    I give her a huge wave and smile, baring all my teeth at her in my fakest, warmest smile. She glares at me and storms away. She always tries to outscore me in class, belittle me in the hallways, and spread nasty rumors about me. I don’t let her get any satisfaction by bragging or complaining or crying. But it still hurts me, even if I don’t show it.

    “You shouldn’t let her boss you around.” I tell the student librarian. “She’s got the clothes of an 80’s schoolgirl for sure, but deep down inside of her, there’s a monster. Don’t let those clothes make you feel pity for her, she’s pure evil. What’s your name? Are you new?”

    The girl laughs shyly and momentarily meets my eyes. “My name is Beth Hughes.”

    “Ah, I’m Griffin Jones.” I shake her hand. “I’m a junior.”

    “I am too, we just moved here from Nevada.”

    “So, what kind of classes do you take?”

    “I take—” She’s interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

     “Beth, are you ready to go?” A boy asks. He’s the perfect picture of a tortured soul with shaggy black hair covering his equally dark eyes, and a pair of tortoiseshell glasses framing them.

    “Yeah…” She trails off. “I just need to sign out with the librarian. Bye, Griffin.” She walks away with the boy.

    I gather my things and leave. Even when I’m alone in my room later that night, blasting my music and chugging coffee, I can’t get the boy out of my head. I guess I’ve always been into the troubled boys, the ones with the souls of poets and a mournful look in their eyes.

    At my desk I sketch his face, the curve of his jaw, his huge, dark eyes, and the dark hair that covers his face and almost brushes his shoulders.

    The next day at school I go back to the library to try and learn a little bit more about Beth. She’s in all honors and Advanced Placement like me, and I realize that she’s in my history class. She loves to read and says that she has a lot of cats. When we get on the subject of siblings, Beth tells me she’s a twin.

    “You are?” I ask.

    “Yep, that guy yesterday who interrupted us yesterday is my twin.” Beth replied. Her small frame and light brown hair looks nothing like his dark hair and dark eyes. “His name is Levi. I doubt he’ll be in any of your classes, he doesn’t like to try in school.”

    “Oh.” I reply. “You could’ve fooled me, you don’t really look much like him”

    “Wow, that’s the best compliment I’ve gotten all day!” Beth laughs. I can tell she doesn’t make friends easily, which is a surprise given her good nature and intelligence.

    I’m on my way to my next class when I run into Levi. Well, I don’t literally run into him. However, I notice him wandering around the hallways like a lost puppy.

    “Are you lost?” I call out to him.

    “No.”

    “You might want to stop looking like you are, then. You sure?”

    “Well… I can’t find my will to live.” Levi quips. His voice is deep and smooth.

    “Funny, funny. What are you looking for?” I reply.

    “The…” He checks his schedule, “ceramics classroom. Room 2102.”

    “I know where that is, follow me, I’m headed to AP Art anyway.”

    “Cool. I’m Levi.”

    “Griffin.”

    On Friday, I invite Beth to go to the beach with me.

    “Why? It’s January!” She exclaims. “Won’t it be cold?”

     “I’m not going to swim! I’m going to walk on the beach and collect shells.”

    “Can I invite my brother? He loves the water, and I want him to stop sulking in his room for once.”

    “Sure.”

    After school we all pile into my car. It’s Beth who breaks the silence first.

    “Levi, she’s going to take us to collect shells.” Beth informs him. He grunts from the back. His long legs are stretched out across the backseat.

    We don’t talk for the rest of the trip. We just sit in peaceful silence, listening to my playlist.

    They act just like tourists when we get to the beach. Even Levi takes some interest in the water. He watches the waves crash onto the sandy shore, occasionally grabbing bits of orange, red, and white shells and weathered pieces of driftwood. Beth, however, has stuffed the pockets of her jacket and her hands with shells, sea glass, and driftwood.

    I teach Levi how to skip stones while Beth sorts through her shells.

    “Hold it like this,” I show Levi how to pinch the stone between his fingers. “Good. Now you want to throw it underhand.” I hold his arm and walk him through the movement. “Now, release!”

    He lets go and the stone skips three times across the water.

    He cheers and I high five him.

    Night comes early, or so it seems, as the sun lowers into sky the color of burning coals and eventually disappears, leaving only a smudge of red in the sky. The darkness is only broken by the moon and the stars, shimmering brightly in the sky. The moon is reflected, a white disc, on the ocean waves.

    Eventually, we rest in the cold sand, which clings to our clothes and skin.

    “This would make a really beautiful painting.” I sigh. I’ve always been calmed by the ocean at night, the crashing waves, the ocean’s song, and the chill that creeps in as the sun sinks and disappears.

    “It would.” Beth replies. “You should paint it.”

    “Maybe I will.”

    After a while, I take them home.

    “This is the street.” Beth tells me. “Last house on the right.”

    They get out of my car and Beth smiles and thanks me. Levi meets my eyes with a half smile that sends shivers up my spine. I think I might like him. Just maybe.

    As I drive away, I see their figures fading away into the darkness. I realize I’m humming and laugh. Maybe high school will turn out okay. Maybe...but I’m pretty sure it will. I imagine how many more days we’ll spend together, and wonder if my friendship might become something more with Levi. I smile and turn up my music, singing along as I drive.

     My world just got a whole lot brighter.