the doorbell rang. i ran downstairs with nothing but an oversized sweatshirt on that goes down to my mid-thighs and some white socks. i slid on the smooth wooden floor, almost slipping and breaking my neck. i opened the door to see sasha standing out front.

"hey sasha." i greeted her.

"what are you wearing?" she raised an eyebrow.

"oh, um.." i said nervously.

"put some pants on. you don't want to give the guys any ideas." she told me. "you know how high school boys are."

"i was planning on that.." i trailed off as a saw a car pull up in the driveway, for gene to step out of the car.

sasha turned and spotted him. "you should probably go get changed now." she said to me.

"yeah." i said and i quickly ran upstairs and put on some shorts and put my white/silver hair into a high ponytail, and i run downstairs to see sasha and gene conversing.

"uh caroline, you didn't put on any pants." sasha grumbled.

"yes, i did!" i replied and lifted my sweatshirt to reveal dark blue denim shorts. "and if i didn't, i should be allowed to wear what i want anyways."

gene smirked. "anyways, you got any snacks?"

i rolled my eyes. "c'mon." and gestured for them to follow me and brought them to the kitchen.

sasha seemed appalled by the size of the kitchen, "wow."

"yes my dad's kitchen so small im so embarrassed." i joked and they chuckled. i pulled out my cheeto puffs and some coca cola cans. "so how are you guys?"

"i could be better." sasha replied.

"same." gene stated.

the doorbell rang.

"i'll get it." sasha said as she slowly headed towards the front door, which was a few corridors away.

i could feel gene's eyes on me as i opened the fridge to retrieve some leftover chinese food i ordered two days ago. i turned around to face him so see his stupid smirk painted on his face. "what are you looking at?"

his cheeks turned pink. "nothing."

i raised my eyebrows and handed him a coke. "you're probably going to need this."

"maybe i need something el-"

"hey guys." zenix said as him and sasha entered the room.

"hey zenix." i said.

"your house is huge." he said.

i rolled my eyes. "i know. but i only live here on the weekend. my mother doesn't want me to get a 'big head' from living in this luxury all the time."

"you already have a big head." gene remarked and i picked up a tangerine from the fruit bowl and threw it at him. he laughed. "calm down, princess."

"you fucking suck, mr. bad boy." i replied. i picked up the snacks and drinks and gestured for them to follow me and lead them to the bigass living room.

the shadow knights all sat on the couch while i sat on a stool in front of the minbar, which was a few feet away from the couch.

"you want to watch tv?" i asked them.

"yeah. let's watch a movie or something." sasha said, sounding kind of bored.

"no, guys. we need to get down to business!" gene stated.

"mulan it is." i walked over to the coffee table to grab the remote but gene stopped me.

"caroline, sit down. it's time for a chat." gene shoved zenix over and patted the area next to him.

i hesitated but eventually complied. "yes?"

"to be in the shadow knights, you have to do some things to...officially join." he explained.

"like what?" i asked.

"to be initiated, we're going to make you spray paint our logo on a surface in the park."

"deal."

"oh."

"why do you sound sad?"

"it's just that i was hoping to blackmail you into doing it because it's more fun, but you're compliant." he smirked.

"okay, first of all, i am not nearly as compliant as you make me out to be. i'm actually very stubborn because i like to think for myself and not do what some stupid person tell me to do and-"

"okay calm down! sheesh." he grumbled. "anyway, the initiation will be tomorrow after school if that's alright?"

"perfect." i grabbed his hand and shook it. "it's a deal." i stood up. "now, i have to go to the bathroom. be right back." i dashed down a few corridors.

~gene's pov~

sasha elbowed me playfully. "look at us, gene, we finally got a new member that isn't a total buzzkill."

i chuckled. "i know. she's great."

"stop drooling, gene." zenix rolled his eyes. "she's not that great."

"stop being bitter, zenix. just face it, you're mad that she called you out on your bad insults." sasha laughed.

"shut up sasha!"

"shut up zenix!"

"both of you, shut up." i rolled my eyes. why do i have such imbeciles as friends?

~caroline's pov~

i walked back to the living room to see zenix and sasha bickering with each other, and then gene trying to shut them up.

"im back, imbeciles." i snickered.

gene's frown instantly faded into a neutral emotion. "took you long enough."

sasha and zenix looked at each other, suspiciously.

"i think i'm going to take my leave now." sasha said. "i have to go do some chores."

"i have this thing soon," zenix muttered, "gotta go."

gene grinned. "bye."

"bye i guess. see you tomorrow." i called as they both walked out of the room.

"they wanted us alone." he said.

"ew. they should really work on their shipping preferences." i muttered.

"anyways, can i see your jewelry collection?" he asked.

"Uhm that's a weird thing to request, but sure." i lead him up to my bedroom and he plopped down on the bed.

"it's just to see how rich you are." he stated. "i'm just curious."

"weird thing to be curious about." i rolled my eyes. "but here." i pulled out a drawer which held my favorite jewellery. cartier bracelets and rings, and diamond rings and earrings.

he walked over to glance at it. "im impressed, princess. are you sure you're not a real princess with all those accessories.

i giggled. "yeah." and i pushed out my wooden chair and laid down on my comfy king sized bed. gene followed me and laid right next to me. we began to talk and we got really deep into the conversation.

"so, who do you like?" gene asked me.

i blushed. "nobody. all of the hot boys at school are annoying."

"so i'm annoying?" gene asked.

"yeah."

"so i'm hot?"

"yeah."

he smiled and rolled his eyes.

"who do you like?"

"you're going to judge me and then you're going to tell her, and she'll hate me even more."

"who??" i was very curious now.

"aphmau. but she hates me so i know it'll never work out."

i smiled. "i didn't know you had feelings."

"yeah. it kind of sucks though."

"well since you don't really care about other people, rebounds seem good for you."

"a rebound?"

"some people call it shitty, but i call it coping and healing."

"tea." he said. "thanks caroline."

"don't thank me, because there's a chance it won't end well."

"it never ends well for me."

"i felt that."

"nice."

i looked at the time and it was 8:21. damn we've been talking for a longass time.

"i think i have to go home now." he grinned. "this was fun."

i smiled. "yeah."

he walked out of the room and i followed him downstairs. "bye caroline." he stated when he was out the door and his mom pulled up in her popping 2005 black jeep.

i grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. "bye."

he was taken aback but didn't seem to mind as he hugged me back. "see you tomorrow." he hesitantly pulled away and got into the car.

~gene's pov~

"i saw that hug!" my mom remarked. "do you finally have a girlfriend?"

"what? no mom! she's just a friend."

i told her. plus i like aphmau.

"whatever you say, dear." she said and we drove off.