My first week of school wasn’t as bad as the first day was. Throughout the week the curious gazes of my fellow students had died down and come Wednesday morning everyone was approaching me with questions on how I was finding school so far or a weird ridiculous remark of how I’m not walking around with a cup of tea and my pinkie finger sticking out. What was that about? Americans really do believe we live like the queen back home. My encounter with Maverick at Monday’s lunch break was our one and only encounter so far. I hadn’t had any run‘ins with him at all throughout the week and I stupidly yet weirdly found myself looking around each corner in hopes we did bump into each other again. God! If I was to say this out loud, I would sound ridiculous considering I didn’t know the guy, but I couldn’t help it he has obviously made some sort of impression on me. I assume he hasn’t been in school all week and I was tempted to ask his brothers of his whereabouts, who by the way I have exchange

Nina’s pov- My chest was tight with the ache in my heart. It just seems so surreal to know that Ashton was really gone, to know that my mum was really gone. everything feels empty with the knowledge that yet another person I cared for was no longer here. if I text him, I now wouldn’t get a reply. if I needed my mother she wouldn’t be there to answer when I call. I gripped at Mavericks shirt, my forehead leaning against his chest. The touch of his palm soothing me in the sweetest way as he held me against his body. He smelt so good, the smell of his cologne a warmth to me. I was no longer crying but I couldn’t bring myself to let him go, I was afraid that if I did, I would break all over again. I was a girl who didn’t break, I didn’t want to break. but here I am, in the arms of a boy I had met only once. He was a stranger but, in this moment, he didn’t feel like one. In this moment he was much more, he was my anchor to the ground, my safety jacket that let me swim without drowning. H

Well, my weekend was eventful to say the least. After my melt down at the grill on Saturday I had refused to leave the house for the rest of the weekend. I was embarrassed not only for my scene at the grill but my breakdown in front of Maverick. He had handled the situation really well and seemed genuinely concerned for me but that didn’t make the reality of how I had publicly behaved any less of an embarrassment. Uncle Jesse was up and out of the house early Sunday morning leaving me free to spend the whole of the morning to cry it out, only stopping when I was forced too with a knock on the door from Lucas in the late afternoon. He was sweet, he wanted to stop by and check on me and Arleen had sent him with a bag of food to make sure that I was eating and not skipping meals like I had been doing. I felt horrid for my behaviour towards her on Saturday evening, I made a mental note to apologise for knocking her over in the process of fleeing the grill, she didn’t deserve that, and I sp

“So, Mav gets a greeting, but we don’t?” one of his brothers chimed in thankfully slicing through the intense staring contest I had unknowingly entered with Maverick. “Not at all, hi” I forced my eyes away from Mavericks to the boy standing beside him. “Axel” he held his hand out in a greeting gesture. “I remember, it’s nice to see you again Axel” I shook his outstretched hand “Hmm, it’s nice to see you too Jasmine” he smiled the brightest yet goofiest smile my way. “Erm my names Nina” I corrected him, awkwardly glancing to Maverick for some help but he was too distracted with something behind me to come to my rescue. I wonder if he’s, ok? He seems a little tense but then again everyone seems to be off today, Uncle Jesse was grouchy and then Lucas too, maybe it was one of those days for everyone. “Excuse my brother and his childish behaviour” Levi swatted Axel at the back of his head. “Hey, what? she smells like jasmine flowers” he whined turning back to face me “you smell like

Nina’s pov- This morning I had woke way too early for my liking. I kept having this dream, A dream that I couldn’t remember a single thing about once my eyes had opened. It was the type of dream that woke me with a startle, every single hour throughout the entirety of the night until I had finally made the decision to forget the futile attempts at sleeping and figuring it will be best that I just get up and start the weekend at five in the morning. Uncle Jesse on the other hand got a lie in for the first time since I had arrived in his home, he didn’t wake up until just after nine o’clock when usually he would be up and out of the front door by nine. It was now eleven o’clock and I was currently sat on the sofa flicking through the tv channels, I wasn’t one for watching television usually I would stick to books or watch the odd series that caught my attention. But I needed to do something, I was trying everything I can to distract myself. I had called Natalie this morning but today w