Chapter One
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I struggled to concentrate.  It was the last day of school before spring break, and the teachers, sensing our lack of motivation, skimped out on actual schoolwork.  It might have been great if it hadn't left me with the fatigue of someone who had endured a seven-hour marathon of cheesy soap operas.  There had to be a more efficient way to use the brain, or, at the very least, waste my time…
I would have eagerly taken out our English class' novel and started reading with the rest of my classmates if I hadn't finished it two days ago.  'That's what you get for being an overachiever,' I thought bitterly, sulking. I rested my chin on my arms and stared robotically ahead at the chalkboard that colorfully wished us a nice break.
My gaze found its way back to the boy on my left with a cell phone in his lap: Austin.  Austin Winderson, possibly the most athletic boy in our grade, and without a doubt too popular to even look my way. His girlfriend, caked in makeup and looking way older than thirteen, batted her eyes at him from the other side of the room. Welcome to the hierarchy of middle school.
I indulged myself and let my gaze linger on that beautiful boy even as I watched him slide his phone closed with as much agony as laying a beloved pet to rest.  Another phone, surely his baby's, slid open.  My eyes shifted to my right, and I sat up a bit straighter when I saw her jaw drop.  She hastily texted a response, her sight locked on him.  I looked to my left. Austin replied, sliding his phone into his backpack once he'd turned it off.  I noticed more eyes catching on to the drama when his girlfriend gawked him way, a look of abhorrence skewing that plastic, tan face.
The bell rang, and like a commercial, interrupted this juicy scene.  Austin hurried out of the room before that tan goddess cornered him and unleashed her omnipotent wrath.  Being at the bottom of the social hierarchy, seeing as brains don't win you many friends, I was a bit rusty on understanding the scene I'd just witnessed. From what I could gather, it seemed that Austin had just broken up with his girlfriend. Via text. Ouch.
I collected my belongings, with Mr. O'Connor mentioning something along the lines of, "Let's try not to get lost in thought during class, Ms. Kantono." I managed a "Have a nice break" before I squeezed out of the door and merged into the sea of students.  Why couldn't teachers call you by your first name? I know 'Crow' seems a bit strange, especially when you address a person as such, but I've been going by that nickname since I was four. Maybe younger. Maybe that was the problem… That, or those stupid snips people sent my way when they called me 'birdie-girl' like I was an old cat lady, but with pigeons and seagulls and canaries instead.
I released my anger as I passed Austin's locker, spotting his girlfriend in a fit of tears, and him trying his best to calm her down.
'Much better than a soap opera,' I decided, hating myself a bit for indulging in his ex-girlfriend's misery.  This hatred and cruel joy faded as I reached my locker.  'He'll just find someone new before we even get back from break,' I told myself.  With a sigh, I opened it and carefully set my books down in the order of my classes.  I threw on my jacket and slung my messenger bag over my shoulder.  I closed the metal door and exited the school, walking down the same hallway, passing the same people, and leaving through the same door. Same old, same old.