This was going to suck. Ren is sent to a well-known school in North Valley Washington, ‘Pruitt’s School for Young Ladies.’ Where she is supposed to be reformed and made into a girl her mother could be proud of. There is a problem, though. Directly next to this new school is a school called ‘North Valley School for Juvenile Offenders.’ A place for good girls, and a school for juveniles, with only a large black gate between them. What could possibly go wrong? Unexpected friendship. A new family. Love? Marianas Trench - Beside You

I’m sure you’ve heard the stories. Of Icarus and his desire to reach the sun. Carving wings out of wax only to have them melt from the intense heat. He never reached the sun. They say he fell to his death. Though, not all the stories are true. But sometimes, there is some truth to them. And sometimes, things are never what you’d expect them to be.

The flame was wild. Orange everywhere, engulfing everything in its wake. I stared as the fire grew larger, more dangerous. The building collapsed, turning to ash. At the epicenter of this small tragedy was a small white flame, and a girl. I stood perfectly still as I stared. The heat swirled around me. I called out, hoping for a response. The only sound returning was the wail of the fire, and the wood cracked as it fell to the ground. My voice sounded hoarse as I called out again. I advanced into the fire. A soft noise caused me to stop. The only thing louder than the howling flames was her sadness. I moved forward and extended my hand. The fire around her roared. It was then that she realized I was like her. I knelt in front of her and smiled. The fear on her face made the anger rise in me. I had finally found her, and I realized she was no longer strong. “Eaden,” I said softly. Her eyes told me everything I needed to know. “My name,” I said, “Is Lucia.” She began to sob, and I took her into my arms and forced her to her feet. “You are coming with me,” I told her. She only nodded, and I led her away from the fire. As we left what remained of her home, I cursed the man that was supposed to protect her. Even I didn’t know what I would do to him if I ever laid eyes on him again.

As the saying goes: Better the Devil you know. Shay: How do you define the word, Devil? How do you ask someone why they are the way that they are? I didn’t realize what it all really meant. I was about to come face to face with a Devil for the first time. Only he wasn’t really the first. Noah: I had to close my eyes so that I could concentrate on blocking out the pain My jaw ached, and it felt like needles were pricking my arms and legs. “Noah,” she said in a whisper. My body shook. Just being close to her was painful. It was difficult to explain how, but the pain from her close proximity was mixed with pleasure. “Shay,” I said back to her, just as quiet. She let out a small sound. My eyes opened quickly to see her covering her mouth to stifle a laugh. “What’s so funny?” I asked, feeling the pain in my extremities start to fade. Her hand dropped quickly to reveal a dazzling smile. “It’s nothing,” she said, meeting my gaze, “You were just making a cute face.” I felt myself frown, “Cute?” She nodded at me with her face dead serious. I had to glance away from her. I didn’t mind that she called me cute, but I felt a strange sensation in my stomach. She let out a laugh, and the feeling only got worse.

Well, how can I possibly begin? My name is Sonya, and I am what you would call an exchange student. When I say exchange, I don’t mean another country or another state. I am from Earth, and the planet I am staying on is Venus. It wasn’t every day that other planets accepted anyone from Earth to visit them. I got lucky. This isn’t my main story, but a small part of it. This is a one-shot, and this story will likely one day change just slightly. Let me just say that being on a foreign planet was hard enough, but adding boys to the mix only made things harder. I’m not big on romance, and personally, I’ve never dated much before, but this was something entirely new for me. A new planet, new people, new friends, and a weird-looking fruit? Read this short story and get to know a few of these characters. An Exchange Program short. (This story has yet to be published on any site, but when it is, I hope you will check it out.)