An alarm clock was going off in the back around. Iris Desjardins who was sound asleep in sprung up and turned her off her alarm clock. She then rolled over and put her head under her pillow. Today was the first day of school. Iris was a morning person, but she hated getting up for school. A few minutes later her older sister Elise came into her room. She walked over to her sister and pulled her pillow off her head.

"Summer is over," she said and then threw the pillow on her head.

"I know," Iris mumbled. She sat up and saw Elise was already dressed for school. "You're ready?"

"Yeah, I have a meeting before school." Elise was the president of student council. "So I'm leaving now. I just wanted to make sure you were awake." Elise then headed to the door. She looked back at her. "Don't take five hours to get ready."

"I do not!!" Iris then toss the pillow at her Elise, but she closed the door the moment the pillow was about to hit her. Iris then got out of bed and went into her bathroom. She took a quick shower and blow dried her hair. Once it was dried she started to braid it. Iris always made her hair look nice for school since they wore uniforms. She hated it because uniforms take away a person's ability to expression themselves.

After fixing her hair, Iris left the bathroom and got changed into her uniform. She glanced over at her alarm clock and saw she still had plenty of time to get to school. So she walked over to her sew machine and sat down. Iris loved to sew and make her own clothes. Her father was a fashion designer after all. She was currently making a skirt. She was close to finishing hence why she wanted to work on it. This was first time coming up with her own design rather than using a premade pattern from a craft store. Iris was quite proud of herself.

She got lost into her project that Iris didn't notice that she had thirty minutes to get to school. It wasn't until her mother called her that she noticed that was going to be late. Iris got up from her chair and grabbed her bag. She left her room and ran down the stairs.

"Iris, you're going to be late," her mother said who was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"I know I know!" Iris ran into the kitchen and grabbed an apple. "Bye Mama!" she than ran out of the door of her townhome.

Iris ran down from the streets of Pairs. She attended St. Rose an all girls private school. It was a couple blocks down from her home so she was able to walk. She ran she spotted an old man trying to lift a box. Iris stopped and walked over to the old man and picked the box up for him. It was a little bit heavy for her.

"Oh, thank you, miss," the old man spoke in shock. He wasn't expecting someone to help him.

"No problem, sir," Iris looked around and notice they were standing in front of a store. The sign above the store said Fu's Antiques. "Do you own this store?"

"Why yes I do," he said. "My name is Fu. I just moved here from Rome. I was a traveler all my life and I thought it was about time I settle down and sell my belongings."

"Oh, wow," Iris said in awe.

"Come this way, miss." Fu then walked through the opened door and Iris followed right behind him. They walked over to a counter and Iris placed the box down.

"What's in there?"

"Books. I'm surprise it was that heavy."

Iris then looked around the room and something in the corner of the store caught her eye. It was an old fashion sewing machine. She walked up it at once and examine it. She gasp in awe. 

Fu chuckled. "Like sewing?"

Iris looked back at him and nodded her head. "Oh, yes! My father is a famous fashion designer."

"Would you like it? I'll give it to you for helping me."

"Oh no!" Iris waved her hand quickly back and forth. "I couldn't!"

"But I would like it to go to a good home."

"No I possibility couldn't." Iris then noticed a clock behind him. Her eyes widen. "Ah! Now I'm really late!" she then ran out of the store.

Fu just chuckled. A green little turtle came out of hiding and floated over to him. "Wayzz, if anything were to happen here she's a good candidate."

"Master, all she did was carry a box of heavy books in for you," spoke the little turtle. Sometimes he question his owner's judgement.

"I know," said Fu and walked over to the box. He opened it and grabbed a book. He then flipped through it. "But she has a good heart, I can see it."

Gabriel stared at his clock, waiting for the alarm to sound. If he got up too early, he'd have to interact with his workaholic father who would scold him for getting in the way and making him late. If he were to ever sleep through his alarm, he'd be berated by his mother for never being on time to anything and making her look bad. So, timing was everything, and he needed to be sure he got up as soon as that alarm rang, rushed through his routine as quickly as possible, and headed out the door before his mother woke.

Th buzz of his alarm pulled him from his thoughts and told him it was finally time. The first day of school was upon him and he couldn't wait to get there. He had spent all his time in the library this summer, causing his father to passively comment on how unproductive he was. In his parents' opinion, he should have had a job so he could stop leeching on their money. He just couldn't find one that wanted to hire him.  So, school gave him the reason he needed to be out of the house without worrying about what his parents would say.

He quickly got ready and grabbed his stuff. The smell of toast drifted through the air as he exited his room for the last time that morning. His stomach growled, but he could just see his mother moving about in the apartment's small kitchen. The toast wasn't worth it. He could wait until lunch.

He left the apartment without a second thought and headed to the district's public school. It wasn't the best school in the area, but it was good enough that his parents thought he wouldn't ruin their reputation if he attended. He didn't really care for the teachers or the other students, but at least he could ignore them all day.

Iris was running as fast she could. She had about 15 minuets left. She ran down a staircase and a black cat ran past her causing her trip over it. She fell forward and ended up landing on a person. She sat up and gasp. She was on top of a teenage boy. His eyes snapped open and she stared into them. They were a soft blue. Iris quickly got up and pulled him up.

"I'm so sorry!" she said.

Gabriel stared up into the eyes of the girl who was literally on top of him. Everything had happened so fast he wasn't even sure how they ended up in this situation. He also wasn't quite sure how to react. And then she pulled him up and swiftly apologized.

"It's okay.." he answered. "You should be more careful next time." With that, he began to walk away. He wanted to get to school before he was late.

Iris stood there and watched him walk away. She wondered what school he went to. He wasn't wearing an uniform. She pouted to herself and was jealous that he could wear whatever he wanted. She then quickly made it to school and made it to her classroom just in time.

When Iris took her seat, she glanced around and didn't see her friend Lori anywhere. She frowned. It wasn't like Lori to be late for things. She didn't get distracted like her. The teacher then walked in and class started. She did a role call where Iris learned that Lori had a cold. Iris frowned she would have to call her tonight.

Around lunch time Iris decided to eat lunch in the park it was a beautiful day after all. She entered the park and right away she noticed the boy from earlier. A girl was with him this time and Iris could tell she was annoying him. Iris got closer and the girl was begging him to eat lunch with her. How rude. If someone told you no they mean no!

Iris approached them. "If he doesn't want to eat lunch with you then you should leave him alone."

"Excuse me?" the girl snarled and turned around. She looked shock that it was Iris (she would sometimes model for her father's teenage line. So if you're into fashion you would recognize her!). 

"You heard me."

Her look of shock quickly faded away and she flipped her red hair. "It's none of your business so move along."

"No." Iris folded her arms.

The girl narrowed her eyes. "We're just having a tiny fight. You know like any other normal couple."

Iris looked at the boy. She could tell he didn't want to be here. She then looked back at the girl. "I'm pretty sure that you're not. He doesn't look thrilled to be here."

The girl looked really annoyed. "You're too stubborn!"

"Ha. I was right."

"Ahh!" The girl stormed off.

Iris smiled in triumph. She looked back at the boy. "Well we meet again! It must be fate!" she then gave him a playful smile. "Are you my prince charming?" she then laughed at her own joke. "I'm Iris by the way. It's nice to meet you!"

Gabriel absolutely hated lunchtime. Lunch during the school year gave him one of two choices. Go home and potentially interact with his mother who shopped more than she worked while simultaneously telling him to stop wasting money on things like food, or buy food bear the school and listen to his classmate of four years now prattle on about how they were meant to be. He made an effort to not even remember her name, she was so annoying and self-absorbed. But anytime he ate anywhere near the school, she found a way to follow and each lunch with him as if they were super close.

Today was one of those days where... Cheryl? Sharon? Charlotte? Yeah, Charlotte.. decided to follow him to the convenience store where he bought his lunches, grabbed him, and forced him to the park. "For the last time, I want to eat alone," he said, not even looking at her as he unwrapped his cheap deli sandwich.

"Oh come on, Gabriel. We're perfect together. You won't find anyone better."

He was about to respond when the girl from that morning suddenly approached them. He watched in confusion as Charlotte paused with something along the lines of shock before retorting. The small fight didn't last long before Charlotte finally left. Gabriel had never seen her so frazzled. It almost made him smile. Until the new girl basically flirted with him.

He sighed, "Gabriel. Thank you for chasing her away." He waited, expecting her to be just as annoyingly clingy as Charlotte. Why else would any girl start the conversation the way she had?

Iris just laughed. The way he sighed and his body posture. "Did you not get my joke?" she took a deep breath to calm herself down. "You need to lighten up." she then smiled. "No problem! I could tell she was annoying you. What's her deal anyway?"

He stared at her for a moment, examining her features and expression. Joking? He wasn't used to jokes and quite frankly, it was easier to expect the worse of people. Well, at least she seemed like better company than Charlotte. 

"She's been my classmate for four years. Every since we met, she's followed me around trying to get me to date her. At one point she became delusional and decided we really were dating. I've done everything from ignoring her, trying to ditch her, and flat out telling her we're not dating, but nothing seems to work. It's frustrating. I just want to eat my lunch in peace for once."

"Ugh that does suck. Well if she's bothering you again just come and find me and I'll take care of her." Iris gave him a warm smile. "Have a nice lunch, Gabriel." Iris then walked away from and sat by the pound to eat her lunch. She couldn't wait to tell Lori about all of this. She slightly glanced back at him. She wondered if they would become friends. She smiled to herself and then started to eat her lunch.

Gabriel watched, intrigued as she walked away. That smile had looked genuinely caring. Everything about her had been open and... warm? What kind of person was she that she could seem so genuine? And then she even understood he wanted to be alone even as he didn't outright say it. It was so odd...

He shook his head and went back to his sandwich. It was probably a fluke. Nothing more. He doubted he'd see her again.

After school, Iris left school and on her way home. She spotted Fu brushing the sidewalk with a broom outside his store. She couldn't help, but say hello to him. He was a nice man.

"Good afternoon, Fu," Iris said.

"Ah! Good afternoon to you as well miss," Fu paused. "You never told me your name."

"Iris," she replied.

"Ah such a beautiful name."

Iris blushed. "Thank you." Then someone caught her eye. She saw Gabriel was heading to the stairs. She smiled and approached him. "We meet again."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. Where did this girl live that they would see each other three times in one day? He didn't think she was stalking him like Charlotte tended to do, but he could be wrong. "We have seen a lot of each other today," he answered, not sure what she was expecting him to say.

Iris just laughed at his reaction. "You're not good with making jokes, huh? You should have said why yes we did! Are you stalking me?" she then just laughed again. 

Fu just went back to cleaning the side walk, but watched them in the corner of his eye.

"So how was your day? Did that girl annoy you anymore?" Iris asked him. This was her chance to make a new friend and she wasn't going to back down.

A small smile formed on his lips as she laughed. She was joking again. Should he assume she would always make jokes when they spoke?  Even so, he didn't really have a well-developed sense of humor, just as she noted.  

He shrugged. "I've never been much for jokes." He then shrugged at her question and answered, "She was rather miffed the entire day, but she didn't say anything else to me. How did you shut her down so easily?"