HI, GUYS!
I'm going to type up a bit o' story here, homey G-string. There is, infact, a prologue to this story, but I think it sucks, so I'm going to leave it out. I'm going to add a little summary beforehand though. And the chapter isn't complete: this is only an excerpt of chapter uno! Okie dokie then. Here is my book, Reality Check. Enjoi!

Summary~

Duo's the new kid at Renaissance High School. He's one of "them". He's one of those scary, crazy "trenchcoat kids" or more commonly known as a goth. Annea's been living in this town her whole life. She's pretty, rich, popular, and to top it off, she's dating the school's star quarterback. She's grown up having everything she'd ever wanted. Except for Duo. No one in this town was quite like Duo. And his friends, Krei the comedian, Raehl the smart-alec, Dreole the pacifist, Bire the solemn one, Rheyna the shy one, Denaia the beautiful, and Firefly the mysterious. Well, that's Annea's nickname for her. Why would anyone want to call such a beautiful girl such a mean name as "The Virus"?
These new, mysterious, dark friends her family and friends shun. They are amazing in their own ways. She envied their abnormalities. They introduced her to a new world. A gothic one.
Then she found the magazine.
The Virus. No one knows his real name, age, or gender. They refer to him as a he so they won't risk making him mad. A cruel, emotionless, arrogant, schizophrenic specimen of humanity. Not humanity. He can't be human. He's from a place called Sylas. What was this creature behind the bandana that hid his face from the world?
This is when it all changed. Annea will find where her true friends lie when she "falls ill". Will she awaken from this terrible nightmare? Was all of this just a dream?
Was any of it real?

Reality Check~
Chapter One.

Okay, so maybe the grass isn't greener on the other side. She thought about this as she rested her eyes in her Earth Science class. They had been studying plant life and photosynthesis and the like recently.

Well, you need sunlight for green grass, don't you? she thought, casting a small glance over in the direction of Duo, the boy who sat across the room and 3 rows behind her. His midnight black hair fell in his face, shadowing his eyes, as he scribbled on the green surface of the table. He was new, arrived the week before. So far, he'd made no friends, plenty of enemies, though had been desired by many girls.

Her world, Annea's world, was full of the sun, was full of light, and she doubted her grass could get any greener. She was satisfied. She enjoyed life. Even her clothes were bright, like everything else in her life.

Duo's clothes were dark. Where was his sun? Where was the green in his grass?

Duo wasn't the only one. The nice terms used among Annea's friends for people like Duo were "the trench coat kids", the goths, those guys, them. But there was also the other words for them: the losers, the loners, the freaks, the creepy kids; just a few mild remarks among much meaner ones. None of Annea's friends liked them. Annea didn't like them. They were scary--intimidating. They looked...depressed. Lonely, cold, angry. She avoided them.

But Duo... he was different. Appealing. Intriguing.

Just then a white, folded piece of paper was flicked over Annea's shoulder. She unfolded it in her lap, then flattened it out on the table before her. It was large handwritting, written in pink, bubble gum scented gel pen.

Hi!
What's ^ dudette? E. Sci. is really boring, huh? I almost fell asleep. I saw u were sleeping 2. Then u were checkin sum1 out just now! Who's the lucky guy? Don't let Brad find out. O.K. wb. Byes!
Luv,
Cassie
XOXO

Annea's mouth opened slightly, wanting to turn and deny everything Cassandra saw, because it was all in Cassie's imagination. Annea definitely did not like Duo.

Not like that anyway.

Hey Cass,
nm here, whats happenin with you? i wasnt sleeping, but i was about to. i wasnt checking anyone out, youre smokin something. me and brad are breaking up anyway. ive gotten bored with him. but are you lookin at anyone?
luv ya,
Annea
p.s. what do you know about that new kid? i think his name is duo.

She folded the paper back up and flicked it back over her shoulder at her red-headed friend. And she immediately shifted her gaze toward Duo.. She wasn't attracted to him, just interested by him. Before him, it had seemed like an eternity since she last saw a real trench coat kid. Every person decked in black at Renaissance High School was either posing as a trench coat kid or just denied being one altogether. But there was something about him that made him real?or surreal. He seemed actual. True. Individual and original.
Alone.
The paper landed in front of her.

Oh, Annea, u ho, ditchin' our starr QB. The only guy on the football team u haven't had ur way w/ is the mascot! lol Ur runnin' outta guys, chica. There's no 1 left! And I'll just take Brad when ur thru. U were checkin' out the new kid? Oh! Don't get w/ him. U can do better.
  ,
Cassie

Annea turned her head to look at Cassie, who smiled and waved. Annea smiled back politely, and sat back in her chair, her eyes watching the note as if it would spring to life any moment now.

duos a weirdo freak like the rest of those guys. of course i can do better. ^ ^ maybe i should date the mascot! : lol
~annea

She folded the note and ignored a slight tugging guilt as she handed the note back to Cassie. She admitted to herself that Duo was pretty good looking. But he just didn't fit into the puzzle of her life. Sure, she felt that her puzzle was missing a piece, but she didn't even bother considering that Duo could even help find that piece. And the note was returned.

Eww! Not the mascot, that geek! Anyways, yeah, that's y u shouldn't date Duo, cuz he's one of them. But he would b cuter if he let Dinelle dress him up like she wants 2. She asked him and he gave her a funny look but the teacher got him b4 he could answer. I think he would've said no, but the girls have a crush on him, most of them. It's OK if u do.
Hearts,
Cassie.

The bell rang as Annea finished reading the note. The noise caught her off guard, making her jump. She hastily scrambled to get her belongings together and put away. Standing immediately, she glanced around. Where was he?
Duo had already left the room.
"Annea, girl, c'mon. Brad and Justin and the others are waiting for us," Cassandra said, linking arms with her blonde friend.
"Yeah, alright," Annea smiled, following.
As it was the last period of the day, everyone seemed naturally a bit happier to be out of school.
"Hey, Ann!"
Annea looked up and saw Brad, her boyfriend, waving at her, in all his blonde hair, brown eyed glory. Any girl would be jealous of Annea, and every girl was jealous indeed. As not only was Brad classically handsome, but Annea was pretty as well. She had straight golden hair and steel grey eyes and fair skin, almost pale, with a sprinkling of freckles on her nose.