"Hey Den, aren't you grounded? Yet you look exceptionally happy?" Asked a grinning Colton when he reached his class.

"Yeah man, I'm bowled over by my new hot neighbor," he said clutching at his heart.

"Which neighbor? Callum West?" Laughed Colton and the others too joined in.

"Eww, shut up dumba*ses, she just moved in today," said Denver.

"Then I'm coming to your house today," said the desperate Frank Glendale.

"No way. She's mine," said Denver.

"We just want a glimpse of her, man. Don't be so mean," said Caleb Francis, another sick guy who ran after every girl on their campus.

"No way, stay away from my girl, " said Denver, menacingly.

"But she hasn't become yours yet," protested Garrett Evans, who was Colton's neighbor.

"She will soon. Anyway, I saw her first. She belongs to me," said Denver.

The professor walked in and the class started but the four guys at the backseat planned how to land up at Denver's doorstep after college to check out his chick. The extra classes were over and Denver disappeared as fast as he could.

He rode his motorcycle and as he entered their lane, he saw Sapphire walking along with two girls, giggling and chatting. She might be returning after a game of tennis at the Houston Athletic Club near their house which had a tennis court. Her hot, all white tennis skirt showed off her creamy, long legs and Denver couldn't look away. The tee shirt clung to her body and he liked what he saw. The heavy tennis gear that she carried on her delicate shoulder looked too heavy for her weight. He rode in slow motion after them, staring at the hypnotic sway of her hips, when they looked behind them and noticed him. Sapphire's face paled and she started walking faster and almost ran to her house. Denver was surprised. Why did she run away seeing him? Did he look like an ogre or did he look dangerous and bad? Was she scared of him?

An upset Denver strode into his house and walked straight to his room to check his reflection in his mirror. His spikes were in place, his stubble beard gave him a rough look, his six feet three inches height was normal, his muscles were all in place. His blue eyes twinkled back. His favorite black leather jacket looked kinda cool on him. So why the f*ck did she run away?

"What happened to you? Are you inspecting your tail?" Asked Daxton, walking into his room and sitting at his window sill.

"Haha, very funny! Just because you have one doesn't mean others do too," said Denver with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Daxton chuckled. "Okay, out with it. What's up?" He asked, looking out.

"Sapphire, the cop's daughter, saw me and ran into her house. Do I look that scary, bro?" He asked, feeling upset.

"Chill. Maybe her dad has warned her against us," said Daxton.

"Yeah, you're right," said Denver, discarding his jacket and slumping onto his bed and lying down.

"What are these four upto now?" Said Daxton peering out. "Hey Frank, what's up man?" Asked Daxton seeing Denver's friends at their gates, staring at every house around them. Denver groaned. They were here despite his warnings. Daxton knew them well too. In fact they were his friends too just like his friends were Denver's.

"Hey open the door, Dax," yelled Colton.

Denver and Daxton went downstairs and opened the door and rushed outside. "What are you guys doing hers? I told you to stay away, didn't I?" Asked Denver, glaring at Frank who was busy checking out Sapphire's house.

"Just a look won't harm you, man, " said Garrett.

"Frank, eyes here," said Denver. He didn't know why he had this strange urge to punch his friends.

"Boys let's go in," said Daxton to avoid a fight. One look at Denver's face and he knew that he was itching to punch the whole bunch of them.

Sapphire and her mom, Sarah Williams watched the rowdy group of boys in the frontyard of the house opposite theirs. "Of all the neighborhoods of Houston, your dad had to choose this one with a battalion of boys living opposite to us?" Said her mom, rolling her eyes. Sapphire giggled in her mind. That blue eyes boy with spiky hair looked very bad indeed but he was cute. He had no idea that she watched him hidden inside her house. Her dad's colleague, Stephen West who lived a house away had warned her dad off the brother's who lived opposite to them. So after her dad's explicit warning, sixteen year old Sapphire didn't have the guts to befriend them.

Her heart beats had accelerated considerably when she saw Mr. Spikes on his motorcycle, following her. "Sapphire, come and have your soup," said her mom. They had shifted from Dallas to Houston just today today and her boring life had suddenly become so interesting. She had been sad and dejected after her dad had been transferred to Houston. She had to say goodbye to her old friends and her dad's family who lived there.

She hated having to start afresh at a new school and make new friends but after shifting here, she loved her new house. Her room was too spacious and she didn't need to share it with her cousins any more. She loved the sports club where her dad got her a membership. Her first tennis class at Houston went well and she already made two friends, Lola White and Emily Goodman who surprisingly were her classmates at her new school too. She had been training in the sport since she was eight and was in the school team at Dallas. Here, she needed to start all over again and make her mark.

She enjoyed her soup and a sandwich while watching more boys enter the all boys home opposite. My God! How many were there?

Nick, Nelson and Ryan walked in to check out Daxton's new video game. Denver was grounded and didn't have access to it for a week. After his mad battalion of friends left, he sat at the frontyard, beside the fountain, throwing pebbles into it with Drake.

"Bro, she's watching you from inside the house. No, don't look," said Drake. Denver sat like a statue.

"You've got to be kidding me, Drakey. She ran away at the sight of me, today, " said Denver, his heart beating with excitement.

"Today's her first day here. Don't mind my saying, you do look scary to young girls," said Drake with a laugh.

"Shut up Drake. I look handsome, not scary," he corrected him.

"Change your hairdo, maybe she'll like you better," suggested Drake, walking away to Nate's house with Timmy hot on his heels. Denver sat thinking about his suggestion when Vienna came to sit beside him.

"What are you upset about Den?" She asked him curiously. Seeing the prankster quiet had her worried. Denver was a boy who never had a dull moment in his busy life. He was a go-getter and as much as she had seen him, he never sulked  over anything.

"Vien, does my spikes make me look scary to girls?" He asked, trying to smoothen them but they sprung back up. Vienna chuckled and ruffled his spikes.

"Not at all bro. They add to your charm. Don't change yourself for anyone. If someone has to like you, let her like you with all your characteristics which complete you," she explained. Denver grinned quite satisfied by her answer.

"By the way, your spikes cannot stay down even if you try. So why waste your time after them. Someone's curious about our conversation, I think. She's standing at her balcony to overhear us," giggled Vienna as she got up and walked inside the house. After she left, Denver slowly turned around and saw Sapphire standing at her balcony like in the morning, the golden hues of the setting sun playing on her long golden brown cascading hair. Denver was mesmerized by her beauty. He sat watching her while she stood watching him, both watching one another silently.

Sapphire couldn't look away from the bad boy, sitting right beside a beautiful white fountain. She wanted to know his name but with her dad's warning rang in her ears and she didn't have the guts to find out. When a beautiful young girl  of the same age as him emerged from the house and sat down with him, Sapphire felt a strange restlessness and an acute sense of jealousy course through her body. Then seeing them together she felt that they might be siblings. 

She wanted to make friends with the girl and get to know Mr. Spikes better but couldn't gather enough courage to do it. So she just stood there watching the boy as he watched her back.

Suddenly her dad's car emerged on their lane out of no where and she rushed inside with fright but she could see that Mr Spikes sat there, fearless and undaunted.