Chapter 1: The Boy on the Bus
The morning sun spilled over the small town like melted gold, brushing against rooftops and blinking through classroom windows. Julia stood by the waiting bus, her suitcase beside her, the crisp air buzzing with chatter and excitement.
This was the trip she had been waiting for all year the Durban school trip. A chance to escape school walls, to smell the sea, to write her poems by the shore.
She adjusted her backpack strap nervously as students swarmed around, laughing, shouting, pushing each other with the kind of energy only freedom could bring. But Julia was quiet always quiet. She didn't belong to any of the loud groups. She was a watcher, a listener. The girl who sat by the window, who smiled softly and spoke less.
Princess, her best friend, bounced up beside her, chewing gum and already wearing her oversized sunglasses. You look like you're waiting for a movie scene, she said, smirking. Smile a little, Jules! It's the beach, not a funeral!
Julia laughed under her breath. You sound like my mom.Someone has to remind you to live a little, Princess said, looping her arm through Julia's. Come on, let's get good seats. Near the window you can write your sad poems while staring at the waves.Julia blushed. They're not sad.
Princess snorted. Girl, every one of your poems ends with heartbreak. If sadness was a subject, you'd be top of the class.
Julia shook her head, smiling despite herself. They climbed onto the bus, and as soon as she found a seat near the middle, Julia pulled out her small black notebook the one nobody ever saw. Her handwriting flowed easily:
Love is a myth. A trick the heart plays on the lonely. A dream that burns when you wake up.
She sighed softly and closed it, leaning her head against the glass. The road shimmered with morning light as the bus began to move, humming with laughter and excitement.Then her heart skipped.
Two rows ahead, a boy sat by the window on the opposite side. He wore a dark hoodie and earphones, his gaze distant, unreadable. But the sunlight caught on his features just enough for Julia to notice his eyes deep, shadowed, and impossibly familiar.
For a split second, he looked up.Their eyes met through the reflection of the glass.It was nothing. It was everything.
A strange heat climbed up Julia's neck. She didn't look away couldn't. The rest of the bus faded, the voices dimmed, and there was only that gaze. Something about him made her chest tighten like she'd known him before in another dream, another lifetime.
Then he looked away.The air rushed back into her lungs. Julia quickly turned to Princess, hoping she hadn't noticed. But Princess had.
Oh-ho, who's that? she whispered, grinning. Don't play dumb. I saw that look.Julia stammered, I didn't look at anyone!
Princess leaned closer. His name's Junior. From St. Grey High. Their school's joining us on the trip. He doesn't talk much, but everyone says he's… different.
Different how?
Princess shrugged. Quiet. Keeps to himself. Some say he got expelled once. Others say he's just well, mysterious. She wiggled her eyebrows. And you love mysterious.
Julia rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the small smile curling her lips. Still, her fingers felt cold. There was something strange in the way her heart reacted like it already knew his rhythm.
She glanced back. He wasn't looking at her anymore. Earphones still in, his gaze out the window. But she could feel him. It made no sense.
The bus rolled on for hours, the scenery changing from tall city buildings to the endless open stretch of green and gold fields. Julia found herself writing again, but her poems weren't about loneliness anymore. They were about eyes like storms and hearts that remembered.
When they finally arrived in Durban, the salty ocean air rushed in as everyone cheered. The group ran out with cameras and phones, already posing for pictures. Julia stood quietly by the rail, watching the waves crash below.
She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. For a moment, she swore she could hear a whisper soft, almost like a name being carried by the wind.
>Julia…Her eyes snapped open.No one was near her.
Just the sound of the sea.Julia! Princess yelled from behind her. Come on! They're checking us into the hotel!
Julia blinked and followed her, brushing it off as imagination. But a shiver ran down her spine.
That night, after dinner, everyone gathered around a bonfire on the beach. Music played from a speaker, waves crashed softly, and laughter filled the air. Julia sat a little apart from the crowd, notebook open, scribbling thoughts she couldn't explain.Didn't think poets liked firelight.
The voice startled her. She looked up Junior stood there, hands in his pockets, a faint smirk on his lips. The firelight painted his face in gold and shadow.
I...I like quiet places, Julia said, closing her notebook quickly.He nodded. Me too.
Silence stretched between them, heavy but not uncomfortable. Julia looked at him properly for the first time the sharp jawline, the faint scar near his lip, the eyes that seemed to see straight through her.
You're from St. Grey, right?she asked softly.He nodded. And you're the girl who doesn't laugh much.She blinked. I laugh.
Not like the others. He smiled slightly, and her heart flipped. You're… different.Julia felt her pulse race. You sound like you've known me longer than a few hours.
His expression changed almost sad. Maybe I have.A cold wind brushed past them, flickering the flames. Julia frowned. What do you mean?
He hesitated, looking out at the dark waves. Do you ever feel like you've lived before? Like there's a part of you that remembers someone you've never met?Her chest tightened. Yes, she whispered.
Their eyes met again, and something invisible pulled between them like the tide and the moon, impossible to separate. The fire crackled louder, the night air heavy with things unsaid.
Junior took a small step closer. Every time I see you… it feels like déjà vu. Like I've found you again after losing you a thousand times.Julia's lips parted, but she couldn't speak. Her heart was a wild drum.
Then Princess called from across the fire, Julia! Come join the group photo!The spell broke.Junior stepped back, his voice lower now. Be careful tonight.Julia blinked. What?
He didn't answer. Just turned and walked away, fading into the crowd and the smoke.That night, Julia dreamed.
She was standing in a burning forest. The air was thick with smoke and screams. Flames licked her skin as she ran toward the sound of someone calling her name.
Julia!
She saw him Junior but he was drowning in a river of fire. She reached for him, but the ground gave way, pulling her under.
When she woke, her heart was pounding, her sheets damp with sweat.The sea roared outside her window, restless and dark.
And somewhere deep inside, she knew this trip wasn't just about beaches and laughter.
It was the beginning of something she couldn't escape.
Something cursed.
Something like love.