Chapter One: Saige

Saige Willow is a normal 7th grader that has Nyctophobia. Nyctophobia is a phobia that means that you are afraid of the dark. Saige has been afraid of the dark from the day she went to a very dark haunted house when she was 6 years old. Saige is a good student at her school, always coming back home with good grades, the kind of kid that the parents know where she is all the time. She has never fell or has been in love before. The new student at her school, Tyler Hamilton is cute and tall enough for Penny Karts, the popular mean girl, to like him. Tyler fears the sound of balloons popping, but doesn't tell anyone. He thinks people will call him stupid, afraid, or scaredy-cat because when he told his friends at his old school, his friends made fun of him which persuaded him to leave the school. At a birthday party of Penny's, there were balloons everywhere, and his mom insisted on going to the party. He has never had much fun, or gone to a party of anyone's before. But before his mom leaves him behind, she gives Tyler a pair of head-phones; just in case. He just tells the people there that they are for listening to music. It was half true though, he was listening to music on them but the real reason why he brought them was for the loud sounds. He refused to go near the balloons, to touch or feel them because he thought they would pop. There is a haunted house at the party and Penny knows that Saige is scared of the dark. She knows that she gets scared easily. Penny forces her to go into the dark room, pretending to not know anything. Saige refuses, but doesn't want people to know that she is afraid, so gives in. Then, Penny brings Tyler into a room full of balloons so they can be alone together. What will they both do?