StoryBlog

The ride back from Elizabeth’s house was quiet. It was midnight, the streets were empty, the houses quiet and Isabel hadn’t turned her radio on.

She had arrived at Liz’ house around four o’clock int he afternoon and left around nine in the evening, heading straight to Carol's, who she found out was the one who had called her earlier that day. 

 Apparently Carol had just walked downstairs when she saw Isabel and Jaden leaving the house at the party last night. Too drunk then run after them and ask where they were going, Carol wanted to know every detail about what happened that night. So Isabel told her about the text and about the intentions to get pissed drunk and how she ended up falling asleep in the back of Jaden's car with mascara down her cheeks.

After processing all that, Carol left it at that and Isabel was relieved she didn’t have to lie about where he went today to not have to tell her what actually happened to her brother.

After spending three hours listening to Carol talk about what happened at the party after she had left, Isabel felt tired even though she had slept until 2:30 pm. Talking to her brother and getting her head around everything that was going on in his life had drained Isabel from her energy and she started missing the warmth and coziness of her bed. 

Laying her head on the left-side pillow of her bed she remembered what she had read about the dream she had had this morning and was glad that it had led her to make some difference to the relationship she had with her brother.

---

The same tiled floor, the same leather seat, the same beeping sound, the same atmosphere. I was in the same hospital I was in the last time I woke up in a dream. But the lights were on, they weren’t flickering this time. They were lighting the room like they are supposed to in a hospital. And I wasn’t alone this time. There were people waiting and nurses sitting in the nurses station, answering phone calls and filling patient charts.

I stood up and walked outside like the last time I was here. I pushed the doors open having to squint because the light was brighter than I thought it would be. The sun was out, taking me time to adjust to the lighting, I could hear people minding their own business but the city was the same. Hard to recognize but n second look I made out the tree-lines on either end on the road that cut the city in half.

I decided to run to the same end of the road I had ran to the time before, having to make stops because of the heat caused by the burning sun. Making my third stop I recognized a face. A boy had walked past me second ago whose face I knew. I turned around, trying to find him but the street was empty. Not a soul walking on it, minding their own business. It felt as empty as it did last night. Like no one had walked these roads for years, leaving the warm feeling behind the clouds now covering the sun. The city was looking more and more like it looked last night, making me want to wake up. 

I had never felt that in a dream, the need to wake up to stop the city from turning back into the darkness and shadow it was before.

---

That girl is dumb. Isabel thought to herself. She had been sitting in a coffee shop for twenty minutes, waiting for Alex to arrive but he was nowhere to be seen.Staring out the window, hoping that every guy who walks into the field of view is her best friend made her a people-watcher. She was analyzing their actions and behavior.

A girl was standing right outside the coffee shop, staring at her phone but every now and then looking up and smiling of even giggling to herself but then turned right back to her texting, Isabel assumed.

"You checking out girls now? Don't waste your eye on her, she's madly in love with her boyfriend who she is texting right now," Alex said and sat down.

"Oh god! Even your thinking is gay, Alex." He was always making remarks like this one, all of those on a joking note.

"And you love it! Now tell me girl, how have you been?" Isabel had asked to grab a coffee with her like they usually do on Monday mornings on a Sunday afternoon because she had decided to tell him what was going on.

"Okay um, how much time do you have, 'cause there is a lot that happened this weekend that I have to tell you about," Isabel said, nervously tugging on her hair.

"I've got my whole day, so go ahead." Isabel took a deep breath, trying to decide where to start. 

"Okay, which first, a good story or a bad story?" Alex frowned in his seat. He had never seen Isabel so serious, not even when she broke the news of her ex having cheated on her.

"Um, bad first and then lighten the mood with the good?" Alex said with a more questioning tone.

"Okay, that might work," Isabel said. She told him about the text and how it wasn't the first one she had gotten but also how it seemed worse than the ones before.

"So I decided to go to his girlfriend's house and get some answers. Basically what is going on is that he is got beaten up by a guy at uni who wanted him to hook him up with me, cause I didn't call that guy. When he said he would never do that the guy got furious and they had a fight. I met that guy here, on Tuesday. I thought there was something off about him but I never thought he was a psychopath. As my brother tells me he is the captain of their uni's football team and he has managed to build himself a reputation so fearful that everyone should take orders from him but Kye didn't and that's why he got those scars and wounds because it wasn't the first time something like this has happened between them two." 

"So basically your brother is saying he is a hero," Alex said but his tone told Isabel that he wasn't serious about it, "and you don't find anything off about it? You guys don't even chat on a daily basis and he's allegedly making all those steps to protect you?" 

"Maybe it's his weird way of loving his sister, I don't know, Alex. It took me long enough to get all that out of him, why would I argue with him? Apart from that he also warned me about him. On the day of Robert's party when he came into the bathroom in the morning. He said I should keep away from them basically and that they get out of hand when they party. I remembered just now and that makes sense 'cause Carol told me about some dudes from uni who had showed up after I left with Jaden,"

"Wait! You left the party with Jaden? So he did come?" 

"Really, Alex? That is all you made out of what I just said?" Isabel wasn't mad, just a little bit disappointed.

"Don't blame me, you are the one who hasn't left a party with a guy in all this time you have been single." Alex was right. Isabel had a rule she had promised herself not to break. She promised not to leave a party with a guy because that usually meant going to his place and waking up there the next morning only to sneak out and never see them again. 

"To be fair we didn't leave the place until six in the morning," Isabel said, slowly hiding her face behind her hair because she new what was going to happen next.

"YOU HAD SEX IN THE CAR? Wow, that is a new level, even for you, Isabel." Alex was surprised but happy at the same time and Isabel hated to ruin the happiness.

"Not really, I didn't sleep with him. We just fell asleep in the back of the car because I was crying about my brother and then made out in the morning,"

"Ew, morning breath!" Alex had to make a remark.

It had been a long day of sleeping off the hangover for Isabel and she was not going to come out of her bed. She had closed her blinds, locked her door and rid herself of all of her clothes she had worn, put on one of Kye’s shirts she had stolen a few months ago, when she noticed he wasn’t wearing it anymore and crawled under her duvet. At 4.56 pm her phone rang right next to her ear as she always kept her phone next to her left side pillow. Pressing the lock button, she silenced the blaring ringtone and turned her phone off, knowing the movements she had to make for it by heart. Starting to fall back into a dream of unknown, she smelt the lingering scent of her brother still on his shirt. I should call him. She thought at the edge of falling into that dream.

---

The hospital waiting room was empty. Only thing making sound it there was a ringing phone on the nurses desk. I looked at my hands, muddy and scratched, laid them on my thighs and continued to look around, not leaving my seat. The lighting wasn’t as bright as you would see in hospitals usually, only a few flickering bulbs here and there. When you concentrated harder, you could hear a storm outside, throwing raindrops on the windows and walls of the building. The set scene wasn’t pleasurable in any way and it made my insides turn little by little. When I finally decided to get up from my seat and look around a bit I heard a door being pushed open about two corridors away and sat back down, feeling like I shouldn’t wonder around with someone noticing me.

Another door being pushed open, the sound of it a lot more clearer than the one before, made me hide behind my knees as if I was scared of what might come from behind the last one left to open. 

I decided to get on my feet and run out of the hospital but doing so made it all a bit more frightening. The outside world looked like an entertainment city, like Las Vegas but it felt a lot bigger. I somehow knew that the city was placed into the centre of a rainforest, hence the storm going on. But the lights were as dimmed as they were inside that hospital behind me. Everything fell into a shadow, creating a lot of dark corners for anything to jump out of and that made me stop in my track. I was standing in the middle on a road which seemed to cut the city in half. You could see a black tree line on either end of that road and something about that darkness made me run towards it. I ran for what felt like an hour but I didn’t seem to run out of breath. I kept on running and finally reaching the end of the straight road, I turned back to look at the now not so big seeming city but it wasn’t there. All of it’s secrets had vanished into oblivion, leaving behind a field of red and pink roses. But there was no hint of the scent of a rose.

---

When Isabel woke up from her dream she gasped for air and the first scent she could smell was a rose. It wasn’t a deep scent, only a reminding one in the back of her mind but it made her heart beat faster. She searched for her laptop from under the bed, that was where she kept it when she had brought it to bed. Feeling the touch of the cold metal under her fingertips, she grabbed it and placed it on her lap, pulling the screen up with her shaking hands and typing in her password. She went straight for the internet shortcut, clicking on it one too many times, having to close a page before getting to do what she wanted. After typing in “dream dictionary” to the search bar, she hesitated to click on a link offering her that kind of a page. Hospital, city, darkness, forest/rainforest, rain, rose. Those were the words she had thought to look up.

Hospital

To see or dream that you are in a hospital symbolizes your need to heal or improve your physical or mental health. You need to get back to the flow of everyday life. Alternatively, the dream suggests that you are giving up control of your own body. Perhaps you are afraid of losing control of your body.

City

To see a city in your dream signifies your social environment and sense of community. If you dream of a big city, then it suggests that you need to develop closer ties and relationships. You are feeling alienated and alone. To dream that you are in a deserted city indicates that you feel rejected  by those around you.

To dream of a city in ruins denotes that you are neglecting your social relationships and allowing them to deteriorate.

Rainforest

To dream that you are in a rainforest suggests that you feel your emotions are being undermined and "cut down". Alternatively, the dream represents your waking concerns about the environment. It may also be a metaphor of the impact that you have on your surroundings.

Rain

To see and hear rain falling symbolizes forgiveness and grace. Falling rain is also a metaphor for tears, crying and sadness. Alternatively, rain symbolizes fertility and renewal. If you get wet from the rain, then it indicates cleaning from your troubles and problems. In particular, dreaming of acid rain indicates that you have been mislead. You are letting hatred and revenge take over and define you.

Rose

To see roses in your dream signify faithfulness in love and the coming of joy in some area of your life. Roses also symbolize love, passion, desire, femininity, unity, and romance, particularly if they are red roses. If you see a white rose, then it symbolizes virginity, pureness, and secrecy. It you see a yellow rose, then it refers to infidelity, jealousy, or friendship. If the rose is pink, then it means fresh love and new romance. According to Freud, the rose represents the female genitalia.

Darkness

To dream that darkness comes upon you signifies failure in some work that you are attempting.  Darkness is synonymous with ignorance, the subconscious, evil, death, and fear of the unknown. If you feel safe in the dark, then it suggests that you like not knowing about certain things. As some might say, ignorance is bliss.

Only parts of what she read made sense but Isabel was already connecting those explanations with her story. Some of the meanings of her dream were about her personally but others had to do with someone else in her life. And that scared Isabel.

---

In the car, on her way to Liz’ house, Isabel found herself thinking about what to say to her brother. She had never done something like this before because it had never felt so serious. What would make him listen to me? What would make him open up?

Pulling up in front of Elizabeth’s apartment complex made Isabel slightly anxious. She found herself afraid of what Kye might say to her but continued her ‘mission’ anyway. Stepping up on the stairs to the front door, Isabel heard someone yelling in one of the apartments which made her close her eyes and pray for it to not be Liz or Kye. 

“What are you doing here?” Kye asked in a sleepy and raspy voice.

Isabel was standing in the hallway of Elizabeth's rented apartment, her shoes and jacket still on even though she had been there for almost ten minutes now. Liz had let her in, saying that Kye was still asleep but if Isabel waited, she would wake him up for her. But after seeing him, she wished she had not come. He was a wreck, his left cheek purple like a plum with a yellow ring around it. His hand was scraped and weak looking, making him wince when he slid it through his messy hair.

“What happened to you?” Isabel almost ignored his question but also answered it with hers.

“Nothing, I'm fine!” he mumbled and turned around to walk back into the bedroom. Quickly tossing her shoes to the corner she followed him, grabbing his shoulder to pull him back but was startled when he let out a loud groan and lowered his shoulder to get out of her grip.

“You are obviously not fine! What happened? Why wont you tell me?” Isabel was almost mad at him but held her tone soothing because she knew if she raised her tone then Kye would shut her off even more.

“Why are you here when I didn’t ask you to come. That was actually the point of that text, Bella, for you or anyone to not come looking for me!” Kye wasn’t extremely happy about seeing his sister.

“I’m worried about you, Kye!”

“You are worried about me? All the other times I’ve sent the same text you have never showed up here, saying that you’re worried about me. Only noticeable change about you has been the fake pity smile you manage on your face when I come back home and that’s it,” he said, gently holding onto his shoulder.

“I’ve never said or done anything because of the attitude you give me and mom and dad whenever the subject goes anywhere near about you and what you are up to. But when I read that you're gonna stay here for longer than two or three days, my worry crossed a line somewhere.“ Isabel had had enough of it. She was there to get answers and she wasn't going to leave without one.

"Hey!" Isabel felt a strong hand on her lower back, sliding on to her side and then it disappeared. She turned around to see who it was, still holding onto the wall beside her because of the dizzyness caused by the alcohol already flowing through her bloodstream.

"Hi! What are you doing here?" she asked, when she recognized Jaden's longer brown hair. Trying to focus on his eyes, she tripped over a bit but Jaden caught her by her waist so she could stand steady again. 

"Why? Can't I party like everybody else?" he asked, immediately noticing his tone was a bit harsh. 

"No no, you can. I've just never seen you at a party like this, let alone at one of Robert's parties," she replied, ignoring the fact that Jaden's hand never left her waist. 

 "Well I thought I should come, if there was a chance of seeing you here." The girl caught along to that thought a little bit too late, as when she looked up to see what Jaden meant by that, his eyes were already searching the party, looking for another drink to down. His eyes found the bar corner and his feet were already heading that way, his hand grabbing Isabel’s and dragging her along with him.

“Where are you going?” she finally managed to ask just a few seconds before they stopped before the counter. Someone was behind it, serving themselves a drink when Jaden asked for two of something Isabel’s ear didn’t catch.

“Here,” Jaden’s voice snapped her out of the slight daydream that was coming over her. She took the cup and downed half of it in one go, not even trying to figure out what it was before it was down her throat.

“Yeah, um... that’s a vodka cocktail so you may not want to down it so fast or your insides might get mad at you,” Jaden said and took away her cup, putting both of their’s on the table and grabbing Isabel by her waist as she was not able to stand on her own two feet.

“Do you always drink so fast? I doubt that,” he said when she was slipping out of his grip so he had to wrap his arms around her. She was leaning on him, her face buried into his chest when Jaden heard a sob leaving her lips.

“What’s wrong, Isabel?” he asked, tying to get a look at her face to see how she was but she hid behind her hair and buried her face into the crook of Jaden’s neck.

“I wanna get out of here,” she whispered into his ear and Jaden was quickly on it. He led them out of the living room and stopped in the hall for a second to think about where to go but then continued their way out of the house, straight to the parked cars in front of it. His eyes scanned through the street and found an old dark red Volkswagen. 

“Would you like to sit outside or we could sit in the car?”Jaden asked when they had reached was appeared to be his car.

“Can we sit on the trunk?” Isabel asked and Jaden didn’t waste another second, sitting them down on the front of the car. 

The neighborhood was fairly quiet, only the beat of the music from Robert’s house flowing through the streets. Isabel had stopped crying, only a few whimpers attacking her body now and then. She rested her head on Jaden’s shoulder and played with her fingers in her lap. He looked at her worn body for a moment and decided to support it by putting his arm around her, letting his hand rest on her waist.

“I got a text today,” she started, “from my brother.”

“What did it say?” Jaden asked on a softer tone, trying not to push her.

“He said he was staying at his girlfriend’s house for a week or so and asked me to inform mom and to not ask any questions,” she replied and stopped playing with the hem of her shirt, taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts.

“Do you know why he said that? Why he asked you to not ask any questions?” he continued asking, seeing that she wanted to talk about it.

“I have a theory,” Isabel said, a few tears leaving her eyes, streaming down her cheeks.

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

“I’m worried about him. I know he has gotten a few punches before, but then he’s at Elizabeth’s house for only two days or so. Now he’s there for a whole week and I worried that he got it harder this time,” she said, her eyesight now ruined by the water in her eyes. Elizabeth was Kye’s girlfriend of almost two years now and whenever Kye didn’t want to come home, he would stay at her place because her parents were away most of the time so she was alone there. 

“Why is someone beating him?” Jaden asked but was not ready for the answer just yet.

“He is in some mess with drugs and money, I don’t know really,” Isabel got a little frustrated talking about it.

“It’s okay!” Jaden said and grabbed both of Isabel’s legs, pulling them over his and wrapping his arm around them. She was sobbing again, her tears leaving a wet stain on his shirt but Jaden didn’t mind.

“You should call him tomorrow, ask how he is doing. He might open up to you about what happened,” 

“He won’t,”

“Why not?” Jaden was a bit confused.

“’Cause he doesn’t care if I worry about him but if he is worried about me then I have to act on his words,” Isabel tried to explain as clearly as she could through her growing whimpers. She was now playing with the hem of Jaden’s shirt, ignoring the stains she left on it with her hands which she also used to wipe away the black tears stains on her cheeks.

---

Even though the music was still blaring through the house, the party had died down. It was 5:32 am when Jaden opened his eyes to see a lightly lit sky ready for the sun to rise. He was laying on the backseat of his car, Isabel wrapped in his arms, his denim jacket laid over them. He didn’t want to disturb her sleep so he decided to close his eyes again but it was already too late. 

“My head hurts so bad,” Isabel said and palmed her forehead with one hand, pushing herself up with the other. Her eyes were still shut but she squeezed them tighter when she heard Jaden’s voice echo through her head.

“Shouldn’t have downed that cocktail I gave you,” 

“Shouldn’t have given it to me,” she whispered, slamming her hand on his chest. It made them both laugh, Isabel falling back onto his chest.

“Your hair is in my mouth,” Jaden said, trying to get it out.

“Oh, sorry,” Isabel said and turned her head so her chin was resting on his chest.

“It’s alright,” he breathed out, putting a piece of hair behind her ear and placing his hand on her shoulder. His eyes met hers when he lowered his gaze from her hair to her eyes. Behind that tired look in her eye with ruined makeup she had a smile bigger that the whole world but she hadn’t let it fall onto her lips. All she carried on those pink ones was a worry about her brother but Jaden had set it his goal to change that.

“Your eyes are so beautiful in this dimmed light,” he whispered, caressing her cheek with his thumb. 

“I’ve probably got mascara all over my face,” she said, hiding it behind her hand and lowering her head on his chest again.

“You do,” he sighed out, “but that doesn’t change the color of your eyes.” Isabel looked up at him with a smile on her lips but still not as big one as she had in her eyes.

“Can I kiss you?” Jaden asked out of the blue.

Friday mornings were always the easiest to get up on. Isabel basically jumped out of bed, forgetting about her still sore ankle and hopped into the bathroom. She looked into her mirror and took a strand of hair out of her face. Her eyes were puffy and lips dry, her nose had some redness around it and all of her freckles were uncovered. She brushed through her hair before getting in the shower because she knew if she didn't, it would be painful to do it afterward. Even though the shower was running she heard her brother waking up and she knew she had to move faster as they shared a bathroom. She finished rinsing and put a towel around herself, unlocking the door to Kye's room. A few minutes later a slow and crouching boy walked into the tiny bathroom, grabbed his toothbrush and ran it under the tap.

“You really should go to bed earlier. It's sad to see you every morning,” Isabel said and went to leave the room.

“Hey, um... are you going to Robert's party tonight?” Kye asked and spit out the foam in his mouth, “'Cause if you are, then I'm warning you. Some of the guys from my uni talked about the party and attending yesterday,” he continued. Isabel seemed to think about it for a moment but really she found someone else on her mind.

“What are you warning me about?” she asked to make it look like she was on the same page as Kye.

“Well, they can get a little bit out of hand and I don't want you to get in trouble or get hurt because of them,” he said and continued to splash water on his face.

“For once you worry about me. But trust me, I can take care of myself,” Isabel answered with a harsh tone, considering it was only six forty-five in the morning.

“I know you can, I just care about you and I know these guys. They are not the people to party with. I don't even know how they found out about Robert's party. I don't believe he hangs out with them.” Isabel watched her brother putting wax in his hair and scratching a flake of skin off of his nose. He had never showed his care for her, let alone said anything about it. She was a little shocked but flattered at the same time.

“You yourself are not going?” she asked.

“I don't know. I don't have any plans yet so maybe, if nothing else comes to mind, I'll even go,” he answered and left the bathroom. Isabel nodded to herself and went to find something to wear. She opened the door to her closet and stood there for a good half a minute just staring at her own clothes. Finally, after a choosing between a pair of black and a pair of blue jeans she settled with black jeans, a stripy baggy navy and white blouse and a black leather jacket. She decided to wear her white Converse, which she hadn't worn for a year at least, and to put her hair up in a bun as she didn't bother to do anything with it.

---

“You look... different!” Isabel saw the confusion on Carol's face.

“Thanks I guess,”

“No no, you look great. It's just that you look kinda rocky-ish, not that it's a bad thing, again. You just look different to me. Haven't seen you rocking your Converse in long time,” Carol blurted out and smiled after that.

“Well I can't really “rock” my casual footwear and the “ballerina-shoes” are kinda uncomfortable, so I decided to go for something comfier,” Isabel answered and pushed herself up from her car. They walked to their second in silence until Carol broke it with her begging voice.

“So, are you coming to the party tonight?” she asked and put her hand on Isabel's arm to stop her from walking away.

“I think so. I asked Alex to come with me but I haven't heard back from him, so I don't know to say if he is coming or not, “ Isabel mumbled because she knew Carol isn't really keen on Alex going to any party with them, let alone Carol's boyfriend's party. She hated the idea of Isabel having better time with Alex than her.

“Oh, okay. But um... find me when you get there, I want to introduce you to someone,” Carol said and winked at her before going in to the classroom.

Isabel looked around and saw people being more excited and bubbly than on other days of the week. It was like this on every Friday but this tie there seemed to be more people talking about it and more fuzz around it. The guys from Kye's university going there, Carol wanting to introduce someone to Isabel, it all made her a bit anxious but she decided to let it slide and have a good, maybe even great time that night.

“You look great today!” Isabel heard a familiar voice behind her. She turned around and there he stood, tall, handsome, longer darker hair put back in a man bun, black denim jacket, making his shoulders seem broader than they already were. You don't look bad either. Isabel thought to herself but couldn't come around to telling him. Her silence made Jaden nervous.

“I mean you look great everyday but I just like to see you in something different than heels and blazers,” he added looking at the silent girl. She thought about what he had just said and a question popped up in her head.

“You don't like heels and blazers then?” she asked.

“No, I mean I like them but I just like to see you wearing something different. It's interesting to see, I guess,” he said, face blushing like a beetroot. Isabel giggled to herself, liking the way she made a guy flustered.

“You know, I have never made a guy blush like that before,” she stated, knowing she would make it worse. But she liked it.

“Hard to believe because you seem to really know ho to do it ,” he said and hid his face in his hands. He pushed back his hair, throwing it on one side and ruffling the other and that made Isabel's body shiver but she hid it as good as she could. She pulled back the hems on her jacket to let the breeze cool her down but she didn't hide that move as good as she thought.

“You okay? You seem kinda hot? Want to go outside?” Jaden asked putting his hand on Isabel's shoulder. She looked at the hand covering her whole tiny shoulder.

“I think I could use some fresh air,” she said and took his hand to let him lead her outside. They stopped right before the staircase which led up to the front door. She leaned on the railing and took a hold of it with one hind, not letting go of Jaden's in her other hand.

“What happened?” ha asked and adjusted her hand in his but didn't let go neither.

“I don't know, just felt really hot all of a sudden,” she answered, trying to hold back the grin on her lips. She looked into his dark hazel eyes and saw the real worry which she recognized from this morning. Her brother had had the same worry on his face and it made her feel uncomfortable.

“Um, but it's getting better now, so we should head to class,” she said, let go of Jaden's hand and walked back into the now empty hall. She hadn't heard the bell ring in which made her think how late she was.

When she walked into class she felt the whole classroom's eyes on her. She was never late and that pushed the curiosity level of the class even higher. She took a seat in the second row and took out her books when her phone vibrated.

I'm sorry, Bella, but I can't make it to the party tonight, I've got a date with Bradley, you know the hot swimmer. Have a great one!

She threw the phone back into her bag, turning around to face a furious teacher.

“You are late and then dare to check your phone in class. That's a new record for you, Ms Carthy,” the teacher said.

“I'm sorry. It won't happen again,” Isabel mumbled but the teacher didn't care about that.

You could see how the wind coming from the open classroom window made the girls shrug a bit when it touched their skin. They were turned on by the teacher’s appearance and his young but husky voice. It made every girl blush and gasp for air when he turned to them. There were only a few female students who didn't find his so called “hotness” utterly distracting.

Isabel was one of them and was in this class because she was interested in English literature and not in getting to know the teacher and his body features outside of class.

“Ms Carthy, what did I just say?” professor Harwood asked Isabel, slamming his finger on her books. Isabel raised her glance to his eyes and just stared at him.

„We have a test next lesson,“ she heard a girl whisper behind her.

„You said we have a test next lesson?“ Isabel mumbled out with a questioning tone. He looked at her for once again and then continued on with ending his lesson. Isabel looked behind her to thank the person who helped her out and was surprised to face yet another person she didn't recognize.

„You're welcome!“ she said without even letting Isabel say a word. She didn't say it with a smile, but an annoyed face, which made Isabel turn around and mind her own business.

When the lesson ended, Isabel was rushing to grab her books and get out of the classroom, because she knew it would take her longer to get to the next one than it usually did. She grabbed a paper the teacher was handing out and stormed out the classroom as fast as she could, hurting her leg in the process. Rooting around in her bag, she tried to find the painkillers she had thrown in there in the morning, but had now lost them to the bottom rubbish of her bag.

„Hey, Isabel!“ she heard someone call behind her.

„You dropped these,“ he said and handed her the pills she was looking for. Isabel took them and recognized the sweater he was wearing. When she looked up, she realized it was the same person she ran into before.

„Wow, thank you! I would never have noticed that, if I was you,“ she said and threw one of them little white tablets into her mouth and took a sip from her water bottle.

„What happened to your leg? I assume that's why you are in the need of your painkillers,“ he said and looked at Isabel's leg which she wasn't leaning on.

„Oh, um... I sort of sprained my ankle on the stairs this morning. I really should throw away these ugly pair of slippers that caused it,“ she said, totally ignoring the fact that she was telling it all to a complete stranger. A complete stranger who somehow knew her name. The boy looked at her and a smile formed on his face.

„What?“

„You probably don't know or remember who I am, but it's nice to see someone actually being nice for once in this crappy building,“ he said and adjusted his sleeves over his knuckles.

„Oh wow! Now that is awkward,“ Isabel's cheeks turned bright pink.

„Why?“

„Well, you said that I don't remember or know you, which is sad to admit but you obviously know me and that is embarrassing for me. I’m so sorry,“ Shut your mouth you moron, she thought to herself.

„Don't be, I'm really not a very memorable person, which is also a sad thing to admit, but that’s how it is.“

„Oh no, I'm probably just very forgetful when it comes to people.“ Isabel felt kind of nervous thinking about how she should know this guy.

„I'm Jaden... Jay really, don't know why I just introduced myself with my full name, never done that before and nobody uses it except my mom,“ he looked nervous sighing, brushing the sweat on his palms into his jeans.

“I would say my name but you already know it so...”

“Isabel Eunice, couldn't forget it!”

“Oh wow, how do you know my middle name?” The girl was shocked and scared of what the answer might be. She had always tried to keep her middle name to herself, she never really liked it.

“Um, I don't know, I just know. Maybe I read it somewhere and such a beautiful name is really hard to forget.” Isabel felt her cheeks getting darker and darker by the second. Calm down! It was strange but also somehow flattering to hear that the name she had hated so much was beautiful to someone else.

“But I'll see you around then. You really should get going to your second period. You are slower with your peg-leg,” he said and pointed at Isabel's hurt leg. She smiled and waited for him to turn around the corner of the hall before she twirled on her other foot and continued to “walk” to class.

---

“What happened to you? You were walking just fine when I saw you yesterday,” Alex said to Isabel when she walked into a small and empty bookstore which was also a home-library to her.

“I kind of sprained my ankle on the stairs this morning, but that doesn't matter. You are back at work and I don't care you said last night that you don't want to party, Carol is forcing me to go to her boyfriend's house-party this Friday and you are coming with me,” Isabel stated, slamming her bag on the counter top. Alex was Isabel's childhood best-friend and he had gotten his job back after what happened four months ago, when he brought a guy into the shop.

“Okay, slow down. Since when are you a sloppy walker and how are you gonna go to a party without your party-heels on?”Alex worried, taking the books Isabel handed him.

“I just want to have a good time and I think I can manage, even without my heels,” she said but it didn't convince Alex. Isabel was never a girl who wanted to have a good time, she just had it even if it was in pajamas, watching old TV-series.

“Something is different about you. What's going on, Bella?” Damn it! He only uses that nickname for me when he knows something is going on and I've got no way out.

“Nothing,” Isabel answered quickly and disappeared between the bookshelves of the library side of the store which was a small corner of old books at the end of the fiction shelves.

“You ain't fooling me, sweetie! Now tell me what's new?” Alex was always the one to hear out Isabel's worries and stories. Carol wasn't really a sleepover kind of a girl but that's where Alex came in. They didn't have actual sleepover anymore but almost everyday after school Isabel would meet up with Alex, even if it was for only ten minutes, and they would chat about their days. Usually Alex's because he was in a much more socially active college and had a lot more to talk about but when Isabel had a story to talk about Alex would always listen.

“I don't know, I sprained my ankle today, been embarrassed twice in front of the same person, lunch was terrible today and I found out that I have a test in literature tomorrow.” Isabel was looking through some books to read when she heard a chuckle from the other side of the bookshelf behind her.

“What?” the girl was confused.

“Who is he?” Alex simply asked.

“Who's who?”

“The guy you embarrassed yourself in front of,”

“Why do you think it was a guy? I didn't say anything,”

“I told you, you can't fool me, Bella. Now tell me about him. What's his name?”

“Jaden,”

“Nice name! How did you come across each other today?”

“I ran into him... Why are you asking this?” For some reason Isabel didn't like being questioned like this. She didn't mind when it was Alex but there was something different this time.

“Well you aren't really blurting it in my face so I have to do the digging myself. Is he the reason you want to go to that party so bad?”

“No, I bet he isn't even going. Doesn't seem like that kinda guy,” She said and sat down in an armchair beside the window.

“Then why do you wanna go so bad? Go ask him out and spend your Friday night with him not with me at a stupid party.”

“Alex, no! I'm not gonna ask out a guy. Never!”

“Why not?”

“Why should I! We only talked for a couple of minutes and I have to ask him out already? No!”

Isabel got defensive and Alex sensed it. He put away the last book that Isabel returned and went to look for one she might like to read.

“You know, you have been single for a while now. Why though? I thought you liked being in a relationship and all that,” Alex slightly changed the subject’s direction. Isabel looked up form her phone to the direction Alex's voice came from.

“I did. Until that jerk cheated on me. It really does affect you, you know. It's so cliché but I do still think every time, what if he cheats on me like he did. And I don't miss it really. Maybe I'm too busy but I never find myself thinking about it,” Isabel said and watched Alex walking between the shelves, looking for something. He found the book he was looking for and walked back to the front to give it to Isabel.

“Here, thought you might relate to it a bit. I know you usually don't do “easy reads” but I read it a while ago and it's quiet good, I must say.” Isabel took the book and read the cover. “If I stay” by Gayle Forman. She had heard about it but never came across to read it.

“Thanks, I'll have a little read and tell you if I like it or not,” she said and shoved it in her bag. The bell above the door rang and a man, dressed in all-black, broad shoulders, wearing a hoodie, covered in raindrops, bits of dark brown hair peeking out from under the hood.

“Good evening!” he said. Isabel almost jumped up at the mans voice. She waited for him to take his hood off to be sure it was who she thought it was. And she was right. It was Jaden. He hadn't seen her yet and Isabel wanted to keep it that way. She pulled the hood of her jacket over her head and tried to sneak out of the shop so he wouldn't see her but she failed.

“You leaving already? I thought we had longer today,” Alex said, not knowing it was the same guy Isabel had talked about earlier. He went to give Isabel a hug and kissed her on the cheek. That's when Jaden turned around and was surprised to see her but he only waved to her and continued looking through the counter of new arrivals.

“Yeah, um... I have to go home but I'll talk to you later about the plans for Friday,” she said and pushed the door open.

Tall, blonde, fit and is not on his phone in the coffee shop line. I could date that. What should I say? Nothing I say right now is going to make up to me not wearing my heels. I really shouldn't wear those slippers that caused me to trip on the stairs this morning. It’s not healthy nor is the fact that I can’t wear any heels for a long time (for me at least). How am I gonna look good when I’m so short and seem so small? I don’t like being so short. I want to be taller.

„Here are your skinny latte and a chocolate chip cookie. And that’s $6.99 in total,“ the cashier named Amanda woke Isabel from her daydream. She gets those moments a lot, even when she’s with a friend or in a group she usually thrifts off at some point.

„Thank you!“ she said and handed her the money she had gotten ready earlier because she already knew the cost of her everyday order. She turned around, having her coffee in one and cookie in the other hand, and straight ran into the blonde haired guy she had checked out earlier.

„Sorry, my bad! Shouldn't have sneaked up on you like that,“ he said and apologized once again.

„Oh, why did you sneak up on me?“ Isabel’s morning just got a little bit more interesting, not counting the fall that caused her peg-legness.

„Well, I thought that maybe if you were up for it, we could go get some lunch someday, if you are up and free for that?“ he was so nervous he repeated himself and when he noticed it, his cheeks bloomed red, like he had just ran a marathon. Isabel thought about it for a second. He checked me out when I wasn't in heels and he liked what he saw. He doesn't even know me nor has he seen me before, ‘cause I haven’t seen him here before in those three years I've ordered my morning coffee from this shop.

„Well I guess we could grab something together for lunch someday but how are we going to get in touch on that „someday“?“ Isabel felt confident and knew that her bit of sassiness could get her a date at any time.

„Yeah, I was going to ask that, maybe we could exchange numbers or something?“ he took his phone from the pocket of his skin-tight jeans and unlocked it. He didn't have the regular four-numbered pass-code but a word he quickly typed in. Isabel grabbed her own and was surprised to see a text from Alex.

You comin’ 'round today? I'm  back at work for two months. At least for now, we’ll see about that, Mr I’m-not-taking-you-back -if-you-behave-like-that-again.

She noticed that the Blondie was waiting for her to hand him her phone and quickly swiped open her contacts to greate a new one.

„Here,“ she said, handed her phone and took his to put her number in there. When they were done Isabel checked her phone to see what his name was but she was greeted by a smiling emoji and The-coffee-shop-guy.

„You staying anonymous?“ What a try-hard.

„I guess so,“ he said and just walked away with a cheeky grin on his face. Isabel couldn't really wrap her head around it if what she had done was going to be a mistake or something great.

She continued her way to her car, hopped in and threw her bag on the passenger seat, almost knocking over her coffee in the cup holder. It’s going to be an interesting week. She thought to herself, starting the car and pulling out from the parking lot. The ride from the coffee shop to school was short but time-taking because of the morning traffic, despite the fact that it wasn't a big town.

—

Pulling into the car park of Southfall Community College, Isabel felt even more stressed than before. It wasn't that she did bad in college, which was most students’ reason for stress, it was just the environment, those people who walked those halls beside her, they weren't the most wonderful people you could want to get to know and they made having a good time studying even harder.

There was the popular group, the ones who got through college without worrying about studies and spending most of their free time partying or just hanging around. There were the „nerds“ who basically disliked everyone who, in their opinion, disrespected education. There were the so called „bad-ass“ ones, who just didn't care about anything but somehow didn't drop out, which was a mystery to everyone. And rest of the students, who in Isabel’s eyes didn't belong to any of those categories, were just annoyed and grumpy most of the time.

Knock, knock, knock.

Isabel jumped in her seat and turned her head to see who had just made her jump out of another one of her daydreams. It was Carol, blond hair, blue eyes, unfit but still good looking girl. Her hair was always a bit curly or wavy, face covered in make-up but not like a cake, shoes always heeled, never flat, unless they were running shoes or spa slippers.

„You really should visit a therapist. It’s can’t be healthy to daydream that much,“ she said, opening Isabel’s car door.

„Shut it, Carol! I can daydream as much as I want to,“ Isabel snapped back, took her bag and coffee and dragged herself out of the car.

„What happened to you?“ Carol gasped when she saw Isabel’s shoes and her limping. She was confused how she hadn't heard about Isabel’s injury and bummed because that meant no parties for a week or even longer.

„Apparently, I can’t walk the stairs anymore, sprained my ankle hurrying downstairs in the morning,“ said Isabel when they started walking to their first class. Walking meaning that Isabel limped and Carol walked at a slower pace she wasn't used to.

“Does that mean that you won’t be coming to Robert’s party this Friday? 'Cause I really don’t want to go alone,” Carol said in a slightly sweeter and more pleasing tone.

“Really, I don’t know yet. It’s Tuesday today and I have other stuff to worry about for now.” Carol was shocked at Isabel’s attitude and took a step back.

“Sorry, just making conversation,” she said and carried on scrolling through her phone. Isabel noticed how she had just talked to her best-friend and felt bad but still didn't say anything because she knew Carol would not bother her as she had a bad mood and if she apologized now, Carol would try to get the reason behind the rudeness and grumpiness out of her.

“Talk later!” Isabel shouted before she had to turn a corner to get to her class, as the first one for her was English literature which Carol didn't take. Right after waving her friend off, she pumped into something, or someone.

“Sorry!” she mumbled into the person’s chest.

“You really should watch ahead when you turn a corner,” the boy said, grabbing both of Isabel’s arms to steady her.

“I know, I’m sorry!” she said again and waited for him to let her arms go. But he didn't. He loosened his grip but still held her arms lightly, touching his fingertips against the backs of her arms. Until then Isabel hadn't looked her crash partner in the eyes or even looked at his face. When she did, she wasn't surprised that she didn't recognize him. There was always someone Isabel saw at school who she didn't recognize and it made her question whether the person was new or could just avoid people and their gazes very well. Drown in her daydreams again, she didn't notice him leaving until she heard his voice.