IT STARTED WITH A WHISPER, Elizabeth Olsen

Meet-cute

The building carried a weird smell, a mix of fresh paint and sweat. It felt exactly like middle-school, except that everything seemed bigger. My very first day of high school was obviously something I was nervous about even though I had been in the building before to collect my books and locate my locker. It was all... new. Except for my old friends who were all waiting for me somewhere. It took me five good minutes to find them, hidden a dark corner away from most of the other students. That was the day I saw her for the first time, she was there, sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall behind her.

"She's having a panic attack" one of my friends explained before I could even ask what was going on. So, for the first time, I properly looked at her and noticed the way her shoulder rose and fell faster than they should have as she struggled to breath. And her legs shook although she'd brought her knees to her chest.

"Well, leave her some space then!" I raised my voice slightly to catch the whole group's attention. I asked them to step back and let me handle it, so they all walked and turned around the corner. I knew they weren't too far, but they were far enough so that she wouldn't see them and that was what mattered.

"What's your name?" I asked softly as I kneeled down in front of her, hesitantly placing comforting hands on her knees. She didn't seem to mind the touch, quite the opposite actually, she leaned into it, seeking reassurance.

"Li- Liz- Lizzie" she struggled to respond, the short word getting stuck in the back of her throat several times before she managed to get it out.

"Alright, Lizzie, I'm Y/n. Does this happen to you a lot?" I asked knowing how scary it felt the first time. Not that it ever got easier, but the first time was the worst because you couldn't possibly understand what was happening to you.

"Yeah" she whispered under her breath with a small nod that I almost didn't catch.

"Okay, it's okay, it's completely normal. We're just going to sit here and breathe together, okay?" this time she simply nodded, following my instructions as I guided her through a breathing exercise. When she started calming down, I let my hand move to her cheek, wiping away the tears that were flooding her cheeks. And for the first time, my eyes met her mesmerizing emerald-green orbs. They were red, puffy and filled with tears, but still the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen.

"You should go to class" she spoke as soon as she'd calmed down and caught her breath.

"No, I'm not going to leave you alone" I declined, moving to sit next to her, leaning my back against the wall. We did a couple more breathing exercises until she was fully relax and able to stand up. Then, I walked her to her class, just to make sure she'd be okay. By the time I figured out where my own class was, the first hour was almost over. So, I waited outside the room until the bell rang. Thankfully, the teacher was comprehensive and agreed to not mark me as absent for this time, especially considering the fact that most students arrived late because they couldn't find the room.

Of course, during lunch break my friends asked me about the morning event. I remained evasive, not only because I didn't want to talk about something that wasn't mine to talk about, but also because I knew nothing about the girl I'd help, except her name. Just as we'd switched to another topic, I felt a light tap on my shoulder and turned around to face her, Lizzie.

"May I take you out for dinner tonight?" she offered, only loud enough for me to hear.

"Yeah- Yes, of course, but... why?" I asked, slightly taken aback by the unexpected offer. She chuckled quietly, sucking in her bottom lip to suppress a laugh.

"Just to thank you for helping me earlier. What's your dorm number?" she asked, pulling out her phone, ready to write the number down in her note app.

"127" I responded almost shyly, somehow impressed by her flawless appearance.