Life After You

Chapter 1

I think I've read an ample amount of romance novels to figure out or half-plot whatever that happens in a book by just the first few chapters of a book. Mostly. I also tend, well, used to, believe in love. I used to believe I was capable of loving someone or for someone to love me. Did that happen? Sure. Maybe. Sort of.

The answer is no. I did. But I don't think they did.

Like all romance novels, every relationship is different compared to so many right? Maybe mine was one of the different, way different ones compared to the rest.

"You listen to One Direction?" My head snaps up in the direction of the unfamiliar voice. I look behind me and then back at the boy who I'm unsure if he's looking at me or not. "I'm talking to you...Isabelle isn't it?" He smiles. The kind of smile that's confident-you're-right-smile.

"Um, yeah.." I answer both questions. I look back down at my book in hand but I don't read because I somehow have lost my focus, thanks to the guy who just interrupted my reading.

"Who else do you listen to?" The boy asks. I place the cloth tag on the page I was reading and look up at him once again. I'm only considering his question because it involves music in it, and hey, music is a huge part of me. Huge.

"Zayn Malik, Shawn Mendes, Little Mix, Camilla Cabello..lots of people actually.." I say with a small smile. I still don't get why this eleventh grader is speaking to me. Me, a sixth grader who has no friends, no boyfriend, an outcast basically.

"That says a lot about the singing too I guess," he says with a slight smirk, and I think I blush. This is already going way too fast.

"Uh yeah.." I mumble and look back down at my book. Why am I feeling shy all of a sudden? "How do you know my name?" I ask, curiously. Nobody bothers to even speak to me, let alone know my name.

"Why are you asking like that's a bad thing?" He smiles, but this smile is tinted with slight concern.

"Just curious," I shrug my shoulders. I'm panicking right now. My mind keeps flashing 'CODE RED! CODE RED!' in my head now.

"What are you reading?" He gestures towards my book but pulls it out of my hands before I could say anything. "Nice." He taps the book cover and hands it back to me after seeing through a few pages of the book.

"What kinds of books do you read?" I find myself asking him. He looks a little surprised before his lips tug upward. Maybe I'm surprised too because it's not everyday I converse with just anybody.

"Thrillers, adventure, fiction.." he names. I nod, smiling.

"Let me guess, you love Harry Potter?" I smile hoping my conclusion is correct. He smiles before nodding his head.

"Why are you always..." I smile before cutting him off.

"Alone?" He looks up at me, slowly nodding his head. "It's just the way I am." I shrug, with a small smile.

"Surely there's more to that story.." he says, sitting down next to me on the floor. My eyes widen a little at how close he is compared to his earlier position. I feel goosebumps rise on my skin even though he is a good distance away from me.

"I-I'm not very good at making friends, I guess." I say the only thing I can come up with. He doesn't look satisfied which makes me even more curious. Why does he want to know about my life? Why is someone I've never spoken to until now curious about me?

"I've seen what they...what people do to you..I'm sorry. Does that happen often?" I swear I feel his presence a little closer than it was. Has he been noticing the bullying and the harassment that happens like every single day?