Finding Isabelle

Chapter Three

I have to admit, I was up until three in the morning reading that Shakespearian novel, suprisingly. I think it was the thought of Isabelle sitting reading the same book as i was reading; it left me smiling like an idiot.
So the predictable happened, seeing as i fell asleep at about 4.30 a.m. Thanks to the non-stop thoughts of what I'd been reading for the past three hours and also, Isabelle's beauty, i managed to get myself 4 hours of sleep. "Isaac Gallagher, you're late for school!" My dad slams open my bedroom door briskly and ruffles my duvet. I decide not to move a single muscle... Until he drags the duvet fully off and rolls up the blinds, letting in tonnes of morning light especially to blind me. I hold up my left hand to signify that I'm awake (well, I'm pretty sure that could wake up a corpse, anywAy) and he finally leaves me be.

I am left 25 minutes to get changed, brush my teeth, shower, have breakfast and drive to school; this may be a struggle. But one thing i know is that i have another book club today at lunch, and hopefully Isabelle will be there again to discuss her ultimate love for classic novels and poetry; then I can fully and truthfully agree with her this time. So after pulling on some slightly baggy denim jeans, a white unbuttoned polo shirt, some socks and clean trainers, i head out the front door and jump into the car. What hits my mind when im about to start the car is: wait, dont you need keys to start the ignition? Or...

"Mister Gallagher, why are you late?" The very overly extravagant drama coach asks whilst i walk into the studio ten minutes late. She looks at me with a slight squint and adjusts her loose bun.
"Im sorry, i woke up late and-"
"Enough. Sit down."

You would think im a teachers pet because of my mostly impressive grades, however, about 6/10 of them think im too smart and cheat on exams as i dont seem to listen in certain lessons, and the rest of them just dislike me for turning out to be smarter than them and not really needing to pay much attention to them rambling on about simple formulae and other aspects i'd taught myself earlier on in life. I dont exactly see drama as much of an important topic unless you aim to apply for a job in the performing arts category in which case of course it is. It's fun. But it's also a case of love or hate, i guess. For me, its a clear case of hate.

The best part of drama class was when we had set assignments in groups to compose a performance of some kind. The good thing about that was watching peers actually perform them and usually fail miserably - it was something to have a good laugh about. I just kinda have to be careful to not laugh at Hunter, i mean, he threatened to 'fight me' after chuckling extremely slightly when he slipped over a strip of ribbon one time. And when Hunter is ever taken the piss out of, he doesn't exactly take it lightly...

At recess, Isabelle waters walks past where Katie, Marlin, Kevin and I are sat (our usual hot spot). She casually strolls past with her boyfriend, holding hands. "Fuck. I'm going to book club" marlin rubs his hands together in a creepy kind of way and glares at the (perfect) human being as she goes past. "You're a perv, you know that?" Katie says, clearly disgusted - i dont blame her to be honest.
"I know, i know. Im just being a teenage boy K!" He grins, again, quite creepily. Its obvious he's doing it purposely now.
As Isabelle is halfway through walking past us, she turns over to look in my direction and beams a quick - but very gorgeous - smile. I smile back at her in awe, but as i do William James Clayton Smith looks back at me and grips tightly onto Isabelle's hand. Her smile fades and they continue walking past. will's eyebrows are furrowed as he whispers something into her ear. She looks back at me.
"I cant fucking wait till lunch." I say.

100 minutes pass, full of physics and computing, a decent combination, but nothing lived up to seeing her for a whole lunch period.

"Hello." Isabelle is holding two large books to her chest as she walks over to me with a sway in her step.
"Uh, hi!" I reply, my breathing slightly speeding up due to her close prescence.
"You seem... Nervous?" She teases me, taking another step closer and then slowly backing off to sit in the same seat as last time. As six of us wait for the teacher to commence, I think to myself: I swear to God, two days ago i swore to Katie... and Marlin that I was only going to go to ONE book club...
"Good afternoon, people!" A very jolly teacher skip-steps into the circle and looks around at all of us, "so i told you all to bring books that you've been reading recently. So, who wants to introduce them first?"
Feeling oddly confident for once, I stand up from my seat, "me, miss." I smile, "i brought a novel by, uh, William Shakespeare. Its called-"
"You read some Shakespeare? i told you you'd love him!" Very excitedly, Isabelle shoots up to a stand with a large, beaming grin upon her bright face. I look down at my feet and shuffle them around slightly, "yeah." I say.
"You're embarrassed." She giggles.
"No!"
"Yes, Isaac." Isabelle Waters just said my name