The Lost Cause And The Loner

Seven.

*Ebony's POV*

I stood there like a lost child, looking around awkwardly. My heart leaped a little when I noticed the posters. We like all of the same bands, and he had a Legend of Zelda poster! I would not have thought of him like that. Alex must have seen my face because he chuckled. "You like the posters? Me too."

I stayed silent.

"Don't just stand there. Come sit down." Alex moved up to make space for me. I sat down, not making a sound. "So... Ebony... I'm sorry about how awkward our last talk was."

This meeting was a little awkward too.

Alex sighed. "Don't want to talk?" Looking away, I bit my lip and sighed. "I'll take that as a no. I'm guessing you have a problem with me?" he spoke again. I didn't respond. "I didn't do anything wrong to you... Ever... Well, I did call you beautiful. But that's a good thing."

"No it's not." I plucked up the courage to say something.

"What? Why? I don't understand you." He laughed softly, making my stomach go into little knots.

"I don't like being lied to." I said stiffly.

"I didn't lie... Oh. You think you're not beautiful." Alex looked kinda sad. "I'm not going to irritate you anymore, but I think that you are the most beautiful girl in the world. And I'm not embarrassed to say that."

I felt my cheeks flush completely bright red, and I looked up at Alex. "Really? Truthfully?"

"Yeah. Really truthfully. One hundred percent." Alex grinned.

I blushed more and looked down again. "Hey. You don't have to be so shy." Alex said gently.

He was the only person who had ever really cared. Really tried to talk to me. It was a new feeling, and I wasn't sure what to do.

Obviously deciding to break the silence, Alex turned on his music. The first song that played was Sleepwalking by Bring Me The Horizon. I smiled. "I love this song."

"Same." He said, humming along to the song. "I can play it on guitar."

He plays guitar? Whoa. That's kinda cool.

"Random question, are you shy or don't you like people?" Alex asked out of the blue.

Good question. Shame I don't really know the answer. "I... I guess I don't bother with people. I'm a really shy person anyway, and I know Annika tells everyone I'm mute, but I'm not. I just don't want to get hurt by people so I just keep silent." I gasped after I realised that I had opened up to a stranger.

But the thing is, he didn't really feel like a stranger. He felt like someone I had known all my life. Maybe I knew him in a past life. Maybe he was a like a lost ghost. Maybe Alex was someone important.

Okay hold up. What am I thinking? I don't even know him. I'm not used to making human connections.

"Have you been hurt before?" Alex asked. I just nodded, deciding mentally not to talk anymore.

Alex pulled a weird face, and lifted his hands to my chin. I flinched a little, but let him slowly pull my face towards his. Before I realised fully what was happening, I felt his soft lips touch mine.

I could taste his soft, minty breath. Inside, I desperately wanted to pull away, but I couldn't. My body wouldn't move.

My stomach started churning, and it felt like something inside me was trying to burst out. Butterflies left my stomach and wriggled up my throat.

Alex pulled away. He looked a little dazed. "Whoa." He shook his head and stood up, walking over to his TV.

I sat in silence as he turned it on. "What do you want to watch?" Alex asked simply, as if nothing had happened. When I didn't reply, he looked back at me and I shrugged.

"Walking Dead it is then." He smirked.

What? How? What!?

I just had my first kiss... With an almost-stranger. Why is he not acting like this is a big deal? Because this is a big deal!

Wow. Now I'm freaking out. I am not used to emotions. Especially not this many at once.