Catch Me

Chapter One: Alone

Chapter one: Alone

The cool Vermont breeze swept through the university campus. Haleigh sat alone on a bench doodling in her sketch book. The cool breeze brought chills to her skin. She buttoned the front of her ratty, old, black and white flannel, trying to keep herself warm. The world around her passed by in a blur, busy college students rushing by to get to class on time. A strand of dark hair fluttered into her face. Growing annoyed she swept her hair into a messy bun, allowing herself the freedom to draw in peace, without the annoyance of hair flapping into her face.

Although students passed Haleigh she didn't seem notice them. She also didn't notice the longing stares she was receiving from both men and women. She sat, doodling away, oblivious to her own beauty. Alone.

Haleigh had always been the quiet one wherever she went. She was a loner, thats just the way it had always been. A month into her freshman year at The University of Vermont (UVM), and not much had changed. She hadn't made any friends. Unless she counted that goth girl from her Ceramics class who had asked to borrow a pen on their second day of classes.

Although she would never admit it, being alone, and not having people around she could talk to really upset Haleigh. The more time that passed, the harder it was becoming to make any friends at all. Everyone already had that place where they fit in. Everyone that is, except for Haleigh. This thought, the thought of being alone her entire college career caused her anxiety to spike. She wanted nothing more than to slip under the covers of her very uncomfortable dorm bed, and disappear from the world. But that couldn't happen. She had to do well in school, so that by the time she graduated she could leave Vermont once and for all. Although she was trying to be strong, and act like nothing was wrong, she had lost count of the number of times she had silently cried herself to sleep. Even her roommate, who was a sophomore, never seemed to be around. Samantha was her name. She spent most of her time in the library either studying or working on the school newspaper. When she wasn't in the library she was out with her senior boyfriend, Charles, who was president of one of the fraternities on campus. Needless to say Haleigh was completely and utterly alone.

Although being alone sucked, it did give her time to focus on her art which was her number one passion in life. She took pride in the fact that she could produce beautiful things out of a variety of different mediums. Whether that was a blank canvas and some acrylic paints, or a hunk of sculpting clay. She was great at creating almost anything.

Right now, as she sat by herself on a bench in the middle of campus, she was working on a very realistic portrait of her grandfather. From the wrinkles in his clothing to the crows feet that surrounded his eyes, the sketch was beautiful. Anyone with eyes could tell you this girl had a talent.

Haleigh lost focus in her drawing as her phone vibrated in her ripped jeans pocket. She pulled out her phone and glanced at the screen as she read a text from her best friend from back home:

Shane: Hey loser

She rolled her eyes at the text that has just come in before replying:

Haleigh: Hi...

Shane had been Haleigh's best, and only friend since the seventh grade. They were inseparable since the moment they had first met that day in health class. Shane was a misunderstood chubby boy at the time who told very inappropriate jokes that had landed him in detention on more than one occasion. There was just something about Shane. He understood Haleigh on a level that no one else ever had. He understood that she was weird and strangely quiet. Being a misfit himself helped him to accept the oddness that was Haleigh.

Shane: What's wrong?

Haleigh: I miss you...

Haleigh: Homesick.