tall

met

she was elated.

it was like her body was a balloon, soaring into the heavens.

they were going to meet.

she just had to find out where.

she scribbled down something unintelligible into her notebook, daydreaming about the way he had spoken to her.

he had spoken to her.

the perfect, otherworldly tristan had used his own muscles to open his lips and let words flow into her eyes.

she sighed a rather large sigh and waited for the bell to ring. the history class dragged on and on into what seemed like eternity. she couldn't pay attention.

she couldn't focus.

she couldn't function.

the bell's shrill tone had never been more inviting. in the first few seconds of it sounding, she was out of her seat with her backpack on her shoulder. she was smiling, barely a whisp of one, but a smile nonetheless.

she was almost happy, for the first time in months.

her dream had become a reality.

he was real life. he had been in front of her. he had touched her. he had actually touched her.

she felt like she was floating on the wind to the door, but as she turned the corner out of the door, she was yanked back down onto the ground again.

the blonde was there. the one that had done things with a guy other than him. and she was all over tristan, rubbing her hand on his chest, her thigh against his.

her smile disappeared.

the blonde smiled an evil smile and said, "hi, mystery girl. stay away from my boyfriend. he only wants me in his pants."

she was taken aback. all she had ever wanted was him to love her. she hadn't thought about that.

he was just staring straight ahead, not taking in anything that was happening. not even looking at her at all.

she tried to speak, but no words came out. just as a whisper escaped over her lips, the blonde girl wound back and slapped her. hard.

she had never felt such pain.

this hurt worse than when she woke up each morning from another dream about him.

she realized she was on the floor just as she felt a shoe connect with her shin.

another pain, worse than when she caught glimpses of him across the hall with the blonde.

she struggled to her feet, barely holding in a deluge of tears. she could feel warmth from eyes on her face and in the cheek the girl had slapped.

like a robot, she gathered her books and shouldered past the girl. the last thing she heard before she closed the bathroom door behind her was, "ugly bitch. she doesn't even have any friends. no one will ever love her."

but what hurt even more than her words was when she heard him agree.

-

amy had taken it too far.

tristan was in disbelief.

she had SLAPPED her. hard. this was not supposed to happen.

then she had KICKED her. even harder. that was not supposed to happen, either.

he had agreed with her when she called the beautiful girl a bitch. that was never going to happen again.

he was panicking.

he couldn't break another promise with her, although it was already crumbling through his fingertips, just like the first.

he would wait for her. he would get rid of amy. he would do anything.

he acted like he needed to talk to a teacher and told amy to not wait up for him. he went through the motions like a robot when he leaned down to kiss her.

he would never do that again, either.

and he knew that was the one promise he wouldn't have any trouble keeping.

he made for his last class, occasionally looking back. when amy was gone, he reversed his steps and headed for the bathroom nearest where amy had accosted her.

he took a deep breath, ran a hand through his hair, and knocked on the door.

tentative at first, and then louder.

"who is it?" he heard a belabored voice say.

he inhaled and responded, "i'm sorry."

he heard the slightest squeak and when he tried to open the door again, he could.

tristan pushed his way in, just to see the tall girl sitting on the ground, her baggy shirt almost covering her knees, pressed against her chest.

he didn't know how someone could be so perfect even when they were crying.

he shook his head a bit and moved his eyes down to hers.

she wouldn't look him in the eye. she wouldn't even move.

"well, i guess this isn't how we were supposed to meet," he tried to say to her. a tear just slipped down her cheek.

he sighed and ran a hand through his hair again. out of the corner of his eye, he saw her steal a glance at him, fire burning in her eyes, just to see that same fire be quenched by a torrential rain as she refocused on the stall.

he sighed again, waiting for her to say something. she didn't.

he tapped his foot and asked, "can you at least tell me your name?"

she took a sharp breath in and pushed her glasses up her nose.

after what felt like eternity, she responded, "i hate my name."

her voice was melodic, quiet but loud.

tristan forced out a small laugh and responded, "how bad can it be?"

-

she stared at him straight in the eyes; those eyes that seemed to hold endless jeweled rainforest. they were her breaking point. it took her all she had in her not to push past him and run away as she said,

"my name is esme."

------------
a/n: ahhhh guys!!!! you finally know her name now ;) i hope you like it... it means "loved," the opposite of what esme thinks she is. and it's a beautiful name, too.

i wrote another double chapter because i couldn't just leave you guys hanging like this... i mean, come on!! i hope you like it so far! :) thanks for 109 reads.

song: rise by gabrielle