Surviving Cibseption

Acquaintance

Sitting on her window's ledge, Annabelle stared up at the sky, a black blanket that was almost entirely hollow, give or take a few pockmarked orbs. Maybe there was a silver lining to her meeting this youtuber. Sure, she'd probably never talk to him again, but the simple fact that he replied to her lit her heart with hope.

Not only was this making her happy, it was finally making her feel like she was important. At school, she was popular. She had a best friend. She was called beautiful. That never happened before The Change. She made up her mind and she changed herself for the better, at least, that's what she believed.

She was hopeless and helpless at the same time. She wanted to stand on her roof and scream out to the world that she had talked to him, but no one would understand. She didn't even understand.

She did the same thing she did before The Change. She listened to the world and her surroundings. She listened to the yipping Pomeranian down the block, the garbage can her neighbor was rolling back into his driveway, gravel cracking under the tires, and the car alarm honking in the distance. She felt a strange sense of security in knowing that people's lives were playing out around her. She thought of how she wanted Cib to be a larger part of her life. A much larger one. This whole situation was intimidating, but she felt so...
Invincible.

Yes, they had talked. Yes, it had been brief. However, she was still hung up on the things he had said to her:
Thank you! I appreciate it :)
It's nice when fans message me
I'm glad you aren't crazed haha :)
How long have you been watching my videos?

She had told him the truth, even though she wasn't sure if she'd ever talk to him again. Annabelle always felt the need to be honest. It was, after all, her best policy.

Little did she know, that as she contemplated the vast possibilities that could be in store for her, Clayton James was sitting in his apartment, doing the same thing she was doing.

He saw her, and something inside of him tugged and pulled relentlessly. He knew, that after they said goodbye, it wouldn't be the last time.

He had his mind set on befriending this mysterious, and dare he think, beautiful girl.