1. Unexpected Attention

Isabelle POV

Gloc! Gloc! Gloc! Gloc! Water swirled in front of me as Chelsea played with the flusher of the toilet bowl while two hands pushed my face into the flushing toilet. Gleeful and wicked laughter could be heard behind us, and I struggled to remove the hands gripping my hair behind my head with one hand while the other held on to the rim to keep my head from completely going into the toilet bowl. I was outnumbered. There were six skinny cheerleaders, and I was only one skinny regular student. I could say they are weak in their heart and mind as they would bully anyone, they felt insecure with, and I am strong-minded as I do not get down to any bully's level. I move into my little world without needing to hurt anyone.

I always had fond and happy memories of water as my mother used to fill our tub with lukewarm water and just let me play around whenever I was feeling unwell until I almost turned into a prune, all wrinkled and bluish-colored. And I would feel great. Water has always and will always be my paradise. And this type of bullying would not mar what good memories I have, connected with my mother and water.

"Taste that shit bitch!!!" The hands just kept on pushing my face down but seemed not to be satisfied with my struggle, gripping a bunch of my hair and shaking my head hard, almost displacing my brain, and I groaned in pain.

Chelsea's maniacal, high-pitched voice can be heard followed by another bout of wicked laughter as I tried to hit one of the legs surrounding me. My hand touched one leg, but it must have only tickled its owner as the girls only giggled insultingly.

"What is happening here?" A familiar, powerful voice disturbed the demonic laughter coming from Chelsea and her minions; causing shivers to run down my body as silence immediately followed that voice, and the hands connected to my head disconnected at once.

"Xander, I was just coming to see you." Chelsea's voice was as sweet as honey, all the bitchiness gone. Thankfully, they left me to face the owner of that all-too-familiar voice and I slowly stood up, moving behind them to get out of the narrow cubicle. 

Xander Knight.

Something happened or changed. Yesterday, the day after I turned eighteen, Xander, who never knew of my existence, became a permanent fixture beside me. Making my life a roller coaster of emotions. I have never felt this tense in my whole life as these two days that he started pasting himself beside me. He sat with me during English, Science and Business Management class. The three classes we unfortunately shared. Then he walked with me in the hallways despite my nervous refusal. In just two days, I became a reluctant celebrity because of his unexpected attention on me. 

Isabelle Castro. That is who I am. I have been a student at Bright Moon High ever since my mother died when Sir Tony, the lawyer in charge of my trust fund, decided to transfer me from another town. I have merely been a shadow, or a ghost ever since I started attending this school, with only my tablet, laptop, and cellphone for a friend. Technology is my world. The only world I enjoy being in. The only world I would rather be. Not in this world where people hurt other people at a whim. I would rather be in the mysterious world of Artificial Intelligence, cyberworld, or the internet, to put it simply.

I wouldn't have been in this predicament if Xander had not suddenly start acting like my long-lost best friend, sticking to me at every opportunity. Ironically, I was hiding from Xander in the restroom when Chelsea caught me and had this opportunity to make my morning hell.

For the four years that I have studied here, I have always kept to myself. A born introvert, I was never into socializing and never interacted with them, let alone sit in classes with them, for any reason at all. So, imagine my shock, and confusion, when he started to appear in my life like a mushroom that suddenly sprung up.

I quickly walk past Chelsea and her minions to the door, not sure if I should thank my savior as he is the reason I got into this situation. I feel his eyes on me, but I keep my head down, still trembling from my fright earlier. I walk sideways when I reach the door as he almost occupies the doorway, avoiding even a touch of our clothes.

"Are you okay?"

I raised my head just enough to look him in the eye, but I quickly look back down. "Fine, thank you." I am grateful that he interrupted Chelsea's mission, but I still blamed him for his girlfriend's sudden unwanted attention. I am thinking of talking to him seriously about stopping whatever he is doing.

"Wait." He held my wrist and I suddenly felt something, like an electric current pass through my arm. I quickly pull my hand in shock, looking at him with eyes.

"What was that?"

My heart started beating wildly as I looked at his darkened eyes. I stared at him in confusion. Did his eyes just turn dark? I thought his eyes were blue, like the ocean.

I hold the part of my wrist where he held me, where I felt the electric current start, and I start to move backward, away from him. It's real, it's not my imagination. The spark, or electric current I felt every time we accidentally touched whenever he came near me is real. It is not my imagination. I tried to say something once again, wanting him to tell me what that was; what was happening. But I was too scared as I felt like something was happening beyond my control. And this something might have started when I turned eighteen.

I quickly turn and run from him, not stopping even after hearing his pleading voice. "Isabelle, wait!"