Part 1: Invisible
Annabel walker had learned the art of being invisible.
It wasn't something she had planned to learn, but high school had a way of teaching painful lessons. At sixteen , Annabel knew exactly how to lower her eyes at the right moment, how to slip into classrooms quietly, and how to walk through crowded hallways without drawing attention.
Attention meant trouble.
And Annabel had experienced alot of troubles from freshman year.
Every morning she arrived at East high 20 minutes early. The hallways were still mostly empty then, and she could reach her locker without hearing whispers or laughter.
Today was no different.
She pushed open the glass doors and stepped inside, hugging her books close to her chest. Her long brown hair fell around her face like a curtain, hiding her nervous eyes.
For a moment, everything was peaceful.
Then the voices came.
"Hey, look who it is."
Annabel froze.
Four girls stood near the lockers across the hallway. They were perfectly dressed, perfectly confident, perfectly cruel.
Clarke Givenchy, the unofficial queen of East High, smirked at her.
"Well if it isn't Annabel the Loser," Clarke said loudly.
The other girls laughed.
Annabel kept her head down and tried to open her locker. Her fingers trembled slightly.
"Did you hear?" another girl whispered loudly. "Apparently she still eats lunch in the library."
"Of course she does," Clarke said. "Who else would sit with her?"
Annabel's throat tightened.
She had heard worse before. Much worse.
Still, the words stung every time.
She grabbed her books and hurried down the hallway, praying the bell would ring soon.
As she turned the corner, she accidentally bumped into someone.
Her books fell to the floor.
"Oh— I'm so sorry," she murmured quickly, kneeling to pick them up.
Before she could gather them, another hand reached down.
Strong fingers picked up her notebook.
Annabel looked up.
And her breath caught.
Standing in front of her was Nathan Cole.
The Nathan Cole.
The most popular boy in school.
The captain of the debate team, star of the soccer team, straight-A student, and—according to most of the girls in school—the most handsome boy alive.
Tall. Dark hair. Bright green eyes. Effortless confidence.
He handed her the notebook.
"You dropped this," he said.
His voice was warm, calm and thick.
Annabel blinked in surprise.
"T-thank you," she whispered.
Nathan studied her for a moment.
She quickly looked away.
Most people didn't notice Annabel walker.
Nathan Cole just had.
The Boy Everyone Girls Wants To Date;
Nathan watched Annabel hurry away down the hallway.
Something about her seemed… different.
Most girls at East High tried very hard to get his attention.
Annabel Walker clearly wanted the opposite.
He had seen her around before.
Always sitting in the back of class.
Always quiet.
Always alone.
And now that he thought about it… he had also seen people laugh at her.
Nathan frowned.
"Yo Nathe!"
His best friend Jasper jogged up beside him.
"Practice after school," Jasper said. "Coach said don't be late again."
Nathannodded absently.
"Who was that girl?" he asked.
Jasper followed his gaze.
"Oh. That's Annabel Walker."
"The one everyone keeps picking on?"
Jasper shrugged.
"Yeah. Pretty much. She's been the school punching bag since freshman year."
Nathan felt a strange twist in his chest.
"Why?"
Jasper laughed.
"Man, this is high school. People don't need reasons.
Nathan looked down the hallway again.
Annabel had disappeared.
But for some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about her.
Lunch Alone;
The library was quiet.
Annabel sat at a small table near the window, eating her sandwich slowly while reading a book.
Books were safer than people.
Books didn't laugh at you.
Books didn't whisper about you.
For a moment she allowed herself to relax.
Then a shadow fell across the table.
"Is this seat taken?"
Annabel looked up.
Her heart nearly stopped.
Nathan Cole stood there.
Holding his lunch tray.
Her first instinct was panic.
"Y-yes," she blurted.
Then she quickly shook her head.
"I mean— no— I mean—"
Nathan smiled gently.
"Relax," he said, sitting down anyway.
Annabel stared at him in shock.
The most popular boy in school had just sat at her table.
In the library.
Where she always hid.
"Why… are you here?" she asked quietly.
Nathan shrugged.
"Maybe I wanted a quiet place to eat."
Her eyes widened.
"But your friends—"
"They'll survive."
Annabel didn't know what to say.
She expected this to be a joke.
Any moment now someone would jump out laughing.
But Nathan simply started eating his sandwich.
After a moment he glanced at her book.
"You like that author?"
She nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"I've read that one," he said. "The ending surprised me."
Her eyes lifted in surprise.
"You read?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Should I be offended?"
A tiny smile appeared on Annabel's face before she could stop it.
And Nathan noticed.
For the first time, he saw something no one else seemed to notice.
When Annabel Walker smiled, she looked… beautiful.
Trouble;
Unfortunately , not everyone was happy about Nathan's new lunch spot.
Across the cafeteria, Clarke Givenchy stared through the library window.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Why is Nathan sitting with her?"
Her friend leaned closer.
"Maybe he feels sorry for her."
Clarke crossed her arms.
"I don't like it."
By the end of the day, rumors had already started spreading.
And rumors in high school had a way of turning into storms.
After School;
Annabel walked home alone as usual.
The sky was turning orange with sunset.
She kept replaying the lunch conversation in her mind.
Why had Nathan sat with her?
Why had he talked to her like she mattered?
It didn't make sense.
Nothing like that ever happened to girls like Annabel Walker.
Suddenly a car parked behind her.
A voice called her.
"Hey!"
She turned.
Nathan came down of his car and walked up to her.
Her heart started racing.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi," she whispered.
"You walk this way every day?"
She nodded.
"I also pass here everyday,Why don't I drop you off?" he said.
They stayed in silence for a moment as Nathan drives .
Then Nathan broke the silence .
"You know something?"
"What?"
"You're not what people say about you."
Annabel looked at him briefly .
Her chest tightened.
"You don't know me."
"Maybe not yet."
He smiled softly.
"But I'd like to."
For the first time in years, Annabel felt something dangerous stirring in her heart.
Hope.
End of Part 1