Chapter Two: Used To Being Alone

My heart took off in flight. Why did the big hunky idiot have to go and sit there?

Leaning my head back against the brick wall, I closed my eyes and ignored his presence. Which was always bloody hard. Like every time in history, his scent soon filled my senses.

I think I preferred the days Isaac participated in P.E; at least then, I got to watch his amazing body move. Actually, I even liked the days he didn't participate and he'd sit by himself somewhere else in the gym... Not right next to me.

Why today? Why now?

For a while, I sat and listened to the ball being thrown around. Listened to the girls squeal, the guys laugh and the impact of the ball when it hit someone. Then a muffled conversation caught my attention. I opened my eyes in time to find Isaac's hand inches from my face. He'd caught the ball before it made impact with my head.

I stared at his outstretched smooth hand in front of me and watched as he threw it back to the one who'd tossed it my way. Mick Delaney, a jock and boyfriend to the gorgeous Hilary, one of Jenna's, my arch-nemesis, cronies. I sent daggers his way, only he ignored them and kept his gaze on Isaac, before he decided to walk over to us.

"Good catch, man. You should try out for the basketball team."

Snorting to myself, I said to the ground, "Idiot."

"Shut. Up. Freak," he snarled. His face heated as he glared at me. His hatred palpable. It was a reaction I was used to from the majority of students.

"Whatever, jackarse," I mumbled under my breath and glared at his back as he walked off.

He didn't even bother to wait for an answer from Isaac. Then again, he probably thought Isaac was also a freak, considering he sat next to me. I would hate to think I'd caused another to be deemed a freak by association.

It cemented my reasoning not to have friends, as well as explained why my early-childhood friends had left me. They didn't want to hang out with the weirdo of the town.

No one trusted the eyes.

My right eye was normal, a moss green colour like my dad's. The problem I had was my left eye. It was black. The iris was all black like my pupil.

It wasn't as if I could help it; it was the way I was born. People hated it or they didn't trust it... me. When I'd been born, my parents put me through every test known to mankind. They wanted some kind of explanation. But no one knew. Another pain-in-the-arse situation was I couldn't even wear contacts to hide my disfigurement. I was told they would have worked, if I weren't allergic to them.

Go figure.

No normal life for me.

Which was why I didn't understand Isaac's newfound attention. I glanced over at the guy, who stared back while sitting quietly beside me.

Glancing away, I muttered half-heartedly with a shrug, "Thanks."

"It's fine."

My head spun his way. I looked at him with wide eyes then away again.

He spoke.

I would've thought his voice would have been a deep, gruff one. Not the soft, light-yet all male-one he used. One that made my heart stumble.

As my shock subsided, I said, "Oh, Lord, he speaks. I don't think my beating heart can take it, please, no more."

Glancing his way, I received a sweet half smile. Only, it didn't reach his eyes and quickly disappeared after I witnessed it. "Are you mocking me?" he asked.

My heart pounded wildly. I held my head high, gave him a full-blown smile and pinched my thumb and forefinger together. "Maybe just a little."

He nodded and stared at me. His eyes flicked all over my face, as if he were taking it all in, studying me. I looked away first.

Great, have I just blown my chance of having a half-decent conversation, because of my stupid teasing?

Coach called time, announcing the end of the lesson and the end of the day. I looked to Isaac and back to the ground again.

Yep, I guess I blew it. Oh, well.

Shrugging, I got up from the floor and dusted my butt off; the floor was never the cleanest to sit on. I'd taken a couple of steps forward but stopped when I heard an intake of breath behind me.

"Goodbye, Leila Morgin."

Looking over my shoulder, I met his gaze with my puzzled one. Why was he speaking to me of all people?

"Yeah, see you. Isaac Grey."

I made my way home by foot, because I hadn't bothered to apply for my license, strange for an eighteen-year-old, but really, the world would stay that little bit safer if I didn't. Besides, I only lived a few blocks away in the house I grew up in. It was an old farmhouse with a wooden shed off to the side of it. The property was large enough to have no neighbours sticking their unwanted noses in. It was quiet and very peaceful. How I liked things.

My house was a four-bedroom weatherboard home. Not too small, but really too big for just me and my absent guardian. My uncle was rarely home. He never told me what he got up to, but some days I pictured him either doing something very illegal or he was involved with the government for some reason. However, the truth was probably that he was off hunting and drinking with his mates somewhere. As long as he showed when it was time to pay the bills and give me money for food, I preferred to have him absent. We didn't get along very well. Dad had always said it was because we were too much alike, both of us being stubborn. I couldn't see it.

I suppose, at least one member of the family had stuck around. Even if we didn't see eye-to-eye. I looked too much like my dad and uncle to second-guess it, but I often wondered if my mum was my real mother. From memory, it seemed she hated me forever.

Since my parents left, Dad would sometimes call; usually, I left those missed calls on the answering machine for my uncle to return. Though, they hadn't called for a while.

Dad had been my everything. My best friend, a confidant, a role model, a peacekeeper.

It still hurt...

Shaking my head, I unlocked and opened the creaky front door. I threw my backpack down and headed to the kitchen for an apple before walking through the dining and living room, and down the hall to the end bedroom, my bedroom. On the way, I passed the bathroom and the other three bedrooms with their doors closed, where dust had settled on the knobs.

I opened my door and fell to my bed, heaving a sigh.

I had no time for thinking. Though... Isaac?

No. Instead, I reached for my history books and searched through them to revise what I was supposed to be learning.

Sometime later, my stomach growled. I gave up the books for the night and went for my usual run. After that, I would then come home, eat, shower and fall into bed, the same as I did every night. I loved to run though. It did so many things for me; more importantly, it kept me sane - most days anyway.