div data-p-id="18ac773f64f07508dd91a33e2a3ff2cc"She walked into the room like no one I had ever seen before. She walked like she wasn't anyone special, but she carried her clothes in a way no one else could, and it made me fascinated. She sat down at an empty table, she didn't know anyone in here. But I was about to change that. How could anyone let a girl like that be all by herself? /div
div data-p-id="da3822cb6d968fbbe280077fc7c1fa4c"I could see her gazing around the room, looking for a friendly face. I tried to smile, but half my face failed to do what I wanted. I probably looked like a freak, but it didn't seem like she cared at all since she smiled back. I could feel my heart beating faster as a reaction to her beautiful face./div
div data-p-id="55b5559e79b8433abfc601394dc66e67"I sat by my table a little while and just tried to man up to talk to her. But she was gone before I got myself on my feet. I couldn't help but wonder what went on in her head. It seemed that she had a lot on her mind./div
div data-p-id="d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e" /div
div data-p-id="21cf4bf50af07273047298e133cfc668"Days went by before I saw her again. I never saw her at school, so I knew something had to be wrong. But when I saw her again, I felt my heart jump inside me. She wore the same leather jacket I had seen her wear before and she had a 'Stone Roses' t-shirt on, so I knew she had great taste in music. This time I got to my feet before she could leave./div
div data-p-id="e9de23c8af1753cde165f2601068a5e0""Hi," I said with a crooked smile. She looked startled, but she looked up at me with bright eyes./div
div data-p-id="06039d5c7a89bf31b0ecdfccaea66dc5" "Hello," she said and flashed a smile. I had to smile back because the butterflies in my stomach were too much for me to handle./div
div data-p-id="5210cc3b9cb7a25a8314d7c591a76e7a""I like your shirt," I managed to say. She smiled at me and said, "Yeah? You've heard of the Stone Roses?" /div
div data-p-id="414f3781735417957c39ce56cc4f6c2e""My favorite song is 'I Wanna Be Adored', even though the lyrics are a bit repetitive." /div
div data-p-id="c971ddf8f487dd4457c67b4ddc6be1a5""Yeah, I know what you mean, but their sound is so good and not like anything else out there right now. And that's what I like."/div
div data-p-id="26478db11a74b3c8675f463fee30cba7" /div
div data-p-id="aa69fb97080b54c12ce861f930f596d1"He was so handsome. I had had my eyes on him ever since I first saw him when I was out for a walk from the hospital. I was really happy to get some time to myself, that the doctors trusted me enough to let me have one hour all to myself. They trusted me enough to know that I wouldn't hurt myself while I was gone./div
div data-p-id="159e928142a4a2b3a37dfaf108374aba"But then I saw him, and I knew I had gotten myself in trouble. Even what I felt when I saw him hurt me. His adorable face and his fit body was too much for me to handle, which is why I left in a hurry. I couldn't look at him without crying and since he smiled at me it just made things worse. And seeing him today, hurt me even more. I just wanted to touch him. And the fact that he knew who my favorite band was impressed me, but it also made things even worse. It made him seem like a person I might like the company of./div
div data-p-id="a11809e744bbd79c5166ce752fb2965b""I'm sorry, but I have to go," I uttered. I walked away without saying anything to him. I was so nervous I felt my body shaking. And I also had this urge to push him up against the wall./div
div data-p-id="512dbcf12025e1e74b33def0c77b55d3""Tix! You have no idea what happened today," I told Tix when I arrived at the hospital. "I went out, and I had one beer and there was this really fit guy sitting at a table across from mine."/div
div data-p-id="d87ce6c09a8c7d3da93881003ee15530""Really? How'd he look like?"/div
div data-p-id="a852fafa423ab1340ca01f5313df70ff""Fit! Like, I wanted to cry just looking at him."/div
div data-p-id="3ee6974f24bb66d9d4252cf5ef654964" "Oh, Rae... Maybe you get to see him again, you never know," she said. She trotted off to her room. I went to my room and wrote in my diary./div
div data-p-id="cfe201de5943405c840233fec4378a45" /div
div data-p-id="aa769ad188136eeed5c9ad919a6a1b67"The next day, I woke up after having a dream about her. We were out for a beer and she was so lovely. She smiled at me like no one has ever done before. And that's when the dream ended./div
div data-p-id="4a147b33499513894a6a9b93de42ca54"I only knew her favorite band, but she'd made me feel something other than loneliness. I had to see her again./div
div data-p-id="2207549bc5e4063e277d83ced0299224"I went to the pub and met Chop. He was his usual cheery self, and he was so hyped about the party he was going to in the weekend. But all I could think of was that girl I had met and if she wanted to come with me. I wasn't interested in anyone else. Since I saw her, everyone else seemed boring and normal. Something about her seemed exciting and new./div
div data-p-id="3c52a21a180cff1ba37fedc0105f879e"We sat in the pub for hours, but she never came./div
div data-p-id="b7d02b64f9e47354bf0b62bf4c2cd954" /div
div data-p-id="435fd1b474a2be7f5d5ac134085c23fa"I was in the hospital again, having my weekly appointment with Kester./div
div data-p-id="0206f464d34bdd3ad77a6d612b48ecfb""How's your week been, Rae?" he asked as I sat down./div
div data-p-id="9dd8552e93b28d04d0f2c4ddefb013a3""It's been good. Or I think so, at least. I've been out of the hospital for the first time in weeks. I went to the pub and sat there by myself, and I kept thinking that people thought I was weird."/div
div data-p-id="7fd939e714bfef60156be8df638bb14e""Why did you think people would think of you as weird, wouldn't they just see you as a normal person?"/div
div data-p-id="f048f7fff8271b2b050e39cbfb6d98e6""I don't know, Kester! I just feel like there's something odd with me, and they must be able to see that, right?"/div
div data-p-id="898a649dc7035f3e60df1d721d20cffa""Rae, sometimes our minds like to put thoughts in our heads that aren't true. Like this one. You can't tell if it's real because you can't read their minds."/div
div data-p-id="3a8ca7f3e9da60c883a7e9e45be74ac8""I don't need to read their minds to know it's true or not! I could tell they all thought so because of the way they looked at me. They looked at me like I was a freak, or completely mental."/div
div data-p-id="78cf3f8e1cf01265e103fa6a994d6624""That is something you think they think about you. You still don't know if it's true or not. See, Rae, let's start thinking positive about you first, and then see if people really think you look completely mental or if it's something you just think they do."/div
div data-p-id="6a4b1600379c66dd8f5afc265a4ccc74""And how am I supposed to do that?"/div
div data-p-id="6e000f3318640ae8aac4534786b85243""Just stop the negative thoughts, fend them off saying "this isn't true, this isn't okay, this is not me" and they will probably stop."/div
div data-p-id="e262028972533f8da411163aa7290f07"I went back to my room after seeing Kester. I fell asleep right away and the next day was a big day at the hospital. We had to get weighed and measured, so they could see if we were staying healthy./div
div data-p-id="714e797025a55e6b0e4a0fb86b5af67a" /div
div data-p-id="4672462a4334166f6a4431d55b8e4b25"I went to the pub every day, hoping I'd see her again. But I didn't see her for a whole week./div
div data-p-id="282b08cfaa795dd4e6b0270c992a4603"She was at the record shop and I walked by her three times before I went in. I was nervous, so I walked to her slowly and said "Long time, no see."/div
div data-p-id="f50fca29da851a0717bda87f3b11bef0""Oh, hiyah there," she said. She looked through the newest albums to find something she liked./div
div data-p-id="cdb1f4585cc33208221d26bb5853cec7""I never told you my name when I met you," I said. "I'm Finn."/div
div data-p-id="3b29bd7fb37829e470908fb6bde285a2""I'm Rae." I didn't know what else to say, so I just smiled at her. "I just came here to get this, and I have to go now." She went off with an Oasis album and paid for it, and she left without even saying goodbye./div
div data-p-id="8432657f359705b41dc27a2782983b97"She always disappeared for no reason. It was too early for dinner, and it was way too early for curfew, so I had no idea why she always went off like that./div
div data-p-id="0c2abe79ffafd54c49e1cdb291505a83"I walked home, and I still couldn't get her off my mind. She kept popping up out of nowhere. Her name was so simple, but it fit her perfectly. And she liked Oasis, which impressed me. Her music taste must be good./div
div data-p-id="f38f085c1b938f2edbdd66de2f73e709" /div
div data-p-id="3fe43adda8730828114523e455d8bba6"I tried to do as Kester said. I tried to turn my negative thoughts into something I could ignore, but it was seriously hard to do. My brain didn't work the way he wanted it to. I stayed in the hospital for the entire week and when I saw Kester again, I had nothing new to tell him. I still felt the same, way that something was wrong with me. I tried to stop the negative thoughts, but it was easier said than done. I had to work on that before they would let me out of here for good./div
div data-p-id="58e213e8e1549bfd6860a907bf247a1e"Tix tricked them every day, with telling them she ate but actually pouring it down the toilet. Maybe I could do the same, just trick them to think I was okay./div
div data-p-id="1b6fdc0b28162160f48f8b7ee1a08de3"The next day was the day they let me out of the hospital again, but only for four hours. I went to the pub, hoping I'd see Finn there. And as I walked in, his eyes locked with mine./div
div data-p-id="1f7cdf788f714778039f9e6c4f71a6a1" /div
div data-p-id="3dda93d2c17360f506ad81ab59bbb0e1"I saw her walk in. she looked really good in that leather jacket. She looked directly at me as she walked in, and when she sat down I didn't know what to do. I sat there with Chop and Archie for a little while, discussing it with them. They didn't understand anything because they couldn't see what I saw./div
div data-p-id="bd56b62821719d2767c6dbb94d8409c2"I finally manned up and walked to her table./div
div data-p-id="0c17346d7a57aa27488f68e2a76f8e31""Look, this is ridiculous. Let's just hang out right now. I can't stand this anymore," I said./div
div data-p-id="3aa78ce1a7b0133c3845d9a149e605f6""Sit down, then. I'm not stopping ya." I sat down on the opposite side of the table from her. "Look, I can't stay long. I have stuff to do later, okay?"/div
div data-p-id="effb5a4047f9be0a9733aea33ab50bb8""Sure. I just wanted to get to know ya," I said. "Rae, you're different than the other people here. In a good way, really."/div
div data-p-id="cd1e24dcea3ac88af96ebd1d735e6e87""What makes ya say that, Finn?" She looked at me with big eyes. They were so clear and brown, I felt like I was drowning. I swallowed hard./div
div data-p-id="9f36204f2d9753c8a33b197ca8faa30e""You seem more normal, in a way that's hard to explain. And I just have this feeling that we need to know each other."/div
div data-p-id="c16be384fae94959c38585c7c05610e8""Right, so, Finn... What's your life like? What do you do?"/div
div data-p-id="edd479d9fe679f94d7530a2fa2185616""I just go to school and hang with mates, and I feel like you should be with us."/div
div data-p-id="980ad2be31d1f454bdb80bcc3e91cf9d""Why?"/div
div data-p-id="8b2982cba1e77be9dfc4c621b601574e""You'd make the music better. They got a shit taste, to be honest." She laughed so much she cried./div
div data-p-id="6c0ae5f6341a0a1bb58ef6b358c10559"We sat there talking for almost three hours before she had to go. But before she left, I managed to hug her. I was too nervous to kiss her and I felt if I had kissed her, I'd moved too fast for her./div
div data-p-id="fd28fa46e51d32fdcf8be80b3f7acb6b" /div
div data-p-id="4a6a383c17e1ec8d8cf6566e9ec48ed6""Tix! Open up!" I banged hard on her door./div
div data-p-id="1dbde9783b1cf5e8731765ff6d7857d3""Rae, what's up?" she said quietly when she opened her door./div
div data-p-id="846d39752ce97507131571c2f69db65b""You need to cover for me tomorrow. I'm sneaking out."/div
div data-p-id="c171698c1cc216a8fe6c828c2a3938ca""What?" she asked. "Why?"/div
div data-p-id="90a706703e3649dc4e7a4153f81f8210""Finn. The guy I told you about. I have to see him again tomorrow. He hugged me today."/div
div data-p-id="45205ecb7eb918d367c2352c09cd0e54""Wow! How was it like?"/div
div data-p-id="a88eb41f79ca72062e253caa7979ca20""He's so fit I feel like crying. Such firm muscles and that face just make it so hard for me not to cry."/div
div data-p-id="6adb4eca582742fd5b43dab6dad22ad1""I'm so jealous of you, Rae. I wanna know how it's like to fancy someone like you do."/div
div data-p-id="c7ea20191c7a3decfd7285d29f9584ae""What about Danny Two Hats? He's cute and he likes you for sure!"/div
div data-p-id="459785d7fbd8c78fe0a8bd6a042fb0ee""You think so?" she asked, looking embarrassed./div
div data-p-id="f3984cd289fa45adc44149cc1f7c26dc""Yes! And I'll help you if you help me tomorrow," I said. I hoped she'd fall for it./div
div data-p-id="0e583bd2048de88558ce7a26e276ac87""You've got my word. I'll cover for you."/div
div data-p-id="931399f0a3b6c2440ae21d18f2fea804" /div
div data-p-id="c6606011d64c4e268eb06015f1d21a35"She was back at the pub the next day. I saw her when she walked in. I didn't know I was looking for her, but I found her./div
div data-p-id="294c6573999c522e00eead5acfb574e1"She waved at me as she sat down. I went over to her, not even thinking about anything./div
div data-p-id="eba72e6e08d3a316304c8924fb59726b""I didn't think you'd be here today, Rae."/div
div data-p-id="a54383f4329bce781858142ba7e01019""I know, me neither, but here I am."/div
div data-p-id="6aa435633ce4845fef125cd8624eb9d4""I'm glad you are," I said and smiled./div
div data-p-id="f9841c3a3757e0add5c698b4f9274a5a"We talked for a couple hours before she said she had to go. This time I grabbed her arm when she was heading for the door. I kissed her without thinking about the consequences. /div
div data-p-id="c7be9ab146d04d6b9a695847db6fd4e8" /div
div data-p-id="41bceb9965733987c92dcc1c1a993a27"I got back to my room, pretending to have been there all day./div
div data-p-id="1cafa7d5286b656d712809c81176d80c"Tix knocked on my door./div
div data-p-id="05e8ae3deea5b192cee138cf811fb757""Tix! You won't believe it!" I said as I opened the door./div
div data-p-id="51ad8c2dfddb6aea3ab1d252c3922256""Neither will you! I hung out with Danny today," she smiled./div
div data-p-id="6f851bd195262b9f83b28b39070240fe""I'm so happy for you! Did you have fun?"/div
div data-p-id="ce8405c67d0c0ca61a1eebcc71a54d77""Yes, I had a great time. How did it go with you and mystery-boy?"/div
div data-p-id="ab993b0757f447a968312a13ac4b68aa""Not such a mystery anymore... He kissed me."/div