Isla POV

9 Years Ago

A week had passed since Liam and I met at the shed, and every day after school, he was always there. At first, we studied together, but gradually we started talking about our interests, our classes, stupid things that didn't matter. He always brought snacks, remembering what I liked without me having to ask.

It felt good to have a friend.

I wished we could hang out in school too. But whenever he saw me in the hallway, he just smiled and kept walking. I understood. Nobody wanted to be seen with me. I was the weirdo. And he had a reputation to protect.

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