Kayla’s POV:
An outsider. An outcast, a loner. I thought that would be me, but I was wrong. I have friends, seventeen of them to be precise. I went home and Oliver was the only one there.

“Hey, Dad.”

I’ve never called him dad before. When I did, he turned around with a smile on his face. He walked up to me and hugged me.

“Hey, kid.”

He always calls me kid. I liked it when he called me that. It makes me feel like I still have a childhood and my adulthood hasn’t come yet.

I don’t have to grow up too quickly. It’s like he’s always been there. He also calls me giggles; said it’s because I make him laugh.

“Where is everybody, Ollie?”

He laughed and walked back into the kitchen to continue with dinner.

“You’re dad’s still at work. Aiden’s at football training and Piper’s out with her mates.”

I wondered if it was like this before I arrived; if he was on his own often.

“Is it always like this?”

He chuckled and turned to face me. I think I’m gonna have to give him the nickname Chuckles.

“Sometimes, yes. But your dad is here sometimes and Aiden only has his training twice a week. Piper is out almost every day, I’m afraid. Ever since she turned sixteen.”

I felt bad. I knew he didn’t work often and if he did it was only for a few hours before he was on his own.

“Well, you’ve got me now. I don’t really go to clubs or go shopping and I barely just made new friends. I don’t really go out. I prefer them coming over if I meet my friends.”

He laughed again. I’m definitely going to start calling him Chuckles.

“I’ll keep that in mind. You’re welcome to ask your friends to come around anytime.”

I hugged him again and he got back to his cooking. I went back to my room. I still had unpacking to do and I needed to decorate. I had been fixing up my room for about three hours now.

Aiden had come back home two hours ago and decided to help me with my room. My dad got home half an hour ago, and he had the paint for my room.

Piper still isn’t home. I was going to call, but Ollie called me for tea.

After tea, they all helped me paint my room. Then, I put up my painting, posters, and pictures.

My room looked like my room, instead of a blank box with a bed and wardrobe. Then again, I had a spare room in my room. My dad said it can be a wardrobe, but I’m not the fashion type of girl.

So, I put my camp bed and air bed in there. I made it like a sleepover camping area. My mom still had to ship over my stuff, but it should be here by tomorrow.

Then, it will have a TV, a mini-fridge, and some other stuff, too. After that, I decided to go to bed; I had no homework, so I just needed sleep.

I wake up to my dad saying.

“Wake up, little bird. You’ll be late for school.”

I ate my breakfast made by Ollie, which was amazing, and went to school. I met up with friends after Aiden dropped me off.

“Hey, guys.”

Then, I saw him. He was leaning up against a locker with his headphones on. He even had a cigarette in his mouth. While the others chatted amongst themselves, I turned to ask Kerri.

“Who’s that guy?”

Kerri looked over my shoulder to see the guy I was talking about.

“Oh, him. That’s Elijah Hale. He’s a bit of an outsider. He doesn’t talk to anyone. Many girls have tried to get him to say something or to ask him out, but he says nothing and walks away.”

He seemed like a challenge. I had never met someone like him. He’s like me. Misunderstood.

I was brought out of my thoughts when the bell rang. My first class was art. I didn’t have it yesterday, so I had to ask the teacher where I sat.

You’ll never guess who she told me to sit next to!

It was the witch who punched me! Gemma Whitemoor. She punched me again and told the teacher that she wasn’t going to stay in the lesson if I sat next to her.

So, she moved me because the Whitemoors were governors of the school. She made me sit next to Elijah instead.

I wanted to say something, but before I did, Gemma yelled out.

“No one loves you. Your mom left you because she didn’t want you. You’re unloved. You don’t belong here.”

Her words cut through me like a knife. I burst into tears. Then, out of nowhere, Elijah stood up.

“Shut up, Gemma. If you got nothing nice to say, keep your big gob shut.”

Everyone went silent and I ran out of the room. I was so upset at what she said; I felt like it was true. I was crying by the lockers, when someone took my hand and led me to the garden outside.

It was Elijah.

We stood there. I cried and he pulled me into a hug. Then, he pulled me away and said.

“Do you want me to go and get someone?”

It was the first time I heard him speak. Okay, I know he yelled earlier, but it wasn’t the same.

“My brother, Aiden. I think he’s on the field.”

With that, he went to find Aiden. I was still crying in the garden. I hated it when people badmouthed my family.

Aiden came running over to me and held me in his arms. Elijah was standing in the corner. Just for a moment, I thought I saw him smile, but he looked away as Aiden turned to him.

“Thank you. I owe you one.”

Elijah nodded and walked away. Aiden turned to me.

“Hey, come on. I’ll take you home. Dad won’t mind.”

I nodded and he walked me to the car. When we got home, Aiden took me straight upstairs to my room.

“Why don’t you get some sleep?”

I nodded again and turned on my side to sleep.

Aiden went down to Oliver to explain why we had come back six hours earlier from school. Oliver called my dad and he came straight home. I was still crying when he came into my bedroom.

“Hey, little bird. Don’t cry. Come here.”

He sat on my bed and pulled me into a hug.

While I was crying, I thought about Elijah, the so-called outsider stood up for me. He even spoke to me. Challenge excepted. Elijah, I will find out your story.