Chapter 2 — The Girl on the Bus

The next morning, Harry woke up earlier than usual.

For a few seconds, he remained lying in bed while staring at the ceiling. His room was still dark, and the soft sound of rain tapping against the window filled the silence.

Normally, mornings felt heavy to him.

But today was different.

For some strange reason, the image of the new girl kept appearing in his mind.

Abby.

Even her name sounded warm.

Harry quickly shook his head and sat up. “Why am I even thinking about her?” he muttered quietly.

He forced himself to get ready for school like always. After wearing his uniform, he walked downstairs where his parents were already having breakfast.

Sophia noticed him first. “You woke up early today.”

“Couldn’t sleep properly,” Harry replied.

Daniel folded his newspaper and looked at him carefully. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah.”

Harry sat down quietly and started eating. But his mind kept wandering back to yesterday evening — the moving truck, the girl’s smile, and the way she had looked directly at him without judgment.

Nobody usually looked at him like that.

Most people either ignored him or laughed at him.

After breakfast, Harry grabbed his bag and left the house. The cold morning air smelled like rain, and gray clouds covered most of the sky.

As he walked toward the bus stop, he noticed the house beside his.

The front door suddenly opened.

Abby stepped outside carrying a school bag over her shoulder.

Harry immediately looked away.

But Abby smiled the moment she noticed him.

“Hey,” she said cheerfully.

Harry awkwardly stopped walking.

“H-Hi.”

Abby walked beside him naturally as if they already knew each other.

“You go to Greenfield High too, right?”

Harry nodded quietly. “Yeah.”

“Perfect,” Abby smiled. “I was worried I’d be the only new student.”

Harry didn’t know what to say.

The silence between them became awkward for him, but Abby didn’t seem bothered at all.

“I’m Abby Rogers,” she said warmly.

“Harry Mitchel.”

“Well, Harry Mitchel,” she grinned playfully, “you don’t talk very much, do you?”

Harry looked embarrassed. “Not really.”

Abby laughed softly.

For some reason, her laughter didn’t annoy him like everyone else’s did.

It felt… nice.

When they reached the bus stop, several students glanced curiously at Abby. A few boys immediately whispered to each other after seeing how beautiful she was.

The school bus soon arrived.

Harry’s chest tightened instantly.

He hated the bus.

Every morning felt like walking into humiliation.

Students quickly climbed inside while laughing loudly. Harry stepped onto the bus quietly, expecting the usual insults.

And exactly as expected—

“Well, the loser’s here again.”

“Morning, crybaby.”

“Did you miss us, Harry?”

Laughter spread across the bus.

Harry lowered his eyes and walked forward silently.

But this time, something unexpected happened.

Abby followed him.

Most empty seats were near the front, but Harry automatically walked toward the middle where he usually sat alone.

Then Abby sat beside him.

Several students looked shocked.

Harry looked confused too.

“You can sit somewhere else if you want,” he said quietly.

Abby frowned slightly. “Why would I?”

Harry didn’t answer.

At that moment, Ethan Cole looked over from the back seats and smirked.

“Well, well,” Ethan said loudly. “Looks like the freak made a new friend.”

His friends laughed.

Harry immediately felt nervous.

He didn’t want Abby getting involved with people like Ethan.

Abby calmly looked toward them. “Problem?”

The boys looked surprised by her confidence.

Ethan stood up and walked closer. “Actually, yeah. You’re sitting in our spot.”

Harry’s heart sank.

That was true.

The seat Abby had chosen usually belonged to Ethan and his group.

Harry quickly stood up. “It’s okay, Abby. We should move.”

But Abby remained seated.

“There are plenty of empty seats,” she said calmly.

Ethan’s expression darkened slightly. “Listen, new girl. Nobody sits here except us.”

Abby crossed her arms. “Then maybe learn how to share.”

A few students nearby gasped quietly.

Nobody talked back to Ethan like that.

Harry looked terrified.

But Ethan only stared at Abby for a few seconds before scoffing.

“Whatever,” he muttered.

He walked back toward his friends while muttering insults under his breath.

Harry blinked in disbelief.

That had never happened before.

Nobody had ever defended him.

Not once.

Abby looked toward him again. “You okay?”

Harry slowly sat down. “Why did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Stand up to them.”

Abby shrugged casually. “Because they were being jerks.”

Harry didn’t know how to respond.

For the rest of the bus ride, Abby kept trying to start conversations with him.

“What music do you listen to?”

“Do you like movies?”

“What subjects are you good at?”

Harry answered awkwardly at first, but slowly he became slightly more comfortable.

By the time they arrived at school, he realized something shocking.

For the first time in years…

The bus ride hadn’t felt terrible.

Inside Greenfield High School, students stared at Abby constantly. Some admired her beauty while others whispered about the mysterious new girl who had sat beside Harry Mitchel.

Harry could already feel people judging him.

As they walked through the hallway together, Abby glanced around curiously.

“This school’s huge.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Harry replied quietly.

A girl suddenly approached Abby with a bright smile.

“Hi! You must be the new student. I’m Jessica.”

Abby smiled politely. “Nice to meet you.”

Jessica looked toward Harry for a second before lowering her voice slightly.

“You know… you don’t really have to hang around him.”

Harry instantly felt his stomach drop.

He was used to comments like that.

But hearing them in front of Abby hurt differently.

Before Harry could walk away, Abby spoke calmly.

“Why not?”

Jessica looked surprised. “Well… people here think he’s weird.”

Abby glanced at Harry briefly before looking back at Jessica.

“He seems nice to me.”

Jessica awkwardly forced a smile before leaving.

Harry stared at the floor quietly.

“You didn’t have to say that,” he murmured.

Abby smiled softly. “I wanted to.”

The entire day felt strange for Harry.

During classes, he noticed students constantly looking toward Abby. Some boys even tried talking to her between lessons.

But surprisingly, Abby kept sitting beside Harry whenever she could.

At lunch break, Harry automatically prepared himself to eat alone outside like usual.

But Abby followed him again.

“You always sit by yourself?” she asked.

Harry nodded slightly.

“Well, not today.”

Before he could protest, Abby sat across from him beneath the large tree near the courtyard.

For a moment, Harry felt nervous.

People were staring again.

But Abby acted like she didn’t care at all.

As they ate lunch together, she talked about her old town, her hobbies, and funny childhood memories.

Harry mostly listened quietly, but sometimes Abby managed to make him laugh softly.

And every time he laughed, Abby smiled proudly like she had achieved something important.

By the end of the school day, Harry felt emotionally confused.

How could someone like Abby be so kind to him?

She was beautiful, confident, and friendly.

She could easily become popular.

So why spend time with the weird lonely boy everyone ignored?

As the final bell rang, students began leaving their classrooms.

While Harry packed his books, Abby suddenly leaned closer.

“See you tomorrow, Harry.”

Harry looked at her for a moment.

Then, very slowly…

He smiled.

A real smile.

Small.

Shy.

But real.

Abby’s eyes widened happily.

“There it is,” she grinned.

Harry looked confused. “What?”

“Your smile.”

For some reason, Harry’s face turned red immediately.

Abby laughed softly before walking out of the classroom.

Harry remained frozen in his seat for several seconds.

His heart was beating strangely fast again.

Outside the classroom window, rain slowly began falling over Greenfield Town.

But for the first time in years, Harry felt warmth inside his chest.

And although he didn’t fully understand it yet…

His lonely world had already begun changing because of Abby Rogers.

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