Isabel Evans walked into the music room, wanting to be alone. Today had sucked. Plain and simple. There was no other word for it. She hadn't gotten any sleep last night, and had spent her day snapping at anyone who dared to look in her direction. Everyone she knew was mad at her, and a few had told her off.

Isabel felt alone. She was having conflicting feelings about everything lately. Where she belonged, who she trusted. Who she was. Being Isabel Anna Evans wasn't enough. It wasn't really who she was. She was ... someone... something else. The worst part about her situation was that she couldn't tell anyone. She wasn't able to tell anyone. As if anyone would even understand.

Isabel sighed loudly and slid down in the corner of the large, soundproof room. She would have to start apologizing soon. The list of people she had wronged today was as long as she was tall. Mostly she felt bad for the spiteful things that she had said to Liz and Maria. They were friends, even if they were different. They knew her secret. One of her secrets. There was one that she still kept, one that she rarely would admit to herself. That secret was the reason she hadn't gotten any sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she had that familiar dream, and it startled her awake. It scared her.

I dream about a stranger's touch And voices in my head I cannot hush And every night's a hunger I can't satisfy

Isabel closed her eyes and she could see the dream clearly. She could feel his hands, taste his skin, hear his laugh. He was always so gentle. So kind. It was always the same dream, and she could never get enough of it, even though she knew it was wrong. It was ... out of bounds. No strings attached. No one to make you look back.

It was all a load of bullshit. She knew that now. Isabel had no idea how Michael could keep telling himself that he had to be alone when alone felt so horrible. Isabel would look at the other girls her age, girls with boyfriends who loved them - or thought they loved them. A lot of those girls, the boys too, were too naive, too young to really know what love was.

But she knew. Isabel Anna Evans knew just want love was. She had been forced to grow up early, she had never really been a child. She had spent the last ten years yearning for love, for friendship, but always telling herself that she couldn't have it. That she didn't deserve it. That she couldn't accept it even if she was worthy. She closed her eyes, but a tear still made it's way down her cheek. She wanted the dream. She needed the dream.

Isabel didn't notice when the door to the music room opened. She didn't realize that she wasn't alone in the room, not until the person intruding on her pity party sat down on one of the high stools and pulled an acoustic guitar from the slick black case. The strumming of the instrument opened Isabel's eyes. This was how the dream started. This was the man from her dreams. It was Alex.

It's the secret that I keep It's the ache that makes me weep And I know I'm in too deep I'm gonna drown

She watched him closely, staring at his hands. They were nice hands. Long fingers. Elegant fingers. How many times had she dreamed that those fingers were running through her hair? He was completely unaware that she was watching him. If he knew, he would surely blush, or tell her to stop. Isabel didn't want to stop. She marveled at the way he found the chords and somehow was able to make beautiful music come from that plain instrument. She could tell that he was putting his entire soul into whatever song he was writing. Every now and then, he would stop and jot something down on some sheet music. He was so lost in thought. Isabel found it adorable. Never had any of the jocks she had known ever been so passionate about anything as Alex was with his music.

Isabel wanted him, she couldn't deny that. For weeks now she had told herself that it was friendship. When the feelings had intensified, she had chalked it up to everyone else pairing up and therefore she was feeling lonely, but that theory was wrong, and it made her feel horrible. It meant that she thought that Alex was just there to use and throw away. That wasn't the case. He was smart, but trusting. Isabel would never hurt anyone like that. She wanted this boy, and she was tired of pretending that she wasn't watching him when, in fact, if he was in the same room her eyes would be glued to him. Isabel needed Alex. She needed him to feel normal, to have something stable to hold onto when everything got to be too much. She needed him to be there whenever she felt too weak to go on, and lately there have been more weak days than strong ones. It almost hurt sometimes, how much she needed him. Keeping it inside hurt her physically. It brought tears to her eyes whenever she thought about it too much.

It's the emptiness I fear Baby, please don't leave me here 'Cause I'm lost inside a dream That's out of bounds

Isabel closed her eyes again. That same familiar pain in her chest. She felt so empty. She had always felt so empty, as if there was this big void inside her that needed to be filled. For the last ten years she had promised herself that finding out who she was would make that void go away. That she would feel better the minute she was 'back home'. She no longer had that illusion. Somehow, she didn't know how, but she knew that she was never going to get off of this planet. Answers or no, she would never leave. She had spent ten years, albeit lonely years, on this planet, and she was too afraid to go anywhere else. No, finding where she came from would not fill the lonely void... but he could. If she would let him. If he would want her.

That's what scared her most. Being alone. Having Alex say, 'Nope, sorry Isabel. I want a nice human girl, someone I can bring home to Ma.' What if he rejected her? She would be humiliated and... crushed. It was disconcerting to admit that someone else, let alone a man, had that much power over her. Isabel didn't like it. She was a survivor. She had survived this long, only to be drowned by Alex Whitman. Although, if she had to go, being drowned by him wouldn't be so horrible.

I close my eyes and it's so real And all at once I know just what I feel And baby it's the kind of rush that terrifies

Isabel closed her eyes again. She was so tired, but she didn't try to sleep. The dream flashed in her mind again, and she reconsidered her decision on not falling asleep. The dream was always so much better when she was sleeping. When it felt real. When it was really as though they were standing in her room, lost in each other.

She snapped her eyes open and stood up quickly. She was tired of this. She couldn't do this anymore, if she did, she would certainly go insane. If anything was going to happen, it had to happen now. Now or never. Happiness or loneliness. No strings attached, or every tie imaginable. Now or never. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she slowly made her way across the room to Alex, who was still in his own little world as he wrote a song. She looked over his shoulder for a moment, wanting to know what he was working on. The title made her heart pound like a jackhammer. Isabel. Six simple letters. A common name. A complicated situation.

I am weak - I am wrong And everyday I swear that I'll be strong But there's a bond between us that I can't deny

I can do this, Isabel thought. It should be easy. He's writing a song, a love song. A love song about me. He likes me. I can do this.

The words ran though her mind like a chant, giving her strength. Ever since she had first met Alex, there had been a connection. Barely noticeable at first, but it grew. Now it was like a raging wildfire. Granted, a wildfire that no one ever talked about, one that people denied was there, but it was there just the same. It was time to do something. Put it out, or let it grow. Isabel was all for the second option. She reached out and tapped Alex on the shoulder and watched as he spun around. He jumped to his feet and dropped the guitar. There was a concerned expression on his face, and Isabel couldn't figure out why. When he reached out and wiped the tear tracks on her face, she realized that she must look horrible from her crying episode earlier. She felt embarrassed for a moment, and then silly. She was about to tell this guy that she was in love with him, as much as she knew what love was, and here she was stressing about her looks.

No words passed between them. Alex and Isabel stared at each other His hand traveled from her cheek to the back of her neck. He rubbed it absently with his thumb, making her shiver. Alex noticed the sensation and a small smile quirked at the corners of his mouth. He continued stroking her neck with his left hand and soon his right as well. Isabel closed her eyes once again and let the sensations take her over. This felt good. It felt right. She liked it, wanted more. For the first time, the dream didn't flash against her closed lids. She was living the dream.

I wanna surrender I wanna give in I wanna lay down and let it be now And let it begin Let it begin

"I think we need to talk." Alex said softly. Isabel opened her eyes and nodded. No one said anything else, they just stared at each other. Each gaze said volumes. Isabel could see her feelings mirrored in his eyes. He could tell that she felt exactly what he had been feeling, agonizing over, since the day he had first laid eyes on her. Her hands were roaming up and down his back, memorizing ever muscle, every bone they touched. He shivered involuntarily and then laughed at himself.

I feel like one of those sissies in those romance novels, he thought. 'He trembled at her touch.' Yeah right.

Isabel looked at him quizzically and he just shook his head. Slowly, he made his way closer to her, invading her personal space. Isabel had no objections and tightened her hold on him. Alex's mouth came closer to hers and he was about to kiss her when the door banged open. The teens looked up in annoyance, but didn't jerk away from each other. Kyle Valenti stood in the doorway, giving them a look of severe annoyance. Isabel stood there, staring at Kyle spitefully, waiting for him to leave and quite surprised that he no longer had any power over her. When he didn't leave, Isabel grabbed Alex's hand and they left the room, searching for a quiet place where they could talk.

It's the secret that I keep It's the ache that makes me weep And I know I'm in too deep I'm gonna drown

The End