The Silent Photographer

Chapter One

A/N: Before starting this story, I would just like to say that this is the rewritten version of The Silent Photographer and the Emo Boy. I originally wrote this story at sixteen as a play for my playwriting class that I was in as a high school junior. It was awful, and it still is and I can't deal with the cringe of the original anymore, thus this rewrite. Also, if you read the original and now this one, I'd just like to say that I have changed the names of the main characters. Isolde is now Isabelle and Auric is now Ashton. I really liked weird names that no one could pronounce back in the day thus why I changed them. One last thing, I would like to add a trigger warning since this book does deal with some more mature themes that could be triggering for some people so please read with caution. Anyway, please enjoy this less cringey version of the only story I've ever finished.

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I felt the shutter of my camera click as I took a photo of the front of the school. To be honest, I had been taking photos of the front of the school since my sophomore year. It was for documentation, at least that was the original idea behind it. Eventually though, it became more like a habit or ritual.

Anyway, as I clicked through the photos to see if I spotted a certain someone, my best friend Maya jumped on my back. "How is my little Belle? Did you miss me?" she asked giving me a huge hug. She had been absent during the first two days of school because she got food poisoning, which left me to fend for myself. I had started senior year off by tiptoeing around everyone without my best friend there.

After returning Maya's hug, I nodded indicating that I had missed her as we walked into the school together. Once we reached my locker she turned to me and asked, "Were you really okay while I was gone? Because I was legit super worried. If I hadn't been puking my guts up, I totally would've been with you.". I assured her that I really had been fine as I grabbed the books I needed out of my locker. She then walked with me to my class repeatedly asking if I was sure I had been okay. Honestly, I was really starting to get exasperated by her constantly asking that. Like, I appreciated that she had been worried, but I was fine being on my own for two days...as long as I didn't have to interact with anybody. However, the bell finally rang signaling that Maya had about two minutes to get to her class, so she reluctantly left me.

I let out a soft sigh as I took my seat and put my head on the desk. It was Wednesday, and I was tired and mentally exhausted. I was ready for the week to be over at this point.

As I was mentally lamenting about how school doesn't end on Wednesdays, the final bell rang after which I heard heavy footfalls walking in my direction. As the footsteps get closer, I glanced up and holy hell it was an attractive guy, not that I'd ever distinctly tell him that, but you know. Unfortunately his eyes, rimmed with black eyeliner, happened to meet mine. It made me exceedingly uncomfortable, so I quickly looked back down at my desk.

After that interaction, I was really hoping I'd never have to do anything with him again even if he was cute. However, the universe had different plans for me right after he took the desk next to mine. "Miss Adams, would you mind sharing your textbook with Mr. Jameson for today?" my history teacher asked. I sighed pulling out my textbook when I realized she said Mr. Jameson. As in Ashton Jameson the one guy you don't want to mess with. Seriously, he was suspended at the end of junior year for breaking someone's nose. I think he did something else as well, but I wasn't sure since I just heard about the incident.

To be honest, I would describe him as a bad boy since he was always getting into fights with anyone and everyone. He was also known to have an attitude which is why he was supposedly a loner. I didn't know too much about him in general and tried to stay as far away from him as possible, but now I was about to share a textbook with him.