Adventuring With Analise ✓

Prologue - Analise

***CREDIT TO Gugus4682 for the beautiful cover! I love it and it perfectly describes the relationship between Analise and Will as we are introduced to them! ***

Prologue– Analise

I watched the cars go by passively, taking a hit of my cigarette. I was underaged and it was illegal, but I couldn't help myself. Bad habits die hard, I always told myself. It wasn't like I'd get caught, anyway. I could easily pass for eighteen and I had connections in this city anyway.

I made it a game to count the amount of red cars – my favorite color. I closed my eyes, leaning backwards slightly, feeling my hair flow with the wind. It was a good, almost freeing feeling. I slowly let my hands slip back off the railing, not letting go but almost.

"Hey!" A deep country accent boomed, snapping me out of my reverie. I opened my eyes and sneered at the owner of the voice, willing him to go away. He didn't. It was a guy with brown wavy hair that was in a mop on top of his head, and he had glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. Freckles dotted his cheeks and nose, but not an overwhelming amount. I'd never seen him before. "What are ya, suicidal or something?"

I chuckled slightly, shaking my head and taking another hit of my cigarette. I blew the smoke in his face, eyeing him up and down. He was wearing a marvel graphic t-shirt, blue jeans, and had a pair of blue sneakers on that matched his hoodie. "What's it to you?"

The guy shrugged, pulling the hoodie around his shoulders and rubbing his left arm with his right hand. "Nothing, I guess. But if you're going to commit suicide, I don't want to watch. It's not every day I see someone sitting on the edge of the bridge and about to let go."

I hopped off the ledge of the bridge, taking my last hit. I dropped the cigarette, putting my foot over it and rubbing it into the ground with my sneaker. "If I decide to kill myself, I'll let you know Rando."

"Rando?" He questioned, following me as I walked towards the beginning of the bridge. "My name's Will."

I sighed dramatically. "Did I ask your name?"

"No," Will responded. "But you called me Rando. That's not my name."

"It's called a nickname," I educated, getting off the bridge and crossing the street. "That's what people give other people. You randomly walked up to me when I was minding my own business. You're a random person. You're a Rando."

"Oh." There was a pause. "Well I'm Will."

I rolled my eyes. "Congratulations."

"What's your name?"

I turned sharply. Narrowing my eyes at him. He had crystal blue eyes that pierced right through me. "Can I help you?"

"You can start by telling me your name."

I looked at my beat up red sneakers, contemplating if I should tell him my name. On one hand, I'll never see him again so who cares if he knows my name? But on the other hand, I hardly socialize with anyone I actually do know, let alone some stranger. Why did he want to know my name anyway? How would that benefit him in any way?

Will was looking at me expectantly. Like I owed him something. That didn't sit well with me. I didn't owe him my name, or any explanation about anything having to do with my life. I had just met this guy. I could tell Will was the spoiled type– with items or money or love, I couldn't tell. But I knew he was just used to routine and getting whatever he wanted, including an answer to his questions.

Some of us weren't as lucky. I had almost no one to count on consistently, and it kind of peeved me that he so very obviously did. It was the way he carried himself. Will just knew I was going to answer his question and tell him my name, like any polite girl would probably do. Well, I wasn't like any other person I knew and I was the farthest from polite, purposefully. My politeness was something people needed to earn. It wasn't openly given nor was it just offered.

I decided not to tell him. I could tell him, it's not like we'd likely ever cross paths again and my first name really didn't matter. But just in case we did cross paths again, I didn't want him to know my name. I didn't like getting close to people. It led to heartbreak and disappointment and I wasn't about to set myself up for that again.

And who knows, I may have even considered telling him my name if it wasn't for the way he carried himself like he was so sure I was going to answer his question. That's not how it worked in the real world. Will seemed like the coddled type, maybe rich – who all he had to do was ask mommy for something and she got it for him. I couldn't stand people like that. I carried myself how I felt – like I couldn't give a fuck about anyone or anything.

That was my life. Closing myself off from people, because it just worked.

I looked into his eyes, past the frames of his specks, and smirked. "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

I turned and began walking away when I saw his stunned expression, but something compelled me to turn around and say, "And if I wanted to let go of the railing of that bridge, I would have."