The Isolation Room (GXG)

IX

I can say with full confidence that I have a crush on Zoë.

I've never felt this before. I've never had any reason to. The boys in my year, shitty. The girls, homophobic. Some were pretty, some thought they were. And some are like me, the middle ground. Not ugly, not runway gorgeous.

Zoë, on the other hand, is runway gorgeous, and not just in looks. The way she can open her mouth and surprise me positively or negatively with what she says is one of my favourite things. I love the fact that she opens up to me about serious shit that other people could use as their gossiping point, another reason why I hate teenage girls. We have so much in common and so much strikingly different. She has a soft side that I've seen a bit of and also a side where she could destroy me with a few words. She's easily the most beautiful person I've ever seen that wasn't on a screen or a magazine, though she'd be well suited for those. I've never seen eyes that said so much in my life and eyes that can look into me so much. As soon as I saw her, I knew there was a story behind her, and I was aching to know everything, the good, the bad, the ugly. Despite the beating she took, she's still stunning. I can't believe anyone would put their hands on someone as precious as Zoë, nonetheless her parents. I hope they know what they're missing out on.

I used to think it was slightly racist for people to find certain accents and languages attractive. That was before I met Zoë. Her accent is so gorgeous and it flows with effortless perfection when speaking her native language. The majority of people may associate the Italian language with pizza, Rome, the pizza pie song, the Lizzie McGuire movie. But as of today, I associate it with a smartass I met while waiting for someone to coming pick me up for a Covid test. In fact, the time I've spent with her has made me feel much better. I haven't coughed in 2 hours. I didn't like taking the risks of her getting too close to me, but she's a risk taker. Something I could never be.

I look over at her lying across the two chairs, fast asleep. She blacked out about 10 minutes ago and left me here with my thoughts. I notice her shivering slightly. The windows are open and she told me she didn't have time to pick up her green school jumper when she got kicked out. She doesn't even have a school book or a charger for her phone. She must be freezing every night.

Without hesitation, I take my notebook out of the pocket, remove my coat and walk over to put it over her. She immediately cuddles into it without waking up. I smile at how cute it is.

For the first time, I take notice of her hands. I notice some bruising and healing cuts on them, fading into scars. I know she didn't do it to herself though. Her parents are pieces of shit. They much preferred to send their daughter out into the city in the freezing cold, covered in bruises with nothing but a dead phone than accept her for who she is. They deserve death for that.

The worst part is that it won't happen to me. Mam is bisexual, and Pat was the first person to know when they were in college together. I'll probably get a party and a pride flag for Christmas when I tell them.

Zoë will be shivering half to death and stretching out packs of Hubba Bubba this Christmas.

She doesn't deserve that. Not one bit. It's so fucking unfair for someone as amazing as her to go through that shit.

It infuriates me. I've only met her today, but it should infuriate anyone. The difference between me and anyone though is that they would say, "Geez, that's terrible, but what can I do? I have my own family to look after."

I know what I can do though, and it's not letting her go through the best time of the year on her own. I won't allow it.

Under my watch, shes not getting hypothermia, loneliness and tears for Christmas. Shes getting a dream. And to be honest, I'm lucky enough to have the privileges to be able to get her that.

I take out my phone and check my balance. I got my own credit card earlier in the year since I promised Mam and Pat I'd get a summer job once I turned 16. I worked for a couple who live across the road from me and assisted them in their pet grooming business, and they paid me €40 a day and I was making €200 a week and they let me take the weekend off. I worked for 10 weeks and ended up making €2000 in all. I kept trying to lower my wage since I knew how much I'd have by the end and felt I was robbing them, but they insisted.

I haven't spent a penny of it, and I also have all my pocket money since lockdown there as well.

€2900.

I have nearly 3 grand. Damn, I'm rich for a TY.

I take out my notebook and add something else to the bottom of the list.

nintendo + playstation 🔳

I go into Google and go into Done Deal, and open Gamestop in another tab.

God, I hope I don't regret this. This is the craziest thing I'll ever do.