Chapter 1 – The Quiet Side
Bairon Thornton wouldn't talk in the mornings. In truth, he didn't talk much at all. Most people thought he was strange—he avoided unnecessary conversations, stayed by himself during breaks, and never joined any groups.
But Isla Bennett was different. Isla would sit next to him. She would answer questions for him. And when the other kids whispered behind his back, Isla would roll her eyes and say, "What do you even know?"
That's why Isla was the only voice in Bairon's world.
That morning, they walked to school together as usual. Isla was talking nonstop—about the ridiculous arguments she had with her sister, the shows she had watched, her weird obsessions with the teachers… Bairon listened. He nodded every now and then, sometimes barely moved his lips. Isla didn't mind. In fact, it sometimes felt like she actually enjoyed his silence.
When they reached the school gate, Isla adjusted the strap on her backpack.
"I wrote down the questions I think might come up in math today. I'm still not sure you really got the topic from yesterday," she said seriously. Then she winked. "But don't worry, I'll get you through it."
Bairon simply nodded. He didn't thank her. He didn't need to.
Inside, the noise and crowd were the same as always. But for Bairon, as long as Isla was somewhere in the chaos, everything felt just a little more bearable.
When they couldn't find a seat in the cafeteria at lunch, Isla led Bairon to an empty bench in the back garden of the school. They sat together. Isla split her sandwich in two and handed him one half. Bairon stared at it for a moment, then took it.
"You're really quiet," Isla said suddenly. "But not in the way people think. There's something inside you. I can feel it."
Bairon looked away. He didn't know what to say.
There was something inside him. But even he hadn't figured out what it was. Or maybe he had—and was just afraid to understand it.
That something was the sound that flared up every time he met Isla's eyes, only to vanish again in an instant.
But he wouldn't say it.
Not yet.
There was still time.