Wow, Lou, you both are destined to be together," Max says, nudging me with a grin.
I chuckle and reply, "Maybe we are."
"Whoa! Henry, can you smell something?" Max adds with a dramatic sniff.
Henry grins. "Yeah, I do. Love is definitely in the air."
Everyone bursts into laughter, and I can't help but join in. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ella entering the classroom with her two friends.
She looks like spring itself, soft, radiant, effortlessly lovely. Just her presence seems to make everything feel warmer, lighter. Life feels more alive with her in it.
As I keep watching her, our eyes meet briefly. Just a second, but she quickly turns away like she always does. That reaction never fails to amuse me.
Henry leans toward me. "Aren't you going to tell her her seat is right in front of yours?"
"I want her to find it on her own," I say, still watching her.
Henry shakes his head, sighing. "You're going to make her more nervous, you know that?"
I smirk. "I just want to see how she reacts to being this close. She's always so awkward around me."
Though honestly? I find it endearing. Every clumsy glance, every nervous twitch- she's just... adorable.
I catch myself and shake my head, trying to snap out of it. When did I start falling so hard for her?
I glance back at her again. She's frustrated at not finding her seat. Her face drops even more when she notices her friends are seated near each other, and she's not. That disappointed look tugs at something inside me.
I let out a quiet laugh, and Max picked up on it right away. He smirks knowingly and starts teasing me again.
Moments later, I see her breathe out in relief, she's finally found her seat. After a glance at it, she walks over to join her friends.
The bell rings.
I get up from where Henry and Max are seated and make my way to my assigned desk, which is conveniently right behind Ella.
From across the classroom, I spot her walking back to her seat.
Our eyes lock again as we approach from opposite sides. She freezes slightly, eyes wide like she just saw a ghost. Her reaction nearly makes me laugh again.
Just before we cross paths, I slide into my seat, still smiling.
She immediately drops into her chair as the teacher's voice fills the room.
Throughout class, I catch her sneaking glances out the window and scribbling notes. She whispers occasionally to Sara, her benchmate, but her voice is so quiet, I can't make out a word.
It's strange. From everything I've heard and seen of her, she's not a quiet person. She's pretty outspoken. But here, around me, she seems... shy. Timid, even.
Suddenly, Rudy calls out to her from across the third row.
I see Ella flinch slightly at the sound of her name.
Maybe it's because she knows turning around means facing me, since Rudy's seat is on the last bench of the third row, directly in my line of sight.
I can't help but chuckle at her reaction. When did she start acting this nervous around me?
From what I remember, this is the same girl who once threw a ball so hard during a game of throwball that I nearly puked from the impact. Now look at her flustered and fidgeting like I'm some stranger.
And here I am, secretly enjoying every second of it.