A few days later, the sky above the school was gray, as if mirroring the inner mood of those walking through its gates. Daniel passed through the gates with his usual relaxed air, a light smile fixed on his face, hands in his pockets. He moved with that controlled nonchalance, the charming boy mask that no one ever thought to question.
As he entered the room, his gaze swept across the rows of desks until it landed on Hena. She was there, sitting by the window, alone, her face turned towards the outside as if the inner world didn't deserve her attention.
Daniel approached quietly, still playing the role of the friendly classmate.
— Hey, he said.
Hena didn't move. Not a gesture, not a word. As if he didn't exist.
He barely smiled, hiding the slight irritation that crossed his mind.
— Sorry… Are you okay?
Still no response.
She's really ignoring me. Just like I thought—different from the rest. Not even a glance, not a single movement.
He swallowed hard. Frustration simmered beneath the surface, but he forced himself to remain composed. I'll let it slide for now. If I push too much, it'll just seem strange. I'll find another way later.
Just then, Bérénice arrived and walked over to Hena.
— Hey, Hena, how are you?
Hena, looking a bit more relaxed, answered quietly.
— I'm fine.
Bérénice, catching the mood of the scene, smirked a little.
— I thought you'd ignore me, but looks like you're starting to like me after all.
Hena hesitated, slightly thrown off by her cheerful tone.
— I'm not sure...
— That's okay. These things take time. I'm not here to force anything, but I do enjoy talking to you. We could be friends, don't you think?
Hena dropped her gaze, a shadow of doubt flickering in her eyes. Her usual loneliness tugged at her, but the idea still didn't sit right.
— I don't really know. I'm not sure I even want that.
Bérénice didn't seem fazed. Her mischievous smile stayed in place.
— Fair enough. But if you change your mind, it'd be nice to hang out. How about we have lunch together today?
Hena frowned, unsure.
— Just the two of us?
— No, the other girls will be there too. You could get to know them, talk a little, maybe even become friends. Could be nice.
Hena bit her lip, hesitating. The idea of mingling with a group she barely knew made her uneasy.
— No, I'm not interested.
Still smiling, Bérénice didn't back down.
— Alright. But if it's just the two of us, would you say yes?
Hena sighed, mildly irritated. It felt like she was being cornered.
— No. You can go have lunch with your friends. You don't need to leave them just because of me—we're not even friends.
Bérénice's smile faded slightly as she met Hena's eyes.
— What are you talking about? I already consider you my friend. I don't get why you keep trying to push me away. I'm not trying to force anything, but… I think you need someone, Hena. And I think we could really get along, if you gave it a chance.
Hena looked at her, unsure. Something inside her tightened. She had always struggled to let people in.
— It's really not necessary. I just... I'm not ready. I don't want to pretend.
Bérénice shrugged, her smile returning, soft and sincere.
— I get it. But I'm not giving up. You have nothing to lose, you know. And it's just one lunch—not a lifetime commitment.
Hena felt trapped. And yet, a small part of her wondered what would happen if she stopped resisting.
— Fine. But only because I know you won't leave me alone otherwise.
Bérénice lit up, her eyes shining with victory—and warmth.
— See? You're starting to get me. And honestly, it's not so bad having someone around, is it? I really think we could become real friends.
Still hesitant, Hena gave a weak shrug, but the faintest smile crept to her lips.
— Okay. But don't expect too much. I'm not used to... any of this.
Bérénice, glowing, gently tapped her on the shoulder.
— No pressure. We'll go at your pace. But today? Lunch is on me.
Hena gave in, nodding slowly.
— Alright. Just don't make me regret this.
Bérénice beamed.
— I won't. Promise.
The high school cafeteria was loud, as always. Laughter echoed, cutlery clattered, trays scraped along the metal rails in a din that grated on tired ears.
Hena sat across from Bérénice at a table set slightly apart from the rest, her eyes fixed on a barely touched plate. Her stiff back betrayed her discomfort.
Bérénice, meanwhile, toyed with her fork, not really eating either. She watched Hena from the corner of her eye, a half-smile tugging at her lips. She wasn't stupid—she could tell the other girl was forcing herself to be there. But she was patient. She always had been.
"You've barely eaten anything," she finally said, her voice softer than usual.
Hena just shrugged faintly.
"Not hungry."
Silence settled between them naturally, almost comfortably, until Bérénice clumsily tried to start a conversation.
"So, tell me… what's the deal with you and Daniel?"
Hena barely lifted her gaze.
"Who?"
"Don't play dumb. I saw you two. He was clearly trying to talk to you, even if you completely ignored him."
"I don't know who you're talking about."
"Daniel. The guy who sits next to you. You know, the one every girl's always going on about…"
Hena frowned slightly.
"Oh. So that's his name."
Bérénice raised an amused eyebrow.
"You're telling me you don't even know the name of the most popular guy in school? And you just sit next to him like it's nothing?"
"I didn't think knowing the names of every arrogant prick in the place was mandatory."
"Fair point. But still… what was he trying to say to you?"
Hena looked away.
"I wasn't listening."
"Maybe he's into you," Bérénice suggested, her tone lighter, almost teasing.
"I don't have time for that. And guys like him? I don't trust them."
"Oh really…"
Suddenly, Bérénice's expression changed to a satisfied little smile. Hena noticed and frowned.
"What's with that look on your face?"
"I'm just happy we can talk like this. Like we're already best friends."
Hena stared at her for a moment, almost thrown off.
She thought: This girl's weird. She's smiling just because I said a few words. We clearly don't share the same definition of 'happy'.
Then Bérénice, with a playful little laugh, said:
"Maybe you're just more talkative when we're gossiping about boys."
Hena let the silence stretch. Then suddenly stood up, her tray still mostly full.
"I'm heading out. I didn't come here to be made fun of."
She turned on her heel without giving Bérénice a chance to answer.
Bérénice, a little surprised but not upset, leaned forward with a slight pout.
"Wait! It was just a joke… I just wanted to keep the conversation going."
But Hena was already gone.
And yet, something lingered in her thoughts.
Some stupid detail.
Bérénice's sincere smile.
After leaving the cafeteria, Hena had spent a long time outside, alone, staring at the grey sky. The air was cool—too cool for April. Eventually, she headed back in, her steps slow, her mind still clouded.
The hallway echoed faintly, with only a few scattered voices in the distance. She climbed the stairs leading to the classroom where she always sat—at the back, by the window—next to him.
But the moment she stepped through the door, she froze.
They were there.
Four girls. Sitting exactly in her seat. The one she had never claimed out loud, but that no one dared dispute. One of them was laughing, another tapping away on her phone, the other two whispering while casting glances in her direction.
And Daniel. Sitting in his usual spot. Elbow on the table, chin resting in his hand, watching the scene like a game that had just begun.
Hena's gaze hardened.
If they sat there, it's not by chance. They want to provoke me. Drag me into something.
She clenched her fists slightly.
But I have no choice. I have to face them. It's my place, after all.
Without flinching, she walked forward until she stood right in front of them.
— "Excuse me. I'd like to sit down."
The four girls turned their heads at the same time. Their smiles stretched, slow and satisfied. As if this—this moment—was exactly what they'd been waiting for. As if everything had been planned.
And Daniel, silently, thought:
Perfect. The moment I've been waiting for. I'll step in... when things start to get interesting.
To follow ...