The first time I met Alex, I wasn't looking for a friend. I was the shy kid who found solace in the pages of books and the corners of quiet hallways. High school wasn't my scene, and I kept my distance from the noise, the drama, and the social whirlwind. But somehow, on the first day of sophomore year, the universe had other plans for me.
It was a humid, sticky morning in September when we collided literally. I was walking to class, my head buried in my history book as I rushed to make it on time. As I turned the corner near the cafeteria, I didn't see her standing there.
Boom.
My shoulder hit hers with such force that my book slipped from my hands and hit the floor with a loud smack.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" I stammered, quickly bending down to grab the book.
Alex was already kneeling beside me, a bright grin spreading across her face as she picked it up.
"No problem!" she said, her voice warm and light, as if nothing had happened. "You should watch where you're going, though."
I looked up, embarrassed, and met her gaze for the first time. She had this easygoing confidence about her long brown hair pulled into a messy ponytail, an effortless smile, and eyes that sparkled like she was in on a joke the rest of the world didn't understand. She was stunning, but not in the way you'd expect. She wasn't the kind of girl who made heads turn with a flashy outfit or perfect makeup. She was just... her.
I couldn't speak. I was too busy mentally replaying the collision. How had I been so clumsy? How could I have walked right into someone?
"I'm Alex, by the way," she said, breaking my thoughts. "You okay?"
I finally nodded, still caught off guard. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… not paying attention."
She gave me a look that said she knew I wasn't fine, but she didn't press the issue. Instead, she handed me my book, flashing me a smile that felt both reassuring and disarming at the same time.
"Let me guess, you're a freshman?" she asked, the curiosity evident in her tone.
"No. Sophomore." I corrected her, my voice barely a whisper. "I'm... I'm still trying to figure this place out."
She laughed, the sound rich and genuine. "Yeah, I get that. High school can be a maze if you don't have a map." She paused for a second, her eyes flicking to my book. "History, huh? You're one of those kids, huh? The bookish type."
I felt a little self-conscious, but I wasn't offended. It was true. I was the bookish type. "I guess."
"Nothing wrong with that. I like to read, too. Just... not as much as you, I bet."
The conversation, though simple, felt effortless, like we'd known each other for years. Alex had a way of making you feel like you mattered, even when you barely knew her. We chatted briefly about history class and how boring it could be, and how the teacher never seemed to make anything interesting.
Before I knew it, we were standing outside the classroom, and I realized something strange. I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay right there and talk more, even though I had never been that way with anyone before.
"Well, I guess this is me," she said, pointing at the door to her classroom. "Catch you later?"
I nodded, suddenly feeling this inexplicable sense of longing. "Yeah, sure. See you around."
As I watched her walk away, a strange, unfamiliar sensation tugged at my chest. It wasn't just the embarrassment of the collision or the awkwardness of the encounter. It was something deeper, something that I couldn't quite name. But I knew that meeting Alex, that one accidental bump in the hallway, had somehow changed everything.
Little did I know, that moment would be the start of something that would turn my world upside down.