I'm finally on the train. I'm exhausted—Lucas and I ran so much to not miss it. After all that effort, I was scared I'd be late for my first day of school.
Now that I'm sitting on the train, with Lucas beside me, I can finally continue my breakfast.
As I open the bag, I notice Lucas looking at me with a smug smile. Curious, I ask him why.
"Why are you smiling like that?"
"Because you look like a kid when you eat."
He turns to the side, resting his elbow on the train window, while I stay frozen, staring at him in surprise, my lips pressed together. I never have a quick response when he catches me off guard.
Suddenly, my phone rings. I pull it out of my pocket and, checking the notifications, notice two messages I hadn't seen before.
When I read the name "Sole," I freeze for a moment.
First message, 6:30 AM:
"Andrea, good morning! How are you today? I hope you slept better than last night."
Second message, 7:15 AM:
"Andrea, I don't think I'll make it to the next stop on time. I woke up late, so my mom will take me. See you later."
I didn't hear the phone ring this morning—I feel guilty for not replying… Sole is always so caring toward me. But the way she worries about me makes me feel light and loved.
I put my phone down and, turning around, notice that Lucas's cheeky expression has vanished—his gaze is serious. I watch him, curious, trying to figure out what he's thinking, when suddenly I feel the weight of his head on my shoulder.
We don't speak for a few minutes, but my eyes keep searching for him. When our gazes finally meet, he smiles gently and says:
"When you stare at things in front of you, you look just like a sloth…"
"What?! You—"
"…But when it comes to Sole…"
He leans toward me cautiously; I feel his warm breath near my ear…
"…You become incredibly cute."
He pulls back and puts on his headphones to listen to music.
I stay frozen for a while. The only thing I can do is raise my hand to my ear. I can still feel how every single syllable from his lips resonated in my ears like a melody.
I glance around and see people staring at us. Taken off guard, I clutch my backpack and stare at the floor: I have no right to feel this way.
The first face that comes to mind is Sole's. I close my eyes, trying to calm myself.
The train speeds along, yet it feels like time has stopped, as if this moment doesn't want to let me go.
———
Lucas and I are almost at the school, but since getting off the train, neither of us has spoken.
Suddenly, I hear someone running behind us, and before I can react, I find myself being hugged tightly.
I turn around and see Seth.
He's been practicing boxing since he was a child, and maybe that's why he's so strong. His hair is tied in a small ponytail, straight and blond. His eyes are hazel, and overall he has a handsome face.
I glance down at his hands and… once again, he's holding a bag of chips. When school starts, he always brings food; I guess it's his way of releasing tension. I can't help but smile.
"What are you thinking about, smiling to yourself?" Seth asks, motioning for me to take a chip.
I look at him playfully, take a chip from his bag, and start eating it.
We walk on while Seth follows Lucas and me toward the school. He talks about how his summer vacation went, mentioning a girl he met during his trip.
"…So, in the end, we decided to stay in touch on Instagram. I'll show you—" He stops abruptly, realizing something.
"…Oh, right. She doesn't have photos on her profile. When I go see her, I'll take a photo of us together."
He looks genuinely disappointed. It's clear he really wanted to show us.
"We weren't interested anyway…" I tease him.
Suddenly, Lucas rests his hand on Seth's shoulder and looks at me.
"You weren't interested. After all, you only have eyes for Sole; you don't care about your friends' girlfriends," Lucas says seriously, with a hint of restrained laughter.
I stare at him, puzzled. I know he's joking, it's in his nature—but this time, I feel like I'm being scolded.
I'm about to answer, but I pause, clenching my fists. I think Lucas is a little upset… maybe because of his girlfriend. And he wouldn't be wrong. It's true I'm not good at showing him… but I do care about him.
Suddenly, I feel someone nudge my shoulder. I turn, and it's Lucas, his expression worried, asking:
"What's wrong?"
"Did I upset you somehow?" The question slips out spontaneously; I don't even think about it.
His eyes blaze a deeper shade of blue, as if he didn't expect that question. He gives me a smile, and gently rests his fingers on my cheek, tugging it lightly.
"Hahaha, what's going through your head? You can't upset me… at most, you make me smile."
"You're hurting me! Okay, now let go of my cheek!"
Lucas, satisfied, removes his hands from my face.
I check my reflection on my phone camera—there's a red mark on my cheek!
"Look what you did!"
"It's not the end of the world; it'll disappear quickly."
"Guys… you two look like a typical manga couple," Seth says, still eating his chips.
We both look at him for a moment, surprised by his comment. Then, an idea hits me—I could tease Lucas a little, since he never misses a chance to do the same to me.
I step back slightly while Lucas responds to Seth, then jump and cling to him from behind, pressing my cheek against his.
"Well, Seth, we'd definitely make a cute couple… look how good we look together. Too bad Lucas doesn't like guys."
There's a few seconds of silence, then I feel a light touch on my face, making me turn toward him. My hand is held by his, probably to keep me from losing balance.
His touch makes me restless; my heart starts pounding faster, and my breath catches.
As I look into his eyes, I can't help but notice how they seem to hide an impenetrable abyss. Those seconds feel like endless minutes. But then the tension fades, replaced by a sentence that chills me.
"You have a much better connection with Sole than with me." Lucas gently lets go of my hand as my feet touch the sidewalk.
"Come on, we can't be late for the first day of school," he says, walking away.
Seth nods without saying a word.
"He's right. If we stay here, we'll be late. Let's go."
I walk beside him, but Lucas's words echo in my head. Why did he say that? I don't know whether to be angry or feel something else… I only feel a tangle of emotions twisting in my stomach, leaving me unsettled.