We've finally arrived in class. The day has just begun, and I already feel tired.
I look around: the desks are lined up next to each other. Next to mine is Sole's, still empty, and in front of me sit Seth and Mark, who are talking about video games — a topic that bores me to death.
I rest my head on the desk, covered with notebooks and books, and pick up a pen to scribble something down.
One by one, my classmates walk in. Some come over to greet me; others I go meet myself, standing from my seat.
Every now and then, my eyes follow Lucas, who's chatting with some friends, clearly in a good mood. He seems so different from before.
"You have a better connection with Sole than with me." Why did he look so sad when he said that?
According to Sole, his relationship with his girlfriend had hit a rough patch during the summer holidays, but now everything is fine.
Then why did I get that strange feeling?
Maybe I should just be brave and ask him…
The door opens, and a short girl walks in wearing jeans, a white top, and sneakers. Her brown hair is tied in a bouncing ponytail, and her bright blue, cat-shaped eyes stand out immediately.
She throws her arms in the air and shouts,
"Good morning, everyone! I'm back!"
The whole class jumps; someone yells,
"Are you crazy?!" while I hold back a laugh, thinking: what an embarrassing entrance — but she just smiles, slightly blushing, and cheerfully waves at everyone.
Then she spots me. Her face lights up as she walks toward me, raising her hand.
"Hi, my love."
My heart beats a little faster, happy to see her after so long.
That's Sole — the girl of my dreams.
She comes closer and gives me a warm hug.
"It's been so long… I missed you so much!"
I take her small hands in mine, noticing how delicate they are compared to mine. I brush my nose gently against hers and whisper softly:
"I missed you too."
She smiles and moves to sit next to me. As she neatly arranges her school things, I can't help but notice how graceful she looks.
Sole has been a dancer since elementary school, and over time that passion has become a big part of her life. She trains several times a week and has taken part in many performances over the years.
Even though she says she loves dancing, she always insists she doesn't want to become a professional dancer — just do it for fun.
I don't agree, but if that's what makes her happy… I have to respect it.
"So, how have you been lately?" she asks.
"At first, I was pretty bored. But then I managed to keep myself busy. What about you?"
"As I told you in my messages, I had so much fun in London! My mom and I are thinking about doing something similar next year, but we'll see what happens."
Sole talks about her trip with such enthusiasm that seeing her happy makes me feel good too.
We keep laughing together as I tell her about the little crazy things I did over the summer.
As always, she shakes her head pretending to scold me — but I know she's actually amused.
I adjust myself in the chair, waiting for class to start, but my thoughts drift back to Lucas, stirring that strange feeling inside me again — one I can't quite ignore.
Why didn't he come talk to me, even though he saw me sitting here alone?
I spin my pen between my fingers to shake off the tension, when suddenly I feel a soft touch on my cheek.
I flinch slightly before realizing it's Sole calling me.
"You seem off, Andrea. Did you have a fight with Lucas?"
The moment she says his name, I tense up; I grip the pen so tightly it almost snaps in my hand.
"I didn't fight with Lucas. Why do you keep bringing him up? It's my mom — she was the problem this morning. She kept insisting I get up, even though she knows how much that annoys me."
But then I realize I've been a bit harsh. The day started badly, but that doesn't mean I should take it out on Sole.
I turn to say something to her, but without meaning to, my gaze lands on him.
He's staring at me with such intensity that it steals my breath. My heart starts racing, and I can't stop it.
I don't know if he was already looking at me or if our eyes met by chance — but I decide not to look away.
We stay like that for just a few seconds, until his pleased smile widens. He covers his mouth with his hand and moves his lips ever so slightly, as if he wants only me to understand what he's saying.
I think I read his lips right… but maybe I'm mistaken:
"You're really cute when you talk to Sole."
My eyes widen, my stomach tightens into a knot, and I feel my cheeks burn.
Sole's gaze is fixed on me — she hasn't looked away once.
"Andrea, is there something you want to tell me?"
I stay silent. My nerves are shot, as if she's waiting for an explanation I can't give. My muscles are tense, and I can feel sweat forming on my forehead.
I know I should say something — the longer I wait, the worse it gets. I try to speak, but my lips tremble as I struggle to form even a single coherent sentence.
"W-well… I-I…"
Suddenly, a familiar voice breaks the tense silence from the classroom door.
"Good morning, everyone."
It's the math teacher, just arriving.
We all stand up together to greet her.
A wave of bitterness rises inside me: I realize my behavior is becoming stranger, more disconnected.
I don't want to worry Sole — or, worse, be a source of sadness for her.
Then, all of a sudden, I feel her fingers gently tapping the back of my hand. I look up and meet her eyes — warm, reassuring.
"I understand what's going on. Don't worry. I'm sure your mom was just nervous because it's the first day of school. Don't think too much about it."
I give her a timid smile. I feel a little lighter now, though that faint unease still clings to me. I wonder if Sole understood that I didn't mean to be harsh with her.
The tension creeps back slowly, and I can't help but wonder if I'll really be able to handle all of this.