I wasn't sure if keeping his notebook was the right thing to do. Maybe it was just an innocent mistake, but was very possible that it could be interpreted as rude.

I didn’t think so, I mean, I didn’t want it to be lost. Specially knowing it would probably be important for him. I didn't need to tell him that I had read it, because I just wanted to do something nice for someone I didn't know. Even though the situation was a bit weird, it was also really sweet.

Well, maybe more than a little bit weird.

I had tried to decipher some of the other stuff, to make sense of the words and symbols, my eyes kept gravitating towards the image of the stop sign tho. It seemed to be mocking me, taunting me with its incessant spinning. Perhaps it was a sign, a message from the universe trying to communicate with me.

Or maybe it was just a product of my overactive imagination, a desperate attempt to find meaning in the mundane.

After all, he didn’t even know I existed until the moment I startled him.

But hey, the fact that I had managed to capture the attention of the person who had previously ignored me was a sign of progress, a step towards a brighter future. Right?

Should I have been more annoyed at his reaction?

I guess the reason had to do with the fact that his demeanor was completely unexpected and out of the ordinary. Who talked like that? Who acted like that? It was as if he was from an entirely different planet. Either he was a master of deception, and his quirky behavior was all an act, or he was genuinely from another world. Call me naive, but I was determined to figure out the correct answer, even if it meant delving into the unknown depths of his mysterious persona.

It was incredibly confusing, of course, but for some reason, it made me even more curious about him. I mean, who talks like that? Who acts like that? It was like he was from a completely different planet. His demeanor was so unexpected and out of the ordinary. I started to wonder if his weird behavior was all just an act. I was ready to dive into the unknown depths of his mysterious persona to find out.

The bus finally stopped and I scanned the seats looking for that one face I was hoping to see. And there he was, in the same spot as before, by the window. I couldn't help but grin at the sight of him. I was starting to worry he might have decided to take a different one. But nope, there he was, lost in thought and looking down at his hands.

I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in his mind. Maybe he was trying to decide something tough, or maybe he was just daydreaming. As I took my seat a few rows behind him, I felt a sense of curiosity.

I still remember this vividly. I walked towards him without caring about the bus moving and couldn't help but hold my breath in anticipation of what was to come. It was clear that he was lost in his own thoughts, completely unaware of my presence. I was hesitant at first, but finally mustered up the courage to speak. As soon as I opened my mouth, his attention was immediately diverted towards me. He looked surprised, I wasn't exactly sure if pleasantly. He quickly regained his composure and gave me his undivided attention.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” I said as calmly as humanly possible “You left this here.”

As far as he was aware, I probably looked very calm and collected, but in reality, my heart was racing and my palms were sweating. I felt an overwhelming sense of nervousness that threatened to consume me. My mind kept replaying all the things that could go wrong, and I couldn't help but feel like something bad was about to happen.

Despite knowing how weirdly he had reacted last time, I couldn't shake off the feeling of wanting to see him again. Something inside my brain was pushing me towards him, and I didn't know how to resist it.

I handed him the notebook, its pages crisp and white in the sunlight, and he took it from my hands with a tenderness that seemed almost out of place. As if he were handling a fragile, precious object.

Our eyes met, and for a moment, I saw a glimmer of sadness in his gaze. It was a confusing emotion to witness, making me question what was the cause of it all.

Was it something to do with me, or was it related to something else entirely?

“How does it work?” he asked, holding the notebook with one hand. “Did I do something to trigger it?”

To say I was confused was a total understatement, I had to grab one of the handrails to not trip with the movement of the bus. I tried to force myself to sit down, but my brain wasn't responding to my orders.

“I have no idea what you…” I started, but a second afterwards his empty hand was touching my hair again. It was a strange sensation, like a feather brushing against my cheek. I could feel the warmth radiating from his hand and the gentle pressure as he moved it through my hair.

He had leaned all the way towards me, almost standing up himself, and was staring at me like I was a sculpture in a fancy museum. I felt a bit unnerved by his intense gaze, but also curious about what he was thinking. Either way, I couldn't deny the strange attraction I felt towards him, despite not knowing anything about who he was or why he acted like that.

“So real…” he whispered as he played with the strands between his fingers. My eyes met his gaze as he whispered, “Freckles, gray eyes”. I was flattered by his compliment and felt my cheeks blush. He was so close that I had to hold my breath again, afraid I would exhale directly into his nose. “And the clothing. Kinda edgy. Makes sense, I like it.” He inspected me as if I was one of those sketches in the notebook.

Was that really how I looked? In his lips, those words sounded like they were describing the fairest girl of the land. That was one of those days that I, at least, tried. I had brushed my hair, at least, the perks of having it so short was that I didn't have to do much to it. The leatherish skirt I was wearing wasn't bad either.

Was that style what he was really into?

He looked pretty edgy himself, dressed in all black, with necklaces and chains. It didn't make sense with his attitude tho, up close he seemed to be way more of a soft person than the first impression he gave out, judging by his clothing.

But he didn't stop staring, and even though his blue eyes were beautiful, it was starting to make me feel really uncomfortable.

I smiled awkwardly and moved my head further away, squinted and tried to see if his eyes denoted something else.

I smiled awkwardly, trying to diffuse the tension that I felt in the air. I shifted my head slightly away from him, hoping to create a bit of distance between us. As I looked into his eyes, I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.

Was there something else there that I was missing?

I squinted, trying to pick up on any subtle clues that might give me a hint. All the while, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more going on beneath the surface and I missed a very important part of the puzzle.

“Are there any pills that you have to take and forgot or something?” The question sounded rougher than what I expected coming from my lips, I cleared my throat. “I take a few, maybe it’s the same”.

I didn't want to sound pretentious, or like a bitch. My concern was very real, I knew how weird I would act whenever I would skip my pills by mistake and maybe that's what was happening. I wanter to think maybe it was that and not drugs, he looked like a bad boy but something in my gut told me it was just an act. Anyways, my first assumption of him being one of the weirdos was one thousand percent accurate.

Luckily for me, that made him all the more interesting.

“It can be tough to remember sometimes, but it’s crucial to stay consistent with it. Have you considered setting reminders on your phone or using a pill organizer to help keep track?” I suggested, in my usual fashion of not knowing when to shut up.

A second afterwards I was digging through my purse, trying to find the pill bottles. For some reason it felt bigger than usual, stuff was slipping through my fingers.

“What? No! I mean yes. But also no!” He exclaimed, his voice rising in pitch. He shook his head in disbelief, as though he had just awoken from daydreaming. “Is that what this whole thing is about? Is my brain trying to tell me that I need to take my medication?”

He looked at me with a mix of shock and disappointment, as though he had just realized that he had forgotten something important. I couldn't help but feel confused and a little concerned about his mental state, wondering if there was something more going on beneath the surface.

“You are acting really weird dude. Like, extremely weird. You’re cute and everything but…” I didn’t even know what I was going to say, the movement of the bus forced me to sit next to him. He was also jolted to his seat “Ugh. Nevermind.”

“I'm sorry I'm not used to this.” He closed his eyes, he seemed more like thinking out loud that trying to make conversation. “Ugh… Redhead? No, that's not right. I should give you a name”

“A name?! I have a name!” At this point I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. “Chiara, that’s it. I don’t want any strange boys I meet randomly on the bus to be changing it.”

"Why would you already have a name if I made you?" he asked in disbelief. His eyes widened as he tried to understand something that was probably beyond his comprehension. Every second that passed I felt like I was tripping. It was as if a whole new world had opened up before him.

I was flabbergasted.