Chapter 2 

                                           “Intertwined Eyes”

Tuesday seemed like any other day.

Aster arrived early, as usual.

She walked through the hallways with her head down, headphones on,

pretending to be fine, as always...

so as not to show that she felt weak in this world.

“What happened to your boyfriend? Did he stand you up again?”

“Yes, I can't take it anymore...”

She pretended not to hear the annoying teenage gossip.

She entered the classroom.

She sat in her usual spot, at the back of the classroom,

next to the window,

the only corner she felt was hers.

From there she could see the landscape, which always made her feel a little further away from the noise.

The class began,

but the teacher paused for a moment to make an announcement.

Then the door opened.

A new boy.

Backpack slung over one shoulder.

Calm face. Curious gaze.

There was something about him... his aura was different. Cheerful.

“Guys, he'll be part of this class starting today,” said the teacher. “Be nice to him, okay?”

The boy looked around for a place to sit.

“Is there room here?” he asked, looking at Aster.

Aster didn't answer.

She just nodded, without looking up.

The boy sat down next to her,

without saying anything else.

But it wasn't awkward.

It was... neutral. Silent, too.

Aster breathed a little easier.

Although she didn't understand why he had sat right there.

Why next to her?

At the end of class, while Aster was putting her things away, the boy said something that threw her off balance:

“Your handwriting is beautiful. I saw what you wrote in your notebook... that sentence. It's interesting.”

Aster froze.

Cold.

Had he seen her notebook? That sentence?

“I put a star locked inside. And would that be enough?” Right?

The boy smiled.

“Is it yours?”

Aster didn't know what to say.

She just nodded.

And then she felt it...

a strange tingling sensation,

a strange emotion she couldn't name.

"I liked it. My name is Bruno, by the way.

Um... well, bye. See you tomorrow."

And he left.

Aster watched him go.

And for the first time in a long time...

she felt that someone had really looked at her.

And also,

something new and unknown

had begun to grow inside him.