Before we had a name

Chapter One - The beginning of the ordinary Dear Diary... Today's horoscope said I might meet someone who would change my perspective. I laughed when I read it. Astrology has a funny way of making ordinary days sound important. Maybe that's why I love it so much. It gives me something to believe in when life doesn't make much sense. If only I'd known that some people don't change your life because they stay. Some change it because they leave. --- People think being an overthinker is exhausting. They're right. My brain never really switches off. It notices everything—the way someone's smile lingers for half a second too long, the difference between "I'm okay" and "I'm fine," the silence after a conversation ends. I don't know whether that's because I'm a Libra or because I've spent years reading astrology and psychology until they became part of the way I see the world. Either way, I don't mind. Well... most of the time. "Angel!" Chloe's voice pulled me back to reality. "If you don't hurry up, Sophie and I are leaving without you." "You've been saying that for five minutes," I called back, jogging across the pavement with my backpack bouncing against my shoulder. "And one day we'll actually do it." "You wouldn't." "We absolutely would." Sophie laughed softly, shaking her head. "No, we wouldn't." "I knew it," I said, linking my arm with hers as we continued walking. The three of us had been friends long enough to know each other's routines. Chloe was the loud one. Sophie was the calm one. I was... well, according to Chloe, "the girl who thought the universe was sending her coded messages." She wasn't entirely wrong. "You checked your horoscope this morning, didn't you?" Chloe asked. "Maybe." "That's a yes." "It said today would be interesting." "Oh, brilliant," she sighed dramatically. "Should I be worried?" "I don't know. Are you planning on doing anything suspicious?" She laughed. "See? This is exactly why I love you. You make absolutely no sense." "I make perfect sense." "To you." By the time we reached the university preparation centre, students were already filling the building. Some sat on the steps with notebooks balanced on their knees while others revised in small groups. The air buzzed with nervous conversations about applications, grades and future plans. I took a deep breath. This mattered. Getting into university wasn't just another goal. It was my chance to build the future I'd been imagining for years. Inside the classroom, Chloe spotted two empty seats. "Over here!" I looked around. "There are only two." "You can squeeze in." "I'd rather not spend two hours sitting on half a chair." "Fair point." I smiled. "I'll find somewhere else." I walked farther into the room until I found an empty desk beside the window. Perfect. I've always liked sitting by windows. Maybe it's because they remind me there's always another world waiting outside, even when you're stuck in the same room. I had just taken out my notebook when someone stopped beside my desk. "Hi." I looked up. A boy stood there holding a notebook under one arm. "Is anyone sitting here?" "No." "Mind if I do?" "Go ahead." "Thanks." He pulled out the chair and sat beside me. That was it. No dramatic music. No instant butterflies. No magical feeling that my life was about to change. Just two strangers sharing a desk. The tutor began the lesson almost immediately, filling the whiteboard with equations that looked far more confident than I felt. About halfway through the class, I reached into my bag for my ruler. Nothing. I checked again. Still nothing. Great. Without saying a word, the boy beside me slid his ruler across the desk. "You can borrow mine." I looked at him. "Oh... thank you." He gave a small shrug. "No problem." It was such a tiny gesture. Most people probably wouldn't have remembered it. I did. I always remembered kindness. The lesson ended just after midday. Students gathered their things and poured into the corridor, eager to escape. I was zipping up my backpack when I heard footsteps behind me. "Angel?" I turned around. The same boy smiled awkwardly. "I hope this doesn't sound strange, but... you're Angel, right?" I folded my arms, pretending to be suspicious. "Should I ask how you know my name?" He laughed. "The attendance register." "Oh." "I promise I'm not secretly investigating you." That caught me off guard. I laughed. "Good to know." "I'm Ethan, by the way." "I'm Angel." For a brief moment, neither of us spoke. It wasn't uncomfortable. It just felt... new. Then he held out his hand. "So... friends?" I looked at his hand before shaking it. "Friends." His handshake was warm. Steady. The sort that made you feel like the other person actually meant what they were saying. "I'll see you next lesson?" he asked. "If you're lucky." He smirked. "I like my chances." I watched him walk away before Chloe appeared beside me with Sophie close behind. "Who was that?" Chloe asked immediately. "Someone from class." "Just someone?" I shrugged. "I think his name's Ethan." "The way you said 'I think' tells me you definitely know his name." I rolled my eyes. "You overanalyse everything." Sophie smiled knowingly. "I thought that was Angel's job." The three of us laughed as we walked towards the bus stop. I didn't look back. Not because I didn't want to. Because I didn't think I needed to. After all... He was just a boy from class. And some stories don't look like stories when they first begin