DO YOU LOVE ME TOO?

Everyone was finally back on campus after the long summer break. The school looked exactly the way Lia remembered it. Students filled the walkways, laughing with friends they hadn’t seen in weeks, dragging their suitcases across the pavement, and catching up on everything that had happened during the holidays. It was loud, busy, and full of life. For Lia, though, it didn’t feel exciting. The biggest difference this year was that her closest friends were no longer in the same class as her. They had all moved up to a higher class, leaving her behind. She still had classmates she could talk to, but none of them were people she truly connected with. They were friendly enough, but the conversations never felt natural. She always felt like she was trying too hard to fit in. Still, there was nothing she could do about it. With a quiet sigh, Lia adjusted the strap of her backpack and started walking toward the classroom buildings. A cold breeze swept across the campus, making her shiver. The weather was much colder than she expected, and she immediately regretted not bringing a thicker jacket. “Why is it this cold?” she muttered under her breath, rubbing her hands together to warm them. She made her way to the registration area where every student had to sign in before heading to class. Just as she expected, the line was already long. Students stood shoulder to shoulder, chatting, laughing, and complaining about being back at school. Lia quietly joined the end of the line. She folded her arms across her chest, partly because she was cold and partly because she was already annoyed. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed as she waited, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “I can’t believe we’re back already,” she whispered to herself. The line barely moved. Out of boredom, her eyes wandered around the crowded area. She watched different groups of students greeting each other before her gaze landed on someone familiar. Lucas. She had seen him countless times last year. He wasn’t a stranger. They attended the same school, crossed paths almost every day, and had even been in the same building on several occasions. Yet they had never spoken. Not once. The truth was, Lia had never paid much attention to him before. She never thought about him, never wondered what kind of person he was, and definitely never imagined herself liking him. But today… Something was different. Without realizing it, she kept looking at him. He was standing a short distance away, talking to one of his friends. His posture was relaxed, one hand tucked into the pocket of his hoodie while the other held his phone. Every now and then, he’d smile at whatever his friend was saying. Lia couldn’t explain why she couldn’t look away. Her eyes stayed on him much longer than they should have. Her heartbeat suddenly felt…different. There was a strange feeling she couldn’t describe, almost like a tiny spark that caught her completely off guard. She blinked a few times, trying to ignore it, but the feeling refused to disappear. “What is this?” she thought. She continued staring until Lucas suddenly lifted his head. For a brief second, their eyes almost met. Lia immediately turned her head in the opposite direction, pretending she had been looking at something else. Her heart skipped a beat. “No…” she thought, almost horrified. “Not Lucas.” Out of every guy in this school… Why him? She had never liked him before. If anything, she had always assumed he knew he was attractive. He carried himself with so much confidence that it sometimes came across as arrogance. From a distance, he looked like the kind of guy who probably broke hearts without even trying. A player. At least, that’s what she had always assumed. Although, now that she actually thought about it… He didn’t really talk to that many people. He mostly kept to himself unless he was with a small group of friends. Still… “No,” she whispered, shaking her head as if trying to force the thought out of her mind. “This can’t be happening.” She let out a small nervous laugh before speaking quietly to herself. Lia frowned. “No. I’m seeing things.” She shook her head one last time, convincing herself that she was simply tired from the early morning and imagining things. Just then, the student in front of her stepped aside. “Next.” Lia blinked and realized it was finally her turn. She quickly walked forward, took the pen from the teacher’s desk, and signed her name before handing it back, trying to ignore the strange feeling that had suddenly appeared the moment she looked at Lucas. She had no idea that one unexpected glance was about to change her entire school year.