Whispers between worlds

chapter 2:Maths,crushes and chaos

After thirty minutes of taking a ride, I finally arrived at school. The ride itself was uneventful—just me staring out the window, watching the houses, shops, and random faces blur past, my headphones blasting music that only I could feel in my bones. My thoughts wandered, as they always do. Part of me was preparing for the day ahead, and part of me was lost in my usual fake scenarios, imagining life the way I wished it could be.

I love being around people sometimes. Just… not all people. Only the ones who don’t wear masks, who don’t act fake. Real people are rare, and maybe that’s why I guard myself so much.

I have a bestie though. Megan Carter. She has other friends too, and honestly? I don’t like that. Not one bit. Because you know how friends with too many friends can be—they’ll treat your secrets like a tennis ball, bouncing them from one person to the next. It’s the quickest way to get betrayed without even realizing it.

But Megan’s different. At least to me. I liked her even from the beginning. I didn’t tell her much at first—not because I didn’t trust her, but because I didn’t have secrets to tell. I’m not one of those people who talks just to talk. I keep things inside until I need to let them out.

When I spotted her, my whole mood shifted. “Megan!” I called, and she came rushing toward me. We hugged each other tight, like two magnets snapping together after being pulled apart too long. That’s the thing about best friends: you don’t realize how much you miss them until you see them again.

We didn’t have much time to chat though, because the bell rang loud across campus. It was time to go to class.

Me and Megan walked together into the classroom. The second I stepped inside, my eyes fell on him.

And I froze.

It was a light-skinned boy with a clean, strong jawline—the kind of jawline that could cut glass. His face was almost too perfect, like it had been carved carefully by someone who wanted to show off. But it wasn’t his jaw that got me. It was his eyes. Shiny brown, so deep I swear I got lost in them before I could even blink.

We looked at each other. Just for a second. But it was enough. My chest tightened, and an insane thought flashed across my mind: I want to kiss him. Right here, right now.

“Hannah,” Megan’s voice pulled me back. “Girl, focus.”

I snapped out of it, blinking hard. I hadn’t seen him before. He must be new. And the fact that he was in my class? That made it worse—or maybe better, depending on how you looked at it.

Mr. Thomas Grant, our lecturer, entered the classroom with his usual stern look. “We have a new student today,” he announced. My heart skipped. I knew exactly who he meant.

The handsome boy stood up when Mr. Grant gestured. The room seemed to slow down as he moved. That was my type, no doubt about it. I wished I could walk up and hug him, claim him before anyone else even got the chance.

Then he spoke.