When we sat next to each other

✨ CHAPTER 1: The First Day The classroom was louder than it should have been for a morning that early. Chairs dragged harshly against the tiled floor. Laughter bounced off the walls in uneven waves. Some students spoke too loudly, trying to mask their nervousness. Others sat quietly, scrolling through their phones, pretending they didn’t care. It was the first day of a new session. New people. New environment. Same uncomfortable feeling. I sat by the window, as far from the noise as possible. The sunlight filtered through the dusty glass, landing softly across my desk. It was warm, but not comforting enough to calm the restless feeling inside me. My phone was in my hand, screen lit. But I wasn’t reading anything. Just scrolling. Just pretending. Anything to avoid eye contact. Anything to avoid conversation. Because conversations always led to expectations… and I wasn’t in the mood for any of that. A group of guys laughed loudly behind me. Someone argued about seats. A girl walked in and immediately started greeting people like she owned the place. I exhaled slowly, leaning back in my chair. Same world. Same people. Same noise. Nothing ever really changes. “Is this seat taken?” The voice was soft. Not loud. Not demanding. Just… calm. I looked up. And for a second— Everything paused. Not dramatically. Not like in movies. Just enough for me to notice. She stood there, holding the strap of her bag lightly. Her hair looked slightly messy, like she had rushed out of the house. A few strands rested against her cheek, moving gently with the air from the window. Her eyes met mine. Calm. But searching. Like she was trying to read something in me. The sunlight behind her gave her this soft glow that didn’t feel real. Or maybe I just wasn’t used to noticing people like this. “Uh… no,” I said quickly, sitting up straighter and moving my bag off the chair beside me. Smooth. Very smooth. She smiled a little. “Thanks.” Her voice matched her expression. Soft. Easy. Natural. She sat down beside me, placing her bag carefully under the desk. There was no rush in her movements. No unnecessary noise. Just quiet presence. And somehow… I noticed that. Which was strange. Because I don’t usually notice people. For a few seconds, neither of us said anything. The classroom noise returned, like someone had pressed play again. But something felt… different. I glanced at her, just briefly. She was adjusting her notebook, brushing her hair behind her ear in a small, almost unconscious movement. Then she caught me looking. I quickly looked away. Great. Now I look weird. Nice start. “First day?” she asked. I turned slightly. “Yeah.” She nodded. “Same.” Another pause. Not awkward. Just… quiet. “I’m guessing you don’t talk much,” she added, her tone light, almost teasing. I shrugged. “Depends.” “On what?” “On the person.” She smiled again. Not wide. Not forced. Just enough to make it feel real. “Fair.” The teacher walked in just then, cutting the conversation short. The class slowly settled, voices dropping into murmurs before fading completely. Attendance started. Names were called one by one. I leaned back slightly, trying to focus, but part of my attention stayed beside me. Which was new. I don’t usually split my attention. “Ava Thompson.” Her voice came out soft. “Present.” Barely above a whisper. But I heard it clearly. Ava. The name stayed in my head longer than it should have. I repeated it silently, once. Just to remember it. I don’t usually do that either. The class went on. Notes. Introductions. Rules. Same routine. But every now and then, I found myself noticing small things. The way she tapped her pen lightly when she was thinking. The way she tilted her head slightly when listening. The way she didn’t try too hard to fit in like everyone else. She just… existed. Calmly. Naturally. And somehow, that stood out more than all the noise in the room. At some point, she leaned slightly towards me. “Do you understand what he’s saying?” she whispered. I glanced at the board, then back at her. “Not really.” She smiled. “Good. Thought I was the only one.” I let out a small breath that almost felt like a laugh. Almost. That was the first real moment. Small. Simple. But real. By the time the class ended, people started moving again. Chairs scraping. Conversations rising. The noise returned fully. I packed my bag slowly, not in a hurry to leave. She did the same. Then she stood. “See you tomorrow?” she said casually. Like it was already expected. I looked at her. For a second. Then nodded. “Yeah.” She gave a small wave and walked off, blending into the crowd of students leaving the room. And just like that— She was gone. But the seat beside me felt… different. Not empty. Just… Not the same as before. I sat there for a few extra seconds, staring at nothing in particular. Then I shook my head slightly and stood up. It was just a normal day. Just a random seatmate. Nothing special. Right? … Yeah. Sure.