Invisible String

Part 2- My Name Is...

Despite her nerves, she tried to remain as calm and confident as possible. She summoned all the courage she could muster, and she approached him, her heart beating out of her chest. She tried to maintain eye contact whilst approaching him, but it was difficult to avoid the urge to look away. When she reached him, she smiled and greeted him in a friendly tone, hoping to come across as laid back and relaxed as possible.

Her throat felt dry and she had to clear it, before she could manage to say anything. Her voice still came out as a bit strangled and awkward, but she finally managed to get the words out.

“Hello," she said, her voice wavering slightly. He looked at her, a flicker of surprise in his eyes before his expression turned neutral.

"Do we know each other?" he asked, his tone guarded.

His voice was cold, so was his intense gaze piercing through mine. She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"No, but you see-" she fumbled with her words.
" I mean..." her voice became even more awkward and uneasy. "I just wanted to introduce myself"

His expression stayed a blank canvas, not quite a frown, not quite a neutral look.

"Introduce yourself?" he said, looking at her curiously, as if it was such a novel concept.

She blushed a bit when she realized how ridiculous she must have sounded. "Yes, I know... That was quite weird..." she felt embarrassed and awkward. "It's just that I've seen you around sometimes, and I thought, you know, I just wanted to say hi. Not being too weird or anything."

He listened quietly, letting her ramble on. His expression was neutral, and he was clearly observing her closely to get a feel for her personality.When she finished, there was a moment of silence before he spoke up.

"And what's your name?" he asked, his expression finally easing slightly into a soft smile.
"I'm-" she began, but stopped herself again. She was still stumbling over her words. She was failing Alya's tip and she knew it. She would not fumble over her words like an amateur.

"My name is Astoria," she replied, a bit hesitant and nervous still, but she managed to get out the simple introduction.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name the first time" he replied, still keeping a smile on his face. "

"I'm Astoria," she said, her voice trembling slightly as she extended her hand. She hoped he didn't notice how clammy her palms were."May I ask what your name is?" she then asked, her smile staying polite.

"Of course, I'm Brandon, nice to meet you too", He stretched his hand out as well to shake hers. Their hands met, and they exchanged a brief handshake.

Her hand felt smaller and more delicate compared to his, yet it still felt very comforting in his grasp. His grip felt strong but gentle, and it seemed like he had a good sense of awareness of his own strength.

"Brandon," she repeated his name, and he could hear a slight hint of a smile in her voice as she said it.

"I hope I'll see you around, then"

"I hope I'll see you again, too" he replied back, also having a slight hint of a smile in his voice. his tone lingering between casual and hopeful. The hallway hummed with people around them, but in that moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world."What's your major, by the way?"

"Um-" she hesitated, feeling suddenly shy again. "I'm a psychology major," she replied, feeling more comfortable now that she had spoken more. "What about you? What's your major?"

"I'm a CS major," he replied, finally letting go of her hand. "So you're studying to be a psychologist?" he asked, sounding intrigued now. "So you enjoy analyzing people?"