The final bell rang, and relief washed over me. Finally, I could escape the confines of this hellhole, at least for the day. I stood up from my desk, ready to make my way through the bustling hallways, when something caught my eye. It wasn’t important, but it was something. The boy who sat one desk in front of me and one to the left—he’d left his pencil behind. I had never really spoken to him before, but for some reason, I decided to this time. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was the fact that it was his pencil, or maybe it was just the excuse I needed.
Anyway, I saw him near the school exit and quickened my pace to catch up with him.“Hey, you left your pencil,” I called out as I got closer. My voice trembled slightly; I was nervous, but I wasn’t the type of person to see someone leave something behind and just let it be. I handed him the pencil. “Oh, uh, thanks,” he said, taking it from my hand. His voice was warm, and for a moment, I noticed the softness in his eyes, a kindness that contrasted with the cold, hard exterior he usually wore in class. It was then that I realized something—something that would change my life forever.
We stood there for a second, neither of us knowing what to say next. The world around us seemed to blur, the noise of other students fading into the background. It was like we were the only two people left in the hallway. “So, um,” he started awkwardly, looking down at the pencil I’d just returned to him. “Are you into astronomy?” The question caught me off guard. “Uh, I guess? I mean, I like looking at the stars and stuff,” I replied, feeling a bit nervous. His face brightened a little. “Cool. There’s supposed to be a meteor shower tomorrow night. I was thinking of watching it…Would you want to come with me?” The words hung in the air between us, and I could feel my heart racing. He was asking me to hang out. Alone. Under the stars.“That sounds amazing,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “But what time is it at? I need to be home by 9:00 PM.”“It’s supposed to start around 10:35 PM,” he said, his excitement dimming just a bit. “But if you have to leave early, we could meet up beforehand. Maybe grab something to eat and hang out for a while before the shower starts?” I hesitated, the conflict between wanting to go and knowing I had a curfew made my chest tighten. But the thought of spending time with him, even if it meant missing the actual meteor shower, was too good to pass up.“Yeah, that sounds perfect,” I agreed, my heart pounding with anticipation. “We could meet at the diner near the park? Around seven?” “Seven it is,” he said, his smile widening again. “I’m really looking forward to it.”“Me too,” I replied, feeling warmth spread through me. We stood there for a moment, just smiling at each other, before he finally said, “See you tomorrow, then.”“Yeah,” I echoed softly. “See you tomorrow.”As I walked away, I couldn’t help but feel like tomorrow was going to be something special. I didn’t know what exactly, but I could feel it in my bones. Maybe it was just a crush, or maybe it was something more. All I knew was that I couldn’t wait.
When I got home, I tried to focus on my homework, but my mind kept wandering. I kept replaying the conversation in my head, overanalyzing every word, every look, wondering if I had somehow messed things up. But the more I thought about it, the more excited I became. Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough. I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, my heart still racing from the encounter. I couldn’t believe I was actually going to spend time with him. It felt surreal, like something out of a dream. For the past few months, I had watched him from afar, curious about the boy with the soft eyes and the guarded expression. He always seemed a little distant, like he was holding back from everyone around him. I never imagined he’d actually notice me, let alone invite me to hang out with him. I had always been careful to keep my distance, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention. High school was already tough enough without the added stress of navigating my feelings for another guy. But now, here I was, with a plan to meet up with him. The thought filled me with equal parts of excitement and terror. “What if I say something stupid?” I muttered to myself, rolling over and burying my face in my pillow. “What if he realizes I’m just some awkward loser who doesn’t know how to talk to people?” The self-doubt gnawed at me, but I pushed it aside. I couldn’t let my nerves ruin this chance. I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but I knew I had to at least try. I had to be brave, even if it was just for one night.
