Ralya tugged on Oliver's hand as they hurried down the sidewalk. The warm morning sun peeked through the trees, casting long shadows across the pavement.
"Come on, Oliver!" Ralya urged. "We're going to miss the bus if you don't hurry up!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Oliver replied, his backpack bouncing against his back as he picked up his pace.
When they climbed aboard the bus, Ralya's eyes immediately scanned the seats. Toward the back, a boy sat alone, staring out the window. His shoulders were hunched, and his dark bangs partly covered his face.
"Let's sit back there," Ralya said, pointing.
Oliver hesitated. "Are you sure? He looks like he wants to be alone."
Ralya shrugged. "Maybe he does, but maybe he doesn't."
They walked to the back and slid into the seat next to the boy. The ride was quiet. Ralya and Oliver chatted softly with each other, but the boy didn't say a word. He just kept looking out the window, his expression distant.
When the bus pulled up to the school, Ralya and Oliver hopped off together. Excitement buzzed in the air as students spilled into the building.
"Looks like we're in different classes," Oliver said, glancing at the schedules they had been handed.
Ralya frowned but then brightened. "It's okay! We can still eat lunch together."
Oliver smiled. "Yeah, that'll be fun."
Later, at lunch, Ralya spotted the boy from the bus sitting alone again, this time at a table in the corner of the cafeteria. She nudged Oliver.
"I'm going to say hi," she said.
"Are you sure?" Oliver asked, his eyebrows raised.
Ralya nodded confidently. She walked over to the boy, who looked up in surprise as she approached.
"Hi," she said with a friendly smile.
The boy hesitated before replying in a quiet voice, "Hi."
"What's your name?" Ralya asked, sitting down across from him.
"Mark," he said after a pause.
"Well, Mark," Ralya said, "you can sit with us if you want. No one should have to eat lunch alone."
As the bus rumbled along, Ralya noticed that the boy at the back was tossing a small rubber ball between his hands. It looked like it had been through a lot—its once-bright colors faded and scuffed.
The bus hit a bump, and the ball slipped from the boy's fingers, rolling down the aisle toward Ralya and Oliver.
"I've got it!" Ralya said, crouching down to grab the ball before it rolled any farther. She straightened up and handed it back to the boy with a smile.
"Hi," she said cheerfully.
The boy hesitated, clutching the ball tightly before muttering, "Thanks."
Oliver chimed in, his tone friendly. "Hey, want to play together?"
The boy shook his head, his gaze dropping to the floor. "No. I don't want to play with you."
Oliver blinked, taken aback. He glanced at Ralya, unsure of what to say next.
"Okay... well, maybe another time," Oliver said softly before returning to his seat next to Ralya.
"What happened?" she whispered.
"He doesn't want to play with us," Oliver replied, shrugging.
Ralya frowned, glancing back at the boy. His shoulders were hunched, and he seemed even smaller now as if trying to make himself invisible. She wanted to talk to him, to figure out why he was so closed off, but before she could, the bus came to a stop.
"All right, everyone!" the driver called out. "Time to head inside!"
The students filed off the bus and into the school. Ralya tried to catch up with the boy, but he darted into the crowd and disappeared.
As she and Oliver headed to their separate classrooms, Ralya couldn't stop thinking about him. Why doesn't he want to talk to anyone? she wondered. Maybe he's just shy. Or maybe something's wrong.
Ralya couldn't stop thinking about Mark all morning. When lunch finally rolled around, she decided to give it another try.
Ralya approached Mark, who sat alone at the far end of the cafeteria, his head bent over his lunch tray.
"Hi, Mark," she said, her voice kind but confident. "I was wondering if I could eat lunch with you?"
Mark didn't look up. "No, you can't," he said flatly.
Ralya blinked, surprised by his bluntness. She hesitated for a moment, then walked back to where Oliver was waiting.
"What did he say?" Oliver asked, though he already knew the answer from the look on her face.
"He said no again," Ralya sighed.
When lunch began, Oliver decided to try a different approach. He sat down next to Mark without saying a word, hoping his quiet presence might encourage him. But Mark quickly stood up and moved to another table, leaving Oliver alone.
Disappointed but not discouraged, Oliver returned to Ralya. They were soon joined by a girl with curly brown hair and bright green eyes, holding a tray of food.
"Hi," the girl said shyly. "Can I sit with you?"
Raluy's face lit up. "Sure, you can! I'm Ralay, and this is Oliver. It's nice to meet you."
The girl smiled warmly. "I'm Eliza. It's nice to meet you too, Ralya and Oliver."
As they began eating, Oliver spoke up. "So, Eliza, what's your favorite subject in school?"
"Math," Eliza answered immediately, her eyes lighting up. "I love solving problems. What about you?"
"I like science," Oliver said. "It's fun to do experiments."
Ralya chimed in, "And I like art! It's nice to meet someone who loves math. I don't get it sometimes."
Eliza laughed. "Maybe I can help you with it sometime."
Ralya smiled. "That would be awesome! Hey, Eliza, can we be friends?"
Eliza's expression softened. "Yes, we may."
Oliver grinned. "Can we be friends too?"
"Of course," Eliza said with a nod.
The three of them continued chatting and laughing, enjoying their lunch together. While Mark remained distant, Ralya and Oliver felt happy knowing they had made a new friend.
After school, Ralya told her family about her day.
And that is what happens in this character what will happen next will Mark be their friend you will find out in the next chapter.
