With You, I Began

Chapter 2: The Spark

The lunch bell rang, its sharp trill cutting through the clamor of students eager to escape the classroom. Moana lingered at her desk, pretending to shuffle her books while everyone else funneled out in noisy clusters. She knew what waited for her in the cafeteria—nothing.

She sighed, finally slinging her bag over her shoulder and making her way to the lunchroom. The air was thick with overlapping voices, bursts of laughter, and the clatter of trays against tabletops. Moana slipped through the crowd, weaving past the chaos until she reached her usual spot at the far corner of the room. It was quiet there, away from the swirl of friends exchanging inside jokes and glances that never landed her way.

She pulled out a dog-eared novel from her bag and flipped it open, more for the illusion of focus than the story itself. Her eyes skimmed the pages, but her ears tuned in to a conversation a few tables away.

“Are you signing up for the debate?” one voice asked, loud and enthusiastic.

“Yeah! Everyone says Mr. Chowdhury’s hosting it this year. Apparently, the winning team gets extra credit and gift cards or something,” another replied.

Moana’s fingers stilled on the edge of the page. A debate. Public speaking wasn’t her thing, but there was something magnetic about the idea—standing in front of an audience, being heard, commanding attention. She shook her head slightly. As if.

The scrape of a chair startled her, and she looked up to see a girl sliding into the seat across from her.

It was Aisha, a quiet, soft-spoken classmate from her chemistry class. Aisha hesitated, fidgeting with the strap of her bag before offering a tentative smile. “Is it okay if I sit here?”

Moana blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “Uh… sure.”

Aisha unpacked her lunch slowly, her movements deliberate. For a few moments, neither of them spoke, the silence stretching awkwardly between them.

“You…always sit alone, too?” Aisha asked finally, her voice barely audible over the cafeteria din.

Moana nodded. “Yeah. Just easier that way.”

Aisha gave a small, nervous laugh. “Same. People don’t really notice me much anyway.”

The words hit Moana harder than she expected, a strange sense of familiarity settling between them.

“Yeah,” Moana murmured. “I get that.”

Aisha smiled again, a little less nervously this time. “Well, if you ever want to…you know, not sit alone…” She trailed off, shrugging awkwardly before turning her attention back to her lunch.

Moana didn’t reply. The warmth in Aisha’s offer was unfamiliar, almost uncomfortable, but it lingered in her thoughts even after the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

---

Back in history class, Moana slid into her seat as Mr. Chowdhury walked to the front of the room. He clapped his hands together, his leather briefcase slumping against the desk beside him.

“Alright, folks, time for something different,” he said, grinning. “We’re doing group projects.”

The collective groan from the class was almost deafening. Moana felt her stomach sink.

“Now, now,” Mr. Chowdhury said, raising his hands. “It’s not that bad. You’ll be working in pairs to research and present on a historical conflict of your choice. I’m assigning partners.”

Moana’s pulse quickened. Assigned partners were always a gamble—she could end up with someone who ignored her entirely, or worse, someone who made her do all the work.

“Moana,” Mr. Chowdhury called, scanning the room. “You’ll be with Ravi.”

Moana’s eyes widened as Ravi, a tall, confident boy with perpetually tousled hair and a lopsided grin, turned in his seat and gave her a casual salute.

“Great,” she muttered under her breath.

Ravi sauntered over and dropped into the seat next to her, his grin never wavering. “Hey, partner.”

Moana gave him a tight nod, unsure of what to say. Ravi was the kind of person who could talk his way out of trouble and make everyone laugh while doing it. He was…a lot.

“So, what’s the plan, Miss Top Student?” Ravi asked, leaning back in his chair.

“What?” Moana asked, startled.

“Everyone knows you’re the brain around here,” Ravi said, shrugging. “I figure you’ve probably already got this project half planned out in your head.”

Moana blinked. She wasn’t used to people noticing her, let alone complimenting her. “I… haven’t really thought about it yet.”

“Well, no rush,” Ravi said easily. “I’m sure whatever you come up with will be solid. Just let me know how I can help.”

Moana stared at him, unsure if he was being sincere or just lazy. Either way, his words left an unfamiliar feeling blooming in her chest.

---

That evening, Moana sat at her desk, flipping through her history textbook. Her room was quiet, save for the muffled sound of her mother talking on the phone in the other room.

“Riya did so well on her exams,” her mother’s voice drifted through the walls. “She’s always so disciplined, so hardworking. Such a role model.”

Moana’s hands tightened around her pen. She knew better than to expect her mother to notice her achievements, but the sting of being overlooked still cut deep.

She opened her diary, the blank page staring back at her like a challenge.

> Dear Diary,
Today, something strange happened. Someone called me a “top student.” Like they actually noticed. And then Aisha—she sat with me. Said she gets what it’s like to be invisible. It’s… weird. But maybe it’s a start.

I don’t know if I’m ready to be more than “just Moana.” But maybe it’s time to try.

She closed the book, her thoughts swirling. For the first time in a long time, she felt a spark of something she couldn’t quite name. Hope, maybe.

Tomorrow, she decided, she’d do more than wait for life to change. She’d try to make it happen.