Joa_nahh
In Gaze on the Heart, Alona is a high school freshman whose anxiety manifests as an intense, almost literal, self-consciousness about her own anatomy. Convinced that everyone can "see" the frantic, irregular pulse of her heart, she navigates her first day of high school armed with scientific jargon and a prickly, "mataray" attitude to keep people at bay.
Her carefully optimized, solitary existence is interrupted by two variables: Sarah, a feisty classmate who sees through Alona's defenses, and Jamie, a kind, observant boy who challenges her to stop treating life like a biology textbook diagram. As Alona manages gym class disasters, awkward introductions, and the overwhelming environment of a new school, she slowly realizes that the "messy stuff"-the nervous blushing, the accidental friendships, and the unexpected flutter of a "good arrhythmia"-might be more vital to her well-being than optimal oxygen flow.