Chapter 1: The New Bus Ride
It all began on an ordinary morning. My father had just switched me from the school bus to a private one — and honestly, I wasn’t thrilled. New faces, new seats, and that awkward silence when no one knows you yet. I quietly slipped into a corner seat, plugged in my earphones, and stared out of the window, pretending not to care.
That’s when I first saw him — Alan. He wasn’t doing anything special, just laughing with his friends, his voice mixing with the morning chaos of the bus. Still… something about that moment felt different. Maybe it was the way the sunlight hit his hair, or maybe it was just me noticing him too much.
Days passed, and we never talked. Not even once. Until that one small accident — the one that changed everything.
He accidentally stepped on my foot.
“Sorry,” he said quickly, looking a bit flustered.
“It’s okay,” I smiled.
But strangely, it didn’t stop there. The same thing happened the next day… and the next. It was almost like a silent game between us — one I didn’t understand but secretly enjoyed.
And then one morning, he tried again — but this time, I was ready. Before his shoe could touch mine, I stepped right on his.
He looked up, surprised, then laughed. That laugh broke the ice we never knew existed.
That was the first time we really saw each other.
And that’s how it all started.
