The next day at school, Pires felt different. He walked through the gates with a nervous feeling in his stomach. Today was not a normal day. Today, his training would begin.
Brain found him at his locker before first period.
Are you ready for your first lesson? Brain asked. He was smiling like he had a secret plan.
Pires nodded slowly. I think so, he said. But he was not sure.
Good, Brain said. Lesson one is simple. It is about your eyes.
My eyes? Pires asked. He was confused.
Yes, Brain said. When you talk to a girl, you must look at her eyes. Do not look at the floor. Do not look at your shoes. Look at her eyes.
This sounded very hard to Pires. Looking at the floor was much easier.
But what if she looks back at me? Pires asked. It feels strange.
That is the point, Brain said. It shows you are not afraid. It shows you are confident. Like me.
Just then, a girl from their science class walked by. Her name was Lisa.
Watch this, Brain whispered to Pires.
Brain stepped in front of Lisa. Good morning, Lisa, he said. He looked straight into her eyes and smiled.
Lisa smiled back. Good morning, Brain, she said. She did not look away.
You look very nice today, Brain said. He was still looking at her eyes.
Thank you, Lisa said. Her face turned a little pink. She walked away with a smile.
Brain turned back to Pires. See? It is easy. She liked it because I looked at her. I was not shy.
Pires saw it happen. It did look easy when Brain did it.
Now, you try, Brain said.
What? Now? Pires felt panic rise in his chest.
Yes, now, Brain said. There is no time to be scared. See that girl over there? Her name is Anna. She is quiet, like you. She is a good person to practice on.
Pires looked. Anna was standing alone, reading a book. She seemed nice. But his heart was beating very fast.
I cannot do it,Pires said. His feet felt stuck to the floor.
Yes, you can, Brain said. He gave Pires a small push. Just walk over. Say hello. Look at her eyes for three seconds. Then come back. That is all.
Pires took a deep breath. He forced his feet to move. He walked slowly toward Anna. Each step felt heavy. His mind was empty. He could not think of any words.
He reached Anna. She looked up from her book.
Pires opened his mouth. Hello, he said. His voice was quiet, but it worked.
Anna smiled. Hello, Pires, she said. She knew his name. He was surprised.
He remembered Brain's lesson. He looked at her eyes. They were brown. He counted in his head. One... two... three. It felt like a very long time.
I have to go, Pires said quickly. Then he turned and walked back to Brain. He felt like he could breathe again.
Brain was laughing, but he was happy. You did it! I saw you! You looked at her eyes!
I did it, Pires said. He felt a small spark of pride. It was a very small thing, but for him, it was a big victory.
It was only three seconds, Pires said.
Three seconds is a start, Brain said. Tomorrow, we will try for five seconds. Then you will say a full sentence.
The bell rang for class. As they walked to their classroom, Pires felt different. He had done something he was afraid to do. It did not go perfectly, but it did not go badly. Anna had smiled at him.
Maybe Brain was right. Maybe this was just a game that he could learn to play. He did not know that this game would soon become dangerous. He was just happy he did not look at the floor.