Days slowly turned into weeks.
Oliver was no longer the "new boy." He had become comfortable in Class 7. He started sitting with the boys at the back during free periods. Soon, he became friends with them. They laughed loudly, played football during recess, and shared jokes Anna didn't understand.
Anna stayed the same.
She sat with Emily, focused on her studies, finishing her homework on time like always.
Oliver and Anna didn't talk much anymore.
Sometimes, during class, he would lean forward and say quietly, "Anna, what was the homework for Science?"
She would answer without looking at him, "Page 42, questions 1 to 5."
"Thanks," he would reply quickly before turning back to his friends.
That was all.
No long conversations. No special moments.
Just small, simple exchanges about homework and notes.
At recess, he was always with the boys. Anna would notice him laughing loudly on the playground while she sat under the tree with Emily.
"He's made a lot of friends," Emily once said casually.
"Yeah," Anna replied, pretending it didn't matter.
And it really didn't… at least not yet.
To Anna, Oliver was just a classmate she once helped.
But sometimes, without realizing, her eyes would look for him in the classroom.
And sometimes, she would feel a little disappointed when he didn't ask her anything that day.
She didn't understand the feeling.