The summer holidays ended, and the new session of Class 8 began.
Anna stood at the school gate, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. Everything looked the same — the building, the playground, the morning assembly line.
But she felt different.
She walked into the classroom and sat at her usual seat. Emily came running as always.
"New class, new drama!" Emily laughed.
Anna smiled, but her eyes were searching for someone.
A few minutes later, Oliver walked in with his friends. He looked taller somehow. More confident. He laughed loudly at something one of the boys said.
Anna quickly looked down at her notebook.
Why did her heart beat faster just because he entered the room?
Last year, he was just a classmate.
Now… he felt important.
During attendance, the teacher called out, "Roll No. 11."
"Present, ma'am," Anna replied.
"Roll No. 12."
"Present," Oliver answered from behind her.
For a second, Anna smiled to herself.
Some things hadn't changed.
In class, Oliver sometimes leaned forward to ask, "What's the homework?" or "Did we have a test today?"
But now, every small interaction felt special to Anna.
When he said "Good morning," her whole day felt better.
When he didn't talk to her, she felt strangely disappointed.
During recess, she noticed him playing with the boys on the ground. She didn't even realize she was watching him until Emily nudged her.
"You're staring," Emily teased.
"I'm not!" Anna said quickly, looking away.
But deep inside, she knew something had changed.
She started thinking about him more.
She wondered what his favorite subject was this year.
She wondered who he talked to after school.
She wondered if he ever noticed her the way she noticed him.
She didn't tell Emily.
She didn't write it anywhere.
But every night before sleeping, his smile would cross her mind.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't dramatic.
It was soft.
Slow.
And completely one-sided.
Anna Anderson had started liking Oliver Walker.
And only her heart knew. ❤️