Andrew arrived long before the first bell.
The hallway outside was almost silent, broken only by the distant echo of footsteps and the occasional slam of a locker. A few students wandered past with sleepy expressions, some carrying coffee, others trying to finish breakfast before class.
When he stepped inside, the classroom was nearly empty.
Morning sunlight stretched across the rows of desks, warming the polished wooden floor. A girl near the front quietly highlighted notes while another student rested his head on his desk, determined to steal a few more minutes of sleep before lessons began.
Andrew chose a desk by the window near the back. It wasn't his seat—not yet—but no one seemed to mind.
He placed his bag on the floor, pulled out a worn black notebook, and flipped to the last page.
Without thinking, he began to write.
If I speak, I'm too much.
If I don't, I'm too cold.
Either way,
there's a story told.
They paint me with words...
— Fangirl
"You're here already?"
Andrew looked up.
Marcus stood in the doorway with his backpack hanging from one shoulder and his tie hanging slightly crooked. He looked as though he'd climbed out of bed only moments ago.
"I swear," Marcus yawned, walking over, "you've got something against sleeping."
Andrew closed the notebook before Marcus could glimpse the page and slid it beneath his English textbook.
"I slept."
"That wasn't my question."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Andrew's mouth.
Marcus noticed.
"Oh, so you can smile."
"I didn't."
"You almost did."
Before Andrew could reply, the classroom door opened again.
Chris walked in carrying two textbooks beneath one arm.
"What'd I miss?"
Marcus pointed at Andrew.
"He almost smiled."
Chris looked at Andrew for a moment.
"I'll believe it when I see it."
Another voice interrupted them.
"I'm never sleeping again."
Eli stumbled into the classroom while straightening his tie.
Marcus laughed.
"You say that every morning."
"And every morning I mean it."
The boys chuckled while Andrew quietly reached into his bag.
He slipped on a pair of large square black glasses before opening his textbook.
Eli blinked.
"...You wear glasses?"
"For reading."
"Huh."
Marcus glanced over before shrugging.
"Didn't expect that."
"They're prescription."
"Makes sense."
The conversation ended there as naturally as it had begun.
Students slowly filled the room, conversations overlapping until the quiet classroom became comfortably noisy. A sleepy boy named Daniel wandered in and immediately dropped onto his desk, while a girl Marcus introduced as Maya was already buried in her notes before the lesson had even started.
Andrew watched them in silence.
Someone borrowed a pen.
Someone argued over homework.
Someone laughed loud enough for half the class to look over.
It all felt... ordinary.
And somehow, that made it unfamiliar.
The classroom door opened once more.
"We're not late."
"We're two minutes away from being late."
"Which still means we're not late."
Emma walked in first, followed by Nina. Ava was already in the middle of another story, and Zoe entered last, looking far too pleased with herself.
"See?" Zoe grinned. "I told you we'd make it."
Emma sighed.
"The teacher isn't here yet."
"So I was right."
"That's not how time works."
A few nearby students laughed.
As Zoe looked around the room, her eyes landed on Andrew.
She paused.
"...Wait."
Emma followed her gaze.
"What?"
"The new guy."
"What about him?"
"He wears glasses."
Ava looked over.
"I didn't notice yesterday."
"They're huge," Zoe muttered.
Nina shrugged.
"They're just glasses."
"...Yeah."
For some reason, she'd imagined him differently.
Before the conversation could continue, the room fell silent.
Mrs. Carter walked in carrying a stack of folders.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning, Mrs. Carter."
She smiled before her eyes settled on Andrew.
"You must be our new student."
Andrew stood.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Welcome to Westbrook Academy. It looks like you haven't been assigned a seat yet."
She glanced around the room before pointing toward the empty desk beside Marcus.
"You can sit there."
Marcus leaned back with a grin.
"Looks like you're stuck with me."
A ripple of laughter spread through the classroom.
Andrew picked up his bag and moved to the empty desk.
As he sat down, Marcus leaned over.
"Told you we'd end up sitting together."
Andrew adjusted his glasses before opening his textbook.
"Looks like you were right."