Ariana pressed her forehead against the cold bus window, just enough to feel the chill. Outside, the morning sun painted the sky with soft peach and gold, making the whole town look half-awake, caught in some gentle dream. Vendors set up their little wooden stalls, kids in uniforms darted down the stone paths, and birds flicked across rooftops, wings catching the light.
Inside, though, Ariana felt strangely quiet. Maybe too quiet.
She was only a few days into her first week at Silvercrest University, and everything still felt unfamiliar, like she was just passing through someone else's world. Sitting by the window gave her a way to breathe. She could just melt into the passing streets and pretend no one could see how nervous she really was.
The bus suddenly jerked over a bump.
Ariana's notebook slipped from her lap and tumbled to the floor, sliding all the way toward the back row.
"Oh no…" she whispered, standing up to grab it.
Just as she reached out, another hand reached out too.
A male hand.
She paused.
"Is this yours?" a calm voice asked.
Ariana looked up—and her breath caught.
A boy about her age. Tall. His eyes, quiet and dark, reminded her of evening just before night—warm, almost thoughtful. Silver headphones dangled loose around his neck. His shirt looked freshly ironed, but there was something soft about him. Gentle. Maybe even a little shy.
"Yeah—thank you," Ariana blurted out, grabbing the notebook from his hand.
He nodded. Didn't smile. Didn't act cool or awkward. Just stood there, calm, like he carried his own little bubble of silence that somehow swallowed all the bus noise.
Ariana rushed back to her seat, heart pounding way more than she wanted to admit. She flipped open her notebook, but the words blurred. Her gaze kept sliding to the window, searching for his reflection—just a shape a few rows behind.
When the bus finally rolled up to Silvercrest University, she got off with everyone else, tugging at her bag, nerves fluttering.
There he was again. Not far ahead, walking slow. Headphones back on, head tilted, like he was listening to whatever secrets the morning air had to offer.
Ariana told herself she wouldn't see him again.
Silvercrest was huge. Students disappeared like tiny sparks in a storm of faces.
Still… she looked back one more time.
And at that same moment—
he looked back too.
Their eyes met for the briefest second.
There it was.
A tiny spark.
Small, quiet, but impossible to ignore.
Ariana looked away instantly, pretending to adjust her hair. The boy simply turned and continued on his way.
She didn't know his name.
She didn't know his story.
But she knew one thing for certain:
The boy with the quiet eyes from the Moonvale bus
was going to matter—
more than she could ever imagine. 🤟